#especially negative ones when it comes to other people. unless its like.. annoyance. or if he IS allowed to feel something if he tries

[mieczyhale]

i typed these tags on somebody’s post, due to it and then a ficlet someone had added on, but i decided it would be rude to reblog with my tags. BUT i still wanna share my stance on this Totally Important Topic so thank u, copy / paste

#i'm ngl #if you're playing in a campaign and your dm s/o is not the dm you're playing with - and your s/o has an ongoing campaign that they are not #only willing to add you to but wants to add you to but 1. you refuse 2. you wont say why - that's pretty shitty #especially if your dm s/o is someone who has been playing as long as eddie and is as passionate about it #i mean i guess at the very least he should've been honest. that part alone is its own kind of shit #but he should be in eddie's campaign #or both #you can be in more than one campaign at a time believe it or not #josh used to do that #it's not uncommon if you have more than one friend that's a dm #idk man #this kind of plot in st fics just bothers the shit out of me #the only real funny thing here is the ending but otherwise im just like 'mmm. gross.'

[raijinden]

     e - heh . ;nsfw !!

undoubtedly dominant in all things learned over her 700+ year reign, and the bedroom is no different -- she is loathe to give up that sense of control that has grown to feel so stable to her . it is not an entirely impossible prospect though -- just do not expect to see the shogun beneath you in the first few times you are intimate with her, and certainly do not expect her to be some crying and submissive virgin

absolutely the slowest burn you could imagine, and then some . if you are invited to share her bed, it is because she knows you, has become incredibly familiar with you and has above all, placed her absolute trust and faith in you . sex, while incredibly intimate, is the most prime opportunity to do incredibly un - intimate things ( assassination, for example ) . but that makes it all the sweeter when you are invited to lay with her-- yet even as her partner, it will take a fair amount of talk and discussion for her to allow you to use anything related to your vision, if you have such a thing, on her .

she is, in all positions, very quiet . it is not so much through her voice and sounds that you will get your reactions, but rather through her body . a stutter in her breath, the flutter of her eyelids, muscle tensing and the way hands curl in or grasp to something, they’re all ways to gauge her pleasure . while normally her eyes are that dull, nigh lifeless shade of lavender, when she is wrought with emotion, as in the situation with the vision reclamation, her eyes will come to life with light . and, it should come as no surprise, in sex it is no different-- they are vibrant with amethyst and crimson mixing as one at her peak . it is also a way to tell when she’s turned on, though many might be led to believe the light up with an emotion such as annoyance or something else

you have, at your disposal, perhaps the simultaneously greatest and worst person you could possibly fall into bed with if you happen to be a connoisseur of erotic electrostimulation ( really, yall should have seen this one coming a mile away ) . she is the very embodiment of electro, and controls it just as easily as she breathes . she knows what it can do to the body, negative and positive, and knows exactly where to send a controlled shock to induce pleasure and pain-- do not ask her to shock you anywhere but your lower half, she will not, and is like to throw the whole possibility out for asking her to be irresponsible with you like that .

if you are her partner, expect a certain measure of possessiveness . certainly nothing overbearing, like demanding you live on the tenshukaku grounds and stay locked in a room from danger like some sort of pet . however, you will be marked with her sigil-- a shining violet electro mitsudomoe . you are asked first where you would prefer it, and she makes no pretense about its implications nor that she will do it . to keep the claims of others away-- almost like a ward of hers . if you bear it, you will not be struck by the lightning no matter where in teyvat you are-- the tatarigami will not touch you, the wily spirits of inazuma will not dare trifle with you . but it’s mostly to be used by her as an alarm of sorts-- it has much the same effect as if you were inazuman by blood: she can sense when you are in danger, and since you are her most beloved, she will without hesitation come to your aid .

funny enough, it is embarrassingly easy to get the ear of the shogun being that she is an archon and invoking her name, generally in prayer, will let your words reach her . as i said, generally in prayer, but there is certainly nothing to stop you from whispering filthy fantasies and praising words to her ear no matter where in the world you are, and she isn’t like to tune it out unless its from an unwarranted source . she’s not an easy thing to ‘ turn - on ‘ so to speak, but enough of this and she may be inclined to do something like respond belatedly if she’s in the middle of a meeting, so focused on your words as she would be .

branching a little in part from the possessiveness, she will often refer to you by a pet name unless you staunchly oppose it . something uniquely for you that she does not even think of referring to any other by . not something as common as ‘ sweetheart ‘ or ‘ baby ‘, no it is tailored based on how she views you . take, for example ( and definitely not referring to any people in particular wink - wink - nudge - nudge ;)))) ) ‘ my siren ‘, ‘ my vixen ‘ or ‘ my rook ‘ . notice the use of my in all of them ? good .

