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shiorihyuga · 1 day

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Steadfast Hearts

Levi x OC

In the aftermath of global war, alliances are forged, and new bonds are tested. Dr. Tiana Belrose, a brilliant Androsian engineer, arrives in Paradis with cutting-edge technology, her country's hopes on her shoulders, and a guarded heart. Her brilliant inventions are the reason why Marley invaded and ravaged her country, but Tiana refuses to sit back and do nothing.

Assigned to be her personal guard, the stoic and battle-hardened Captain Levi Ackerman is known for his discipline, but as they spend countless hours together, he finds himself drawn to the woman he’s sworn to protect.

In the midst of battles against Marley, political intrigue, and the weight of their responsibilities, an unexpected romance begins to blossom between two unlikely hearts. As tensions rise on the battlefield and within their own ranks, Levi and Tiana must navigate their feelings in a world that doesn’t allow for weakness.

Love was the last thing either of them expected to find in the midst of war, but it may be the only thing that saves them.

Chapter Twelve:

The sun hung high in the sky, casting long shadows through the narrow windows of Tiana’s workshop. The room buzzed with the familiar sounds of machines and the clinking of tools, the scent of oil and freshly polished metal lingering in the air. Tiana was in her element, standing at her workbench, a pair of goggles pushed up onto her forehead, her hands deftly maneuvering a small screwdriver as she made delicate adjustments to a piece of ODM gear. Beside her, Hange was equally engrossed in a separate contraption, her eyes wide with excitement as she examined the inner workings of a modified grapple mechanism.

“Fascinating,” Hange murmured, her voice filled with wonder. “The way you’ve redesigned the internal mechanisms, Tiana, it’s brilliant. I never would have thought to integrate the gas propulsion system this way. It’s almost… organic.”

Tiana smiled, a hint of pride in her expression. “Thank you, Hange,” she replied, her tone warm. “I’ve always believed that the best designs are the ones that work with nature, not against it. If we can mimic the way living things move, we can create technology that’s more efficient, more adaptive.”

Hange nodded enthusiastically, her eyes alight with curiosity. “It’s amazing,” she said. “I’ve been working with ODM gear for years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. You really are something, Tiana.”

Tiana blushed slightly at the compliment, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “I’m just doing what I love,” she said modestly. “And it’s been great working with you. You have such a unique perspective on things.”

Hange laughed, a bright, cheerful sound that filled the room. “Well, I’ve always been a bit of a mad scientist,” she said with a grin. “But you—you’re a true engineer. You see things in a way most people can’t. It’s inspiring.”

Tiana smiled again, feeling a warm sense of camaraderie. Working with Hange was refreshing; her enthusiasm was infectious, and her boundless curiosity matched Tiana’s own. It was a rare thing, to find someone who understood her passion, her drive to create and innovate.

As they continued to work, Demetri stood nearby, his sensors monitoring the room’s environment, his glowing eyes fixed on Tiana’s movements. He was always alert, always ready to assist, his presence a comforting constant in the busy workshop.

Hange set down the grapple mechanism she had been examining and picked up a cup of tea from a nearby table, taking a sip before turning her attention back to Tiana. “So, Tiana,” she began, her tone casual, “how are you finding life here with us? I imagine it’s quite different from Androsia.”

Tiana nodded, setting down her tools and wiping her hands on a cloth. “It’s… different, for sure,” she admitted. “But in a good way. Everyone here has been so welcoming. And it’s exciting to be working on something that could really make a difference.”

Hange smiled, nodding in agreement. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said. “We’re certainly glad to have you. And I think Levi’s glad to have you around too, even if he doesn’t say it outright.”

Tiana glanced at Hange, her curiosity piqued. “Captain Levi?” she asked, trying to sound casual. “What makes you say that?”

Hange shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. “Oh, you know Levi,” she said with a chuckle. “Always so serious, always so focused. But I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I think he’s more protective than usual.”

Tiana’s heart skipped a beat at Hange’s words, and she quickly turned her attention back to her work, trying to hide the flush that crept up her cheeks. “He’s just doing his job,” she said, her voice a bit too quick. “Making sure I’m safe.”

Hange grinned, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting. “Maybe,” she said with a mischievous tone. “But Levi’s not just protective of anyone. He’s careful, calculated. He wouldn’t be so attentive if he didn’t think you were important.”

Tiana’s blush deepened, and she busied herself with adjusting a small gear, trying to focus. “Well, I appreciate it,” she mumbled. “It’s… comforting to know he’s there.”

Hange nodded, her expression turning more thoughtful. “He’s a good man,” she said softly. “And despite everything he’s been through, he still cares deeply for his comrades. It’s not always easy to see, but it’s there.”

Tiana nodded, feeling a strange flutter in her chest. She had sensed that about Levi—that underneath his stoic exterior, there was a depth, a loyalty that ran deeper than most. It was one of the things that drew her to him, that made her feel safe around him.

Hange took another sip of her tea, then set her cup down, leaning against the workbench. “You know,” she continued, her tone more conversational, “it’s funny. Levi’s been with the Scouts for a long time. He’s one of the oldest members, actually.”

Tiana, in the middle of taking a sip of her own tea, froze. “Oldest?” she repeated, her eyebrows raising in surprise. “How old is he?”

Hange looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged. “He’s about 36, I think,” she said casually. “Not too old, but definitely more seasoned than most of us.”

Tiana choked on her tea, sputtering as the hot liquid went down the wrong pipe. She coughed violently, her eyes watering, and Hange jumped back, startled. “Tiana!” she exclaimed. “Are you alright?”

Demetri, always alert, immediately moved forward, his eyes glowing as he activated his cleaning protocol. He quickly extended a small arm with a cloth, wiping up the spilled tea with precise, efficient movements.

Tiana waved a hand, trying to catch her breath. “I’m fine,” she managed, still coughing slightly. “Just… surprised, that’s all.”

Hange raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Surprised?” she echoed. “About Levi’s age?”

Tiana nodded, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “He just… he looks so young,” she said, her voice a bit breathless. “I would have guessed he was… I don’t know, younger.”

Hange chuckled, clearly amused. “Levi does have a way of keeping himself in shape,” she said with a grin. “But yeah, he’s older than he looks. Been through a lot, that one.”

Tiana felt her heart race slightly, her mind spinning with this new information. Thirty-six. She had never considered Levi’s age before, had never thought about it in those terms. But now that she knew, she found it… intriguing. There was something undeniably attractive about it, about the idea of him being older, more experienced. She had always had a thing for older men, a preference she’d never really understood but had never questioned either.

But she would never admit that out loud. Not to Hange, not to anyone.

She tried to compose herself, to keep her expression neutral. “I suppose that makes sense,” she said lightly, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. “He certainly seems… seasoned.”

Hange laughed again, nodding. “Seasoned is one word for it,” she agreed. “But don’t let his age fool you. Levi’s as sharp as they come. And as tough as they come, too.”

Tiana nodded, her mind still racing. She had seen that toughness firsthand, had witnessed it in the way he moved, the way he fought, the way he seemed to see everything, notice everything. It was part of what made him so compelling, so fascinating.

She cleared her throat, trying to focus. “Well,” she said, picking up her tools again, “I guess it’s good to have someone like him around, then. To keep us all on our toes.”

Hange smiled, picking up her own tools once more. “Exactly,” she said. “And I think he’s glad to have you around, too, Tiana. You bring something new to the table, something fresh. It’s good for all of us.”

Tiana felt a warm flush of pride at Hange’s words, but also a lingering sense of curiosity. She wondered what Levi truly thought of her, if he saw her as more than just someone he had to protect. But she pushed the thought aside, focusing on her work. There would be time to think about that later.

For now, she had a job to do, a purpose to fulfill. And maybe, just maybe, she would find a way to get to know Levi a little better, to understand the man behind the stoic mask a little more. And perhaps, if she was lucky, she might find out if there was something more between them than just duty and protection.

Hange watched Tiana closely as they worked, her sharp eyes noticing the slight flush in Tiana’s cheeks, the way her fingers seemed to fidget a bit more than usual, the way her eyes darted back to the door now and then, as if expecting—or perhaps hoping—Levi might return at any moment. A sly smile crept across Hange’s face. She wasn’t one to miss details, especially when it came to human behavior. And Tiana’s reactions today were quite telling.

“Hey, Tiana,” Hange said casually, setting down her tools and leaning against the workbench. “Can I ask you something?”

