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rin-and-jade · 6 months

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Gripped by Glue Trap: a Post about Front Stuck & Lock

I get it, there's no such thing as an actual big glue trap with being stuck outside as a system,, but oftentimes its gonna feel that way because whatever was done... that glue won't even struggle one bit, only we do. That frustration is what we all have when switching is not an option.

But do you ever think this glue is defeatable? It latches hard and wears you out the more you try to get out of the situation,, so you might think not.. yet i do! That's what this post is going to be about folks, getting your little bug-self free with my secret trick from another human glue trap ensnared in their house.

But.. what is it actually?

Generally, as a system, we facilitate each other's strengths and weaknesses by switching in and out, as all those parts are not wholly integrated compared to a singlet. And. Uh oh. You're stuck and can't get out? You're trapped!.. that little drop of sap caught your leg and now you couldn't leave, even if you wanted to. Though you still can express to your buddies that you need help or etc. (and, this is called front stuck)

Or sometimes, we can even get stranded away from our pack (as in stress, or anything that worsens internal communication), wondering alone, and stood on a nasty manmade trap that caught you without mercy. This time, you're immobile and out of reach to call for reinforcements (now, this one is called front lock)

Sap? Glue? What's the diff??

To put it simply, being stuck means being unable to get out from the front or surrender the control to another part. While being locked off is the worser version of being stuck because not only you cannot surrender the control, there is barely any stream of communication you can connect to, or nonexistent, head silent and all that.

The only similarity they have is how it greatly impedes the fronter's capability to ease in or out from front,, if not, impossible.

These two also happen for different possible reasons, such as:

↓ Stuck ↓

Unfinished tasks

Goal/wants not met yet

Ongoing role duty (for protectors, hosts, etc)

Reluctance handing control/fear of blacking out

Mild stressors (like anxiety)

.. and more

↓ Locked ↓

Dissociation

Fight/flight response

Overwhelm

Bigger stressors

Major life changes

Re-occurring trauma

.. and more

Just a reminder that all systems are different, and these same reasons that causes to be stuck/lock will result in an opposite reaction such as rapid switching or being blurry! This post is mainly for those who experience stuck/lock.

Then, how do i get my leg out?!

I can tell you that, but i have to explain how this ordeal happened in the first place so it'll make sense, bare with me;

You know the parasympathetic (rest) and sympathetic (fight/flight) response, yeah? These two responses flicks on depending when there's safety or presented threats. Now, DMN is a part of the parasympathetic response, the full name is Default Mode Network, which is fully responsible for.. well.. default stuffs such as mind wandering, planning, thinking inwards,, those typical things that happen when you're bored. This is also the reason you why can facilitate better communication with other parts compared to when, let's say, being busy with tasks.

Know it or not, sometimes our mind has to wander a little bit in order to chat with other parts of ourself, and stress snaps us out of that relaxed state in purpose of focusing whats at outside, rather than inside, which where everything system-y lies at. Some do not get affected and still can function as-if, so understand how your system works and use that to the advantage.

How to hack yourself from fight/flight to rest mode again? Via vagus nerve stimulation! Not sure if you ever heard of this word, but the vagus is one part of the cranial nerves that is responsible for the activation of this parasympathetic response..! It's like the oil to the glue, because it hijacks the adhesive properties with something so viscous that it binds to it instead of you!! --

Here are some activities you can do to disable the glue:

Gurgle water, hum, or sing: this is because the vagus is located around your neck, and can be easily stimulated that way.

Watch something: redirecting yourself with a distraction can ease you temporarily, giving time to calm down, which brings you out of the grips of stress.

Listen to music: another way if you don't have anything to watch, even better if you put on soothing, slower songs.

Move around: get those pented up anxiety or restlessness out! movement equals expression, this also activates the vagus nerve.

Breathe deeply: rebalance the vagus by breathing in and out slowly, this nerve is also responsible for your breathing pace too, so giving a little push of balance will create a domino effect for your nerve to work.

Unfocus your eyes: or, another way to do it is to focus more on the peripheral vision rather than the vocal point. This is a way to poke the same nerve's functions, oddly can work as a booster to make yourself slightly dissociated/disconnected which facilitates switches or a general break/distraction.

Solve/asses it: it will be nothing if you do not tackle the thing you are very stressed out about, which can extend how long you'll be stuck,, so use these tips above to regain self control and tackle them with me, or your trusted friends, or even alone after examining what could be done! Talking to someone also helps, even if there's nothing productive being done.

Take it easy and break it down: this one is if you're on a role job and things are being difficult, incase you're overwhelmed, remember to do it step by step, no need to be rash about getting back in first, that time will come as long you focus whats in front.

Remember, fight/flight brings us out from clarity and rational thinking, thanks to our limbic part of the brain who is primed for survival and instincts. Be more gentle with yourself, as you could be more irritable, moody, or resorting to less-safe coping mechanisms, focus on calming down before proceeding the situation.

Takeaway

So, what will you do if you're stuck next time? Don't forget to make a plan to deal this sticky situation, especially for those who are often stuck, this practice will practice your vagus nerve to be less susceptible, turning off because of stress,, giving you a better stress window and tolerance before succumbing once more.... to the good ol' glue.

Lastly, it is possible to be stuck/lock for months or years, which is an indicator of underlying long-term issues that needs to be addressed. If anyone needs some tips for this, ring me on the DMs as these practices rarely work for this type.

Oh, and, what do you guys think? What else i had not mentioned? Do you have anything to discuss with me on this topic? Let's do that! I hope this suffice in helping you tackle the next time problems arise.

Happy straddling lil' ant.

- j

#did #actually did #did community #did osdd #did system #dissociative identity disorder #sysblr #plural #system stuff #jeducates

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fanonical · 7 months

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I feel this is a good time to disclose that I don’t know what homestuck is so that you can induct me and also talk about it at length so that others may be similarly inducted.

Thank you in advance/you’re welcome xox

hahaha i actually do this a lot, i should probably find one of my “how to read/understand Homestuck” posts and bring it back to reblog every time somebody asks about it

Homestuck is an interactive webcomic & experimental hypertext, told mostly through epistolary chatlogs. In short, this means that Homestuck is told mostly through images and text (like most comics) but that sometimes — even often — the panels are have sound effects, music, playable sequences etc. facilitated through Shockwave Flash (the same now-retired software that used to let you play browser games during class if you’re the same generation as me :P). Also, as mentioned, most of the dialogue is delivered through chat logs between internet friends, and they’re incredibly faithfully written — Homestuck is the comic for internet friends to read together.

I just spent a long time talking about what Homestuck IS but not what it’s about — this is because as a whopping 8,000-page epic told using over a million words Homestuck is actually about a lot of things and its genre, setting, and even main characters shift quite drastically throughout the comic. Also, because Homestuck is a meta-narrative, its story is often about itself, which gets a little tricky to understand & explain; one of the big conflicts of Homestuck is the concept of retaining fictional relevancy (some characters even know when they are and aren’t the main character, and it vexes them, for example).

Overall, the first “main plot” you’re going to contend with is the adventure of four teenaged internet friends playing a special videogame together and discovering their destinies to embark on a quest to save all of reality.

TIPS:

1. Don’t let the 8,000 pages, 1 million words thing get to you. It breezes by a lot faster than you’d think when you get into it. Plus, single-panel-pages & long playwright style dialogs inflate how big it looks a lot; a lot those one million words are probably the narrative stating a character’s name to show they’re talking.

2. Read the Unofficial Homestuck Collection. There is an official Homestuck website; as of February 2024 it’s still considered pretty broken & the Unofficial Collection is considered unbeatable. It’s even author approved.

3. A lot of people give up because they don’t “get it” and they think they’re missing something. They aren’t, it’s just a little obtuse and doesn’t explain everything in a clear way intentionally sometimes. The comic will trick you, lie to you, tell you things intentionally out of order, make up meta bullshit a joke, intentionally draw stuff badly, etc etc. It’s a trial through fire. You can overcome it, and if you do, Homestuck is for you & it has a bounty of creative spoils for you.

4. People also give up assuming it isn’t queer because characters don’t immediately say “oh wow im gay” in the first thirty seconds. Well, these characters are realistically portrayed teenagers. You’re gonna have to wait, and that’s what makes it so good.

Good luck. You’re gonna need it.

#how to read homestuck

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azurefishnets · 1 year

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Without Form and Void

Hellooo, @dieanywhereelseart! I was honored to be assigned your prompts for @fyeahghosttrick's Ghost Swap this year! I loved them all; I hope you like the one I chose! Eldritch Sissel is too much fun as a prompt :3 I suspect I'll want to revisit this idea another day.

Happy Ghost Swap!

The story can be found at the link above, or you can read below!

AO3 Profile

Fandom: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Words: 2874

Summary: Jowd, Sissel, & Missile spend a day together; as ghostly experimentation ensues, they each get a little more than they bargained for.

Sissel sat at the top of the stairs and flattened his ears a little sardonically as the front door closed on a babble of voices; Lynne, Alma, and Kamila were going out together for an afternoon and Sissel was left to watch the house, Lynne’s dog, and Jowd, in approximately that order (although Alma had phrased it rather a different way around when telling Jowd the plans for the day.)

Lynne threw him one last odd look as the door closed, and Sissel squeezed his eyes at her as the door slid home. He knew she was still trying to understand her rapid assimilation into Jowd’s family; Alma had wasted no time ensuring that Lynne was part of Kamila’s life as soon as she got the real story of Jowd’s sudden silences and secrets surrounding Sissel, but Lynne still knew nothing of that time, only that Detective-now-Captain Jowd’s cat was a friendly little weirdo who seemed to enjoy having her and her dog around.

Missile scrabbled at the door a little for form’s sake, whining as Lynne’s laughter and Kamila’s chatter faded away, and then turned to the stairs and threw himself up them to crash against Jowd’s legs. From there, he immediately turned to Sissel and attempted to bowl them both over in a quick tussle that ended with Missile sprawled on his back, Sissel sitting primly as he straightened his fur, and Jowd chuckling as he leaned the long way down to scratch the dog’s ears and rub the eagerly-presented tummy. Sissel squeezed his eyes again. Even though it was on him to facilitate, he enjoyed the days when they could get together to talk. He supposed eventually Yomiel would be a part of their chats too, on the day hopefully not-too-far-off when he had acclimated to life once again with his human Sissel.