depending when you do fall into bed with her, you may notice the more ... animalistic traits of hers the stems from the power of the beastly first archon within her . sharp and ebony black canines that she tends to file down when they get out of hand and poke painted nails that grow out in a nasty point and are a natural shade of light purple . she has no problem in using them to further mark you, bruise you, leave physical evidence, especially if you specifically ask he to let them grow out and use on you ( which she is willing to do ) . if you are very lucky ? hidden and wolfish tail that is generally tucked away into her attire will react .

oh don’t doubt that she knows just how desirable she looks; she very much finds a fair bit of enjoyment in teasing her significant other with her body when they are alone . yes, yes, her almighty booba and yadda - yadda - yadda-- she knows well just how much of a magnet they are for salacious eyes, and she is unafraid to use her appearance to tease at her partner/s . she’s tall enough to loom over most people she happens across, and if she happens to trap you against the wall or the bed, leaning down until she is pressed up against you and murmuring sweet nothings and other such things in your ear .

while using ‘ baal ‘ is one way of trying to get into her head during intimacy, it is inarguable that it’s more effective to use her given name ( tomoe // ei ) due to the implications . that you call her by that name rather than her title as deity equates to you viewing her as human, and an equal . which, at its core, is what she views you as, if you become her partner .

perhaps something of a ‘ dirty - little - secret ‘, she has always had a certain ... appreciation for bondage, in any capacity . whether it is a simple manner of an electro - binding, an coat or sash, or as intricate as certain rope - bindings can get to be, she has an interest in it . in much the same vein as vision usage during sex, it will take a lengthy amount of discussion and where to draw the line, but she is willing to be tied up as well . and, for your information, she has certainly done her research and knows most of the knots, and even developed a couple of her own .

if such a thing is ever needed, her go - to safeword is ‘ narukami ‘ . as egotistic as it seems, she knows she is not likely to call out such a thing in the heat of the moment . as such, don’t call her that or any variation thereof in bed .

something i myself am kind of tentative about but -- i base a lot of headcanons off information that i learned when i first started writing in genshin with my zhongli / morax blog . in particular, especially since REX INCOGNITO spoke of rex lapis descending to the mortal world to travel it in many different forms, including a man, a woman and a child, i have toyed with the idea of such a thing being within the power of any archons . that is, the altering of one’s appearance, and since barbatos was able to mold his appearance based on his cherished bard, i could see it feasibly work-- so it’s more of a tentative thought than true headcanon at this point but if her significant other so desired it, she could alter herself . she is not terribly comfortable in another form for extended periods though, and she would respond solely to she / her / hers pronouns .

[papergirllife]

Chapter 3

Synopsis:

You don’t know what it’s like to be free, to make your own choices, and live your own life. For your whole life, your parents have been treating you like a puppet on strings, controlling your life to every single detail, as well as ignoring the fact that you have feelings. Other times, when you disobey their wishes, or speak up about your own opinions, they bash you down with words, in other words, psychological abuse, has led you down the long winded road of depression and anxiety. What happens when you meet a man who’s willing to be your guide out of this terrible downpour? Would you give a shot at happily ever after?

Warnings:

big age gap (kinda?)

issues on anxiety

issues on depression (mild)

issues on parental abuse

smut (maybe)

Tag List: @etherealtyjaem​ ,  @caratzennie  , @johnnysuhnflower  ,  @euphoricchannie  ,  @yeollieseo  ,  @jjhmk  , @sherzess , @wonderfulkoreanpop​

(lmk if you wanna be on the list)

You’ve been seeing Mr Suh, correction, Johnny, his first name, as per requested by Johnny himself.

“Mr Suh makes me feel older than I already am, you make me feel like a teenager all over again, so you have to call me Johnny. Let me relive my days when I was still a college kid.”

You didn’t mind, things aren’t as awkward between the two of you anymore, Johnny’s been spending time with you, although the two of you never established any sort of labelling towards what this relationship is. You and Johnny only hung out and had meals together, trying out different cuisines, watching movies, even going as far as skipping a day at work to go to the amusement park. He even bought you to an arcade when you told him you haven’t had the chance to venture to one since you were in grade school.

“Why haven’t you ever been to one for so long?” Johnny asked when he finished a round of pinball.

“They said it was a waste of time and that I should spend more time studying,” you said, wondering why Johnny would ask that, isn’t it the same for all the kids?

Whenever you mention your confining life to Johnny, he’d have a faraway look in his eyes, jaw locked in silent rebuke, he doesn’t say anything, he pulls you close, wrapping an arm around your shoulder. He would be quite for almost half an hour before he goes back to regular cheerful Johnny, telling you lame jokes that you would surprisingly find funny.

You didn’t have a phone, since your parents forbid you to have one, the only means of communicating is through your email account on your laptop, and even that you must always bear in mind to delete his mails right after, and take further precaution, you didn’t allow him to initiate the sending.

Johnny wanted to buy you one, but you rejected him promptly, you didn’t want him to spend so much money on you, he already spends lots on taking you out to eat. You gave him the excuse that it was too dangerous, and the consequences of getting caught are severe.