Tiana looked up from the gadget she was tinkering with, her eyes cautious. “Sure, Hange,” she replied, trying to keep her tone light. “What’s on your mind?”

Hange grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “I was just wondering… do you have a thing for Levi?”

Tiana froze, her heart skipping a beat. “W-What?” she stammered, nearly dropping the small screwdriver in her hand. “No, of course not! Why would you even ask that?”

Hange chuckled, clearly enjoying Tiana’s flustered reaction. “Oh, come on, Tiana,” she teased. “You can’t fool me. I’ve seen the way you look at him. And the way you reacted when I mentioned his age… You practically choked on your tea.”

Tiana’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, and she quickly turned her attention back to her work, trying to hide her embarrassment. “That was just… surprise,” she insisted. “I didn’t expect him to be that age, that’s all. And I’m just… grateful for his protection. Nothing more.”

Hange smirked, leaning closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Are you sure about that?” she pressed. “Because it seems to me like you might have a little crush on our stoic captain.”

Tiana’s eyes widened, and she shook her head vehemently. “No!” she said, a bit too loudly. “No, I don’t have a crush on him. I don’t… I mean, he’s just… he’s just Levi. Captain Levi. That’s it.”

Hange chuckled again, clearly unconvinced. “If you say so,” she said, her tone light and teasing. “But you know, there’s nothing wrong with having a little crush. Levi’s a good-looking guy. And he’s definitely got that whole strong, silent, brooding thing going for him.”

Tiana’s face was practically on fire now, and she wished she could disappear into the floor. “Hange, please,” she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. “I really don’t… it’s not like that.”

But Hange wasn’t about to let up. “Oh, come on, Tiana,” she said with a grin. “Admit it. You’ve thought about it, haven’t you? What it would be like, being with someone like him?”

Tiana was about to respond, to deny everything once again, when she heard the soft creak of the door opening behind her. She turned sharply, her eyes wide with a mix of panic and embarrassment, and saw Levi stepping into the room. His expression was calm, but his eyes were sharp, taking in the scene before him.

Hange’s grin widened at Levi’s arrival, her eyes flicking between him and Tiana with barely concealed amusement. “Ah, Levi!” she greeted, her tone cheerful. “Perfect timing. We were just talking about you.”

Tiana’s heart dropped to her stomach, and she shot Hange a death glare that could have cut through steel. Her eyes were wide, her message clear: Shut. Up.

Levi’s eyebrows lifted slightly, his gaze shifting from Hange to Tiana. He couldn’t hear exactly what they had been saying, but he sensed it had something to do with him. “Talking about me?” he asked, his tone neutral but curious. “What about?”

Tiana opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Her mind was racing, trying to think of something—anything—to say that wouldn’t make this situation even more mortifying. “Oh, uh… nothing important!” she blurted out, her voice a bit too high. “Just… you know… work stuff.”

Hange, ever the instigator, leaned back against the workbench, a playful smirk on her face. “Yeah, work stuff,” she echoed, clearly enjoying Tiana’s discomfort. “And maybe a little bit about how impressive you are, Levi. You know, as a captain. And, uh, other things.”

Tiana’s death glare intensified, her face burning with embarrassment. “Hange,” she said through gritted teeth, her voice low and dangerous, “enough.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed slightly, his instincts telling him there was more to this than just a casual conversation. But he decided to let it go—for now. “Right,” he said, his tone clipped. “Well, if you’re done talking about… work stuff, we have a lot to do today.”

Hange nodded, still grinning. “Of course, Levi,” she said cheerfully. “We were just taking a little break. Right, Tiana?”

Tiana forced a smile, though it was strained. “Right,” she muttered, still glaring daggers at Hange. “Just a… little break.”

Levi’s gaze shifted back to Tiana, and for a moment, his expression softened. He could see the flush on her cheeks, the way her eyes were bright with embarrassment. He wondered what Hange had said to fluster her so much, but he decided not to press the issue. “Good,” he said simply. “Let’s stay focused. We have work to do.”

Tiana nodded quickly, grateful for the change in subject. “Of course, Captain,” she said, her voice a bit steadier now. “I’m ready.”

Levi gave her a brief nod, then turned his attention to the contraption on her workbench, examining it with his usual meticulous care. Tiana took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, her thoughts still spinning from Hange’s teasing. She was going to have to have a word with Hange later, a serious word.

But for now, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand, pushing thoughts of Levi—and everything Hange had implied—firmly to the back of her mind. She couldn’t afford to be distracted, not now. Not with him right here.

As she moved to join Levi at the workbench, she could feel Hange’s amused gaze on her, and she resisted the urge to glare at her friend again. This isn’t over, she thought to herself, her jaw set in determination. But as she glanced at Levi, standing so close, his presence calm and commanding, she couldn’t help but feel a small flutter in her chest—a flutter she tried desperately to ignore.

Maybe Hange was right. Maybe there was something there, something more than just gratitude or respect. But whatever it was, Tiana wasn’t ready to admit it. Not yet. And certainly not in front of Captain Levi.

…

The mess hall was bustling with its usual evening activity as Levi and Tiana stepped inside. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air, mingling with the hum of conversation and the clatter of dishes. Soldiers moved through the room in a steady flow, finding seats at the long wooden tables, their faces a mix of weariness and camaraderie after another long day.

Levi led the way, his posture as straight and commanding as ever, his eyes scanning the room with his usual vigilance. Tiana followed close behind, her mind still buzzing from the events in the lab earlier. She tried to focus on the task at hand—finding a seat, getting some food, and hopefully avoiding any more embarrassing encounters. But as soon as they entered the hall, she spotted Hange sitting with the other scouts, and her stomach dropped.

Hange caught sight of her almost immediately, a wide grin spreading across her face. She raised a hand in greeting, but it was the knowing smirk on her face that made Tiana’s heart skip a beat. Oh no, Tiana thought, feeling a wave of panic rising in her chest. She’s going to tease me again. Right here. In front of everyone. In front of Levi.

Hange’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she waved them over. “Hey, Tiana! Levi!” she called out, her voice carrying over the noise. “Come join us!”

Tiana’s eyes widened, and she shook her head slightly, trying to signal Hange to stop. But Hange’s grin only grew wider, her amusement evident. Tiana could feel her heart pounding in her chest, her mind racing. She couldn’t let Hange say anything—anything—about what they had talked about earlier. Not here. Not with Levi right beside her.

As they moved closer to the table, Tiana felt a surge of desperation. She needed to talk to Hange, needed to make sure she kept her mouth shut. She turned to Levi, her expression pleading. “Captain,” she said quickly, her voice a bit breathless, “could I… could I have five minutes? Just to talk to Hange privately?”

Levi raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing her urgency, but he nodded. “Five minutes,” he said curtly, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. “Make it quick.”

Tiana nodded gratefully, then quickly moved to Hange, grabbing her by the arm. “Come on,” she muttered under her breath, dragging her out of the mess hall and into the corridor beyond. “We need to talk. Now.”

Hange allowed herself to be pulled along, still grinning with amusement. Once they were far enough away from the mess hall and out of earshot of Levi, she turned to Tiana, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Alright, alright, Tiana, what’s the rush?” she teased, her tone light. “Afraid I might spill your little secret?”

Tiana shot her a look, her face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and urgency. “Hange, please,” she said, her voice low but intense. “You cannot tell Levi about… about what we talked about earlier. You just can’t.”

Hange raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying Tiana’s flustered state. “Oh? And why not?” she asked, her tone teasing. “You think he wouldn’t be interested in knowing that you have a crush on him?”

Tiana groaned, running a hand through her hair. “Because it would be mortifying,” she admitted, her voice a strained whisper. “He doesn’t see me like that. I’m just… someone he has to protect. He probably thinks of me like a kid or a responsibility, not… not like…”

Hange’s grin softened slightly, a more understanding look crossing her face. “Not like a woman?” she offered gently.

Tiana nodded, her eyes dropping to the floor. “Exactly,” she said quietly. “He’s so… focused, so intense. And I don’t want to make things weird between us. I need him to keep doing his job, not get distracted by… by whatever this is.”

Hange watched her for a moment, her expression more thoughtful now. “You know,” she said softly, “Levi’s not as unreadable as you might think. He might surprise you.”

Tiana shook her head, a small, sad smile tugging at her lips. “Maybe,” she said. “But I can’t take that risk. Not now. Not when there’s so much at stake.”

Hange nodded slowly, her playful demeanor softening into something more serious. “Alright,” she said finally. “I won’t say anything. But you’ve got to promise me one thing.”

