#Vision improvement supplements

[lifesproutbioceuticals]

Macular degeneration is a common eye condition that leads to vision loss in the center of the field of vision. It's primarily an age-related condition, affecting older adults, and is one of the leading causes of vision loss.

[scientia-rex]

Because my most popular post is about weight loss and how it's a crock, I get a lot of questions about various things, including bariatric surgery--just posted the link to the post I did about that--but also Ozempic/Wegovy, the once-weekly injectable semaglutide medication that was developed for diabetes but was found to have independent benefits on weight loss.

I always said that weight loss was like Viagra: when a medication came along that actually worked, it would explode. We'd all hear about it. Fen-phen in the 90s worked, but it was bad for your heart. Stimulants, like meth, may cause weight loss, but they do it at the cost of heart health, and raise your likelihood of dying young. Over the counter weight loss supplements often contain illegal and unlisted thyroid hormone, which is also dangerous for the heart if taken in the absence of a real deficiency. Orlistat, or "Alli," works the same way as the Olestra chips Lays made in the 1990s--it shuts off your ability to digest fats, and the problem with that is that fats irritate the gut, so then you end up with fatty diarrhea and probably sharts. Plus Alli only leads to 8-10lbs of weight loss in the best case scenario, and most people are not willing to endure sharts for the sake of 8lbs.

And then came the GLP-1 agonists. GLP stands for glucagon-like peptide. Your body uses insulin to make cells uptake sugar. You can't just have free-floating sugar and use it, it has to go into the cells to be used. So if your body sucks at moving sugar into the cells, you end up with a bunch of glucose hanging out in places where it shouldn't be, depositing on small vessels, damaging nerves and your retinas and kidneys and everywhere else that has a whole lot of sensitive small blood vessels, like your brain.

Glucagon makes your liver break down stored sugars and release them. You can think of it as part of insulin's supporting cast. If your body needs sugar and you aren't eating it, you aren't going to die of hypoglycemia, unless you've got some rare genetic conditions--your liver is going to go, whoops, here you go! and cough it up.

But glucagon-like peptide doesn't act quite the same way. What glucagon-like peptide does is actually stimulating your body to release insulin. It inhibits glucagon secretion. It says, we're okay, we're full, we just ate, we don't need more glucagon right now.

This has been enough for many people to both improve blood sugar and cause weight loss. Some patients find they think about food less, which can be a blessing if you have an abnormally active hunger drive, or if you have or had an eating disorder.

However, every patient I've started on semaglutide in any form (Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus) has had nausea to start with, probably because it slows the rate of stomach emptying. And that nausea sometimes improves, and sometimes it doesn't. There's some reports out now of possible gastroparesis associated with it, which is where the stomach just stops contracting in a way that lets it empty normally into the small intestine. That may not sound like a big deal, but it's a lifelong ticket to abdominal pain and nausea and vomiting, and we are not good at treating it. We're talking Reglan, a sedating anti-nausea but pro-motility agent, which makes many of my patients too sleepy to function, or a gastric pacemaker, which is a relatively new surgery. You can also try a macrolide antibiotic, like erythromycin, but I have had almost no success in getting insurance to cover those and also they have their own significant side effects.

Rapid weight loss from any cause, whether illness, medication, or surgery, comes with problems. Your skin is not able to contract quickly. It probably will, over long periods of time, but "Ozempic face" and "Ozempic butt" are not what people who want to lose weight are looking for. Your vision of your ideal body does not include loose, excess skin.

The data are also pretty clear that you can't "kick start" weight loss with Ozempic and then maintain it with behavioral mechanisms. If you want to maintain the weight loss, you need to stay on the medication. A dose that is high enough to cause weight loss is significantly higher than the minimum dose where we see improvements in blood sugar, and with a higher dose comes higher risk of side effects.

I would wait on semaglutide. I would wait because it's been out for a couple of years now but with the current explosion in popularity we're going to see more nuanced data on side effects emerging. When you go from Phase III human trials to actual use in the world, you get thousands or millions more data points, and rare side effects that weren't seen in the small human trials become apparent. It's why I always say my favorite things for a drug to be are old, safe, and cheap.

I also suspect the oral form, Rybelsus, is going to get more popular and be refined in some way. It's currently prohibitively expensive--all of these are; we're talking 1200 or so bucks a month before insurance, and insurance coverage varies widely. I have patients who pay anything from zero to thirty to three hundred bucks a month for injectable semaglutide. I don't think I currently have anyone whose insurance covers Rybelsus who could also tolerate the nausea. My panel right now is about a thousand patients.

There are also other GLP-1 agonists. Victoza, a twice-daily injection, and Trulicity, and anything else that ends in "-aglutide". But those aren't as popular, despite being cheaper, and they aren't specifically approved for weight loss.

Mounjaro is a newer one, tirzepatide, that acts on two receptors rather than one. In addition to stimulating GLP-1 receptors, it also stimulates glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors. It may work better; I'm not sure whether that's going to come with a concomitantly increased risk of side effects. It's still only approved for diabetes treatment, but I suspect that will change soon and I suspect we'll see a lot of cross-over in terms of using it to treat obesity.

I don't think these medications are going away. I also don't think they're right for everyone. They can reactivate medullary thyroid carcinoma; they can fuck up digestion; they may lead to decreased quality of life. So while there may be people who do well with them, it is okay if those people are not you. You do not owe being thin to anyone. You most certainly do not owe being thin to the extent that you should risk your health for it. Being thin makes navigating a deeply fat-hating world easier, in many ways, so I never blame anyone for wanting to be thin; I just want to emphasize that it is okay if you stay fat forever.

[daily-vitamin-ena]

pharmacy lore goes crazy (thank you @wabatle for drawing the hospital >_<)

welcome to the pharmacy! we only give out vitamin ena and nothing else. inbox is open.

commonly asked questions

what does vitamin ena do for the body? -> keeps the heart pumping blood and blood pumping to the heart. no vitamin ena no heartbeat, just death.

what happens if you miss a day? -> you die (/joke you can always recover with more vitamins but yeah you do die so be dramatic in the inbox)

what happens if the PHARMACIST misses a day? -> more lawsuits! bad news for me.

can you take different vitamins or supplements while taking vitamin ena? -> many vitamins that are running in the pjsekai pharmacy community do not give the same affects as vitamin ena, they are safe to take at the same time.

can you take more than one vitamin ena at a time? -> NO. too much blood goes to your body and you explode. it is okay to catch up on days though, and if you have a doctor’s note that you submit in the inbox i will let you.

pharmacies masterlist

@daily-vitamin-ena (helps with heart blood circulation)

@daily-airimomoi-vitamins (happier healthier life! also a horror blog)

@daily-vitamin-emu (absolute happiness!)

@dailyvitamin-sakitenma (calming effect, some arg :3)

@daily-vitamin-honami (has been found to regulate the production of the stress hormone cortisol and increases levels of oxytocin! slight horror)

@daily-vitamin-kanade (helps with hearing and with emotional comfort!! also a horror blog)

@daily-vitamin-mafuyu (keeps your brain from imploding. also my arch nemesis /j)

@mizuki-vitamins-daily (helps with self confidence, mental health, and gives healthier hair!!! i like to take these personally.)

@daily-vitamin-an (provides an increase in happiness and productivity! newer blog and will update as it grows >< slight horror)

@daily-vitamin-tsukasa (also known as the star pharmacy. tsukasa vitamins helps feel bright and happy and boosts your hope if you have dreams of becoming a future star. crucial to a hopeful and happy life!)