You often questioned your relationship with Johnny, you aren’t dumb, you’ve googled him and saw gossip news portals uploading photos of him and some model going out and about in hotels, but those headlines were months ago, the latest news about him was from his interview with Times magazine.

You never had the guts to ask him, you don’t know what you mean to him. What right do you have to question his whereabouts and what he does? He’ll probably be bored of you after he’s known all of you.

You know you shouldn’t think of Johnny that way, it is mean to assume what he’s thinking, especially how well he’s treating you, but seeing those headlines gives you a sense of insecurity, you keep telling yourself that this won’t last, but the thought of not seeing him again made your hair stand. He’s making you happy, a distraction towards the negativity you face in that house you live in, but for how long?

House. You never called it a home, unless you were telling your boss you were leaving, to prevent anyone from questioning your odd way of describing it. It was never a home to you. To you, a home is a place where you feel happy, safe, and most importantly, loved. The closest you’ve ever felt to having these feelings were your grandma and Joh... No, you don’t love him, and he doesn’t love you. What were you thinking?

You pushed those thoughts away as you opened your laptop to double check the files that you’ve typed out for your parent’s next important meeting that was supposed to be taking place first thing tomorrow. But when you went through your folders, the files were nowhere to be seen. It’s then you realised that the notification that keeps urging you to update the laptop was gone, it wasn’t the first time you updated the laptop and found out some files were missing, so you would never update the laptop at such a crucial time.

You took the laptop out to your father who was watching some news on his phone in the dining area to ask him if he had updated the software without alerting you.

“Yes, I did. What about it?” he asked, annoyance on his face due to the sudden disturbance.

“The files are missing because of the update,” you informed him.

“What files?” 

“The files for tomorrow’s meeting, they’re missing,” you told him as you mentally prepared yourself for what’s to come.

“What do you mean missing?! I bet it was because you saved it wrongly again! Your retarded brain never works does it?! Do you know how important those files are?! You always work on them late at night blurry eyed, of course you didn’t save them properly! You could’ve worked on them in the morning before work. but no... You want to ‘exercise’! What a waste of time!” You’re not pretty anyways, what are you doing them for huh?!” Your father shouted, his eyes blazing in rage, his fist slamming onto the glass.

While your father was shouting, your mother was checking the laptop as she complains about how clueless you are. It was like your brain couldn’t take the amount of hurtful words piercing into your mind like daggers, you let out a high pitched scream as tears threatened to fall, your hands covering your ears as your eyes were a blur.

When you could see properly again, you could make up words which sounded like ‘how dare you’ from your father, next thing you registered were the fury in his eyes as he advances on you, hand above his head, ready to hit you. You didn’t know what came over you, but the first thing you did was kicking him away. That’s when a full on fight broke out.

You were filled with rage, your mind wasn’t registering what you were doing. You went into a flight or fight stance and started thrashing and kicking as his hands were holding painfully tight on your wrists after you tried punching him.

Your mom urges the both of you not to fight, her voice barely registering in your head as she sits still on the high chair by the kitchen island, not bothered to even try to cease the fight.

When you finally pushed him away, you ran into your room and locked it. Your chest was heaving from the panic attack that just started, you tried your best to calm yourself down, reminding yourself to breathe, it was suffocating, controlling your breathing as more tears made its way out of your eyes.

When it all stopped, your body succumbed into mental exhaustion, passing out on your bed as the tears finally ceased.

You only woke up for dinner last night, and proceeded to sleep again. Yesterday’s events made you feel numb, other than the pain from the bruises on your arms.

There was a big ugly one on your left upper arm, its colour an ugly shade of green and purple.  A few other less serious ones scattered around your lower arms. In other words, you look like a wreck.

You wore a jacket to run even though you were sweating from your previous cardio work outs, feeling a little better after the endorphins in your body kicked in. When you got back, you quickly showered and ate a toast. When you asked for your mother’s phone to remind your boss you were going to take the day off, she told you that weren’t needed at the meeting anymore and that she finished everything last night.

“Just call to say that you’ll be going to work,” she said, not even looking in your direction when she handed you her phone.

But when you called to inform your boss, he told you that he had another part time coming in, and that it was too short of a notice. You said thank you and hung up, but said that you’ll be at work on time today before handing it back to your mother.

You really needed to escape for the day.

You opened the laptop and sent an email to Johnny.

I’m free today. Wanna go out?

You sat on your bed staring at the ceiling as you were sure it was going to be a bit before he replied, but just as you closed your eyes, you heard a distant chime from your laptop.

I’m rushing some stuff at the office today. I’m so sorry, Y/N.

Can I stay in your office? I really wanna get out of the house.

You sounded like a spoiled kid begging for attention, but you really wanted to see him today.

Sure. But you might get bored :) .

I’m leaving the house now :) .

For a 26 year old businessman, he sure loves to use emoticons.

You got changed into jeans and a jacket, you don’t usually wear one if you were going to a secluded area with Johnny, but you had to hide all the marks from last night. You just noticed that they hurt after you accidentally knocked your wrist against something.