Tiana looked up, her expression hopeful. “What?” she asked.

Hange smiled, a gentle, encouraging smile. “Promise me that you’ll at least consider talking to him about it,” she said. “When you’re ready. He deserves to know how you feel. And who knows? Maybe he feels the same way.”

Tiana felt her cheeks flush again, but she nodded. “Okay,” she agreed softly. “I’ll… think about it. But for now, just… please, don’t say anything.”

Hange nodded, reaching out to give Tiana’s arm a reassuring squeeze. “You’ve got my word,” she said with a grin. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

Tiana let out a breath of relief, a small, grateful smile spreading across her face. “Thank you, Hange,” she said quietly. “I mean it.”

Hange winked at her, her playful grin returning. “Anytime,” she said. “But don’t keep him waiting too long, alright? Levi’s not the most patient man.”

Tiana chuckled softly, nodding. “I won’t,” she promised. “Now, let’s get back before he starts wondering what we’re up to.”

They made their way back to the mess hall, and as they entered, Tiana spotted Levi standing near the door, his arms crossed, his expression as stoic as ever. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and walked over to him.

“Everything alright?” Levi asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked between her and Hange.

Tiana nodded, doing her best to appear calm. “Yes, Captain,” she replied. “Just needed to clarify something.”

Levi studied her for a moment, his gaze steady, and Tiana felt her heart skip a beat. Does he know? she wondered. Did he overhear something?

But Levi simply nodded, turning toward the table. “Let’s eat,” he said curtly. “We’ve had a long day.”

Tiana let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding and followed him to the table, taking a seat beside him. As she glanced around, she caught Hange’s eye across the table. Hange gave her a small, knowing smile, and Tiana couldn’t help but smile back, a mixture of relief and nervous anticipation swirling in her chest.

She wasn’t sure what the future held, but for now, she was content to keep her secret—at least a little longer. And maybe, just maybe, she’d find the courage to talk to Levi about it when the time was right. But until then, she was grateful for friends like Hange, who knew when to tease and when to keep a secret. And perhaps, that was enough. For now.

Masterlist:

#levi smut #aot smut #aot x black reader #aot x reader #aotfanfic #levi aot #snk levi #levi x civilian #captain levi #levi ackerman #levi x reader #aot levi #levi attack on titan #levi x you #levi x oc #levi x y/n

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blindrapture · 2 months

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july 28, again.

got asked a question about the july 28th log.

here's a transcription:

Dr0Shadow 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 — Today at 3:42 PM

@DJay did you just throw Elon Musk into the rapture and reference those dumb cars tesla made like a decade before they wouldve been invented

DJay — Today at 5:02 PM it was definitely a nod to the real-life present day. there are some of those in the final draft. but elon musk was already CEO of Tesla, he became CEO in 2004.

the log sorta implies that the Judge chose him sorta arbitrarily-- as he puts it, he's not even from San Francisco. I imagine he wasn't in it at the time and was just, like, whisked away to that court scene. so in some ways it's a demonstration of a "greater" logic being used by Xanadu's judgement (with the Judge as the vessel of that) that greater logic being something like… "this is a name more people in the world will know (even in 2011)." but the Attached for that log more overtly draws attention to real-life shit. the Attached makes a pretty obvious allusion in "tweet tweet" and "Now I'm for the birds." though it's still "ambiguous" enough that one can instead read a non-twitter interpretation out of it. poetry, and all. I seem to have landed on the font for that Attached being Georgia (for the website, and "Chat"/courier new for tumblr), which is the Tiresias/Thoth font. though there exist other Attacheds in a specific other font that are exclusively written by real-life author me, and I could have used that for this. I think, if I had used real-life-author-me font for that Attached, then we could just call this a cute anachronism. but I didn't want to do that. and I didn't do that. I elected more for Poetry. what does it really mean??? I dunno. sincerely. it's the kind of thing that, if I sat down and really concentrated, and rambled at you for an hour, I could reason out a convincing interpretation. and if I had to guess, like. the short answer is, like with the Fears themselves, "it's more about this deeper pattern that real-life Elon Musk is just one iteration of." "Elon Musk is one frond on a big hyperdimensional plant. Rapture depicts other fronds of it and shows how they connect to the Elon Musk frond, and Rapture tries to imply the deeper stem."

but. but yeah. the surface intent is "what if elon musk gets trapped in a car and thrown off a cliff. what if the fictional world gives justice for something that happened in a different world." the surface intent is for you to get a good chuckle out of it. rapture actually has a fair few instances of…….. Real-Life Bad People in completely different contexts. like there's Attacheds, including ones we haven't gotten to yet, saying that, like, "comcast really stepped up when the apocalypse came; they provided free internet for everyone and worked overtime, volunteered, to keep the servers running" and "Rupert Murdoch had a change of heart, seeing the planet collapse. he saved a fucking bus of orphans. and gave his newspaper offices to be used by squatters, pro bono." in those cases they're more like really dry black comedy. the joke is they would never do that. and, if they ever read rapture themselves, they'd be struck with a window into a world where they actually did something people liked. elon musk could have gotten something like that. but I elected to not even give him the chance. maybe we can read this as a Dante kinda thing. how Dante wrote real-life people into his Comedy. how he handled the bad people. and rapture has been compared to the Comedy before, by people who are not me!

it has never been my desire to make rapture into the Comedy. even after I read and learned to appreciate the Comedy. I deeply admire the thing, and I take inspiration from it in some broad ways. but I am willing to have moments in rapture that give you, like, a window into a world where rapture was like a different book. that works really well with rapture as a whole. gels well with it. lots of windows into other worlds. in some ways rapture is a hell of a lot like rick and morty. and that wasn't intentional either! but it's honestly one of the closest analogues I can think of. and I've tried.

#ogtrib bonus

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sillycoffeewizard · 9 months

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Hi everyone, and this is part 2 of my post with headcanons and theories about John Titor!!!

I want to add some more reflections! I've taken my past post with theories and the comments underneath it as a base. Perhaps...it will cause your brain to explode, but my imaginations have really run wild and I want to share it!

This only applies to the game universe! There are a lot of history references in "reverse: 1999", and I think the theories have a place

"Time Traveler" started posting on the forums in the 2000s, and John Titor (the character) was born in 1970. By the year 2000, she would have to be around 30 years old. She may have invented a time machine herself (I do believe in her genius), or she may have used her abilities as an arcanist to travel many years into the future. She saw all the horror going on in the world and wanted to do what she could to prevent a lot of global disasters, so she traveled to the year 2000 and started posting on forums in her own name to warn people about what might happen in the future while hiding her identity. And she talks about how the future is crazy because she saw all the chaos with her own eyes. She may have kept a diary while in the far future and described all the events she witnessed

Given the possibility that John Titor was able to build a time machine herself as a teenager, or at least a prototype of one, we can assume that she time-traveled to the future as an experiment to evaluate the performance of her invention. Some person whose name is unknown persuaded her to share the blueprints, calculations, and the like, and then simply used them, traveling to the year 2000 and beginning to post on forums under the name John Titor, which he took as a nickname

Let's assume that John Titor, the soldier and time traveler really existed (we're not talking about the character). He claimed that he wanted to save the world from disasters and destruction, to prevent the spread of a cyber virus, and for this purpose he needed a special computer with which to make a system rollback. What if the IBM 5100 device, of which our girl has a prototype, was ideal for this purpose? Then he, perhaps having learned from historical records about the existence of this computer, traveled back in time to get it. However, the original invention was in great secrecy by decree of the authorities and was available for use only to people of high status or very rich. After some time, the time traveler met John Titor (she probably has a completely different name), whose computer or instructions for assembling it he was free to use. He developed a relationship with her (no romance), teaching her various things, telling her about the future, and just spending time with her. He may have been the one who took her for a ride in his Corvette 1966 and she traveled to the distant future. After seeing the chaos in the world, she agreed to help the time traveler and gave him her IBM 5100 prototype (or the instructions to build it) so he could save humanity. In gratitude, he gave her his badge, which serves as a symbol of distinction in a military organization. The girl was very inspired by this man, which is why she keeps the badge with her. She also took the name John Titor because she was a genius engineer like him, and perhaps the ride on the Corvette really impressed her and she dreams of riding it again someday

That's it!!! Just a reminder that I make no claim to canon, these are just my theories and speculation! I really enjoy thinking and speculating about my favorite character, and it's fun for me to dive into it. I'm always open to constructive criticism and discussion!

