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[wearetruenamer]

Collective Responsibility

Hello everyone. I’d like to take a moment to talk about something important, about a responsibility not only the Collective has, but we all collectively do in the age of vast and yet close connection we have with each other. It grants us the ability to make bonds with friends across the world and helped the Collective grow into a solid gathering of like minded people that I will be proud of for years to come. 

But with that connection comes responsibility, an acknowledgement that what we say, and how we say it matters, because we are none of us immune, none of us are islands of how the people we respect and trust affect us. It’s important for us all to recognize the power we have and the responsibility to not only choose our actions and words wisely, but with good intent.

The horrific incident in New Zealand at Christchurch underlines this for me, how one person’s callous disregard for the consequence of their words led to the worst sort of tragedy, spurred by malice and prejudice. To me, it underlines the need for the Collective be inclusive, and forever take a firm stance against the sort of vile rhetoric and beliefs spewed by those who think their words, if always prefaced “it’s just a joke”, will always absolve them of responsibility.

Callousness for the sake of amusement is all the more petty and cruel for the inability to even supply the effort to stand for your own words.

Not all of us are guilty, but all of us bear the responsibility to strive for our better nature and stand against the evils of prejudice, xenophobia, and worse, no matter color, creed, or orientation. I have faith in you all, that you can do that and more, and help each other up when we stumble, and honor those lost by working together for that better future.

-Paladin

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I swear Wayne is actually a Truenamer. Either that, or REALLY high charisma.

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What are you getting your Master's in? Time Magics?

Wild magics, actually!(forreal though, the mun’s in Anthropology)

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Oh heck it, here I am. Actual fey creature and mun of WeAreFeylock and WeAreTruenamer. Sorry I’ve been busy, folks - my Master’s program is a Time.

So Inquisitor looks like a meathead, Paladin like the distilation of the words "Internal Medicine Grad Student," Blacksmith like the final evolution of a ginger, Medium like a rather successful dork, Gladiatrix is just cute, and Lawyer is somehow the sexiest man alive. Now I want to know what the rest of the collective looks like.

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@ my fellow Collective members, I urge you all to consider this new source of wonderful words. :3

I saw a sad facebook post from the gay bookstore back in Ann Arbor where I used to live about how they hadn’t sold any books that day so I went on their online store and bought a couple, and while you don’t get #deals like elsewhere online, I’d love it if y’all would consider buying your next gay book from them instead of like, Amazon.

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Spell for When Someone Dead-Names You

Use for when someone dead names you, asks for your “real name,” or any other inquiry that’s douchey.

1. Obtain a large crystal that repels negative energy (obsidian, black tourmaline, etc.)

2. Throw it at their fucking mouth.

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I mean, I would like that. :)

Similar but very different question, can I make the Iconics the Pantheon of my setting? I'd only do it for the ones of you who say yes

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Norwegian Forest Cat, Sunlight Yellow, A book of good stories

Collective Aesthetic Meme

I saw the ask that @wearebloodhunter and thought it was cool so comment your aesthetic with an animal, color, and weapon!

I’m raven, orange, and scythe.

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Sigmund would be the good-natured languages teacher that tutors in his spare time and brings cookies to class.

the colective as high school teachers (what subject would you assign to yourself and others?0 (i kind of see tarek as the principal)

Everyone sees Tarek as the principal. He wanted to teach AP History, and was good at it, but the need for a principal with good leadership skills and a fair work ethic had Tarek considered by many a viable leader before even he thought of it.

He does the job well, very well, but it’s not where he thought he’d be. He feels conflicted about it but keeps that to himself for the sake of the school.

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WHY WASN'T I TOLD THIS

Current mood.

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cinderella marries the prince

and it’s… fine. The prince is great! They’re in love, he’s very sweet and passionate, writing her poems and songs, giving her anything she wants. The time she spends with her husband is great.

but cinderella is not royalty, her family was noble but she never spent time in those circles. She’s used to being busy, she’s used to cooking and cleaning and mending. There are hours, days, where she has nothing to do.

time passes. cinderella learns the fancy lady type of needlework. Learns to ride horses. Reads a lot.

as is normal for royalty at the time, they travel and are hosted by nobles or stay at castles owned by the king. But even that variety begins to become routine. The prince is distracted, there’s a lot of young women living and working on their route. Daughters of nobles. Younger and prettier with soft hands that have never done a day’s work.

cinderella needs something to spend her time on, and there’s a part of her thinking a couple-only trip might get her husband’s attention again, so she suggests making an old castle that’s fallen into disrepair their “project.” It was built in the time when castles were made to be defensible, so it’s quite sturdy, but it’s overgrown and secluded. The prince doesn’t know why his family stopped living there either. A hundred years ago it was their summer home.

