#via sheer force of will and determination... and unfortunately a lot of time :(

[nenoname]

honestly it's probably super obvious from my constant narrative parallels posts that i find dipper's similarities to stan so much more interesting than his ones with ford lmao

[fakesurprise]

Wings: Geography

GEOGRAPHY NOTES FOR NORTHERN NEW DAKESH

Braken: The start of the northern lands of New Dakesh. Braken is a city with the population of a town, built from a mountain that rose up out of the earth during the Blight War. The locals, utterly furious that their southern forest had been ruined and fearing the symbol of the Blight would destroy what trade the town had, embarked on a centuries-long quest to destroy the mountain. They mined and chipped away at it with ruthless efficiency until the stone had become their city and they shipped and traded as much of the rest away as they could. Today, 800 years later, there is no sign a mountain was near the town at all. A side-effect of this is that Braken had a lot of people touched by the Blight since the war as the too-large town would accept any traveller and put them to work helping mine and dismantle the mountain. Even without the mountain, they supply miners to Ilgot and other towns in the east as well as act as a trade hub with the forest and the rest of the kingdom. The people survive through sheer tenacity and Braken has grown into enough of a trade centre to attract some of the spear and distaff branches of the royal line to it. Braken isn’t the sort of place to have fun facts, but it is the origin of the crude sign language that New Dakesh has developed.

Cilden: The north-most trading town of note, Cilden is the primary source of trade with the kingdom of Mrel, the town is spread out along the tops of several hills as the snows tend to make the lower reaches impassable at times and far less than ideal to build a home in. The people tend to be wary and mind their own business, Cilden homes almost all having space for travellers as a source of income but the town doesn’t do enough steady trade to have any proper inns. A couple of taverns have housing above them, but they are often far too expensive for what is offered. At one point, Cilden was said to have more taverns than people but this has slowly changed. The people here have no warm regard for Mrel, but also little for their own kingdom as well. Portions of the town have been destroyed several times over the years despite Crossing being only a day away, but there is a town guard and government officials here, all of whom tend to be appointed as punishment posts from other places. The jail is larger than some of the taverns, which is a fact. What makes it fun is that the jail also has its own tavern and most prisoners spend their time very drunk instead of in cells.

Crossing: Crossing is the largest city in northern New Dakesh and perhaps has the largest contingent of military forces not engaged in border disputes. Crossing is large, walled, walled again, boasts underground rivers, some baths and has never been taken by an invading force. Had the royal line not originally come from Crossing, there is a very good change the city would have never become part of New Dakesh at all and the locals are fanatic about their city never been taken, to the point that being a spy here is pretty much a death sentence. The military rules Crossing directly but fairly, and they trade and aid the other towns, keeping roads as clear as they can and offering a great deal of informal aid to people in Tollith and Mrel as any place can be taken eventually with time and the people of Crossing find it wise to make alliances to forestall this when they can. (It isn’t perfect, as towns expect absurd response times and are jealous of the assumed wealth of Crossing.) Crossing boasts the most man-made tunnels of any city in New Dakesh, the more because they are all defended. The tunnels allow people to travel though the city despite snow on the surface and are defended since some likely lead outside the city.

Draden: The town of Draden is a small trading town that is mostly inns for travellers, locals who work those inns and precious little else. Locals hunt and sell pelts and furs, but beyond that it is a place people pass through than one people go to or come from. As their existence depends on trade, the people of Draden are extremely polite and helpful, sometimes to a level of absurdity.

Ethec: Technically part of the north, Ethec identifies with the more urbane south of the country. Many food stuffs and trade goods pass through Ethec as the alternative to passing through the winding forests to Braken. This has made the people of Ethec rather wealthy, and the merchants pretty much rule the town as anything that is bad for trade is bad for the town. As such, you can tade and find most anything in Ethec and it has one of the largest black markets in trade goods in all of New Dakesh.

Ilgot: a mining town near the Jagged Mountains, Ilgot is nestled among hills and mountains, the wealth of the mountains being less than they seem as the town pretty much imports all the food, supplies, etc. that other towns have. Ilgot has only one resource, and exists until the mountains are bled dry and the people move on. They are remarkably unsentimental as a result and the people very protective of mineral finds, to the point that the town guard barely even act over murders if it was obviously poison or backstabbing over ores.

Larmen: a trade town similar to Draden but with less traffic and travellers. There is a fierce rivalry between both towns and no road between them due to it. The people are Larmen insist on being even more helpful than those of Draden but also have no desire to leave their home, believing that to be a weakness of their western neighbouring town.

Lichen: nested along the rocky norther coast, Lichen has limited use as a port for larger ships but a lot of fishing happen and various lichens and mosses from caverns around the town are found and sold to traders around the known world. The word lichen is said to have derived from the town and you earn a steady and solid living here if the smell of fish doesn’t appall you. The town boasts the largest number of people who have been touched by the Blight and lost – or never had – a sense of smell. While it is hardly a fun fact, there is a trade in the bones and blood of such people as other people believe they can gain the benefits of having no sense of smell if they successfully ingest body parts from those afflicted. With the benefit that the ‘effect’ stops if you no longer consume their bones on your tea and such.

Klishen: Nestled between hills and forest, Klishen trades the bounty of their forest with the rest of New Dakesh and protect it as best they can. Destroying trees is a crime and harming the animals of the forest without cause can lead to banishment. The town is large but often feels empty as many people are patrolling and protecting the forest at any given time. This does mean that some people are back home so rarely that they are technically in breach of paying  taxes but the local noble houses have varied arrangements and and forms of payment set up.

Olben: The major trading town with the Tollith Collective, the people of Olben are a bit twitchy over that status and are fiercely loyal to the royal family and the kingdom, determined to prove that trade with Tollith has not affected them at all. Even distant second-cousins of the royal line are treated well here and no royal has ever been harmed or hurt in Olben, which is more than one can say for the capital itself.

Quorren: Probably the most infamous town in northern New Dakesh, Quorren boasts more brothels than inns and is the place you go if you want anything forbidden. It is not a nice place, and what law there is in Quorren is pretty much laughable. There are many terrible stories about the town, and pretty much all of them are true. Despite that, there is a great deal of wealth to be found here and some consider it the safest place to live if you’ve been touched by the Blight. At the least, you get a space in a brothel and food and a warm room, which is more than one can get in many other places. The rumours that people are tortured and made to look as though the Blight has touched them is unfortunately true. This isn’t a result of some high ‘demand’ for prostitutes touched by the Blight as being a method of dealing with people who cheat or harm you. Use of the Art of magic to heal such wounds is common, and ironically some of the best healers in New Dakesh live here.

Skiir: The town of Skiir is quite old and small town, a lesson the people of Klishen took to heart. Much of the famous forest that was around Skiir is long gone and the town only exists as a trade route to the Jagged Mountains. Some claim that the only route to happiness in Skiir is leaving, and the locals wouldn’t disagree. It is very cheap to live at however, and the town is technically a guard post against the Niand Empire, the guards providing much of the income for the town.

Winding Forest: The forests between the town of Ushilpor and Braken were deeply scarred by the Blight. Ravines cut through the land, plunging hundreds of feet into the earth, the forest a mass of trees, jagged rocks and dangerous pathways. For years it was the domain of bandits – further limiting trade with the north as one could pass through the forest in a day rather than a week or two to travel around it via the right paths – so the military came in and made many, many different paths.  The result was too many routes for bandits to cover and safety on the wider paths that became commonly used. The winding forest shifts and changes at times but remains still the fastest rout into the north from the capital despite the dangers it poses.

[vcg73]

Witch!Kurt #27: Good News

Time to give the non-magical part of Kurt’s life a little attention. 

As soon as the blizzard cleared up enough to let everyone get back to their daily routines, life shifted in high gear.  First thing Tuesday morning, after a lift to school from a willing Elliott, Kurt turned in the final draft of his Junior work-study to the Dean of Performance. 

Carmen Tibideaux took her time reading over the material, jotting down an occasional note or making a non-committal grunt over some bit that caught her attention. Unfortunately, neither her face nor her reactions told Kurt anything. She could have loved it, hated it, or found it the most mediocre project turned in this year. There would be no determining her reaction until she had finished every last page and pondered her overall impressions for a few moments.