@vitamin-ichika (will help you easily make friends, make miku live in your head, and also lesbianism bonuses!)

@akikasa-daily-dose (gives beneficial piano skills and an increase in joy and whimsy :3)

@daily-nightamins-at-25-00 (all of nightcord every day, including vocaloids all with their own special health benefits!)

@daily-vitamin-rui (vague and mysterious! you have to be a real risk taker to take one of these bad boys. you’ll see what happens when you take them, the pharmacy says.)

@daily-vitamin-shizuku (helps you maintain strength, increase height, and improve your mood overall. also a vitamin d supplement. i need to take some of these to grow taller..)

@daily-vitamin-haruka (gives you a sparkly, idol-like aura! one could even call them idol rizz drugs.)

@daily-vitamin-akito (helps with vision and organ health! horror/arg blog that i lowkey fw)

@the-nene-pharmacy (helps improve singing skills!)

@daily-vitamin-minori (heightens activity/productivity based on how much you love minori!)

@daily-kohane-vitamins (take daily for kindheartedness, diligence, and joy >< not directly a horror blog but interacts with args and horror blogs often.)

@daily-vitamin-nene (another nene pharmacy!)

@daily-vitamin-mmj-rin (also known as vitarins :3 they are in the MORE MORE JUMP! flavor. boosts determination.)

@daily-vitamin-len (BANANA FLAVORED!! has some horror and benefits vary on unit len.)

@daily-vitaminori (another minori :3)

@daily-vitamin-touya (horror blog, gummy + may even come in coffee flavor!!)

@daily-polysho-vitamins (WONDERHOURYRYJEHUUHEIEHIIW used to be an arg and is taking a break or has stopped, so watch out for earlier posts with horror elements ;3)

@daily-vitamin-shiho (a pet clinic! helps pets get through the day :3, horror warning)

@daily-sekai-luka-vitamins (gives benefits based on unit :3)

@daily-vitamin-vbs (vivid bad squad vitamins !!)

@vitamin-samo-chan (SAMO CHAN!! make ya BORF. decreases Horrors™️)

@daily-mizuki-water (uhm. not a vitamin. BUT WATER! gives hydration. interacts with arg blogs often.)

@daily-kaito-vitamin (kaitomins can be taken cold or with ice cream! they give a illiness boost and other extra boosts depending on unit kaito. very silly :33)

@sekai-meiko-vitamins-everyday (vitamins have been found to boost singing ability, maturity, empathy, flexibility and mobility, memory, and charisma! there also seems to be horror aspects/arg.)

@evilmafumomvitamins (uhm. gives you good sweater and nice dress and purple hair but makes you evil :3..)

@daily-miku-vitamins (miku vitamins will keep you nice and healthy as long as you take them daily! additional benefits come with unit specific mikus. also an arg blog :3)

@daily-vitamin-leoneed (helps improve your social life with your childhood friends, along with many other extra effects :3)

@daily-mafuemu-vitamins (gives boost in energy, increase in dopamine production, regulates body heat, and helps for leading a happy and fulfilling life!)

@daily-vitamin-mizuena (daily dose of yuri, lesbianism, also keeps your appendix functioning as a side gig. but the important part is the lesbianism.)

@daily-kanaena-vitamins (keeps you very happy and content with your abilities so if you kin ena you should take these.)

@daily-vitamin-ken (intro post will soon establish benefits and such of vitaken :3)

@the-best-daily-dose-of-vita-rui (another vitarui pharmacy :3 the ourple…….. increases levels of happiness, passion, and creativity. also gives you more will to live!)

@daily-kanamafu-vitamins (vitamins to help with musical skills and sleep schedule :3)

@dailydose-of-kazemaru (NOT PROSEKA????? boost and increase in happiness! includes horror.)

@daily-mafuena-vitamins (currently swapped with nene pharm??? so i dont know benefits currently :3)

@daily-mizuki-vitamins (another mizuki pharmacy :3)

OKAY!!! as of 08/14 when this is being updated there are clinics pharmacy swapping, if you’re feeling confused that’s why :3

important!! policy on shipping

with the addition of our first ship pharmacy (akikasa pharm) i want lots of my followers to understand my policy on ships.

i want you guys to respect the pairings that people ship (unless it’s illegal or a proship or incest obviously) and i would really prefer arguments and conflict over ships not to happen at this pharmacy. i don’t have a huge otp, and with a cast as big as prosekai i understand lots of pairings and why they’re shipped.

i don’t want these pharmacies to start having wars with each other!!! we’re bound together in culthood that should remain unbroken (/joke about the cult thing, but i really am enjoying this community.) thank you everyone!!

(current!) official pharmacy street map

use it to navigate different pharmacies! because of certain circumstances the map wont update for a while and it will possibly be discontinued :( you can go see designs of other pharmacies on their own blogs though :3 sorry about it. im bummed out that i cant update anymore either.

lore??

freddy fazbear / fnaf

chemical x / failed ena prototype (vitamin akito)

The Anarchy

otome kaibou imposter ena

vitamin ena day 16 massacre

neighboring pharmacies’ horror lores (they scare me)

omori

bear anon

vampire anon

𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂

more to come probably!!

more info!

blog is run by a minor!!

main blog is @rain-and-jellyfish go follow me ^^

go crazy in the inbox claim anon titles literally go crazy

pinned post will update frequently!!

THINGS MADE BY MY LOVELY FOLLOWERS!!!

credits in the alt !! YOU GUYS ARE SICK I LOVE YOU GUYS. also since i don’t want to upload all the pictures here, look at this post!! LOOK AT ALL THE PHARMACIES!! THEY LOOK SO NEAT

[thecreaturecodex]

Arstron

Image accessed from the Ultraman Wiki here

[Return of Ultraman is the third Ultraman series, the fourth in the Ultra series altogether, and the first that establishes any sort of continuity between one-off cameos. If the original Ultraman is the toku version of Green Lantern (space cop gives power to human fighter pilot), Ultraman Jack is the toku Spider-man before the actual toku Spider-Man. Hideki Go is thrilled to get powers and rapidly goes too far with them, and has to learn that with great power comes great responsibility. Plus, the series has as much of a focus on his home life as it does on his monster-fighting antics, and Ultraman Jack often loses fights and has to regroup and rethink his approach before winning.

Arstron here (referred to as Earthtron in English before Tsubaraya made official Romanizations for their many many kaiju) was the first kaijur that Ultraman Jack fought, and it's one of his most iconic opponents. Arstron has reappeared in multiple Ultra Series, has a lot of toys, and even appears in the opening credits of the next series, Ultraman Ace. Not bad for most transparent Godzilla knockoff of the franchise not actually made from an old Godzilla costume.]

Arstron CR 21 CN Magical Beast This creature resembles an oversized, slightly humanoid dinosaur, its arms short and legs massive. Rows of low plates grow along its spine, and it has a huge crescent horn growing from its forehead.

An arstron is an enormous burrowing predator that superficially resembles a theropod dinosaur. They spend most of their lives underground, hunting other large subterranean creatures like purple worms and supplementing their diet with organic minerals like coal and oil. Arstrons are territorial and belligerent, and the movement of dragons, kaiju or other enormous and powerful monsters through their territories may provoke them to go on violent rampages. Arstrons enjoy combat, and their rare interactions with other members of their species are typically sparring matches.