For now, feline Sissel dismissed thoughts of Yomiel as he turned and led the way, tail now waving high with interest and excitement, toward the large arts-and-crafts area Jowd had built onto the back of house approximately six years previous. Jowd still enjoyed painting and it now also served as an excellent catch-all room for Kamila’s tinkering, Alma’s rapid assimilation of hobbies from yarncraft to leatherwork, and even a small stage from which Cabanela could and often did serenade them all of an evening with his guitar and a flashy dance step or a hundred.

Jowd took the drop-cloth off his most recent painting, which featured Missile and Lynne. Lynne had already allowed herself, rather bashfully, to be painted, and now he was finishing the final details on Missile, who was, predictably, harder to pose. In truth, Jowd didn’t need either of them there, but it had become a good pretext to talk to the pets together in ways the humans in Jowd’s life couldn’t really understand.

Sissel yawned and tucked his body into a nice compact loaf on the table next to Jowd’s easel, then hopped out and sent his spirit flame toward Missile’s waiting fire. As always, the little dog greeted him with explosive joy.

“Finally! Welcome!! But Sissel, you took so long! I’ve been waiting and waiting for you to connect me to Mr. Jowd!”

“Oh, am I just your telephone operator?” Sissel said a little drily, reaching his other ghostly paw towards the flame of Jowd’s soul. “You know I’m the one that’s supposed to be traveling via telephone.”

“Well…” Missile looked briefly nonplussed. “I guess you are kind of like that black hello now that you have that body of yours back…but still! I have so much to say to Mr. Jowd!”

“Oh?” Jowd’s spirit-voice joined their conversation, his usual sardonic tones a little preoccupied as he continued painting. “And what do you have to say to me?”

“Er…” Missile’s tail—both his spirit and regular versions—began waving ever-faster. “Welcome back Mister Jowd! I missed you!”

“Did you? I’ve been here all this time.” It was Jowd’s turn to sound mildly nonplussed, as he always did when someone expressed how much they loved seeing him. “And was that all you wanted to say?”

“No! I really, really missed you and Mister Cabanela and Miss Kamila and Miss Alma! It’s been days since I saw you all!” Missile said, wriggling. “I even asked Miss Lynne to bring me over here yesterday and the day before and…”

“Asked Lynne?” Jowd sounded amused now. “And how did you do that?”

“I barked and barked and barked! Until she chased me with a broom!” Missile said proudly. “And then I got her to throw my ball for me and take me on a walk and I thought we were coming here but we just walked to that place that smells SO good and then we came home and Miss Lynne ate her whole dinner and she didn’t give me any. Two days in a row!” He flopped to the ground, indignantly flicking his ears back to show his brief displeasure.

Jowd was laughing in earnest now. “You must have gone to the Chicken Kitchen. Two days in a row? Alma would have something to say about that. But we won’t mention it.”

“Well, she didn’t give me any chicken,” Missile said, then sat up. “But you will, won’t you Mister Jowd! You smell like it so you must have some!”

“Uh…” Jowd’s voice was unrepentant. “We’re out of chicken right now. Someone ate it all. With ketchup.”

“A criminal offense,” Sissel interjected, voice dry.

“A criminal!” Missile jumped and growled. “We have to catch him! That chicken thief!”

“Okay, okay,” Jowd said, still laughing. “We’ll go on a walk in a little while and see if you can sniff him out. For now, I’m done with your portrait. Do you want to see?”

Missile looked up at it. “Oh. It’s very nice, Mister Jowd,” he said politely. “It’s so square! And flat! And it has nice shapes on it! They sort of look like my Miss Lynne!” He sniffed, his little nose quivering. “It smells like my ball a little bit? I like that part!” He sniffed again. “And it smells like chicken too! Maybe the criminal came by here!” His tail waved. “It’s a Clue!”

Jowd snorted. “Thanks. Your nose, as always, is impeccable. We’ll be hiring you as a police dog soon.” He took the painting off the easel and set it on a tarp to dry. “All right, Sissel. Your turn.”

“Me?” Sissel’s spirit flickered in brief confusion. “You’ve painted me before.”

“Well, I painted Yomiel. And yes, you as a cat,” Jowd agreed. “But I was thinking about painting you in your ghost form this time.”

“But my ghost form doesn’t have a real shape,” Sissel objected.

“Exactly,” Jowd said, satisfied. “That’s why it’s a challenge. You turn into whatever you can think of, and I’ll paint it.”

“Cabanela put you up to this, didn’t he,” Sissel said.

“Well, he and Alma, yes.” Jowd shrugged, his brush already moving to capture the Temsik waves radiating from Sissel’s body. “And what did you expect? With the three of you ganging up on me to tell them everything, of course they want to know the real you.”

“Huh?” Missile interjected. “But Sissel is Sissel. He looks like who he is! All the time!”

“And how better to show that to humans than a painting?” Jowd finished smoothly.

“Err…fine.” Sissel’s spirit wavered, then firmed into a red desk lamp, which swiveled back and forth on its base. “How’s this?”

“Hmm,” said Jowd, inspecting him critically. “That one doesn’t really seem like you.”

“Yeah!” Missile said. “But I like it though! A lot!”

“You would,” said Sissel, flickering out of it and into a fuzzy approximation of an exceedingly old Pomeranian. “This you did too. Or, well, he didn’t like it exactly, I guess. But he sure made it sound like he did.”

“Hey, but that’s not what I looked like!” Missile objected. “He was more like this! I remember… I think...” His own spirit flickered through a few fuzzy shapes before settling back into looking, once again, like Missile. “Oh… but I can see him, I mean, me, so clearly. Why can’t I change?”

“Guess you have to be actually dead to control your ghost form,” Sissel said, preening his ghostly whiskers with a paw. “We already knew you couldn’t use your ghost powers anymore, so it only makes sense.”

“Well! I don’t want to be lolling around dead any time soon! Miss Lynne and Miss Kamila need me here!” Missile said. “You’ll just have to do a better job of looking like me, Sissel.”

“I’m not the artist here, you know,” Sissel said, and flattened his ears. “Also, wasn’t I supposed to look like me all the time?”

“Well… yes, but…” Missile barked at him. “Hey! Stop being confusing!”

“He’s just being a cat,” Jowd told him, and bent down to give him another ear scritch. “Sorry that you’re the only dog in the world, probably, who has to hear a cat being a cat on a regular basis. But if it makes you feel better, I get the same feeling from talking to Cabanela.”

“Oh, Mister Cabanela is also Mister Cabanela all the time,” Missile agreed. “He can’t be anything but himself, even if he smells like someone else. He sure is good at being confusing!”

“Ha! Well, that’s Sissel too.” Jowd said, laughing. “But I guarantee you if Cabanela had the power to shapeshift he would have too much fun with it. I’m surprised Sissel hasn’t tried before.” He turned back to Sissel. “Anyway, is that all you’ve got? Come on. Give me something with feeling. Some oomph.”

“Something with feeling, huh…” Sissel said. In rapid succession, he turned into a crossing gate, a guitar with bullet holes in it, and finally a familiar shape to both Jowd and Missile, a man in a red suit with tall and pointed yellow hair and dark sunglasses, who lay on the floor with his face on the ground. “Well, I guess I can definitely turn into anything or anyone I’ve ever possessed. That’s a pretty neat trick.”

“Yes,” Jowd said, already busily sketching shapes. “But just any old inanimate objects? Not very clever to repeat stuff, is it?”

“Well, maybe you should try it,” Sissel shot back. “Fine! How about this!”

For a moment, a huge ovoid form, much larger than Jowd, stood in the room, hollow eyes staring out at the world with haunted, empty white holes painted on its chalky face. Long facial hair streamed to the floor and puddled around their feet as the object toppled forward toward them on its unsteadily rounded base.

Missile crouched and barked at it, but Jowd didn’t flinch, only kept sketching. “Mino, huh? Better. Still inanimate, although I like the extra touches you put on there. Getting a little creepy, I suppose.”

“Hmph.” Sissel’s spirit flame flicked in annoyance and Mino turned into a rugby ball and then was gone. “OK, how about…hmm.” He flickered into the form of a monster from one of the late-night movies Jowd liked to watch when he couldn’t sleep and meow/roared, fire flickering from his mouth and smoke leaking from his nostrils. “How’s that!”

One corner of Jowd’s mouth flicked into a smile. “Quite a sight! Too bad it’s probably trademarked. Come on, Sissel. Give me an original creation. How about you give me an actual scare?”

Sissel’s spirit wavered, flickering between an old-fashioned gun and a music box as he thought. Jowd stopped painting, eyes fixed on his ghostly form. “That’s a pretty good try,” he remarked, voice even, “but for scary, you’d do better with the B-movie monsters.”

Sissel’s form resolidified into a cat’s and he favored Jowd with a slow double blink of apology, before flattening his ears in annoyed concentration. “All right,” he said after a moment. “You want scary? Try this.” The blackness of his fur leeched into the shadows of the floor, spreading out across the floor in darkness growing ever deeper as his eyes grew larger, then larger still, until they were enormous twin orbs of golden glowing light with thin black slits bisecting them. The eyes regarded Missile and Jowd for a moment before they shut. Man and dog stood in utter blackness and silence for a moment until Missile’s tiny start of a whimper cut off as a chill developed around them and time seemed to stop dead, then swirl around them in eddies like a whirlpool drawing them both to an inevitable final event horizon. Stars appeared, one by one, and were drawn in and strung into long strips of glowing dust until nothing remained but Jowd, Missile, and howling hydrogen atoms blazing blue through an empty cosmos in beautiful, incomprehensible patterns that, at last, burned away into the kismet that comes at the end of all things.

After a time that might have been an instant and might have been an eternity, the void resolved itself into the form of a tiny black cat with golden eyes, who yawned and stretched, then hopped off a pedestal next to an easel in a house on a street in a strange country on a planet that orbited through crowded, lively space. Sissel stropped himself against Jowd’s leg, meowing one sharp questioning note that made Jowd jump and Missile begin barking as loudly as possible.

After a second, Jowd cleared his throat. “Yeah, that was…pretty good,” he croaked, his voice almost inaudible under the barking, and abruptly sat on the floor. Missile stopped barking, crept into his lap, and sat there for a moment panting, tail almost but not completely still. A beat of silence, and Jowd said in a voice that was almost normal, “I don’t think I can paint that, though, Sissel. It was a little… high concept. I don’t think I’ve ever been a black hole before.”

“Oh, come on,” said Sissel, and narrowed his eyes at Jowd. “Everyone’s a critic.”