so they go. And they work. And for a while it’s great! But when they leave for winter cinderella’s husband forgets her once again. cinderella resolves to make the best of her life and stop worrying about a man who has gotten what he wanted from her.

summer comes again and this time cinderella goes alone to the old castle (minus staff, of course, but cinderella manages to narrow it down to only repair workers and one maid). She can cook and clean and mend again, but this time it’s her own choice. She is happy.

this summer they make more progress on repairs. The workers say that most of it can be salvaged, except one tower that’s been completely overgrown with vines and briars. It will have to come down, eventually, but for now it can be safely ignored.

cinderella has more free time now. The old castle has a surprisingly untouched library, though time and moisture have damaged many of the books. Behind a collection of greek poetry cinderella finds an old diary. Very old, in fact, at least a hundred years. It’s rude to read a diary, of course, but whoever wrote this is long dead, and cinderella is bored, so…

from the description of activities the author looks to have been nobility. Maybe even a princess. She’s sensitive and sweet and smarter than she seems to realize. If circumstances had been different cinderella wishes they could have been friends…

after the summer ends cinderella returns to her husband. He’s spending a lot of time with a young musician and cinderella can’t even work up the energy to care. She does some research about the castle and the family she’s married into, finds out the name of the princess who wrote the diary.

aurora. Cursed and forgotten. She died young, they say, in a plague that also took out the castle staff and her own parents. Luckily they avoided a succession crisis, but not so lucky for the dead.

time passes. cinderella goes to the old castle again and again, even out of season. Soon enough all that remains to be done is the old tower, and the builders say they should tear it down and fill the gaps before it gets cold.

one night cinderella is restless. The princess from the diary had been fond of that tower, and cinderella is far more attached to a dead woman than she ought to be. She gets out of bed, reads by candlelight, and finally goes to walk the empty halls.

she finds herself going to the tower. Pushing past the vines that don’t seem so troublesome really. They almost part before her. The stairs are perfectly intact, the door at the top is already cracked open. As if she should have done this years ago, cinderella steps into aurora’s bedroom.

she’s as beautiful as the stories say. And sitting under her hands, crossed across her stomach as it rises and falls, is a book of greek poetry.

years later, people will tell the story of cinderella as a cautionary one. Don’t seek above your station. Don’t marry for prestige. After all, a girl who grew up as a servant once married the crown prince, and disappeared after only three years. She ran away, they say, she couldn’t handle the lifestyle.

two old women who run a bookshop together agree with the lesson. Marrying for the wrong reasons never ends well. It’s best to wait for someone you have things in common with, shared interests.

or, failing that, the more linguistic of the two says, wait a decade or ten for someone to fall in love with you from your diary.

her partner laughs and hits her with the socks she is mending.

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Can I just...

In lieu of the new tumblr settings, can I make yet another plea with those of you who read fics and consume art on tumblr to please reblog them?   

Fics and art will die on a creator’s dash if they aren’t reblogged.  It’s never been more true than now. 

If you want to keep receiving content from creators, reblog the the content. If it’s something you enjoyed?  Reblog it.  It’s not hard.  I am going to make a point to reblog everything I read from now on.  (With the proper tags of course), as well as all the art that I see on my dash.  

I cannot make it simpler.  Posts WILL die unless they’re reblogged.  No one will see your ‘like’.  Your like is a bookmark for YOU to find it later.  Your reblog means the world to a creator because it means you are willing to go the little extra distance and recommend this to your followers.  

Don’t let creations die on the dash of those who created them.  

Reblog to save a creation.  

Reblog to keep a creator creating.

Reblog, please. 

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Some knowledge ✊🏾

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Can I just… talk for a moment… about how much I love how, if you know them well, words don’t have synonyms?

English, for example, is a fantastic disaster. It has so many words for things that are basically the same, and I find there’s few joys in writing like finding the right word for a sentence. Hunting down that peculiar word with particular meaning that fits in seamlessly in a structure, so the story flows on by without any bumps or leaks.

Like how a shout is typically about volume, while a yell carries an angry edge and a holler carries a mocking one. A scream has shrillness, a roar has ferocity, and a screech has outrage. 

This is not to say that a yell cannot be happy or a holler cannot be complimentary, or that they cannot share these traits, but they are different words with different connotations. I love choosing the right one for a sentence, not only for its meanings but for how it sounds when read aloud. (Do I want sounds that slide together, peaceful and seamless, or something that jolts the reader with its contrast? Snap!)

I love how many words for human habitats there are. I love how cottage sounds quaint and cabin sounds rustic. I love steadiness of house, the elegance of residence, the stateliness of manor, and tired stubbornness of shack. I love how a dwelling is different to a den.

