#2 more posts on this coming ideally before the end of the month stay tuned

[lairmadness]

Eva, Polter, do you want to hurt a child of the strongest guild leader and face their wrath, or damage the orb in the conflict that will issue?

[natsugia]

I’ve been on a recent literati binge, obsessed with them, and stumbled upon your literati fic, “‘this is tailored made (so what’s the sense in waiting?)”, and wanted to say thank you so much for it. I can honestly say it took over my life for a brief 3 day stint and now, I’m yearning for more of them! YOU DID AMAZING! You gave them justice where the revival lacked. The closure desired from these two. It gave me so much pain and happiness, you wouldn’t believe it. I left reviews, ofc. I can’t thank you enough for how amazing that journey was for me, a delight, through and through. You are a marvelous and gut wrenching writer! You actually know these characters. Thank you so much, again, and I hope to see more from you! Will be checking out your other literati fics, indubitably!

🥰❤️ Thank you so much! The love for this fic has absolutely blown me away. I’m truly humbled and feel blessed to have you and others as such lovely amazing readers. And thank you for leaving a review. They mean the world to me. I’m completely backed up, but eventually I will respond to the rest of them, even the ones who have been waiting for a reply for like a year or two. I’m sorry! You’re not forgotten, I promise. Just overwhelmed with life. 😘 (@milothirst I haven’t forgotten about the Jess + sex post. Posting it soon!)

As for more in the universe, I have a small-ish follow-up I’m working on. TITM’s coming up on the 1k kudos mark on AO3 😱🤯, so I thought to maybe do a wedding sequel as a 1k celebration. I’m about 20% done with it at this point. Given how slow I am at writing with my hectic life schedule right now, we’ll see when I can get that out. Hopefully before summer of next year.

As for my other fics, I am still working on those as well. Next update will be for TWWCIL. I’ve got about 65% of the full story written, but of course it’s mostly towards the end. Once I finish fleshing out the middle, I’ll be able to rewrite chapter 4 and start a more regular update process. After that will be Chapter 8 of OSAS, the full story which has about 7 more chapters left to write before it is finally complete and we can post it regularly as well. And then I’ll post the 2 part Chilton AU, the Lit + cats au, and then finally the time loop AU I’ve been writing in my head for like four years.

So a lot of things to come. I just really need the time to be able to sit down and write. Thought I would have it this year, but my car got taken from me at the beginning of this year due to theft and vandalism, which was a huge loss cause my car IS my livelihood. I make majority of my money from driving gigs, and now that I’m spending about $500 a week with the rental I have while also making less money than before due to constraints of the rental program, it’s been a lot of expenses that I’m juggling at the moment. Once I’m able to buy a new car, I can go back to my ideal three day/weekend work week and get back to writing semi regularly.

I hope you’ll stay tuned. Feel free to come by here to chat or for any updates. I also recently made a Twitter (I HATE myself), so I’m gonna try and start posting more on there as well. Anon from months ago, if you’re still here, you can now find me @natsugia1 on Twitter. I should warn you though that my twitter will probably be a LOT more eclectic in terms of what I tweet on there, given what I’ve already been sucked into on that dumpster fire of a platform.

Wishing you a beautiful and wonderful summer. Sending you the QUEEN for Fun and Love and Life

[elminx]

Energy Update: October 2021

October is a “6” Universal Month {10(October) + 5 (2021) = 15 = 1+5 = 6}. For most of us, the quiet introverted energy of the number 6 is going to be a deep breath of relief after September which with its 5 energy made us feel like we needed to scurry, hurry, and do away, even when there was nothing left to do.

6 Energy is in perfect alignment with the harvest season as it encourages home, support, empathy, and even stillness. 6 carries to pause of expectancy, much like you experience within the Inguz rune. Within the 6 energy, perhaps, we can find the balance we would otherwise be sorely lacking this Libra season.

The Setup

The Sun, Mercury, and Mars are all in Libra heading towards a stellium (conjunct of three or more planets) that will peek slightly after our Libra new moon. Venus is ahead of the gang in Scorpio. Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, and Chiron all begin this month in retrograde. This is the nadir of retrograde season. The air is hazy, perceptions may be a bit off. Sink into the 6 energy by spending time in your home – go deep with your space. That will be an antidote to this energy all month long. This is a great month to do a deep seasonal clean. Donate the things that no longer serve you. Hold a seed, plant, or clothing swap. Get together with your loved ones to have a good meal. Stay close to home. Mercury retrograde in Libra is going to bring a lot of the retrograde tension into our relationships to remember to make space for conflict and try to find a solution that fits all people involved. Watch out for stickler issues around people-pleasing and unhealthy compromises. You can refer to my post about Mercury in retrograde for those details.

There are big shifts happening this month, we will end the month with the Sun and Mars in Scorpio, Venus in Sagittarius, and with Pluto, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mercury stationed direct. When the planets stand still while they station, it can feel like life is also standing still. We will be going into and out of this retrograde fog until Mercury and Jupiter station direct on 10/18. I reiterate: you may feel helpless to affect anything outside of your immediate home right now, but you can always have an effect on your home. Tap into the 6 energy to make your home a perfect haven for you and your others.

As Saturn begins his ascent forward again, he will tighten the ongoing square with Uranus in Taurus – this is our force paradox beginning to re-exert the vice grip we’ve been stuck in all year long. If you feel like you can’t make any headway, know that you are right on time.

The Nitty Gritty

This month we are being asked to sink deep into the root of it. We are at the end of a cycle, during the new year our lunar nodes will transition from the Gemini-Sagittarius axis to that of Taurus-Scorpio. Something deep inside all of us needs to shift to accommodate these changes that are happening all around us. This is a time to go slow and really tune in to your own rhythm.

This month has a lot going on: we will experience two cardinal T-squares between Aries-Libra-Capricorn, 1 Air Grand Trine between Moon-Mars-Jupiter, 1 Air stellium of Sun-Moon-Mercury-Mars in Libra, three planetary ingresses, and four planets that station direct and out of retrograde. Every one of our planets are fully engaged in this transformative moment.

The MVP for the month is going to be Pluto in Capricorn. Here we see echoes of all of 2020 but most specifically last Autumn when Mars went retrograde in Aries and squared off with Pluto in Capricorn. Now, one year later, in the opposite sign, Mars will do so again alongside the Sun and Mercury. Pluto is also, ironically, the first of the planets to move out of retrograde. He also rules one of our two cardinal T-squares of the month. Some outdated form or structure needs to die. Agreements are being tested. Loyalties are being questioned.

Mercury and Pluto clash twice more this cycle: they square off while they are both retrograde on 10/1 and then later when they are both direct on 11/2. These are part of a series of ongoing cardinal squares we’ve been experiencing since the very beginning of 2020. The Sun squares Pluto on 10/17 and Mars squares Pluto on 10/23. Additionally, our full moon in Aries on 10/20 is overshadowed by an intense cardinal T-square as the moon in Aries squares off against Pluto in Capricorn and opposes retrograde Mercury in Libra. All of these dates should be approached with a reasonable amount of caution. Pack your patience and expect some explosions. Pay special attention to when Mars and Pluto square off in the sky – those are fighting words. It may be difficult to escape the adrenaline rush of quick reactions but it is wiser during this time to step back and sit with things before leaping.

Again, the 6 energy of October can really support Sun and Mars in Libra’s ideal of everybody getting an even slice of the pie. Dig into this. Where are you taking too much? Where are you not giving enough? Start small this month – look at your own body. Think about how you take care of yourself. Or, if you are more inclined, take a deep look at how you are taking care of your living space. Check on all of your plants. Do a roommate-style check-up with any humans that you live with. Spend some time with your pets. Come back to center by grounding yourself in your safe home, in your body, in this moment.

Mercury makes two additional trines to Jupiter in Aquarius during its retrograde cycle while both are retrograde on 10/3 and later when both are direct on 11/1. This is a fast-moving transit but can provide insight and luck when needed.

As the first full week of October progresses, the Sun, Mercury, and Mars fall into line for a stellium that lights up the sky when joined by the moon on 10/6. This is a big power day. If you have been looking for a day to find your new path, this one is it. Just remember, Mercury is still in retrograde so you may see your path only to have it obscured in the mists again. Look towards 11/6-11/7 when Mercury will again conjunct Mars (this time in Scorpio) for a day to put this new path into action.

On 10/7 Venus enters Sagittarius and the mood will get marginally lighter. Venus in Sagittarius is mutable fire energy – she wants you to let your heart roam. You might find yourself more interested in trying new things and going on adventures while Venus is in the sign of the archer. The excitement of Saggy bear energy will get tamped down quickly by the retrograde haze so don’t expect to follow through on those beautiful but whimsical plans anytime soon.

The weekend of 10/8-10/10 is a great time to take one big cosmic pause. Stay home. Say no. Take a bath instead. The Moon, Venus, and the South Node will make a brief conjunction at 02° Sagittarius just as Venus goes out of bounds. A planet is considered out of bounds when it goes above the tropic of Cancer, or, in this case, below the Tropic of Capricorn. These points reflect the plurality of the solstices and Summer-Winter connection. Planets that are out-of-bounds can be hard to reach – you may find it harder to access your feelings of empathy or may be down on yourself more about your physical appearance while Venus is out of bounds. This may be especially rough for our Venus-ruled Libras who are already undergoing an intense Mercury retrograde transit in their chart.

Be wary here. There’s a lot of prickle to the world these days and something about Venus going out of bounds right now reminds me a bit of checking out instead of dealing with what is going on in your own life. That won’t cut it through this year – through these hard aspects – you really need to settle in and do the work. There is so much to be gained right now by showing up and staying aware with yourself through these adjustments.

What is coming up during this time needs to be addressed. With so many personal planets involved, something close to home needs attending to. This weekend and really the whole month would be very counter-indicated for going away. Watch for who runs rather than showing up. On Sunday, Saturn stations direct at 06° Aquarius – this immediately reactivates our Saturn-Uranus square and tensions will begin to rise a bit. This is a long-term aspect that doesn’t resolve until the end of the year so there’s not much to do other than observe it now.

We experience our second cardinal T-square on 10/12 as Mercury retrograde in Libra squares off with the Moon in Capricorn and opposes Chiron retrograde in Aries. This is a major pain point, something that has been brought to light during this Mercury retrograde cycle.

This Mercury-Chiron oppositional peeks on 10/18 and will continue strong for another week or so. Mercury’s post-shadow stretched through the rest of October and into November, remember that we need to retrace our steps back through Libra before the lessons of this retrograde cycle will be fully revealed.

Mercury is joined by Jupiter going direct also on 10/18 – this is a go day. Do it. Make a difference. Make a plan. Make a list. You are supported.

The energy should shift drastically as the Sun enters Scorpio on 10/22 and Mars follows on 10/30. We might feel a bit like we’ve jumped from one deep pool to another as Scorpio season hints immediately at its own depths and the eclipse season that comes with it.

Our sweet Air Grand Trine happens on Monday 10/25 when the Moon in Gemini lines up briefly with Mars in Libra and Jupiter in Aquarius. This is another go day. Think big. We are starting to feel the pull of forward momentum now that some of the retrograde fog has lifted. The last week of October holds the lightest energy of the month – again, ironically.

As if we are walking this month backward, like Merlin. Spirit reminds me that he was another traveler who walked the low path.

All in all the energy of the month is going to be dense and prone to internalization. How you perceive that and how comfortable it makes you have a lot to do with your personal chart and comfort with self-reflection. Watch out for emotional regulation or disassociation especially around any of those harsh aspects between the moon, Mercury, Mars, and Pluto. Watch out for denial and rose-colored glasses – the world is trying to tell you something for a reason – it’s time to stop ignoring your gut instincts. It’s the time for you to show up every day, as often as you are able, for yourself.

Good Days: 10/2, 10/6, 10/8, 10/13, 10/16, 10/18, 10/25 Caution Days (Saturn square Uranus): 10/14, 10/21 Caution Days (Cardinal squares): 10/1, 10/3, 10/12, 10/17, 10/20, 10/22 Fuzzy Days: 10/6, 10/10, 10/18, 10/26

The Aspects

Please keep in mind that most aspects have an effect for a number of days before and after the day of exactitude, listed below. I have bolded aspects the require particular attention.

10/1 – Mercury Rx in Libra square Pluto Rx in Capricorn, Mars in Libra opposed Chiron in Aries 10/2 – Venus in Scorpio sextile Pluto Rx in Capricorn – sweet days 10/3 – Mercury Rx in Libra trine Jupiter Rx in Aquarius, Sun in Libra opposed Chiron in Aries 10/6 – Dark Moon at 13° Libra conjunct Mercury Rx and Mars, Pluto SD 10/7 – Venus enters Sagittarius 10/8 – Sun conjunct Mars 15° Libra – where do you need to move forward in your life? What motivates you? How can you be the best version of who you are right now? 10/9 – Sun conjunct Mercury retrograde, Mercury retrograde conjunct Mars, Moon square Jupiter Rx, Moon sextile Pluto Rx, Moon conjunct Venus and the South Node 2° Sagitarrius, Venus OOB – here you may really see where you are out of alignment with your path here. You may have to return to something you think that you’ve outgrown (Venus conjunct South Node). See warning above about Venus OOB 10/10 – Saturn SD 10/11 – Mercury opposed Chiron begins – this close aspect will last for the next 15 days, its a pain point that is being reactivated by this Mercury retrograde cycle – these to planets will stay within one degree of conjunction from 10/15-10/20 10/12 – Moon in Capricorn square Mercury Rx in Libra, Cardinal T Square – CAUTION – this is another one of these days that is going to light up that long-term fight. You know the one. 10/13 – Venus in Sagittarius sextile Saturn Rx in Aquarius 10/14 – Sun in Libra trine Jupiter Rx in Aquarius, Moon conjunct Saturn in Aquarius, Moon square Uranus – CAUTION – the Sun meets Jupiter while the sky is tense with our Saturn-Uranus square. Don’t pick that fight. 10/16 – Mercury Rx in Libra sextile Venus in Sagittarius – a way through, seek out freedom for everybody 10/17 – Sun in Libra square Pluto in Capricorn – CAUTION – go slow 10/18 – Jupiter SD, Mercury SD, Mars in Libra trine Jupiter in Aquarius, Mercury opposed Chiron – go days – get it. 10/20 – Full Moon at 27° Aries, T Square between moon in Aries, Pluto in Capricorn, and Mars in Libra – CAUTION. Take things slowly today. Watch your temper. Remember to pick your battles. 10/21 – Moon square Saturn, Moon conjunct Uranus – CAUTION, go slow 10/22 – Mars square Pluto – CAUTION, go slow. Take a break. Stay home. 10/23 – Sun enters Scorpio 10/25 – Air Grand Trine between Moon in Gemini, Mars in Libra, and Jupiter in Aquarius – go days, get it. think big. 10/26 – Venus in Sagittarius square Neptune Rx in Pisces – foggy 10/30 – Sun in Scorpio square Saturn in Aquarius

Do you like my work? Please consider supporting me by Buying Me a Ko-Fi.

[tanakavox]

A look into the multiverse chapter 8 SAOA

Many thanks to my friend friend @bssaz97 for his work on the reactions. And TheGoldenBoy2188 for the strict for SAOA making writing easy. The next reaction will be a suprise so stay tune.

Amidst the streets of Mantle, Whitley Schnee walked towards a destination while wearing a disguise consisting of a coat, scarf, shaded glasses, and a flat cap. He had a mission and he would not waste this opportunity!

It was not every day that he could simply leave the manor without Father's permission or notice so he needed to be quick but not noticeable. He had waited months for this day to arrive. Whitley had pre-ordered the latest MMO game of his favorite game series a week before the initial release date and had come to pick it up. Having connections in the right places certainly did have its benefits. The only downside was he had to acquire his prize somewhere outside of his father's notice. So what other place to go than Atlas's sister kingdom.

Outside of his notice, a young white haired faunus woman with sheep ears followed close behind him. Fiona Thyme was out picking up some food for the rest of the Happy Huntresses when she noticed an unfamiliar person walking around. She knew almost everyone on this side of Mantle, so a new person popping out of the blue was very suspicious. Normally she would have reported this back to Robyn but upon further inspection she recognized who this person was.

It was the sole son of the worst man on Remnant and the newly appointed heir of the Schnee Dust Company, Whitley Schnee! Why was he here in Mantle?! Fiona determined he was up to no good and decided to follow him. Wherever the SDC goes, trouble usually follows!

Whitley finally arrived at the destination he was seeking… the Post Office! Now all he had to do was open the door, enter the establishment aaaaaand- stare dumbfounded as the inside of this place was a theatre.

"What the-? This isn't the post office. Where am I?!" Whitley shouted at no one in particular.

"Ah-ha! Caught you right where I- Huh? Where the hell? This isn't the post office!" Fiona also dumbfounded.

"Whitley?" Both Weiss and Winter stated in a mix of shock and disbelief at seeing their little brother. Maybe some hostility on Weiss part.

"Weiss? Winter? How-?"

"What the hell is this?!" A loud female voice shouted as four more people arrived out of nowhere. Consisting of two normal sized humans, a bunny faunus and a very large man.

"Coco/Velvet/Fox/Yatsuhashi!" Teams RWBY and JNR said collectively.

"Oh hello everyone! This… is a surprise! When did you get to Vacuo?" Velvet asked the group.

Fiona turned towards the new strangers, "Vacuo? What are you talking about? You're all in Mantle?"

"I'm most certain we're in Vacuo at the time." Yatsu spoke.

"You are in neither at the moment." Ozpin spoke up.

"What the- Teach? Weren't you supposed to be dead?!" Coco confusingly points out.

"I believe an explanation is in order."

*One short but informative explanation later*

"Wait so we were brought here to watch… alternate realities?" Fiona says after she and all the new arrivals had been told everything about the theater.

"We call them viewings but yeah pretty much." Ruby said.

"Hold on, I can understand why all of you were brought here, seeing as you all are huntsmen and huntresses. But that doesn't explain why I'm here." Whitley, having taken off his disguise.

"A great question indeed." Weiss mutters.

"I think I have a theory." Blake stepped forward. "So far now, I've noticed that the people who are here have at least some involvement in the viewings that we have been seeing. Remember that one viewing we saw of Whitley being stuck inside a video game?"

"I was stuck in a video game?"

"Also if you die in the game you die for real." Nora added.

Whitley's eyes widened at the implications.

"Well you're still stuck as far as we know. But apparently you're very good at the game so you might be fine." Jaune clarifies. Slightly feeling guilty that his alternate is the one who traps him there.

"Oh joy, now I'm trapped inside a place against my will in two realities!" Whitley throws his hands in frustration.

"Oh boo hoo! Is the rich boy gonna cry because nothings going his way today?" Fiona says in a mocking tone.

"Oh I'm sure you would know so much about crying and complaining about trivial things, thief." He shot back at Fiona.

"At least I think about the people of Mantle! When was the last time you thought of someone outside of yourself, Schnee!" Fiona retorted.

Winter sensing that this conversation was going nowhere stepped in between her brother and the happy huntress.

"Enough! None of us came here by choice so let's just stop this pointless arguing and move on."

Fiona huffed, "I couldn't agree more." She stomped away from the two siblings and found herself a seat in the theater.

Winter sighed, "It may not be ideal but as long as you are here Whitley, I would just suggest sitting tight and wait until you or all of us are able to leave this place."

"Hmph, very well. Thank you sister, it almost sounds like you care." Whitley took his leave and found a seat that was about four seats away from Weiss's team.

"Isn't there anywhere else you want to sit," Weiss practically hisses.

"Oh but Weiss it's the only seat that's close enough to you." Whitley affirmed.

Weiss groans in frustration, 'Hopefully it's only for one viewing…'

An acoustic guitar plays in the background as a montage of the events of and post-Episode 1 appears on the screen and a narrator began to talk.

" A month had passed since that fateful day. When everyone's world got all twisted, leaving them stranded in a castle in the sky. Since then, 2000 poor souls came to an abrupt and tragic end. Some by bad luck, others by sheer stupidity. I mean, really. Why would you just stand in fire? Anyways, that didn't bother The Kid none. He only cared about one thing, and one thing alone. Himself. 'Cuz in a game of life or death, you either live... or you die."

The scene transitions to Shirou leaning against a wall with an annoyed look on his face.

"What?! Two thousand of the players have died already!" Ruby yelled, tears starting to form in her eyes.

"Not surprising, seeing as many of them looked weak last viewing." Cinder coolly replies.

Many huntsmen and huntresses glared at the red clad woman. She paid them no mind.

"Well thank you very much Narrator, you're doing a wonderful job of explaining the total death count of this video game prison." Whitley commented dryly.

"Oh, WOW. What brilliant insight! It's so deep it loops right back around to being stupid." Shirou snarked.

"The Kid ranted at no one, it slowly dawning just how alone he truly was" Narrator continued..

Whitley's eyes narrowed, "Am I being sassed by the narrator?"

"Maybe you said something to piss them off." Fiona added.

"Wait, what was that?" Shirou asks, shocked.

"He asked the sky, like a preacher to his silent gods."

"What gods? What are you talking about?! It's all bullshit metaphors with you!"

"He cried, not knowing the difference between a simile and a metaphor. The tininess of his brain dwarfed only by the tininess of his di-"

Whitley's eyes narrowed and face twitched at how much of an annoyance this narrator was being.

Weiss was doing her best to conceal her smile but was failing and breathes out a laugh. She was enjoying the exchange that her brother was going through and found it amusing. Her team gave her a side glance while Fiona and a few others laughed at the roast session the young Schnee was being given.

"Narrator off." Shirou commands the system with an annoyed tone.

"YOUCANSILENCEMEBUTYOUCAN'TSILENCETHETRU-" The narrator got cut off.

"Dick."

"Thank gods that's over, that narrator was extremely rude." Whitley sighed thankfully now that the narrator was silenced.

Weiss and Fiona grumbled that their fun was ruined.

Fade into December 2, 2022, on a strategy meeting led by man called Diabel. He gave a big smiled out to the crow

"Hey everyone. Thank you all for coming to our little powwow. Now, I know many of you may be discouraged by the fact that 2000 people have died so far."

" WHAT?!" A player screamed

" 2000 PEOPLE ARE DEAD?!" Another screamed.

"IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN A MONTH YET!"

"OH MY GOD, WE REALLY ARE FUCKED!"

"Pretty much, sucks to be you!" Mercury laughed.

"These are the people that have to survive this game. Honestly what was blondie expecting," Emerald facepalms.

"Hey! Just because they've lost numbers doesn't mean that they have to lose hope!" Ruby glared at the two assassins.

"And I know even more of you are a little down because we haven't even cleared the First Floor yet." Diabel added, trying to keep the smile on his face.

"WE HAVEN'T?!"

"I THOUGHT WE WERE ALMOST DONE...!"

"You were saying." Cinder looked back at Ruby.

"Well…" Ruby trailed off, thinking of a way to defend these players.

Diabel's smile wavered

"Uh, you guys do know there are 100 Floors, right?"

"WHAT?!" A crowd of players yelled.

Diabels sighed a bit.

Ruby, despite her best attempts, also sighed and sat back down.

"Oh jeez, I am just making things worse. Point is, we found the Boss Room!"

The crowd gasps.

"Now, we've formulated a few strategies with some help from the beta testers-"

"BETA TESTERS?!" A voice yells out.

"Oh goddammit!" Diabel groaned argnily

A player named Kibaou jumps in.

Kibaou, what do you want? Diabel looked tired addressing this player.

"Beta testers? They're the reason we're stuck in this game!" Kibaoyu sneered

Many that heard this player's statement and quickly frowned at his blatant accusations towards these 'beta-testers.'

"This guy can't be serious, right?" Coco stated.

Dianel looked at Kibaou flatterausted at the stupidity of the statement he heard

"What?! Do you have any evidence to back that up?"

Kiabrou scoffed at the question. "Pfft! Evidence. I don't need no evidence. Isn't that right, Jesus?" He points to a player named "Jesus"

" It's pronounced "Hey-Zeus", and I don't know you."

"Wow, really selling your reasoning by having no one else to support your claim." Jaune stated while crossing his arms.

"Well, they still should have helped us newbies!" He exclaimed

"If I might interject...:" A deep voice called out.

A big muscular man gets up and comes to the stage.

Velvet taps Yatsu's arm excitedly, "Hey you're in this game too Yatsu! …oh gods you're in this game too."

"So it seems," Yatsu, doing his best to keep a straight face.

Coco lowered her shades along with a confused look. As far as she knew, Velvet was the only one who played video games on their team. Unless...

"And who the hell are you?!"

"I am known by many names.", "Closed eyed demon. The memory easer., "Hooked clawed tiger". But you? You may call me... "Velvet".

"Velvet huh? That's a... pretty masculine name." Kibaoru said adwarkley

"Shouldn't be. It's a woman's name." Velvet replied casually.

"Damn it. I had a feeling but I didn't want to be right." Coco cursed quietly while shaking her head.

"Wait, why would Yatsu have a character named after me? That doesn't- ...Oh ...oh my gods." Velvet's eyes widened at the implications, tears starting to build. That is until she felt a nudge on one of her shoulders. She turned her head and there was Yatsuhashi looking at Velvet with a gaze that said, 'It's not your fault.'

"Kay, I don't know how to talk to you."

"Good. Then you can shut up and listen. Does everyone here have this book in their inventory?"

" Yeah.

" Yes."

"Yup."

"Yeah."

" No... Wait, can I change my answer?"

Velvet/Yatsushi held up a book to show to everyone.

" This book is full of tips and strategies on how to survive this game, put together by the beta testers. Everyone read it, yet some people still died. The beta testers did everything they could."

"Yeah, that means Mace Hair has no reason to blame the beta testers!" Ruby points out.

Many of her friends nodded and Yastu's team smiled at the sound defense his alternate presented.

" Actually, I didn't read it." One player chimed up.

"Yeah, I didn't read it either."

"I skimmed it."

"OH COME ON!" Many members of the audience shouted in agitation.

"What? Didn't ANY of you read it?! It is literally a matter of life and death." Velvet exclaimed

"Well, dude. It's like 80 pages." A player pointed

"2000 people are dead!"

"THEY ARE?!"

"Again. These are the people that have to survive this game." Emerald reiterates.

Brief pause. Shirou looks shocked at their stupidity.

"I am so done with you people." Velvet mutters, walking off the stage.

" What do you mean "you people"?" A player asked a bit offended.

The Faunus in the room narrowed at their eyes at the implications made by that player.

"What do you mean, "you people"?" Fiona asks no one in particular.

Velvet and Kibaou take their seats.

Diabel continued with the meeting. "So, as Mister Hooked clawed tiger was saying, this book has some great strategies, including how to beat the First Boss, Illfang."

He clears his throat and starts reading from the guide.

"So as you enter the Boss Room, he's gonna throw wave after wave of disposable minions at you... and you must answer in kind."...?

"Uh, what?" A player asks, mirroring Diabel confusion.

Many in the audience reacted just as confused. All except Whitley, who had a good feeling where this was going.

Diabel continues

"Send the weaker players first. Good rule of thumb: If a player asks you for gold 2 seconds after meeting you, front lines."

"Ha, serves 'em right!" Kiaboru said with a laugh

"If they hijack conversations to rant about their political views, front lines."Diabel said with a smirk looking at Kiaboru.

Kibaou went pale. "Aw, shit."

"Ha! Serves you right!" Nora laughed.

"If they ask female players for pics of their boobs, front lines."

"OH BULLSHIT!" One player screamed out in rage.

"THAT'S DISCRIMINATION!" Another one howled.

"BOO!"

Many of the women in the theater frown at the way those players reacted. Winter was more than certain that those players were the type that participated in the mentioned acts the speaker spoke on.