“Oh, but, but, I didn’t like it either,” Missile said, his voice unusually timid as he tentatively stood up and his tail began to swish again. “It was like when I was dead but before I was reborn, and even lonelier than I was until Miss Lynne found me again. I didn’t know you could do that. I didn’t know I remembered that! And I didn’t like remembering!”

“Um, well… sorry.” Sissel offered. “I didn’t know I could do that either.” They sat in silence for a moment before Jowd broke it with a snort of laughter.

“Imagine how Cabanela would react, though,” Jowd said, his voice dreamy. “Wish he could have seen.”

“And Miss Alma too?” Missile asked.

“No.” Jowd swallowed hard. “No, probably not. She… doesn’t need to remember that. And not Cabanela either, really.”

“Actually…” Sissel said, the words coming slow as he thought out loud, “I think I could show them, though. Or something like it.”

“What do you mean?” Jowd asked, his attention sharpening.

“Been thinking about it lately,” Sissel said. “I think maybe my powers are starting to change, like Ray said his did. They’ve had a more…visual feel to them from the beginning—”

“What does that mean?” Jowd cut in.

“Uh…” Sissel looked to Missile. “You know what I mean, right? Like instead of just moving through space on the phone wires it’s almost like you’re watching it on a screen?”

“Sissel,” Missile said very seriously, and sat back down with his tongue hanging out and his nose quivering, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Well, whatever. Anyway, it feels like, lately, moving in phone calls has been a little more constrained? Or something. So I’ve been wanting to experiment a little bit with pictures. On the TV, maybe.”

“You’re taking too much after Kamila,” Jowd said, voice indulgent. “Or she is after you, I don’t know which.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re great influences on each other,” Sissel said. “Anyway, I bet if I were to try possessing the TV, I’d be able to use the pictures it makes.”

Jowd raised an eyebrow at Sissel and stood, holding Missile in one arm and picking up the cat’s inert body with the other so he could maintain their three-way contact as he stepped away from the easel. “Well, I don’t feel like painting anymore after that anyway. Want to go try? I’ve got an idea for something I want you to show Cabanela—it’ll scare the scarf right off him.”

“Uh, I guess. You two are as weird as ever,” Sissel said, hopping to a spirit core on Missile’s collar. “I don’t think what I did before is going to come through as well on a TV though.”

“That’s all right,” Jowd said, a little too quickly. “Let’s start…a little smaller. Maybe instead of a black hole…a doughnut.”

“I want a doughnut!” Missile said, and began to wriggle fiercely, swimming through the air in his eagerness. “Let’s go Sissel! I want to see your best doughnut!”

“Oh boy,” Sissel said. “I guess this is going to open up all sorts of strange new tricks, huh?”

“I can hardly wait,” Jowd said, and carried both of them down the stairs to begin practicing.

#ghost trick #ghost trick spoilers #ghost swap 2023 #writing af

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darklydeliciousdesires · 2 years

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From Blood, Love and Courage - Chapter Sixteen.

Thank you so much to my regular readers and reviewers, I love you all hugely for your commitment to the story! Again, 25 notes are needed to unlock the next chapter.

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten Eleven Twelve Thirteen Fourteen Fifteen

Words - 6,042

Tag list - In the comments, please message to be added/removed

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

“Oh, look at you, that smile!” Maggie greeted Lily with as she entered her exam room, on the Friday that marked seven weeks since her attack. “You look gorgeous.” she complimented, noticing how nicely Lily had done her makeup, and how lovely she looked, dressed in a simple, light grey dress, sandals covered in pyramid spikes and a pair of oversized sunglasses.

Receiving the hug, Lily kissed her cheek, a little spark going through her at the praise. It was the first time she’d actually made an effort with her appearance since it happened. Angel was taking her out for lunch and so she wanted to look nice for him. Also, she’d been scared up until that point, scared of her own boyfriend seeing her at her most attractive.

He’d been wonderful in the fact he hadn’t so much as even hinted towards anything sexual resuming between them, not even speaking of it at all, in fact, Lily knowing he was waiting for her to come to him, which had been what she needed, as the idea of sex terrified her. Even with him. Over the last few days, though, she’d been very thoughtful over perhaps moving towards that resuming, testing the waters, seeing how it sat with her. Consensual sex and rape were entirely different things, but of course, there was one thing fundamentally the same, another person being inside of her.

She wanted to be okay with the man she loved being that person again, and one thing she needed to do in order to facilitate that was make sure she was okay internally, hence the visit to Maggie. She couldn’t feel her stitches any longer, nor any discomfort or pain, thankfully, but it couldn’t hurt to check.

“Okay, so feet up,” Maggie began, draping a small paper sheet for privacy over Lily’s lap. “Now, of course, last time you were here, the clamp scared the shit out of you. Am I going to be okay to use it now? I understand the idea of something penetrating you could still be frightening, so I want to be mindful of that.”

Lily let out a long breath slowly, nodding. “Yes. Well, I’m saying yes. How I react when I feel it might dictate otherwise.”

Maggie nodded, smiling as she gloved up. “All at your own pace.” She moved to her stool then, taking a seat and preparing everything she needed. “Okay, sweetheart, I’ll just push the clamp in now a tiny bit, then you let me know if you’re alright.”

“Okay,” Lily spoke, taking a deep breath. Her thighs twitched when she felt it press, slipping into her a tiny bit. ‘Breathe, just breathe. You’re in Maggie’s office, she’s your doctor and your friend, you’re okay. You’re in a safe place.’

“How we doing up there, Lils?”

“Keep going.” Maggie did as instructed, slipping the clamp within her slowly until it was in place.

“Okay, it’s fully inserted, you did so well. Am I okay to widen it now?” Lily gave her the okay, Maggie doing such, thinking how brave she was. She’d done brilliantly, her legs quivering a little, but her determination not to give into fear was hugely commendable.

“How’s everything looking?” she asked, giving a few moments for Maggie to go about her examination.

“You’ll be pleased to know you’ve healed perfectly. All the tissue is healthy, everything is back to normal. You’re physically able to resume your sex life, whenever you feel ready to do so. How are you feeling about that now?”

Lily got down from the bed, pulling her underwear back on as she spoke. “Like I said when we chatted on Monday, I feel scared still, even though of course, I know it’ll be entirely different with Angel. It’s just the idea of being that vulnerable with someone again, allowing him to be inside of me when the last men who were took so much. And I know he won’t, I know it’s completely different with him, but, yeah. It’s scary, but I want it not to be. I want to reclaim my sexuality, because I do recognise it’s another thing that they took from me.”

Maggie nodded with sympathy, removing her gloves. “A lot of rape victims state exactly the same, that they feel like their rapist took that from them, their desire to feel sexual, and the notion of being okay with that when it does finally return. I think a lot of it is connected to the shame of what they went through, but the fact that you’re clearly stating you can see the difference between the non-consensual attack you went through and your sex life with Angel does stand you in good stead. It doesn’t have to be all at once, either. You can take it a stage at a time. Like we did when we were teenagers, first and second base and all. Have you discussed it with him?”

Lily sighed softly, taking a seat upon another of the small stools within the exam room. “You know, it’s perhaps the only thing we haven’t. I haven’t broached it because it’s been the last thing on my mind, and I know Angel hasn’t because he’s known that, too. He’s been respectful, I know he’s waiting for me to initiate it with him. For someone as sexual as Angel is – and he really fucking is! - that’s huge for him, I acknowledge just how selfless he’s been. I think what happened to me has made him do a lot of growing up, because he did used to be quite emotionally immature in some respects before.”

Maggie smiled, tilting her head. “He’s a good guy, Angel. I like him a lot. Talk to him about it, explain how you feel. That kind of communication will likely go a long way in assisting with your emotional healing. Anyway, lovely girl, I hate to rush you out but I have another patient coming in. You’re still on for Sunday, though?”

“I am, I’ll meet you and Jodie there at 1pm.” They were heading out as a three for lunch and drinks, Lily finally feeling comfortable with the idea of being out in public without Angel being there, or at the very least, trying to see if she could handle it. She knew he’d likely wait on his bike outside the restaurant for a while, just in case she needed him.

Kissing Maggie goodbye in reception, she headed out to her car, driving back to the scrapyard to continue working until lunch, being greeted by a cute sight as she walked over to the clubhouse steps, Creeper and Coco sitting entertaining Charlie, who surprisingly was dressed in his harness (although he couldn’t fly far, he could reach anything at around ten feet in height, so needed a restraint to prevent him being naughty and flying off) jumping around on Creeper’s arm, making his warning noises.

“I know, bro, yeah,” she heard him state, while viewing him stalking up and down. Still, Charlie made his low noises of warning. “Yeah, dude, that’s right in my ear. Where are they? What are you warning me over?”

The bird took perch atop his head, noises loudening, Creeper picking up his plush toy and shaking it, hoping to pacify him. “What? Why you buggin’?” he then asked as Charlie paced his head, squawking even louder.

Coco waved to Lily, and then scanned the surroundings before looking up, giving Creeper a soft elbow to alert him. “There, that’s what he’s mad at!” Pointing at the sky, they saw two buzzards circling around overhead, the birds seemingly the cause of Charlie’s antagonisation. “Charlie has no love for the danger turkeys, man!”

Creeper snorted immediately. “Danger turkeys, fucking hell!” While he laughed his ass off, Charlie grabbed at his leash, shaking it around and bouncing, his comb going up when he saw Lily arrive with them. “Mama!”

“He pretty much hates all other birds. A crow landed in the backyard the other day while he was out there with Angel and he nearly had a heart attack,” Lily spoke, sitting next to Creeper, Charlie hopping from his head onto her shoulder, pulling his leash from Creeper’s grasp and taking it with him.

“He’s the most awesome little dude. I tied his leash onto the buttonhole of my shirt and took him around with me this morning while I was moving the pile of brass that came in. He was jumping around, whistling, yelling at Coco, it was great,” he laughed, scratching Charlie’s chest.

“And you managed to get his harness on him? That’s surprising, he hates having it on,” she commented, puckering her lips at Charlie, who offered forth his beak with a ‘mwah!’ sound.

“Nah, Angel did it, told me he’d savage my hand.”

Lily widened her eyes. “He would have. Surprisingly, he lets Angel do it without question, but when it’s mama here, he plays his luck. Don’t you?”

“Charlie’s a good boy!” the bird squawked, bouncing, beginning to dance. She left him in the capable hands of his new buddies when Angel approached, looking forward to their afternoon off together.