#fandom #characters #interesting #research #reverse 1999 #r1999 #john titor #reverse 1999 john titor #r1999 john titor

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howdydarling · 2 years

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MANNY SHERMAN TAPES

TAPE ONE

[Bored] Manny Sherman. Born January one. Nineteen fifty-six. Come on, you know all this. What do you want?

What’s this?

Huh… You’ve been doing your research, haven’t you Special Agent Munday?

What are my favorite television programs? Describe my first *pet?* [Mocking] What were your friends like as a child? [Annoyed] What is this?!

You taking a survey, or you trying to learn something?

Would it kill you to be direct?

You wanted to know what inspired me? As if *I* wasn’t an original?

Well…maybe there was one man I found myself a little fascinated by.

Henry. Howard. Holmes.

*Why?* Because he was numero uno.

America’s *first.* The guy invented the trade. He set the benchmark, you know?

Learn your history, Munday. Read a book.

You think because I stuck a blade in some people and get off on it, I’m not smart?

I, heh… ‘allegedly’…killed 13 people before you got smart enough to find me…

END TAPE

TAPE TWO

…had to build my own little castle, just like Holmes did.

Most people like me do their business where their target lives. That’s just *asking* to get caught.

Holmes had the right idea. It’s all about the honeytrap.

You bring me some smokes? Like I asked? *Lucky Reds.*

*Yes!* These are like *gold* in here.

[Sherman lights a cigarette and inhales] *Damn,* that’s good.

So yeah. The honeypot.

Holmes built a hotel about a mile from the World’s Fair and CALLED it the World’s Fair Hotel, and bought ad space in the papers alongside ads for the expo. Rubes from far and wide assumed it was the official hotel!

Ma and Pa Kettle take a train in from *Nebraska*, takes three days, they roll up into that joint ready to rest, get to their room…and *whoops*—what do ya know…Holmes had a gas pipe hidden under the bed and poisons them.

Or maybe he pulls a trap door on them.

Maybe he separates them and makes one watch through a window while he slits the other’s throat.

That’s the advantage of a honeypot: no shortage of targets. Heh…

That’s why I picked all those houses north of the airport. That whole neighborhood was scheduled for demolition, and yet…all those lovely realtor ladies must not have gotten the memo.

Call up as a contractor, tell them I’m flipping, have them meet me out there…and look at that…we’re the only two people for miles.

The first couple times, I’d wait for a plane to fly over, just to hide their screams, but…after a while I realized, they could scream as loud as they wanted. No one was gonna hear a thing.

That’s what I remember most. Those *screams.*

You can try to understand why I am the way I am. You can forensic science up all the data you want. But you’ll never know…

You’ll never know, Munday…

You’ll never really know how it feels when you watch the fire *burn* out of somebody.

END TAPE

TAPE THREE

[Sherman laughing] A whole carton this time? You trying to get on my good side or something?

Yeah, I uh…I think I’ll save them.

What? No questions? What’s going on with you, Munday?

You seem different.

Oh…[Sherman laughing] I see that glimmer in your eye, you little devil.

I can keep secrets, man…we all have them.

That prosecutor is trying to get numbers out of me. Know that?

Of *course* you know that. *Numbers.*

They got Holmes for 27…but we know he was closer to 200, right?

Can you imagine that? I wish I’d had the time to try and beat that.

Sure, they know about those nice realtor ladies…they got families, after all.

But the numbers the D.A. is asking me about…I think he knows there’s some people out there—rejects…misfits…the kind of people that when you see them coming, you look the other way. Does anyone notice if they go missing?

My father always told me to leave my mark on the world.

I never know what he meant by that — not until I watched that first girl bleed out.

*I* call it *art.* That’s my signature on society.

It’s not murder, it’s an aesthetic response to what this world has made me.

Ask people to list serial killers, and they’ll drop five, ten on you before they can’t think of any more.

Ask them to name the detectives that caught those killers — no one is going to say a damn thing. No one knows. No one *cares.*

No one makes movies about *them.*

No one puts their faces on t-shirts.

No one gives a shit.

[Sherman laughing]

[Sherman sighs, pleased] I’ve left my mark on the world…have *you?*

END TAPE

TAPE FOUR

You want to know what it means to be a killer? You ever been to the art museum downtown?

They got this painting by a guy…I forget his name. Famous painter.

He did portraits of slaughtered cows hanging on hooks.

You take a normal person to a slaughterhouse and they will puke their guts out.

You make it into a painting, and suddenly it’s *art.*

There’s no difference between the two. [Sherman grunts] Not really.

Don’t look at me like that. You know I’m right.

You get it. I *know* you get it.

You got to do something that matters. Make people feel something they’ve never felt before.

Shatter the illusion that any of us are really in control.

Think of the most profound thing you’ve ever done…the most beautiful thing you’ve ever created…and I promise you…it’s *nothing* compared to watching the life bleed out of someone.

To see the fear in their eyes, to feel them pawing at you for release, to hear them pleading — *begging*…

That *moment*, when someone realizes they are at their end…that’s when you *feel* it. That’s true art.

That’s what you have to be — an artist…a sculptor…an architect.

[Sherman exhales smoke] I see the gleam in your eye, Agent Munday. You’re not fooling me.

[Sound of a chair scraping, Hector exclaiming as he punches Sherman]

Oh, look at you now, huh?!

[Hector breathing heavily in background]

Am I going to be your first?

[Sherman yelling] Well come on then — I’m right here! This room is soundproof — you don’t even have to wait for a plane to fly overhead.

[Hector exclaiming, sounds of a struggle, Sherman grunts and groans in pain, more aggressive sounds of Hector beating Sherman]

[Sherman breathing heavily] There…there you are…I see you now.

[Hector punches him again]

Not bad…not bad at all. Bare hands can feel good, huh?

But the blade makes for such a prettier picture.

[Sherman panting quietly] You’ve got potential, Agent Munday…if you truly want to be an artist.

END TAPE

#the devil in me #manny sherman #ch; manny sherman #i needed this for something i’m working on #so here!!#you all can have it too!

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thelediz · 5 months

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Sonic Underground Episode 16: Bug!

I’m watching Sonic Underground in search of inspiration to finish a fic I’ve been writing forever. It’s a sad state of affairs. See the recap of the first three episodes here, if you're interested!

The plot (for want of a better word): Robotnik’s latest scheme is using robot flies to take control of mobian minds and turn them against their friends! The Sonic Underground plans to stop him, but Manic’s impulsiveness gets him infected. Can Sonic and Sonia save their brother and the day?

Don’t let the summary or the outcome fool you. This is a Manic episode, and a surprisingly not bad one, if you think about it more than the show wants you to.

So. An interesting thing about this series, which this episode highlights: in most contemporary media, Sonic’s problem is that he does everything on his own, and he needs to learn to rely on his friends. In Sonic Underground, he’s actually fine with teamwork, but the unspoken reality is that he’s actually more effective when he goes off on his own. Manic is the one called out as needing to rely on his team more.

Usually the series doesn’t call him out on this. But it’s fairly well done, to give credit where due, because Manic is the squishy wizard of the triplets: he has a lot of power with his drums, but he’s physically weak, emotionally vulnerable, and the slowest mentally. Whenever he goes off on his own, even in spaces he knows like the black market, he always ends up putting either himself or someone else in danger.

I’m just saying. In a better, more developed show, Manic absolutely could have had an amazing character arc of resentment and misused power and redemption. Sonic Prime!Nines says what.

This is another episode that feels like it was set earlier in the series than the ones that came before it, because Manic doesn’t know Sonic can use airgear hover boards (and probably better than him). He just doesn’t because he’s faster on foot. And their bond doesn’t seem as tight. It’s interesting.

Ah, this is Rudy’s episode. I’d forgotten him. I had also forgotten where I got the Resistance secret code phrase “The party’s at Mother’s, and the musicians are down the hall”. I’ve just always liked it for some reason, I don’t know why.

Rudy is a water dragon, talks about bottle flies, and has a quite broad but surprisingly believable north-eastern Australian accent, for… reasons. I therefore assume the triplets are in Downunda, which is a region from the Archie comics. They also refer to Freedom Fighters in this episode, which is another Archie invention. Enjoy it, folks. But again, is Mobius a kingdom or a world? You will never know…

So. Manic is bitter because Sonic doesn’t need help after getting on Manic’s case about the buddy system. And he goes off on his own to show Sonic up. If this had been more than an episode, it would have been a great arc, I AM JUST SAYING.

He of course gets bitten by the robot fly, while Sonic easily catches the one going after him.