Arstrons care little for stealth, and they are pursuit hunters rather than ambush predators. Their burrowing is often felt in the form of small tremors before the monsters emerge to the surface. Arstrons prefer to use their breath weapons and spit fireballs in order to hunt—animals, monsters and humanoids killed by the flames are eaten carbonized, and arstrons typically char their food before consuming it. They use their teeth, claws, tails and scything horn primarily when fighting an enemy that is fire resistant and/or large enough to fight back. An arstron can launch itself into a frenzy similar to a barbarian’s rage, and if anything survives that onslaught, the arstron is likely to burrow back below ground and try to flee.

Arstron               CR 21 XP 409,600 CN Colossal magical beast (earth) Init +5; Senses darkvision 120 ft., light sensitivity, low-light vision, Perception +27, tremorsense 120 ft.

Defense AC 37, touch 3, flat-footed 36 (-8 size, +1 Dex, +34 natural) hp 400 (32d10+224) Fort +25, Ref +21, Will +16 DR 10/-; Immune energy drain, fear; Resist acid 30, fire 30 Defensive Abilities shake it off

Offense Speed 60 ft., burrow 40 ft. Melee bite +39 (4d6+15), 2 claws +39 (2d8+15), gore +39 (4d8+15), tail slap +37 (2d8+7) Space 30 ft.; Reach 30 ft. Special Attacks bolide blast, breath weapon (240 ft. line, 32d6 fire, Ref DC 33 half, 1d4 rounds), frenzy, maximize breath weapon

Statistics Str 40, Dex 13, Con 25, Int 4, Wis 19, Cha 14 Base Atk +32; CMB +55; CMD 66 Feats Awesome Blow, Blind-fight, Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Critical (gore), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Multiattack, Power Attack, Staggering Critical, Stand Still, Stunning Critical Skills Climb +24, Perception +27, Swim +24 Languages Terran (cannot speak)

Ecology Environment any mountains or hills and underground Organization solitary or pair Treasure incidental

Special Attacks Bolide Blast (Su) As a standard action, an arstron can spit a fireball to a range of 500 feet. When it reaches its intended destination, the fireball explodes in a 40 foot radius, dealing 16d6 points of fire damage (Reflex DC 33 halves). An arstron can use this ability at will. Frenzy (Ex) An arstron can enter a state of frenzy as a swift action on its turn, gaining a +2 bonus to attack and melee damage rolls, a +2 bonus to Will saves, 2 temporary hit points per HD (64 for a typical specimen) and a -2 penalty to Armor Class. An arstron’s frenzy lasts for 1 minute, whereupon it is fatigued for 10 minutes. An arstron can enter a frenzy at will, but cannot do so when fatigued or exhausted. Maximize Breath Weapon (Ex) By spending a full round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, an arstron can deal maximum damage with its breath weapon. When it does so, the recharge for its breath weapon defaults to 4 rounds. Shake It Off (Ex) Whenever an arstron fails a saving throw against a paralyzing, petrifaction, polymorph or immobilizing effect (including binding and temporal stasis, but not imprisonment), it can attempt a new saving throw at the end of its turn to remove the effect. Doing so takes no action. An arstron can attempt a new save to end the effect as often as it wishes, but can attempt to remove only one such effect per round.

[kitchin-gryphin]

CatBoy Chaos Comparative Anatomy/Traits Post!!

I asked in the endnotes of ch. 3 of CatBoy Chaos if anyone would be interested in my thoughts about the anatomy of catboy! Danny in my fic, as someone studying animal science, and several people said yes- so here they are! Some things I’m going to talk about in this post have been mentioned in the fic already, but I’m going to elaborate more on them.

SO - Cats and Humans? Are very very different!! (shocker I know) Forcing the human body to have cat traits would realistically fuck you up real good! Just ears, a tail, and eyes is (quite literally,) surface level stuff, and imo a little boring! So here is a list with explanations of my version of Cat-Boy Danny’s traits :

1) Advantageous Cat Traits:

Improved Hearing, he can hear softer sounds, and tell directionally where sounds are coming from! (Directional hearing is something humans are really bad at)

Improved Smell! Cats obviously have a much better sense of smell than humans

Improved Night Vision - cat eyes means a “tapetum lucidum” -  a layer of reflective cells, and what causes cat’s eyes to “glow” in the dark!

Tolerance for Dehydration and Infrequent Blinking - Domestic cats descend from desert-dwelling wildcats. These traits are a result of that ancestry, and now Danny can win any staring contest!

2) Instincts!!

Discomfort with death - (mentioned in ch.2) - animals typically have an instinctual aversion to death, it’s an important survival instinct! For Half-ghost boy Danny, this makes using his ghost powers uncomfortable, and sets him on edge any time he uses them.

Prey Drive! - Cats are predators, they have a prey drive, this will be very fun for me to include, and potentially very embarrassing for Danny... 

Defensive Reactions - will absolutely hiss/bite before really thinking. Think fight or flight made more dramatic.

3) Complete Cat Dentition

Poor boy doesn’t just have the sharp “fang” canines of a cat, he has ALL cat teeth. Cats are carnivores!!! All their teeth are sharp!! 

This totally makes eating and chewing more difficult for Danny.

Hooked “sandpaper” tongue! He’s not going to lick himself, that’s gross, but he does have a hooked tongue! 

below is low quality drawing I did in class of cat vs human teeth:

4) New Dietary Considerations

Cats are OBLIGATE CARNIVORES!! On their own, cats cannot synthesize taurine - an amino acid that is absolutely vital to the body’s function! Danny’s meta gene removed his ability to synthesize it, he either needs meat in his diet, or to take a special taurine supplement. 

Regardless of wether or not he wasn’t before - Danny is ABSOLUTELY lactose intolerant now. Human’s common lactose tolerance into adulthood is unique in the animal kingdom.

Common cat poisons - In chapter 2, Danny gets sick after having a mocha latte - Coffee and Chocolate are two things cats cant have! He’s gotta be careful about what he eats now. Will everything bad for cats make him sick? No, but he doesn’t know what will or won’t.

5) Learned Muscle Control

Humans do have ear muscles, but they’re vestigial. Some people have a little control over them, which is why they can “wiggle their ears���. Suddenly for Danny, these muscles are no longer vestigial.

His tail is an entire appendage that he didn’t have before, 

Until he learns control of these muscles, any emotion shown by his tail or ears is involuntary and instinctual!!

6) Incompatible Skeletal Structure

Oh boy - human bipedalism is already such a mess structurally. From an engineering and structural standpoint, human hips and backs are so very messed up, (its why back pain is so very common). Adding a tail to that mix? yikes.... a tail is a continuation of the spine. Realistically, it would ABSOLUTELY cause severe chronic hip/back pain. It’s not something that’s going to to play a role in CatBoy Chaos, but know that i’m thinking about it and imagining how much ouch that would be.

NO RETRACTABLE CLAWS - YIKES EW NO. Retractable claws would BUTCHER human hands… A cat's retractable claws involve the bone that is equivalent to a human fingertip. I’m not doing that to Danny… ick, no, that would be really gross to me -

 here’s an image I found of what I’m trying to say - (Image Credit)

Also: some small notes about Danny and cat Stereotypes/Myths

“Cats Always Land on their feet” and landing unharmed from impossible heights - For cats, these are a result of directional awareness in the air, ability to “parachute” to slow descent, and the ability to “cushion” the impact when landing. Of these traits, the only one Danny could really have and still look like a catboy as opposed to a full-on anthro cat, is directional awareness in the air.