It drove Kurt crazy, that opaque deliberation, but he knew better than to interrupt or to fidget in her presence. Carmen hated interruptions and she hated distractions. Every student learned the futility of trying to hurry this woman along, as well as the danger associated with saying more than one meant to in her presence. In a way it was fortunate that Kurt always had to fight the tendency to become tongue-tied around her. Kurt had witnessed more than one schoolmate dig themselves into an ever-deeper hole by saying too much while trying to anticipate their teacher’s opinion.  

Today patience really was a virtue. As she closed the back cover on the sturdy red binder Kurt had used to protect his beloved musical from the dangers of dripping icicles and drifting snowflakes after Elliott had dropped him off a couple of blocks from school, preserving the illusion of having commuted in the normal way. 

Carmen folded her hands over the book and looked at Kurt for a long nerve-wracking moment. “Congratulations Mister Hummel,” she said. “Your final script is hereby approved for production. The structure and dialogue have both improved noticeably from earlier drafts, as have the songs, which you may recall I deemed trite and uninteresting during your initial assessment.  The choice to move the ballad from Act One to the beginning of Act Two is a wise one. It feels more natural and effective after the sisters’ argument. Taking on a romantic comedy for your first solo project was a risk, but the humor flows in a natural way that should bring an appropriate amount of laughter from your audience.  Assuming your cast is up to the task.”

She paused and Kurt realized that he was expected to interject. “Yes, Madame. I’ve drafted seniors Clark Tidwell and Tonya Lowenstein, juniors Macy and Lisa Martin, sophomore Luis Hassan, and freshmen Laronda Williams and Antonio Garde, as well as myself, to play the housekeeper, children and grandchildren of the sisters and Ted the suitor. The actors at Lexington House have been practicing since Christmas and everything is going more smoothly since we switched two of the supporting roles.  I feel confident that everyone can be ready to perform on whatever date you choose for us.”

A hint of a smile flickered over Carmen’s lips.  Kurt was certain it had not escaped her notice that he had drafted all of his student actors from the Adam’s Apples. He had many friends around school, but it had occurred to him that that particular talent pool tended to go unused by the majority of NYADA’s elite. Kurt knew only too well what it felt like to yearn for a spotlight no one was ever willing to shine on you and he had wanted to give those deserving underdogs their chance. 

“Excellent,” the Dean said. “Then as you’ve managed to be the first of your class to turn in a completed project, I feel you should have the honor of the first performance slot. Since you’ve been rehearsing at your actors’ residence up to now, I take it you’ll need a couple of days to properly reblock the scenes onto the stage of the Shapiro.”

Kurt nearly squealed, but managed to hold himself back by sheer force of will. He had originally assumed he could stage the production at the Lexington House, but he had found out at the beginning of January that all student productions would be held at NYADA, to be graded by a panel of instructors.  He had immediately gone to the older actors and their caregivers to arrange permissions for a series of “field trips” via the bus company that serviced the elder care facility. To his relief, the cast had been very excited at the prospect of performing on a real stage and happy to invite an audience of relatives and friends. (Something Kurt had then had to obtain a second set of permissions from NYADA to allow.)  Still, even with all this negotiation he had not expected to be offered the biggest and grandest venue in the school. 

Doing his best to appear composed, Kurt channeled every acting lesson he had received at this school to say calmly, “Yes, I think a tech rehearsal and a dress rehearsal should be enough. The elder members of my cast are stage veterans, so I won’t have to simplify the directions for them.” He paused, frowning slightly as he ran the play through his mind at a rapid-fire pace. “Although with such a big stage I may have to reconsider the blocking of the scene where Eunice storms out after her fight with Constance. Mary Ellen is nearly eighty five and I’m not sure she’s capable of storming more than a few feet.”

At this, the dour Dean actually chuckled. “A fair point and I’m glad to see that you’re considering the physical capabilities of your cast as well as the professional. That shows insight as a director.” She checked her appointment book, as well as a couple of schedules on the computer screen to her left. “I’ll reserve the auditorium for you this coming Friday and Monday afternoons for rehearsal and schedule your graded performance for next Wednesday at 5pm. Can you have everything ready by then, Mister Hummel?”

Knowing perfectly well that the question was largely rhetorical; he would be graded on Wednesday if he was ready or not; Kurt nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you for your time.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Adam!  Elliott!  You won’t believe it!” 

Kurt burst through the apartment door at 5pm, having taken the long way home just to give himself a few extra minutes to think and plan. He had been on Cloud 9 all day, making calls, meeting his fellow Apples, arranging transportation from Lexington House for the days his cast would be needed, talking to students in the props and set-design departments and slipping in to measure and carefully block out the stage of the Shapiro. 

When he had assumed he would be performing in a small venue, he had staged his play in two acts with everything to take place in the living room of the Atworthy home. It would be a small matter to move a few chairs, tables and set pieces from the well stocked prop building. Part of the overall education at NYADA was learning how to dress a stage on short notice and Kurt - without quite realizing how rare such a thing really was - had cultivated friendships with people from every creative Major in the school. He had served as a costumer, editor, background actor,  and supporting chorus member for half the productions in school over the past two and a half years and everyone he spoke with was happy to return the favor now.  

His fiance and Familiar had both leaped to their feet in reaction to Kurt’s dramatic entrance. “What? What’s happened?” they demanded.

“The Real Housewives of Albany’ is going to be performed next Wednesday evening on the stage of the Shapiro Auditorium!” he announced, doing a giddy little dance around the loft that Elliott happily joined when Kurt grabbed him by both hands and pranced him around the floor. 

Adam declined to dance, but happily hugged the stuffings out of his beloved. Unlike Elliott, Adam was a NYADA graduate and he knew exactly how much of an honor this was. “Darling, that’s amazing! Normally the Shapiro is strictly used for Senior projects and alumni events. For Dean Tibidieaux to give it to a third year student play is high praise indeed, and one that your fellow students will all recognize as such. I’m so proud of you.” He gripped Kurt’s cheeks and gave him an enthusiastic kiss on the mouth. “You’ll have a sold out show for certain.”

Kurt could not help preening at the praise. “I almost fell over when she told me. It adds a lot of pressure to make the final performance perfect, knowing the Dean will have raised expectations high by doing this, but I’m super- excited too. I’m not counting on a full house, but I did get permission to block off a section for the actors’ families, so I just hope we’ll at least pull in a decent sized crowd on top of that.”

“You will. Student musicals usually do very well,” Elliott said, parking his rear on the back of the sofa and pulling his feet up to sit cross-legged on the narrow surface, a huge grin lighting his face. With anyone else, Kurt would have been afraid they would fall from such a precarious perch, but Elliott always somehow maintained his balance. He had moved some of his belongings into the loft during the recent blizzard and for now the little couch was his. “NYU isn’t strictly a performing arts school, but original shows get lots of interest. And you’re still Winter Showcase recruit, Midnight Madness winner, last man standing from Lima, and guaranteed future Dean’s Award winner Kurt Hummel. Not to mention, one of your cast members won an Obie back in the ‘70s and another one was nominated for a Tony.  At a place like NYADA, you’ll probably get S.R.O. just for that!”

Kurt beamed at this assessment. It was so nice to be surrounded by people who believed in him after all those years with no true support from people he’d considered his best friends. “Well, thank you for that but we’ll have to wait until next year to find out who gets the Dean’s Award. That’s for graduating seniors and there are a number of candidates in other programs who would be completely deserving. I don’t want to get over-confident about anything and have it bite me in the ass, so I’ll just hope the show draws enough of an audience not to embarrass us. It’s a big venue, after all, and not everyone is as fascinated with theater history and musical-comedy as us.”

“Your modesty does you credit,” Adam decided. “But I am under no such obligation to control my optimism. You’ll be packing them in like sardines next Wednesday night. In fact, I should start knitting souvenir socks for the occasion. We can hand them out at intermission, since I’m positive that your play will have knocked them off of everyone by then.”

Kurt laughed. “Well, save me a pair if you do. That would be a hell of a keep-sake.” He grinned, hugging himself and spinning in a circle to express his excitement. “Oh, gosh. I have a million things to do before our first stage rehearsal on Friday. I know you’ve suffered through all the various drafts, but I can’t wait for you to see it on stage with a real . . . ”  Suddenly, his happiness dimmed and he looked at his fiance with wide eyes. “Oh, Adam, I forgot! The play is at NYADA. Will you be able to attend in such a large space, especially if we do get a full crowd?”

