Let Me Be Your Stolen Spoils

Keeping this quote to my grave

Vox

This animal is on the edge of extinction. Trump just fired the people trying to save it.

Job cuts and frozen funding could inch one of the world’s rarest species even closer to extinction.

DOGE just froze funding to vital Federal and Indigenous conservation programs devoted to supporting the very delicate and tenuous existence of the black-footed ferret.

I fell in love with these animals as a kid traveling to our National Parks. Their rarity and ferocity made me sharply aware, even as a child, of just how much of a responsibility we have toward our environment. I can't bear the thought of them being a fucking casualty of Trump and Musk.

Look at them! They do war dances.

Young Woman With Sword by Jules-Élie Delaunay (1828-1891)

Although they didn’t go into much detail about the crows’ past, this is something I really appreciated while watching the show. Instead of straight up telling you of Kaz’s touch aversion via flashbacks, they show you through close ups of Kaz’s face and the way he interacts with others. I wasn’t crazy about how they chose to introduce the crows, but I really liked this small detail. I think it was a lot more interesting for fans than simply skipping to a flashback (we had enough meadow scenes btw).

Shadow and Bone + subtly showing us Kaz’s touch aversion without actually mentioning it

There are so many scenes that I want to see reinterpreted in this universe I've created, but then I remember that I have to write it to make it happen :') I'm currently working on a double chapter situation, one being a chapter entirely dedicated to these types of scenes that I couldn't figure out how to shoehorn into the main plot, but I wanted to see Kaz and Inej navigate them in the Wild West. The desire to daydream about my fic and not actually write my fic has been so strong fr!

hc that one time Jesper forgot a word in Kerch and was trying to remember it and tried to describe it to Inej and she understood but also forgot the word in Kerch so it turned into Jesper and Inej trying to describe/mime it to Kaz for like ten minutes while he stared at them like they were insane because they were all sleep deprived and their brains weren’t working properly and Kaz just was not getting it until eventually they gave up and like two days later one of them remembered it

The Reader, Alfred Stevens. 1860.

my shayla… come back to me

I've been feeling climate anxiety lately. I think it's really necessary to change everything and progress towards a postcapitalist future that doesn't endanger our planet, our Pachamama. But I don't see how that will be possible. What do you think about this?

Hiya, thanks for getting in touch and sorry it’s taken me so long to reply. I get a lot of asks like this so I think I might make this another masterpost. Here’s climate anxiety solutions according to me:

1) Accept your feelings. Recognise that fear, grief, rage and despair are all normal, healthy, human reactions to paying actual attention to what is being done to our planet right now. You aren’t wrong or sick or overreacting by feeling them. Sit with the emotions, allow them to wash over you, cry, smash plates, punch a pillow, journal, write poetry, yell at the news, scream in the woods! Trying to repress these feelings will just make them harder to deal with.

2) Recognise that the paralysis of climate anxiety is not a good place from which to make a difference. Try to let horror, guilt and self-blame go, and lean into the love for people and planet that motivates all eco-anxiety. Start consuming good news stories and keying into activist spaces so that you can learn how others are claiming agency to fight this problem, and how you can emulate that. Remember that despair absolves you of responsibility and that true solidarity with the most affected means letting your emotions drive you towards action.

4) Educate yourself through reading, listening to podcasts, attending talks, seeking advice from elders, and more - whatever works for your particular life and circumstances. The more informed you are about these issues the more you’ll feel able to address them.

3) Make as many changes as you can in your personal life. Are you eating a high-carbon diet? Try to reduce that. Are you consuming a lot of water or energy resources? Look for green and low-intensity alternatives. Examine your transport habits and prioritise walking, cycling, trains, low or zero emission buses, sailing, and replacing longer-haul journeys with remote options. If you live in a throwaway culture, try to prioritise reuse and repair over consumption. Consider how your livelihood impacts the planet, and if it’s negatively and making change is possible for you, start the process of moving towards an occupation that lets you make a more positive difference.

4) Fight! Join a campaign group, write to your elected officials, attend a protest, donate money to causes if you can, commit civil disobedience if you feel willing and able. Put pressure on governments, businesses and the public to change their ways.

5) Prioritise joy and connection. Spend time in nature, watching animals or foraging for plants or swimming or walking or just letting it all wash over you. Link up with other people to talk through your worries, go hiking, lobby for climate justice, safeguard ecosystems and pass down your local heritage. Sometimes, take a day or two to check out of all these issues and problems and just spend time drawing, cooking, playing games with loved ones, or whatever it is that relaxes you. There are enough of us that you can take the time to avoid burnout.

I hope some of this was helpful, and do please get back in touch if you have any other questions or queries. You’re part of a huge global community of people who love and revere the earth and want to build a better future for all life upon her. Hold onto that.