You took the bus to the address Johnny wrote down on your diary, it was after one of your dinners together, and he jokingly said that you could always swing by if you wanted, you didn’t know you were going to actually do that.

The bus station wasn’t too far of a walk from his office, since it was just downtown Seoul where the Korea’s financial hub was located.

As you were nearing the office buildings, you stood out like a sore thumb, given the way you were dressed and your age. The people kept giving you stink eyes and sideway glances.

Suh Capital Partners. That was it.

You walked in the rotating doors, only to be greeted by masses of people walking around with smart pads, files, talking on the phone while the assistants take notes. Johnny didn’t mention his company being this big.

You admired the facade of the lobby, it displayed the latest news on a large monitor while futuristic lights hung from the high ceiling, the walls were a perfect balance of steel and wood with a wall of plants filled the wall behind the reception area. 

You realised that the people stopped what they were doing before and started looking at you curiously when one of the nicely dressed women from the reception walked up to you.

“Excuse me, miss. May I ask who are you looking for?” the woman asked, her eyes scanning you from top to toe.

You froze at your spot from how cold she sounded, like she didn’t want you around to ruin the aesthetic of the company. You reminded yourself that you weren’t going to see her anytime soon after this and that if you did make a fool of yourself then so be it.

“I’m looking for Mr Suh,” you told her.

She looked taken aback from your answer, but gave you the ugliest sneer when she recovered.

“Miss, this isn’t a school, you can’t just walk in here and demand to see someone without an appointment. Mr Suh is the head of this company, not someone you can just meet without an agreement from him. Please leave this instance,” she said, her tone high pitched enough to gather everyone’s attention, you swore you heard someone laughing a few feet away.

“But...

“That’s my guest, Ms Park.”

You whipped your head back to see Johnny standing behind you. But instead of his usual warm honey eyes, his eyes were a cold and staring daggers into the woman in front of you.

“I’m so sorry, Mr Suh. I’ll get back to my work now,” the woman bowed apologetically, going as far as doing it numerous times.

“I’m going to need a key card for her, Ms Park. Send it up to me when you’re done,” Johnny said, but his eyes were scanning the crowd, his employees immediately went back to what they were doing, the large lobby void of any sound other than people rushing to the lift lobby to escape the scene.

Johnny placed a hand behind your back and guided you to the lift lobby after most of the people have taken the ride up to their respective floors.

“I’m sorry,” you said after the coast was clear.

Johnny’s intimidating stance broke as confusion takes over his face.

“What are you sorry for?” Johnny asked, he should be the one saying sorry.

“I’m such an embarrassment, coming here in my jeans and jacket with a canvas bag, looking like a kid,” you said, fingers nervously tugging the straps of your old bag.

“Hey, hey, hey. Nothing’s wrong with being young and dressing your age. They’re just grumpy from all the work. Don’t take their words into account, and you look great. Perfection as always,” Johnny said reassuringly, hands placed on your shoulder, the warmth of his palms calming you slightly.

“No....

You buried your face into your hands as he patted your head, you sneakily glanced up to see him smiling at you with a toothy grin. But you quickly regained posture as you saw an elevator door open with many pairs of legs.

Johnny wasn’t going in even though the lift was going up, that’s when people in the lift realised it was him, and quickly came out of the lift, saying sorry and greeting Johnny.

Johnny guided you in after the lift was cleared empty. His staff looking at you curiously, you weren’t used to having so many pairs of eyes on you, their curious eyes burning holes into you.

Johnny could sense your anxiousness from the way you were hiding behind his tall figure as the two of you walked into his office, there weren’t many people at that time, given the fact that only direct reports of his business partners came up to hand in documents.

You only felt yourself loosen up a bit after you took a seat on Johnny’s armchair in his huge office, overlooking Seoul’s skyline and the cars that were buzzing about on the roads. The view made you calm down a bit from the journey coming up here.

You felt the chair dip as Johnny took a seat on its armrest, his hands coming up to give your shoulders a nice massage. Johnny smiled at the way your eyes lit up from his comforting touch as you looked back to smile at him, he felt a warm feeling deep in his belly as he takes in your beautiful features and the warmth of your shoulders on his fingertips. But as he puts more pressure onto your shoulders, you wince slightly, which didn’t go unnoticed by him.

“Did your boss at work make you lift heavy stuff again?” Johnny asked, his hands ceased all movements, fearing that he would hurt you again.

You automatically thought of your fight with your father last night, it might be because of the force exerted from when he had pushed you.

“N-no, I just didn’t sleep well last night. I watched a horror movie and had a nightmare,” you lied, not knowing how he would react if you told him the truth.

“Be careful when watching these movies, Y/N. If you went to work and your boss really made you move heavy things today, then you would’ve strain your muscles,” Johnny said, going back to massaging your shoulders, but this time gently applying pressure on that spot, rubbing it in clockwise circles to ease the pain.