“Cats don’t like water” - This comes up in ch. 4, so minor spoiler until I post it this weekend, but ultimately Danny comes to his own conclusion that wet fur is not comfortable, and takes forever to dry.

“Cats & 9-lives” - well... he’s still a halfa...

Finally: Of course he purrs!!!

So There you have it! My thoughts about the anatomy of CatBoy! Danny in my fic CatBoy Chaos! 

If there’s any questions about my thoughts, I’d love to hear ‘em! 

[onlinedietarysupplement]

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One in three American adults have high cholesterol – but only half are actively attempting to reduce it. We understand that people have jobs and family and do not have time for drastic lifestyle changes. We want to improve cholesterol health for everyone, no matter their lifestyle.

[letsberealgenz]

You know I have always wondered what’s the secret to being multi-successful and it turned out to be there’s absolutely no secret to it. But if you take a closer look at all the individuals whom made it big in life, there would be certain keys that overlap with one another. Turns out to be these keys are no foreign subject for all individuals, in fact you’d be so shocked it’s the simplest habits in your daily life that contributes to your long-term success.

The only difference is how committed you stick to them. Are you the individual whom give up after not seeing the results that you desire or someone whom pushes the limit and believe consistency is the key?

I am sharing these 50 tips compiled from all the success stories that I believe would change the game of your life. *feel free to save this for reference*

✮ be really clear on your goals

✮ craft your career based on your true purpose

✮ plan your days/weeks earlier

✮ create healthy habits

✮ cut off toxic relationships

✮ prioritize your “me-time”

✮ surround yourself with the right people

✮ involve in activities/societies/communities that supports your success and life goals

✮ take your vitamins and supplements

✮ watch your food and liquid intake

✮ spend time with nature

✮ meditate

✮ journal

✮ practice gratitude

✮ write & speak daily affirmations

✮ read the right books

✮ learn something new

✮ practice reflection

✮ listen & watch inspiring people

✮ detox your following list

✮ reduce your mindless scrolling

✮ clean up your space/environment

✮ recycle/donate/dispose any unnecessary stuff

✮ live an intentional life

✮ practice minimalism

✮ move your body often > workout > sweat it out

✮ track your finances

✮ save your funds whenever you can

✮ grow your portfolio through investments

✮ reduce alcohol/nicotine/caffeine consumption

✮ make a vision board

✮ simplify and only focus on the most important task

✮ always prioritize the time when you can make effective decisions and be creative (supports your goal)

✮ spend more time with your loved ones

✮ more self-talk

✮ always track your goals from time-to-time

✮ find a way on how your talent/skill/passion/purpose can be monetized

✮ practice active volunteering

✮ do what you love often (hobbies)

✮ glam up/skin care/take care of your physical appearance

✮ stay committed to your morning routine

✮ get your beauty sleep check in

✮ night journal/affirmations/gratitude

✮ be mindful of your thoughts/action

✮ get loose sometimes

✮ enjoy the process (not the end-goal only)

✮ increase your network/connections

✮ explore/travel/get out of your bubble as much as possible

✮ always invest in yourself

✮ forgive more. let it go. move on (learn from your mistakes/failures and find a way on how you can improve your next move)

[mariana-oconnor]

The Empty House pt 1

Now, in the hour of our greatest need, a hero rises to answer the call. Our dear friend John Watson provides food for our reading appetites and bravely returns to write the tales of his dearly departed* partner, Sherlock Holmes.

*all facts correct at time of writing

You may be forgiven for assuming that my silence indicated that ‘The Final Problem’ truly was the end of my association with Sherlock Holmes, and indeed of the man himself. The passage of time and many subsequent tellings of the tale has not diminished me joy in saying that it was not so.

WHAT??!

No, seriously though, the fact that Letters from Watson is going with the conceit that Watson knew when he sent the email that Holmes wasn't dead and then just went radio silent for three weeks is fucking hilarious. It's what Holmes would have wanted. I mean, he's not dead, but even so. I love the dramatic bitch energy here.

It was in the spring of the year 1894

I feel like this is as definite and accurate a date as we're ever going to get in these stories.

Also, I have definitely read this one before, multiple times. Partially for my own enjoyment when I was younger, but also during my Sherlock fandom phase where I needed to verify some original canon so I could mutate it terribly for my own personal amusement.

I definitely remember whodunnit and how this time, but I'm not sure if that's actually going to be the mystery.

Only now, at the end of nearly ten years,

So this is a story set in 1894, written in 1903, read by us in 2023.

I should have considered it my first duty to have done so had I not been barred by a positive prohibition from his own lips, which was only withdrawn upon the third of last month.

So Holmes stayed 'dead' officially for 13 years? I mean, I guess this is also sort of ACD saying 'please stop sending me death threats. Here it is. He was never really dead. I surrender I surrender.'

As I read the evidence at the inquest, which led up to a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown

Totally read this wrong at first as though the murder was against the person or persons unknown. 'We know a murder has taken place, but we don't know who, or even if it was only one person or multiple. But it was definitely murder.' But no, it's the verdict that's against them, not the murder.

There were points about this strange business which would, I was sure, have specially appealed to him, and the efforts of the police would have been supplemented, or more probably anticipated, by the trained observation and the alert mind of the first criminal agent in Europe.

It is pretty tragic to think of Watson reading the paper and sighing to himself as he thinks of how Holmes could have helped. But then also casually throwing shade at the police officers, also in tribute to Holmes' memory.

Adair's mother had returned from Australia to undergo the operation for cataract

Health tourism has a long and varied history. In a time before aeroplanes that's a long way to go and a long time to take for surgery. Did Australia really not have any opthalmologists worth their salt at this time? I mean, I don't know how good even the surgeons in London would have been with that sort of surgery, it's a little more finesse than amputations and they had enough difficulty with them. Got to assume that if you're going to take that long travelling for the surgery, there's got to be a reasonable improvement in your chances for survival.

OK, wow, the history of cataract surgery is long and I do not advise you to look it up if you are in any way squeamish about or squicked out by eye stuff. But apparently the earliest cataract surgeries known are in the 5th century BC, although modern surgery methods didn't seem to really get good until around the 1950s. Basically yes, infection was very possible and her vision would never be the same again.

That was very educational and quite unpleasant.

Ronald Adair was fond of cards, playing continually, but never for such stakes as would hurt him. He was a member of the Baldwin, the Cavendish, and the Bagatelle card clubs. It was shown that after dinner on the day of his death he had played a rubber of whist at the latter club.

I know it says that he never played for stakes that would hurt him, but I feel like being a member of three different clubs is a sign of something. Also, the fact that he recently broke up with his fiancee really needs to be relevant later because I cannot imagine why it would be included if not. At least as a red herring.

Mr. Murray, Sir John Hardy, and Colonel Moran

I wonder which of them is important? Clearly it must be Mr Murray. Absolutely could not be Colonel Moran, who is a colonel and therefore a respectable member of society who would never be associated with any crimes.

I stg ACD had some sort of beef with a colonel at some point in time. That's the only possible explanation. OTHER RANKS ARE AVAILABLE.

She had lit a fire there, and as it smoked she had opened the window.

They need their chimneys checked. Where are the chimney sweeps? I was under the impression that Victorian London was full of chimney sweeps. Was I lied to? Shove a small child up that chimney at once!