Diabel smiles and waves them down. "Now, now, people. I think there are some valid points being made here. Now, it goes on to say when Illfang's health goes into the red, he's going to switch from his axe and buckler to something called a "Talwar". At that point we should initiate a strategy called "The Final Solution" and- I'm just gonna stop reading! Jesus, who wrote this thing?"

Shirou giggles evilly.

"Of course Whitley wrote that book." Weiss sighed.

"Why sister, it sounds like that didn't surprise you in the least." Whitley pretending to act hurt.

"Please. The manipulative tone of the text almost makes one sound too much like you." Weiss bit back.

"Well I suppose you would know." A wide smile on Whitley's face.

Weiss scoffs turning her head away from her traitorous brother.

Team R_BY and Winter watched the exchange and sighed.

"Okay, so the guide's a bust. But it'll be fine. I'll come up with a great plan for us." Diabel smiles at the crowed.

"Like what?"

" Well... we... could... Uh... Uhhhh... I'm open to suggestions."

"Woah, guys, we could- we could, you know, like, group up and-"

"And hit it 'til it DIES!" Another yelled finishing the other player sentence

"Woo, nice!"

"Yeah!"

" High five!"

The two hive five.

"Well. It's something, right?." Velvet does her best to be optimistic.

Many of the more experienced members of the theater shake their heads.

"That's... a good start. But let's hear some other suggestions."

"I'd like to hear more about this "Final Solution"." A player in a german accent piped up.

"Fuck it, group up." said Diabel said tirely.

Shirou slides down the seats towards a girl, named Fiona, who's on her own.

Fiona blinks in surprise, "Oh my gods, that's me! I'm in the game! Hey other me, stay away from the Schnee!"

"You have my condolences." Weiss says to the sheep faunus.

"So, why aren't, uh, you joining anyone's group?" Shirou asked.

"I have my reasons." She said mysterioly

" Is it because you're a girl?"

"No. It's because... I don't know how to play."

"Because you're a girl?"

Many of the females and males who enjoy video games, such as Yang, Ruby, Velvet, Nora,, Jaune, Oscar, Ren, surprisingly Mercury and Emerald, along with Fiona herself, threw questioning glares towards the current heir of the SDC. Weiss and Winter glared at him as well but for other reasons.

Whitley looks around to see all the glares directed towards him. "Why are you all looking at me? I said nothing."

"No!" Fiona snapped. "It's just... I don't know how to open the menu."

"What?" Both Fiona and Whitley asked.

"Jinx!" Nora shouts.

"What?!" Shriou looked at the girl in shock. "But you can't do anything in this game without the menu. How have you survived all month?"

Cut to Fiona holding a piece of bread. She is staring at it intensely. "HOW DO I EAT YOU?!" She screamed at it.

Many laughs were had at the poor girl's predicament, despite some of them doing their best to not do so but could not help themselves.

Fiona slowly sank into her chair, covering her face in shame. Her alternate was the utter definition of a newb player.

Back to the present.

"It's... been a challenge…" She muttered before looking at Shirou. "What about you? Why haven't you join the others?"

"Oh, lots of reasons. Mostly because they're a bunch of mouth-breathing neckbeards who think "LMAO" is how French people laugh."

" Ha ha, that's so Le Mao!" Said one player far away causing to Shirou shudder.

Whitley in the theater also shudders in disgust. If these were the people that he would have been surrounded by inside the game, then he too would have avoided them like a plague.

"Wow. You certainly... speak from the heart."

"Funny, I thought I was speaking from my mouth. But, eh, shows what I know about biology." He said with a smirk.

"No one else wanted you in their group, did they?"

"Shut up! It was mutual!"

"And who would blame me? Have you seen the players of this game? I'm honestly surprised they lived this long."

"You're just saying that 'cause no one wanted a smartass on their team." Fiona smirked.

"I'm sorry, were you speaking Menu Girl?" Whitley nonchalantly retorts.

Fiona's face grew red in embarrassment and agitation. She wanted nothing more than to raise her hand and activate her semblance right now. 'Give me a reason Schnee, I dare you.'

It cuts back to Diabel smiling and clapping his hands.

"Alright, looks like everyone's grouped up. Get plenty of rest tonight, people! We leave at noon!"

A player groans "Noon?"

"That's so early!"

Diabel sighs. "Alright. What about 1 o'clock?"

" Dude, come on!"

" God, fine! We leave at the crack of... 2:30, I guess. Lazy butts…"

"Christ, I'm gonna have to set my alarm."

Everyone in the theater did not have high expectations for these players as they would face their first challenge.

Cuts to December 3, 2022 Floor 1: Illfang's Tower, 7:30pm. Everyone's at the Boss Door and everyone except Diabel is exhausted.

"Okay, so there were a few more stairs than we realized. Apparently real life athletic ability translates into the game. Good to know." Diabel looked out to the sad sight in front of him.

"Oh, god. I can feel my lungs trying to kill me." One player whined.

" Is this sweat?!"

" I peed a little."

" Jesus, this is sad." Diabel said with a grimace.

One player vomits.

"Congrats Jaune, someone else has now become the new Vomit Boy of this viewing!" Yang exclaimed.

Jaune rolled his eyes at her attempt at making him feel better.

"Fuck it. Why don't you all just take a Cheetos and Mountain Dew break, and we'll reconvene in an hour."

1960 Batman-Esque transition with Cheetos and Mountain Dew.

" Dammit, guys! I was kidding! You weren't supposed to actually take an hour!" Dibal said in a rage."God, we've lost so much time. Let's just do this already! You all know the plan!"

Illfang jumps into the center of the room and roars. Kobolds pop in, and an error message pops up on the third one that says "Error: "Sentinel_ " not found."

Ruby and Nora laughed at the mob that got glitched.

"Alright, men!" Diabel began,"Form up and-"

"EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF!" A player screams

The armies converge on each other.

"Are they serious! You can't just go gung-ho in a boss battle!" Jaune exclaimed at the increasingly apparent, dim-witted players.

"What?! No! Goddammit guys!" Diabel begins to bark out orders. "Squad B, quit attacking the Boss and keep the Sentinels off us! C, D, stop attacking from the front! Do you even know what "flank" means?! Squad F, for fuck's sake! Stop playing Bejeweled! *Groans* Squad G, get in there and help A and B!"

"Got it!" Shirou said with a nod rushing in.

"Don't talk back to…" Diabel did a double take."l Holy shit, really?!"

"How is Whitley the most sensible minded player in this game?!" Weiss asked.

"Weiss, have you seen the other players?" Blake asked her in a deadpanned tone.

"...Yes you're right, that's actually too much of an insult." Weiss admits.

Shirou attacks a Sentinel, leaving Fiona to finish it off.

"Okay, Fiona! What you're gonna wanna do here is-"

Fiona lets out a Battle Cry and kills the Sentinel in one hit.

Fiona in the theater perked up at this display, "Oh my- I can fight! Oh thank gods I can fight!"

Shirou eyes widened in shock "Wow, I thought she was hopeless, but her technique is flawless. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she's even better than I-"

"Hey Shirou! I killed the thing and now it says I have XPs! Is that bad? Am I dying?! Fiona cried out to him in fear."

Shirou rolls his eyes"Or... maybe... not."

"Miss Fiona, either your alternate is very lucky or is very out of base with technology. I can't tell which it is." Whitley stated.

"Shut up Schnee, she's trying!" Fiona defends her other self.

Illfang's health drops into the red. He snarls at the players and he tosses his weapons.

"Alright, men! This last part's gonna take careful coordination…" Diabel ran towards Illfang. "which is why I'm just gonna do it myself!"

Diabel charges his weapon art. Illfang draws his Ōdachi.

Ruby's eyes widened, "OH NO!"

Shirou looked and saw the weapon and his eyes widened calling to Diabel. "Oh shit! Diabel, look out! That's not a Talwar! It's an Ōdachi!"

"What's the difference?!" Diabel ask still running towards Illfang.

"Well, a Talwar is of Indian descent while an Ōdachi is Japanese! While both are primarily slashing weapons, the Talwar was favored by cavalrymen, as opposed to an Ōdachi which was mainly used for dick measuring!" As Shirou is talking, Illfang starts jumping off the walls.

" What's your point?!" Diabel asked impaintely.

"Well if you let me finish, I was getting to that! You see…"

Diabel gets hit by Illfang, screaming in pain.

Many of the huntsmen and huntresses in the theater either gasped in fear or looked away at the surely doomed player.

"What's happening? Did I miss something?" Fox called out.

"Oops." Shirou sheepishly said.

Illfang hits Diabel again, sending him flying.

"DIABEL!" Kibaou yelled out.

Illfang pops down in front of Kibaou and roars. A message pops up "Bonus Item: Soiled Pants". Above Kibaou

"Hey, rare drop!' A player said cheerfully.

Mercury laughed at the joke while most of the others were disgusted by the fact that that achievement was unlockable.

Shirou runs over to Diabel and holds him up.

" I was trying to say an Ōdachi's a little bit longer than a Talwar, so it'll have more reach and do a bit more damage."

"And why couldn't you say that first?" Diabel asked weakly

"Yeah you dummy! You almost might've killed him!" Ruby cries out.

Whitley was actually taken aback by that statement. Sure he had moments of pride and arrogance, sometimes he looked down on people but he didn't believe he would ever intentionally kill someone.

" I like to think of myself as a teacher. Anyway, drink this."

Shirou tries to give Diabel a healing potion but he stopped Shirou shaking his head.

"No. It's better this way. I just can't do it anymore. I had such high hopes at first. But now? Our best player is a girl who thinks DPS is some kind of sex thing." Both turned to glance to Fiona.

"I know. It's weird, right?"

Fiona sulked more into her chair.

"You're clearly not like the rest of them. How do you stand it, Shirou? Where do you draw your strength?" Diabel look at Shirou like a sage.

Shirou sigh and drops his wisdom onto him. "I've been playing MMO's a long time, Diabel, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that lions do not concern himself with the opinions of sheep. Just take that little voice in your head that tells you to be tactful and understanding... and shoot it. Shoot it in the goddamn face."

" You are so wise. If only I'd met you sooner. Perhaps, things would have been different. You must lead them now. Show them this game can be beaten." Diabel let's go of Shirou wrist.

Weiss was taken aback that this man was actually willing to place trust in this alternate of her brother. This stranger who barely even knows him placed the lives of all the players into his hands. Much like how she tried to trust Whitley once… this caused a bitter frown to grow on her face in recollection. Even if this was a different version of him, it was still Whitley in her eyes.

Shirou smiles fondly at Diabel. "Another life... in another time... I think we could have been friends."

"I... doubt it." Diabel gasps out before turning to shattered glass, dying.

" Well fuck you, too!" Shirou said angrily his smile dropping into a frown.

Fiona slips in by Shirou's side and began to lay out a plan.

"Alright, Shirou. Here's what we'll do. One counters his blows to knock him off balance and the other switches in to attack. Rinse. Repeat. Victory."

Shirou looked at her with one eye. "You came up with that, but you can't open a menu."

"Shut up!" Fiona cried out.

Illfang roars and they take off running toward him.

"Alright, so you counter and I'll attack!" Shirou yelled to Fiona.

"What? No, it's my plan! I should attack!" Fiona yelled back.

"Fine, just get ready!"

Shirou makes a battle cry and counters Illfang's attack.

"SWITCH!"

Fiona moves in and gets her cloak destroyed by Illfang before attacking revealing white curly hair and sheep ears.

" See? You almost got yourself killed! I'll attack him!" Shirou yelled again and began to attack Illfang.

"Oh, that was a fluke, and you know it! He's mine!" Fiona yelled back.

Fiona attacks Illfang.

"Oh shit. They're actually giving that boss the work!" Coco called out.

"He's mine!" Shirou yelled.

Shirou blocks Illfang's next attack, but Fiona attacks him before Shirou can do so himself.:

"Mine!" Fiona screams

"NO! HE'S! MIIIIIIIIIIINE!"

Shirou slices Illfang and he explodes. Everyone is stunned. Lame party kazoo sound effect and a banner with the word "CONGRATULATION" appears.

"Yeah!" A player cheer.

This caused almost everyone in the audience to laugh. Despite the dark humor of it all, it was still pretty hilarious.

"What happened? Did they win?" Fox asks

"Oh yes, I'm sorry Fox! They beat the boss and a victory banner came out."

"...heh." Fox chuckled.

Shirou is panting. He gets an item as a reward for defeating the Boss.

"Congratulations!" Velvet said, patting him on the back. "That was even more impressive than that cat that learned to play."

Cut to a player with a cat's head, with another player staring at it.

"Meow."

"Huh what did you know?" Yang replied.

"Oh my god! You guys can see it too?! So I'm not crazy! Isn't that great, Jesus?!" We see things from the players' perceptive, with a giant hallucination of Jesus Christ looming over the crowd.

"That's right, Jeffrey. Now... kill them all." Jesus said, his voice growing darker.

"As you command, my Lord." Jeffrey whispered.

"Somethings very wrong with that guy." Qrow states.

"I honestly agree with you, Branwen… Blegh! That left a horrible taste in my mouth." Winter stated.

Cut back to Velvet talking to Shirou. The other players are applauding his victory.

"You've led us to victory, Shirou. These men and I will follow you to hell itself. Now... address your people." Velvet is smiling and pushing Shirou to the crowd.

Shirou gets up and smirks. "I always knew this day would come. Ahem. Fellow gamers! We have traveled far and up many stairs to get to this point. Fighting side by side, noobs, and leets, alike. I'd like to take a moment to say that I couldn't have done it without the help of each and every one of you."

"Aw, that's a nice thing to say-" Velvet was cut off when Shirou counties.

"Of course, I'm not a liar, so I'm not gonna say any of that."

"Oh shit."

"I thought as much." Weiss states.

Shirou grins look at the group. "I mean, really. I could've done this whole Boss Fight myself. But to be fair, I guess you did absorb a bit of damage for me, which was nice. You were an adequate meat shield, and no one can ever take that away from you."

"Fuck. Fuck! Shut up! SHUT UP!" Velvet started to say.

"So for those of you who came in late, and that one guy playing Bejeweled back there... shoot for the stars... it'll make it more fun when I kick you back into the dirt."

"You're not better than us!" Kiaboru said.

"Yeah! What makes you think you're so cool?!" Nora shouts to the screen.

Shirou equips the coat he got for beating Illfang and smugly looks at the group."My sweet-ass coat begs to differ."

"Dammit, he's got us there." one player muttered.

Shirou ascends the stairs out of the Boss Room. Fiona follows him and grabs him by the shoulder. "Shirou, wait!"

Those in the audience looked on at Fiona's alternate in hope. Surely she could turn him around after their excellent display of partnership.

"I want half." She said, staring at him blankly.

That hope was quickly squashed, shot at, and finally burned to death via gasoline and cracking a fire dust crystal.

Shirou turns to her confused. " I'm... sorry. What?!"

"I want half the coat. I did half the work, I should get half the coat." Fiona explain and extends her hand for him give it to her.

"No! It's not fabric I can cut! It's just a bunch of 1s and 0s!" Shirou was getting frustrated.

"Fine, then give me the 1s."

" Fuck you! I want the 1s!" He groans and open the menu. "I am not having this argument. I'm disolving this party." Shirou opens his menu and "Di-solves" their party.

"Shirou! If you walk away with my half of the coat, I will make your life a living hell!" Fiona screamed.

"You know what? Fine! I'll give you the damn coat! Just send me a trade request."

"A... what?"

Fiona's eyes widened as she watched from the theater, "No…"

Shirou grins viciously "Oh, it's quite simple really... Just open your menu." Shirou starts laughing maniacally as he walks out the doors as Fiona screams at him:"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" At him.

Outro Plays.

Fiona screams, "I can't believe the nerve of that-! GRAAAAH!"

"Can you please stop screaming! You're going to cause everyone's ears to bleed." Whitley said while using a handkerchief to rub his ears.

Fiona huffed then matched off, going to another place in the theater.

"Well that was interesting. So you all say there's other viewings where we see other worlds besides this one." Coco asked the group.

"Oh yeah, we've seen a couple worlds ourselves, but only a handful I'd say." Yang admits.

"Well as long as we're here, we might as well take time to catch up." Velvet smiled.

"Yeah, this will be great! It's almost like we're back at Beacon, right Weiss? ...Weiss?" Ruby looks beside her but noticed that her partner was not with them anymore.

In another side of the theater, the all three Schnee siblings stand together. Both of the youngest siblings look at Winter who brought them here.

Winter clears her throat, "I understand that there are some… tension between the three of us during this viewing. So I asked you both here so that we may come to terms with our situation."

Weiss scoffs, "Come to terms with him! I highly doubt that."

Whitley crosses his arms, "Yes it does seem like a lost cause Winter."

"Enough! Both of you!" Winter raised her voice causing both of her younger siblings to go rigid. "I'm not expecting you to get along or even apologize to each other at the moment. What I ask is if you two can at least act civil with one another while in the theater?"

Both Weiss and Whitley looked at each other and sneered at each other.

"Why of course I can be civil with Whitley. It is a virtue of a lady to be civil at all times." Weiss said with hidden venom.

"Quite true, but being civil is also a quality an heir of the Schnee family must cultivate as well. So I look forward to spending this immeasurable amount of time with you my sisters." Whitley said with his best presentable smile.

"Yes, how I enjoy us taking this time to reacquaint with each other." Weiss said while one of her eyes was twitching.

"Well then sister, shall we?" Whitley gestured for Weiss to go ahead of him. Almost would have been believable if one did not notice the glint in his eyes and his strained smile.

Winter watched as both Weiss and Whitley walked back to the auditorium where everyone else had remained.

"...This can only end badly."

Hope you enjoyed.

[morphituu]

Milagro

Chapter 22: Rehearsals 

Ch: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 

“Maaaama, mi amore- say mama,” Callie encouraged, her shirt clasped in Leo’s hold and a wide smile clamped around a melting teething chewy. The round, golden eyes locked on Callie still glimmered with unshed tears after waking from a nap following a sharp tooth breaking through his gums, but now his short legs kicked excitedly when she squealed like he after some numbing gel was lathered across his swollen pads.

“Oh my osito,” she sang, giggling when his staticky voice spiked into an excited shriek after she laid him across her chest. With any luck he'd catch the last of his afternoon nap and not completely derail his schedule the night before they left him. With one hand rhythmically patting his bottom in tune with a gentle song she hummed, the nails of her other dragged down his thick stripe of sandy colored locks, thick and tangled as hers always was.

Leo’s sleepy growls wound down to soft grunts, his little mouth pursing when he sucked on his tongue.

Her bottom lip quivered. To think she'd go four days without kissing this face or hearing his voice almost made her call off their already brief honeymoon despite desperately needing the break, not to mention the alone time she so craved from her husband to be. Quickies were fun in the moment, but when she'd have to walk right back out and balance Leo on her hip and a stack of laundry and dishes in the other arm, the yearn for a quiet, post-sex cuddle session resounded loudly in her bones.

“You know we’ll be back, right Leonardo? You won't even notice us you'll have so much fun with abuela y abuelo,” she smiled, recalling all of the toys Oleg had gone out to purchase in preparation for his grandson's extended visit, excitedly sending pictures to Nick every time he found something new.

Callie giggled, her eyes drifting up. She gasped softly, looking down at Leo. “Guess who's back?”

Her door swung open and Leo’s head craned back to find Nick placing their contribution to the dinner at her feet, a smile spreading across his gummy face immediately.

“What's with those sad eyes?” Nick pouted, reaching for Leo.

“His tooth broke through,” she handed him over, their son rubbing his tired eyes against Nick’s chest after being leaned into the crook of his beefy arm. Nick groaned, rubbing Leo’s back.

“I feel bad we're taking off right when this starts,”

“Me too,” Callie sighed, pushing her messy hair back from her face. “I keep rethinking it,”

Nick’s head lifted with a pout. “You don't wanna go anymore then?”

She exhaled loudly, shaking her head. “I really wanna go but I don't think the guilt will go away so I just gotta suck it up and deal with it,”

“We’ll only be a few hours away,” he reassured, a comforting squeeze left on her knee before he carried Leo to the backseat. Nick wiggled his face between Leo’s round cheek and shoulder to elicit bubbly giggles, his affections unyielding even after his son was safely strapped in his seat again, not until Callie reminded him that they were needed elsewhere.

A final squish of his cheeks, and Nick was off to the drivers seat again.

“Let’s do this,” he chimed, the dark clubmasters hiding the excited glint in his yellow eyes.

The weather was ideal for the windows to stay down, a soft breeze drifting through the cab that neither worried about overwhelming Leo as long as the traffic stayed this slow, but neither minded that, either. Nothing- not even that Callie’s dress had been delivered with a rip in the seam, could dampen their moods that day.

For weeks, more notably the sleepless nights they'd planned this and endless trial and error from music to food to seating, keeping enough excitement alive until their day came, and through rejections from churches that deemed their union unholy to now having a backyard wedding at his parents that a shocking number of family wasn't arriving to, they were here, the day before their wedding, and Callie couldn't shake the warmth that had held in her cheeks all day.

The butterflies fluttered about her stomach, bubbling in her throat when she tried to speak. As usual he held her hand while they drove, but now more than ever he toyed with her singular ring that would soon have it’s pair. When they stood in line to pick up Leo’s fitted outfit, he brought her decorated hand up to his lips to kiss shamelessly before the humans that rolled their eyes in disgust, further stirring the churning excitement before she leaned into his side to hide her blush.

Callie’s head landed against his arm rested over the center console, his big hand landing on her leg. Nick kissed her head while he drove, his thumb tracing the supple skin of her freckled thigh.

Callie grinned then. “I hope this song plays tomorrow,” she noted the raunchy beat bumping softly through the speakers.

Nick snorted. “Someone's uncle is gonna grind on someone's aunt,”

She giggled harmoniously, her face rotating in to hide against his bicep. Nick egged her on, the dirty comments flushing her cheeks and leaving her breathless as they drove leisurely along the backroads. At red lights he made it a point to steal kisses, his hand leaving the steering wheel to hold her jaw when a taste of her tongue became too tempting to refuse. They were honked at a few times, but Nick blew them off, telling his pretty fiancée “this is why we should've put the cans on the truck today”.

Their bantering settled enough to let silence pass between them, listening to Leo babble against his crinkly blanket or exclaim when he caught sight of himself in the mirror.

“Did Ward tell you what you guys are doing tonight?” she asked, pulling her hair over her shoulder when it whipped before her face.

“He won’t even give me a hint,” Nick huffed, endlessly worried they’d end up at a strip bar. “What about Rosie?”

“Just a girls night at her house,” she shrugged, hiding her excitement. A night to kick back with her feet up and gossip? With unproblematic people? It’s fucking paradise, she’d clarified to Nick when he was confused as to why bachelorette parties weren’t rambunctious like the mens. “I’m not drinking until the reception though,”

“Is it the Orkish champagne?”

She moaned, her eyes closing as saliva pooled in her mouth. “Forget the food, just hand me another glass of it when mine is empty,”

“One glass will have you on your ass, mama,” he reminded, peeking at her from over his clubmasters.

“Good thing my husband will be there to carry me away from the judging eyes of the public,” she said, her chin balancing on his shoulder as he pulled into his parents' driveway. The street was lined with their guests, the chatter from the backyard heard over their engine.

“Only because my wife is the fairest in all of LA,”

She pouted. “Just LA?”

“Who even matters outside of LA?” he asked.

“You’re right.” She leaned in for a quick kiss.

The pair went about gathering Leo from his seat and his numerous bags they’d store tonight in preparation for the following day, including a bouncer and swing. He was excited as ever when Callie lifted him from behind the buckles, the teething toy in his grasp. It took only three months for Leo to reach a girth that Callie could carry on her hip like a six month old, his head unwaveringly steady and held upright as he learned the world around him. Their pediatrician warned he’d fly through milestones faster than they could record, so when Leo started angrily gnawing on their hands and crying through the night, it took them some time to figure out he was simply teething when they’d normally not expect it until later. Moments were cherished with greater excitement after they realized how quickly Leo was growing, and how brief this baby stage would be.

It wasn’t until they’d at last received the results of his genetics test were they able to find some peace of mind knowing when he’d hit a year, this rapid aging would slow drastically.

Being seventy-six percent Orc meant doctors felt confident leaning towards the likelihood that Leo’s growth would match that of a full-blooded one, but the moments remained bittersweet for the parents. In the blink of an eye Leo went from being a wiggling newborn to a hefty calf able to sit up on his own and mimic their mouths when they spoke to him.

His yellow eyes tracked and narrow in on objects he wanted, his colored hands able to pick items, and Nick’s ear was always on the menu of items he loved to gnaw on.

At the call of his name he’d turn his head, and a smile would grace his lips when it was either of his parents. Callie would walk from corner to corner with him between her feet, his grasp tight around her fingers and his feet dragging less everyday he built up the muscles of his strong legs. When he’d be done from such an exerting exercise, a frown up at Callie would signal his reluctance to waddle any farther.

The pouts and angry chuffs were Nick’s favorite. He’d gnaw Leo’s thighs and roll him side to side just to see his little face snarl, a sharp cry rattling in his throat before he’d clamp onto Nick’s arm. Now that the sharp fangs were coming in, he found instigating a fight with his vicious little boy wasn’t in his best interest. It had only taken a few times for Leo to learn if he laid over his dad’s head, he was further defenseless, including those ears.

“Ah!” Leo exclaimed, reaching over Callie’s shoulder towards Nick. “Ahh!” he cracked again, looking at Callie.

“He’s comin’, don’t worry,” she assured, his chuff tickling her ear.

The door was cracked open upon walking up to it, and inside the furniture was already being moved around to create more space to linger around in.

“Late to her own rehearsal!” came Oleg’s booming voice, strutting in false intimidation from the hallway, but his angry scowl melted into a wide smile once Leo recognized him and reached.

“Is everyone here?”

“The booze went quickly,” he teased, walking toward the back of the house with Leo excitedly squealing in his grandpa’s arms.

“That’s what happens when you get Orcs and Mexicans together,” Nick commented, grunting his way in with all the bags slung across his arms and shoulders.

“They didn’t drink the champagne, did they?” Callie frantically asked, following Oleg and leaving Nick to topple over with Leo’s luggage.

Nick and Ward both sipped their beers alongside Matuk and Sergey, the summer sun having been unbearable until Dinara silenced the mens whining and dished out the cold drinks. But the sun still kept glaring down at them even as it drew near sunset, their shirts sticking to their skin and hunger growing. Dura had been the only one to be blessed with a chair at the front, her belly near bursting as her due date approached.

“Pay attention,” Dura hissed at Sergey, fanning her face with her sun hat.

“All I do is stand here-” he hissed back, silencing when Ward elbowed him.

“Can you shut the fuck up she’s about to come down,” Ward growled, jabbing his hand in the direction of the house.

“We’ve done this eight times, why do we need to be quiet?”

“He’s right, there’s no point,” Nick answered loudly, sipping his beer.

Ward glared at him in disbelief. “At your own rehearsal?”

“Look, they’re talking,” he pointed to Callie’s mom who sat beside Dyani and Joaquin, Leo and his mother coming to join them once she’d finished walking down the mock isle.

“Okay music, yada yada everyone stands, then Callie,” Dinara called, tip-toeing around the line of bridesmaids to stand beside Nick at the front.

It was just the rehearsal, and there was nothing to match how spectacular and dreamy it would be the following day, but Nick still smiled watching her walk down like that, a glowing smile on her face and hanging onto her father's arm. Nick tossed a kiss to her before she was even there, tipping his bottle back over his lips to hide a nervous smile when she winked at him.

For the eighth time, Nick shook Diego’s hand and accompanied Callie back to their spot at the front, his actions growing clumsier with every round.

“Pre-gaming?” she asked, smiling at Nick’s loose nod. She was sure his eyes were half-lidded behind his sunglasses.