“I’m fine, Johnny. Didn’t you have work to rush? I don’t want to keep you away from important matters. And my shoulders feel much better now,” you said, moving away from his hands even though you could’ve let him do that forever, it felt so comforting, borderline addictive.

“Okay, I’ll tend to your shoulders again later.” Johnny said as he lays his head on top of yours, a gesture that he had came up with whenever he wanted to show affection to you without crossing uncharted territories, your heart sped up whenever he does that.

You were just sitting on the couch reading one of your old books when you looked up and saw Johnny frowning at his laptop, you placed your book down and made your way to Johnny.

“Don’t frown like that, you’ll get frown lines when you’ll get older, it’ll spoil your handsome face,” you joked.

Your hands reach out to smooth the creases on his forehead, a smile coming back to Johnny’s face.

“Thank you,” he said, taking your busy hand into his, lightly tracing the area between your thumb and your index finger.

“What’s bothering you?” you asked, unbeknownst to you, your lips were unconsciously set in a pout.

“There’s some documents that are supposed to be sent to my office in Chicago, but the English that’s written here isn’t up to standards, I’m worried the staff there won’t understand what the document is stating. I don’t mind correcting it, but I have other things to tend to as well,” Johnny explained to you.

“Can I take a look at it? I had Cambridge classes for 8 years. Guess it’s finally coming in handy. I mean only if you think I’m capable, I don’t want you to think I’m boasting or anything, I just really wanna help...

“Y/N, sweet, I trust you. Just let me get you a laptop,” he said before dialling to his secretary.

Once Johnny sent the files to that laptop, you started correcting some grammatical errors and replaced some terms that weren’t as professional, when Johnny was done with his meeting, you were done with the documents as well.

“Here, take a look. There might be mistakes,” you said after sending him the files back.

“You were reading ‘me before you’, I think you’re fine, Y/N,” Johnny deadpanned.

“Just take a look, just in case,” you pleaded, doe eyes capturing his heart. Nodding, Johnny smiles, doing as you said.

Johnny scanned through the documents, his eyes lighting up brighter after each sentence, a proud smile making way on his face. When he was done, he pulled you close by the waist, and gave you a warm hug, his head nuzzling into your sweater.

“Thank you so much, sweetheart. I thought I needed to work overtime because of this,” he said, his voice was slightly muffled by the cotton.

“You’re welcome. You can always send me these files when I’m not here, I don’t want you to overwork yourself,” you offered.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Wanna grab lunch? I can hear your stomach rumbling,” Johnny asked after pulling away, a cheeky glint in his eyes.

You could feel your cheeks heating up in embarrassment, as you hit Johnny’s shoulders lightly for his teasing, a smile creeping up your face.

“No, I’m not...

“Come on, I know this really nice French restaurant around the corner...

“Johnny I have the file you were...

Doyoung stops in his tracks as he sees you and Johnny being so close to each other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had a guest,” Doyoung apologises, but his eyes were still wide in disbelief.

“Doyoung. This is Y/N. Y/N, Doyoung is one of my business partners, his dad was my dad’s business partner so now it’s his turn,” Johnny introduces his friend to you, telling you a bit of his background.

You gave Doyoung a tiny bow and soft hello, nerves wrecking up at meeting someone you often see on telly whenever their company has a press conference. You could sense an air of discomfort as Doyoung gives you a questioning look.

“You can just put the files on my desk Doyoung. I’ll take a look at them after my lunch break.”

When the evening rolled in, Johnny had to drive you home before your mom questioned your whereabouts.

“I really enjoyed having you by my side today, Y/N,” Johnny said sincerely after pulling up outside the gated area.

“I should be the one thanking you, I can’t believe those snails cost so much, yet you won’t let me pay you back whenever we have meals together,” you retorted, recalling how your eyes almost flew out of their sockets when you stole a glance at the bill.

“Money is not an issue, Y/N. I told you that many times before,” Johnny reminded you.

“I’ll see you on Saturday?” you asked, changing the subject before he offers to buy you a house or something.

“Yeah,” Johnny said, chuckling at how you diverted his attention.

Johnny unlocked the doors of his car, but right before you pulled onto the handle, Johnny pulled your arm, the place where one of the bigger bruises were located at, making you wince at the unexpected pain.

“Y/N I wanted to ask, wait. Are you in pain? Are you hurt? Did I accidentally hurt you?” Johnny asked his eyes wide in worry.

Before you could protest, Johnny pushed up the sleeves of your sweater, revealing the big ugly bruise on your upper arm, and several others that went downwards until your wrist.

You looked up at Johnny, scanning his face that was frozen in shock, eyes not believing what he’s seeing. His fingers gently tracing every bruise, his other hand rotating your arm gently, to see if there’s more.

“Y/N... Who did this to you?” Johnny questioned, but deep down in his gut, he’s sure it’s who he thinks it is.