And I love how none of them can really touch the possessive warmness of all the connotations of home.

Words are great.

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Hey look, actual "unique" questions

1: Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?

2: Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?

3: Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

4: Have you ever stolen a street sign before?

5: Do you like to use post-it notes?

6: Do you cut out coupons but then never use them?

7: Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of a bees?

8: Do you have freckles?

9: Do you always smile for pictures?

10: What is your biggest pet peeve?

11: Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

12: Have you ever peed in the woods?

13: What about pooped in the woods?

14: Do you ever dance even if theres no music playing?

15: Do you chew your pens and pencils?

16: How many people have you slept with this week?

17: What size is your bed?

18: What is your Song of the week?

19: Is it okay for guys to wear pink?

20: Do you still watch cartoons?

21: Whats your least favorite movie?

22: Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?

23: If you're a girl, bra size? If you're a guy, pants size?

24: What do you dip a chicken nugget in?

25: What is your favorite food?

26: What movies could you watch over and over and still love?

27: Last person you kissed/kissed you?

28: Were you ever a boy/girl scout?

29: Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?

30: When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?

31: Can you change the oil on a car?

32: Ever gotten a speeding ticket?

33: Ever ran out of gas?

34: Favorite kind of sandwich?

35: Best thing to eat for breakfast?

36: What is your usual bedtime?

37: Are you lazy?

38: When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?

39: What is your Chinese astrological sign?

40: Are you horny?

41: Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

42: Which are better legos or lincoln logs?

43: Are you stubborn?

44: Who is better...Leno or Letterman?

45: Ever watch soap operas?

46: Are you afraid of heights?

47: Do you sing in the car?

48: Do you sing in the shower?

49: Do you dance in the car?

50: Ever used a gun?

51: Last time you got a portrait taken by a photographer?

52: Do you think musicals are cheesy?

53: Is Christmas stressful?

54: Ever eat a pierogi?

55: Favorite type of fruit pie?

56: Occupations you wanted to be when you were a kid?

57: Do you believe in ghosts?

58: Ever have a Deja-vu feeling?

59: Take a vitamin daily?

60: Wear slippers?

61: Wear a bath robe?

62: What do you wear to bed?

63: First concert?

64: Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart?

65: Nike or Adidas?

66: Cheetos Or Fritos?

67: Peanuts or Sunflower seeds?

68: Ever hear of the group Tres Bien?

69: Ever take dance lessons?

70: Is there a profession you picture your future spouse doing?

71: Can you curl your tongue?

72: Ever won a spelling bee?

73: Have you ever cried because you were so happy?

74: Own any record albums?

75: Own a record player?

76: Regularly burn incense?

77: Ever been in love?

78: Who would you like to see in concert?

79: What was the last concert you saw?

80: Hot tea or cold tea?

81: Tea or coffee?

82: Sugar or snickerdoodles?

83: Can you swim well?

84: Can you hold your breath without holding your nose?

85: Are you patient?

86: DJ or band, at a wedding?

87: Ever won a contest?

88: Ever have plastic surgery?

89: Which are better black or green olives?

90: Can you knit or crochet?

91: Best room for a fireplace?

92: Do you want to get married?

93: If married, how long have you been married?

94: Who was your HS crush?

95: Do you cry and throw a fit until you get your own way?

96: Do you have kids?

97: Do you want kids?

98: Whats your favorite color?

99: Do you miss anyone right now?

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Many years later, you look back on your past self and smile, thinking of that bullheaded rush for adventure.

Bremen, that little city by the river full of medieval streets and ateliers. The list took you to the cafe in Domsheide where you met the man nestled into the crook of your shoulder - feeling good at finding the spot, you bought him a coffee, and he stayed to chat in response.

Bishkek, the capital city of a country you had not heard of until your future self told you to go. Emboldened by your spite, you wandered the market at Osh, tipsy on fermented mare's milk and the late summer heat, until you ran into the vendor who sold you the tea you drank with her later. She's since expanded, running a Kyrgyz language learning centre out of Almaty, one of the many places you wandered after leaving the city. It was only after you left that you checked the coordinates - the Osh Bazaar was indeed your intended destination.

Your next coordinates took you to Yaoundé, whose architecture stunned you as you walked the streets. Partially because of the beauty, partially because of your previous ignorance. The coordinates be damned, you spent days wandering through the Marché Centrale, past the Unity Palace, and through many, many libraries. Eventually, you made it to the small museum the coordinates listed, passing an impressive building on the way to Blackitude, the private collection of exquisitely kept art from Cameroon and the neighbouring countries and the groups therein. The significance of how much and yet how little there was inside stuck with you long after you returned home. You didn't do much with the knowledge you had, but it did let you lose a friend whose words were too ignorant for your liking. He was toxic, and it took you years to realise it, and you are grateful for your bullheadedness when you were young.