The door was locked on the inside, and no answer could be got to their cries and knocking. Help was obtained and the door forced. The unfortunate young man was found lying near the table. His head had been horribly mutilated by an expanding revolver bullet, but no weapon of any sort was to be found in the room.

Locked room mystery! Locked room mystery! Locked room mystery!

The window is open, but this is the second floor, and it's worth noting for any American readers, that in the UK the second floor is one higher than you think. We have ground floor, first floor, then second floor. So that's a pretty high window to reach.

(Unless there was already a small child lying in wait up the chimney...)

A minute examination of the circumstances served only to make the case more complex. In the first place, no reason could be given why the young man should have fastened the door upon the inside.

Sometimes people just lock doors. I automatically lock doors behind me sometimes. My brain is just like 'ooh, lock!' I made my flatmate at university think I hated her because I used to lock myself into my room, but I just... be like that.

There was the possibility that the murderer had done this and had afterwards escaped by the window. The drop was at least twenty feet, however, and a bed of crocuses in full bloom lay beneath. Neither the flowers nor the earth showed any sign of having been disturbed, nor were there any marks upon the narrow strip of grass which separated the house from the road.

So I know how this goes, but I feel there is a very real alternative solution to this puzzle that involves a circus troupe, an archer and a tightrope walker. Not sure how they'd get the tightrope back, but that can be sorted out in editing.

Again, Park Lane is a frequented thoroughfare, and there is a cab-stand within a hundred yards of the house.

Fine, people would probably notice the tightrope walking clown...

^ This guy could do it, is all I'm saying. (Although he would definitely use more than one bullet...)

since, as I have said, young Adair was not known to have any enemy, and no attempt had been made to remove the money or valuables in the room.

No one who gambles that much and consistently wins can be entirely enemy-free, that seems unlikely.

As I did so I struck against an elderly deformed man, who had been behind me, and I knocked down several books which he was carrying. [...] With a snarl of contempt he turned upon his heel, and I saw his curved back and white side-whiskers disappear among the throng.

Oh hai, Holmes. I'm not 100% that this is Holmes but lbr, this is Holmes. The snarl of contempt and abrupt about turn is totally to conceal his identity. Also I want to read The Origins of Tree Worship is it a real book? I feel like it has the potential to be the basis for a decent fantasy book.

but the window was entirely inaccessible, since there was no water-pipe or anything which could help the most active man to climb it.

I had not been in my study five minutes when the maid entered to say that a person desired to see me.

Drum roll please

I moved my head to look at the cabinet behind me. When I turned again Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at me across my study table.

Certainly a grey mist swirled before my eyes, and when it cleared I found my collar-ends undone and the tingling after-taste of brandy upon my lips. Holmes was bending over my chair, his flask in his hand.

This surprise reveal brought to you by:

Brandy!

If Brandy doesn't save you, at least you'll die drunk!

“My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea that you would be so affected.”

No.

Shit.

Sherlock.

Yeah, totally unbelievable that your bff who has thought you were dead for two years and probably blames himself at least somewhat for falling for the obvious ruse and leaving you alone on the cliffside to face your demise, might POSSIBLY be A LITTLE BIT affected by YOU RISING FROM THE DEAD BEFORE HIS EYES.

You are such a dramatic little chaos gremlin and it's great, but a truly spectacular lack of forethought here.

"Now, my dear fellow, in the matter of these explanations we have, if I may ask for your co-operation, a hard and dangerous night's work in front of us. Perhaps it would be better if I gave you an account of the whole situation when that work is finished.”

Casually rolls back into town, greets bff. 'Like, I could tell you how come I'm not dead, but instead we could both risk our lives first... what do you think?'

"I had no serious difficulty in getting out of it, for the very simple reason that I never was in it.”

A cliffhanger - literally??

Disappointed we only got two synonyms for the falls though: "awful abyss" and "dreadful chasm" I was hoping for some other ones. "merciless maw", "terrible void", "cruel crevasse", "fell fall", "godawful gap". Hopefully some more can be shoehorned into the next bit.

[kp777]

By Jake Johnson

Common Dreams

Oct. 4, 2023

"Medicare Advantage is just another example of the endless greed of the insurance industry poisoning American healthcare," says a new report from Physicians for a National Health Program.

A report published Wednesday estimates that privately run, government-funded Medicare Advantage plans are overcharging U.S. taxpayers by up to $140 billion per year, a sum that could be used to completely eliminate Medicare Part B premiums or fully fund Medicare's prescription drug program.

Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), an advocacy group that supports transitioning to a single-payer health insurance system, found that Medicare Advantage (MA) overbills the federal government by at least $88 billion per year, based on 2022 spending.

That lower-end estimate accounts for common MA practices such as upcoding, whereby diagnoses are piled onto a patient's risk assessment to make them appear sicker than they actually are, resulting in a larger payment from the federal government.

But when accounting for induced utilization—"the idea that people with supplemental coverage are likely to use more health care because their insurance pays for more of their cost"—PNHP estimated that the annual overbilling total could be as high as $140 billion.

"This is unconscionable, unsustainable, and in our current healthcare system, unremarkable," says the new report. "Medicare Advantage is just another example of the endless greed of the insurance industry poisoning American healthcare, siphoning money from vulnerable patients while delaying and denying necessary and often lifesaving treatment."

Even if the more conservative figure is accurate, PNHP noted, the excess funding that MA plans are receiving each year would be more than enough to expand traditional Medicare to cover dental, hearing, and vision. Traditional Medicare does not currently cover those benefits, which often leads patients to seek out supplemental coverage—or switch to an MA plan.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that adding dental, vision, and hearing to Medicare and Medicaid would cost just under $84 billion in the most costly year of the expansion.

"While there is obvious reason to fix these issues in MA and to expand traditional Medicare for the sake of all beneficiaries," the new report states, "the deep structural problems with our healthcare system will only be fixed when we achieve improved Medicare for All."

Bolstered by taxpayer subsidies, Medicare Advantage has seen explosive growth since its creation in 2003 even as it has come under fire for fraud, denying necessary care, and other abuses. Today, nearly 32 million people are enrolled in MA plans—more than half of all eligible Medicare beneficiaries.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration took steps to crack down on MA overbilling, prompting howls of protest and a furious lobbying campaign by the industry's major players, including UnitedHealth Group and Humana. Relenting to industry pressure, the Biden administration ultimately agreed to phase in its rule changes over a three-year period.

Leading MA providers have also faced backlash from lawmakers for handing their top executives massive pay packages while cutting corners on patient care and fighting reforms aimed at rooting out overbilling.

As PNHP's new report explains, MA plans are paid by the federal government as if "their enrollees have the same health needs and require the same levels of spending as their traditional Medicare counterparts," even though people who enroll in MA plans tend to be healthier—and thus have less expensive medical needs.

"There are several factors that potentially contribute to this phenomenon," PNHP's report notes. "Patients who are sicker and thus have more complicated care needs may be turned off by limited networks, the use of prior authorizations, and other care denial strategies in MA plans. By contrast, healthier patients may feel less concerned about restrictions on care and more attracted to common features of MA plans like $0 premiums and additional benefits (e.g. dental and vision coverage, gym memberships, etc.). Insurers can also use strategies such as targeted advertising to reach the patients most favorable to their profit margins."

A KFF investigation published last month found that television ads for Medicare Advantage "comprised more than 85% of all airings for the open enrollment period for 2023."