“No one, Johnny. I just fell down when I woke up,” you said, lying through your teeth, you didn’t want to, but that was your survival instinct whenever someone asks about your parents.

“Don’t lie to me Y/N, it’s them isn’t it? They hit you. Why didn’t you tell me?” Johnny demanded, he questions why you don’t trust him, was he not worthy in your eyes?

“It’s nothing, Johnny. Goodnight,” you said in a breath before turning away.

You quickly got out of his car and ran to your lift lobby, Johnny was following behind you. But before he could step into the premise, you shut the glass door which could only be opened with a security card on him, mouthing the words sorry before you made your way into a lift.

Johnny banged at the door, shouting for you to come back, before the security guards asked him to leave. He could feel a prickle in his heart as he sees the bruises in his head, the image fresh. He felt red hot anger boiling in his heart, he was going to get you out of that horrible place, no matter what it takes.

[uwcairns]

Pisces Season

From the same anonymous astrology notebook as our popular Aquarius post, we bring you: Pisces.

We combed through the notebook to try to figure out what all of the symbols meant. Luckily, the person who wrote this took meticulous notes! The symbol that kind of looks like a 4 is Jupiter, and the symbol that looks like the Gemini symbol is Issachar. Issachar appears to be part of a Judeo-Christian or Kabbalistic astrology, and rules either Pisces, Gemini, Cancer, Aries, Taurus, or Virgo (depending on your source).

Transcripts of these pages after the jump.

Call number: Cairns Manuscript Anonymous Astrology Notebook.

-Samantha, graduate student employee. March 10, 2020

Full transcription of handwritten section after the jump (it's a little smudged, but we did our best!):

Transcript of Pisces entry: "[Pisces] is a watery sign, gives strong inclination to travel.. a mind tending towards the mystical and scientific. Have many sorrowful experiences to pass through-- the person can be fully relied upon. are not always fully appreciated, for they keep their talents in the background, being very modest in their way. are over anxious and sensitive as a rule yet can be very loving and affectionate. Often live double lives. are mediumistic. Need to cultivate more self-reliance. Symbolism positive and negative. MOTTO PEACE. [Issachar] governs the lungs, shoulders and nervous system. highly intellectual. generally thoughtful. gives visionary ideas and checkered careers. [in pencil] CAREERS Avoid damp atmosphere- danger to feet and chest. Nervous affections to joints hands and feet.

Transcript of Jupiter entry: "[Jupiter] is masculine, benevolent and fruitful and conversations in this hour relate to money amtters, wealth, gold, traffic, profit, and gain. The person is of good size, with good complexion, good teeth and a clear open eye, full forehead, chestnut hair, with baldness in some cases, and a free open manner. They are generous, benevolent despise mean acts, upright in character, fond of horses and animals, and when they once lose confidence in a person they never regain it. Fond of horses and animals. [Jupiter] rules money matters, precious metals, the blood, seed, bankers, merchants, cashiers, moneyed people and horses..? The hour is good for money matters, influence over others, to buy, deal, and do as one may please in all reasonable matters, to collect money, to make a loan, to raise a mortgage engage in legal matters and to push one's affairs. To enter a residence or place of business, make appointments, apologies, explain wrong doing, to find persons [lemons?] amd free from anger, and one need have little fear Even though annoyances may give anxiety [Jupiter] rules golden brown and tawny colors. [Jupiter] controls the shoulders and arms, whose nature is that of art, especially sculpture. It imparts a love of the beautiful, grand, sublime. [last line repeated]"

Transcript of Issachar entry: "Inferior cervical ganglion-- Arms and shoulders. (The latter in their uses outwardly express the action of the brain, and consequently would figure in the realms of Educcation, arts, mechanics You are apt to be very active, restless, anxious and dissatisfied; always seem to want something you know not what. apt to lack continuity; - are vivacious but liable to be incon-stant and are in danger of extremes in everything they do, unless this is modified by planetary conditions. (In cases of very course hair and dark complexion, there is apt to be a feeling of combativeness, a vague imagining of evil and a distrustfulness of associates and of those with whom they may deal with.) Very active and want to be doing something all the time. Love knowledge in all its departments, (many successful speakers + lecturers come from this sign.) and the person should always have a superior education to become highly successful. Cultivate the habit of self control. Avoid all excitement and exciting scenes. There is a tendency to nervous derangements, -head, stomach and digestive organs associated with hypochondria and hysteria. associates with persons that are quick, easy, and restful. A child is liable to have convulsions while teething. Anxious, restless and dissatisfied parental conditions."

Note: As someone who is interested in astrology but by no means an expert, I personally think the Pisces entry is accurate and that the Jupiter entry is entertaining in its specificity. I don't know anything about Kabbalistic astrology, but the Issachar entry doesn't sound much like Pisces to me, and the racist parenthetical is unsettling.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #165

Summer shenanigans are a staple of the manga and anime work, though how much you can expect the clichés to actually happen depends on how much effort you’re willing to put into making it a reality. Fact is, summer is never as fantastical or memorable as we’d like to dream. You only get three(in Japan) high school summers in one lifetime. But as they say, it’s who you spend it with, not what, that will stick around with you. 