Adam had been sticking close to home since his nerve-wracking adventure in Lima, but his proud smile did not falter. “Yes, darling, I will. For your big night, I’ll manage even if I have to render myself invisible to do it.”

“You should disguise yourself as a prop and watch it from the stage,” Elliott suggested around the mouthful of the apple he had just plucked from a bowl on the coffee table as he rolled down the sofa to lounge on its cushions. “I think the Atworthy living room could use a coat rack, don’t you, Kurt? And doesn’t Constance have a wheelchair? Maybe you should suggest that she needs a lap cat, so I can have a close-up view too.”

Kurt relaxed again at their easy banter, Adam debating the merits of becoming a coat rack versus a flower vase and Elliott speculating that if Constance did get a cat then Lord Tubbington, who considered himself quite the thespian after starring in Brittany’s old “Fondue for Two” YouTube series, would probably make himself the feline understudy and find a reason to take over when show time came.  

Privately thinking that a cat would indeed be a nice touch for his show, Kurt said, “Well, don’t worry. I intend to reserve the coven seats in the front row, assuming you all want to come.  I’ve recruited half the Adam’s Apples already, so I’m sure the rest of them will show up to watch and they’ll probably invite people too. And some of my friends in in Stage Combat have been bugging me to let them know once I got a firm date from Carmen. I texted everyone on the way home, letting them know the venue and the rehearsal schedule.”

“See?” Adam said with a smile. “Everything is moving along and your audience is multiplying as we speak. You have nothing to worry about.”

Kurt sat down in his favorite chair, the one he had designed and built himself from an old Mercedes car seat he’d found in a junk yard, sagging back with exaggerated exhaustion. “Nothing at all. Except for finalizing the set, the costumes, the transportation, the props; wrangling a dozen actors, doing two run-throughs, and not having an aneurysm if anything goes wrong on performance day. Not to mention that I still have to practice for my mid-winter critique next Friday.” He flipped one hand and closed his eyes. “Oh, my god, give me a distraction before I start overthinking everything. Did anything happen to you today? I thought I detected some emotional roller-coastering today, but that could have just been me projecting.”

“As a matter of fact I did have some news today if you’d like to hear it.”

Kurt opened his eyes and leaned forward, eyes lighting up with interest when Adam nudged Elliott to sit up and took a seat on the sofa next to him. “Tell me!”

Adam smiled at his enthusiasm. “I heard back from Stewart Henderson after you left for school this morning.” He held up a forestalling hand when Kurt squeaked with excitement, both hands clasping as he lifted them to cover his lips, while his hips did an excited little chair-dance. “Unfortunately, he’s decided to go with another candidate for the assistant’s job. He was very kind about it and expressed his sincere regret, but he’s not a young man anymore and he needs someone who can be more hands-on, following him to productions and jet-setting about with him on a moment’s notice. Even if I wasn’t still battling post-traumatic stress and agoraphobia, I wouldn’t feel right committing myself to spending months at a time away from you and our life in New York.”

Kurt could not prevent a small pout. “I understand and I can absolutely appreciate both of those reasons, but it would have been such an amazing opportunity for you. I was sure that you were meant to have that job.” He cocked his head, realizing that Adam was still smiling in a rather smug fashion. “Why aren’t you disappointed?”

“Because Stewart also told me that he’d been impressed enough during our interview that he had put me up for a different job as a booking assistant with Hanover and Bradley. He forwarded my resume and arranged a phone interview, with his recommendation that they hire me on the spot. Which, as it turned out, they were quite willing to do after speaking with me. H&B handles a great many clients through online meetings and remote scheduling, so I can do the job from here, plus have the freedom to take on Mrs. Bui’s kind offer of part-time employment at the tea shop. The job at H&B should pay enough to be a real contribution to our finances, but I think it will do me good to also have a reason to go outdoors on the regular.” 

“Adam, that’s amazing,” Kurt said, shaking his head. “You’re amazing. Seriously. Here you are, having survived one of the worst experiences imaginable and still recovering from a massive scare just a few days ago, and yet you’re ready and willing to face your fears and get back out into the working world again. You’re just . . .”

He had no words, but he hopped out of his chair and into Adam’s arms, kissing him so thoroughly that Elliott started playfully fanning himself with a magazine.  “Should I leave you two alone?”

The couple parted, flushing at the reminder that they had an audience. Kurt laughed. “We’re done.” He gave Adam a saucy wink. “For now.”

The Familiar grinned. “Understood.  Maybe I’ll go see what Dani is up to tonight. “Meanwhile, if you two are up for a more prosaic diversion, I knew you’d want to celebrate Adam’s new job, so I’ve got a nice green salad in the fridge, a melt-in-your-mouth tuna casserole in the oven and a chocolate sponge cake with pudding for dessert.”

“Custard,” Adam said with a playfully long-suffering roll of the eyes. “Seriously mate, if you’re going to borrow dessert recipes from Gran’s cookbook, you might at least give the components their proper names.”

Elliott just smiled. “As long as it tastes good, I don’t care. Especially since now we have two things to celebrate.”

“Well whatever you call it, I want a big serving of everything.  I knew I smelled something yummy when I walked in,” Kurt said, sliding down into the corner of the sofa and draping his legs across Adam’s lap. “I’m ready for a good meal. I’ve been so busy today, I didn’t have time to stop for lunch.”

Adam made a scolding noise. “Then by all means let’s tuck in. Your Familiar has been tormenting me with cooking odors all afternoon and I’m fairly starved.”

Elliott happily jumped up and went to put out three place settings. 

“What about you?” Kurt said a few minutes later when the three of them gathered around the table and began filling their plates. At Elliott’s inquiring look, Kurt said, “Adam and I both have things to celebrate, but I’ve been so caught up in my own stuff lately that I feel like a horrible friend. Here you are, giving up your privacy for an undetermined length of time to teach me and look after us both, not to mention being my on-call magical taxi service and I barely even know what’s going on in your life. Did you ever get to do that lab time you were trying to arrange when the blizzard hit? Did you get your grades back from winter Finals yet? Have you applied for that internship you want at that Animal Wellness Center in Long Island yet? Are you writing any songs?  Any new men in your life? I need dish!”

Elliott laughed as Kurt ticked off each question. “Well, let’s see. No time for song-writing lately, but when we had band practice on Monday night Johnny gave me an idea for one that we might work on together.”

“Rock song?” Kurt guessed. Being a drummer, Johnny had a natural draw toward songs with a beat and a strong lyrical hook. Kurt had developed a better appreciation for such music since starting up his band. The original idea of a Madonna cover band had quickly given way to an eclectic mixture of genres and artists that appealed to all of its members and eventually led them to weave a few original tunes into the mix. That variety had given Pamela Lansbury/One Three Hill a niche with local audiences and proved a winning formula for the band itself.

“Actually more of a ballad,” Elliott said, surprising him. “At least for now. I’ll let you know when it’s developed more. Right now I’m a little busy with school, both NYU and Coven 101. I did pass all my exams last term, though I could’ve done better at cellular biology. I aced bio-chem and that might be enough to get me the internship come spring, but they won’t made a final decision until March and it’s a pretty competitive slot. I’ll need to bump up my lab time and slam-dunk the immunology course if I’m gonna have a shot at it.”

“If you need any help studying, we’ll be glad to help,” Kurt offered, feeling it was the least he could do after all the help Elliott had been giving him lately. “Just don’t make me look at any pictures of sick or wounded animals.”

“Deal,” he said. "I don’t like seeing animals hurting either, but I need to learn how to alleviate their suffering in order to get them healthy and happy again. It’s what I’ve wanted since before I even figured out where my Potential was headed. I think I’d be studying to become a veterinarian even if I was a Standard.”

Kurt nodded thoughtfully. “That’s interesting. Carole said something similar to me when she was here over the holidays. About how our powers seemed to go in line with our personal interests. Like how so many witches are also singers or musicians, when music lends itself so well to spell-casting. Or the way Adam and I have both always liked to cook and we each developed a Talent for potions, minor in my case, primary in his. It’s just a theory, but it makes a lot of sense. I mean, I have some old pictures of my mom puttering around in her grandparents’ garden when she was a little girl and her Talent was apparently in plant based magic.” 