So many places on the list, and in your spite you checked off every one. Reykjavik. Belgorod. Guadelajara. Mohenjo-daro. B'Kara. Wolfville. Each one bringing new insights, new relationships, new horizons. You started to feel like someone with no borders, then reined that thought in before you became too pretentious. You saw suffering and corruption, and you saw people being kind even as the world was cruel.

You look at your husband. He's asleep now, sleep-mumbling something in the Low German dialect that you always found charming. The snore that followed was less charming, but you kiss the top of his now-balding scalp nonetheless.

You still remember your tone as you jotted down the coordinates, plugging them into Google Maps as you hailed a cab to the airport. "You'd think I would know myself better than this," you thought at the time.

You smile and close your eyes, leaning in as you drift off to sleep. It's amazing how naïve older folks can be.

On everyone’s 18th birthday they receive a letter from their future selves. Some receive long messages about their future lovers or messages about changes they would have made. Yours contains nothing but a small list of locations and the words, “NEVER VISIT”.

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GOFUNDME: SAVE OUR NAVAJO LANGUAGE

“I never learned my Navajo language and I was never inspired to learn it.  As I got older, I realized how valuable our language is to the livelihood of our Navajo Nation. ” -Dr. Shawna L. Begay

Our Navajo or Diné language is in danger of becoming extinct.  Help us create and develop the first Navajo-English educational media TV puppet show, “Diné Bí Ná’álkid Time” which means ‘The Navajo Movie Time.’  It will inspire and teach our youth basic language skills using media as a technology tool. Parents, grandparents, children and grandkids can learn to speak Navajo  fluently together within their own homes. Long-time friends and educators, Dr. Shawna L. Begay and Charmaine Jackson have teamed up to create this new TV pilot for an all-ages audience or for anyone who wants to learn the Navajo language.   With your support, it’ll be the first educational Navajo and English puppet show that will teach and preserve the Navajo language and culture through digital media.

After several years of extensive research on the Navajo Nation, Dr. Begay recently completed her PhD from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas with her doctorate thesis, ‘Developing A Navajo Media Guide: A Community Perspective.’ As project director, she quickly realized she was a pioneer on the topic.

“When I decided what topic to study I realized there existed very little research in Indigenous educational media, especially with our Navajo people,” stated Dr. Begay.  “As Navajo people, we have our own learning objectives and Navajo way of knowing is completely different for Euro-Western schooling.  I decided that I had to research and develop our own curriculum guide that is meant to teach Navajo through media.” Dr. Begay and Jackson, co-writers of the show, developed the first 3-puppet characters and plan for many more. The pilot features Nanabah-a young Navajo girl, Gáh (Rabbit) and Dlǫ̀ǫ̀ (Prairie Dog) who will go on endless adventures learning about language, gardening, the environment and the importance of family values. Nanabah is fluent in Navajo and likes to teach children about life on the reservation with her animal friends and special guests.  Children who want to learn Navajo will also be an important part of the show by interacting with Nanabah, her friends and storyline. Dr. Begay’s research concluded there exists very little research in the area of Indigenous educational media. Currently media is a very powerful tool that can be used to teach. She is cognizant of the digital age we live in and the opportunities to utilize media to revitalize the Navajo language.   “Star Wars and Finding Nemo,” dubbed in Navajo, was a great place to start and it has garnered national exposure of our language. However, we need a show based on our own Navajo learning principals our ancestors set out for us to learn and live by. I don’t think a non-Navajo, non-Native or non-Indigenous person can do that for us, nor should they.  We, as Navajo, need to produce this show ourselves, if we are to be truly sovereign,” added Dr. Begay. Both educators, Dr. Begay and Jackson, of Naalkid Productions have been talking about this educational language project for about the past four years and still have a long way to go to finance their dream. “With the support of Navajo TV Anchor Colton Shone, our team of Navajo artists, filmmakers, family and friends, this video pilot is a huge step forward,” said Jackson.  “Our journey has just begun and the big next step is finding financial support to create a whole new puppet TV series.” We aim to raise $50,000 with this project which will allow us to continue with pre-production and production aspects of making this digital media project become a reality.  We need your help to save our language by teaching Navajo to our future generations. Pre-Production: -Script writing for the pilot show -Puppet Development/Creation -Casting for puppeteers and other talent that will be on screen -Hiring of all key cast and crew Production: -Locations and permits -Rental of Studio space -Equipment: cameras, sound, lights, etc. -Cast and Crew budget