“Damn, I’m such a lucky man,” he greeted her with, sliding his arms around her waist and kissing her. Oh, what he’d have done to give her a deeper kiss, or grab a handful of her gorgeous, rounded butt, but no way. It had been something unsaid between them, because Angel didn’t have a clue how to broach it with her, and was of the opinion it wasn’t a topic for him to raise anyway. When she was ready, he knew she’d let him know. Until then, he was getting some killer definition in his right forearm.

“Thought I’d make the effort for my guy, since he always looks so good for me.” She kissed him again, Angel pulling away to quickly tell a whistling Creeper and Coco to quit it, kissing her cheek repeatedly before sliding his arm around her, walking over to his bike. Since they had all the time they needed, he took her up to San Diego for the afternoon, Lily having mentioned wanting to visit a bar and grill up there that was famous for their steaks. And their margaritas, of which upon her first sip of, she nearly died. As did Angel at the face she pulled.

“Oh my god, that’s so strong!” she hissed, eyes fluttering, going back in for another sip, Angel laughing quietly. “It’s my celebration drink, though. Maggie told me I’m completely healed.”

He’d just been about to ask how her appointment had gone. “Baby, that’s great. Must be a weight off your mind, knowing you’re all good again.” He reached for her, stroking her cheek, Lily turning her head to kiss his palm.

“In getting the all clear, it brings me around to something I want to discuss with you,” she began, taking another sip of her drink. “Now that I actually am physically able to have sex again, I would like to. I have to be honest though and tell you that the thought terrifies me, even when I know with you it’s completely different to someone forcing themselves upon me. It’s still scary to think of, another person being inside of me. I hate that it does, too, because having sex with you is something you know I absolutely love to death, but I need to get my head right with it,” she explained.

His eyes were full of understanding, reaching for her hand and kissing it. “I get it. Well, I don’t and I’ll never have a fucking clue what it is you’re going through, but what I mean is get why the idea of it is frightening for you. You went through something unfathomably traumatic, Lily. It’s just like everything else you’ve faced, though. All in your own time. Whenever you feel ready, just dive on me.”

“I have to say, something else is bugging me about it, too. And I know you’re likely going to be absolutely indignant in the light of me sharing it, I know, but I’m surprised that you’re so enthusiastic about it,” she began, her boyfriend immediately giving her a comically confused face in reply.

“Okay,” he stated, the word slow, drawn out. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

It was a lot for Lily to articulate, trying to find a way to deliver her fears without looking like she was speaking for him and what he might or might not have felt, Angel sensing that worry in her and reaching for her hand. “Because I’m damaged. And you saw that damage close up, and I know you’re too good a guy to ever let it bother you, but I just, I dunno, baby. On some small level, I sometimes wondered if it did.”

He was quicky to reassure her. “The only thing that bothered me about seeing what had happened to you, was that it had happened at all, to see you so hurt. That shit? It broke me. I won’t lie, the mental picture of what you were left with as a result of it, it won’t leave me easily, or ever, but querida, it equally won’t put me off. Damaged was the physical result of your attack, not what you’ve become.”

“See, I knew you’d say something perfect like that, I was just being silly,” she dismissed, waving her hand, shrugging a little as her shoulders drew up.

“Sweet pea, you’ve got a whole load of emotions still swirling about this, doubts, fears, all of that, wondering if I’d see you differently is perhaps only natural. You don’t need to feel like you did a dumb thing by being honest with me. Old Angel, that guy would have likely got all upset and thought about himself first, like, all ‘how dare she see me as someone who’d think that!’ But this guy sitting right in front of you, he ain’t that childish any longer. And seriously, when you’re ready, like I said, just dive on me. Believe me, I’ll catch you!”

Their food was brought out then, Angel glancing at his plate before looking back at her. “Except in the immediate hours after I’ve eaten this half a damned cow. Don’t dive on me then.”

Her soft laughter filled the space, Angel beaming. Seeing her look happy again was all he’d been wanting for over the last seven weeks, watching her going through hell had been undeniably tough, wishing he could take away her pain, carry some of it for her. He knew she wouldn’t be completely back to normal overnight; she was still a little jumpy, but at least he could now enjoy taking her out on a date without her having a panic attack. The freak outs and instances of zoning out were becoming less and less.

Not over with completely, though…

“Excuse me, miss? Are you Lily Armstrong?” a guy asked her on her way back from the restroom, seated with his four friends. Immediately, she was suspicious, her heart beginning to pound rapidly.

Because of this, her reply was a little sharp. “Why’d you ask?”

“Oh, nothing bad! I’m a big fan of yours, is all. My brother, Devante Johnson is on the circuit too, so I’ve seen your fights when I’ve been there supporting him. You’re badass, girl!”

His smile was genuine, his eyes earnest, but still, Lily couldn’t help but feel panicked. “Hey, are you alright? You look a little startled.”

She shook herself, applying reason, reminding herself of Chelsea’s wise words. Not everyone was a rapist. “Yes, sorry. Yeah, I’m fine. It’s nice to meet you, and thanks for the support.” Smiling she shook his hand when he offered it, walking back to Angel. “So, that was my first experience meeting a fan, and immediately, I panicked.” she lamented, taking a seat and finishing her drink.

“What, they recognised you?” Angel began, looking lit up for her, reaching for her hands. “Are you alright now? You still look a little spooked. Remember your breathing exercises.”

She took a few moments to do just that, breathing deeply until the residual uneasy feeling passed. “Yeah, yeah, he recognised me. And I couldn’t even appreciate it. I felt like a fraud, since I’ve done nothing in seven weeks, and of course should have had my fight last week, but cancelled.”

Angel was out of his seat and around the table to sit next to her in a flash. “Lily, you ain’t no fraud, don’t even think that, let alone speak it,” he began, winding an arm around her. “You’ve suffered a setback, from something that some people never get over, and look at you now, getting over it, piecing your life back together, being brave and carrying on. Do you have any idea how fucking amazing I think you are, for doing that?”

She made a small noise of discomfort, almost disagreement, but then sat up a little straighter, leaning her head onto his shoulder. “I do, yeah. You being so supportive and acknowledging how difficult things have been for me has meant the world to me. You’re my rock, Angel.” Kissing the side of his neck, she reached to stroke his chest through his shirt, Angel turning his head and seeking her lips.

It was there, for the first time in seven weeks, they felt into a deep kiss, Angel tightening the arm he placed around her shoulders, his other hand reaching to tickle the side of her neck. It felt good for them both, to have a tiny little fraction of their intimacy restored, Lily humming happily into his mouth as her tongue swirled with his. It didn’t feel scary at all, but then, it was just kisses. Kisses she was okay with, noting the familiar fluttering of butterflies in her tummy, something else she hadn’t felt since her attack.

After arriving back at the clubhouse, they stayed for a few drinks before heading home, deciding to have a quiet night, Lily ordering a pizza and Angel putting Charlie back in his cage, throwing the blanket over so he’d settle before browsing Prime to buy a few movies to watch. They settled on a few 80’s comedies, Steve Martin and the late, great John Candy having them in hysterics, Angel noting that truly, it was the first time he’d hear Lily’s laugh properly in almost two months.

“That’s so nice,” he spoke, hearing her giggling up a storm behind him.

“I’m really good at shoulder rubs, aren’t I?”

He turned from where he was sitting on the floor between her feet. “Yeah, you are. But I meant the laughing. I missed it. I missed you, because you weren’t you for a while back there.”

She halted her rubbing of the large, knotted up muscles, wrapping her arms around him, laying a soft kiss on his cheek. “With every day that passes, you’re reminding me of who I was before. Now, be a good boyfriend and rub my feeties while I sort out your back.”

“Only because you wear stupid assed shoes,” he muttered, grabbing one. “And they stink!”

She was aghast. “They do not! You’re so rude!”

“Fucking cheddar toes!”

Even though at her expense, she wheezed with laughter, locking her legs around his ribcage and squeezing.

“No! No using MMA on me, stop!” he protested, fighting against her as she giggled, cheating to turn and bite her knee, Lily sticking her toes right in his face. “Oh, you gon’ get it now!” He turned her around and dragged her by the thighs, hands diving under her top and tickling her as she screamed with laughter. They ended up in a heap on the floor, both laughing, disentangling before lying on the sofa, Lily happily lain between his long legs with her head on his chest as they watched the end of the movie.

He was just about to put on the next when he realised she’d fallen asleep, smiling and kissing her head before picking her up and carrying her to bed. He took her jeans off and left her at that, Lily bundling herself beneath the blanket, sleepily chiding him, grumpy as she was if disturbed.

“No, no waking up!”

“I’m not waking you, I just put you to bed.”

“Hmmnnnrrrr, doughnuts in the cupboard.” She sometimes did talk utter nonsense if roused slightly from sleep, Angel quietly hissing with laughter before curling around her.

“G’nite, sweet pea.”

“Fuck off, I’m not getting up yet!”

He snorted softly, stroking her thigh. “Yeah, love you too, mamas.”

When she awoke the following morning, Lily was so sleepy that she drifted in and out of slumber, somewhere in that slumber, turning over to cuddle into Angel. She hooked her thigh over his hip, falling back a little, his body going with her. In her half-asleep state, she suddenly woke up very quickly, spooked out at what pressed hard against her pubic mound.

“Woah, what the fuck?” he exclaimed at suddenly being shoved and slapped, Lily so scared that she actually managed to throw herself out of bed and onto the floor with a thud, coming round as she took deep breaths. ‘It’s just Angel, it was just Angel, come on, calm down’ she told herself, heart racing, nerves bouncing. “Baby, you okay down there? Was it a nightmare?” he asked softly, scooting over to the edge of the bed as she sat up, reaching to stroke his arm.

“No, no, not that,” she moaned, sighing and hiding her face in her hands for a few seconds, emerging, running her fingers through her hair. “It’s so fucking embarrassing, but when I curled up to you, well, your morning wood nudged against me, and I was still half asleep, and I just got spooked out. Apparently a big, erect cock is still a no no for me. Even if it’s yours, one I’m very familiar with.”

Immediately, he turned onto his front. “I can’t fucking say I blame you at all for having that reaction.”

She let out a long breath, seeing it in his eyes as she searched them, knowing that while he didn’t want to show it, he’d taken it personally. “It isn’t you, okay? It’s never you. I still love you just as much, and one day I will want you just as much, too, so don’t take it as a rejection, alright?”

He snorted. “I’m not.”

“Baby, yes, you are. It’s okay to feel a certain way, you know.”