Side note, real bottle fly bites are an absolute BITCH. This episode does not do them justice.

Meanwhile, Sonic reports to Rudy that his village and all the people in it are gone, and once again, this is treated (hammily but) seriously. This series didn’t dwell on them, but it never denied the realities of the world it was presenting.

We get some very quick explanation of the flies. They’re injecting a serum, a full dose of which only lasts an hour. Just long enough for people to march up and into the robotocisor. Robotnik modifies one so that Manic will get re-dosed every hour until he can capture the other two.

But it’s less than a day and only one radio in before Manic’s found out, of course, and when the serum wears off he doesn’t remember anything. The climax moves on as if none of this ever happened.

The song: Never Give Up. In contrast to the last few songs, this one isn’t quite so grating on the ears, and absolutely could have been an early 90s-style fight-the-man anthem. Kick-butt guitar solo. Reminding you that the Sonic Underground’s songs are—in canon—supposed to exist to inspire resistance and morale. Even if they come with a strong dose of magic firepower.

The day saved, the group heads back to Rudy’s village, and a few survivors pop out of the rubble. So not quite the downer it would normally be, though there is a low-key implication that they lost a lot of important people.

Meanwhile, the hedgehogs are trying to impart the lesson on Manic that him going off alone could have gone really badly, but he decides to prank them by playing zombie again. Which is supposedly funny but… really shouldn’t be. Honestly. Pick a lane, Trashfire.

Come back tomorrow if you're interested!

#sonic underground #lediz fics #sonic the hedgehog #manic hedgehog #sonia hedgehog #Manic's arc could have been so interesting #and I do not do it justice in the Lost Prince #because I too focus too much on his brother #but I am all about arcs that have characters learning to be better #and overcoming their darkness #I want that in a show that has hope #everything that comes close to that is so dark lately #or they inevitably fall to their darkness #but give me more Zuko and I will be happy

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yasmine-cariaga · 10 months

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WANT TO BE AN ASTRONAUT BUT DON’T HAVE MONEY LIKE ELON MUSK? THEN, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN PETIT PLI

It’s every child’s dream to fly to the moon and play among the stars and that used to be impossible but we’re living in 2022, so the sky is the limit. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but your child can get pretty close to being an astronaut by wearing Petit Pli- a sustainable East London clothing brand inspired by space engineering.

All parents know the hassle of constantly buying new baby clothes and this struggle is exactly what prompted Ryan Mario Yasin to start Petit Pli. It all started when Yasin’s nephew Ryan was born, and he couldn’t fit into the clothes Yasin bought him. Toddlers go through approximately 7 sizes in their first two years and the fashion industry has failed to acknowledge this speed. Fanny Lefebvre, Petit Pli’s design strategist, explains [Yassin was ]“an engineer who worked on satellite structures and applied it to the fashion industry”.

The space-inspired clothing brand isn’t just a clever idea, it’s a crucial step to saving the planet. It’s not surprising that the fashion industry is the second-largest polluter in the World. According to Oxfam fast fashion “produces 80 billion garments each year” along with “35kg of textile waste”.

From the very beginning, sustainability was the driving force behind the brand as Yasin noted that “If extending clothing life by nine months equals a carbon and water reduction of 20-30% each, imagine what ninety years and beyond could do”. Not only will you be saving the planet, but you’ll be saving your money and if that’s not enough to convince you I can try to persuade you a bit more.

Lefebvre states: "Petit Pli is working to support all the people in the supply chain”. Unlike Petit Pli, fast fashion brands exploit their workers. Ever heard of the Rana Plaza disaster? It was the worst industrial incident to hit the garment industry. In April 2013, Rana Plaza- an 8-storey building which housed several shops, a bank and garment factories- collapsed, killing 1,134 people. This tragedy served as a catalyst for fast fashion to change its ethics and sustainability practices.

In 2020, during the peak of the pandemic people were throwing away their face masks which would eventually end up in landfills. According to an Environmental Advances study, a single-use face mask can release 173,00 microfibers per day. To combat this problem, the innovative brand created a reusable face mask which moulds to fit the shape of your face and it was listed in TIME’S 100 Best Inventions of 2020.

People see plastic as the enemy. We live in a world where people are calling for change but we need to be realistic. Is it realistic to live in a plastic-free world? The answer is no because “we live faster, longer and safer lives” because of plastic. It’s people’s misuse of the material which has caused it to pollute our world and ruin marine life. All of Petit Pli’s suits consist of a monofibre construction which makes them easier to recycle and they were designed with “slow consumption” in mind.

Petit Pli hopes to inspire the next generation of designers and innovators to embrace circular design principles. If we take time to think about where we buy our clothes and how we get rid of plastic, then we won’t have to move to Planet B.

#Sustainable fashion #fast fashion #climate change #climate crisis

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diazrayshell · 11 months

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ENGLISH INTEGRATED CLASSROOM PROJECT

What is a story?

A story is the depiction of a journey that is intended to entertain, educate, inspire, or intrigue. It follows the characters as they traverse different situations or pursue a goal. It is a fictional or factual narrative containing a plot that can be presented in multiple forms.

What is a tale?

A tale is a narrative or story that often contains magical or supernatural elements and is full of creative embellishments. You can read a tale from a book or tell a bedtime tale to the kids you're babysitting. Some tales are meant to teach specific lessons, while others simply relay a funny story.

What is science fiction?

Science fiction is a genre that depicts imaginative futures, alternative worlds, and futuristic science and technology. It often explores how humanity interacts with these imagined realities. It allows writers to envision new societies, inventions, and ways of living. The genre opens up limitless possibilities for the imagination. That's why it is so fascinating; science fiction's creativity and innovation make it such an engaging genre for many readers.

Science fiction story

A Slide Through Time

"We're running out of water, Ari,"

“This is a serious problem; we have to solve it." My cat told me exasperated.

It is the year 2041, and droughts have ravaged the land. As a result, people were dying, their hopes evaporating with every drop that remained. Previously, I had tried to warn the authorities about the water crisis for years, but they ignored me.

"That's it!" I shouted. "We're going to build a time machine! We'll go back to 2020 when humanity might still be saved.”

“Additionally, we’ll have to warn everyone before it's too late." Ari said eagerly.

After many sleepless nights trying to work out the mechanism, we built the world's first water slide time machine using alchemy. "It's ready, Ari!" I said triumphantly. We set off on our journey together and whooshed through time and space, back to the year 2020 in the metropolis of New York.

We showed up just as the epidemic was gaining steam, experiencing a deja vu. Afterward, I called a press conference and proclaimed, "I have the cure for COVID-19!" Cameras flashed as I held up a vial of green liquid. "Moreover, I've come from the future with a dire warning. If you don't start conserving water now, humanity will perish in 20 years!"

The reporters murmured in disbelief as I spoke of the dire consequences of water scarcity in 2041. Certainly, I showed them images of the arid wasteland our world had become. In addition, I laid out a clear plan for reducing water usage through a robot that captures and recycles rainwater, an idea that could change the course of history. I was now considered a scientific genius; thus, my message spread rapidly. Consequently, within months, water conservation became a top global priority.

With my mission in the past complete, we returned to 2041. As I emerged from the water slide, the landscape outside had transformed. Greenery stretched as far as the eye could see, and the sound of flowing water was music to my ears.

"We did it, Ray!" Ari cheered.

“Together, we changed the course of history. Water is no longer a scarce resource, and humanity thrives once more; this is true serendipity.” I said enthusiastically.

All in all, we had proven that even when we are lost in the darkness, we can reach the light with a little creativity and a lot of determination in order to save the world.

Picture

This picture describes the process of the construction of the time machine in my story. I created this image through the use of AI in the hotpot.ai webpage, I simply described the story in a summary and this was the output.

References

Sterling, B. (1998, July 20). Science fiction | Definition, Characteristics, Books, Movies, Authors, Examples, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction

Tale - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms. (n.d.). In Vocabulary.com. https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/tale

Travis, M. W., & Staff, T. (2011). What is a story, and where does it come from? TheWrap. https://www.thewrap.com/what-story-and-where-does-it-come-32636/

Hotpot.ai. (n.d.). AI Art Generator - AI Image Generator API. https://hotpot.ai/art-generator

Video

#savewater #mad scientist #science fiction #fantasy #water scarcity #cat #ai art #short story

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aaaltea · 1 year

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I Have What It Takes

Student entrepreneur? As for now, I don't anticipate becoming one anytime soon. If the proprietor of my business lacks financial restraint, I'm afraid it will fail. Anyway, there are a ton of young entrepreneurs today. It's nothing new. I'm tempted to join this elite group of people. I am not a risk-taker, though, and an entrepreneur needs someone like that.