"TV ads for Medicare Advantage often showed images of a government-issued Medicare card or urged viewers to call a 'Medicare' hotline other than the official 1-800-Medicare hotline," KFF noted, a practice that has previously drawn scrutiny from the U.S. Senate and federal regulators.

PNHP's report comes days after Cigna, a major MA provider, agreed to pay $172 million to settle allegations that it submitted false patient diagnosis data to the federal government in an attempt to receive a larger payment.

Dr. Ed Weisbart, PNHP's national board secretary, toldThe Lever on Wednesday that such overpayments are "going directly into the profit lines of the Medicare Advantage companies without any additional health value."

"If seniors understood that the $165 coming out of their monthly Social Security checks was going essentially dollar for dollar into profiteering of Medicare Advantage, they would and should be angry about that," said Weisbart. "We think that we pay premiums to fund Medicare. The only reason we have to do that is because we're letting Medicare Advantage take that money from us."

[lifesproutbioceuticals]

7 Foods That Can Help to Enhance Your Vision

When you need to keep your eyes healthy, you will need to maintain a well- balanced healthy diet and take eye nutrients at the same time. Once you start to take eye nutrients, along with healthy – diet, you will lessen the risk of developing.

While you need to include anti- oxidants, you will need to include foods, which are filled with minerals, nutrients, and vitamins. Once you take the eye nutrients, you are going to prevent some of the worst eye conditions. They are:

Glaucoma

Cataract

Age – related muscular degradation

Poor nigh vision 

Dry eyes

When you take healthy and balanced diet with a variety of protein, vegetables, and fruits, along with eye nutrients, you will be able to solve the critical problems of the eyes. 

Types of food for Enhancing Vision

It is seen that while you take eye nutrients, you need to intake seven foots that will help you to keep your eye sight in good condition. These foods are described in this article for the readers. 

Kiwi

It is seen that kiwi, which has high fibre contains more Vitamin C than an orange. When you take one large kiwi, you are going to develop low risk of cataract. It is seen that kiwi contains nearly 84 grams of vitamin. 

While you take kiwi, you will need to intake vision improvement supplements with it at the same time. While kiwi will help to improve age – related macular degeneration, the food will also protect your eyes from cataract. 

It is seen that kiwi has an impressive array of minerals and vitamins; other fruits are not high in more than couple of nutrients. 

Oysters

There can be high concentration of zinc, around your retina. Researchers have seen that this mineral is vital for protecting eyes from various diseases.

 They have suggested if you take oysters along with vision improvement supplements, you are going to get away from macular degeneration. Since oyster contains omega- 3 fatty acids, they are beneficial for the eyes. 

Eggs

It is necessary to take eggs along with vision improvement supplements so that you can get away macular degeneration of the eyes. The egg yolks are extremely high in zeaxanthin and lutein that will protect the pigment of eyes. 

There will be low risk of macular degeneration, and development of cataract, as egg contains vitamin A. It is seen that fat in eggs also boost absorption of these compounds if you take vision improvement supplements along with it. 

There is strong evidence that eggs will provide same type of benefit for your eyes, just like other vitamin A supplements. 

Butternut squash 

While manufacturing vitamin A, your body can use beta- carotene in your diet. Henceforth, foods like butternut squash are a good one for macular degeneration, and exceptional for eye health. If you take it with vision improvement supplements, you are going to get good results. 

It is seen that butternut squash is very filing and high in fibre. There are less carbs than a sweet potato. There will good results for eyesight if you cook a cup of butternut squash with five hundred mg of potassium. 

Red Peppers

It is seen orange a red bell peppers add a delightful splash of color to your eyes. It is seen that this food is one of the factors affecting vision health. Red peppers have zeaxanthin and lutein along with vitamin A and C. 

While you will be able to more zeaxanthin and lutein, you will know that this food is one of key factors affecting vision health. When raw, they are going retain more vitamin C. The food is also good to keep away eye floater as well. 

Wheat Germ

It is seen that a quarter – cup of wheat germ contains five gram of vitamin E, which will good for eye floater. While it is good for slowing the rate of development of cataract, the food is one of key factors affecting vision health. 

There will be better development of eye cells, and vision, as wheat germ contains vitamin E. While being one of key factors affecting vision health, wheat germ is a part of grain from which plant would be sprouted. 

There is chock – full of other healthy compounds including zinc, folic acid, phosphorous and thiamine that are good for eye floater. If you are adding wheat germ with the oat meal, you are going to get results for your eye floater as well. 

Turkey

When you are eating turkey, you will know it is a good food that will become key factors for affecting vision health. It is seen that turkey contains vitamin B3, which is very good to keep away eye floater. 

Researchers have seen that if patients will glaucoma is given turkey, they are going to heal in a better way. It is seen that turkey will give your eye more iron and zinc, along with protein as well. 

Final Words 

There are several types of food that you can give you healthy eyesight. While you will need to take these foods, you will need to give your eyes good care.

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Kazuya Tokugawa

[PROFILE]

Birthday: July 27th (Leo)

Blood Type: AB

Birthplace: Ehime

Relatives: Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother, Older Sister

Father’s Occupation: Diplomat

High School: Unknown

Grade: Second Year

Committee: Student Council (President)

Strong Subjects: Physics, Geology

Weak Subjects: Art

U-17 Training Camp Position & Rank: Second String | Court 1

World Cup Team: U-17 World Cup Japanese Representatives

Favorite Motto: “To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”

Hobbies: Snowboarding, yachting, watching dolphins [TP]

Favorite Color: Ultramarine

Favorite Book: The Analects of Confucius

Favorite Food: Japanese food (especially natto), protein, tomatoes [TP], chicken breast [TP]

Favorite Anniversary: The day he won his first trophy

Preferred Type: He doesn’t think about it

Ideal Date Spot: Yachting in Auckland Harbour

His Gift for a Special Person: “I would like to discuss and decide it with you.”

Where He Wants to Travel: Marina del Rey

What He Wants Most Right Now: A new snowboard ➜ A wetsuit [23.5]

Dislikes: Carbonated drinks, popping candy ice cream [TP]

Skills Outside of Tennis: Waking up early, fingertip handstands

Routine During the World Cup: Early morning running

[DATA]

Height: 189cm

Weight: 79kg ➜ 71kg [23.5]

Dominant Arm: Left

Vision: 1.2 Left & Right

Play Style: All-Rounder

Signature Moves: 10 Ball Strike, Black Hole, Premonition (not a technique), Howling, Sixth Sense, Divine Path of the Asura

Favorite Brands:

Racket: BRIDGESTONE X-BLADE FORCE 3.15MID PLUS

Shoes: Prince PRO HOLD TOUR IV CG

Overall Rating: Speed: 4.5 / Power: 4.5 / Stamina: 4.5 / Mental: 4.5 / Technique: 4.5 / Total: 22.5

Kurobe Memo: “After suffering a major setback, he rapidly improved to the point where he’s able to hit his 10 Ball Strike with ease. The biggest concern right now is if he’s severely injured after taking a blow in the abdomen from Byoudouin…”

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Locker at the U-17 Training Camp:

Wristband // He has a white and black one

Snowboarding magazine // He is so skilled at snowboarding that he will spend whole winters just in the mountains. He buys a magazine every month during the season

Sports drink // He made it himself

Supplements // They change each day depending on his condition

What’s in His Travel Bag:

Laundry detergent // He washes everyone’s clothes and will neatly fold them

[TRIVIA]