“Okay dearly beloved and all that, they exchange vows, beads, rings and kiss,” Dinara recited from the front with Leo still in her arms, wiggling towards Nick when he made faces at him. He stopped only to peck Callie sweetly, snatching his son from his mother's arms. “And we’re done,”

There was a collective sigh of approval from everyone placed about in the wide yard, all of which were starved for the cool drinks and savory dinner laid out under the shade of the patio.

Sergey stumbled to Dura’s side and only laughed when she scolded him for already drinking himself into a cloud, but Callie was there to loop her arm around the expectant mother’s and assist in her waddle across the yard. Nick and Ward picked Sergey back up, leaving hard slaps on his back while they teased him over being a lightweight.

“I hope Morn feels better by tomorrow,” Callie pouted, feeling her friend's absence.

“She kicks shit fast, she’ll be good,” Ward answered. It was useless denying they’d become quite cozy with one another, especially when Nick had stopped by unexpectedly to find her wandering around Daryl’s house in his shirt. It was a sensitive topic, but Callie thought it sweet how lovingly he spoke of Morn when she wasn’t around. There was always the hint of a longing sigh somewhere in his words, a hardened pout pushing his mustache up.

“Was it a stomach bug? Daryl wasn’t feeling too good either,” Rosie noted, following her ear into their conversation.

“Was Dejza sick too?”

“Yeah I think that’s where she got the bug from. Grandparents wanted to see her,” Ward explained, finding a spot beside Nick once they all came up to the table. Leo perched on Nick’s thigh, reaching over to tap Callie’s arm so she’d talk to him as the others found their seats. The chatter of Callie and Nick’s chosen family was lively among their friends, the last minute preparations or concerns rising into question and then settling quickly. Food was passed through mouths as fast as the words, the plates filling just to empty minutes later for seconds and thirds. The men of Nick’s bachelor party were ordered to lay off the beer and instead fill up on food before their night of celebration and farewell, waving off their disapproving groans and wails.

By the time they were all dug into their meals, Leo was drifting in Nick’s arms with a bottle balanced on his chest, at last catching a nap to soothe away the throbbing in his gums they’d managed to mostly keep at bay all day with the chaos swarming around them.

When Leo spat out the bottle and rubbed his face, Nick took a final bite of the crispy pork ribs to lean back in his chair and cradle his son closer to his chest, a wide palm patting his bottom. Soft chuffs were the last of Leo’s attempts at consciousness before Nick’s purring did him in, his big eyes finally sliding shut.

Nick was lost staring at his son when Ward suddenly came into view, his ear almost close enough to press against his shoulder.

Ward snapped up, mild disbelief coloring his expressions. “Are you… vibrating?”

Callie laughed out loud, covering her mouth filled with food.

“Does Morn not purr?” Nick asked, Ward leaning away from him.

“P-purring? Y’all… purr?” he looked up hesitantly at the other Orcs around him who were unphased by his discovery.

“Does Morn really not?”

“No! I think I’d know if I heard somethin’ like that!” Ward exclaimed, returning to his meal with a shudder.

“I bet she does n’ it just puts you to sleep,” Sergey added, talking around a corn on the cob.

Daryl looked back to Nick. “Sophia always told me she reminded her of a cat and I thought it was cuz of the ears n’ shit,”

The table chuckled at that, their laughter heightening when Daryl again leaned into Nick’s chest to listen to the rumbles, even placing a hand flat on him to make sure it wasn’t some elaborate prank. The fervent manner in which everyone devoured the food calmed into small pickings here and there and the low rumble of chatter filling the backyard, everyone in their separate conversations or stories until Dinara pulled Nick's attention away from Callie and Rosie who spoke so fast, it only sounded like clicking.

“Ukmall, you’ll need to be here before eight to get Leo,” she informed, and his brows furrowed.

“So early?” he groaned, having fully expected a few hours to sleep off a hangover.

“Callie needs to get her hair done. The fumes are bad for him,” she scolded, and he looked back to his bride.

“You’re changing your hair?” he questioned with big eyes.

“Just a little bit,” she smiled, internally screaming. She’d come to this decision to alter her hair after talking herself out of going entirely blonde despite her curiosity for years pulling her the other direction, but now she wondered if he’d even notice.

“I guess I can get him,” he griped, leaning down to kiss Leo when Callie and his mother sucked their teeth in discontent.

“What time are people arriving?” Callie asked around Nick.

“Three, so we have a lot to do and a lot of cooking before people start showing up. That being said,” she grunted, standing at the head of the table with her glass of sweet tea raised. “I’d like to propose a toast and a thanks,”

Everyone hushed, reaching for their variety of drinks to hold up.

“We want to extend our thanks to Callie’s family who have graciously accepted us in, not to mention our son who came with a reputation,” she gestured at Nick, the table chuckling. “To everyone who’s helped and put up with my screaming,” she admitted to bashfully. “To my son, who I knew would be the father his own raised him to be, and now the husband I always knew he could be,” she smiled lovingly at Nick, his own grin goofy and adoring. Callie rubbed his arm, squeezing his wrist affectionately.

“And to Callie,” she cleared her throat, raising her glass. Callie’s smile dropped when she looked up, her anxiousness kicking into high gear. “It’s because of you my son smiled again, and it’s with your help he’s shown that beautiful baby in his arms such love. You weren’t only a gift in his life, but ours too, and no matter the paths you both might take from here on out, you’ll always have a place in our family. Cheeruk, mausan daughavas. Lat've bleukukun avhiuk famipak.” She finalized, her glass raised and Oleg following suit.

“I’d like to also say something,” Diego stood creakily, his age at last catching up to him after decades of back breaking work. He smoothed his hand down his church shirt, lifting his glass. “Mija, you haven’t always had the best of luck when it came to men, and to be honest I would’ve pulled my hair out if you had brought home another white boy,” he chuckled, the table following suit as Callie hid her face in despair. “But now I can rest easier at night knowing you have a man I would’ve hand-picked for you specially,” he tipped his head at Nick, the orc nodding once in return even though he was inwardly elated.

“I’m sorry the ones you were told growing up were your family didn’t make it here, but it’s their loss, cariña. If they can’t grow as much as you, let them leave. You’ve always been better than them. Nick,” he turned, startling his daughter’s groom.

“Thank you. You’re the standard I raised my daughters to expect, so thank you for taking care of her and Leonardo. I only want forever for you two.” He finished, his free hand resting on Luciana’s shoulder as she looked on at her daughter with watery eyes.

“I second that!” Rosie declared, Santi’s glass following his sister only to spill across the table's surface and onto her plate.

Her cheeks were hidden in her palms when they toasted, Dinara’s words whispered in translation into her ear by Nick after drinking to their parents speeches. He kissed her flushed cheek, promising the sincerity of her words. Her eyes wandered while Nick adored her secretly, watching their parents take turns hugging and speaking with smiles plastered across their faces. It helped ease some of the burns she’d been dealt when her family started RSVPing just to say they wouldn’t attend, and she wondered how much of it was because of Leo and how much was because of their choice to marry. Either way, she knew now who to keep up with.

The couple was dragged from their steamy bubble of secret kisses and whispers when Ward elbowed Nick insistently until he turned, motioning his head toward the door, but his hairless brows drew together.

“Are you okay?” he whispered, noting Ward’s lighter complexion.

He shook his head, waving his hand. “Drank too much,”

“They took our drinks-”

“Man let’s go!”

Nick turned back to Callie, a loose smile curling her lips.

“Is it time?” she asked, and he nodded, leaning in for another lengthy kiss. “If I get a call from Jake that one of his girls is shaking their asses in your face I’m gonna make sure you can’t make anymore babies,” she warned quietly, trying not to laugh when he gagged.

“I hid a nanny cam in the house so if I see a male stripper shoving his junk in your face I’m gonna throw you in the ocean,” Nick cracked back.

“I can’t swim!” she giggled, trying to frown.

“Yeah, you’ve been warned,” he kissed her before she could respond. “I love you, have a good night and be safe,”

“You be good,” she reminded, pursing her lips for another kiss before he lowered Leo into her arms and smooched him goodbye. “No tequila,”

He sucked air through his teeth, pointing at her. “I can’t promise that,” and he was off, following the others into the house after kissing his mom on the head. They grew rowdy once separated from their lovers except Matuk who was as stoic as ever, and they could be heard causing a commotion all the way to the cars until they were off.

“Ten bucks says they don’t make it past midnight,” Rosie announced.

“Make it twenty,” Oleg raised his beer, his bright smile tightening when Dinara elbowed him in the side before making her way over to Callie as the rest of their guests found separate conversations to delve into.

“Callie, I’d like to show you something we picked up today,” she said under her breath, tugging on her elbow.

“Oh?” she piped, tapping Rosie’s shoulder so she could deposit her hefty son into her arms. Rosie doted over him lovingly, endless kisses pressed into his cheeks as he was roused from his nap, but that would be her problem, now. By the time Leo was awake and gnawing angrily into his tia’s cheeks in retaliation, Dinara had led Callie into her room where the bed was lined with pressed and covered clothing, some decorations and linens hung over the small bench at the end. Callie wandered, her hands gravitating towards the colorful flowers protected in plastic boxes.

“Here, look,” Dinara called from the desk at the corner of the room.

The small lamp was flipped on when Callie was at her side, watching as she lifted the lid from a silver box carefully, but upon removing the satin material protecting whatever was underneath, her hands moved even more gingerly than before until a shining, silver plate looked up at them. Orkish letters were carved deep into its face, but the polished grooves were clean, elegant.

“Marriage Armor, it’s called. The bride wears the plate with her new name upon her back and the groom wears the bride's zodiac on his shoulders and chest,” she explained, a smaller pouch that she had in the top drawer of the desk emptying into Callie’s palm. The charms were attached to thin, dainty chains, and carved from a deep, grey metal shaped into bull heads.

Callie smiled, studying their details. “Nick will wear these?”

“Mhm. You’ll both wear the bracelets that are exchanged, but those are kept for the day of. Right now we need to get this on you to make sure it fits,” she explained, opening the pouch so Callie could deposit the charms back inside.

The ‘armor’ had length to it she at first couldn’t see between the satin covers. Her own sparkling chains braided across the shoulders as one long, jeweled piece ran the length of her back, stretching from the plate that spelled Jakoby. When Dinara had it balanced on her shoulders so she could clasp it at her front, she saw where the chains came together into the shape of the Taurus symbol. With delicacy she touched the pieces on her shoulders and at the center of her chest while it was adjusted at her back, her smile beaming. It was heavy- this was definitely some special mineral, for she’d never seen one of such weight be polished finely enough to catch even the smallest glimmer of these dim lights.

“Tomorrow you’ll glow during that sunset,” Dinara smiled, tugging the chains at either side of her shoulders. “Poor Nick will be so blindsided we might have to give his men a heads up,”

They giggled, Callie’s smile wavering when Dinara held her hands tightly, staring at her with glossy eyes. “These plates are traditional. A male’s mother hands them down to his bride if she approves, so these should have come from my own mother in law, but they didn’t,”

Callie’s smile fell. “What?”

“Oleg’s mother hates me. She wanted her boy to have the smiling, waxy wife who pops babies out like rats. So I had these made the day before we were married, and I wore them in front of her,” she grinned.

“Reclaimed the name?” Callie smirked.

Dinara nodded. “It’s a good name despite the reputation that came with it when you met my son,”

Callie only hugged her, their arms tightly wound one another in that moment. “Thank you,” she said, giving her a last squeeze before they both wiped their cheeks of any stray tears.

“Well it fits,” she giggled before the two got her out of the intricate chains and back into the sleek box.

“Come on then,” the orc sniffled, turning the light off. “Let’s finish the night.”

↠

Nick’s hand still hadn’t come down from shielding his eyes, but as long as Ward was emptying his dinner and three beers onto Sergey’s lawn, he wasn’t going to even bother glancing at him. His excitement had drained the entire two hours it took to get here, it’s gradual drip starting as soon as they’d left his parents.

“I’m fine, I just drank too fast,” were the kind of things Ward kept saying to excuse his deteriorating, sweating form, but Nick knew he’d heard him heaving into the toilet after calling Morn to ask exactly what she’d come down with. Still, he insisted he was fine the entire duration it took him to shower and change before they headed to Sergey’s next, but by the time they’d gotten in the car, Sergey was starting to look worse for wear, too.

As soon as the car had come to a stop, both of them were falling out, one running into the house and the other making it to the lawn before he lost his composure. Now, Nick was alone in this filthy mess after Matuk had ditched them, but Nick hadn’t expected him to go, really. Bachelor parties didn’t seem like his thing even though there was nothing to celebrate anymore.

“Juh- just gimme a min-” Ward choked, retching loudly.

“For three months I’ve dealt with puke almost daily,” Nick explained calmly, his eyes still hidden.

Daryl coughed.

“You’ve been hyping me up for this for weeks,”

Ward nodded, spit hanging off his bottom lip. “I’no,”

Nick dropped his hand and sighed when thirty seconds had passed- the longest yet- without him heaving, and he couldn't help laugh a little. Ward wasn’t the kind of person to ever show vulnerability even when he was hurt, so seeing him hunched over and whimpering meant taking a few photos should’ve been his top priority, but Nick showed mercy on his friend while the other was lost somewhere in his house likely calling Dura to cry.

“C’mon,” Nick groaned, lifting Ward’s limp body off the ground.

“I need t’go to Morn's,” he grunted, walking unsteadily beside him.

“She can come get you after I drop you off,” Nick used his lighter voice, clearing his throat when he realized what he was doing. “Sit down,”

Ward instead flopped into the backseat, exclaiming when his head smacked the door panel. He continued to wail when Nick used his foot to push his feet in, flinching at how loudly he protested.

“Jesus now I know why Sherri was such a bitch,” Nick mumbled, closing the door before Ward could scream at him. “Stay there,” he knocked against the window, turning towards the house. “Let me go check the other child…”

What started as Nick’s bachelor party he had looked forward to for weeks, had turned into a mini-pandemic between the parties involved- thank god they left his parents house when they did- and had resulted in Nick getting one giant man baby into bed with clean clothes after he was found on his bathroom floor, and cleaning the puke out of Ward’s car when he voided even more of himself while waiting. It hadn’t come without a cold scolding from Nick, demanding to know why he couldn’t have opened the door beside his head if he had enough power to sit up and spray everywhere, but Ward stopped listening when the words became languages he didn’t know.

He hollered and gagged the entire way back to driving Daryl home, bursting from the car as soon as he was parked, but that only meant helping clean this one up too.

After nearly three hours of scrubbing, and gagging, and screaming, Nick sat on Ward’s porch waiting for his Uber, a cold beer in hand. No amount of air freshener or borrowed cologne would mask the raw stench of vomit under his nails and on his clothes. He’d likely throw these away- his nose was too keen to allow back into his closet. Too bad; he really liked this shirt.

Night had at last crept over LA, leaving only a soft orange glow where the sun had slipped from. The night was humid, but cool, and the woven chair he sat in wasn’t half bad.

He looked at his phone, tracking the driver who was coming down the street.

He’d made the move multiple times to message Callie, but he couldn’t bring himself to halt her night, either. If she hadn’t messaged him about anything, that meant no sickness had befallen them either, right? Maybe they’d been lucky to avoid catching it from Daryl. He texted his mom at least, warning of a stomach bug floating around and to keep a closer eye on Leo.

A compact little sedan rolled up, and Nick groaned. Now he had to squeeze into that.

What am I even gonna do all night… he pondered, walking towards the car. He chuckled. Sleep.

Nick slipped in the open door, closing it noisily behind himself before spinning the bolt shut. His palm popped up just as he smacked his inner arm, his keys flying onto the counter and sliding noisily across its surface.

Never, not even after his most grueling days at the academy or after an even more grueling workout did he ever desire a shower and sleep like this moment, kicking his shoes off excitedly.

“Nick?”

He froze, his head half in the cabinets looking for something to take with him. Nick leaned out of the kitchen entry, his ears twitching. Was that…?

“Cal?” he called back warily.

“Maybe,” she called back, and he was off towards the bedroom he hadn’t even noticed had been shut.

The TV was mumbling lowly with her favorite show, but she wasn’t on the bed like he expected. Instead, sitting on the carpet on a folded blanket surrounded by her phone and wires that made up her headphones and charger with a pre-roll between her fingers, he found her sitting beside the cracked sliding glass door so the smoke could wisp out into the night.

Her eyes were just as wide as his, the pair speechless.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, almost afraid to move. Where’s Leo?

“What are you doing here?” she returned, knowing he’d seen the joint in her hold.

“Ward and Sergey-”

“Got sick?” she interrupted, her mouth tightening. He nodded, snorting.

“The girls too?”

She nodded, relaxing a little bit. “I thought you were off already doing the bachelor party thing so I just came home… and left Leo with your parents,”

“Yeah I didn’t call them either,” he confided softly, licking his bottom lip.

“So…” she looked around. Why was this so awkward!?

Nick watched her, leaned back on his hands after pulling a fresh shirt over his scrubbed skin. His head lolled to the side, watching her at last let out the insane breath she’d pulled in. The smoke from this one smelled foul compared to the scented trails from a cartridge, but he wouldn’t speak out against it.

By the time he’d come out of the shower, she had gone through half its length and her eyes were already falling shut. Eight months of sobriety brought her tolerances way down, but this was also the first time in months he hadn’t seen her chewing her inner lips or bouncing her knee. What a wonderful remedy this was, but the stigma attached to it would always leave Nick hesitant.

“That wine is gonna knock you out tomorrow,” he mumbled, grinning when she swatted sleepily at his foot.

“I thought we already agreed you’d catch me,” she reminded, twisting the butt in the ashtray before looking at him.

“Only if I can get really shit faced in San Diego,” he whined, and she laughed.

“Duh, me too,”

He smiled, watching her fidget around on the blanket and fix her hair hanging around her shoulders. She looked down at the ring on her hand, smiling adoringly at its face then clutching her palm to her chest. Soft humming came from her, a soft sway back and forth starting.

“What’re you doing?” he asked, knowing she’d fallen into her dreamy haze.

Callie shrugged, looking up at him. Those balmy eyes were glowing, her cheeks flushing. “I can’t believe we’re getting married tomorrow. It feels like it’s taken decades to get here but it’s only been… pfft three years? And now we have our baby?” she pouted, holding her own face.

“Wow,” Nick mumbled, smiling at her in amusement.

“I shouldn’t have left him there, I need to call your parents-”

“Cal,” he called, catching her frantic eyes. “He’s fine. Take a breath,”

She paused before nodding, sighing instead of taking an appropriate breath.

“I wanna be on whatever planet you’re on,” his words nudged her away from that guilt, a little smile lifting his spirits when he worried about her mental state. Sometimes the break-through anxiety was sneaky.

Her brow perked up, her smile growing devious.

“I can’t,” he reiterated.

“You can,”

“I can’t,”

“It would be out of your system in two days. We’ll be back way after that,” she too reminded him of the miraculous gift that was an Orcs metabolism, but Nick was a faithful worker and had his own, brittling views on the earth-made herb she relied on. “You didn’t get enough that first time,”

“It tastes like ass,” he defended, growing weary when Callie sashayed towards him with the ashtray and lighter pinned under her palm. “It makes my lips dry,”

“I’m not stopping until I hear ‘no’,” she clarified, sitting between his spread legs stretched across the floor and lighting the end of the blunt.

Still, Nick remained silent, watching her suck in her own small hit until the embers were crackling at the end. “I won’t make you do it if you don’t want to,” she told him, sensing his hesitation. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. If he liked the buzz from drinking, he was sure he’d like the buzz from smoking, but his encounters in the past not to mention the particular one that had left him in a room full of laughing people during a bad trip left bitter emotions.

But he trusted Callie when reminding him she’d never do such a thing, and she trusted her when she said, “You’ll like it,”

“And I’ve seen how jittery you’ve been,” she noted, patting the hand that had moved to rest on her thigh when he sat forward.

“Who wouldn’t be?” he asked, pinching the shrinking joint between his fingers when she passed it. Then she sat back on her bottom, crossing her legs.

“It’s your decision, baby. I want you to have a good time but not if you’re uncomfortable,” she told him, knowing even in her bombed state that despite Nick accepting this more over the years and his own curiosity growing, pressuring someone wasn’t how you did it.

He rolled it a little bit between his fingers, glancing at her with his critical, yellow eyes.

Ugh, he’s so yummy-

“How long do I hold my breath?” his voice disrupted her thoughts.

“As long as you can,”

Nick sighed, looking at it one last time. “Fuck it, why not,”

Callie’s eyes widened every second he kept inhaling, caught between warning him and possibly making him panic or letting him get one huge drag in instead of coughing through a bunch of little ones, but by the time she decided, he was done. Silent, holding his breath, his eyes already watering when he handed it back.

Without looking she snuffed it out, waiting. “Nick?”

He exhaled loudly, a cloud of smoke blowing around her that she swatted towards the cracked door. The coughing started before he even finished his breath, the next one bubbling up his throat before the previous one finished. His throat and nose burned, and he could’ve sworn he felt his trachea vibrating with every ragged cough.

“Cough as hard as you can, it helps,” she coached, rubbing his back when he rolled onto his stomach to smother his teary eyed face in the carpet.

The ferocity of the coughing rang down his arms, his head throbbing when he managed to sit back up, but with the calming of his body came… warmth.

Nick cleared his throat over and over, wiping the back of his hands across his eyes, but the warmth surrounding his head was making it hard to keep his eyes open. They felt like they could fall into a slumber at any moment, but his mind was as wakeful as ever. He glanced down at his body; why did he feel so… floaty? He cleared his throat again of its scratch while rocking side to side, tensing his arms. Upon lifting his hand, he found he still had full coordination.

He snorted, coughing a little.

“Are you okay?” His head snapped around, finding Callie staring at him in suspense. “How do you feel?”

He inhaled. “I feel like there’s cotton in m’head,” he mumbled, an eye closing. “Like fuzzy cotton,”

She repressed giggles. “But are you okay?”

He nodded loosely, looking around their cluttered room. “It’s like being drunk but sober,”

“I’ve never been able to explain it that well,” Callie grieved, her arms throwing up into the air. “Are you gonna be one of those insightful people when you’re stoned?”

Nick blinked, his eyes reflecting when Callie snapped a photo of him. “Who?” he asked.

“Oh my god.” Callie mumbled.

“Damn,” Nick exclaimed under his breath, his face twisted in horror.

“I know,” Callie nodded, her knee draped over his thigh.

“Could you imagine…?

“No. It’s bad enough we have dragons,” she said against his chest. Every blink felt like eternity.

“Imagine if they did that,” Nick pictured, his body shuddering under hers. “What’s this movie called?”

“Princess Mononoke,”

He scoffed; no way he was remembering that. Nick took a final bite of their ordered dinner, chewing slowly as he stretched to rest the bowl on his nightstand. Maybe this would finally calm his voracious appetite, but as long as Callie kept opening that bag of Doritos, he was hopeless.

“I’m gonna gain thirty pounds by tomorrow,” he mumbled into her hair, the both of them chuckling.

“I never lost my thirty,” she pouted comically, stuffing another chip into her mouth.

“Damn, what that mouth do?” he teased around a yawn.

“Yo mama,” she mumbled, giggling when he snorted.

Silence lulled between the two snuggled and surrounded by snacks in the bed, both of their minds lost somewhere in the clouds as they re-watched various Netflix series.

He thought he’d heard her slip in and out of sleep earlier, but truth be told, he could’ve been listening to himself breathe. There had been a few times his reddened eyes snapped open to be in the middle of a completely different episode, but mentioning it would be admitting he was falling asleep which he continued to adamantly deny. With a blind reach, he retrieved his phone from the nightstand.

Just a little past midnight, but way too late. He was enjoying this too much, though. Nick was only selfish in the sense that sometimes he just wanted to snuggle right up to Callie and feel her body against his. The last time they’d had a moment like this without Leo in the way was at the beginning of her pregnancy, and laying like this only made him realize how long ago that was.

“We should be in bed,” Nick mumbled, rubbing his eye.

“We are in bed,” she laughed, sliding her cheek up to look at him.

“You know what I mean. Big day tomorrow,” he looked down at her, reaching to move some of her hair from her cheek so he could better see those big eyes that always sparkled.

“Everytime I think about it I get so nervous,” she whispered.

“Why?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. It feels like that first time I met you at Santa Monica. I stress ate like seven funnel cakes. I was so anxious,” she admitted shyly.

“I changed a bunch of times. Couldn’t decide on anything,”

“Oh you did good, sir,” she winced, biting her bottom lip. “You could’ve drowned in my panties,”

“I would’ve if your sister hadn’t’ve interrupted,” he grumbled, forever bitter.

“Oh hush, it was a sign we would be together forever,”

“How so?” he questioned, twisting in her direction a little.

“I would’ve never called a guy back if that happened with anyone else, but you were so perfect that I swallowed the embarrassment and saved my horniness for another day,”

Nick smiled, a big goofy one. “Shut up,”

“Shut me up then,” she came back with, fast as a whip.

His eyes dropped to her lips, lingering before coming back to her eyes. “Isn’t that bad luck?”

“It was bad luck when we both ended up home,” she whispered, the weight of her hand once on his chest now coming to stretch across his meat.

That was enough convincing for Nick.

Callie was a little slower getting over him, but her heated kisses kept him concentrated on what they both wanted. When she was in her spot sitting in his lap, he could better taste her tongue after pulling her chest flush against his, his strong hands quickly continuing to her round ass he pulled back and forth over his growing dick. A steadying hand against his chest meant he could leave her skin that was marked red where he grabbed, her hips resuming the motions.

With his bottom lip pinched between his teeth, he easily pulled her loose sleeping shorts aside, revealing her plump pussy lips.

He could already feel how warm she was through his sweats, shortening his breaths in anticipation.

“You’re so hot,” he admired, looking up in time for her hair to fan around them when leaning down to kiss him. Strong, sinewy arms wrapped tightly around her waist, grounding himself to the angel that squirmed in his hold deliciously. Silently, inwardly, he thanked those who had blessed him with such a girl, promising to worship more as soon as he was done with this.

A firm tug on the ends of her shirt had it flying past her fingertips, thrown to the floor.

Callie gripped the railing to the headboard when he pulled her chest into his open mouth, a long lick gliding over a hardened nipple that had goosebumps fire up her arms. She snickered when he smacked his lips a few times, moving onto the other side. An old technique had her limp in his hold, her thighs tightening at his sides. He encouraged her hips to keep moving, his cock desperate for attention, but her mind was only a pool of melted pleasure at that point.

A hard gasp fell from her wet lips when he graced her clit with tight circles, hanging off of his neck to look down at his hand flat against her lower stomach as his thumb massaged her into a trance. Gradually her eyes fell shut, hair sticking to her cheeks while she panted softly.

His loose smile made her rock into his touch. “You want it already, don’t you?” he asked quietly, his voice vibrating with growls; Callie could only nod. He pecked her sloppily. “Get naked,”

Callie stumbled off into the center of the bed to kick off her shorts and socks, moving onto the food and remotes and phones that were now being swept onto the floor without a care.

Nick’s shirt and sweats had already been tossed off, but now as he rummaged through the drawer of his bedside table, his excitement was plummeting. Here was the box, but…

“We’re out of condoms,” he announced, looking back at her sat naked at the center of the bed on her knees with her dishevelled hair a mess around her shoulders. It only added to the tragedy of the situation.

“So?” she asked, her fingers drumming against her thighs.

Nick stood straight, his head cocking.

Since she’d been cleared for sex there hadn’t been a session they forgot to use protection, no matter how it dampened the sensation. He’d done it for her, for he wasn’t the one who’d be carrying anymore surprise babies, although it was the memory of her sweet, bare pussy around his unsheathed cock that helped bring him to an end, now. He’d wanted to ask her, even just for one quick slide in, but Nick had always assumed this was the new norm until either of them were snipped.