“No, it isnt! Because this ain’t about me and it’ll make me a fucking selfish prick if I do make it about me! I’m not being a pendejo about this, Lily. This is about you, not me or how I feel.” It was the kind of selflessness that once upon a time, she likely wouldn’t have expected to come so easily to him, that he’d completely bulldoze his own feelings for the sake of hers. So very much had changed. Lily only wished that Angel’s new found emotional maturity hadn’t come about because of what had happened between them. But, if there was one good thing to come of it, she supposed she could count that as it.

Getting back onto the bed, she made a circular motion with her outstretched finger. “Come on, turn over. I want hugs, but I’ll be the big spoon until you calm down.” He leaned to kiss her before doing exactly that, Lily snuggling close to him, laying kisses against his neck as she wrapped him in her arms, Angel stroking her hands and gripping her forearms, whispering how much he loved her. “I love you, too. You’re the absolute best.”

“As are you, sweet pea. So, what we doing today?” Lily detailed that she’d like to go out and get breakfast before coming home to clean the house, Angel stating he’d run out to get the laundry sorted and leave her in peace for a couple of hours. It was nice, that he could leave her alone in the house and she wouldn’t panic, especially since he’d given her lessons in wielding a weapon. He’d gotten her a lightweight glock, something easy to shoot with, showing her how to prepare and use it correctly and safely, Lily now comfortable enough to carry the G43 in her bag, or keep it close by while she was in the house alone.

Once all of their chores for the day were done, they headed down to the clubhouse, Jodie running to greet them both with hugs from EZ’s trailer, everyone heading into the clubhouse. Inside, there was a rare sight of Bishop with his entire family present, his eldest daughter Darice in his lap, hanging around his neck, Cady busying herself screaming at Hank that he was cheating at the matching pairs game they were playing with her little set of cards, and Josh over playing pool with Coco.

“Please can we go, daddy!” Darice yelled, Bishop making a face of mild disgust at whatever she was trying to talk him into.

“Nope, not doing it.”

“But why?”

“Because you three will bleed me dry, and I don’t like carnies. They’re not to be trusted.” Interesting words from an outlaw.

“But the carnival is only here until tomorrow! Come on, please?”

“Hey, if you don’t wanna go, we don’t mind taking them?” Jodie offered, Darcie turning to beam at her. “I said to EZ I wouldn’t mind heading down there. I’m craving proper cotton candy.”

“Obispo, stop being a grump,” Maggie scolded softly, rubbing her husband’s forearm before getting up to greet Lily. “We’ll all go, you can’t expect Jodie and EZ to babysit all three of them.”

“I’m happy to stay here with Coco,” Josh called, Coco looking indecisive.

“No offence, man, but if there’s a carnival outing, I’m heading down there. Hot chicks everywhere!”

Josh looked interested. “Oh really?”

“Yeah, bro! You need to get on that!”

“Hey, he doesn’t need any further encouragement from you,” Bishop warned, pointing at Coco and then his son. “You’ll rein it in, boy.” Josh grimaced slightly, knowing exactly what his father was referring to, the sight that had greeted him one Saturday morning a few weeks previously, entering his son’s bedroom to find him asleep, with a barely dressed girl on top of him.

Maggie shook her head, giving him a dig with her finger. “You’ve been doing the you know what since you were fourteen. Your hypocrisy is massive, and heck, at least he was safe!”

“Yeah,” he began, Darcie untangling herself to go and grab a Coke that Jodie had fetched for her, “but then see I get the headache of irate fathers coming to bang on my door because my son has been bangin’ on their daughter, exactly like what happened.” Tiffany Morales’ father had not been impressed to learn where his little girl had been the previous evening, marching down to the Losa homestead to raise his voice. He’d backed off quite quickly, though, when he’d learned exactly who Josh’s father was, the eldest of Bishop’s kids later receiving a stern talking to about keeping it in his pants.

“So, can we go?” Darcie asked again.

“Daddy, I want to go too!” Cady shouted.

“It’s your bedtime in two hours, tiny,” he advised.

“Then we need to go now!”

“You gotta love that reasoning,” Hank chuckled. “Come on, man. I’ll help you keep an eye on the kids, Maggie can get Cady back and I’ll take the other two home in the van later if you wanna head back here. I ain’t gonna be out all night, I have a full day of tattooing tomorrow.”

“Alright, fine,” Bishop eventually lamented, receiving a three and a nine-year-old to the lap at high speed, both squealing with delight.

“You up for a little outing?” Lily asked Angel. He contemplated for a few moments.

“Yeah, why the hell not?”

Those leaving (Angel, Lily, the Losa family, EZ, Jodie, Hank and Coco) all finished their drinks before heading out, arriving at the carnival twenty minutes later. The kids were almost at mild hysteria from excitement, Bishop keeping Cady in his arms as she yelled with mirth, one eye on Josh too as they headed past a group of girls around his age, Jodie and Lily holding hands as they found the biggest, scariest looking ride and joined the queue.

“You guys not going on?” Maggie asked their boyfriends, pointing as she joined them.

“Nah, we both get vertigo and fall over,” Angel snorted, looking embarrassed. They’d both been fine as kids, but it had been something they’d both found had hit them suddenly with age, just like their dad had also experienced. “Well, I ain’t as bad as him. He puked on a rollercoaster once, and it was so bad they had to shut it for cleaning!”

EZ immediately elbowed his brother, remembering the mortifying event only too well. The girls all went on, leaving them chatting, Angel hoisting Cady onto his shoulders.

“Why don’t you go on, Angel?” she asked, covering his hair in popcorn dust.

“Because I get this thing where I fall over if I go on rides,” he explained simply, Cady leaning down to look at him, poking his nose with her finger and feeding him a piece of popcorn.

“Chicken!”

“I am not!”

“Yes, you are! You should fight it!”

He couldn’t stop laughing. “Pick a fight on an entire fairground ride?”

“Yes! Smash it up!”

“That’s your answer for everything, kid.” That child, god. Angel couldn’t help but think if club rules were changed, she’d make one hell of an outlaw one day. Once Lily, Jodie and Maggie had returned, freshly exhilarated from their little adrenaline rush, they headed over to the shooting range, Coco catching up with them while demolishing a burger, and Maggie taking her leave to be dragged to the teacup ride by a screaming Cady.

“These guns don’t shoot right,” Angel exclaimed after missing the bullseye a couple of times, shaking his head and giving up. Coco put his cash down and picked it up, immediately seeing why. Of course, the game was rigged, someone as proficient as him with rifles spotting immediately that the barrel of the air rifle was cocked ever so slightly to the right. To counter this obvious cheat, he aimed left.

“Darcie, which one do you want?”

“Baby elephant, please!”

“On it.” The carnie looked smug, until Coco hit the bullseye immediately. “What about Cady? What would she like?”

“She loves giraffes.”

Coco nodded at the carnie. “Yo, fetch a giraffe down too, homie.”

“You might miss, though, friend,” he advised.

Immediately, Coco hit the bullseye for a second time. “Not likely.” He handed the toys to Darcie, who hugged him tightly, noticing he’d attracted the attention of a couple of cute girls hanging around to watch. “Hey ladies, what’ll it be?”

“I’ll take a baby elephant?”

“And I’ll take you home if you can get me a hippo?”

He grinned, putting down more cash. “One elephant, one hippo, and one Johnny Cruz on a promise. Alright!” he beamed, Angel grasping his shoulder as he laughed, telling him they’d leave him to it. Bishop and Hank went off with the two elder children to find Maggie, leaving Angel and EZ to spectate while their girlfriends turned into screaming thrill seekers.

“It’s good, you know, to see her smiling, enjoying herself again,” EZ spoke, nodding at where the high moving car of the spider ride flew past them at speed, Lily and Jodie scream laughing as they whizzed past.

Angel smiled, nodding. “Ain’t it? She’s worked so hard to recover herself. She’s got a way to go yet with it, but I’m damned proud of her, how far she’s come. Look at us, though, fuckin’ both sickeningly happy and settled with our ladies. Who’d have thought, man.”

EZ grinned, laughing at Jodie, the side now slowed, his girlfriend shouting “I wanna go again!” with her widened eyes. “Yeah, just us and those adrenaline junkies over there.” His own adrenaline junkie ran into his arms, making her demands for cotton candy known. “Alright, let’s get you fixed up.”

“Tell you what, I wanna go get a root beer, so I’ll meet you guys over there,” Lily spoke, kissing Angel.

“You’re vile, that shit’s so nasty. I can’t even be close to it!”

“Alright, I’ll drink it before I get back,” she bargained, Angel looking unimpressed.

“Then eat half a pack of gum before you kiss me again, because seriously, bleugh!”

“Promise.” She kissed him, heading over to the stand selling it and joining the queue. She was just checking her phone, seeing she had a missed call and a text from Carlos asking what she was doing that evening and whether she, Angel, Jodie and EZ were interested in meeting up for late drinks when suddenly, she was distracted.

“Damn, girl, check out all that ink, shit!” a guy ahead of her spoke, Lily pocketing her phone again, feeling a slight flare of nerves, as she still did. ‘It’s okay, Angel is just across the way, you’re alright, just make conversation’ she told herself, holding out her arm.

“Thanks, I like to think I have a nice collection.”

The guy raised his eyebrows, taking a closer look. “No way, you got Lucile Ball? That bitch was hella funny, man!”

His friend piped up then, turning with a snort. “Yo, you some closeted I love Lucy fan, homie? Nah, bro.” he admonished, shaking his head.

“Hey, Lucy and Ethel were the shit! My grandma had them on all the time when I went to stay with her, happy memories, man.”

“You’s a freak, dude.” he spoke, turning to Lily as he smiled. “I mean you ain’t, though, obviously, miss.” It was when he grinned, that the feel of her blood running cold shot through her, something in his eyes that flashed in vague recognition, turning away from her again. His teeth. A gold grill, the word ‘Rawkus’ engraved, a letter on each of his front six teeth. She saw him above her in her mind's eye, telling her she liked it. Telling her she was a dirty fucking slut. It was him.

Feeling like she was drowning, her stomach pulling, her heart thundering, she knew she had to stay calm, taking a deep breath and losing herself in the crowd, pushing through people until she got to Angel, the terror breaking across her insides like storm propelled waves.

“Baby, what is it?” he asked immediately after turning to see her fighting her way to him, her eyes wide and frightened.

“He’s... he’s over there. Guy with the blue and white plaid shirt and the white vest. Gold grills. It’s... it’s him.” She felt his entire body stiffen as he held her, looking up to see a face she’d never experienced in Angel before. Cold, deadly, murderous. He stared at EZ, who nodded, pulling out his phone. He called Bishop and relayed the information, Angel holding a quivering Lily tightly, watching the guy as he and his friend began to walk away.