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 8 | Publication Date: 08/04/2011

He plays practice matches with Oni during his free time

He has a large motorcycle license and his own motorcycle

The Prince of Tennis II 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 09/04/2013

He is on bad terms with Byoudouin

He has taken a liking to Ryoma since he’s always wanted a younger brother. He’s lately been feeling a sense of rivalry with Ryoga since he feels as if he’s taking Ryoma, a favorite person of his, away from him

He was not aware of Ryoma or Atobe while he was abroad

The Prince of Tennis II 23.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 05/02/2018

The girl he had picked up on the beach is still in touch with him. He was forced to give his contact info and she messages him often, while he messages her back every now and then

He was in Paris before being invited to the training camp

The Prince of Tennis 20th Anniversary Book: Tenipuri Party | Publication Date: 08/02/2019

His ideal relationship is one where he and his partner are practically married

When he tries thinking of his ideal type, he gives up and states it’s too much of a bother

He, Oni and Irie spend their vacations together. The previous summer, they had went camping together and discussed their thoughts and feelings about the World Cup around a campfire

He is the only person who will go along with Irie’s performances due to him being so serious that he cannot tell it’s an act

One of His Off Days at the Training Camp:

5:00am - Wakes up, stretches, then goes on a run

6:00am - Does laundry, cleans his and Irie’s room and tries not to wake Irie up

7:30am - Breakfast (a Japanese meal with natto and grilled fish)

8:30am - Voluntary strength training

12:00pm - Lunch (including a large quantity of bread that Irie baked)

1:00pm - Voluntary stamina training

2:30pm - Rests, puts a towel over a sleeping Ryoma

4:00pm - Bathes, looks after an overheated Inui

6:00pm - Dinner (sautéed chicken breast and tomato salad)

8:30pm - Gets a massage

9:00pm - Relaxes while reading yacht magazines

10:30pm - Prepares for tomorrow, then goes to bed

[loominggaia]

ZOV THE ELF-EATER

This guy doesn't appear in the series until much later, but here's his bio to get you hyped in the meantime!

(lore under cut)

HISTORY

Es Riq Zov was born to a Morite family during their long and arduous trek from the Serkel Desert to Folkvar Kingdom. His family sought freedom and fortune in these new lands, but to get there, they had to cross treacherous Evangelite territory.

The family was not so fortunate, for they were caught by Evangelite slavers just before reaching the border to Folkvar. Baby Es was separated from his mother that day and never saw her again.

He was instead raised by staff in a slaveyard nursery until the age of 7 years, when he was purchased by a young Evangelite entrepreneur. This entrepreneur's family had been running dealings in the slave-fighting industry for centuries, and Es was destined to be their newest champion.

This ghoulish businessman started training Es to fight right away. He fed the young goblin a diet of high-protein foods, questionable supplements, and yappo leaves, all while forcing him to exercise to exhaustion each day. Es was never taught how to read, write, cast spells, or solve equations. His training taught him only how to bring down his opponent in the quickest, dirtiest ways possible.

At the age of 9, Es's master entered him in the children's league of an Evangelite slave fighting ring. Es proved to be a vicious powerhouse, maiming and even killing some of his pint-sized opponents with no hesitation or remorse.

This trend would only continue as Es grew older. He competed in hundreds of fighting matches from childhood to adulthood, mostly competing against elven, faunish, and other goblin opponents. In one notorious match, he gouged an elven opponent's eyes with his thumbs to subdue them before biting out their entrails. Es draped these entrails on his shoulders, leaving the opponent to bleed out as he basked in his glorious victory.

This brutal attack became his signature move, dubbed the "gouge 'n gorge", which he would perform again and again to delight bloodthirsty audiences. He gained a frightening title along with it: Zov the Elf-Eater.

Zov became his master's greatest champion, so his master began investing large sums to money to make him an even better fighter. Zov's teeth were filed to sharp points, his long ears docked, metal plates were surgically implanted into his knees, skull, and knuckles, and he endured several eye surgeries to improve his species' naturally poor vision.

All of these procedures were illegal in Evangelite territory, so Zov travelled to Zareen Empire many times throughout his career. During these visits, Zov's master discovered something else that was illegal in his homeland: a more refined form of yappo leaves called 'wack'. This powerful drug was consumed by soldiers and athletes abroad, and he decided his best fighter should be taking advantage of it too.

Before long, he was regularly doping Zov with this powerful drug, and at that point the goblin had become an unstoppable powerhouse in the slave-fighting world. His name spread far and wide, and by the time he was just 25 years old, he was already a living legend.

PERSONAL LIFE

Zov is currently still active in the global slave-fighting circuit, performing mostly in Evangelite, Morite, and Zareenite lands. He is such a fearsome opponent that he has even been matched against more powerful species, such as satyrs, and still came out victorious.

After each match, Zov is rewarded with a sacrificial female slave, whom he sexually violates and then kills in the ring as an encore to his bloody performance. Other rewards are granted by his master, which include fine clothes, rich food, entertainment, and more comfortable accommodations.

Compared to most slaves in his position, Zov lives like a king. But compared to any free person, he is still trapped in a bleak existence, filled with violence and cruelty.

When he's not in the ring, Zov spends most of his time with his master's traveling caravan. He has his own private wagon, which is his bedroom and also his cell. He is constantly surrounded by his master's servants and security staff, but has never had a friend, for even those closest to him regard him with fear and distrust.

Zov is described by others as "a man of few words". He is said to have a volatile temper, and speaks more with his actions than his mouth. He suffers from frequent bouts of debilitating depression and psychosis, which his master "solves" by doping him with potent drugs like pink sugar to sedate him.

Zov's master exploits him in more ways than just forcing him to fight. He also charges other slave owners hefty sums of gold to breed their slaves with him, claiming that Zov's offspring will grow up to be extraordinary just like him. Though Zov has many children in the world, he has never had the opportunity to meet a single one of them.

Despite all the abuse his master inflicts upon him, Zov considers him a loving father-figure and trusts him more than anyone else. It seems his master is the only one he respects, for Zov has been known to attack the caravan's staff and even security when they get on his bad side. Yet he has never once laid a finger upon his master--the one who has hurt him the most throughout his life, and the sole person responsible for the hellish life he lives.

Zov is still illiterate in adulthood. However, his master once rewarded him with a picture book featuring famous places around Looming Gaia, and Zov has been smitten by art and culture ever since. He visits historical sites, libraries, and museums every chance he is permitted. His master noticed his seemingly spiritual reaction to music and now uses it as an incentive, promising to take him to live performances if he trains and fights well.

Little does Zov's master realize, these little tastes of the outside world have planted a seed of rebellion within his champion. Recently, Zov has been troubled by a feeling he's never experienced before: a desire for freedom.

Secretly, he wishes to escape his violent career and travel the world, where he can experience the finer things in life like the free people do. His dream is to explore all of the famous sites in his beloved picture book before he dies. At the same time, Zov fears freedom, for he does not know how to survive without his master's guidance--not to mention the drugs he provides to sate his burdensome addictions.

Will Zov ever find the courage and the means to make his dreams a reality? Or will he simply meet a gruesome, unceremonious fate in the ring?

*

Questions/Comments?