“What an interesting theory,” Adam said. “There may be something to that. Your step-mum went into nursing and she’s an Empath.  I’ve wanted to be an actor since I was just a tiny lad and my other major Talent is Transmogrification. Johnny’s is as well and told me he was painfully shy as a child, wanting anything other than to be noticed.”

Seeing that Adam’s attention was drifting, no doubt mentally adding a chapter to his future tome on the definitive study of magical powers, Kurt just patted his arm and turned back to his conversation with Elliott. “What about guys?” he asked in a teasing tone. “I noticed you and Sebastian seemed to be doing some pretty serious flirting last week.”

Casually stretching his arms overhead, Elliott folded his hands behind his head and pretended nonchalance. “Aw, that was just in fun. I suspect we both have too much going on right now to start up a long distance thing. Though if the signals he was throwing were accurate, that could change.”

“From what I saw, those signals read, ‘let’s go find a dark corner and drop our trousers’, so I’m quite certain he would be happy to have them picked up at any time,” Adam said dryly.

The Familiar chuckled. “Yep, that’s about what I got too.”

“And would you?” Kurt said curiously.  “Sebastian’s good looking and all, but as far as I know he’s always been a wham-bam and forget your name the next day man. While you strike me as more of the long-term relationship sort.”

“I am, mostly, but I’ve been known to do a walk of shame or two in my time,” Elliott admitted, contrarily looking rather proud of that admission. “And considering what you told me about his attitude toward non purebreds, he could just be intrigued by the notion of slumming with an Animagus. Still, it might be worth it. I could show him what he’s been missing.” He smiled and took another bite of tuna casserole, all but wrapping his tongue around the bit of pasta before putting the fork in his mouth and then pulling it back out with exaggerated slowness, giving his eyebrows a suggestive hitch.  

Kurt stared at him for a moment, then laughed. “Why, you dog! No offense.”

“Speaking of Sebastian,” Adam said, pushing away his empty plate and settling back in his chair with a satisfied burp. “Pardon me. I’ve been meaning to ask; did either of you happen to notice that Carole’s new Familiar looked rather constipated every time someone mentioned her son?”

Kurt nodded. “Particularly in connection with Blaine. He didn’t seem to want to talk about either of them. I decided to leave it alone for now since I was more concerned about Carole getting some help with her magic, but if Sebastian thinks he can steer her away from talking about anything she’s set her mind on, he’s sadly mistaken. Dad is a lot more concerned about eliminating the threat to all of us than he is about sparing any tender feelings from the new kid and having two of her sons’ peers living in the house, one of whom was a good friend, there’s no way Carole won’t be eager to talk about Finn. I figured I’d give them a few more days to get used to each other before I go in demanding answers.”

“Maybe you should grill your dad. Burt will be in the audience for your play next week,” Elliott pointed out. “He told me to just come get him on whatever night you ended up performing it.”

Kurt stared at him, surprised. “He did? I didn’t know that. I assumed he wouldn’t be able to come, considering he and Carole just spent two whole weeks out here. Did he really ask you to transport him?”

“Yep. And sorry if I just spoiled a surprise,” Elliott said, looking sheepish. “I assumed you’d talked, since he didn’t seem too keen on magical travel the last time I saw him.”

Kurt laughed. “He still isn’t, but he likes to spring surprises on me, so I should have guessed. I kind of assumed he’d never want to actually do it unless there was some kind of emergency, though.”

“Burt has seen us Teleport enough by now that I think his curiosity has begun to overcome his nerves,” Adam suggested. “You know what an effort he’s been making to accept your new status and to pretend that he isn’t still gobsmacked every time he sees you perform an act of magic. Now that he knows he’s also married to a witch, and for the second time to boot, I rather imagine his need to become comfortable with magic has indeed reached critical status in his mind.”

Kurt nodded. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but diving head-first into things once he’s made up his mind is very much my dad’s M.O.” He smiled again. “And now that you’ve spilled the beans, I can save him the best seat in the house for Wednesday night!”

“Excellent. Then after the show, once you’ve finished receiving your no-doubt glowing assessment from the Dean’s committee and seen all of your cast off home, I really think you and Burt should go out and have a good chat over a nice meal. Just the two of you.”

Surprised, he said, “You don’t want to come?”

“Not just then,” Adam said, a reassuring smile on his face. “Elliott can pop me on home, if he doesn’t mind.”

“I don’t mind,” Elliott interjected, standing up as he began to clear away the remains of their dinner in preparation for serving dessert. “Any time.”

Adam nodded thanks to him. Seeing Kurt’s still concerned expression, he reached out and squeezed his hand. “Even at the holidays you and Burt never had much opportunity for a one-on-one. Oh, a few minutes here and there, but there was always something needing to be done, or some of us hanging about sharing attention, or some other pull on your time. Not to mention all the tension that stood between you before you cleared the air at the holiday party. You and Burt share something special; a bond that existed long before any of us came along and that that bond was badly damaged during and after your time with Blaine. I think you need a chance here and there to firm up that connection and I want to make sure that you both to have the opportunity to do so. You need to spend a little private time together, to chat and catch up; rediscover the closeness you used to share.”

Kurt put a hand over his heart, imagining that he could actually feel it swelling with the pride and love he felt for this man. When, in the entire span of his relationship with Blaine, had his ex ever behaved with such simple loving selflessness; seeing what Kurt needed and providing him with an opportunity to get it with no thought of himself? 

“Thank you,” he said softly. “And that goes for you too. Any time you want to invite Henry or the rest of your family for private Crawford bonding time, don’t be afraid to say the word. They’ve been nothing but sweet and welcoming to me, but you’re their family and they haven’t had much time to be alone with you either. After two years without you, thinking you’d never have that chance again, I’m sure you could all use more time to catch up.”

“Thank you, Kurt. I promise you I will, just as I’ll eventually end up spending time alone with your dad, I’m sure. Just not this time. And don’t think for a moment that you’ll escape all my family’s mad plans to sweep you into the fold,” Adam said, squeezing his hand. “As long as you aren’t still afraid of Gran.”

He grinned. “I’m not. June is surprisingly awesome once she stops looking at you like you’re an ant on her picnic table. So thumbs-up to all forms of family bonding.”

“I vote for friend-bonding too,” Elliott said, raising his hand. “Adam and the Apples. Kurt and One-Three-Hill. Coven Time. Non-magic time. The works! Sorry, bud, but you may never have a moment alone again.” The twinkle in his lovely blue eyes proved that he was only teasing. 

Kurt inhaled a whiff of rich chocolate from the plate of warmed sponge cake, resting in a generous serving of vanilla custard, that his friend had just set in front of him. “Mmm, if it comes with benefits like this, who needs privacy!”

As the three of them dug in, Kurt felt a set of strong toes slide up under the cuff of his trousers - thankfully he had worn straight-leg pants today to better show off the designer argyle socks that complemented his blue and gold sweater - and caress his ankle. He glanced at Adam, who gave him a subtle wink. 

Perhaps a little privacy would be needed tonight, after all. There would be a million things to do over the next week, for both of them, but for tonight they still had some celebrating to do.

Elliott must have sensed something, for he suddenly looked up. His eyes darted between the two of them and he smiled, spooning up one last taste of the rich dessert before standing up and wiping his mouth on a napkin. “Since I cooked, you two can do the dishes. I’m heading over to Dani’s.” 

With a wink, he grabbed his guitar and leather jacket and vanished. 

THE END

[b-and-willie]

Self-Validation(or inability) and It’s Affects on our Dynamic

Life is funny you know?  People, things, circumstances, even thoughts have a way of finding you in the most unlikely way - sometimes the timing is actually good too! Take abby and my joint writing venture : AT The Heart of It

We decided that we'd like to take a stab at writing about the same subject to discover things about ourselves. either where we struggle or how we have grown and perhaps why.  The idea of At The Heart of It originated because often we think we are going to talk about one thing and end up discovering what the heart of it really is to us while digging deeper.   I doubt we will be doing a weekly prompt type idea- we want to find the right question for us and give it the attention it requires. Who are we kidding we are wordy writers, once and a while will be enough for all involved- writers AND readers!

So without further adieu today's subject: Self Validation/ Love of Self ( Didn't want to get you all excited thinking about Self Love *wink*).

( click here for abby's post)  

(Blondie decided to Join in too!)