“Are you- really?” he asked.

“I hate them, Nick. I’m so over using them,” she exhaled, her shoulders drooping. “I’ve been trying to be good but if I have to ride your dick one more time with a balloon over it-”

She yelped, her legs pulled from under her ass and Nick finding his spot between her flailed knees when she realized what happened.

The mood shifted again, and suddenly they were in perfect sync.

Her knees drew upwards when the top of his thighs pressed under her bottom, his hand finding its place at the bend of her leg that was closest to her chest.

She made it up onto an elbow when he spit at his tip pressed against her entrance, her hand hovering against his belly.

“I’ll go slow,” he soothed, meeting her eyes. The first time they’d reunited in bed, his excitement resulted in hurting her, and from that came the need to remind him to be gentle, even this far down the road. A guilt he’d always carry, but he’d work on fixing it.

It didn’t burn this time his head popped in, his thick shaft following until she was filled to his base. Her shoulders fell back with a loud sigh while his eyes slammed shut, pressing to her as tightly as he could. He’d dived into a pool of ecstasy, sending strong shivers up and down his spine as he basked in her heat.

The stinging tug of a condom was at last absent, and there was only Nick’s velvet skin gliding against hers, creating the friction she so wildly desired.

“Baby,” she called, holding the hand at her leg when he stared down at where they were joined. His dilated eyes landed on hers, a low snarl curling his lips when he withdrew only to slip back in.

Her head rolled back in time with her eyes, a loud moan rumbling under the hand that slid up his chest when he rested forward on his hands, her knee hooked around his chiseled arm. He’d draw out until her heat was kissing his head, just so he could feel that delicious pressure before pushing back in. Nick leaned into one hand so he could touch her, dragging his rough hands up and down her body that gravitated towards his caresses. When her pussy bucked into his thrust, a surprised moan came from him, an eager thrust bouncing her.

A low, rumbling growl moved into her when he yanked her hips up in line with his, his nostrils flaring as he scented them together like this.

“Do it,” she smiled, her feet planted into the sheets behind him.

Their eyes locked during the time he adjusted his feet beneath himself, his breaths deep and loud. A few leisure bucks were her warmup, and then came that smirk. She bowed until she balanced on her shoulder blades, his grunts and chuffs nothing compared to the singing made in his name during his fucking. He was a force driven purely by instinct; the need to fill his girl again, to lay claim to what would officially be his that day.

The slapping of their bodies coming together drowned out the TV beside them, Callie’s resounding cries piled atop his raucous moans as he shoved his way into her body again and again, her juices covering them as he pounded that spot hidden deep between her tightening walls.

Her ass was dropped from his hold so he could lean forward for a kiss, her mind spinning when he rolled her on top of him.

With a flip of her head to move her hair off her sticky back, Callie sat straight, her fingertips guiding him back in as her knees slid out until she was sitting flat on him, flinching when his tip found the back of her pussy.

God, she was so small in his hands when he held her cinched waist; if he stuck his thumbs out, they could touch.

A deep moan rang in his chest when she snapped her hips back and forth, her sweet cunt massaging his entire length. When a dip of her center was particularly low, she’d gasp, holding her stomach where it felt he was poking, but a wide smile always followed those overpowering shocks of spine curling bliss.

Nick held steadfast to her hips, guilty in keeping her flat against himself so there was the added friction on his head.

“Oh fuck,” he drawled, his hand landing back into the sheets.

“Nick-” she gasped, her hand flying to his chest. “I’m-”

His last burst of energy was used flipping them again so she was spread below him, his hands hooking under her knees to push back into the bedding beside her ribs.

There was no more words as he poked his way back in, pistoning into her with such power her toes curled, her arms falling limp above her head when her climax came crashing around her. In an instant, she was stiff as a board, her legs strong enough to fight past his hold and stretch straight in tight trembles at his sides as he continued. When she could catch her breath, she shouted, a deep flush blooming across her cheeks and chest. Nick watched with a proud smile as she convulsed under him, her silent mumbles barely words as she came down from her high.

Her limp thighs shook mightily in his hold when he pushed them apart, their bodies touching in a paused moment so he could adore her with soft kisses.

She was still breathless as he brushed his lips across her jaw, her soft throat pulsing with the blood racing through her. Her pussy throbbed dully around him compared to the fist like hold he barely made it through moments ago.

A soft whisper in his ear brought the tempo back up, but Nick wanted to stay like this.

A beauty such as her was only admired best this close, and even though she’d found her climax, she whimpered below him, holding his face as he fucked her sweetly. Her ankles locked behind him, a heady groan to follow before he dropped his face beside hers.

“Should I cum on your stomach?” he panted, his thrusts weakening as the pleasure peaked.

“Inside me,” she kissed into his cheek, tightening the hold with her legs. “Cum inside me baby,”

The hand lost in her hair gripped her roots, a loud hiss coming from between her teeth when his entire body tightened and jerked against her flushed cunt. The screaming engine of Nick’s orgasm overtook him like a wave would at the beach, ringing from every end of his body and back to his center that spilled into his ecstatically beautiful bride to be. He grunted with every thick stream of semen forced into the space they both snuggly occupied, slowly stilling until they were both a heaving pile of sweaty parts and cloudy minds.

He worried he’d crush her the longer he laid over her, but the soft gliding of her hands up and down his back were too good to pass up. He exhaled, his face buried between the mattress and her head. “Fuck,”

Callie giggled, her cheek leaning into his so he’d force himself up to look at her. The urgency was gone in their kisses, but now he could feel how sleepy she was.

“Ready?” he asked against her mouth, only moving when she nodded. Her thighs trembled when he dragged out of her, bringing a thick stream of the nectar he’d left behind.

“Oh I can feel that,” she grimaced, sitting up on her elbows warily. It wasn’t clear at that point if it was the weed or sex that had left her feeling like her head was vacant.

“You should see it,” he smirked, his cocky pride coming through. “How many siblings did you want Leo to have?”

“Ha,” she shouted. “Good luck getting me pregnant ever again. My body said one and done,” she grunted sitting up, scurrying off to the bathroom after Nick had hoisted her up. He didn’t answer, and wouldn’t. Callie adored the idea of having a big family, but the night the topic came up when Leo was two months old, it only ended in her confiding in Nick that she felt she’d never be so lucky again. She wasn’t wrong in saying her body would likely fight off pregnancy for years, maybe endlessly if they ever tried again. Where it once happened so effortlessly, the time following to get where they were now had left them both a little… doubtful.

Nick yanked the blanket off their bed, tossing it beside the door so he could flop into the cool sheets of the mattress after turning off the lights and TV. His arms were already open when she came wobbling back in, her naked body collapsing into his. They rolled and wiggled until they found their spots, her head tucked under his chin and their legs tangled.

“We broke like four traditions,” she mumbled through a closed jaw.

“Thinking about it, I don’t think it applies to us,” he yawned; the sleepiness was at last getting to him. She looked up at him curiously.

“Our whole relationship is taboo. Curses don’t apply to morally incorrect choices,” he explained, laughing when she did.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” she settled, her soft smile lingering when he rubbed her arm. The soft breeze from their ceiling fan moved her loose hair around his arm, tickling his skin, but the gentle strokes across his chest from her was lulling him into sleep.

“You’re not gonna bail on me tomorrow, right?” she asked suddenly, and his eyes opened.

He leaned away from her so he could better see her face when she looked up. “Why would you ask that?”

“I had to ask, my mind wouldn’t let me put it to rest,” she sighed. “I’m sorry,”

“Hey,” he pulled her chin up, holding her face. “I’ve been trying to get you to marry me for years, remember?”

She giggled, nodding. “What if right when I said yes you were like ‘fuck, she said yes, what do I do now?’”

“Oh my god that brain of yours,” he sighed, laying back down to pull her tight against his chest. “I’ll prove it to you when I’m waiting at the altar,”

“Promise?” she asked, her big eyes already closed. He pushed some hair aside, her lids fluttering a moment.

“Always.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

did i plant a seed in this chapter? are those church bells in the distance? honeymoon in san diego where they have the best tacos HWHAT?

only 3 chapters left! ;_; thanks for reading, my loves! ❤

[cryptocurrencypredictions]

<h1>What Is The Palm Coastline Letter By Teeka Tiwari?</h1>

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The adhering to statements are planned to aid those interested in watching the main 10-year investment record published by Mr. Teeka Tiwari. John Parker is a money writer as well as journalist based in the Outer Banks, NC. He worked in finance for several years prior to branching out into his creating occupation. He is The Supply Dork's chief review author as well as deals with numerous various other on-line magazines. The Hand Beach Letter is an outstanding source for people who wish to learn more regarding cryptocurrency. If you're interested in a research study service for crypto, you can't top this offer. Bear in mind, your acquisition will auto-renew at complete cost when your 12-month membership period ends, so make certain you allow the author understand if you don't want to restore.

The initial business is positioned as a "gatekeeper" that has actually been cleared by the SEC to trade blockchain financial investments. I was impressed at just how much material we covered in this solitary interview and I think you will certainly be also. We dove deep on topics such as bitcoin as well as smart agreement methods and also obtained a good sense of what wise money is considering this new as well as exciting crypto possession class. Having worked in Wall Road for years, Teeka Tiwari is an expert, but is not a registered economic consultant and also wealth manager.

Each issue consists of recommendations, suggestions, and also advised investments right from Tiwari himself. Stay tuned to figure out if this research study solution deserves the cost of admission. Go there for the totally free e-newsletter and that will certainly obtain you on the planet of your knowledge. I personally have studied who you are, what you're doing, as well as your competence. It's a world that when you begin to get in, you seem like you have actually gotten some water after going across the Sahara due to the fact that it's so rejuvenating and so quickly understood in a manner that's not with all the hype however with all the understandings. It's this concept of making use of the blockchain to take something that's illiquid and making it fluid with some social influence thrown in.

Throughout the lead-up to the occasion, Teeka and his team will certainly send you "approach sessions" where he reviews the relevance of the $1 trillion market cap-- and also why he thinks one details coin will be the beside reach it. Any person can participate in the webinar in exchange for entering their email right into the on the internet kind. Just send your email address, begin receiving communication from Palm Coastline Study Group, and also get a totally free web link to the webinar for the online program. Tiwari is likewise the writer of other advisory solutions, including Palm Coastline Confidential, Teeka Tiwari's Alpha Side, Palm Coastline Quant, and Palm Beach Crypto Earnings Quarterly, in addition to Hand Coastline Express.

The Palm Beach Letter Evaluation.

Now, this information alone is factor enough for you to back up the vehicle. That means it will additionally be established to deal with billions in institutional money. He believes these sorts of astonishing numbers are what lies in advance for the Liberty 2020 financial investment seekers once the pre-initial public offering goes public on IPO day.

One more 1,900% move would certainly push Bitcoin over $300,000. We're at an unique minute in Bitcoin history. Years from now, individuals will look back currently as the time the last time you could get in on cryptocurrencies at an excellent price.

Advise you have a good time burning $3500 in your backyard fire pit, to not be related to Teeka. Hand Coastline Research Team is part of Agora, Inc., a network of over 30 companies in the posting, info solutions, and also property markets. We also alloted a little portion of The Hand Coastline Letter portfolio for clever speculations like cryptocurrencies, mayhem hedges like gold, and off-Wall Street concepts like tax-lien investing. These financial investments have the capacity to make outsized gains. The service offers a wide range of info on a wide array of spending subjects, and the e-newsletter gives consistent updates on the most recent market relocations. Each concern of the newsletter has all the suggestions, methods, and also supply suggestions, and also much more.

And also according to Bloomberg, his firm has done a 180 and is now "determining customer demand" for Bitcoin. Can you envision what these large players could do to Bitcoin's price? Combined, they have $16 trillion under monitoring. I began recommending cryptocurrencies in April, 2016 ... long before the current run-up. I informed my readers that cryptos were the modern version of the early '90s technology market ... That one day, we would certainly look back on some of these cryptos just like we do Microsoft, Apple, and also Dell. Back prior to they shot up 40,000%, 50,000%, 90,000%.

So I recommended it when it was trading for just $9. I had a completely different experience to this guy's, as did my pal that does not wish to be called. He and also a close friend did transfer to Puerto Rico as a result of their extreme crypto currency gains to prevent paying outrageous IRS taxes. The writer claims his buddy lost money in the hand beach crypto letter. inquiry if he even used any type of knowledge?

I had my next-door neighbor good friend call the number as well as they addressed almost immediately assuming they were going to get an order. I after that continued to inform them I wanted a refund that I can not utilize their item and was told that there were no refunds and also was informed on the workshop such. I am mad with both PalmBeach and also Glenn Beck for scamming me right into this without means to obtain my cash back otherwise pleased. The mail likewise had the information of an additional annual plan that they were offering as Hand Coastline Revenue choices solution which set you back $3000. I was never ever interested in alternatives and also determined to request for a refund. I emailed to Palm Beach letter client service requesting a refund as well as mailing the cheque to my address, nonetheless I feel the possibilities of them doing so, is slim.

[stayatsam]

commissions psa

im going to try to pace myself really well with tackling commissions while being a full time student working on an independent study 

the plus side of big batches is that people can get a slot pretty easily but the downside of that comes with longer wait times per batch because of burnout. and also just generally being overwhelmed by a long list LOL.

but moving forward until winter break (mid December) i’m going to take about 3-4 at a time. 2 paintings and 2 flats, instead of 5 and 5. this would ideally let me do a batch once every month! 

but i’m nearing the end of the current batch so stay tuned if you’re interested in snagging a commission from me some time! my style has changed somewhat and i’m becoming far more confident with certain aspects of painting and flat coloring that i’ll raise prices a tad to reflect that

i’m currently not planning to open up the full paintings that you see me do (such as in my pinned post) due to the stress of when i had those open before, but it may be a possibility for a “special slot” i keep open sometimes for certain designs. it’d require a lot more conversation between me and the commissioner than usual so that we can walk through it. it’d also be more expensive than the bust portraits

if you ever have questions about commissions past present and future you can always email me at sbradley06903@gmail.com

[abundanceofsoph]

SkyFire 2: Chapter 16

“Darling, Just Hold On”: Nov/Dec 2016

Word count: 4.7k

SkyFire 2 MASTERLIST

I’ve been debating whether to write this chapter for weeks and I’m still not entirely sure whether I should have skipped it. While I use real people's names and real life events in this story, in my head they’re all fictional characters since I don’t really know them or how they would actually act in any of these situations. I more just use their likeness and their situations to inspire the story so this chapter was something I didn’t feel like I should include. I tried not to focus too much on Johannah but I felt the bond between Louis and Aurora was so beautiful that I decided to keep this chapter in. I hope you understand why I’ve made this decision.

This chapter's also a bit longer than usual because I wanted to soften the blow of the angst with some domestic fluff. Anyway, we all know what’s coming in this chapter so I'll stop stalling and get on with it.

>Instagram posts

After the trip away, Harry and Aurora decided to stay in London in anticipation of attending the X Factor finale where Louis was going to perform his debut single with Steve Aoki. After the show,  Anne and Robin would once again be joining them in New York for the holidays, but in the meantime, they were enjoying spending a few weeks at Harry’s Hampstead house and catching up with Rori’s friends.

One of those days they headed south to Wimbledon, walking the familiar streets of Aurora’s childhood, their winter outfits helping to hide them from prying eyes, however they were stopped a couple of times by observant fans. Aurora offered to take their photos with Harry but he asked them not to post until that evening so that they could enjoy their day without being mobbed. They headed for the Golden Stag as the sun began to set, grateful for the warmth that greeted them as they stepped through the doors. Greg was working behind the bar, his face lighting up as he watched them approach him and he walked around the end of the bar to sweep Rori into his arms. She buried her face into his shoulder as he held her tightly, feeling instantly at home in his arms.

“We missed you sweetheart,” he murmured while placing kisses to the crown of her head.

“Sorry it’s been so long,” she replied, squeezing him tightly one more time before stepping back from the hug.

“Just glad you’re here now,” he smiled. “Good to see you again Harry.”

“Good to see you too, Sir,” Harry replied, offering his hand and chuckling when Greg ignored it to hug him.

“Told you before you can just call me Greg,” he said as they stepped back. “You kids hungry? Grab a table and I’ll go let Helen know that you’re both here.”

They did as they were told, sliding into Aurora’s favourite booth that was close enough to the fireplace without being too hot.

Helen rushed out of the kitchen a few minutes later, beelining straight for their table and pulling Rori out of her seat and into a bone crushing embrace. “Oh, I missed you my darling,” she cooed, holding the younger woman tightly against her. “I swear every time I see you; you look more and more like your mother.”

“Missed you too Helen,” Rori murmured, her eyes glossy in response to Helen’s words.

“Now you’re both far too thin,” she clucked. “Let me get you some food and we’ll see if we can’t put some meet on those bones.”

Harry chuckled as she rushed back towards the kitchen and Aurora settled herself back into the booth. “I like her,” he said. “She reminds me of mum.”

“She reminds me of mine too,” Rori smiled softly, reaching across the table to take Harry’s hand in hers. “Always feel closer to her when I’m here. We should visit more.”

“Well once we buy a place of our own on this side of the river, we can visit all the time.”

“Sounds perfect.”

After dinner, Rori was eyeing the piano in the far corner, her lips twitching up in a slight grin as she remembered the hours she had spent sitting on that bench growing up. Her smile dropped as she once again berated herself for that stupid fall in the lobby a few weeks ago, knowing that she still had another week before she could wear her prosthetic and she was itching to play. “How do you feel about being my left hand?” she asked Harry.

“And what would you need my left hand for?” he asked, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips.

“When Louis was at tower over summer, he’d play the left hand for me on the piano before I got my prosthetic. Thought we could maybe try that out.”

Harry smiled widely. “Sounds fun. Lead the way.”

Aurora’s answering grin lit up her face and she jumped to her feet joyfully, grabbing Harry’s hand and tugging him across the room towards the piano. The pub wasn’t crowded, with only a few of the regulars on their stools at the bar, a few families finishing their dinner and a couple of young girls sitting by the door. Aurora had noticed the girls flicking glances towards her and Harry over the past hour, and she was pretty sure they were working up the courage to come over and say hi. She laughed as she imagined the stories they would tell their friends tomorrow about Harry Styles playing the piano in the little pub where they had dinner. Helen watched the pair take a seat on the old piano bench, smiling as they laughed, trying to find the rhythm. They stuttered over the start of a song a couple of times before they got the timing right, settling into the tune. Most of the patrons ignored the pair, a few of the regulars smiling softly at the familiar sound after so many years, and the table of girls by the door watched on with rapt attention. Both Aurora and Harry wore matching grins as they played, their arms slung around each other’s backs as together they wove the melody of familiar songs eventually beginning to sing, giving the unsuspecting patrons an exclusive performance that others would have paid hundreds of pounds to attend if given the chance.

xXx

After having dinner at the Golden Stag, Rori and Harry spent the remaining weeks of November meeting with both their wedding planner and their realtor.

The wedding planning was relatively easy going, seeing as how everything was booked in and ready to go. Aurora still had a few more dress fittings in the new year but otherwise everything was finalised for the big day in only a few months’ time.

The house hunting on the other hand was a little less under control. Harry had agreed with Aurora when she suggested that they look at apartments and penthouses as apposed to free standing houses. Her reasoning had been that she wanted to avoid the issues they’d had with fans camping outside Erskine House, and while they were hoping to avoid the publicizing of their new address, they both knew that it would only be a matter of time before Harry’s fans figured it out. Aurora loved his fans and was incredibly grateful that so many people recognised how incredibly talented he was and appreciated him, but she also got frustrated by how invasive they sometimes got about every tiny aspect of his life, and by extension hers as well. After deciding that they wanted an apartment, Aurora had stipulated that they buy south of the river so that she could be closer to Wimbledon, and Harry decreed that they needed at least 4 bedrooms in addition to the master suite. He planned on turning one into an art studio for Aurora, while another could become a simple recording studio, nothing close to the scale of her studios in Avengers Tower, but just a little something to make it feel like home. He hadn’t mentioned anything to Aurora, but the reason he wanted 2 bedrooms left over once they created the studios, was that he planned for one to be turned into a nursey while the other could remain as a traditional guest room for when their families visited. All of these aspects, as well as the need for plenty of room for Harry’s car collection had left their poor realtor, Lee, with the unenviable job of finding the perfect place for the young couple. He found them four different properties and set up private inspections for each.

The first was in Southwark and Harry was immediately impressed the moment they walked into the lobby and were greeted by the doorman. The security of the building was excellent and they both smiled softly at each other as they took the elevator to the 24th floor with Lee.

“Now this isn’t the penthouse apartment,” Lee explained as the entered the apartment. “But there’s only two apartments above you and there’s shared access between you and 3 other apartments for the rooftop garden.”

Aurora let go of Harry’s hand as they wandered into the main living area, large windows opening out to the Thames and a beautiful view of the city.

“The kitchen and entertainment area are all on this level with a bathroom off the entry hall,” Lee continued as they walked around. “There’s 4 bedrooms upstairs including the master suite with walk in robe and ensuite, with an additional bathrooms for the guest rooms.”

“Only 3 spare rooms?” Harry asked. “Not ideal.”

“I don’t really like the idea of climbing those stairs every day,” Aurora added.

“How about we head to the second property?” Lee asked, accepting immediately that this was not the right fit. “We can always come back if you change your mind.”

Harry motioned for Lee to lead the way and they headed back to the elevator. Once they reached the ground they climbed into Harry’s car.

The second property was only a few minutes away, still in Southwark, and just behind the Tate Modern. “I like the idea of just popping over to the galleries,” Aurora noted as they entered the apartment and spotted the familiar building out the window, the river and Millennium bridge also filling in the landscape sprawled out in front of them. While the building ticked off everything on their list, there was something missing that neither Harry nor Aurora could put their finger on. Whatever it was, the third apartment in Vauxhall was also missing it, leaving them with only one property left to view.

“It’s not available today but we can view it on Tuesday if you want to meet me there at 2pm,” Lee explained once they left the third apartment.

“That works for us,” Harry agreed, “we’ll see you then.”

xXx

They arrived in Battersea a few hours before they were meant to meet up with Lee to view the final property on his list, opting to grab lunch in a nearby café and then wander through Battersea Park.

“I used to come here a lot with my mum,” Rori said as they walked, arm in arm, rugged up against the cold wind blowing in off the Thames. “Used to love going to the kid’s zoo, but mum really loved all the flowers, so we’d come every weekend in spring.”

“It’s beautiful here,” Harry agreed. “We filmed a music video here.”

“I know,” Rori laughed. “As soon as the fans found out you were here, Ella actually came down after school to try and meet you all.”

“Really?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, and I would have been right next to her, but I’d already moved to New York. Still remember watching the video and just feeling so nostalgic. Think that’s why it was my favourite song for so long.”

“You never told me that was your favourite.”

“Because it’s embarrassing, Harry.”

“No, it’s not,” he argued. “I think it’s really cute they you were such a big fan. Imagine if you didn’t like our music. You probably wouldn’t have gone to that after party with me and we never would have gotten the chance to get to know each other if you hated the band.”

“It’s still embarrassing to remember I used to read fanfiction about the man who is about to be my husband,” she replied, laughing softly as they turned towards the river.

“I’m flattered,” Harry promised, kissing her cheek as she blushed. “Now let’s go see our dream home, hopefully.”

Lee was waiting for them outside the riverside apartment building, the ever impressive Battersea Power Station looming next door. The lobby was empty when Lee led them inside Scott House, using a key card to activate the elevator. He explained on the short ride to the 8th floor that the building was nearing completion and the first round of tenants were due to start moving in at the beginning of February.

The elevator opened onto a pristine hallway; the colour scheme monochromatic which was very much to Auroras taste. Lee turned right out of the elevator, leading them to the apartment’s front door, once again using the key card to gain access.

They entered into an entry hall that led straight into what Lee called the reception room, which flowed through to a kitchen/dining area. “This was originally designed to be 3 separate units, but they altered it to create one large 5 bedroom penthouse,” he explained as they entered. “There are 4 other units on this floor, but the sound proofing is state of the art, so you won’t be able to hear them. There’s a secondary entrance from the main hall into the apartment that leads directly into the kitchen so you can bypass the entry hall.” He pointed out the specific features of the kitchen and the enclosed patio that was marketed as a winter garden that ran the length of the apartment, looking out at the power station to their right and the river on the left. “Because it was originally three units,” Lee continued as he led them down a long hallway off the kitchen, “you get three parking spots in the underground garage.”

Aurora sensed Harry brightening at this, but her attention was focused on the 4 bedrooms, office space, study and utility room that Lee pointed out as they passed. Each bedroom had its own bathroom and built in robes with an additional walk-in situated in between them all.  They returned back to the central kitchen via the winter garden, and Rori found herself falling in love with the property more and more with every step. In its unfinished state she was able to imagine the furniture she could buy to fill the space and the colours she would paint the walls, really making a home for herself and Harry.

“And now if we head back through the reception room,” Lee said as he directed them. “You have the master bedroom with the spacious walk-in and dressing room which lead through to the ensuite with a full size tub at one end and a twin shower head in the shower at the other end of the room. His and hers basins and marble tiling.”

“God damn,” Rori muttered as she looked around, picturing the décor she could add to bring out their personalities in the space. “H, I love it.”

“Me too,” Harry replied, equally impressed with the entire apartment.

“It’s not listed yet, so if you can organise the down payment, I’d say we can get it locked down within the next few weeks.”

“Let’s sit down and talk contracts,” Harry replied, watching as Aurora’s smile grew as they walked back out into the bedroom.

“How about you meet me at my office in the morning and we can go over all the specifics then?” Lee asked to which Harry agreed.

“You happy, love?” Harry asked, turning to see Rori standing out on the balcony leading off the master bedroom, looking towards the Power Station. She turned back to him, her face aglow with excitement.

“I can see us starting a family here Harry,” she replied, letting out a surprised squeal as Harry picked her up and held her tightly against him, kissing her cheek.

“Me too my love,” he replied. “Me too.”

xXx

They were lying in bed on a Tuesday evening in the beginning of December, Harry’s head resting in Rori’s lap as she sat against the headboard reading. She was finally able to start wearing her prosthetic again, so she was holding the book in her left hand, the fingers of her right tangled in Harry’s curls. His own hands traced patterns across her thighs, a comfortable silence stretching around them. That silence was shattered as Harry’s phone started ringing on the nightstand and Aurora barely looked up from her book as she passed it to him. His head was still resting in her lap as he answered the call and she felt him freeze against her, a soft gasp escaping his lips.

“We’re on our way,” he said softly, clambering off the bed before Rori could even get her bookmark in place. He started throwing on clothes as she asked him what was going on, and it was clear that he hadn’t heard her at all.

“HARRY!” she yelled, finally breaking through to him. He froze, turning to look at her, his eyes wide and haunted. “What’s happening? What’s wrong.”

“Jay,” was all he said, his voice barely more than a whisper and there was nothing else he needed to say as Rori felt her blood run cold, certain that the haunted look in Harry’s eyes was now echoed in hers. She didn’t say a word, but just as quickly got dressed and moved to pack an overnight bag for the both of them. They were out the door and in the car within minutes. They’d both known this was coming for a while, but everyone had been hoping that she’d make it past the holidays. It took them 3 hours to reach Doncaster, and neither spoke as Harry drove through the night. Aurora turned the radio off after the first pop song played, so at odds with the sombre mood inside the car that she couldn’t handle it.

It was well after midnight by the time they reached Doncaster and headed straight to the Deakin house. Harry texted Louis to let him know they were there, not expecting a reply and not receiving one, and they let themselves inside with the spare key. Despite the late hour neither Harry nor Aurora could think of sleeping and Aurora started tidying up the living room. By the time the sun rose, they’d cleaned most of the house and Harry had thrown together a casserole to put in the oven when everyone got home. They collapsed on the sofa; phones clenched in their hands as they waited to hear.