Students who study entrepreneurship get a variety of skills and abilities that are useful in both their personal and professional lives. It teaches them how to recognize and solve problems, think critically and creatively, and take prudent risks. In this subject, it aids in shaping my thinking to be more business-oriented. I suppose I want to understand how business people think. A mindset that is entrepreneurial enables you to recognize possibilities where others perceive challenges. It is a method of thinking that emphasizes opportunity and possibility rather than constraints and barriers. A person with an entrepreneurial mindset always seeks out opportunities to add value.

We've been doing a lot of socially interactive exercises that force me to rise to the situation. In the early days of rejection therapy, people would actively seek out social rejection in an effort to become more accustomed to the pressures of rejection. The essential rule is that you must experience rejection from someone else at least once per day.

So does rejection therapy work? I believe that self-led rejection therapy can be beneficial for individuals who are just trying to step outside of their comfort zones a little more, even though rejection therapy may do more harm than good for those who require additional support and resources from mental health specialists.

Who, of course, would forget this? The Marshmallow Challenge. A straightforward design exercise and team-building activity is the marshmallow challenge. To create the highest free-standing building using spaghetti, tape, and string with a whole marshmallow on top, the participants are divided into smaller competing groups.

We undoubtedly constructed the tiniest tower among the other groups. Although the task appeared to be simple, it was actually tough! But it was fun. It really calls for excellent teamwork and brainstorming. The process also demonstrates how success frequently depends on close cooperation while encouraging group creativity and innovation.

Moreover, I named this activity 'Do You See What I See?'. It was the most chaotic activity our class had ever engaged in. Do you think you can draw something without seeing it first? Can you work in a team or pair, where one draws a picture without the other one seeing? Will their pictures look the same?

Hence, I never thought entrepreneurial study could be fun. When you have an effective instructor, everything will be easier. The activities have opened my eyes to the fact that even someone who takes risks might benefit from perseverance. Additionally, asking for advice from others is essential.

Furthermore, our final product will be the safety pin device. The findings from conducting interviews with various persons of various demographic backgrounds show that most of them think the device can benefit a range of people, particularly students. Undoubtedly, there were concerns and doubts about our invention, but this inspired us to study and find solutions so that we could develop and provide people a gadget that can save lives with a single click.

Therefore, entrepreneurial courses help students develop real-world skills and prepare for their careers. I can remark that although students taking entrepreneurship courses may face significant challenges, their determination to push through them might help them develop character and stamina. What's the best part, you ask? If you think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur, you can learn how to do it too!

#young entrepreneurs

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somegiantmess · 1 year

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youtube

So I was listening to this and I went and checked the lyrics and I got suddenly inspired to make an analysis of them —not from an in-game pov since I don't know it— but from an environmental real world perspective. It's gonna be super well researched and poetic you'll see! *cough*

Just picking the english lyrics here.

Message of the blowing wind Erasing memories Stars are the witnesses of our existence

-> No idea what to do with the first part but you could say that the last line reminds us that we are definitely tiny things in the universe.

Change is what the world awaits -> Yeah I guess we all want more equity and decent living conditions guaranteed for the rest of our life

Could that be peace or war? The answer no one knows

-> uh not touching that

Trusting the break of dawn -> we are led to focus on short term and daily life waiting and hoping for change idk

The blue bird flies away -> Ah yes twitter finally shuts down

Travelling beyond the bounds -> we're breaking planetary boundaries

We have to take that step -> we need to engage into drastic change

What are we waiting for? It's now or never -> we're basically the last generation that can still avoid the worst (i.e. going beyond +2°C of global warming) through immediate actions

Fear to see "The World to Be" -> it could mean the world as it's going to be when it warms beyond +1.5°C. Or it could mean the world that switches to sustainable lifestyles and that people may imagine as being less comfortable and going backwards etc.

Is why we hesitate -> if first option we may be immobilized by fear and anxiety; if second option we may be led to believe that a sustainable life isn't something that can be desired

Repeat the same mistake -> we keep going what we've been doing for decades even though we know it's leading humanity into a hard wall (right, not only humanity)

Hoping to break new ground -> hmm if it needs to be coherent with the above, it could be that we hope to find magic solutions that won't require us to change anything

The blue bird flies away -> right twitter is breaking again

Reaching out to catch the sun To hold it in our hands Longing for something strong to hide our weakness

-> we're counting on hypothetical future technology and new inventions to save us instead of humbly accepting how small we are and the physical limits of what can be done

Soon the light may disappear -> yeah

Nothing is meant to last -> yeah sure

Yet we believe our world Searching for happiness

-> idk maybe it's about how some of us are willing to engage and try to make things move in the right direction, in hope of leading a decent life for themselves and/or their kids, or at least just to be in tune with their values and beliefs

The blue bird flies away -> ah yes finally twitter's owner is gone goodbye

#music #next i'm doing those lyrics' analysis but from a ffcc perspective #yes let me be silly for a moment #don't even know how to tag this #well let's go #climate change #environment #nevermind there'd be too much

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anthonybialy · 2 years

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Wasted Toil

You may feel inspired to quit for the sake of pursuing your dreams or because working is futile. Pecuniary masterminds who made money worthless never think about incentives in any way, which is why they're so committed to inventing novel reactions. Wasting your efforts is the wrong kind of activity. You'd think that would be obvious, but this White House equates any type of busyness with progress. Dig a hole faster to reach greater heights.

There must be better things to send abroad than chaos. Other nations must wait until 2025 at least. The White House remains determined to make Afghanistan as much of a federal failure as every other Joe Biden initiative. Thoroughness should be discouraged in the cases of those who are lamentably untalented. American government is at least functioning somewhat smoothly by comparison. The president can note that at least terrorism isn't our top export like some countries. Unfortunately, our intervention was supposed to prevent them from shipping attacks abroad.

Federal workers who actually do something useful should be highlighted. Instead, countless military workdays went to waste. Doing everything they could to ensure terrorism never left the countries where they fought should have been appreciated in every sense. Democrats squandered gains like they were profits. Getting hamstrung by preposterous rules of engagement didn't help those tasked with ensuring a bordered prehistoric terror network. Orders to abandon their work didn't, either.

Being punished for success somehow doesn't encourage it. Earning is a decadent bourgeoisie pursuit. Resentment is not just for bitter woke Twitter: it's now official White House policy, which hasn't created as much joy in rabid endorsers as you'd think. Those who don't need questions messing up their careful planning have to deal with opposing cynical takes here in this lousy world where dissent is permitted. Contempt for the successful weighed against needing hosts upon which to feed requires constant management. If you think poor vampires must navigate a tough balance, you should see moochers try to run an economy.

Savings disappearing for the crime of doing nothing is the greatest robbery of this decade. It's no wonder Democrats refuse to prosecute fellow criminals. The Treasury can't print money fast enough to keep pace in what's the opposite of meeting demand. Present monetary policy won't let private citizens churn out their own, as commoners don't possess the expertise to keep the presses rolling responsibly. Trust a president trying to buy favorability by dropping bills from a helicopter. Government makes notions legal just like mandatory investment in lunatic federal schemes must be a wise idea.

Ordinary Americans are trying their hardest to keep robbers and kings from barging in. The only superpowers available are virtuous courageousness and ample target practice. Owning guns is how we deter those who might use them for less pure intentions. The best protection entails ensuring crime and tyranny don't occur in the first place.

Why hasn't the government taken our guns? Oh, right: we have guns. The reason we want to own them is up yours. Free people don't need to justify what we desire to own even though we could in fact do so. We're not going to waste explanations on those who frame debates as a matter of what the rinky-dink government allows us. George III would have agreed.

Shooting is fun. Gunpowder-fueled ecstasy is only one of the reasons it's a right. The bullets go where you point. Doing so carefully increases accuracy. Those thoroughly unimaginative types who can't picture people working less robustly if they're taxed at a higher percentages as a result are also unable to imagine a scenario where the virtuous might defend themselves. That's precisely why we let the law-abiding possess them, for the record.

Scaring themselves with tales of possessed guns brings perverse comfort. Horror movies also provide cathartic relief to some, with the difference being Leatherface is acknowledged as fictional in a way blaming tools with triggers for enabling criminals is not. The easily frightened should summon the courage to look at the screen as heroes fight back. Liberals never think that good people should be able to arm themselves at least equivalently to lawbreakers. The nefarious will pursue them even more if they know their targets are primarily armed with scowls.