The Affects of Self Validation On Our Dynamic

Our son is becoming an amazing artist, but that is not his gift.  He has been gifted with determination. When he first stepped foot on the path he is walking, he faced some very harsh news regarding his first portfolio attempt. Whether it was his passion, his determination or both, he picked himself up, reexamined his work,  where he was placing his focus and set to make it right, despite his critic's suggestions he take another route. He didn't get accepted into his first choice college, which ended up to be a Godsend as his second choice was more suited to his style and area of talent strength in the long run. He was still over the moon to be living what he loved.

I can draw, but I never developed my talent like he did. I tell others that 'back then, it wasn't as encouraged', but the truth of it is, I didn't believe in myself as he does himself. He isn't arrogant, selfish or delusional- he's driven and confident in his future abilities even if they are buried at the moment.

I often joke that we have no idea where that comes from.  Although if I examine his drive in comparison to how I am with in our dynamic, I know precisely where he got it from. Once I discovered who I really was, my passion/obsession, and determination became focused on maintaining that woman. Unfortunately over time, maintaining turned to protecting, which ultimately changed to questioning   Being a submissive does involve a lot of interpersonal development, but it also requires exchange at times with the same intensity on the opposite side of 'the slash'. ( Perhaps a post topic for another time)

Self validation is an interesting phrase to me. Others may prefer " acceptance of self " or " love of self" and while I have read those and similar phrases over the years, self validation struck a cord in me. Perhaps it was timing or the source. I began to read about external and internal validation with great interest. External validation concerning my submission is actually not difficult to come by- It is wonderful to be seen by friends isn't it?

But what about those times when you are alone? Those times your friends are not available. Those times when your significant other is busy, distracted, on a different D/s plain or God forbid, STRUGGLING?  This would be the time self validation should be there to draw on.

Once upon a time I was able to turn to myself and my acceptance of my inner voice. Life might not have been great around me, but my part in my life, in my skin was.  Looking back I wonder how much of that self validation was initiated from within or whether it was more based on external sources. Does it even matter some may wonder?

In my case I think it does.  For if I was so as well equipped in self validation back then I as I thought I was, where has that perspective gone?

So what exactly does this have to do with our dynamic? I am coming to believe that perhaps I confused approval with acceptance.  I gained approval of self by B agreeing to ttwd. This lead the way for me to feel accepted and thus accepting myself. But perhaps. while a necessary step to growth, I stopped too short and have yet to determine the depth required to own my self validation, guilt free.

If I return back to the thinking about our son, nothing these people in the business told him (negatively) deterred him.  He held true to his dream regardless.  His determination is commendable but his ability to see himself and draw from that is nothing short of miraculous, especially given his young age.  Yes he turns to us at times when he is struggling, to hear what he already knows. He takes our hand to help him back to the path he has constructed mostly on his own.

And what of his mother? She currently is not as brave. Digging deep seems to not do much more than churn up waters, clouding my judgment concerning myself. I tend to see myself no problem,  when I am alone. However the minute I am with B now I blow out that beacon of light.

My Submissive Heartset tends to be shrouded in things that have been said, doubt, comparison, what ifs, if onlys...The issue should not be that I have experienced negativity or perceived it at times. The issue then becomes " accept yourself" . Stop looking at others to fill that void.  Fill the void yourself and use that area to stand up and shout, " This is Me! I am not perfect, I don't love all aspects of me, but I DO love me!".

Instead I close up. I project that I am no longer vulnerable.  I can do without this. It isn't important. You didn't hurt me. I don't feel rejected for me. ( The interesting notion is that closing up or shutting down is not being vulnerable. When in reality is merely a 'bid' for someone to notice the internal shift with an external clue).  Mentally I degrade my submission, my need. I tell myself that my past reality might not have been truths and that current realities are the truth that has always been.

I was reading  the other day how often when we fail to self validate we punish ourselves. When "we reject.. ourselves in this way, we exacerbate our feelings, because we then feel bad about two things: the original incident and the pain we’re causing ourselves." Lori Deschenel. I am familiar with this. I discovered what is currently "At the Heart of It" is I am creating a force field and pushing B away in the hopes of  not feeling too deeply - thus creating exactly what I don't want. I am also not being true to myself and that makes me fearful, miserable and not able to self validate because I am outwardly projecting the complete opposite of who I truly am at times.

If B was in a rut before, ( he's still here let's just say we are on different D/s plains at the moment), I have placed my foot on the gas to make sure those wheels are spinning at high speed digging us deeper.

I used to be able to shake it off more easily. ' He will come around. I know who I am- regardless of what he does.'  I still know who I am..I just seem to have a more difficult time allowing her out.  And if I am too afraid to see her, how is he ever going to? I have realized how I project myself in our dynamic is directly affected by my ability to self validate. Without that anchor of deep self acceptance from within, the D/s foundation I build with B is shaky at best.

I should probably take time to say that this isn't meant to be a 'woe is willie' post or even an advice seeking one. LOL.  I just wanted to get to the heart of the matter as to why perhaps I am not feeling my submission as deeply as I once was, and how my perception of self can get in the way. Don't you worry,  I'll get my sh*t together soon enough *wink*

 ***

I could go on to explain ways to self validate, but there is tons on that via the web ( try tinybuddha.comhttps://tinybuddha.com/blog/5-ways-to-validate-be-part-of-your-support-system/)

As an aside- I found this and it really spoke to me so I thought I'd share :

" As we go through personal developmental changes, our intimacy need is also changed from a sheer need for protection and approval to the need for being fully understood and connected emotionally and spiritually. When the people very close to us fail to meet such a higher need, we experience the lack of spiritual self-validation. Sometimes we exaggerate minor incidents through selective perception and self-critical reasoning into crisis situations, and fail to value our self-worth and competence.

Various psychological processes take place when we are in these situations. We feel denied access to the right to be and the right to feel at such moments. We feel as if a part in us is slowly dying in pain. We start doubting our self-worth, and losing confidence and self-respect. Our self-identity gets shaken, and we become unsure of who we are and what we are. We lose sight of the meaning of life and become hopeless and directionless. "(Trumpeter (1993)

ISSN: 0832-6193

On Self-Validation

F. Ishu Ishiyama

University of British Columbia)

[architectuul]

Paul Williams - I Am a Negro

“The power of example is strong. A few decades ago Negroes had no examples within their own race to spur them on. But now, seeing men and women of their own color bettering their condition so phenomenally, they realize that they - or their children - can do as much.”

I am a Negro is Paul Williams’ essay written for American Magazine in 1937, which speaks the power of minority representation.

Poster from Office of War Information; Domestic Operations Branch, News Bureau from 1943 | Drawing by Charles Alston

Even in 1937, representation of minorities mattered. It still does, today, in architecture, where African Americans constitute 13% of the populations but only 3% of practicing architects. Yet, this absence does not imply a vacuum, as the misconception that clients desire designers who share their same skin profile, has not prevented but merely hidden the contributions of black architects. In this shadow lies Paul Revere Williams. A designer of over 2000 buildings around USA, Williams was best known as the postwar designer to Hollywood’s stars, crafting tasteful homes for the cultural elite, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaiz, Frank Sinatra, Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, Bert Lahr, and many other prominent Southern California figures. Though his prolific portfolio warrants its own consideration, his ability to be judged by clients on his designs rather than his skin tone is a tribute to the sheer power of his talent.

Paul Williams received posthumous the AIA Gold Medal for lifetime achievement in 2017. | Photo via The Paul Revere Williams Project

Born in 1894 to Memphis-natives, Paul Williams was quickly placed into foster care after both parents died of tuberculosis complications prior to his fifth birthday. While apartheid conditions were codified in large swathes of the early 20th Century United States, Los Angeles allowed racial mixing in schools where Williams thrived at the Los Angeles School of Art and Design and later at the University of Southern California. After winning awards for his early designs and serving on the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, he became the first ever African American licensed by the American Institute of Architects in 1923.

Despite the lenient racial attitudes of Angelinos, Williams still spent his early career navigating the complex behavioral conventions around race in America. The success of his career was facilitated by his acrobatic flexibility accommodating the racial discomforts of white clients. Local laws, for instance, often prevented any African American from sleeping a single night in neighborhoods for which Williams was tasked to design. He even developed an uncanny ability to draw upside down so that white clients could sit across instead of next to him. These adaptations were pragmatic to his practice, but Williams was determined to undermine racial assumptions and develop future opportunities for black architects, echoing Dr. King in his essay, I Am a Negro, 

Rosa Parks was arrested as she refused to give up her seat in a public bus to a white woman in 1955. | Photo via Underwood Archives, Getty Images

“Virtually everything pertaining to my professional life during those early years was influenced by my need to offset race prejudice, by my effort to force white people to consider me as an individual rather than a member of a race.”