“Querida, get her back to the clubhouse, get out of here now, alright?” EZ advised, thinking it good luck that Jodie had offered to drive them there so he could have a drink.

“This ends tonight, baby, alright?” Angel told Lily, lifting her chin, kissing her before trying to unravel himself. She wasn’t quick to let him go, and he hated that he had to disentangle himself when she was mid-meltdown, but he couldn’t lose him. “I have to go after him, Jodie will look after you, go on. I love you.” He quickly went into her bag and pulled out her gun, handing it to Jodie. “Ever fired one?”

“Yeah, your brother taught me well.” Jodie replied, taking the gun and concealing it in the back of her jeans as she pulled Lily into her embrace, the brothers out of there in moments, following the guys, Bishop, Coco and Hank rounding the corner and going in the same direction.

That guy. Jodie would have felt sorry for him if he wasn’t a rapist scumbag, with what he had coming for him like a raging storm.

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brotheralyosha · 2 years

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Erik Amaya for Rotten Tomatoes: Is Syril Karn a corporate fascist or just self-righteous to a fault?

Soller: Can I have a little of column A and a little from column B? His self-righteous belief [is formed] within his limited worldview and the constrictions he’s placed upon his own life and then the constrictions that actually growing up in a place like Coruscant, and in the toxic family environment that he grew up in, placed on him. He also believes he is destined to be a part of something “great” like the Empire, and it actually supersedes those little dolls he has on his bedside table that he’s dreamed about ordering around since he was a child. [It] definitely falls in line with this intellectual belief that the corporate fascist environment and system is something that is the answer to control and regulate society. And Syril’s core values — beliefs of rule and order and law, and really good tailoring – the circumstances of his life and his dampening of his own emotional antenna and social antenna absolutely primes him to exist within that structure.

Does that mixture make him the most dangerous person we’ve met so far?

Soller: I think it definitely makes for someone who’s not necessarily in control, and that is something that we’re exploring with Syril. He has this deep emotional life that he keeps bitten down beneath his surface. Everything is zipped up into this perfect hairstyle, perfect clothing, and yet there is this massive, frustrated turmoil underneath. And that means he’s constantly at battle within himself, and he can’t really see five feet beyond him about how his actions are influencing those around him.

You only get a glimpse of that a couple times within the series, like in episode 3 when he has to speak to the troops on board the craft before they land at Ferrix, and the penny drops for him. And he is like, “Oh s—. Have I gone too far? This could really mess up.” And then it does go wrong, and then the veil lifts, and he sees what he has facilitated. I think that struggle, that war within himself, leaning towards that kind of unhinged possibility of seeing an opening and taking it [is] because he doesn’t think before he acts. Also, if the Empire tells him to do something, he will literally do anything, and that makes him the most terrifying. Not that he is, but in a way, [he’s a] suicide bomber.

It feels like he’s the deepest exploration of that mindset in any Star Wars story so far. Did it read that way to you in the scripts that this is an examination of someone who falls for that sort of ideology?

Soller: Yeah, that’s something that I was talking to [executive producer Tony Gilroy] about very early on: that the normalcy of Syril is actually what’s kind of scary about him. He’s just so primed to be taken over by a fascist organization and that quality of recognizability in this not-fully-developed man who is still struggling with all of these unmet desires and toxic upbringing and constricted societal experiences within Coruscant and no father. He’s got these holes that I’ve just been exploring in my own way that he’s trying to fill. And it was evident from the first chats with Tony and from all the early episodes I read, it was just right there on the page and [in] his words, which are so psychologically and emotionally accurate and kind of told me everything I needed to know.

#the fact that we got a genuinely realistic and well-characterized depiction of what kind of background/experiences/personality #leads someone to become a true believer in fascism #and it was in a star wars tv show! a star wars tv show!!!#andor

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homebrewandhypotheticals · 10 months

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Hypothetical for you all: You decide to start working on getting a significant other (if you're already in a relationship, assume that you've broken up with your current significant other and are back on the market after spending some time to move on), setting up a dating profile for yourself and filling out all of your information. You wait and wait, and eventually, you get a match! This significant other is perfect for you in every way, your personalities compliment each other wonderfully, everything is great! After a little while chatting, you agree to an in-person date!

Meeting your partner at the date location of your choice, you encounter them and find them to be the ideal physical partner for you, as well, being exactly to your tastes in terms of attraction! There's just one odd thing about them... they have a katana blade lodged in their forehead. This doesn't seem to cause them any physical pain, and they talk to you like normal, but the wound does drip a bit of blood every once in a while, and it's otherwise pretty distracting, looking like a grisly unicorn horn.

After some questioning, you learn that your potential partner got the blade stuck in their head when they were a little kid, they had to leave it in because the procedure would have a high chance of killing them, and now their brain and skull have grown around the blade, essentially making it a part of them. It's part of their identity now, and they don't have any intention of getting it removed or sanded down or anything anytime soon, even if it makes their life a little more complicated on occasion. Notably, it's very difficult to remove the blade on accident, you'd need to consciously work to try and yank it out, and it's nestled in enough that they could trip and land handle-first on it without it driving in deeper and killing them. You could also theoretically waggle it around in their brain, which doesn't cause any permanent damage somehow, but it does make them lose their train of thought and zone out for a little bit if you do, which they don't seem exactly against you doing for them on purpose from time to time.

What do you do in this scenario? Do you continue the date as normal, moving past this peculiarity since they're otherwise the perfect partner, or is this too much of a deal breaker? How do you adjust your living situation to facilitate your partner's katana-head?

BONUS HYPOTHETICAL: Assuming you chose to stay with your blade-headed partner, you'd find that as time went on, the relationship just got better and better. You two truly are the perfect match! However, one day, they turn to you in the bed and say with an ashamed look on their face that they've been lying to you. The blade getting lodged in their head wasn't from an accident when they were a child, it was placed there intentionally by their grandfather, a wise man from a mysterious order who sought to fulfill a prophecy, where an evil that would threaten the world would be defeated by the blade, but only if it was removed from the head of their descendant by the one they love, which they would use to slay the evil in combat (you somehow know implicitly this prophecy is true and that it's not just weird cult bullshit, don't worry about it). Your partner explains that they're telling you this now because they truly, completely love you, and that means you very well might be the one that has to fulfill the prophecy in the end. They extend the offer to you to stay in the relationship with this prophecy hanging over your heads for the rest of your lives, with nobody knowing when it'll actually occur, or leave the relationship then and there, since it's a ton of pressure.

What do you do? Do you leave and avoid this cruel destiny, or do you accept the tragedy that might arrive in the not too distant future, where you have to slay a great evil, at the cost of killing your beloved? How would this reveal change your relationship?

Tl;Dr: Perfect partner you met online has a sword in their head that you'll have to use some day to defeat an ancient evil, with them not knowing when it'll be. Do you stay in a relationship with them despite a) the sword head, and b) the fact that you'll have to kill them and beat an ancient evil with said sword?

#hypothetical #relationship #katana #dating #romance #romantic #sword #tragic

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writer59january13 · 1 year

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Reaping short terms benefits...

before marital savings bond matured as a then quinquagenarian. Courtesy gerontologists medical practitioners allowing, enabling, and providing the elderly population to live longer and healthier lives. Linkedin with longevity loosely translates to resurgent libido spurring older folks predilection to participate in sexual intimacy. The downside (if such be the proper word) regarding senior citizens becoming or remaining flush with embodied physical attraction Gerontophilia barely alive as buzzfeeding colloquialism, nevertheless advertently, intermittently, and unwittingly received jump/kick starting excitement

here at Highland Manor, especially scooter bound population looking to spice her/his life courtesy young stud or hottie (stepping out pages of some sexy glamourous magazine) secretly strategizing how to entice lure, and understand "grandma" or "grandpa" as ideal bed fellow. An old geezer like yours truly, would roll out his Scottish welcome mat (comprised of Harris tweed material) readily and willingly welcoming respite from a young gal responsive to such juvenile, trashy, material devoid of absolute zero with neither, pride and prejudice apropos of maturity, sense and sensibility, nor wit and wisdom as the following banal folderol nominal representative sample exemplifies what he frequently posted on the fledgling Internet back during the heyday

of electronic chat rooms.

COMPAQ PRESARIO

desktop (little tower - revolutionary computer back in 1999 -)

chugged along (think the engine that could exhaustively repeating the mantra "I think I can, I think I can" in order to facilitate wheels that go round n around like a twirling clown

or a psychedelic school bus

while painted ponies go up and down... optimally operating like well greased levers to reverse a frown analogous to gingerbread man happy as a clam satisfactorily baked to perfection a colorful character uniformly imbrown

similar to persons of color

found within outer limits

along edge of night

of twilight zone in the heart of motown.

No harem meant by the following excerpts amalgamated, doctored, hewn, linkedin, and sanitized version from outdated prefabricated plundered digital broadcasts talentless dearth as profundity and/or qualifying as reasonable rhyme, I do forthrightly bewail paucity of thought provoking perspective dill liver rd by Clyde S Dale

whimsical wordy zesty email

nothing ventured equates to no gain nor any cause to fail searching far and wide for something akin to a holy grail in the guise of a femme fatale

wherever she may hale

even if my search finds me ferreting out jail masterfully baited ...ha...ha...hmm...

this steely irony male

merely Joe King riddler,

one lone ranger high in his blazing saddle exclaiming "Hi-yo Silver"

cuz tis a violation of pure innocence

to snatch Vestal Virgin before age of consent, and also ill eagle, whar rum may n daze existence

locked behind iron rail

bars with razor wire

in n attempt to scale

the bulwarks n escape -

bush whacking a trail

only to return to bedlam and discover vis-à-vis

a perspicacious wife who did bemoan and wail yours truly his indiscretion.

Fingers property handsome beau thrum while poetic feet quiver like fingers on a taut bow with anticipation to hear soft sure footed white or black crow

sitting on telephone wire talons didst flow

and crackle with electricity thru wired connection courtesy smooth bore little arquebus and spindleshanks characterized bozo weird friendship can grow like a super fresh field viz organic olive garden of eat'n plump with organic food

betwixt yar thatch n my lil hoe

property of common Joe

fully cognizant and in the know scheming to experience whet dreams are made analogous to tightly, lovingly, and exquisitely fit together game pieces manufactured by lego finished product resembling mistletoe illicit affair indubitably, ineluctably, invariably causing woe.

After primal desire fired away

I returned home

to the missus without delay

the scorned wife mine hide she did flay when divorce sought, she did nay say.