It was nearing lunchtime when they heard cars pull into the driveway and slow trudging footsteps reached the front door. Aurora was waiting with her arms open and Louis fell into them gladly, holding her tightly as he cried. Harry hugged a few of the girls before moving to Dan’s side and ushering them all into the living room. He busied himself making tea while Louis and Rori continued to cling to each other. No one spoke beyond quite murmurs of thanks and the young couple spent the day doing whatever they could to help, ensuring that the grieving family ate before turning in to bed later in the evening.

They left Doncaster Friday afternoon, driving back to London and leaving Louis  with his family to be together before heading to Wembley the next day. They had assumed that Louis would be cancelling his appearance on X Factor, but he shocked both of them that morning when he announced he was going ahead with the show. They promised to be there and hugged everyone tightly before climbing into their car. Neither spoke on the drive south, both physically and emotionally exhausted by the past two days.

“I just spent the whole time we were there wanting to say something to help Lou, but I had no idea what to say,” Harry admitted once they dropped their overnight bags inside the entry hall of the house.

“There’s nothing you can say,” Aurora said, walking to his side to wrap him in a tight hug. “Not really. At least that’s how it felt when mum died. Anytime anyone told me it was going to be ok I just wanted to scream.”

“Did anything help?” Harry asked softly, his face buried in the crook of her neck.

“Ella stayed over at the hospital that first night. She didn’t say anything, but she just held me. Looking back now, that meant more than anything else. Just knowing that she was there and that I wasn’t alone. That’s what I’ve been trying to do for Lou and the girls, just make sure they feel that they’re not alone.”

“I hate that you ever had to go through that, but I’m glad he has someone that knows what it’s like,” Harry said. “Sorry that sounded really shitty.”

“No I get it,” Rori replied, “and I’m glad I can be there for him too.”

They trudged upstairs and collapsed into bed, neither having the energy or appetite to think about dinner and instead just cuddled up next to each other under the covers. They were silent for a while, both sitting in their own grief until Harry started shaking.

“I can’t help but think we’re going to do this again with Robin,” he sobbed.

“Oh Harry,” Rori sighed, holding him tightly as he cried into her chest. “You can’t think like that. Robin’s tough. He’s going to fight, and he’ll be ok. We deserve the win.”

“We thought that about Jay,” he pointed out.

“I know,” Aurora agreed. “I’m scared too but if I let myself think about it then it’s going to crush us Harry. We have to believe he’ll be ok because we don’t have any other option.”

xXx

They were backstage at Wembley, a little under an hour before the show was set to start and there were plenty of people rushing around getting everything ready. For the most part people were leaving them alone, aware of what had happened and thankfully giving them all space. The boys were all there, as were Lottie and Flic, however Dan and the rest of the kids had stayed back in Doncaster. Occasionally someone would come over to offer their sympathy, while Steve took care of all the technical problems in preparation for the performance. Louis had already gotten through the sound check earlier, mostly holding it together and now was just sitting quietly with his sisters, trying to prepare to go out in front of the sold out crowd, and live tv audience.

“Hey Rori, can we go for a walk?” Louis asked not long before he was needed on stage. She nodded, standing up immediately and following him out of the room. They walked the hallways of the backstage area with his arm around her shoulders and hers firmly around his waist. Aurora stayed quiet, knowing that Louis would let her know what he needed from her. “The night we met,” he finally said, “It was the AMAs, remember?”

“Yeah I remember,” she replied, her voice matching his near whisper.

“That was the first time you performed after your mum?”

“It was the first time on my own,” she explained. “I’d done a couple of smaller shows with the band but that was the first time on my own.”

“How did you do it?”

“It was different. I’d had a few years of missing her, so it wasn’t as fresh, but it was still really hard, especially since the song was about her. I know you’re really asking how you’re supposed to go out there tonight and I don’t really have an answer for that.”

“Yeah, I know, sorry. You’re just the only one I know who’s been where I am right now.”

“You never have to apologise to me Lou. I’ll help however I can because I wish I’d had someone who knew how it felt. But you have something I didn’t have; you’ve got your family and you’ll all get through this together. I guess the best advice I can give is that she loved watching you on stage. She really fucking loved it and she was so proud of you. So am I.” They both started crying and stopped walking to bury their face in the curve of each other’s necks. “I love you so much big brother,” Rori whispered. “We’re all here to help you and the girls through this. You’re not alone.”

“Love you too Rors. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she whispered. “Now go out there and show the world our song.”

“Our song?” Louis scoffed, a small chuckle accompanying his words.

Aurora smiled in response and even though Louis knew exactly what she was doing, he appreciated her giving him shit like she always did. Just this little bit of normalcy helped him to believe that she was right and that it wouldn’t always hurt this much.

“Of course it’s our song,” she joked. “I helped you write the chorus when you stayed with me over summer. I expect my royalty cheques in the mail soon.”

“Not a chance love,” Louis laughed. “You can have the family discount off the merch though.”

“So kind of you.”

xXx

Harry stood behind Aurora as the song began, his arms wrapped tightly around her, his chest pressed firmly against her back and his chin resting on the crown of her head. She watched in awe as Louis jumped around the stage, tears streaming down her face as each line of the song hit like the lashes of a whip.

The sun goes down and it comes back up The world it turns no matter what Oh-oh-oh, if it all goes wrong Darling, just hold on

Even though she’d been the one to help write them, Aurora felt as though every word was slicing at her heart. Like every word was a screaming plea for things to have ended differently. For her to still be here with them. For her to still be here with him.

As the lights came up and the crowd cheered, Aurora brushed aside her tears, taking deep calming breathes so that by the time Louis reached them she was ready to be the shoulder he needed to lean on.

xXx

They’d stayed out late with Louis, eventually calling it a night when Aurora could barely keep her eyes open any longer. They’d collapsed into bed as soon as they returned home in the early hours of the morning, exhausted both physically and mentally.

Harry stirred as the sun streamed in through the bedroom window, the angle disorientating until he realised that it was afternoon and they had slept away half the day. He also realised that the sun had not been what woke him as he watched Rori slip into a pair of jeans, struggling to do up the buttons one handed.

“Need a hand?” he mumbled, voice husky with sleep.

She jumped a little, startled by his question before she turned to him with a cheeky grin. “I do need a hand actually. I seem to have misplaced one of mine.”

Harry rolled his eyes at her joke and motioned her over to the side of the bed so that he could reach out and do up the buttons for her. “Why are you getting dressed? Come back to bed.”

“Gonna go see mum,” she replied, kissing his forehead before grabbing a sweater off the end of the bed and slipping it over her head. “Be back in a few hours.”

“You want company or is this something you gotta do alone?” he asked softly, sitting up and letting the sheets pool around his hips.

“It’s ok baby, go back to sleep.”

“That’s not what I asked,” Harry replied. “I’m coming with you unless you want to be alone.”

“I wouldn’t mind the company,” she answered, smiling softly as Harry climbed out of the bed and slipped into his own clothes, taking her hand before leading her out of the bedroom.

An hour later Harry parked near the Wimbledon Cemetery, rounding the car to hold open the passenger door for Aurora before taking her hand and walking by her side through the large wrought iron gates. They walked quietly past the older headstones until they reached the newer plots, following the familiar winding paths until the reached Louise Bennett’s headstone. The grass was damp beneath Rori’s knees as she sank to the ground, Harry’s hand resting comfortingly on her shoulder as she reached out to brush away the dry autumn leaves on the ground.

“Hi Mumma,” she whispered. “Sorry I haven’t been to visit for a while, it’s been a pretty wild year.”

NEXT CHAPTER

OR CONTINUE READING ON AO3

[trayvonfleary-blog]

General Assembly Software Engineering Immersive

Hello All, instead of posting my normal content relating to cars and/or trucks, I will be taking a deeper dive into my daily life, particularly regarding the software engineering immersive program that I am currently undergoing, which is a technology bootcamp. For a couple of months, I am going to sway away from discussing different sectors within the automotive industry while I focus strictly on technology, but automotive is not going anywhere so stay tuned for big announcements following;)

What Is It?

Currently I’m completing General Assembly’s Software Development Immersive, which is a “12 week award-winning program that has expert instructors and career coaches, and connect graduates with 19k+ hiring partners to get them jobs at A-list companies.” It is slated as your best course for career transformation. The company boats 9,000+ hires, as it states that they are the leader in placing their grads into high-growth, and high-pay tech jobs. Yes, this is all accomplished within 12 weeks. I’m sure you’re asking, “Are these jobs guaranteed?” Of course not, but the company is quite confident. Continue reading as to “why?” after this quick infographic below illustrating what you can expect from this program.

Im currently entering into my 5th week of this program. On our first day, a General Assembly employee bursts in our classroom, after getting another graduate hired, and asked, “Did you guys here about our last cohort?”, which had ended a couple of months prior. We had no clue what she was referring to but then she claims that their last cohort had a 93%+ hire rate. Impressive right. Thats a way to bring some motivation if you had any doubts before. Who knows if this was the truth, but they were all very excited and I have personally heard from some earlier attendees about the jobs that they received after the course and some even during the last week or 2 of the course ending. Before this starts sounding like a fantasy world where you can spend the 3 months and someone else can spend 4-5 years getting a computer science degree and you both end up with the same job (very possible), I’m going to break things down a bit.

Tuition Options?

First, starting with cost, I feel that the tuition share agreement is the best payment option and allows many people who can’t afford it to have a chance at something that can be life changing. It is not yet available in all states, but it’s a great option if you are not trying to pay $14k(approximate tuition cost) out of pocket and upfront(or in a few payments).  Focusing on the $0 upfront income share agreement, it is structured very fair in my opinion. You are only required to pay an upfront $250 deposit until you land a software engineering job (ex: web development, full stack, etc) and depending on your location, entry level is probably hovering around $60k and above.

So if you don’t land a job, you are not at the hands of a huge loan that you cannot afford and most importantly, you’re not out of $14k+ that many pay to take the program. If you have additional experience in UX/UI design, and/or other skills for that matter, your pay can be a lot higher.

Income Share Agreement?

As far as General Assembly not offering the income share agreement not being offered in all states, specifically New York at the moment, I believe that it has to do with the amount of jobs being offered and the amount that are vacant. Here in the Greater Atlanta Area, the tech scene is taking on massive growth along with an abundant amount tech jobs that have yet to be filled. Whether it’s startups, fintech companies, or larger corporations, there is a massive demand for tech jobs in many industries here. I’m not sure of the availability in other cities and states in respective to the amount of tech workers seeking employment.

Adding to the tuition share agreement option, applicants are also subject to a more strict batch of pre course work, along with an evaluation to see if you are prepared and can be successful at this program. My pre course work (estimated to take 40 hours if you have prior knowledge) took me at least 60+ hours, and thats literally. Going through the pre course work, I decided to take notes and continue to reference them even when the program started so that I could truly retain the information, just as I would with another language until I could demonstrate it effortlessly.

Negatives?

The only negative to this income share agreement is that the total amount paid for the course increases to approximately $20,000, instead of the $14,000 that you could sign up for up front after getting accepted. Although this $20,000 will be paid for over a multiple of years (small monthly payments ranging from $300-$800 per month), depending on how much income you are making per year with the lower end being around the $50k end and the upper being $100k+ end.

That is where the trade off comes in, as you decide whether you would want to pay $14k up front or $20k over a multiple of 3-5 years. Simply put, both options come with what some will see as a hefty price but when compared to the average college tuition for 3-5 years, it is significantly less. So is it worth it?  My simple answer: Yes, but its not for everyone and also depends on how much time you willing to dedicate!

What does it take?

Personally, as I’m approaching week 5 in the 12 week program, I would say that it is well worth it. This may not be the same for everyone else. There are so many factors that go into this decision and realizing if it is worth it for you or not. First off, the program is 12 weeks long and runs on a very strict schedule, from Monday – Friday (9am-5pm). All of my cohort(class) had to quit their jobs, and/or whatever else they were doing including school, etc. This IS NOT just a 9-5 job for three months. Ample time is required outside of class for this program to be worth it. You get what you give. Currently, it is very normal for me and my “codemates” to spend another 20-40+hours outside of class per week, on top of our current 9-5 days.

Being Prepared?

Handling this amount of work in such a short period of time is life changing mentally, physically, socially, and financially of course. Savings is required as it’s almost impossible to take on a full time job during this time. Knowing how to handle stress and pressure is also very important, as there will be a lot of ups and downs during the course. Another importance is your family and support. Your time will be very limited during this time, so just be prepared to be a bit disconnected during this time.

For me, personally, I had no real coding experience before starting the pre work for this program, but doing a lot of studying in the year prior to signing up for the program certainly helped with knowing different technologies and frameworks, and what they were used for. Regardless, free time gets pretty scarce during this time of development. It is extremely tough to stay consistent with a certain level of focus each and every day in this program, as it’s basically like learning a new language. So, being prepared is very critical.

The Daily Grind?

Each and every day has a structured schedule that we are given at the beginning of the cohort. The days normally start with lecture, or a quick meeting if it’s project week. Throughout the day, we go through enormous amounts of material, but it’s never just a lecture. Practice, practice, and more practice! Daily learning on how to structure, develop, and implement responsive webpages and applications from the ground up. This is where General Assembly separates itself from just trying to read and learn to code online, or even while pursuing a 4 year computer science degree while spending meaningless time on classes and material that you don’t need or ever use again.

As the saying goes, if you want to learn Chinese, the fastest way is to get dropped directly into the middle of China! This is the exact same. You’re being thrown right into the programming fire everyday, but in a good way. All of the new information learned is always directly followed by practice, as you jump right into the CLI(command line interface) and your IDE(integrated development environment). HTML, and CSS fly by within the first couple of days and then you will be jumping directly into Javascript. After that, you are off and running, and thats when the real challenge starts and the bulk of the course begins.

Is It Really Worth It?

All in all, I think it is definitely worth it if you have a passion to work in tech, whether to create your dream company or to work for another. This is the case, but this immersive program is not something that you spend a little time on and make it into a small side gig. If that’s what you’re looking for, then programming may not be ideal for you. It takes intense focus and dedication to be successful in the field. One mistake can crash an entire program, or maybe even delete an entire database and cause the company to crash. What if someone deleted the entire database of Uber drivers because they told the computer an incorrect command? Of course this would not happen, as their infrastructure has too much sophistication for that to happen, but the company would literally be out of operations for who knows how long and this would cause the end of one of the biggest companies that the world has ever seen.

If you’re not passionate about it, and that goes for anything in life, then you shouldn’t waste your time and/or money. It is also only worth it if you have time. This point needs to be emphasized. For example: If you have a family and can’t afford to quit your full time job, this is not a good idea. I’ve found that many who go through these programs don’t have many responsibilities at the moment, or they have wonderful supporters around them who help them throughout the duration. The immersive is very time consuming, and some may find it easier than others, but the amount of time that has to be put in is undeniable.

In a quick rundown, within 5 weeks, I have learned HTML, CSS, Javascript/jQuery, started creating our own servers, learning node, express, mongoDB, certain data structures and science, and so much more underlying information. This is not everything, and has taken massive work outside of class along with in class work and lecture. Just 5 weeks ago, I wouldn’t even know where to start.

Why Would You Put Yourself Through Such a Daunting Task?

For me, taking this leap was about being creative and bringing my ideas to life, as I push to provide immense value to this world for decades to come. My friends have always told me that I have all of the ideas, but to me they meant nothing if I could never bring them to life. I avoided obtaining these skills for the simple reason of believing that they were too time consuming, or that it was too old to start now, or simply because of me believing that I didn’t belong in that time of environment (the common imposture syndrome). Whether you’re a cook, waitress, sales associate, truck driver, garbage truck operator or whatever it may be, you can be successful not only in this program, but in this career field as a whole.

All of these technologies are fairly new, relative to our society, and if you spend 10+ hours a day on something while someone else maybe spends a hour every few days, you will be amazed at how far you can go. If you are thinking of a career change, or simply love the tech field and need this sort of structure to learn, I will highly advise taking General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive if time and your situation persists. You will also hear the phrases “Web Developer”, “Full Stack Developer”, etc associated with software engineering as a lot of the knowledge intertwines.

Youtube Series Update?

Last but NOT LEAST, stay tuned as this will be just an intro to these blog and content posts regarding my Software Development journey. I aim to produce this content for the remaining 7-8 weeks in the course, while also producing content beyond the program as I work on different projects and aim to connect with like minded people in the industry. In the upcoming posts, I will link a youtube video that goes into depth about my particular General Assembly Immersive location, in the Greater Atlanta Area. Stay tuned, and be blessed!

[dustedmagazine]

“1, 2, 3, 4!”: Jennifer Kelly’s 2018 review

Jennifer Kelly is a frantic romantic.

Rock and roll forever, sure, but it’s hard to avoid the fact that the guitar/bass/drum idiom has been pushed way off to the side in the cultural conversation. Mainstream sites list “best rock records” as a weird, subcultural genre, with a slightly bigger audience, perhaps, than best cumbia records or top Hawaiian slack key recordings (but not much). Worse, to come up with a reasonable size list they include all kinds of things that don’t belong. I mean, really, is Mount Eerie rock by any definition?

Rock isn’t dead, but it’s been made to sit in the corner. The only time in 2018 when everybody thought at once about a guitar band was when Pitchfork’s Jeremy Larson dropped his scathing, hilarious review of the Greta Van Fleet. For a moment, we all snickered as one.

Big rock was terrible in 2018. It almost always is. Yet there’s something disingenuous about the genre of year-end write-ups that laser in on the absolute worst and most bloated of rock bands to make a point about the art-form as a whole. Sure, Imagine Dragons suck. Yes, “Africa” is a soul-destroyingly awful song no matter who sings it. No, I’m not wading into the whole 1975 thing. Who has time? Who has the heart for it?  

Because this year, against a tide of commercially viable horse shit, against a backdrop of monolithic indifference, rock bands of all configurations, from all countries (but really especially Australia), continued to make great punk and rock records. And, I, for whatever reason, heard more of them than usual, and it made me happy. And maybe that’s the secret to being happy in music, in any year…find your niche, listen to the best in it, forget about what the mega-corporations are trying to sell.

Also see it live. My big highlight this year was seeing the Scientists in October (with Negative Approach, too!), but it was a pretty great 12 months for live music. It started with a fantastic show comprised of Mike Donovan, the Long Hots, J. Mascis and his Stooges cover band and Purling Hiss (with J on board for one song) at the Root Cellar, a venue I’d never heard of before that show, and that ended up putting on a string of great events. I saw Marisa Anderson, Paul Metzger, Speedy Ortiz, Howling Rain, Trad Gras Och Stenar with Endless Boogie, that Scientists show and Gary Higgins at the Root Cellar this year, and I missed a lot of shows I would have liked to see. Other great shows happened outside the Root Cellar – The Thing in the Spring in Peterborough with William Parker, Bonnie Prince Billy and others, Amy Rigby and Wreckless Eric at the Parlour Room, Messthetics at the Flywheel. Western Massachusetts has been in a commercial chokehold for years, with one organization controlling most of the venues, but there were a lot of options this year.

So, here’s to the drummers with their sticks in the air, counting off the four. Here’s to the guitar player wrecking his knees jumping up and down as he/she furiously slashes away. Here’s to the sweat and muck and black humor of $10 shows with four bands on them, two of them still in high school. And here’s to the people (me at least and possibly you) who like these things. Eddie Argos of Art Brut, who used to top these lists and now merits a footnote, spoke for this tiny, beleaguered sub-cult when he urged “Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s rock out.”

Indeed. Let’s.

Amy Rigby—The Old Guys (Southern Domestic)

The Old Guys by Amy Rigby

Let’s just set aside the fact that the first and best song on this album is an imagined email exchange between Philip Roth and Bob Dylan on the eve of the Nobel ceremony or that Rigby namechecks three of my favorite ever TV characters in “New Sheriff.” Let’s forget, too, how rare it is for a woman of roughly my age to be making her own music and controlling her own destiny even now in 2018. No, let’s focus on the songs which are sharp, smart and full of hooks, the clean, romantic chime of Rigby’s electric 12-string, the viscous pleasure of the arrangements. This is the very best kind of rock record, one that doesn’t attempt to remake the genre but somehow makes it bigger, brighter and more necessary. The songs sounded great, live, too, with the great Wreckless Eric in tow, and the two of them bickering like old married couples do, and Rigby glowing with triumph by the end of the show.

 Shopping—The Official Body (Fat Cat)

The Official Body by Shopping

Bubbly in a hard way, strict and minimal in a manner requires body movement, this album arrived early and stayed on my go-to list all year. For Dusted, I wrote, “You could bounce a quarter off the bass lines in this third Shopping full-length. They’re pulled hard and tight against minimalist syncopated drums, the leaning, waiting, anticipating space between the thwacks as important a character as the beats themselves. The London-based trio harks back to the funky, stripped down post-punk of bands like ESG and Delta 5, with hints of the boy-girl bubble and pop of the B-52s and Pylon.

 Salad Boys—This Is Glue (Trouble in Mind)

This Is Glue by Salad Boys

Always weak for NZ lo-fi and equally a fan of the early R.E.M., so of course I fell for this buzzy daydream of a record. “Psych Slasher” bursts with immoderate, glorious joy in the chorus, then cuts back to uncertainty in the verse, the ideal blend of rambunctious rock and wistful pop. “Exaltation” is a gentler sort of classic, just as radiant but moodier, its murmur-y vocals disappearing into cloud banks of fuzzed guitar tone. The whole record sits on the knife edge of rock and indie pop, leaning one way and the other, but never falling over.

 Patois Counselors—Proper Release (Ever/Never)

Proper Release by Patois Counselors

I went all in for “So Many Digits” in my Dusted review this year, but the two great punk songs on Proper Release are “The Modern Station” and, especially, “Target Not a Comrade.” This latter song chugs and lurches on guitar and bass, trembles with wheedly keyboards and crests in a massive, hummable refrain. It’s a catchy, twitchy punk tune that’ll hit you in the part of your brain where you keep Wire and the Buzzcocks, hooky as hell in a weird, distorted way.

 Bodega—Endless Scroll (What’s Your Rupture)

Endless Scroll by BODEGA

Flipping the gender cliché, Bodega is an all-woman band with a male singer. Its tight, nervy, jangles wrap around themes of internet-age dislocation and movie references. Smart, sarcastic, ironic, sharp, Bodega bristles with what you want from a garage punk band but reveals a surprisingly soft heart uncovered round about “Charlie,” a wistful song about a boy who died too soon.

 Bardo Pond—Volume 8 (Three-Lobed)

Volume 8 by Bardo Pond

The eighth in a series of improvised albums, this year’s Bardo Pond record towers and surges with monumental heaviness. I wrote at Dusted that, “The sound, vast and muscularly monolithic as ever, seems more like a demon summoned periodically from a ring of fire, than the product of any sort of linear development.”

 Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore—Ghost Forests (Three Lobed)

Ghost Forests by Meg Baird and Mary Lattimore

This year’s most beautiful album, Ghost Forests undergirds lyric folk melodies and angelic pizzicato harp plucks with roiling, violent darkness. My Dusted review observed “The best and most interesting [tracks] juxtapose the muted violence of electric guitar with a harp’s serenity. A guitar howls from a distance throughout “In Cedars,” pushing a simmering turbulence up under sun-dappled lattices of harp picking. Later “Painter of Tygers” does the same trick of joining muscle to fairy dust, the electric guitar raging from far away, while harp and voice spread delicate magic over the tumult.”

 Seun Kuti & Egypt 80—Black Times (Strut)

Black Times by Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

Fela Kuti’s youngest son inherited his dad’s fierce political commitment, his rhythmically unstoppable Afrobeat style and a few of his band members, but this wonderful album is more alive and present than a tribute. “Struggle Sounds, “ with its hard-bounce of a beat, its blurting sax, its ecstatic backing chorus, its swagger of horns and fever-dreamed keyboards dances through history right up to the modern day. “Last Revolutionary” enumerates past African heroes and connects them to the now. I wrote, “Kuti extends his father’s legacy, its tight rhythmic interplay, its fervent political engagement, its relentless exhilarating uplift, while bringing it a bit further into the present.”

Ovlov—Tru (Exploding in Sound)

TRU by Ovlov

I first noticed Ovlov at the Thing in the Spring Festival, on an eclectic Thursday night in a book store, where the sweet surge of guitar sound felt solid enough to body surf on. Later, for Dusted, I said of Tru that “Ovlov churns a monumental fuzz, a wave of surging, undulating, feedback-altered sound …. You can almost poke it with your finger, this onslaught is so palpable. It stirs your hair like an oncoming breeze.”

Speedy Ortiz—Twerp Verse (Carpark) 

Twerp Verse by Speedy Ortiz

There’s something so bendy and unpredictable about Sadie Dupuis tunes. They hare off in unexpected ways. They stop and start. They interpose weird little intervals of pop and noise. They refuse to behave, and end up exactly as they should be, though never what you’d expect. Twerp Verse takes more pop turns than other Speedy joints, but in the tipsiest, most eccentric way, with acerbic asides in the lyrics that catch like fishhooks and stay with you. “Speedy Ortiz offers a serrated sort of pop pleasure, full of rhythmic complexity and gender confrontation,” I observed in my Dusted review.

 Had enough rock? Me neither

Here are some more punk rock and garage records that I couldn’t squeeze into the top ten overall, mostly in the order that I thought of them, but Constant Mongrel and Richard Papiercuts are pretty great and that’s probably why I thought of them first.

Constant Mongrel—Living in Excellence (La Vida Es Un Mus)

Richard Papiercuts— Twisting the Night (Ever/Never)

GOGGs—Prestrike Sweep (In the Red)

Hank Wood & the Hammerheads—S-T (Toxic State)

Obnox—Bang Messiah (Smog Veil)

Zerodent—Landscapes of Merriment (Alien Snatch!)

Sleaford Mods—Stick in a Five and Go (Domino)

Ethers—S-T (Trouble in Mind)

IDLES—Joy as an Act of Resistance (Partisan)

Bad Sports—Constant Stimulation (Dirtnap)

Lithics—Mating Surfaces (Kill Rock Stars)

Art Brut—Wham! Bang! Pow! (Alcopop)

 Whoa, slow down!

Also a shout to the musicians who made more than one really excellent album this year. Ty Segall made five, I think, but I didn’t love all of them as much as Freedom Goblin and Prestrike Sweep.

Obnox—Sonido del Templo/Bang Messiah (Astral Spirits)/(Smog Veil)

Mount Eerie—Now Only/(After) (Elverum & Sons)

Ty Segall—Freedom Goblin (Drag City)/GOGGs—Prestrike Sweep (In the Red)

Ryley Walker—Deafman Glance/The Lillywhite Sessions (Dead Oceans)

  Nevertheless, they persisted

And finally, hats off to the bands and artists that have been going forever and continued this year to produce great music.

Kinski—Accustomed to Your Face (Kill Rock Stars)

Low—Double Negative (Sub Pop)

Loma—S-T (Sub Pop) (Shearwater’s Jonathan Meiburg plus Cross Record)

Oneida—Romance (Joyful Noise)

Wreckless Eric—Construction Time and Demolition (Southern Domestic)

Messthetics—S-T (Discord) (The great Fugazi rhythm section plus a young guitar ripper—one of the best live shows of the year for me.)

Charnel Ground—S-T (12XU) (This is Kid Millions from Oneida, Chris Brokaw and James McNew from Yo La Tengo, and as you’d expect, it’s really good.)