Williams also understood that offsetting racial prejudice in architecture extended beyond his own practice and that the continued advancement of black architects also involved the development of black clients. Beyond luxury homes, Williams sought to inspire a new generation of black architects by investing time in exhibitions at historically-black Howard University, eventually even designing a building on campus. Additionally, his devotion to the idea of modern housing as social reform prompted a program where, for $10 USD, Williams would deliver floor plan drawings for a house on any lot, allowing poor, largely black homeowners to afford works of architecture, shifting the perception of whom architecture serves.

The living room of the Lillen Residence combines organic curvature with the modern lines. | Photo via The Paul Revere Williams Project

These innumerous and diverse commissions resulted in a unique ability to shift between forms and styles of design. Williams’s early work was largely in the classical revival style popular for Southern California homes at the time. He became known for his ability to design a voluptuous stair, proving too alluring for his most discriminatory clients. The Aaron Lillen Bel Aire Residence proves typical of a Williams home, with all the iron work and stucco expected of luxurious early century homes in the area. In contrast to the straight lines of the living spaces, the curvature of the reflected ceiling plan and the stairs emphasize a luscious counter system to the rationality of the modern home.

Perino’s classical elegance design. | Photo via The Paul Revere Williams Project

Perino’s Restaurant, a New Orleans-themed establishment designed in 1953, was the most popular restaurant for Hollywood stars during the 50s. In their move to a new location, the restaurateurs’ entrusted the project’s $400000 USD budget to Williams, which speaks to their faith in his design capabilities. The classic fare of Williams’s interior reeked of old world elegance, at odds within peak-new world California. Unfortunately, the project was ultimately for naught as a fire destroyed the building a year after opening.

The Frank Sinatra Residence integrated the newest technologies into Mid-Century Modern tropes. | Photo via The Paul Revere Williams Project

In contrast, the Frank Sinatra House declares itself an early precursor to California Modernism. Williams synthesizes a more historical materiality of stucco and ironwork to the then-latest technologies, including integrating the sound system that fueled many of Sinatra’s infamous parties into the outdoor ceiling. The low profile and cantilevered roof seem an easy first step towards the work of Richard Neutra in the coming years. In spite of its reputation as a raucous bachelor pad, Williams demonstrated his ability to morph between architectural styles and adapt to changing aesthetic and technological tides. 

This is never more apparent than Williams’s most public building, Terminal One at LAX airport. Definitively modern, the building, designed by an extensive team in which Williams was a participant, is the exemplar of Williams’s ability to morph between architectural style and approaches.

Paul Williams embraced the organic curves of modernism to design the futuristic Terminal One at LAX. | Photo via The Paul Revere Williams Project

Despite Williams’s numerous architectural achievements, black architects still face immense hurdles just to enter the profession a half-century later. In school, Paul Williams was discouraged from entering architecture, as the prevailing perception was that the black community could not afford designer homes and white clients would be unwilling to work with an architect of color. These assumptions endure today: architects still tend to look like their wealthy, white clients. Though a step in the right direction, the posthumous AIA Gold Medal Award given to Williams celebrates less his lifetime achievements, but acts as a recognition that, as a professional association, the AIA has underserved the black community.

The National Museum of African American History by Adjaye, takes inspiration from African weaving, an architect and inspiration untenable without Pioneers like Williams. | Photo by Bradt Feinkopf

Williams’s true legacy lies in an emerging generation of black architects, like David Adjaye and Francis Kere who are more free to pursue diverse architectural agendas and clients. Starchitects might be maligned generally in architectural culture, but David Adjaye’s fame has combatted the discipline’s representational issues, a next step in exposing and advancing black architecture. 

David Adjaye | Photo via Adjaye Associates

Adjaye’s fame has even led to the further cultivation culturally-black projects, like the National Museum of African American History, which acts an amplification of Williams’s work at Howard University. 

Kere’s community-focused design, bordering on non-profit work, continues Williams’s quest to extend architecture to black communities. By designing community projects in Africa, Kere further expands the definition of whom deserves architecture. The contributions of pioneers like Paul Revere Williams are directly responsible for these works and the continued acceptance and representation of black architects will rely on their continued success. 

Diébédo Francis Kéré is a German-trained architect from West African town of Gando in Burkina Faso. | Photo by David Heerde

---

by T. Craig Sinclar

[valheartandfriendsllc]

Highly Sensitive People & Empaths Have Unique Gifts

Why Highly Sensitive People and Empaths Have Unique Gifts

Do you feel things very intensely?

Are you one of the highly sensitive people who can sense when others are experiencing extreme emotional turmoil or joy…but aren’t talking about it?

Perhaps, like me, you’re a Highly Sensitive Empath.

The sheer volume of energy, emotion and information received can feel overwhelming, exhausting and confusing. But once you understand how to navigate your heightened sense of intuitive awareness of the emotions, thoughts and events around you, it can lead to wonderful experiences.

Unlike non-sensitives, you can discover and enjoy the richness of the unspoken energetic dialogues the people, pets and world around you are having every day.

via GIPHY

It’s okay to be an empath.

I knew very early in my childhood that I was one of the highly sensitive people who are often labeled as empaths.

Unfortunately, we’re also labeled at best as aberrant… at worst as flawed.  Those who do not understand or feel what we feel can subject us to ridicule and criticism.  They don’t know what we know, and don’t have the challenges we have.

Well, at least I was. 

Growing up, people around me confused the heck out of me because I knew when they were lying. I also knew when they were attacking me energetically.  I knew when things weren’t nearly as safe or harmonious as everyone was pretending they were…it was unnerving to say the least.

My family dismissed my intuition, denied and invalidated me at every turn. I had highly intelligent, wonderful parents, but they didn’t have room in their heads or hearts to acknowledge that I was given a gift of deep knowledge. I was forced to conform, as they had, to maintain the superficial veneer of polite society at large.

What ensued was a frustrating journey – seeking a place to put all my knowledge, seeking a Faith that gave me peace – that ultimately led to manic depression and thoughts of suicide. And I was just a teenager.

In my 20’s I met a psychic counselor who taught me that it was okay to be an empath. I learned to meditate, and began to feel validated and respected for the first time in my life.  

And so my wonderful journey began.

And yours can, too…

Learn to use your highly sensitive empathic gifts for the greatest good – for yourself and others

Highly sensitive people and empaths have an amazing opportunity in their lives. The gift of empathic ability is a remarkable strength and a way to connect with others at such a deep, profound level… when you know how to use it well and wisely.

You will learn the techniques to harness your abilities in my classes.  Like me you could even become an animal communicator or pet psychic yourself. 

In the meantime, here is a brief explanation of two important tools you’ll need on your journey. They will help you navigate daily life with greater peace and contentment.

Compartmentalization

Every so often I end up working with someone who seems determined to deny and undermine the Truths I’m speaking.  

For instance, this can happen when I communicate the messages their pet is trying to share with them, and they’ll reject the messages out of hand. 

This can feel deflating, exhausting and tiring… IF I let them attack me.  

Why do they do that?  

Here’s the thing:  Animals don’t lie, and energy never lies.  

But, people often do. 

For many reasons.  Perhaps they fear being vulnerable, appearing weak, or having their secrets known.  They could also just be out of touch with themselves. Perhaps they never questioned their thinking or feelings beyond the most superficial of understandings.  

They don’t have a clue about what makes them tick, they feel more comfortable with appearances, preferring shallow interactions.  They wear social identity masks like at a costume party, afraid to have anyone see them for who they truly are.  They have developed no real depth or self confidence in their true nature and character.  

They can feel resistant, angry, afraid.  Sometimes they lash out as a form of self defense.  

Like when in the Wizard of Oz when the Wizard calls out to Dorothy when she discovers the truth about who the Wizard actually is, “Don’t look at that man behind the curtain! Ignore him!!” 

That’s when it’s best to compartmentalize the experience. 

I acknowledge it – sometimes to myself, sometimes out loud – and then I place it on the back burner. I remain in my place of calm, centeredness and connection. I resist the urge to implode and collapse into a space of self-doubt and self-recrimination, or to try to defend myself.  