Lore Masterpost

Read the Series

[takecareofbyourhealth]

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[thecreaturecodex]

Cheeroonear

"MythicMay: Cheeroonear" © deviantArt user ShadeofShinon, accessed at her art gallery here

[I am putting a bit of faith into the cheeroonear being an authentic Australian aboriginal monster. The only primary source I can find for it is W. Ramsey Smith's Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, which does not attribute its stories to particular groups of people. So it might be a creation of the author, or it might be legit. In that book, it's said that an unprecedented peace among animals and people were interrupted by Cheeroonear's arrival, which inspired my take on them as profligate hunters.]

Cheeroonear CR 6 NE Monstrous Humanoid This giant creature is roughly humanoid, with arms so long they drag on the ground. It has a dog-like face, and a pouch like a pelican’s hangs from its throat.

Cheeroonears are large humanoids with an outsized appetite and an outsized impact on their environments. They do not hate animals, but instead see them solely as tools or resources without caring about their lives, and view smaller humanoids with a similar callousness. They do not draw distinction between animal and human meat, and will eat whichever is easier to come by. Most druids view cheeroonears as a menace, as they disrupt ecosystems by hunting vulnerable species and set fires to smoke out prey.

Most cheeroonears hunt with animals as companions—dogs are just about the only animal they have any fondness for. The dogs are used to flush out and harry prey while the cheeroonear attacks with its incredible reach. If enemies have animal companions or mounts, the cheeroonear attacks them at a higher priority. The throat pouch of a cheeroonear is big enough to allow them to swallow man-sized prey whole, but they rarely do so unless it is unarmed or already unconscious. Cheeroonears value their lives, and are more likely to flee or surrender than they are to fight to the death.

Cheeroonears typically live in mated pairs or small families. They are nomadic hunters, but do supplement their diet with roots, berries and other plant matter—usually harvested in an unsustainable way. They are happy to raid the livestock of other people if that’s more convenient than hunting wild game, but view attacks on their own dogs as a violation to be avenged. Cheeroonears are not by and large religious, but they are superstitious. Many of them hold divination in high regard, and cast lots or consult the stars before making major decisions.

A cheeroonear is about eight feet tall while hunched over in their usual posture, and ten feet when standing straight.

Cheeroonear     CR 6 XP 2,400 NE Large monstrous humanoid Init +6; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +9, scent Defense AC 19, touch 11, flat-footed 17 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +8 natural) hp 68 (8d10+24) Fort +5, Ref +8, Will +8 Offense Speed 40 ft. Melee 2 claws +11 (1d6+4), bite +11 (1d8+4 plus grab) or masterwork longspear +12/+7 (2d6+6/x3), bite +6 (1d8+2 plus grab) Ranged javelin +9 (1d6+4) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. (20 ft. with longspear) Special Attacks biocide, swallow whole (AC 14, 6 hp, 1d6+6 bludgeoning) Statistics Str 18, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 10, Wis 15, Cha 10 Base Atk +8; CMB +13 (+17 grapple); CMD 25 Feats Combat Reflexes, Improved Initiative, Lunge, Self-Sufficient Skills Climb +11, Handle Animal +8, Heal +8, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perception +9, Stealth +3, Survival +13, Swim +11; Racial Modifiers +4 Handle Animal, +4 Knowledge (nature) Languages Common, Sylvan SQ domestic empathy +12 Ecology Environment warm and temperate land Organization solitary, pair or band (3-8) Treasure standard (masterwork Large longspear, 3 Large javelins, other treasure) Special Abilities Biocide (Su) A cheeroonear’s natural weapons are treated as bane weapons against creatures with the animal type. Domestic Empathy (Ex) A cheeroonear gains the wild empathy class ability of a druid of its Hit Dice, except that the cheeroonear can only affect the attitudes of domesticated animals. A cheeroonear gains a +4 racial bonus to this check.

[maro-mara]

Ferael

I planned that it would be for a greeting in the ASK, but I didn't like the way I drew it, and changed my mind ... ... another character was supplemented with a story and it's just awful...

I liked the character as a "warrior who does not know the words of love" and improving his skills to find a worthy opponent. And here is a deception that could not resist after death...And it turned out that the developers had other visions for the hero...

[catsofcalifornia]

Prince Lionhead from Umbrella of Hope in Pittsburg, California

Click here for more information about adoption and other ways to help!

Click here for a link to Umbrella of Hope’s main website.

11 yr old purebred Doll-Faced Persian with limited vision and High Blood Pressure (NEUTERED MALE) available for ADOPTIONMeet Prince Lionhead Rabbit IV, Esquire aka 'Pea-Elle' Prince Lionhead (Prince, Princey, Lion, Lionhead, Liony-head, Simba-Doo, Mush-Mush, MRAOW-MRAOW) is an 11 yr old Doll-Faced Persian. He is neutered, microchipped, vaccinated and has had senior labs. P-L takes a daily medication for high blood pressure. The medication is stupid-cheap but he will require regular vet checks to monitor his blood pressure so his new owner must have the budget for that. After trial and error, he prefers the pill version in a pill pocket (over the liquid version which he said did NOT taste like tuna as promised). He will come with a year's supply of his current dose which seems to be working well for him (for anyone who cares, it is amlodipine 2.5 mg and he takes 1/2 tablet per day). Our vet recommended a pouch food that helps with hydration (ProPlan Veterinary HydraCare available without a prescription on Chewy.com) as BP meds can be hard on the kidneys (his kidneys are currently fine). P-L eats this with Weruva low phosphorous wet food and dry crunchies as a side. His current dry food is ProPlan LiveClear that helps with human allergies as his foster mom is allergic to cats but he can eat whatever senior dry food you would like him to be on or what your vet prefers. He does not seem to be picky. The supplement and the wet food cost around $100/month plus the cost of dry food and we buy them on Chewy.com (no prescription required). Prince Lionhead came to us from SFACC where he was relinquished after his 90-year-old owner fell ill suddenly and ended up in a nursing home for end of life care. We have many pages of previous veterinary records and it seems that his owner was doing her very best to care for him when she was having trouble even caring for herself. Due to having high blood pressure that went untreated during the time that his owner fell ill, it has damaged his vision. He CAN see, but he does not see well. His vision has improved over the several weeks we have had him in foster care and our vet says it is 50/50 if he will continue to improve. He does fine and we consider this a non-issue. Due to his need for regular blood pressure checks, his wet food and supplements and his grooming needs, he is NOT a cat for an owner on a budget. He's perfect with his litterbox, a sweet and gentle soul with an easy purr and a love of petting (even belly rubs!) and cuddling He's never had a bad day in his entire life - he was VERY loved in his previous home and it shows He loves snuggles, belly rubs, butt rubs, petting, brushing, snuggling and love. He has five canine companions, and he hates them. But this is just presented as hissing and avoidance. He has learned to co-exist with the two little dogs who LOOOOOOOVVVVVEEE him. So he could probably live with respectable dogs especially if he has a place to retreat away from them when needed. He DOES lay on the bed with them to sleep with the humans. The 4lb dog thinks he's winning P-L over with his invitations to play and P-L seems less and less annoyed with him but has not responded to the invitation to play. Stay tuned, we feel the little dog will win him over eventually like he did the resident grumpy dog (LOL) He recently discovered a love for catnip and loves to have the area above his tail 'patted' to initiate his play mode. He loves to use his 'murder mittens' to make kitty biscuits on your tummy and will sometimes offer you a face bath with his rough tongue -- especially in the middle of the night We think he'd feel the same about cats. Kids? Yea-party type yes. Superhero-type, ehhh probably not