[sometimesalwaysmusic]

SILENT ERA CINEMA

Silent Era Cinema is the instrumental studio project of Ottawa songwriter and composer Kris Ward (KW), who has been active in the past in bands like By The Lights and Right By Midnight. We caught up with Kris, who is hot off the heels of releasing EP-02, and discussed his influences, scoring a film, and his plans for the future.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/silenteracinema/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/silenteracinema

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJBedLq4VB7R5oBb3NGsNrQ

Latest Release:  EP-02 (EP, September 2018)

Upcoming shows: Stay tuned!

SA: How did Silent Era Cinema come to be? KW: Believe it or not, this project came to be as a result of my day job. Ha! How very anti-rock and roll isn’t it? But it’s the truth. I was fairly active in music for nearly two decades, but recent years have found me in said full time job, a house, kids etc. Domesticated. That left me with a bit of a void creatively. Music has always been a big part of my life, especially the creation of music.  I can be having a bad day, or week even, but if I can write a song or idea my whole outlook can shift. So there I was at my day job wondering where I was headed musically. I decided one day to search for some instrumental music to listen to while I worked and up popped Tycho’s album Dive. And that was it! I was hooked. I ended up buying his entire catalog within a few days and was just completely into instrumental music. Ended up watching some live videos of his and was blown away by the idea that all of these sounds I was hearing was, and could be, created by a full band (well his later stuff anyway) and thought to myself, “I think I can do this!” That’s how it all started. I started writing guitar and keyboard parts in my little home-studio I have and built it up from there. By early 2018, I had released my first 4-song EP and now here we are fall 2018, releasing a follow-up 2 song EP, complete with a vocalist on one of the tracks. I’ve found my way to be creative at my own pace and have that outlet, while also having a project I really enjoy doing.

SA: What bands, musicians or artists would you cite as the biggest influences on your sound? KW: Without a doubt my biggest influence has been Tycho, not only because he was the first artist of this genre I discovered, but just because of how in-depth he gets into his songs. I follow him on social media and love watching his stories and videos on how he creates his sounds and builds up his songs. I’m also really into Bonobo and Jon Hopkins. Hopkins in particular is a bit more electronic than I would like to be, but his music is great. His album Opalescent has been on repeat in my headphones quite a bit. I also just downloaded some Aphex Twin that I’m currently listening to. I’ve always been a fan of instrumental rock music (post-rock?) as well. Mogwai is amazing. One of those bands that I find keep getting better and better. I thought Every Country’s Son was an absolutely fantastic record. So there’s a lot of stuff I listen to that really helps influence what I’m doing with my own project. I actually just decided to randomly pick up a Caribou record Our Love a few weeks back, it’s awesome!  

SA: Thus far in the project’s lifetime, what has been your biggest success? KW: I think the fact that this is even at a point where I have two releases under my belt is a huge success. When I decided to start writing this kind of music, I sat down with absolutely no idea how to do it. In the 20 years I’ve been playing and writing music I’ve always been a guitar in hand with pen and paper verse-chorus kind of songwriter. This completely changed everything. I had to up my creative levels, I had to write a bunch of different parts and pieces, I had to up my production knowledge, learn new studio and micing techniques and learn how to mix my own songs. It’s been challenging but so rewarding at the same time. With this second EP, I remember listening back to the masters and thinking, “You know what? This sounds great!” I’m happy with my own work and enjoying listening to my own compositions, so I’d say that’s a pretty big success.

 SA: On the other hand, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? KW: I don’t look at things as a big challenge anymore. More like some small obstacles to overcome. And I just try and tackle them one at a time as they come along. Obviously being on your own, working out of your own home studio, it’s a challenge to stay on track. Sometimes it’s a challenge to force myself to go into the studio and start writing. But I try not to be too hard on myself. I used to be really hard on myself, force things, but not anymore. If I need a night, or even week off, I take it. I think the music that’s created is all the better for it. I knew for this second release I wanted some vocals on one of the songs, but that idea of bringing in other people and their schedules starts getting daunting. But I reached out to Krystal, gave her the song, arranged a time in the following month to record it, and it just came together really well with absolutely no pressure at all. For the next EP, I’d love to incorporate a drummer into the mix, but not sure that will happen. I’m also tossing around the idea of taking this live, not sure how I will do that either yet. It will definitely be a challenge for sure, but I figure I will tackle it one thing at a time.

SA: How do you approach the song-writing process? KW: I don’t really have a set approach on how I write the music, all I do know is I try to avoid your typical format (intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, end). It’s just not really of interest to me anymore. It’s not to say I can’t appreciate a good song, but as a writer I’ve really enjoyed pushing my own boundaries a lot. It’s been a lot of fun and I think that’s what I try and do for the most part, just keep it fun. For a lot of the songs on the first EP, I actually started with just one riff, be it a beat, keys or guitar riff etc. and then just picked a random time length for the song and wrote a song using that riff in the amount of time I gave myself. For this latest release, I wanted to have a song that had some vocals on it, and I wanted the songs to be a bit darker in tone too. So it’s really just a matter of throwing ideas at the recording program and listening back and seeing what sticks. I’ve started coming up with ideas for my next EP I’m hoping to have out either end of 2018 or start of 2019, and I know I want it to be more guitar focused, but we’ll see what happens.

SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene, in particular surrounding the instrumental style of music of this project? KW: I’m actually so new to this genre and type of music I don’t know too many other artists that are of this style. I really need to go out I guess. I’m sure they exist and it would be nice to network and meet musicians that are creating in the same spirit I am. I also want to reach out to other types of artists and creators and collaborate on some stuff together, maybe score a video for them, or come up with some visuals for a live show I hope to put together in the future. It’s funny you know, I’ve been making music in this city for 20 years, but this is one of the first times I’ve been in a project where I’m not at all concerned with what’s going on around me. I think when you’re in a really active band (especially when you’re younger) you have a bit of a competitive edge to you and you want to get where everyone else is, but the thing is you don’t take into account that there are a TON of external factors that result in someone’s success that have nothing to do with work ethic and talent. The music industry is mostly about being the right place at the right time with the right people to hook you up. I used to get hung up on that, but now that I’m older I just really couldn’t care about any of that stuff anymore. I figure I’ll put some music out, see if I can play some shows and if people like it great, and if they don’t that’s ok too. The scene itself, at least from what I can tell, looks like it’s doing great! Lots of cool new venues popping up, some cool shows coming to town. New local bands getting chances to play festivals and open for more established acts, it’s great. I’m happy for those bands, end up checking them out and find some local bands I really enjoy! Like No Mistakes In Space, their latest EP is awesome! So to me as somewhat an outsider, or at least not as involved as a I used to be, it seems like it’s really thriving and there’s some top quality music coming out!

SA: For someone who hasn’t heard your music before, what is the ideal situation in which to listen to your music? KW: Hmmmmm, tough one. I’m not sure to be honest. Some people have mentioned that my music is a bit more chill electronic, so maybe when you’re relaxing at home with a drink in hand and just listening to tunes? I think some of it is cool for that nighttime drive as well, when you’re heading out on the town on a Saturday night. It’s maybe not the music you listen to at the club when you’re dancing, but maybe when you’re driving to your destination under the city lights?

SA: If you could score any film, historically or to be released, which would it be and why? KW: Another tough one! I don’t know to be honest. I really like soundtracks or scores to Ryan Gosling movies for some reason. Whatever I may think of him as an actor, the music and scores in some of his films are great. Loved Drive, both movie and soundtrack. Wasn’t a big fan of Blade Runner 2049 as a movie, but really cool score. I also REALLY liked the score for the Superman movie Man Of Steel. But for arguments sake, although I know there’s a ton of movies out there, let’s go with Drive with Ryan Gosling. But if you asked me again in 20 minutes, that would probably change.

SA: You have the chance to sit down for a meal with three musicians, dead or alive. Who are they, and why? KW: Man, three tough questions in a row! Wow. Each tougher than the last. Well first up, I’d definitely love to sit down with Scott Hansen from Tycho just because of the impact his music has had on me in the last few years. He’s just so knowledgeable and seems like a really nice guy. It’d be great to “shop talk” with him on music, guitar effects, keys, recording, creating beats, writing music etc. Moving into the rock realm that I grew up in/with, I’d say Richard Ashcroft. I am a MASSIVE fan of The Verve (more so their early stuff pre-Bittersweet Symphony) and I think it would be great to have a pint and hear some stories of the band. He definitely has that rockstar persona but I think one on one you could probably have some really great conversations with him. I think the last guy, sticking with the brit-pop I grew up with, would be Liam Gallagher. He just seems like he’d be a riot. Plus he loves popping into pubs and having some pints with people. Can’t go wrong with that. He always came across as stand-offish, but I feel like if you saw him in the street and offered to buy him a pint he’d take you up on it. PLUS THE STORIES he has… I can’t even imagine. Again though that’s my answer right now, I feel like if you asked me this question again in an hour I might have 2-3 different people. I think a younger me would have answered with the “advice on how to make it” reply, but that’s so far away from my goals now.  

 SA: What comes next for Silent Era Cinema in 2018, and beyond? We wish you all the best, and good luck! KW: I’d like to just keep making and putting out music. The third EP is entering the beginning stages. I’d like to collaborate with other artists maybe making videos or YouTube content and eventually I’d like to take this project live with the help of some other musicians. So we’ll see! Just taking everything one small step at a time.

[kerrilewellen450-blog]

Kevin Gates Net Worth Entire Career

This Post is specifically for Kevin Gates Net Worth, Kevin Gates is his Nick name for the stage. His borned name is Kevin Jerome Gilyard. He is from Louisiana  and popular rapper of the Era, Kevin Gates is maybe best known for his hits, Really, Really,  Time for That, and 2 Phones.  He start his career from his teen age in music industry.  His first album released in 2007 that was "Pick of Da Litter.  Later there more two tapes before going to prison.

 Kevin gates net worth can discuss after knowing his path to success.  Gates have since figured out how to put himself progressing nicely, with 15 consecutive releases in the vicinity of 2012 and 2017. A couple of features incorporate, Stranger Than Fiction, By Any Means, Luca Brasi 2, and Murder for Hire, all of which topped on the US record outlines. His introduction collection titled, Islah was discharged last January, to positive audits.

An up-and-rising craftsman, his quality in the rap scene has been developing consistently finished the previous couple of years. Starting at 2017, as compared to kevin gates net worth, Gates has more than 15 million fans over his diverse web-based social networking accounts.

How effective has the most recent couple of years been for him? What amount has he figured out how to bank from his rap profession? As per different destinations, Kevin Gates net worth in 2018  is assessed to be around $1.5 million. What are his distinctive wellsprings of wage? We should discover.

Kevin Gates Net Worth 2018 – $1.5 Million

How did Kevin Gates net worth raised ?

Conceived on February 5, 1986 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Kevin Gates' (Real Name: Kevin Jerome Gilyard) childhood was for the most parts, turbulent. Experiencing childhood in a neediness stricken region, wrongdoing was wild; for a certain something, the area was loaded with street pharmacists. Strangely enough, he even had desires of being a medication master at a certain point. Getting himself into inconvenience, he was captured out of the blue at thirteen years old for "joyriding" with a couple of companions.

As an understudy, he went to two or three diverse secondary schools in the territory including Lee and McKinley. Regardless of the way that he exceeded expectations in class, his scanty participation record prompted a drop in his evaluations. Purportedly, eighth grade was the latest year that "[he] had finished." Coincidentally, it was around that time that he composed his first rap track. A major fanatic of music, he tuned in to a variety of classifications growing up including south shake, punk shake, shake and roll, and hip bounce.

By his late teenagers, Gates had chosen to seek after music as a vocation. Marking to Dead Game Records, he discharged his first mixtape named, Pick of Da Litter in 2007; he later turned out with his second venture, All or Nuthin' in 2008. Before he could continue his account be that as it may, a conflict with the law drove him to be imprisoned at Rivers Correctional. A sentenced criminal at the time, he had been gotten with a gun by officers who had pulled him over.

Regardless of the sentence in the slammer, Gates expressed that "being detained was the best thing that could have happened to [him]." During his chance at Rivers, he read at whatever point he could; a portion of his most loved titles included Art of Seduction and Celestine Prophecies. Through a jail program that was accessible for prisoners, he in the end even earned himself a graduate degree in brain science. Altogether, he served four years previously being discharged for good conduct in 2011.

Following his stretch in jail, he got ideal back to his music. Inside a couple of months, the rapper had discharged a mixtape titled, I Don't Know What 2 Call It (Vol. 1). From that point, he launched three extra undertakings (e.g. Make Them Believe, In the Meantime, The Luca Brasi Story) before picking up himself an impressive group of onlookers with his 2013 mixtape, Stranger Than Fiction. we were not able to configure kevin gates net worth for the said years.

Read also:  Youn Thug Net Worth

His first push to achieve the US music outlines, Stranger Than Fiction included fourteen tracks, a couple of which highlighted visitor appearances from Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, and Starlito. Among the 14-tune track list were Don't Know What to Call It, Thinking with My Dick, Die Bout It, White Tan, 4 Legs and a Biscuit, Strokin, and Smiling Faces.

His first release with Atlantic Records, its generation was dealt with by a few people including Arthur McArthur, Dun Deal, DJ Spins, The Feather stones, among others. Gates' first tolerable hit, Stranger Than Fiction wound up cresting at number 37 on the Billboard Top 200, and at number 11 on the Top R&B Albums graph.

Coming back with more music the following year, Gates discharged By Any Means in March 2014. His second business mixtape, it not just sold more than 17,000 duplicates in the US yet in addition entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 17. Including visitor appearances from Doe B, 2 Chainz, Rico Love, and Plies, the track posting accompanied the titles, Just Want Some Money, Get Up On My Level!, Keep Fucking With Me, Can't Make This Up, Wish I Had It, and Posed to Be in Love. Applauded as an "unforeseen brilliance", the undertaking accumulated great surveys from a few music faultfinders.

His next huge hit, Luca Brasi 2 was discharged in the winter of 2014. Delivered by Mark Kragen, Nic, Rico Love, Kane Beats, and The Runners, and numerous others, it offered ascend to eighteen tracks including Word Around Time (Feat. Rich Homie Quan), Pourin the Syrup, Break the Bitch Down (Feat. K Camp), Wassup with It, Don't Panic, Perfect Imperfection, and Out the Mud. In the US, the mixtape entered the Billboard Top 20 at number 38 with around 26,000 deals in the principal week; it later additionally topped at number 5 on the Top Hip Hop Albums outline.

Beginning the new year on a new note, the rapper turned out with his presentation collection, Islah on January 29, 2016. Upheld by four singles, it immediately accumulated boundless recognition from pundits upon its discharge. Commended by various distributions including Spin and Vice Magazine, it entered the Billboard Top 200 at number 200; inside the principal week alone, it had sold more than 93,000 duplicates in the US. In the end, Islah additionally diagrammed at number 2 on the Top hip-Hop Albums graph and at number 7 on the Top Tastemaker Albums outline.

In charge of a spike in his ubiquity, Islah bragged 15 tracks including Kno One, 2 Phones, Time for That, and Really, all of which stay to be his best singles to date. Inside a couple of long stretches of its release, the collection had sold more than one million duplicates locally, procuring it platinum accreditation from the RIAA.  So it is quite easy asses kevin gates net worth with his success rate.

Gates' next outlining mix-tape, Murder For Hire 2 was made accessible in May 2016.

Not quite the same as his past endeavors in that it was entirely for retail purposes just, it contained eight tracks, Click House (Feat. OG Boobie Black), Great Example, Off da Meter, Showin' Up, Lil Nigga, The Prayer, Believe In Me, and Fuck It. Upon its discharge, it appeared at number 12 on the Billboard Top 200, with 20,000 unadulterated deals before the finish of the primary week.

From that point forward, Gates has discharged another mixtape titled, By Any Means 2. A continuation of his 2014 task, it offered ascend to over twelve new tracks including No Love, Do U Down, Imagine That, Came Up, Jus Wanna, and Beautiful Scars, the remainder of which highlighted PnB Rock.

While it just bodes well that Gates earned some from the above titles, it's by all account not the only wellspring of wage that he has. Another enormous cash creator for the rapper comes as shows and visits. As you can likely envision, it's simple for a craftsman to round up a couple of hundred if not a couple of thousand for each show which raised kevin gates net worth.

Since his presentation, the Louisiana local has put on various exhibitions over the world. Simply a year ago, he left on a show visit which saw him hitting many scenes from the United States to Germany. While he didn't visit this year, he put on a modest bunch of shows in the US from Arizona to Florida; his latest execution was at the Providence Medical Center Amphitheater in Bonner Springs, Kansas.

As of now, it doesn't look like Gates has any up and coming shows arranged. Stay tuned!

Over that, the craftsman likewise pulls in a better than average sum from his Youtube channel, which has near 3 million endorsers. Since he propelled it in 2012, his recordings have been seen well more than 2 billion times!

Starting at 2017, his most prominent video, the official MV for his melody 2 Phones has been played in excess of 225 million times. Changing over that to dollars, that works out to be well finished $180,000 in advertisement income alone! A portion of his other best transfers incorporate the official recordings for Really, Satellites, Get The Mud, Posed To Be in Love, and Don't Get Tired.

Altogether, what amount has Gates earned from his Youtube? Accepting that not as much as half of his aggregate view tally is monetized and that he makes at any rate $2 per 1,000 perspectives, he would have officially made $1.6 million (preceding Google's cut)!

Kevin Gates' Personal Life

Kevin Gates has been hitched to his significant other Dreka for a long time. Subsequent to dating for more than 13 years, the two got married in 2015. Presently, she functions as the rapper's reserving manager. He has two kids with his significant other.   Little girl named Islah Karen Gates (whom he had named his studio collection after) and a child named Khaza Kamil Gates.

 Kevin Gates did not head off to college. Having said that, he managed to acquire himself a graduate degree in brain research amid his opportunity in jail from 2008 and 2011.

Where Does Kevin Gates Live? Pictures of Kevin Gates' House

It's accepted that he right now lives in Louisiana with his significant other and two kids. Shockingly, we don't have any photos of his home as of now.  Since his spell in jail, Kevin Gates has substantiated himself on numerous occasions that he's a skilled craftsman. Not exclusively does he have a studio collection that went platinum.  But at the same time he's released over twelve taps, a modest bunch of which advanced onto the US music graphs.

[elinor-sutton]

Fuck MAGA: Then & Now

I started this blog right after the 2016 election.

I was angry, and it was an outlet that I needed, but after a few posts, I did not consider my rage a priority worth my time.

I was told that it might be unhealthy to indulge an anger so deep that it began to form, for me, an existential foundation of being—almost always in hair-trigger battle mode, rhetoric and righteous anger at the ever-fucking READY.

BUT I have a life that needs attention and only occasionally merits ferocity, so I gave up blogging.

And now? All this time later, I am still in a near-constant state of slow burn, and it’s been way too long without an eruption.

In the year-and-a-half since I let the blog slide, the Perpetrator-in-Chief has lived down to the worst of my expectations, and he shows no signs of improvement. It’s a narcissist thing. He CANNOT improve because he cannot recognize ANY of his infinite faults. Here’s one: GROWN-UPS don’t play Keep Away or Made You Look or the fucking Dozens with psychotic nuclear-arsenal-wielding tyrants. [It should go without saying that, if at all possible, nuclear arsenals should not be handed to psychotic tyrants in the first place, but MAGA, or whatever, right? If you live, maybe you learn. FINGERS CROSSED!]

But really, are we STILL living in a world where the safety of [at least] half the planet comes down to a man-child measuring contest?

Dear President Prick-for-Brains,

If you have to start a motherfucking WAR over it, it’s NEVER going to measure UP!

Sincerely,

Elinor S. and—oh yes, the ENTIRE FUCKING WORLD SO JUST STFU ALREADY!

Yep—still SUPER-PISSED!

If you’re looking at the world—and the supposed leader of those parts of it which are purportedly “free”—and you’re not losing your damn mind, you must have some sort of pre-established lunacy. [I’m not speaking of mental health problems. Mental health and mental healthcare are legitimate issues ignored by the thoughts-and-prayers crowd unless they need a scapegoat/catchphrase for the walking, shooting consequences of MAGA-indoctrination.] I’m thinking of the WHITE-NATIONALIST-NAZI-RACIST-MISOGYNISTIC-PATRIOTISM-BEFORE-PEOPLE-BUT-REALLY-ME-FIRST-AND-FUCK-EVERYONE-ELSE psychosis that passes for conservative politics since 45 first got his ridiculous feelings hurt by a black man and a “nasty woman” who were—and ARE—undeniably his betters. Or maybe since Mitch McConnell crawled out of his deep, dark shell and STOLE A SUPREME COURT SEAT while we sat on our hands and muttered, “Can he do that?”

Evidently, he can! AND with ZERO consequences—not for him or any other limp-dick Sentry of the Status Quo tip-toeing his way across the Glass Ceiling, stroking his Keys to the Kingdom, or hiding under his Protector of the Patriarchy parasol because HE KNOWS—they ALL know—that “Zero Consequences” comes with a big, fat, fucking YET, and she is a BOSS BITCH—woke and coming ready with a to-do list several centuries in the making. Her list says, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It says Black Lives Matter, Me Too, My Body/My Choice, LOVEisLOVE, NoH8, and NO MORE. She’s got Science-based, Evidence-based, Fact-based TRUTH with ZERO Alternatives because TIME is fucking UP!

And that means White Male Privilege [WMP—pronounced “wimp,” right?] is coming to an end. I can’t pinpoint the starting line, but scared-shitless white men with money and/or guns have been running THE REST OF US down since well before this “great” nation was founded, and there are far too many of “the rest of us” who buy into their bullshit—53% of white women [pronounced “silly twits”]?! If you don’t fall into any category that benefits from WMP, and you voted/plan to vote for more of this nonsense, your patriotic duty, as of this moment, is to wake up every morning and punch yourself in the fucking face until something like SENSE prevails. Side effects MAY include REASON and a newfound appreciation for ACTUAL FACTS as opposed to the alternative variety, but if that fails, it is my heartfelt hope that when you make your way to the voting booth—to do what is, of course, your civic duty—you may just do us all a favor, and GET LOST!

[On a friendlier note, if you benefit from WMP and DID NOT vote in favor of our present national tragedy, congratulations on your conscience! Please take your place in the crowd, and resist the urge to act like you know everything. Instead, memorize this mantra and repeat to yourself as often as necessary to convert words to action: I’VE HAD MY TURN TO TALK. NOW IS MY TIME TO LISTEN.]

I am still angry, and I will remain so as long as “Making America Great” looks like:

1. Children murdered at school with unregulated guns or ripped away from immigrant parents who thought they could find safety in this “great” country,

2. Law enforcement abusing and KILLING men and women of color without consequence,

3. Tax cuts designed to further line the pockets of the few at the expense of the many and promote the “trickle-down” bullshit we’ve been forced to swallow, off and on, since the fucking 80s—when it didn’t work the first time.

4. Ordinary Americans struggling, or going without, while working full time for LESS THAN A LIVING WAGE,

5. Ignoring veterans who are homeless, wait months for promised healthcare, and/or commit suicide at more than twice the rate of civilians,

6. Women facing unconstitutional restrictions on access to reproductive healthcare and a choice that is STILL A LEGAL RIGHT,

7. LGBTQ+ people living with discrimination from bathrooms to bakeries and everywhere in-between—including public schools and the workplace,

8. People with disabilities at risk of losing the protection of the ADA, and disabled children at risk of losing their right to a “free and appropriate public education” under IDEA,

9. Underserved children, or those who suffer illegal discrimination in schools, losing protection from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights,

10. Environmental protections rolled back to protect corporate profits,

11. The sex offender/demagogue/imbecilic slab of semi-sentient slime—AND the soulless mob of Republican/MAGA-minions fighting to stroke his [gross] ego—that we have given ourselves in place of legitimate leadership,

12. And the untold number of HUMAN BEINGS suffering from the tragic FOLLY of a deluded minority of voters.

For as long as this country is attacked by toxic overgrown toddlers who play at governing, and in their incompetence, damage its environment, menace its people, abuse the fundamentals of democracy and the republic, and terrorize those who protest, I will NURSE this rage and STOKE its fire.

This is MY COUNTRY. I love it, and I recognize that TRUE LOVE does not ignore fault. This country has NEVER achieved “greatness” for all of its people. It is fortunate for “the rest of us” that patriotism does not demand blind loyalty. It does not hinge love of country on absolutes, and it does not forever marry us to White Male Privilege and what has been done in its name. We pledge allegiance to an IDEAL, and then we work the phones, yell ourselves hoarse, march until our feet bleed, and fucking VOTE to mold OUR COUNTRY into what it should be.

We DO NOT forget the progress we have made. We remember every step forward even as we recognize that the ignorant, forgotten [whatever], and privileged—with their long-overdue last gasp—forced us to take two steps back. We didn’t NEED to go backward. Nobody needs this bullshit—EVER. But we can use this. We can take a look, MARK what we missed and LEARN where and HOW we can do better. We can do what needs to be done to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

Step One: EMBRACE the anger. We can be appalled at all the FUCKING BULLSHIT the MAGA-goons have wrought and amazed that WE STILL HAVE FUCKS TO GIVE. We can revel in the madness that living in this time brings us—because progressives know how to USE rage. We know how to mine it. We have a long history of crafting change from righteous anger, and [always] moving on—an inch or a mile at a time—pushing a reluctant nation to keep its promise of “LIBERTY and JUSTICE for ALL.”

Numbers, time, and momentum are on OUR SIDE. We need to get MAD, and we need to do it TOGETHER—FOR FUCK’S OBVIOUS SAKE—and then we need to run these backward motherfuckers down with an ever-loving TIDAL WAVE OF PROGRESS that will put two steps back so far beyond the last red mile marker that even Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell will regain consciousness in the gender-neutral bathroom of an inclusive, well-funded public school with no fear of shooters, fully aware that Black Lives Matter, wearing a pussyhat, shouting TIME’S UP, and feeling grateful for the motherfucking PRIVILEGE!

So yeah, I’ve been paying attention, and I’m still angry, and it’s long past time to start talking about it again.

Stay tuned.

[ontarioyoga]

How Long Should Morning Meditation

New Post has been published on https://www.ontarioyoga.net/how-long-should-morning-meditation/

How Long Should Morning Meditation

What Should I Do About Important Thoughts And Ideas That Arise While Im Meditating First Thing In The Morning

Mindfulness teacher Elisha Goldstein says the essential attitude of a meditator is curiosity. Meditation gives us an opportunity to look at what our minds do when we’re paying attention to them. And what the mind often does is wander off. Try to integrate an attitude of playfulness into your practice. Your practice doesn’t need to be rigid and strict—there can be spontaneity and flexibility. So, your mind wanders. See the thought, touch it—say here’s the thought, spend a moment with it. If it’s important, note that you want to come back to it—feel free to say, in your mind, that’s an important thought, I want to remember it. If it’s irrelevant, note that it’s irrelevant. Either way, very gently bring your attention back to your breath. Gentleness is important here, because what we practice and repeat over time becomes a habit. Consider this: What would the days, weeks, and months ahead be like if you were gentle with yourself? What would be different? When your mind wanders off and you quickly yank it back, it’s worthwhile to go back and say what was that thought again? Take note of it, and practice more gently bringing your attention back.

Alternatively If Staying In Bed Makes Morning Meditation Easier Focus On Mindful Breathing Before You Rise

On the other hand, getting out of bed before meditating is not a requirement.

Again, remind yourself that the best morning meditation is the one that you actually do.

If sitting in formal meditation position first thing in the morning seems too challenging for you at this point, stay right where you are.

You can meditate in bed in either a lying down or upright position. An upright position is ideal in most cases as it symbolizes the transition into outward action.

Whether you decide to rest flat on your back or prop yourself up to rest with your back against the wall or headboard, simply take a few minutes while in bed to begin your meditation practice.