The highly sensitive person’s job is to hold the space for truth to be known and understood from a non-judgmental, non-arrogant, peaceful place of knowing.

As an animal communicator, part of the job is to be the voice for the animals.  To offer their truth in peace with the intention for the highest good for all concerned. 

The truth is the truth.  

We each of us get to choose what to do with it when we hear and receive it.  Accept, grow, heal, and evolve…?  Or deny, prefabricate, defend, pretend… in which case, I can promise you that you’ll circle back around to this later when you’re ready to be more honest with yourself.  

For me, I renew my efforts to maintain a true, deep, positive connection with the animal, to keep that sacred link between us unencumbered by outside influences.

When I do, I feel lighter. I’m better able to focus on the task at hand: listening intently to the messages the horse, dog, cat, bird or chameleon is trying to share with we the people.

Energetic shielding

Highly sensitive people and empaths must have a highly fortified energetic shield – the protective outer rim or edge of your energy field. It’s most often on autopilot, but we can programmed it to fulfill specific needs. 

Here’s what I mean…

Years ago I had an extremely unsettling experience with a woman who had made it a personal mission to rescue as many animals as possible.  I had agreed to communicate with them, but she rejected all my communication efforts as inadequate. The woman made it clear that I was not telling her what she really wanted to know even though I answered her spoken questions each and every one. 

Confused and frustrated, I asked that she tell me what it was that she really wanted to know, and to be clearer.

On my next – and last – visit at her farm she presented me with a written list of over 100 questions she wanted me to ask the animals. 

She wanted me to explore their understanding of her religious, dogmatic Christian Faith…and ultimately persuade the animals that her beliefs were right.  She had no room or consideration for the animal’s beliefs, philosophies or wisdom.  And she had no respect for what they knew that she didn’t. 

I made an effort to again answer her questions as honestly and truthfully as I could, but eventually I gave up. There was no point in continuing the exercise on her terms…it wasn’t going to get her, or the animals, anywhere. 

Animals have their own set of beliefs

You can’t force them to believe someone else’s, especially if they don’t agree with the ideology.

I ended the session as peacefully and truthfully as I could, and left.  

Shortly afterward, I started to notice that my energy field was under attack. I felt drained, anxious. I had a dark cloud of negativity hovering over me��I even started to feel physical pain.

An exploration of my psychic space revealed that this woman was actively attacking me with angry, harmful curses and hexes.  

I also noticed how wounded I felt, how rejected and misunderstood and disrespected. My energy shield was in tatters.

During this inner exploration, I realized that many of my old childhood wounds had been triggered. I went to work making peace with the past and forgiving myself…and her. And I felt gratitude for how she was helping me heal, evolve, and grow.

Finally, because I felt at the time that she really needed a wake-up call – a dose of compassion, an extra measure of Divine Grace and love, and a whole lot of help – I mirrored the outer surface of my shield so it reflected back whatever she threw at me… tenfold.

It wasn’t long before I started to feel much better, lighter, no longer under attack. I had successfully repaired my shield and healed another layer within. 

Highly sensitive people and empaths have a highly valuable gift

If you sense that you’re empathic like me, you have a golden opportunity to channel your energies and help yourself, as well as the people and pets around you, live a fulfilling, happy, healthy life. 

Exploring the depths and range of emotions, feelings, and experiences…especially with animals, who are so often misunderstood and ignored is a powerful healing gift. All animals are sentient spiritual beings with thoughts and feelings of their own.

You can learn many ways to communicate with them with my online courses, and give them the voice they deserve.

If you would like help healing, evolving and growing into your best self, then I highly recommend working with me so I can help you do exactly that.  

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you:

Are You Highly Sensitive and/or Empathic? Being A Dog Whisperer Comes In Handy! How Animal Connection Can Heal Our Own Wounds and Trauma

The post Highly Sensitive People & Empaths Have Unique Gifts appeared first on Val Heart.

from Val Heart https://valheart.com/highly-sensitive-people-empaths-have-unique-gifts/

[brajeshupadhyay]

An inhabitant of thresholds: On George Orwell, reclusiveness and the merits of belonging between places as a journalist

Joining the Dots is a weekly column by author and journalist Samrat in which he connects events to ideas, often through analysis, but occasionally through satire

***

“Are you writing a book?” a friend asked the other day. It was a question that came in the course of a phone conversation on the lockdown, now approaching two months here, and on how we are spending our days. His assumption, reasonably enough, was that since I am locked up at home, I have ample time for undisturbed reading, writing and reflection. No, I replied uncomfortably, I should be writing a book – but I am not. I have a familiar excuse. Unfortunately, despite the lockdown, there are never enough hours in the day for rolling about in the rubbish heaps of WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook, or the marvellously variegated filmscapes of Netflix.

I have been seduced into allowing those thieves to rob me of my free time and my me-time. Nothing could be more damaging for a writer.

“Writing, at its best, is a lonely life,” Ernest Hemingway said – or rather, wrote — in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech. He did not go to collect the prize. He led the life his art demanded, the life of the loner. It was still possible then, in the first half of the 20th century, to be one, and to still be a celebrated author. The reclusive writer was a type; indeed, there were others, such as Harper Lee and JD Salinger, who were more reclusive than Hemingway.

Today, it is practically impossible for anyone creating work in their own names to be reclusive. For that, you have to be Banksy or Ellena Ferrante. Those of us less gifted have no choice but to be performers at whatever festivals, webinars, Instagram and Facebook Lives will have us, because one has to be noticed even to get published, and shameless self-promotion is the success mantra at every step before and after. And how do we know that the mantra has worked, and success achieved? Why, by sales figures, of course!

The tyranny of numbers is all around us, in every sphere. How many website hits has the journalistic story got? It’s a good story if it has lots of hits. How many likes on Facebook and retweets on Twitter did the column get? It’s a fine column if it got plenty of those. How good is the television show? Well, it’s the best if it has the highest viewership. In other words, the measure of quality is quantity.

The worldwide slide in political culture and discourse is probably not unrelated to this tendency to measure quality through numbers. The loud and outrageous are always far more likely to draw wide attention than the quiet and sober.

A common mechanism for generating both loudness and outrage, used daily by the media, is to pit people from extreme ends of every argument against one another to create the verbal equivalent of a brawl. This is often justified in the name of balance. How do you get a “balanced” debate? Why, if you are an OpEd editor, you simply ask two extremists to contribute two opposing pieces, so that instead of one balanced piece, you now have two unbalanced ones. That’s “balance”.

The extreme position may on occasion deserve a hearing but it is one that journalists and writers, in my view, ought as far as possible to eschew. Championing such positions inevitably involves turning a blind eye to the faults and flaws of one’s own side. It is therefore fundamentally dishonest, and militates against good journalism and writing. The most honest position for a journalist or writer is the position of the dhobi’s (washerman) dog. In Hindi, there is a saying, “dhobi ka kutta, na ghar ka, na ghat ka”. The dhobi’s dog, neither of home, nor of ghat. That is the ideal position for anyone who wishes to know what’s in the home and at the ghat, and everywhere in between. The dogs that belong at home only know the home. Those at the ghat know only the ghat.

The dhobi’s dog belongs between places. It is an inhabitant of thresholds. There are, however, times in history when the thresholds shrink, the in-between places and positions are erased, and the journalist and writer can no longer remain a dhobi’s dog. He is forced then to wrestle with the problem of choosing a side.

George Orwell was among those who grappled with this problem. He mentions it in his essay, Why I Write. In it, he noted that the writer’s subject-matter “will be determined by the age he lives in – at least this is true in tumultuous, revolutionary ages like our own – but before he ever begins to write he will have acquired an emotional attitude from which he will never completely escape”.

Orwell listed sheer egoism, aesthetic enthusiasm, historical impulse and political purpose as the four great motives for writing prose. By nature, he wrote, he was a person in whom the first three motives would outweigh the fourth. “In a peaceful age I might have written ornate or merely descriptive books, and might have remained almost unaware of my political loyalties. As it is I have been forced into becoming a sort of pamphleteer.”

For him, it was the fourth motive for writing that eventually trumped the other three.