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saperlipopettee · 1 year

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Ubiq Tools

Heuristic Evaluation

(1) Overall Navigation

I found the navigation of the website to be very difficult due to a lack of written instructions or clear indicators on how to proceed. As a result, it was quite challenging to navigate through the site unless you watched the one-hour-long video beforehand. In order to improve the user experience, it would be helpful to include more detailed instructions that are easy to follow, as well as visual indicators that guide users through the website. Additionally, it may be useful to consider creating shorter instructional videos that are broken down into smaller segments, allowing users to quickly access and review specific sections as needed.

(2) Atmosphere

It was a very new atmosphere and experience to me, it was like entering a room full of people and not knowing anyone. So I guess it felt a little bit unfamiliar and disorienting. As some users may experience, the virtual environment can be overwhelming at first, especially for those who are not familiar with virtual reality technology. However, once users become more accustomed to the environment and its features, it can be a very immersive and engaging experience. The ability to interact with other users in real-time and in a virtual space can create a sense of presence and connectedness that is unique to social virtual reality.

(3) Functions

Ubiq tools for AR and VR provide a wide range of functions for creating social virtual reality experiences. These tools enable the creation of immersive environments that allow users to interact with each other in real-time.

One of the key features of Ubiq tools is the ability to create avatars that represent users in the virtual environment. Users can customize their avatars to reflect their personal style and preferences. Additionally, Ubiq tools allow for realistic movements of the avatars, making the virtual environment feel more natural.

Another important function of Ubiq tools is the ability to create interactive objects within the virtual environment. These objects can be used to facilitate social interactions between users. For example, you can create a virtual ball that users can throw around or a virtual whiteboard that users can draw on together.

Ubiq tools also support voice and text chat, enabling users to communicate with each other while in the virtual environment. This feature is especially crucial for creating a social VR experience, as it allows users to interact with each other in real-time and form meaningful connections.

Overall, Ubiq tools for AR and VR offer a wide range of functions that can be used to create engaging and immersive social virtual reality experiences.

(4) How we could enhance the spatial environment in terms of secure and pleasant experience.

In my opinion, it would be beneficial for the website's designers and developers to focus on making the tool more intuitive and straightforward. and also include some written instructions of some sort, just so the user can have a grasp of what is going on without referring to videos and tutorials every-time . for users to use, even if it means sacrificing some of the advanced features that may be causing the difficulties. Additionally, it may be helpful to include more detailed instructions and examples to help users become more familiar with the tool's functionality.

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ictcircleindia · 2 years

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Every Second, Every Resource Is Valuable on an IT B2B Platform

Using the Yellow Pages, small and large businesses try to find business contacts with whom they can close deals. Unfortunately, they experience dejection when those contacts are unapproachable or of no use. This is because the searched business domains differed from what they were looking for. Just like clothes or perfumes can be bought or sold online, buyers and sellers can also fix business deals online. It is possible through ICT Circle, the world’s first innovative b2b e-commerce IT platform, where the user can connect with global businessmen and grow their IT business exponentially. This b2b marketplace IT platform facilitates interaction with experienced business players.

Fix the business deal involving the chosen products, brands, or business domains using filters and one-on-one conversations with other entrepreneurs. The interests of the other businessmen can be known because of the transparency. Efficiency in your niche domain becomes not just a hope but a reality.

ICT Circle is an ideal b2b e-commerce platform for businessmen who are trying to recover losses because of the traditional market, where there is one-way communication. There have been instances in the conventional market where deals were almost sealed but didn’t happen because of little or no communication. Because of non-transparency and high competition in the traditional market, many businesses faced huge losses.

ICT Circle helps users chat in private groups, share information, and learn about the business. ICT Circle, the b2b marketplace platform allows buyers and sellers to speak directly, discuss and decide the rates, verify queries, and run their business smoothly. Find, connect, engage, transact, and learn from the ICT Circle using blockchain technology.

There is an increase in customer loyalty, and market research has become very accurate. The platform helps buyers and sellers upload requirements, share inventories, transact with verified business people, and be highly visible in the market. Orders get completed instantly. The ICT Circle is a simple process that includes finding the business, connecting, engaging, transacting, and learning.

ICT Circle aims to make members connect and grow together with an increase in dividends and reach. Users can make deals on this e-commerce platform for B2B segments of IT channels. It is now possible to develop long-lasting business relationships and explore more profitable opportunities.

Vendors and distributors can now easily access a large and widely dispersed client base. Wholesalers, retailers, resellers, wholesalers, system integrators, and even buyers in bulk can make exponential profits.

Using blockchain-based transactions, safety is ensured. It is convenient for subscribers to use ICT Circle on any device where they can buy memberships from members who are entrepreneurs. It's time to say no to wasting time and resources, as well as outdated methods of sourcing. Businesses can be successful through the electronic portal for buying and selling. ICT Circle has witnessed open markets, the development of business relations, and the availability of genuine products at a reasonable price. Partners on demand can see each other’s inventories.

The easy interface and algorithm help the users get their hands on the ICT Circle platform and scale their businesses. The subscribers usually list their IT and ICT products so that they can deal with ICT-verified partners. Then they connect, unlike old business methods, which involved hustling to find other businesses.

ICT Circle, the global b2b platform is an end-to-end helping hand for the subscribers, resulting in businesses experiencing increased revenues and achieving greater heights.

Subscribers can get logistics and insurance support, raise finance, avail of reduced operation costs, use multi-industry and multi-level exposure, get unlimited business, optimize it, and enjoy increased negotiation power. The real-time dashboard also allows users to track every minute of activity. The ICT members can generate buying and selling reports for weekly, quarterly, monthly, half a year, and annual base reports.

The start-ups have made a positive transition from simple ones to professional ones. They have relieved themselves of answering all the inquiries by referring to the records. Based on the required parameters, customer-specific groups can be made. This platform provides access to all global products, brands, and businesses. Keep track of real-time inventory, online catalogs, advertisements, and social media platforms.

Businesses can achieve competitive advantage using GTM strategy and understanding market trends, new product launches, and other businesses’ moves through the ICT Circle, the unique global b2b platform.

The businesses get recognized and generate leads. They become masters at identifying and onboarding the right channel. ICT Circle helps with the optimization of cash flow, product management, and regulation of inventories.

Waiting for the market to react will cause the business to wobble, and confronting competitors will ruin the business. Being a part of ICT Circle, Dubai, users can run efficient IT and ICT businesses with 100% accuracy, more productivity, and without much stress.

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toddlerzone · 2 years

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Why Do You Need to Get a White Bounce House for Your Kid’s Next Party?

It’s always fun to defy gravity, particularly for kids. A bounce house, specifically for children turns into an easy and engaging source of fun for kids. Here, in this lesson, you will learn some useful benefits of bounce houses for kids.

Every child loves to have a fun-filled party on their birthday, where they can run here and there with their dearest friends and families. Nothing can surpass the fun of jumping up and down with lots of energy and having a good time on an inflatable.

One may be contemplating regarding the benefits of an inflatable. Bounce houses are practical and can offer some of the following merits:

Social Advantages

Mental Advantages

Health Advantages

Some Health Benefits are Given Below:

In order to stay healthy, our bodies demand physical activities. Bouncing around in a white Bounce House in Houston unquestionably offers an incredible way to get some cardiovascular exercise, particularly for kids.

Children will spend hours jumping and rolling, running a little, and even climbing and sliding so if you are one of those parents who want to keep their children engaged, then get a Play Zone in Houston.

Jumping and running can offer similar health benefits for children, such as augmenting bone density, muscle development, enhancing blood circulation, boosting energy level, enhancing body fitness, and so on. Jumping enables children to increase flexibility and body coordination.

Some Social Benefits are Given Below:

One of the most delightful facets of a bounce house is watching the children interact with each another. It facilitates comradeship among the children and permits them to sharpen their social skills. Even a one-hour play session can enable children develop friendships that will last a lifetime.

Bounce houses are advantageous because they introduce children with the significance of sharing, friendship, and empathy. When you organize your child’s birthday party with an inflatable bouncer or inflatable water slide, he or she will invite friends to come over and play. As a result, children slowly understand the significance of doing good deeds for others.

Mental Benefits of Bounce Houses for Kids are Given Below:

It is essential to feel good, and the key to sustain happiness is to be constantly exposed to pleasant experiences. Kids Party Rental in Houston can keep children delighted for hours.

These days, bounce houses are available in variety of forms and come with many attachments to satisfy your needs, such as slides and basketball hoops. Kids enjoy these bounce houses a lot, and the whole experience comprises playing and chatting with buddies, devouring delectable food, and allowing their imagination to break all the boundaries.

#white Bounce House in Houston #Play Zone in Houston #Kids Party Rental in Houston

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peoplesmartin · 2 years

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What are the Benefits & Challenges of Taking an Online Degree Course?

The technology and the usage of online learning experience is growing every day, minute, and second. There are numerous benefits of online courses but in order to keep the pace with online classes, you need to overcome a lot of challenges along with it. Here are some benefits and challenges pointed out which needs to be looked after before joining up an online course:

Benefits:

1. Joining an online course gives you more accessibility and is cost effective towards your learning experience. You can be anywhere in the world and pursue any degree you want without having to move to somewhere else. It saves cost for relocation and also the course fee is relatively less in online courses as compared to traditional courses.

2. Online classes provides flexibility. You can finish your assignments, take practice quizzes, review and revise your notes, discuss topics, engage in conversation with classmates, and learn whenever you like. You set your own pace for completing the course requirements, except from specific deadlines.

4. Online classes are particularly helpful for bringing together people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, whereas traditional universities frequently work to enroll a diverse student body. You are exposed to a variety of viewpoints and views when you take classes with students from throughout the nation and the world. This can also make the content come to life in a more enriching way.

Challenges:

1. Class engagement is often naturally facilitated by being in the same physical area. It may seem as though you don’t need to interact as much when learning online. However, since online students aren’t physically there in class, some teachers may actually demand that they contribute even more in order to make up for it. Use the chat rooms, message boards, and other elements of the virtual classroom to your advantage, even though it might feel a little forced. This will help you get even more out of the course materials.

2. Compared to in-person classes, online learning necessitates a larger degree of independence. Some students could be tempted to put online classwork last on their to-do lists or procrastinate on tasks without the accountability of defined class times and with the ability to successfully “hide” behind their computer screens. You may manage your workload, stay focused and avoid distractions, and prevent exam stress by creating a daily calendar and attempting to maintain healthy work habits and routines.