Many people wonder how to meditate in the morning, and the answer is that it’s no different than any other time – except that you are allowed to stay in bed if this helps!

One of the simplest ways of meditating in the morning is to practice breath awareness.

A form of mindfulness meditation, breath awareness involves simply following each inhalation and each exhalation.

This is a wonderful grounding practice to help root you into the physical world before moving forward with your daily activities.

If you require extra support with this, you can explore a guided morning meditation to keep you focused.

If you wish to move into a more formal meditation practice once out of bed, you are more than welcome to! 

Another Reason To Try Morning Meditation Is That It Can Reduce Your Stress Levels Throughout The Day

Your body follows a natural cycle which lasts roughly 24-hour. Known as a circadian rhythm, this cycle tells you when to wake up and fall asleep.

In simplified terms, part of the sleep-wake system in your body is controlled by melatonin, which is released in your body as it gets darker.

Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, increases in your body as morning approaches. And this hormone is meant to help stimulate your brain and prepare you to get up and face the day.

With all the devices we use these days, your sleep-wake system can be a bit out of balance, causing your body to overproduce cortisol and through off your response to it.

An off-kilter sleep-cycle can make waking up in the morning quite a chore!

And although you might dread the idea of adding another item to your morning to-do list, meditating after waking up can actually help your mind feel more alert and help your body stop releasing too much cortisol. This can potentially help you make a better decision for breakfast and lunch than if you decided to meditate later in the day.

You can always add additional meditation sessions as a break during work or once you’re clocking out for the day as needed. But meditating in the morning will help you have a consistent streak of making time for practice without being interrupted by a particularly hectic day.

I See Lights And Other Trippy Images Behind My Closed Eyelids When I Meditate What Is That

Just like pretty much everything that our mind offers up randomly and without being invited, these experiences are simply rising phenomena without substance or meaning. What might be happening is your optic nerve is used to being constantly stimulated and when it’s deprived it serves up its own entertainment .

These sensory phenomena can actually be a support to our practice. We can simply take a stance of observation, watching to see what happens next without knowing. A nonverbal observation task that allows us to stay present and not wander off into thinking. Pretty cool, and you didn’t need to buy an app to find a way to support your practice.

Morning Meditation For Energy: 5 Lifelong Benefits Of A Morning Meditation Routine

I have been following my routine of morning yoga, breathwork, and meditation for more than a decade now. I can say that that has changed my life drastically on a positive side. You’ve likely heard of the of how meditation changes your brain and even your genes and relaxes your body and mind bringing calmness, mental clarity and focus, awareness, and connection to the present moment. There are many reasons and benefits of having a daily morning meditation routine, but here are my top 5.

1. Meditation, the art of diving deep inside the , is a source of undying energy and happiness. Adding meditation to your morning can recharge you with a boost of joy, positive energy,? and peace to keep you smiling throughout each day. Just like how we train and build our muscles at the gym with regular sit-ups, running on the treadmill, or lifting weights, meditation is like the training the mind to stay happy throughout the day.

3. Morning meditation supports you to flow with the day with ease and poise. When you meditate, you are more adaptable to the sudden and unexpected changes in the day, whether it is a traffic jam or your boss asking you to submit a report far before the given deadline, facing a picky client or having to deal with a sick child during a time-sensitive task. You can handle whatever the day brings without getting overwhelmed and losing your balance. 

The Bottom Line: How Long Should I Meditate To Get All The Benefits Of Meditation

While monks may meditate up to an hour, you do not need to do this. Taking ten minutes out of your day to sit in silence and mediate is enough for you to see results in the long term. A point to note is that you should never compare your time to someone else’s.

If they can comfortably sit or lie in silence for ten minutes while you find it hard to manage the same for 5 minutes, that’s okay. Not only is this not a competition, but also mediation requires us to practice patience and be kind to ourselves and others.

If you cannot do ten minutes a day, take a step back and try meditating for about a minute a day, or every morning and night. Once you have mastered this, push for 2 minutes, then five and so on. Pacing yourself keeps you consistent and on track while pushing yourself looking for perfection will only lead to your detriment.

Please note that if you are unable to mediate by yourself, there are numerous apps that offer guided meditation in varying time limits. You could also join a group, where meditation sessions last longer and you can foster a sense of community and a support system.

Press play to sink into deep meditation and bring yourself one step closer to being fully aware, fully awake, and fully alive.

Set An Intention For Your Day At The Beginning Or End Of Your Morning Meditation

Setting an intention at the beginning of the day, either before or after your morning meditation, will get the ball rolling in the direction of whatever it is you wish to accomplish.

If you set an intention at the very beginning of your meditation, this will help you to stay focused during the practice.

Whatever qualities you intend to carry through the day will be harnessed during your meditation.

Alternatively, you might practice a more mindful meditation in the morning, becoming intuitively aware of whatever energies are present within you on that day.

After sitting for some time with your thoughts, emotions, and whatever else is present, you might then set an intention based on whatever you discovered during your practice.

Once You Get Into A Routine Meditation Is A Really Lovely Way To Start Your Day

Some mornings, I feel like a meditation goddess: I’m waking up earlier and doing something for myself and my mental health at the start of the day. Other mornings I feel like I’m just sitting on my bed with my eyes closed for 20 minutes, half-listening to a person with a soothing accent struggling to keep myself from falling back to sleep. Overall though, my two-week meditation goal showed me that, first of all, I stick with meditation if I put my mind to it, and second, I can definitely see meditation becoming a more regular part of my life. I haven’t reached any deeper state of consciousness or anything, but morning meditations have become a way for me to prioritize my wellbeing and attempt to get more in touch with how I’m thinking and feeling. I’ve kept up my daily meditation in the two weeks since my initial experiment ended, and I’m excited to continue to prove myself wrong that I’m just not cut out for meditating. 

Reap The Benefits Of Morning Meditation By Tuning Into The Energies Of The Sun

What makes morning meditation different to evening meditation? Or to meditation at any other time of the day for that matter?

While there is nothing particularly different about the technique you use while meditating in the morning, you can call upon the energies of the sun when meditating first thing in the morning.

Many years ago, before artificial lights and electronic clocks had been invented, cultures all around the world lived in reverence of the sun.

Daily activities were guided by this divine energy that rose and set each day.

While we no longer rely only on the sun for light , tuning into the energies of the sun helps us to line up with the natural rhythms of the world around and within us.

The sun symbolizes energy, vitality, clarity, fertility, and prosperity. When we meditate in the morning, we can invoke these energies within us, allowing them to inspire our outward actions to follow.

We can keep this notion of ‘energies’ in mind when it comes to evening meditation as well. At night, we can tap into what the darkness, or the moon, symbolizes – reflection, wisdom, restoration, stillness, and tranquility.

Tuning into the world’s natural cycles helps us to sync up to our innate circadian rhythm.

As we do this, we start to feel more energized during the day and more prepared for rest when night falls. 

What Is All The Talk About Some Meditation Positions Being Better Than Others

There is some truth to these claims, but it is not significant enough to matter for most people. The general idea is that you want to remain as alert and attentive, as wakeful, as you can, and allow life energy to flow through you unencumbered. Slouching can restrict energy flow. And sitting with back support can induce sleep.

But again, whatever works for you is how you should sit. Don’t worry about it. Life energy is intelligent. When it wants to flow upwards it will naturally shift your position.

Then why do we recommend sitting straight and with no back support if you are able? This is because by sitting with a straight back, you are supporting the upward flow of life energy from the beginning of the meditation.

Set Your Phone To Airplane Mode Each Night To Avoid Distractions Upon Waking

Avoiding morning distractions can be difficult.

With countless apps that send notifications at all hours and friends or family that may message during the night, setting your phone to airplane mode before bed can be an incredibly helpful habit to keep your mind set on morning meditation.

For the best morning meditation, you’ll want your mind to be as uncluttered as possible.

This is challenging for a lot of us. We’re heavily reliant upon our phones and other personal devices, so having to sit in mindful awareness before engaging with these devices can be uncomfortable.

Explore this discomfort with a meditative perspective, becoming curious about and compassionate towards your experience.

Use Whichever Meditation Technique Helps You To Feel Focused And Energized

If you’re wondering how to meditate in the morning, the answer is unspecific: there is no single ‘right way’ to practice morning meditation.

Mindfulness meditation, mantra meditation, guided morning meditation, or any other style you love is perfectly suitable for your practice. The right choice is the one that works for you.

With that said, meditations that help you to feel focused and energized are the ones to consider.

If any meditation practice makes you feel sleepy, it’s not the ideal choice – especially in the morning.

There are many guided morning meditations that can help to invoke gratitude, positive energy, abundance, and creativity.

If guided meditations help you to stay focused, consider this a great option until you become more comfortable with self-led sessions. 

Is There A Particular Meditation Practice Proven To Be The Most Beneficial

There are many different styles of meditation throughout the world, stemming from different cultures, traditions, and schools of thought. Likewise, meditation can be taught and practiced in different ways.

Overall, there is no single ‘best’ type of meditation. The style of meditation that is best will depend predominantly on an individual’s goals.

Further, people will differ in how they best learn and practice meditation. For instance, some people may prefer to meditate alone, while others may find meditating in a group setting more beneficial.

To help you decide, here are four of the most common forms that meditation may take and a summary of their benefits:

Benefits Of Meditation Are Proportional To The Amount Of Quality Practice

“Meditation is not how many minutes you do, it’s how many you are aware”

Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmpvGEhStQM

It is fair to say that the benefits meditation can provide are for many people proportional to the amount of practice, with the important caveat that the meditation is being done correctly. More is usually better, as long as we are staying truly present and not just going through the motions.

This has been my personal experience – moving up to do more meditation each day and from two blocks to three delivered more noticeable results – and many people find the same thing.

That said, we should try to avoid setting a fixed time on our daily meditation and stop whenever we reach this every day. Straight away this turns the meditation into a chore, a routine task that we feel we have to do, and once we’ve hit our “recommended” quota, we stop. The daily chore is “done”.

This straight away sets us off looking at the meditation the wrong way. We stop being free and spontaneous with the meditation and instead see it as just something else we do for a certain amount of time a day.

As we do more meditation and start to see the benefits it can bring, many of us also naturally want to do more. We should not resist this desire, since benefits do tend to be proportional to the amount practiced, as long as we are meditating correctly.

Start With Stillness: 5 Reasons To Start A Morning Meditation Practice

“The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” -Albert Einstein”

Developing a morning meditation practice can be a life-altering experience in the most positive way. In order to meditate effectively, you must commit to the process and be patient along the way, as it is very challenging to slow down and control your thoughts. Not convinced meditation is for you? Here are five reasons that might change your mind–along with  a handful of tips on how to start a meditation practice.

Meditation For Beginners: 20 Practical Tips For Understanding The Mind

The most important habit I’ve formed in the last 10 years of forming habits is meditation. Hands down, bar none.

Meditation has helped me to form all my other habits, it’s helped me to become more peaceful, more focused, less worried about discomfort, more appreciative and attentive to everything in my life. I’m far from perfect, but it has helped me come a long way.

Probably most importantly, it has helped me understand my own mind. Before I started meditating, I never thought about what was going on inside my head — it would just happen, and I would follow its commands like an automaton. These days, all of that still happens, but more and more, I am aware of what’s going on. I can make a choice about whether to follow the commands. I understand myself better , and that has given me increased flexibility and freedom.

So … I highly recommend this habit. And while I’m not saying it’s easy, you can start small and get better and better as you practice. Don’t expect to be good at first — that’s why it’s called “practice”!

These tips aren’t aimed at helping you to become an expert … they should help you get started and keep going. You don’t have to implement them all at once — try a few, come back to this article, try one or two more.

Do it first thing each morning. It’s easy to say, “I’ll meditate every day,” but then forget to do it. Instead, set a reminder for every morning when you get up, and put a note that says “meditate” somewhere where you’ll see it.

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Morning Meditation: How To Breathe And Meditate As You Start Each Day

The American Psychological Association that chronic stress—stress that interferes with your ability to function normally over an extended period—is becoming a public health crisis. Most of us often feel overwhelmed, and struggle to cope with these emotions. So what can we do about it? The answer is surprisingly simple: we can . More and more people are turning towards meditation for stress relief, and when we look at the benefits, it’s easy to see why.

Starting your day with a morning meditation can help you begin your day with less grogginess, more gratitude, and with the right mindset for a more productive and satisfactory day. Whether you are a morning person or night owl, incorporating a daily wake-up meditation can become your strong anchor for your days that are full of many uncertainties and many times unpredictable. In your busy and stressful lifestyle, taking a few moments when you first wake up to set a direction for your day with a morning meditation routine can prove a life-changing practice.

You don’t have to be a Himalayan yogi or a Buddhist monk or even a deeply spiritual person to experience the instant benefits of meditation. It’s equally effective for entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers, tech gurus, celebrities, and yes, ordinary people, too. It is good for powerhouse career women and stay-at-home supermoms. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re into: everyone can benefit from meditation, and so can you. 

How Long And How Often Should You Meditate: Summary Recommendations

If you have 10 minutes a day to devote to meditation, it’s reasonable to expect it to be helpful. 20 minutes would probably be more helpful, it’s true. But remember if you resolve to meditate for 10 minutes, on any given day once you hit 10 minutes, you can always continue to 20 if you’re so inclined.

For most of us, it’s about how often we sit down to meditate, not how long. To help create a regular meditation habit, remember the following tips:

Keep track of how often you meditate. Mark calendar dates with a checkmark, or use a tracking app. This will help you hold yourself accountable without too much extra work.

Remember, if you miss a day, it’s ok! Part of becoming a meditator is having some self-compassion. Focus on how many times you’re able to meditate this week — or this month, rather than on the one day when you couldn’t.

If you’re falling short of your goals for consistency, reduce your daily target number of minutes of meditation. This will take off some of the pressure.

In deciding how long to meditate or how often, keep these principles in mind. If you do, you’ll maximize your chances of establishing and maintaining a regular and valuable meditation practice.

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My Mind Keeps Thinking When I Try To Meditate What Am I Doing Wrong

Most importantly, thinking is not doing anything wrong. Yet, this is an important question because it sometimes causes people to stop meditating. You can read more about it in the “Meditation for Beginners Guide”.

Meditation is about wakefulness…being in the present moment…being a witness of what is happening … whatever it is. So, when your mind is thinking, simply notice that your mind is thinking. But let’s contemplate this. When you say to yourself, “My mind is thinking”, who is actually saying this? It is originating from another level of you, the level of you that is always watching. In the beginning, this is subtle and may be difficult to notice. As you progress, however, this witnessing level of your multi-dimensional being becomes stronger and more pronounced.

The mind will never go away. It will always be the mind. However, with practice you can increase the dominance of the witnessing consciousness in the center of your being.

When I Meditate Im Not Finding Relaxation Or Peace What Should I Do

The challenge is to see if we can be curious about restlessness and difficult emotions, to stay with them and see how they manifest—how discomfort for example rises and falls, ebbs and flows in us as we stay aware of it. Admittedly, there may be pain involved, and that might call for some degree of kindness or self-compassion. Maybe placing a hand on your heart or in some other soothing place, feeling the warmth and kindness in the touch, and treating yourself the way you would treat a good friend. Maybe comforting or soothing yourself, saying a kind word to yourself like “Ouch! This is tough!” or just naming what you’re feeling “Ah! Anger is here. I’m feeling anger.” Oftentimes just assigning a label to feelings mellows the impact on the mind and the body.

We meditate to cultivate a different relationship with our inevitable human suffering, but it isn’t always easy or pleasant. The present moment can take so many forms, including difficult ones, but you can’t be any other place than where you actually are.

Do I Need To Live As A Monk In Order To Experience Bliss And Peace

No, you do not need to be a monk or renunciant.

You can have a very profound meditative journey within your life experience as it is. Just be regular in your practice. Master spiritual teacher, Master Charles Cannon, developed High-Tech Meditation® to make it easy for people in the modern world to experience the benefits of meditation while living active lives, in the comfort of their own homes.

Sometimes When I Meditate I Notice That I Don’t Sleep As Long Why

If this is happening to you now, or has happened to you in the past, just flow with it.

This experience happens because your wakefulness has expanded to the point that you are actually aware you are sleeping. However, the mind confuses this state with being awake. This is very similar to the deep states of meditation and absorption discussed above and is actually the same process, but in a different context. Notice that you feel completely refreshed in the morning.

How Long Should I Meditate: Starting Off Small And Building It Up medical review by I. Grebeniuk

‘How long should I meditate?’ This is a question that many people who are are researching how to get into the practice of meditation find themselves asking. How much is too much and could you meditate for too short a time to see results?

In this article we are going to take a look into this and other popular beginner meditation questions such as ‘what are the benefits of meditation?’, ‘What are the effects of meditation on the mind?’, and ‘how long should I meditate to relieve stress’, among others.

How Often Should You Meditate Benefits Of Consistent Meditation

Are you unsure of how often should you meditate? Do you benefit more from meditating two times a day as opposed to just one? Does meditating for longer periods get better results?

These are just some of the questions that are regularly asked regarding meditation. People are busy and time matters so it’s important to find a balance between your passions and obligations.

“Meditation is like a gym in which you develop the powerful mental muscles of calm and insight” – Ajahn Brahm

So, what is the truth?

As a general guideline – meditation is best practiced on a daily basis. Daily practice will offer you the fastest progress, however, this may not always be possible.

Not to worry! You can still reap the fantastic mental and health benefits from meditation.

This article will cover everything from the benefits, to how often should you for and how long a meditation session should last.

Do I Need To Meditate For Years Before Experiencing The Benefits

Some of the benefits of meditation will begin to unfold immediately — such as a reduction in stress, which you will notice simply by closing your eyes and focusing within. If you simultaneously flow positive feelings, such as gratitude and love, you will also experience these benefits. When you conclude your meditation and resume your daily life activities, you will notice a softer, peaceful and more positive experience. With regular practice, the innate happiness and joy of life will be more naturally experienced.

Consider Walking Meditation If This Feels Better Suited For You

Walking meditation is another great practice that can help to get the body and mind prepared for mindful action.

You can practice walking meditation indoors or outdoors, whichever suits your personal circumstances.

If the natural world around the place you live is inspiring, an outdoor walk can help you to reconnect with the abundance and blessing of each new day.

As humans in a modern, technological world, we too often lose sight of the natural world around us.

Mindfully walking through your neighbourhood, becoming aware of all the incredible life forms that contribute to the functioning of the whole, can give you a mental boost and spark positivity, gratitude, and joy.

Some of the benefits of morning meditation is that it helps us to tune into what is actually present versus whatever lives as imagery in the mind.

Starting the day this way inspires peace and contentment.

You Will Be Able To Take On Mundane Tasks With A New Enthusiasm

Haven’t some of us had experiences of waking up with the first thought of a long to-do list? For that is most likely our last thought before sleep, and so it is quite likely to click first thing in the morning.

It is normal to complete all tasks before we find some leisure time at night. That might leave us too exhausted to meditate. So then isn’t it a better idea then, to meditate early morning? Wouldn’t you want enough energy during the day to do mundane routine work with vigor and without getting bored?

Molli Sullivan Soulcycle Instructor Former Professional Dancer

Meditation, in it’s essence, for me, is practising giving our full attention. In the morning, it’s about connecting with my body, clearing my mind, and focusing on the very act that keeps us alive: our breathing. In practising giving our full attention to our breath, we’re able to get out of our heads and be more present for our day and our loved ones.

Here Are Some Easy Tips To Set Up A Morning Meditation Ritual:

1. Set your alarm to give yourself enough time to get freshened up and changed into comfortable clothing, so that you can be ready for meditation. This may mean waking up 15-30 minutes earlier than before. What will help to cultivate this habit is getting to sleep earlier and always at a fixed time. We recommend going to sleep no later than 10pm. 

2. Choose a place where you won’t be disturbed or distracted. It is important to meditate in a quiet space where no one else will come in and interrupt you. It’s ideal to have a space that’s solely dedicated to meditation, but if that’s not possible, simply find a quiet, clean, decluttered place in your home where you can meditate in peace for a few minutes every morning. If needed, use a comfortable cushion or meditation pillow, and add a light blanket to place around your shoulders.

3. Get a little physical. Doing a little physical movement helps you shrug off your nightly inertia and stiffness. Depending upon how much time you have, take a walk in nature before meditation. This lets us breathe in the fresh air and reconnects us to the source of life.

Alternatively, you can do your morning workout before meditating, rather than after. Your meditation will act as both a cool-down relaxation for the body and a chance to soothe your mind at the same time. You can also warm up with a round of relaxing yoga postures or a few rounds of Sun Salutations before meditating. 

Here are some more!

How Can Schools And Colleges Benefit From A Meditation Program

Research shows that classroom meditation helps students remain more attentive, calm, and focused.

A study at the University of Rome, Italy, found that young meditators felt happier and less anxious than non-meditators of the same age . In the investigation, 16 students aged between 6-8 years practiced brief daily meditations every day, and post examinations revealed that besides academic improvement, meditation also gave a boost to their creativity and problem-solving abilities.

Student anxiety is a primary concern for teachers, counselors, and school administrators today; and the way educational institutions can make a positive impact on their mental health is phenomenal.

In schools, kids undergo an extensive socio-emotional learning process. Using techniques like mindful breathing, thought counting, naming emotions, and the body scan, educational organizations can help students overcome stress and refrain from participating in unhealthy competition.

The core idea of school or college-based meditation practice is to promote an environment where kids do not just learn to read books; they also learn to read their minds, understand their bodies, and regulate their feelings in the best possible ways.

Do I Need To Be Celibate To Experience Unified Consciousness

No, you do not need to be celibate to move forward on the spiritual path. At a certain point in the evolutionary process, containment of the sexual energy naturally unfolds. It is important to understand that sexual energy for both men and women is part of Kundalini energy. So, when it is released in sexual experience, some of it is lost. Containment preserves this important energy for spiritual evolution. For people on the spiritual journey who want to maintain maximum Kundalini actualization, it is helpful to practice containment in some way, even if in a relationship. For the individual interested in learning more about this subject, it is most important to have a master spiritual teacher who is adept in the process.

Stretch Lightly Before You Sit For Daily Morning Meditation

Sitting up straight after you’ve been in bed for seven or eight hours can be uncomfortable, and if your body is tense during meditation, it will be harder to focus on the present moment or whatever other anchor you’ve chosen for your practice.

After you wake up, take a few moments to stretch, either in bed or on the floor in your room.

Light movements will get the blood flowing and help to stretch out any tight muscles.

There are a variety of yoga poses that you can explore, or you can simply follow the call of your body.

Depending on your mobility and your present moment needs for movement, your morning stretches will be unique to who you are.

Savor The Moment By Tapping Into Your Senseselaine Smookler

Use the breath to anchor yourself in the present moment. Our minds are always so easily pulled to busyness. Bring particular attention to feeling the breath, or something in the body, as you bring your shoulders down and orient your attention toward gratitude.

Next, bring to mind a sight you are grateful for. Move through your senses, and find one thing to start with that you appreciate that comes to you from the world of sight, if you have this available. It could be a color…a shadow…a shape…a movement. Remember, it will never be like this again. What do you see right now, and can you feel grateful that you get to see this, whatever it is?

Now, shift to a scent you appreciate. As you continue to work with your senses, now take time to tune in with appreciation to an aroma. What do you notice? What about that glorious or interesting or subtle smell is making you smile? It could be gratitude for something familiar: a scent that brings comfort, upliftment; or maybe it’s something you’ve never smelled before, and it just piques your curiosity, ignites you, enlivens you.

As you end this practice, carry this attitude of gratitude with you. One last little grateful tip: Why not offer your thanks to each person who does anything at all for you today? Even if it is their job to help you? When you’re grateful, when you let your heart open up and be filled with appreciation, notice how being grateful makes you feel.

A 10-Minute Full Body Scan Meditation

Your Mind Feels Balanced And Can Handle All The Situations

At work, your day cannot be in the same flow. Sometimes you do things effortlessly and sometimes the tasks are frustrating. If you have done your morning meditation for energy then things will change positively for you. Even a quick meditation at work can allow you to calm down the negativity in your brain and balance all the thoughts.

Meditation Increases Attention By Inducing A State Of Flow

Have you noticed how meditation absorbs you into the moment? Mindful awareness comes naturally to us when we meditate, and we reach ‘flow’ state where our mind is in complete harmony with itself. A study on the effects of an eight-week mindful meditation course found that people who are regular meditation practitioners had heightened attention and concentration span.

Even people who meditated for short durations showed more focus than individuals who did not meditate at all .

For The Best Morning Meditation Start As Soon As You Rise

When your alarm goes off , take a few moments to become conscious of that subtle transition between sleep and wakefulness.

Beginning your day by being mindful of this transition is a great way to set your stage for a consciously-directed day of activity.

Now, while we’re all unique and thrive on different schedules, if you’re interested in creating a lifestyle that includes morning meditation, it’s best to get into the habit of starting right away.

Rather than becoming immediately consumed by social media or the needs of other people in your household, make it a priority to meditate before tending to the world.

Making meditation a first-thing priority sends a message to the universe – and to ourselves – that shows our commitment to self-care, the spiritual journey, and our overall well being.

If your morning is tight and doesn’t include much space for meditation first thing in the morning, or if you have young children that require your immediate assistance, see if you can squeeze in a 5-minute meditation – even if you don’t get out of bed to do it.

If a first-thing meditation doesn’t feel right to you, know that this isn’t a rule set in stone. You might need to engage with the day first before sitting down for meditation. 

The Best Morning Meditation Routine For Clearing Yourhead

Allen’s morning routine is asfollows: Wake up, drink coffee, run three to four miles, shower, dress, andmeditate. Contrary to what you might believe about coffee, Allen says it helpshim meditate. “People think you shouldn’t be wide awake when you meditate, butdon’t confuse sleeping with meditation,” he says. “You can have a present andenergized mind while being relaxed and dialed in—and that’s the state you’llfind you get to with practice. Your mind is very active and present, sharp andclear.”

Allen says that usingcaffeine to aid meditation is a practice that long predates Starbucks. Hepoints to a legend of a bodhisattva whose monk disciples kept falling asleepwhile meditating. “So he ripped hiseyelids off and threw them on the ground, and from them grew green tea leaves,”says Allen. The bodhisattva then brewed tea from the leaves and served it tothe monks before they meditated so that they stayed awake and focused.

Of course, it goes withoutsaying that Allen doesn’t advise drinking tea made from eyelids, and cautionsthat caffeine may not work for you as well as it does forhim, so pre-meditation coffee is optional.

At any rate, when you’reready to meditate, follow these steps.

Sometimes I Fall Asleep When I Meditate Is This A Problem

As your meditative journey progresses, you will experience new levels of consciousness. These levels are associated with increasing holistic power and you may experience what is termed “absence.” But the experience is not sleep. Consciousness is simply managing your process until you have integrated the new level of power and find yourself more wakeful again. It’s all a matter of managing the peak experience of meditation in a way that is tolerable.

You Can Eliminate Stress And Anxiety From Your Daily Life

Numerous studies have suggested that meditation has various health benefits–most notably, easing stress. Meditation is a unique opportunity to create time for yourself, apart from appointments, work deadlines, and other obligations. Although the mechanism isn’t fully understood, researchers think that meditation may stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing your heart rate and breathing rate, and improving blood flow. These physiological effects that take place during meditation may be part of the reason why meditating makes you feel so relaxed. Beginning your day in a calm, relaxed state can also help you be less bothered by the little frustrations in life and reduce overall stress and anxiety.

Emily White Founding Partner At Collective Entertainment

I have a daily and constant meditation practice that is based in the mindful practices of vipassana.