The Spanish Civil War and the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis in Germany forced him into what he called pamphleteering. Looking back through his work, he noted, “It is invariably where I lacked a political purpose that I wrote lifeless books and was betrayed into purple passages, sentences without meaning, decorative adjectives and humbug generally.”

Political purpose today lures writers into writing tweets and Facebook posts rather than Animal Farm. Few people have the time or inclination, despite the lockdowns, even to click on article links – unless they are sensationalistic — let alone read whole books.

To adapt Orwell for today’s India, a writer might thus lament, in less than 280 characters:

“I wasn’t born for an age like this; Was Singh? Was Jain? Were you?”

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Best Steering Wheel Locks for Better Vehicle Security

Best Overall

Disklok

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Hardened steel construction

Tamperproof lock

Hardened steel construction

Tamperproof lock

View on Amazon

Read Review

Budget Pick

The Club 3000

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Double hook design

Tamper-resistant lock

Double hook design

Tamper-resistant lock

View on Amazon

Read Review

Best for Trucks and SUVs

The Club 2100

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Universal fit

$1,800 guarantee

Universal fit

$1,800 guarantee

View on Amazon

Read Review

Bottom Line: Disklok Is Serious about Security

Most of the steering wheel locks we researched had the same design problems: they could be defeated with a well-placed kick, a sharp hacksaw blade, or an experienced lockpicker. The Disklok was the only car steering wheel lock with a design that withstood these common auto theft techniques. 

Its steel shell has no obvious weak points that say “Cut here!” and its lock is so resistant to picking that even Disklok owners report having to do some key wiggling to get it to unlock (which is actually an intentional safety feature). Its weight and size make it less convenient to carry with you than some of the other locks we studied, but it outperforms the competition when it comes to security. If you want a lock that’s more than just a deterrent and gives you real car theft protection, Disklok is the clear choice.

Here Are the Best Steering Wheel Locks of 2020

Disklok: Best Overall Steering Wheel Lock

Club 3000: Best Budget Pick

Club 2100: Best Steering Wheel Lock for Trucks and SUVs

Compare the Best Steering Wheel Locks

Price Construction Materials Lock Type

Best Overall

Budget Pick

Best for Trucks and SUVs

Best for Small Vehicles

Best Dual Purpose

Disklok The Club 3000 The Club 2100 The Club CL303 Monojoy $159.98 $19.99 $54.99 $16.99 $25.99 Hardened steel Chromoly steel Chromoly steel Chromoly steel Hardened steel, aluminum alloy Spinning steering wheel cover Double hook bar Single hook bar Steering wheel to pedal Single hook bar View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon View on Amazon

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Data effective 12/17/19 10:42 a.m. MST. Offers and availability subject to change. See full disclaimer.

Best Steering Wheel Lock Reviews

Disklock: Best Overall

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When it’s not on your steering wheel, the Disklok looks (and feels) kind of like a Frisbee the Hulk might use, but on your wheel it looks more like an impenetrable steering wheel lock fortress. It weighs about as much as a bowling ball (11 lb.) and it operates like a childproofing doorknob cover. You lock it in place over the steering wheel, and if you try to turn, the Disklok spins freely, making it impossible to steer. It takes two hands to put it on, but it’s easy to lock and doesn’t require you to ratchet up the tension for a tight fit like club-style locks. 

The Disklok isn’t without its weaknesses—we saw a guy with a metal grinder cut it off in about three and a half minutes. But in car theft time, that’s pretty long, and using power tools would be noisy enough to draw quite a bit of attention. Because the Disklok is different from most normal bar-style steering wheel locks, it takes longer to figure out, so it’s a good deterrent. With manual tools, it would be impossible to remove. Just make sure you select a Disklok device that’s the right size for your steering wheel, because if it’s too snug it won’t work correctly. 

Pros

3 keys included

Tamperproof lock

Hardened steel construction

Unique design

3 different sizes

Cons

Non-universal sizing

Bulky construction

The Club 3000: Budget Pick

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The Club 3000’s bright yellow plastic coating makes it easy for a thief to spot, and its double hook design makes it hard for a thief to remove. It was the locking device’s twin-hook design that put it in our top three, because the two hooks automatically make it twice as hard for a would-be thief to cut it off your steering wheel. The reinforced housing around the lock helps protect against drilling, but someone with lockpicking skills can easily pick the wafer lock and remove the device. The lock can also be defeated by sheer force—a hard hit or kick can bend the chromoly steel tubing enough to remove it. 

Fortunately, The Club 3000 manufacturers offer a guarantee of $500 toward your insurance deductible if the device fails, but you have to get through quite a bit of red tape before you see the money. Still, with a price tag of around $20, you can get a highly visual theft deterrent without having to spend a lot of cash.

Pros

Twin hook design

Bright yellow color

Universal fit

Reinforced lock housing

$500 guarantee

Cons

Wafer lock

Fallible materials

The Club 2100: Best for Trucks and SUVs

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If you drive a larger vehicle and yellow isn’t your color, you may want to try the red Club 2100 on for size. Just like its Club cousins, the 2100 uses hooks on either end and a steel ratcheting system to lock on to your steering wheel. The clubbed end extends out to prevent a would-be thief from turning the wheel. 

A determined thief can hacksaw through the chrome-covered ratcheting column in the center or drill through the lock to remove it, but The Club is still a good visual deterrent. We like the universal fit this device offers and the $1,800 deductible reimbursement guarantee from the manufacturer. Unfortunately, the guarantee is good only up to a year and all the paperwork has to be done via snail mail. 

Pros

Coated steel bar

Universal fit

$1,800 guarantee

High visibility

Cons

Mail-in guarantee

Fallible materials

More Steering Wheel Locks That Are Worth a Look

The CL303: Best for Small Vehicles

The CL303 works a little differently than the other Club products on our list. One hook loops around your steering wheel while the other hooks onto a clutch, gas, or brake pedal. Once you get the steering wheel locked, turning the wheel or pressing the pedal just tightens the lock. 

It’s a unique design that might thwart a thief, but it’s not as easy to attach as a steering wheel locking device, and it doesn’t fit larger vehicles. If you do go with this design, make sure to attach it with your steering wheel in the lowest position. Also, keep some graphite on hand to lubricate the locking mechanism as the lock can stick and the key won’t turn. 

Monojoy: Best Dual Purpose

We like that this Monojoy steering wheel lock is designed with a pointed end that can be used as a safety hammer to break glass in case of an emergency. The unique lock and keys on this device are another plus: the lock spins if someone tries to drill it, and the keys have a wavy pattern to them that makes them hard to duplicate. 

The insides of the hooks have a foam grip to prevent the lock from sliding. Even if a car thief cut the steering wheel, it would still be hard to slide the Monojoy lock off. Keep in mind that this lock isn’t as large as some of the others on our list, so it may not work with trucks and SUVs.

Car Theft Prevention Tips

Steering wheel locks are just one element of car safety; there’s more you can do to avoid getting your car stolen. Park in well-lit, high-traffic areas, lock your doors, and use remote car starters only when you’re in sight of your vehicle. Taking precautionary steps ahead of time like installing devices such as GPS trackers and kill switches can make all the difference in stopping car thieves and getting your vehicle back right away. 

Steering Wheel Locks FAQs

Isn’t my steering wheel locked without the key in the ignition?

Most cars with power steering have a device called an ignition lock cylinder that locks the steering wheel in place unless your keys are in the ignition. An experienced car thief will know how to remove the ignition lock assembly (even without a key) and unlock the steering wheel, so an additional steering wheel lock is still a good idea.

Where should I keep the key to my steering wheel lock?

We recommend keeping the key to your lock on a different key ring than the one holding the keys to your car. That way, if your car keys get stolen, the thief might be able to turn your ignition switch, but they won’t be able to unlock your steering wheel to drive away.

How should I care for my steering wheel lock?

If possible, keep your lock in a dry place when you’re not using it so it won’t rust. If you want to store it under your seat or on the floor of your car, wrapping it in a small towel or keeping it in a case will protect it from moisture. If the master lock starts sticking, use graphite rather than a liquid lubricant, since liquid oil-based lubricants can attract dirt and debris and gum up the lock even more over time. 

Related Pages on SafeWise

7 Ways to Avoid Getting Your Car Stolen

Best Car Alarm Systems Buyers Guide

The 5 Best GPS Vehicle Trackers

Dealing with a Car Break-In? Here’s What to Do

The Best Aftermarket Remote Car Starters

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