Chapter 165: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Enjoy My Last High School Summer Break 

Hey, if Futaki wants to be a professional gamer girl (minus the bathwater), she’s gotta stay on top of the new releases. 

Mother always knows. Always.

There’s a fine line between persuading and threatening, Katou. Just saying.

I can already see the (not totally implausible) jokes about Mako and Yoshida secretly meeting to hook up. Even though that’s 99% not what will happen, Mako’s vagueness is something to note. The way I see it, Mako doesn’t want Yuri to feel left out, so she’s downplaying the “fun” she’ll be having with Yoshida.

Or Nico Tanigawa are blatantly ship-teasing. Either or.

Nemo’s got a pretty sweet LINE avatar.

Even through her messages, Nemo is still passive-aggressive, like she expects Tomoko won’t listen to her unless she’s demanding in her tone, exclamation points and all. She still gots a way to go to meet Katou’s level of intimidation, however.

Summer school?

Oh, the beach.

The greyscale nature of the manga medium makes this beach look a lot prettier than it probably is. Those delightful memories involving washed-up stingrays sure doesn’t help. 

I’m not entirely certain just how studious Yuri is as a student, but I imagine she’s playing up the “all work, no play” angle just to free herself from Nemo.

Nemo makes a fair point. Getting too cooped up indoors where it’s comfortable can make it difficult to study, especially when you're surrounded by distractions. A change of scenery can clear your head and make it easier to retain information. 

Of course, that sort of environmental shift doesn’t work for everyone. Someone like Nemo may appreciate the summery atmosphere, but a girl like Yuri would get agitated by the heat and humidity. Having external stimuli is ideal if you’re the type who operates better when your attention is dispersed. But for those that need to be focused on a single task to complete, it can be quite difficult.

Next time on Mythbusters...

But in all seriousness, I would like to see if there have been any real-life studies on certain sounds–waves in this case–improving one’s ability to concentrate and overall performance. My amateurish theory is that a lot of that “improvement” is a result of the placebo effect, or that there are otherwise too many extraneous factors to make a clear correlation.

In that respect, I think Yuri and Nemo’s arguments are both valid.  

A recent trend I’ve been noticing with Yuri is that she looks to Tomoko for validation. She acknowledges that they’re not the same, but having Tomoko back her up probably makes her feel more confident in her opinions, if for nothing more than having an equal-to-majority rule.

Of course, when Tomoko does disagree with her, that’s when Yuri has to either stubbornly stick to her guns, or honestly reassess herself. And thanks to the beauty of character development, the latter’s been happening more at a healthy pace.

OUCH.

It pains me to see Okada call out Yuri like that.

It pains me even more that you can’t really call out Okada for it, either.

Introverts are generally self-conscious about the very traits they embody, even when it’s that’s their comfort zone. Much like how an otaku will get uncomfortable when non-otakus hype them up. Sure, Okada probably meant it as a compliment when she called Yuri talkative, but it’s based on the idea that Yuri’s quiet nature was an incorrect assumption, which can feel kind of demoralizing.

It’s not an easy thing to address, and I’m curious to see how they’ll work through it going forward. 

Quick, someone go update their Wiki pages!. 

Reality ensues. All those amazing anime-esque summer plans can be deterred by something as simple as unreliable weather.  

Although, having to make your own wave sounds kind of defeats the purpose of being there, doesn’t it, Nemo?

Now playing...”Eroge BGM” Playlist.

Set on autoplay.

I’m glad that no one’s complaining about translating this text, cause let’s get real. The amount of redraws that would take is ridiculous, especially for an unofficial translation. 

If you think that I’m going to screencap every image of Yuri smiling just so we can bask in her cuteness...

You’d be absolutely correct.

Oooh man, this is arguably worse than calling out the quiet kid as “talkative”. At least during that time, it could pass as just an innocent observation. But being able to smile is one of those things they supposedly instill in you during primary school. Bringing it up like that suggests that Yuri is a child who purposely tries to hide her smiles. Again, Okada meant no harm, obviously, but if they’re going to push for an OkadaxYuri friendship, there’s going to be a lot of hoops to go through.

Tomoko may have opened her mind up more about the negative stereotypes about “normies”, but the positive stereotypes still persist. In this case, it’s the idea that her more sociable peers would enjoy school simply because they can hang out with their friends. Little did she know, that’s often not the case...

PINEAPPLE-CHAN DEVELOPMENT, BABY!

Ahem, pardon my outburst, but I’ve got a lot to say about this. We’ve known for a long time now that Okada is part of the “semi-in-crowd”, and it was easy to assume that all her socializing–going to karaoke for example–were just things she always enjoyed.