I generally meditate for five minutes after waking up, for five minutes after working out, and in five-minute increments throughout the day – especially before focusing on certain projects or speaking engagements. I also meditate on the subway, and it generally adds up to at least 30-60 minutes of meditation a day. I I had a more lengthy regular meditation practice, but this is what currently works for my life and schedule.

You Get To Enjoy The Morning Energy And Peace Effectively

The meditation has its best effect when done in the morning and it also allows to enjoy the peaceful morning more than usual. The early morning is the time when you can expect your phone to not ring, or anyone to knock at your door and thus you can meditate with ease. Meditating in the cool breeze at the early morning hours will let you appreciate the peace around you which will give you a positive morning energy for the rest of the day.

How Else Can You Improve Your Morning Meditation Routine

Once you’ve established a consistent morning meditation routine, you may be looking for new ways to enhance your practice and continue to learn more about meditation techniques and theory.

Fortunately, there are a plethora of meditation resources available online that can help guide your practice and expand your knowledge on the subject.

One of the best ways that you can progress on your meditation journey is to connect and practice with other people. Group meditation and meditation retreats are an incredible way to invest in your meditation skills and build relationships with like-minded people.

These options provide you with opportunities to exchange ideas and suggestions. You will learn how others are incorporating mindfulness into their daily lives.

If you want to continue practicing independently but want additional structure, you can use meditation apps to follow guided meditation wherever you want.

How Long Should I Meditate Isnt It The Longer The Better

For a lot of meditation beginners or even for some experienced meditation practitioner, they have the question of how long they should mediate. First, you have to know that meditation is not an exact science where you will get a textbook answer. Yet, a close-to-textbook answer is often useful and we have to know what can probably benefit us and what would hurt us. And you have to remember that the it is more important to protect yourself from getting harmed than to gain benefit. One of the wisest men on earth Charlie Munger, one of the best investors in the history, has said that it is more important to be not stupid than to be brilliant. So, let’s talk about how to apply that concept to meditation and explore the ideal lengths for meditation.

Health Benefits Of Daily Meditation According To Science

23-05-2021

If there is one thing common in all of us, it is the flaming urge to be happy and satisfied in life.

Whether a crying baby, an insecure teenager, or a responsible family person, we all seek something that would comfort us.

But the question is: Are we looking for happiness in the right place?

Trinlay Rinpoche, an accomplished meditator and scholar, said that the real source of happiness lies in the clarity of thoughts. External factors can only be pleasurable as long as we are happy from the inside. According to Buddha, meditation trains the mind to “not dwell in the past or contemplate about the future.” It lets the mind settle in the ‘now’ and allows us to see the beauty of the present.

This article is an effort to understand why meditation works so well and how we can resort to its benefits for becoming a better version of ourselves.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to . These science-based, comprehensive exercises will not only help you cultivate a sense of inner peace throughout your daily life but will also give you the tools to enhance the mindfulness of your clients, students or employees.

You can download the free PDF .

Sarah Athanas Marketing Creative Documentary Filmmaker

For a zen student, this is the most essential part of the routine, no question. I have a corner in my apartment with an alter and cushion, and I light a candle and incense every morning. I also maintain a vase with cut flowers. It is very important to create and care for a sacred space if you want to have a regular meditation practice.

I read a short poem or gatha before sitting and chant the bodhisattva vows afterwards, followed by three full bows. In addition to having an incredible grounding effect, this practice is a constant reminder that this life is about much more than me.

Are There Proven Benefits To Doing Meditation In Groups

Everything feels better when shared. Connecting to people have unique benefits. We feel more loved, connected, and accepted when we could listen to others and share with them.

Just like any other group activity, meditation, when done with others, comes with an array of desirable effects.

Brain imaging studies have shown that alpha and gamma brain waves synchronize better when people meditate together .

Let’s have a quick look at some of the proven benefits of doing group meditation.

Meditate Whenever You Feel Overwhelmed Or Stressed Out

Inevitably, there are moments when we feel overwhelmed, whether at work or at home. When that happens, instead of using the usual remedies to tune out what you’re experiencing, why not try tuning in? Try using Mindworks’ meditation timer, stop and breathe into awareness for a minute or two, and refresh your mind at any time.

Mindfulness teaches us that we can observe what’s going on in our minds and bodies without having to react. With time, our practice becomes second nature and we come to recognize when we need to just stop, observe, and take a mindful moment. This pause can help us cope with stressful situations in a more productive and beneficial way.

The Ultimate Morning Meditation Routine For Relaxation

Whether you’re talking aboutcelebrities, pro athletes, or millionaire entrepreneurs, successful people tendto have a few things in common. Maybe they get up early in the morning, or theywrite down short- and long-term goals for themselves, but one commonality thatcomes up again and again among the most driven and positive people in the worldis the practice of meditation.

You may choose to meditate tosharpen your mind for the day ahead, or merely to calm it down, but sneaking ineven a short session in the middle of a busy morning can pay more dividendsthan you imagine.

Ancient Wisdom Suggests Meditation As A Morning Ritual

Many spiritual traditions suggest waking up before the sun to do yoga and meditate. The specific reasons vary, but ultimately it all comes down to creating a sacred connection to your higher self when the world and your mind are at their quietest.

Have you ever tried sitting at 5 a.m.? The peaceful calm and stillness at that time is unlike any other. And although to many people 5 a.m. seems like the middle of the night, being awake as the sun rises actually aligns you with nature and builds your energy reserves.

See if you can sit and be present for the first birds to chirp in the morning. There is a magic in the air when wild animals sense the sun about to rise. And as the sun rises, so too does your consciousness, if you choose to make of it a sacred ritual.

Can Meditation Sharpen Your Attention When You Wake Up

It’s not surprising that meditation would affect attention, since many practices focus on this very skill. And, in fact, researchers have found that meditation helps to counter habituation—the tendency to stop paying attention to new information in our environment. Other studies have found that mindfulness meditation can reduce mind wandering and improve our ability to solve problems.

There’s more good news: Studies have shown that improved attention seems to last up to five years after mindfulness training, again suggesting trait-like changes are possible.

Do these benefits apply to people with attention-deficit disorders, and could meditation possibly supplant drugs like Adderall? We can’t yet say for sure. While there have been some promising small-scale studies, especially with adults, we need larger randomized controlled trials to understand how meditation might mix with other treatments to help both kids and adults manage attention-deficits.

You Will Have A Sorted Day Rather Than A Scattered One

Imagine a gross case of a person who comes to greet you on a morning he didn’t brush his teeth? From the repelling smell you could make what he had last night. On a similar note, we might also end up sharing what we dumped in the mind last day – a fight with mom, a dish that didn’t turn out well, or your senior disapproving a project you worked on day and night. But we can get over it if we meditate before we start our day.

Physical Changes In The Body Related To Mental Health

Biomedical research into meditation taught us that consistent meditators also exhibit changes in brain composition, particularly in the hippocampus and frontal lobes. These brain regions are responsible for memory formation and decision-making, respectively.

In one study, researchers found that the change in brain matter composition, specifically increases in grey matter, that it causes enhances areas of the brain that deal with memory, learning, emotional regulation, identity, perspective. These changes are likely why people who meditate can better regulate their behavior in stressful situations and environments.

Although meditators still experience the initial stress response to triggering stimuli, meditation helped them develop the skills to effectively handle and manage their body’s ingrained response. Brain scans from the study show how this helped meditators recover from stress quicker.

Additionally, according to other studies, those who meditate have ratios of grey to white brain matter that are very different from people known to experience high levels of anxiety and stress.

Tips For Starting An Early Morning Meditation Routine

When you’re starting out with a brand new morning meditation, it’s important to experiment with the different types and techniques. But don’t forget, whichever type of practice you eventually decide to stick with, you can always explore other traditions later on. If you’re not yet ready to call a full meditation practice your own, start looking for meditative moments during otherwise mundane events. For example, you can take a 1-minute walking meditation to your car or practice mindfulness while preparing your morning coffee. Here are other tips to consider when you are starting out:

Richard Wotton Newly Qualified Media Studies Teacher

I have ten to fifteen minutes of private reflection when I wake up. It’s more soothing than when I go to bed, where my mind it still analysing the day’s events.

There is also a moment when I walk from the bus stop through the park that my school is located in that I start to feel good about the day ahead. It’s sound naive, but I do like the optimism that an early morning brings.

The Neurological Benefits Meditation Has On The Brain

Meditation has been around since ancient history. With science and technological advancements, we are only rolling towards the knowledge that was always there. Scientists today approach meditation as an all-around solution to lifestyle malfunctions and have put forth some mind-boggling evidence on how meditation rewires the neural channels to promote inner peace and equilibrium.

Are There Scientifically Proven Benefits For The Skin

Our skin is a great communicator of our feelings and mental state. It mirrors extreme emotions such as stress, anxiety, depression, excitement, and happiness, and has a unique way of responding to pressure. For example, our cheeks turn pink as we blush, and our ears feel hot and red when we feel embarrassed and humiliated.

Fear makes the skin look pale, and sadness can often bring dullness and unwanted crinkles in the skin. Together with blood circulation and hormonal ups and downs, the skin is an excellent indicator of our emotions and science has gone an extra mile proving it.

Recent research by Dr. Anthony Bewley , a popular dermatologist, proved that self-healing practices like meditation, breath control, and mindfulness, have profound benefits on skin conditions like eczema, acne, dry skin, and psoriasis.

This branch of study, popularly called psychodermatology, explores how the skin reacts to internal stress and how stress-reduction through meditation impacts it. Some studies revealed that when individuals with psoriasis attended guided meditation sessions or listened to soothing pieces of music, they healed a lot faster than others with the same condition .

Besides the direct impact, meditation also adds glow and youthfulness to the skin by curing allied health conditions. For example, gastric ulcers, insomnia, regular headache or migraine, hypertension or low blood pressure, and chronic pain are common issues that negatively reflect on our skin tone.

Morning Meditation: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners

Do you wake up and find yourself scrolling on your phone even before getting out of bed? Do you wake up only to find you have 10 minutes to get ready and run off to start your day? Starting your day out feeling rushed, scattered, and overwhelmed not only stresses you out but the feelings tend to stay with you throughout the day.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission . Please see my disclaimer policy to learn more.

How you start your morning matters. In a2019 survey, 77% rate their mornings as busy and 1 in 5 individuals are always in the rush to even get out the door. It is important to start your day off right and what better way to do that is with morning meditations.

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A Guided Meditation Is Much Easier To Do Than A Self

I’ll admit that I used to think meditating with an app like , or Insight Timer was kind of cheating. If you can’t do it by yourself, I figured, you’re not really doing it. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Headspace has been my saving grace throughout this experiment. The easy-to-use app has free and paid options, including meditation timers, courses, group meditations and more. Though I mostly stuck with the timed guided meditations—20 minutes a day—I can see myself trying the app’s other offerings as I get more comfortable with the basics.

When And How Often Should You Meditatereport This Ad

If you are one of the lucky people who has the time for it, two meditation sessions per day is ideal. This would be one session in the morning, soon after waking up and another before you head to bed.

Right after you wake up is a great time to practice meditation because your body and mind are already relaxed. Additionally, it helps to set up your day and create an organized train of thought.

Meditating before you sleep helps to purge your body and mind of any stress that you collected during the day. It will also help you wake up feeling rested the next morning.

According to :

“The most important part of developing a meditation practice is consistency. Research shows that you don’t have to meditate every single day in a row, but that the benefits are tied to regular, consistent practice”

Some people may feel they need three sessions a day. However, based on the research, just three meditation sessions a week is associated with benefits for most people.

Everyone is different. Experiment with how many times a day you practice and at what time. Find out what works for you individually.

How To Meditate In The Morning: 5 Easy Ways To Do It

I’m pretty sure I don’t need to build a case for meditation. You’ve likely seen and read news stories how it can reduce stress and anxiety, can , and can help you focus. Meditation has gone mainstream — which is amazing. This ancient tool is completely free, easy to do, and always available to you. So why aren’t we taking advantage of it more?

I get it. You feel like you don’t do it right, that you don’t have enough time, and that only two minutes won’t give you the benefits you need anyway. Let’s talk these out. First of all, you’re not doing it “wrong” even if you sit there thinking about what you’re going to have for breakfast the entire time — if you commit to putting your phone down for those first two minutes.

Listen, I’m not perfect at any of this either, I’m making all of those arguments above to myself half of the time. But the most important reminder that I have to give myself is that meditating most mornings has made a huge difference in my life. Some personal benefits I’ve experienced from meditation are:

It makes me more aware of how I’m feeling and able to identify my emotions

It slows down my naturally fiery reactions

It makes my digestion a million times better

It makes me feel more appreciative for all the good stuff

It helps manage my anxiety and stress in a huge way

So, in an effort to help you get started or deepen your meditation practice, here are five easy ways to do it.

Meditation Programs That You Might Want To Try Out:

1. Profound Meditation Program 3.0 provides the smoothest, deepest, richest, most profound meditation experience available anywhere.

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2. Zen12 – there are 12 levels in the entire year-long Zen12 program.

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3. Deep Delta – a beautiful brainwave entrainment meditation to nurture your spirit & your brain.

To learn more about Deep Delta click .

4. Shortcuts to Awakening – guided meditations with brainwave entrainment.

To learn more about Shortcuts to Awakening click .

Applying Mindfulness Meditation To Your Daily Life

You should also try as much as possible to work and weave mindfulness into your daily life, and not just see it as something you set aside 20 minutes a day for in set time blocks. Ideally, and in it’s purest form, meditation needs to be something we do constantly, every waking moment, being present and attentive to thoughts, feelings, sensations etc.

For those of us in the West that live hectic and busy lives, this is easier said than done. However, there are some ways you can integrate mindfulness into even small little daily chores.

Bedros Keuilian Founder Ceo Of Fit Body Boot Camp

I’ve tried meditation and I just can’t get into it. It’s not for me. I can’t sit still that long. The closest things I have are my workout and my gratitude exercise, which takes five minutes. It goes like this: I think about three things I’m grateful for this morning, as well as three people I’m grateful for, then I send a text message to those three people to let them know that I’m grateful for them and to thank them for being in my life.

Elizabeth Royal Street Style Fashion Photographer

I don’t meditate in the morning, though I do a quiet time or devotional each morning. It involves some reading and learning and a whole lot of praying. Praying, I guess, is kind of the closest thing I do to meditating. Praying humbles me and reminds me every day that there are things beyond myself out there.

A Study On Future Directions In Meditation Science

This study was a cross-cultural investigation of the less familiar aspects of meditation. Authors of this journal mention that while discussing meditation, we are mostly concerned about the physical and physiological benefits of it .

However, as the researchers suggest, there are other significant areas, for example, transpersonal domains, spiritual practices, and cultural orientations that are equally forceful in determining the usefulness of meditation. With substantial research and evidence, this publication draws attention to such contributing factors and urge practitioners to promote them effectively.

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Vehicle Maintenance Tips - Some Much More Ways to Conserve Loan

Our experts explained some auto maintenance tips in our previous post, which might assist you in conserving funds. Today, our team cover some even more tips which can easily even further assist you in saving your individual financial resources.

1) Try to teach on your own on the little, regular vehicle maintenance tips yourselves. Just before visiting the supplier for the melioration of every small trouble, make an effort to inspect the concern on your own. If the automobile is actually certainly not beginning, at that point possibly some cables are actually loosened at the electric battery attaching factor. You may your own self elevate the chapeau as well as secure the relationships on your own. Or even, if the cars and truck is actually overheating, inspect the vacation of the coolant/ water in the radiator your own self prior to phoning the auto mechanic coming from the car dealership. This way, you can easily conserve the amount of money by preventing excessive journeys to the mechanic whenever.

2) Taking even further the subject matter of regular automobile maintenance tips, you must additionally recognize exactly how to accomplish the slight traits like altering a standard tire of the cars and truck. Typically, you would certainly possess also pay out funds whenever other people does it for you, as well as you will certainly not manage to spare amount of money in the future.

3) If you possess greater than one cars and truck, after that you need to attempt to steer the one which possesses a far better gas productivity, everywhere feasible. This may likewise assist you to conserve cash.

4) Have the energy as well as examine as well as sky filters changed at frequent, recommended periods. This ought to create a portion of your regimen cars and truck maintenance to-do list. Otherwise, you might possess untimely wrecked components and might need to invest a bunch of money for unscheduled repair work. In purchase to conserve the amount of money, go depending on to producer's suggested routine

5) Make certain to utilize the ideal grade of Engine oil for your auto. Bear in mind the producers' referrals for the lengthy lifestyle of your motor and to stay clear of unneeded harm to your cars and truck. Examine your automobile maintenance list for this suggestion. This is actually an addition of means to conserve cash on your cars and truck maintenance.

Ways to Save Your Car

It would be actually fantastic if you might acquire an automobile, steer it up until you yearned for a various one, as well as certainly never need to carry out everything in between. Regrettable autos are actually makers. If you prefer all of them to always keep operating effectively, pieces of equipment require a little bit of tender nurturing treatment. Right here are actually 5 cars and truck maintenance tips that will definitely maintain your auto operating effectively and at low costs as feasible.

Need more maintenance tips? visit at www.hpcoatings.com

Idea 1: Change your oil on a regular basis

This is actually a simple one. It is likewise some of the most basic points you may do to produce your automobile final.

Oil malfunction. It quits performing its own task of greasing your motor so the components do not wear. That is actually a fait accompli. You need to remain in advance of the breakdown through inspecting your oil routinely as well as carrying out a couple of factors:

1. If your dipstick claims it is actually reduced, Top off the oil

2. When your auto supplier suggests, altering your oil

Many fairly brand new automobiles may go 3,000-5,000 kilometers prior to an oil improvement with no complication whatsoever, and a lot of may go a lot longer than that. Going years without an oil adjustment is actually a dish for primary expenditure down the series.

Idea 2: Take treatment of your tires

When lots of people consider an auto, their thoughts assumes "motor." Your tires are actually an essential component of your motor vehicle, as well as maintaining all of them in great condition assists your motor job a lot better.

Possess your technician inspect your tire tension each time you obtain an oil adjustment, and also examine it on your own when you fill out at the pump. Incorporate some sky if the tension is actually as well reduced. Numerous gasoline station possess a social make use of air pump, and also it generally sets you back lower than a dollar to incorporate some air to your tires.

As well as receive your tires spun frequently. Every 3rd or even 2nd oil adjustment is actually a really good tip. That is actually every 9,000 to 15,000 kilometers for many autos. Turning maintains tire wear and tear outfit, and also unequal damage may inform you if you possess tire placement troubles.

Idea 3: Stick to your maintenance timetable

Your car supplier suggests on a regular basis arranged maintenance. It compensates to pay attention.

There are actually some maintenance products that merely can not disregard. Time waistband substitute is actually an example. You'll find yourself switching out the most effective about every 50,000 to 80,000 kilometers, as well as it is actually certainly not inexpensive. You can easily attempt to rip off as well as go much longer, however in time, the waistband will certainly break. It can perform primary harm to your motor if that takes place at total velocity on the freeway.

Idea 4: Change your filters

This implies your oil, gas, sky and also gear box filters. Your vehicle's manager's guidebook will certainly offer you the encouraged timetable for altering all of them, yet listed below are actually handful of rules that must apply for a lot of autos:

Change your oil filter at every oil improvement

Change your sky filter at every tune-up, or even at the very least every number of months

Change your gear box liquid every 2 years

Change your energy filter annually

Idea 5: Clean your motor

A filthy motor operates hotter and makes it harder for your technician (or even you) to find cracks and various other issues.

However, you can easily wash your motor your own self to deal with delicate dispose of plastic to steer clear of water harm. As soon as every pair of years, a far better possibility is actually most likely to possess your motor properly thorough or even heavy steam washed. That is actually certainly not cost-free, certainly, yet a tidy motor is actually probably to conserve you loan in the end.

[thedivinefish]

TGIWednesday and a download for having love find YOU!

TGIWednesday News

I make every effort to NOT go out and hunt down this that or the other thing.  By so doing, things and people seem to find me. I won’t chase anything and if something is continually being hard and road blockish (even after fishing) maybe it’s the universe and divine timing saying it’s not the time.  This especially rings true with romance and partnerships.  We don’t want our love life becoming a Greek tragedy and instead we’d like for love to find us and to unfold and be more organic.  This is my wish for you as you read or hear this now.  Like that old Pablo Cruise song “Love will find a way.” There are just a few days left to visit the shop this month and use the code LOVE44 to receive an automatic 22% off the Ideal Love Audio MP3 for just $44 (savings of $13).

TGIWednesday Download

~  LOVE WILL FIND ME ~ I believe, think, know and feel that love can and will find me when the time is right.  I am ready, willing and able to allow a space for love to find me. I know, when, where, how and why with the voice of spirit that love will show up when I least expect it.  I am asking for this in all languages and throughout all time lines and so it is.

LIVE ZOOM EVENT TONIGHT!

TONIGHT  February 24th at 7:30pm 

Theme: Clearing the blocks and calling in The One!  All about Love/Soul Mate/Twin Flame energy. Want to increase and strengthen the love bond with your current partner?  Is your energy clear and aligned to bring in that someone special? What past love traumas do you still need to clear? What beliefs do you have about love that are getting in your way? Register at Calendly for $22 (includes reminders and replay) https://calendly.com/jmh-calls/feb2021-switches INSTRUCTIONS: Click on the date circled in BLUE. Look for the event time shown in YOUR time zone. SELECT THAT TIME & then click on the BLUE CONFIRM BUTTON then follow through & complete your payment.  Submit your Top 3 by 3pm Eastern today to support@jimmymackhealing.com  

Register Here - $22

Live Show Appearances

YOU WEALTH REVOLUTION hosted by Darius  New Energy, New You™! New Season Starting Tues. March 2nd It's the biggest energy healing event of the year - best of all it’s FREE from your home!

During this online event, the world’s top energy healing and life transformation experts will conduct daily live energy healing calls with hundreds of life-changing energy processes. 

REGISTER NOW and Don't Miss This Limited-Time FREE Gift for You ($67 Value)  The incredible new Soul Spa 2.0™ and 741 Hz download which works to cleanse your aura and release toxic stress, worry and old anchors.

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As you know by now, I will not be returning to our weekly Jimmy Mack Healing Radio show in 2021. We will of course be guest or co-hosting on a variety of other shows on occasion.  So stay tuned to this section of TGIW as a variety of future show line ups will be posted! 

Watch hundreds of replays for FREE here in the archives: https://thejimmymackhealingshow.com/

From the Fish Box

SWANN HOLISTIC HEALTH SOLUTIONS  

Jimmy Mack will be offering sessions at Dr. Charla Tempone’s office at Swann Holistic Health Solutions on FRIDAY MARCH 26th from 10-4pm

403 S. Habana Ave. Tampa, FL 33609 Just south of Azeele next to Skin Savvy http://www.ctholisticsolutions.com

Please call their office directly at  ☎️ (813) 873-7773 in order to get on the schedule for 15-minutes $38 or 30-minutes $68. If you’re new to working with me, I suggest you schedule 30 minutes.

From the Fish Box

Q & A with Jimmy Q) "The morning after you kindly helped me again, I sat on the floor as usual but was suddenly, immediately surrounded all around me with the true tiny fish and one small group seemed to be hanging from a "circle".  This event has come several times which shows me being much more "there" now.   So, this will remain with me.  And I hope it is all right that copies have been made of a fish picture and is bring a nice feeling from the pics on the bedroom walls and several in the other.  It was interesting how it seemed being guided of where to tape them." - Lee T.  A) "Love that, you go for it……………I see and experience that kind of stuff daily…so cool isn’t it! You’re what I call ���in the wave” of all that is………….enjoy!" - Jimmy  

Fish Food 

The Daily Bread To Feed The Fish

Tell the Fish - 365 Daily Inspirations and Affirmations - by Jimmy Mack FEBRUARY 24th  "Today I will do what I want to do. I will not force my opinion or wishes on others. I will respect that each person has the right and the free will to choose what they want. I will mind my own business. I will suggest, but not force. I will inquire without demand. I will ask without intruding. Today I will endeavor to stay as private as possible and keep to myself."

Receive 24/7 Prayers from Jimmy

Nightly prayers include COVID-19. Each night we work on scrambling the frequency for everyone on the prayer list. Your name will be added to a special VIP Prayer list where Jimmy will use his intelligent computer software, src4you which runs 24/7, to delete the negative and increase the strength of the positive creating a higher probability of favorable outcomes for you.  

In addition, throughout the full 30-days, Jimmy will be dialing into your energetic signature each day upon rising and make certain that you are a clear yes, unclear to no and running forward before you start your day. He is doing the heavy lifting for you around 3am NY time while most of you are asleep in order to smooth out your way and increase your most favorable life outcomes.

The 30-day service is now being offered exclusively  and you also have the option of selecting an ongoing subscription ($95/month) which is managed through PayPal only.

Upon written email request, for each new order we offer a one-time email analysis via the intelligent healing software that Jimmy uses on your behalf.  Most clients have had amazing results and outcomes!

You can add yourself and those living in your immediate household and yes you can include pets! Merely include everyone’s names and Jimmy will add them to his daily prayers. *NOTE if the MDP Service was purchased via a special telesummit or radio show offer, prayers will be limited to BUYER ONLY - and will not include family members or pets.

You can run this monthly and stop at any time after the 30 days is up, you will have the opportunity to renew and update your list each month but are under no obligation. I believe you will experience magical transformations and make progress every day! 

Sign Up for 30-Days - $99

​For those who aren't familiar,​ below is ​a​ list of the​ 30+​ audio​s in the MyBeliefWorks series.... Find a topic that addresses your issue(s), click on the link to read more. We had a lot of help downloading & channeling these over the years & they keep getting better. Don't forget... you can share these with your immediate friends and family.

Abundance Abuse Addiction Body Scan: Head to Toe Bountiful Harvest Creatives Daily GPS Reset Dark Energies/Fears Decision Making Diet & Exercise Education & Learning Family & Relatives Financial Windfall The Gold Coin Healing Body Disorders Healing Mental Stress

Holiday Stress Increasing Intuition IRS & Tax Time Love & Romance Money Mindset Moving Forward Pain Relief Pet Healing Sales & Success Improving Sex Improving Sleep Traveling w/Ease Work & Career Weight Loss Youth & Vitality  

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Go deep sea "fishing" with Jimmy!

Level 1 is open to ANYONE at anytime! Click here to watch the Mastery video playlist

The Certificate of Mastery Program includes 2 best-selling ebooks and 2 clearing audios plus written & video instructions, AND one-on-one time with Jimmy ALL for about the cost of a single 1-hr session! This online course is for anyone who is familiar with OR new to "fishing" and is ready to dive into the deep end & get results that are beyond the ordinary! It includes The Tackle Box & The Dowser's Handbook ebooks PLUS 2 MP3s "Clearing Dark Energies" & "Increasing Your Intuition" to help clear, strengthen and prepare your energy field for optimal “fishing” results. This is a work-at-your-own-pace curriculum that will TEACH & CLEAR you at the same time! In under 2wks you will be finished with the program and ready to fish on your own with greater results! Level II offers Practitioner Certification for those who qualify.

LEARN ABOUT CERTIFICATION HERE

TGIFunny

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Jimmy Mack | Appointments Skype: Jimmy.Mack55 Clearwater Florida USA Book a 15 minute session Book a 30 minute session Book a 60 minute session ​​​ Transformational Healing of Body, Mind​ & Spirit, People, Places, Pets & Situations!​ ​ Download the My Liquid Fish™ Starter Kit (*Updated December 2020) Audio MP3 Downloads​ and books​ to improve your life! Get Certified in ​My Liquid Fish™Change Made Simple™ Watch Free Videos on YouTube Radio Show Archives Shop for ​Supplements ​ http://www.jimmymackhealingshop.com www.jimmymackhealing.com Copyright ©1998-2021 All Rights Reserved  

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