Squandering gains is the ideological result. It's profoundly un-American to mess with what others accumulate. That brings us to Biden. His own unblemished record of uselessness makes him jealous of those who've done anything useful. Shoving achievers is a goal as personal as it is political. An entire nation founded upon being left the hell alone has been disrupted by a prototypical oaf who fumes about corporations and their cruel products people want. Inadvertent pain might actually be worse if it means your president is trying to help.

Policy as a reflection of individual uselessness sinks the productive, too. Equality shouldn't involve dragging down others. Biden has never and will never create anything. It's bad enough he's mooched off taxpayers for half a century without getting to the part where he compensates them with endless hassling. A wholly inefficient president has been rewarded for a lifetime of parasitic uselessness with access to a jet and personal chef. Infringing upon what others accomplish comes unfortunately naturally.

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yhwhrulz · 2 years

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Wayside Chapel Daily Devotional 30th September 2022

Morning September 30

Psalms 22:1, 16, 18 1My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?

16Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet.

18They divide my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.

One thousand years before Jesus was born, the shepherd king David wrote this prophetic song. We don't know the details surrounding it. Was he going through some similar circumstance, such as the attempt to murder him by King Saul? Or was he lying on the grass while watching his sheep when the Spirit of God came upon him and he began to sing this song? We can only guess.

What we do know is that a millennium in the future, Jesus would be nailed to a Roman cross and begin to quote this psalm so full of the details of that moment. If God could inspire a shepherd to pen the details of that horrible moment, then surely God is sovereign over it. Though Jesus did not sense God's presence, He did have His Word in His heart that assured Him that the Father knew exactly what was happening and what would happen.

God had forsaken Jesus because the sin of the world was placed upon Him. The Father is of purer eyes than to behold evil (Habakkuk 1:13). Jesus knew the answer, but the psalm was voiced for us. Dogs were the term that the Jews used for Gentiles. In typical Hebrew style David repeated the expression in different terms, "a band of evil men." The Roman Gentile soldiers surrounded the scene. Crucifixion, in which the hands and feet were pierced, was invented shortly before Jesus was born. This prophetic word was truly a glimpse into the future.

Clothing in the first century was very expensive. Many people had only one main robe and a cloak for colder weather. Jesus robe was made of one solid weaving and therefore even more valuable. The soldiers divided up the smaller articles of clothing, but to keep the value intact, they decided not to divide the robe. Instead they put each of their names on a stone, put the stones in a jar, and shook the jar until one stone fell out. The person whose name was on that stone won the robe, not knowing that he had just fulfilled the words of an ancient prophecy.

Consider: If God knows the details of every trial His children endure, we can trust Him to see us through trials and into a greater victory than we can imagine, just as He did with His only begotten Son. Trust Him! He knows your future.

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em-dash-press · 2 years

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Types of Conflict in Stories

Sometimes stories get stuck while you're writing them. It doesn't matter if you sketched out your plot, drew character diagrams or felt more inspired by the idea than ever before.

The plot progression can slow to a halt, so what can you do to fix it? Although there could be many causes for your creative struggles (writer's block included!), it could be a sign that you need to define your conflict.

Conflict drives your plot, especially if you know how to define it.

These are the seven most common types of conflict you can start considering as you analyze your existing story or think of a new one.

1. Character vs. Society

Facing off against some representation of society is a popular theme in fiction. It could be a middle schooler clashing with their teachers or a heroic underdog breaking the law for a noble reason and hiding from the government.

Think Katniss vs. the Hunger Games. The games dictate everything from who stays in power to who rises or falls from economic classes.

2. Character vs. Character

People will always disagree with each other or actively work against each other to achieve their desired goals. This is Character vs. Character conflict. It's all over literature, movies, television and other types of media because everyone can understand and relate to it.

You've seen this conflict play out in things like Romeo and Juliet. Romeo has to fight Paris after Mercutio dies. It's Nick and Amy Dunne trying to stay one step ahead of each other in Gone Girl. It's Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr's rivalry in Hamilton.

3. Character vs. Technology

The Character vs. Technology conflict genre can be big or small. You could write about your protagonist traveling forward in time, which forces them to learn how to use the future's technology while the plot pushes forward.

You could also make your character face conflict created by technology. Mary Shelley did that when she wrote Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein uses the technology at his disposal to create his monster, but his creation goes on to create problems that he didn't foresee.

Today's world is more reliant on tech than ever before, but that only makes people more aware of how technology can go wrong or complicate people's lives. It's another evergreen conflict that will remain important to readers (and publishers!) because we will never go back to life without computers, electricity, and technological inventions.

4. Character vs. Self

Battling yourself is another relatable theme in literature. It usually takes some kind of form similar to an angel and devil sitting on a protagonist's metaphorical shoulders.

Characters in coming-of-age novels often face themselves and either grow from the conflict by learning from mistakes or succeeding through good choices.

There can also be an inner debate happening within your protagonist that keeps this conflict moving through your resolution. Mr. Darcy grapples with his inner self in Pride and Prejudice. He's used to getting whatever he wants based on his status and wealth, so he has to dismantle that part of his nature when Elizabeth rejects his proposal. He insulted her in numerous ways during the proposal and has to learn to let go of that part of himself if he's going to admit his real feelings and get married to the love of his life.

You can also see this conflict happening in A Court of Silver Flames. Much of the primary conflict in that novel is Nesta healing from the many types of trauma that turned her into an angry, defensive version of herself. She makes good and bad choices that shift her inner growth into different perspectives, ultimately showing her that she's more than her mistakes and her past.

5. Character vs. Nature

Ah, the Moby Dick of it all. Characters battle natures to better understand themselves and the world. It can also result in them saving their loved ones or society as a whole—or not.

This conflict can put characters in a literal fight against nature. You could write something similar to The Day After Tomorrow, where people have to survive catastrophic natural events caused by human destruction.

You might write about plagues or apocalypses that change the natural world as your characters know it. They may have to battle zombies for the rest of their lives or rebuild their society after a virus sweeps through humanity.

Character vs. Nature conflict can also include illnesses. Cancer is part of the natural world, which humans have little control over starting or preventing in themselves or others. The Fault in Our Stars utilizes this conflict because the protagonists both fight cancer throughout the plot. Similar health conditions could also include dementia or Parkinson's.

6. Character vs. Supernatural

Supernatural stories are very popular with readers. It covers an extensive list of potential characters within this conflict genre, such as:

Ghosts

Gods

Demons

Aliens

Religious characters

Myths come to life

Supernatural characters always represent something beyond their physical or non-physical forms. Gods might make protagonists grapple with universal truths, like good vs. evil. Aliens challenge characters in their understanding of the galaxy and what it means to be human.

Character vs. Supernatural battles can be fun to read while covering dense topics. Picture the Odyssey, It, and even Stranger Things to see how this conflict plays out across media forms.

7. Character vs. Fate

Fate could fit within supernatural conflicts, but it can also stand on its own. Supernatural elements may help the protagonist avoid, learn from or accept their inevitable fate. It could also help them change it.

Frodo faces this conflict in The Lord of the Rings. His fate is to destroy the ring in Mordor, but he goes back and forth with accepting that fate based on how the plot makes it more difficult.

Sometimes characters don't even know they're battling their fate—but the reader does. While you're reading Wicked, you'll follow Elphaba as she chases her dream to defy prejudices and become the Wizard's partner. Meanwhile, the reader knows she has to become the Wicked Witch of the West.

Play With Your Story's Conflict

You might feel stuck in your story because the characters solve their conflict too early in your plot. The conflict may also prove to be too small for a long-form story, so you may have to introduce a second type of conflict that spins out from however the first type of conflict gets solved.

You can absolutely have multiple types of conflict in a story if you want to. Just be sure to follow each type through to their resolutions. Otherwise you risk finishing your work with loose ends and leaving readers unsatisfied.