3. College life involves many important aspects, some of which may be difficult to convey online, such as meeting new people, exchanging ideas, making friends, and establishing mentor relationships. But it is possible if you put in a little work and use the correct tools. Utilizing websites and apps that link you to your teachers and fellow students, as well as attending virtual office hours, can be helpful. Through Zoom or other video conferencing tools, you may also set up virtual study groups that you can join for socializing purposes.

Conclusion:

The development of the internet and other technology has nearly always given people access to a wealth of knowledge that is helpful. We use the virtual world when we are happy; when we are sad, the internet may make us smile and give us access to a wealth of knowledge. Online learning has both benefits and drawbacks for higher education. However, as technological advancements have increased, many of the key worries of students have been addressed, and the benefits of online learning are starting to outweigh the drawbacks

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decobanana · 2 years

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Snail mail game online free

SNAIL MAIL GAME ONLINE FREE FOR MAC

SNAIL MAIL GAME ONLINE .FREE .DOWNLOAD

If you’re burnt out on Zoom or your family group chat, you can sign up to correspond with a stranger instead the old-school way at.

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Use the link given below and proceed to the developers website in order to download Snail Mail free.

SNAIL MAIL GAME ONLINE FREE FOR MAC

The 7,000 plus members often share photos of artfully executed notes-an envelope bearing a watercolor illustration of a hobbit hole a dispatch that includes pen drawings of paper-doll outfits for the four March sisters of Louisa May Alcott’s “Little Women”-by posting them on social media with the PenPalooza hashtag. Snail Mail freeload Online Game For Mac Thank you for using our software library. She received such a deluge of responses she turned to website Elfster-designed to facilitate Secret Santa pairings-to match aspiring letter writers to one another in an exchange she called #PenPalooza. In June, New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme, eager to use her newly acquired vintage electric typewriter, sent out a call for pen pals on Twitter. But these aren’t just letters, and the more ambitious missives, increasingly embellished and fun to look at, have started landing on social media, as an outlier form of expression called Mail Art. Paper Source, a national stationery chain, reports that sales of “just because” cards, those not associated with life events, are up nearly 2,000% year-over-year since March. FED UP WITH the cold connection of virtual Netflix Parties and digital game nights, Americans are increasingly turning to old-fashioned letter writing to establish a more tactile and intimate rapport.

#Snail mail game online free

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sitiwebteramo51 · 2 years

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Hiring a Professional for the Creation of Your Abruzzo Website

It isn't an easy task. It requires careful planning and execution. There are many aspects that need to be considered when creating a website. It is important to consider the users, the goal of the website, the budget, and so on. Before you begin making a site it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives of the site. This will assist in determining the target audience and the purpose of the website. Once these two points are established, it will be easier to start the process of creating a website.

To expose your website to everyone you'll have to purchase web hosting from a service like GoDaddy, SiteGround, or WP Engine. Choose a website builder or the content management system (CMS). Once you have hosting set up, you'll need choose a platform for building your website. If you're unsure which platform is right for you, think about consulting with a web design expert. The most popular CMS options consist of WordPress, Joomla!, and Drupal. White space, also known as negative space, is the part of your website that isn't populated with any text or images. It's important to use white space to break up the content in order to facilitate it to read. An navigation bar is an array of links that visitors can browse your website. The menu should be simple to locate and simple to use. Stick to simple text links, rather than complicated drop-down menus. To generate extra details please visit lelcomunicazione.it/ Technology can change quickly, and therefore it's crucial to keep your site up-to-date. This means regularly updating your design, content, and code. If you don't, your website will begin to look outdated and won't work as well as it should. If you want visitors to return to your website, you have to provide top-quality customer service. It could be as simple as live chat, a help center, or even quick responses to any questions via email or social media. When you create a site, you will be able to collect information about potential customers who come to your website. This is a great benefit since you'll be able to market directly to these clients in the near future. If you optimize your website in search-engines, you will be able increase your visibility across these sites. This will result in more users being able discover your site when they look up keywords relevant to your company.

A website's creation can appear like a daunting task, however with a little planning and work it's possible to begin. By following the steps laid out above, you'll be able to get a basic website online in no time. And, if you need assistance along the way do not hesitate to contact the experts in web design.

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babblydrabbly · 3 years

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Trust Me Pt. 3 (Rick Flag x Reader)

[Gif]

Pairing(s): Rick Flag x Reader

Characters: Rick Flag, Mentions of Amanda Waller

Rating: General

Word Count: 1k+

Warning(s): Language, mentions of blood, wound dressing?

Summary: Rick takes you home. The two of you have a late night chat. Part 3/?

A/N: Pt. (1)(2)

Taglist: @rrtxcmt @to-be-or-not-to-be-2021

---

“[Y/n]?”

You heard your first name, which must have been the tinnitus— Because it was Rick Flag’s voice saying it. You opened your eyes.

Rick was offering you an arm.

He helped you out of the car by your uninjured hand, your bag already slung across his chest again. When had he gotten out? When had you gotten home?

And as if up was down— as if world order was inverted— you willingly tell him the code to your building’s front door. Then which floor number to jab in the elevator. You didn’t even object when he rummaged through the outer pocket of your bag and found your key ring himself. You communicated all these things with few words; An understanding somehow passing that he’d make sure you’re settled in before he finally gets out of your hair.

Eventually, you're on your own living room couch— and Colonel Rick Flag is seated there beside you. You winced away from the damp gauze pad he tries to press to your temple gingerly again.

“Flag,” You grumbled, batting his hand away. “It’s fine already.”

He scoffed. You were so damn stubborn. Even lying there, practically boneless, you gave him shit as he tried to concentrate, a pair of tweezers to your head. “You’ve got a suture... stickin’ out of your face...” You winced again at the sudden, sharp pain of Rick pulling the useless piece of nylon from your cut.

“Lucky for you, looks like the rest of it’ll close up just fine.”

You were resting your head on the back of the couch, half turned away from the man’s scrutiny. Sitting next to you, he took up most of the tiny piece of furniture. Granted, it was meant for two people, but with Rick’s stature it became a tight squeeze. Rick tossed the pair of tweezers and gauze onto the towel laid out on the coffee table.

“How do I look?” You sighed.

“Honestly,” He mulled it over with a pause, “You look like shit.”

You stared at him. A small smile suddenly quirked his lips, and instead of rising to the bait, you mimicked the expression, chuckling a little. Rick rewards you with a full blown grin.

“Not bad, [L/n].” He said. About what? How you’d heal up in no time? How you handled Waller’s tyranny like a champ? All of it, he supposed. Rick reclined back on the couch with you, his gaze on a stain smeared across his knuckle. Some of your blood. Spilt for him. He wiped it away idly.

“Thanks a lot.” You batted at his hand lightly again while its propped up there between the two of you. Rick curled it into a weak fist, flexing the tendons up his arm in thought. Your thank you hangs there, your eyes drifting close as the seconds passed.

Rick inhaled before speaking, “D’you remember—”

You opened your eyes. You waited for him. The only sound in the apartment a clock hanging above your television and the murmur of distant cars passing outside the window.

Rick’s hand dropped and you watch him shake his head. He scrubbed at his eye tiredly.

“Nah. Let me get going. I’m already wasting your week off.”

“Remember what?” You frowned.

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, as he tended to do instead of looking at you. He’d done it in meetings, in planes— He even did it in front of a campfire once during your second mission in a fucking forest— as you argued over strategy. You learned quickly during your observation of Rick Flag that he didn’t hide his tells of agitation very well— Least of all when it concerned you.

So you eased off. Relented for the night. He was right, it was already tomorrow, wasn’t it?

You’re pulled from your thoughts when a deep sound escapes Rick— It’s the first time you’ve ever seen him yawn, and you watched him stifle it embarrassingly behind a closed fist. He blinked, glancing down at the black watch around his wrist.

“You need some sleep too, Flag.” You said gently. Then, less gently, “...Or a power outlet.”

He snorted. Bundling up the towel on the coffee table, he peeled himself off the couch.

“USB port?” You called after him. He crossed your small apartment over to the kitchen area, dumping all the used bandages and wrappers into the trash. You drifted again, listened to the sink running, a dish towel plopping back down onto the counter.

“I’ll leave you to it, then.” Rick called by the front door, and your eyes shot open.

“Wait,” You said, hurrying to get up. Rick turned around. Your front door was already halfway open. You took the handle from him and let him move into the doorframe as he looked at you curiously.

“Yeah, [L/n]?” Disappointment flashed across your face. You had liked the sound of your first name leaving his lips. But maybe the world wasn’t completely upside down, then.

Speaking of lips, your eyes darted to the line pressed across Rick’s, his brows pinching together as he waited for you to say what you had to say. What could you say to thank him, to explain that you understood that things were different between the two of you now?

Waller’s lecture had been a refresher in your mission statement — You worked for her, not with him. Not really. Your aid could facilitate the suicide squad in a limited capacity, but Waller had no real use for your skills with you dead. As she gave you your debrief and let the door hit you on the way out tonight, you knew that from now on, you weren’t going to just stand there and let things happen to Rick Flag in the field— not if you could ever help it again.

“[Y/n]?” Rick murmured. His eyes tried to discern the puzzling look on your face. You didn’t have the energy to say it all to him now.

So instead, you placed a gentle hand on Rick’s arm, pushing yourself up to close the gap between the two of you, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“What—” He startled; Rick turned his head. You gasped when your lips met in an unexpected peck.

You reeled. He reeled. “Oh— fuck, sorry I just—” You stuttered.

Rick blinked down at you, looking stunned.

Then— after a moment’s hesitation— he leaned down, his lips hovering over yours before giving you a careful kiss in return. Your eyes fluttered, closing. Seconds passed —You felt Rick move his lips against yours, persuading you wordlessly to return the gesture, so you do. You stayed like that— your hands to yourselves— the only connection passing between you in that same soft breath.

Rick pulled away abruptly. “Right.”

“—Yeah.”

“I’ll— get goin’ then.”

“Okay.”

Colonel Rick Flag backed out into your hallway, his shoulder bumping into the frame on his way out. “I— I’ll see you next week. Maybe.” He conceded, walking away.

“See you, yeah.”

You let him quickly disappear down the hall before shutting the door, more addled and dizzy tonight than ever.

#rick flag x reader #rick flag x you #rick flag fanfiction #dceu fanfiction #the suicide squad fanfiction #bruh is Joel kinnaman's nose ever not broken in altered carbon #every gif I find - sexy - but bloody lmao #genius reader strikes again :)

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