#writing #writing conflict #conflict #types of conflict #writers of tumblr #writeblr #writing advice #writing tips #writing help #writing community #writing inspiration #creative writing

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writingwithcolor · 3 years

Text

Gingerbread man as golem

@yaronata asked:

I would like to write a character who is Jewish and uses a Golem. She's based on the D&D class of the artificer which looks magic but isn't, because they produce all their effects with inventions, like the "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" quote. Her story is that her very Jewish town was under attack from a terrible monster when she was little. Her Rabbis made a Golem to protect the town, and it succeeded but was torn to pieces in the process. She was fascinated by the Golem and as a kid didn't see a big difference between it's sentience and person's so was really thankful for its sacrifice like you would a person's sacrificing their life for you. They thought all the pieces had been devoured by the monster before it died, but she went looking and found the piece used to animate the Golem, which she, kinda misunderstanding called its "heart". She kept the piece and grew up to be an incredibly skilled cook, specialising as a baker in the town. I imagine she would make a lot of really good food for the Jewish holidays, or to break fasts on ones like Yom Kippur or Tish'abav. But she also made a town specific holiday to honour the Golem's sacrifice and the town still being alive, because I feel "we are not dead woo" is a big theme for Jewish holidays from my research, so it could fit, for which she invented ginger bread men to be the golem, and gave them little "hearts" of fruit or honey, and you're meant to eat them limb by limb like the beast did before eating the heart. This would be the inspiration for using the "heart" piece later to make her own giant gingerbread Golem to help her save the world.

These are my questions 1) would it be considered bad or disrespectful for someone who isn't a Rabbi to make a Golem, or is this method of taking an animating piece someone else made disrespectful? 2) Her journey will take her far from her town and her Jewish family and friends and she will likely travel with gentiles. Would it be disrespectful for a Golem to be used to protect a lot of gentiles and one Jew in the course of saving the world? I don't want to fall into the stereotype of someone putting all their effort into valuing and protecting very specifically the group that in real life is oppressive to them. 3) While she is not using magic and is actually mimicking its effects with technology she invents, is this drawing too close to the line of "magical Jew"? 4) I like to "play test" my characters in ttrpgs to really get a feel for them before I write. Would it be disrespectful to play a Jewish character when I am a gentile, and would it be disrespectful to play a Jewish character in a setting where there are demonstrably real gods other than the one of Judaism?

I really like this character idea and I think it's cute and fun and rooted in Jewish culture but I really want to make sure it's respectful and as good as I, a gentile researching on the internet, thinks it is. Thanks so much! Have a nice day!

My answer to this is very complicated because there are things I both like and do not like about this premise. First of all, I love the idea of a cookie golem, and I'm even imagining the magic word that brings him to life (EMET/truth) would be written in icing. And I'm okay with the part about how she found a piece of the old golem and used it to build a new golem, because that makes sense for a golem made from a baked good when you think about how people use sourdough starter to make a new batch of sourdough.

However, here are the thing that make me cock my head to the side like my little sister's German shepherd:

1. re: "magical Jew" - that's not a trope I've ever heard of. Remember, marginalized groups don't receive identical disrespect across the board. It is indeed a trope to use Black people or disabled people as supernatural plot devices who exist only to further the stories of white main characters or able-bodied main characters. But I can't say as I've ever seen anyone using Jewishness that way. Usually if we are someone's one-dimensional plot device it's as someone's lawyer, fixer, "money guy", etc, not a supernatural force. So this isn't something you have to worry about.

2. I have a certain level of discomfort with you playing as a Jewish character just because playacting as a marginalized culture you're not part of strikes me as off, but I understand that that's how you gain insight into a character you're about to write so it's more of a writing exercise than anything else. (I wonder if D&D regulars from marginalized groups have written about this -- I've only played a few times casually with family so if I did run into this type of discussion in my social justice reading I wouldn't have absorbed it. If anyone is curious I played first as Captain Werewolf, and then switched to playing as Cinnamon Blade because lawful good was too hard. :P )

3. I would prefer you omit the detail about eating the cookies piece by piece symbolically, for two reasons: a. it unintentionally evokes Communion by having appreciative people consume a baked good symbolic of an entity who sacrificed his life for theirs, and b. focusing on the details of flesh consumption reminds me too much of Blood Libel (yes, a gingerbread man is in the shape of a person but how many of us actually think about it literally, the way this act would cause?)

As to your first question: I'm fine with her making a golem even though she's just a rando. Second question: I see what you're saying and maybe it could be more okay if it's really clear how well these gentile folks are treating her? And questions three and four are answered above.

I really do love the idea of a giant gingerbread man golem. Cookie golem T_T <3

--Shira

I would like to second Shira’s point about not ripping apart the gingerbread cookies. I honestly would prefer they were used as decoration, and other cookies eaten instead, since that part just feels so not-Jewish to me, but I don’t have golem-specific issues other than that. It seems like you have already been doing a lot of research, which is appreciated.

As far as the ttrpg/DnD aspect… I bounce back and forth on the topic of playing characters that are so very different from our experiences, other than in fantasy-related ways. However, I am aware that a lot of people will play with, and experiment with gender in game, and learn something about themselves in the process (the number of trans players of ttrpgs who tried out their gender in game before they were out is high). It’s different with Judaism, and even more significantly different when it comes to things you can’t convert into, like various actual, real-world races. But because people do sometimes experience growth from experiences like this, I’m hesitant to dissuade players completely. I do urge you to, at a minimum, bring the same care, research, and willingness to learn, that you brought to this question.

--Dierdra

This sounds like a creative storyline that you could have lots of fun with 😊

At first I was confused by this part:

She also made a town specific holiday to honour the Golem's sacrifice

But then you really got me thinking about different types of Jewish holidays and how they come about, so thank you for that!

Because it’s often the little details that either make a story super powerful or kind of nonsensical, I think it would be a good idea to decide what type of holiday is being created here:

A full-blown chag with restrictions on labour and halachic obligations? These are commanded in Torah and new ones can’t be added.

A minor yom tov with halachic obligations but no restrictions? These were instituted by the rabbis prior to the destruction of the Temple, so again new ones can’t be added.

A public holiday or equivalent? This would usually be declared by the Knesset in Israel, and filter to the rest of the Jewish world from there.

A community-based yom tov with specific customs only for people in the know, such as certain Chasidic groups celebrating the birthdays of their deceased leaders? I asked around, but no one can really tell me how these holidays get started, which is probably a good indication that they arise quite organically from a group of people who all just feel that it should be celebrated. Probably not created by a single person, as such.

Something she runs from her bakery, not religion-based, but more like a day of doing special products and deals the way many small businesses do on their anniversary?

Now, if the people of a modern-day town were actually saved by a real live Golem, that would arguably be the most overt miracle for many generations, so there would be a decent chance of options 3 and/or 4 happening. It’s entirely plausible that there could be special foods for this day that become a tradition, including Golem cookies. People who directly benefited might also return to the site where the Golem fought the monster and recite the prayer, ‘Blessed is Hashem, Master of the Universe, Who performed a miracle for me in this place.’

Alternatively, if it’s important that your MC created the holiday, something like option 5 might be the best. Hopefully this will still fulfil what you need: you describe her as incredibly skilled, so I can imagine the day when she goes all out on the Golem cookies being one of the most exciting events of the year for the townspeople, just because her baking is that good. Plus, they already have a personal stake in the Golem’s sacrifice, so I definitely think it could be a thing without being an official holiday. Also, if she is outside of an all-Jewish environment, don’t forget that she would have to decide whether to commemorate the anniversary in the Hebrew calendar or the local one.

Coming back to the cookies, sorry if we’re getting a little repetitive on this point! But I don’t see the cookies being torn limb from limb as part of a celebration. First of all, this doesn’t sound like a very celebratory thing to do, to say the least. Can you imagine explaining that to a three-year-old on their first Yom HaGolem? They would be terrified! (I don’t read this suggestion as accidental anti-Semitism so much as getting carried away with a metaphor, which I’m sure as writers we have all done!)

But also, it’s worth pointing out that our commemorative foods aren’t usually that literal. If you think about hamantaschen, maror, or apple in honey, they’re all symbols. That’s not to say that having Golem-shaped cookies is a problem, as this sounds like just a bit of fun that the MC is having and not something that is directly at odds with Judaism or Jewish culture. But it’s worth bearing in mind that the more literal you go from there in terms of tying the cookies to the event they commemorate, the less culturally aligned your holiday food becomes.

Finally, about the Golem protecting non-Jewish people: I like this idea! There’s a stereotype that we only use whatever is at our disposal to help ourselves and other Jewish people, so a Golem being created by Jews but helping others as well is a big plus for me. Of course, as has already been pointed out, this would be an odd choice if her Saving The World team were anti-Semitic or otherwise disrespectful to her/her community, but I don’t think you were headed that way!

-Shoshi

I have to come back in here just to squee over the phrase “Yom HaGolem.” Well done :D

--Shira

#asks #Jewish #dnd #golem #food #Jewish stereotypes

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