But what if it wasn’t. From what Okada’s implying, she sometimes ends up hanging out with people that she would rather not. Perhaps its a friend-of-a-friend type of struggle, where she hangs with people she doesn’t really like out of politeness for a mutual friend. And even if Okada is harboring a few dark thoughts, there’s plenty of reasons to not like going to school, as she said. As someone who’s relatively extroverted, having to work through the more solitary parts of school like studying can be especially difficult.

In short, hidden depths are great.

I can’t really blame you, Tomoko. When you secretly put people on a pedestal like that, it’s hard to acknowledge their human sides that show how they struggle with everyday problems just like anyone else. Even the most well-adjusted of people have their share of frustrations. 

This was totally Nemo’s plan all along.

All these panel shots of Yuri off to the side while everyone else gallivants fills me with those paternal feelings of a father wanting their daughter to make friends. It goes against everything I know about Yuri’s character, but I guess you shouldn’t underestimate the power of moe.    

This is a pretty good example of the line that separates Tomoko and Yuri. They have very similar perspectives, but it’s Tomoko’s status as an introverted extrovert that allows her to go in the ocean, while Yuri’s extroverted introvert personality lets her stay on the sidelines. 

Poor Beach-kun is not having a good day.

So even the others are noticing how Tomoko is like Yuri’s social floatation device.

Another person probably would’ve taken the sentimental route, going on about “saving these precious memories” or “I want you to experience this with us”. The kind of things Yuu-chan would say.

Thing is, Tomoko would get too embarrassed saying that touching crap, so she has to go the indirect route instead. Using pseudo-logic so she doesn’t have to exaggerate her emotions (which are there, just more reserved). 

Either way, it still sounds vaguely creepy coming from her.

Thankfully, it actually works here because Yuri has trouble articulating her emotions, too. Tomoko probably knows subconsciously that touching crap doesn’t work on Yuri, so it makes a great deal of sense that Yuri would be more responsive to dumb logic. Especially if it’s from her loveably dumb friend.

I can get used to Tomoko and Yuri unknowingly showing Nemo up.

Off in the distance...

“Getting tangled up in gross seaweed so you can spread your own grossness to other girls? Gross!”

Okay, so I know Tomoko is probably just genuinely startled by what's happening here, but you can’t tell me that her face doesn’t scream, “NOW’S MY CHANCE FOR A GROPIN’!”

lewd.

Okay, let’s be honest. I’ve watched enough anime to know that shots like this are easy fodder for fanservice. Conveniently transparent wet uniforms, amirite? And to be frank, I don’t think the mangakas are totally playing the innocent game. Sure, it’s not as blatantly objectifying as a lot of other series tend to do in scenes like this, but the posing of the girls and angle of the camera just seems too opportune to be anything but deliberate. Be careful when walking that fine line, Nico Tanigawa.

On a more positive note, I’m glad Tomoko’s first instinct was just to help them up. Though heaven knows she’s gonna milk this for all it’s worth back home.

Oh, Yuri and your accountability issues.

When life gives you lemons...you know the rest.

The best part about watching the crazy shenanigans you see in anime is that you can omit all the boring and troublesome real-life consequences. So yeah, accidentally getting splashed by beach water may seem fun in the moment, but the annoyance of having to wash your clothes afterward just isn’t worth it.

Sometimes, summer just won’t give you a break. 

Yes. Yes, you did.

Ignoring Tomoko’s embarrassed (or lewd–it’s kind of interchangeable) expression, this is probably the most wholesome summer chapter is the series’ run. That’s not to say that the chapter is “unrealistic” in any way. Sure, the end shot of all four of them reeks of 4-girl slice-of-life moe, but it actually deconstructs it a little. Instead of a fun memory, the memory itself is decidedly bothersome and more trouble than it’s worth, but there’s a sense of enjoyment to be gained from that. As Tomoko once implied, doing stupid, embarrassing things isn’t so bad when you can share in the experience. There’s a reason for the saying, “A few years from now, we’re gonna laugh at this,” after all.  

It may be Tomoko’s final summer in high school, but it will most certainly be her fondest.

[aurora077]

Viktor’s First Love

Companion to Hermione’s Moment

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13181660/2/Hermione-s-Moment

There she was, in the corner again, surrounded by books as usual. He had first spotted her on her way out of the hall with the Gryffindor champion, Harry Potter. Harry had called out a good morning to him in acknowledgement and she had favoured him with a dip of the head and nothing more, preferring instead to turn back to Harry and continue their conversation. It was the first time in his memory that a girl had not favoured him with even a second glance since becoming famous as the Bulgarian seeker. He was relieved but also intrigued. He hadn’t looked her in the eye initially as he had feared she would want to strike up a long conversation that usually became flirtatious on the girls’ part and idol worship on the boys’. His fears had been unfounded it seemed. For once.

The next time he saw her (as in, truly noticed her rather than just having an awareness of her presence next to Harry), she had been as she was now, in the library surrounded by books and reading fervently. He was surprised at how the fierce look of determination in her eyes had attracted him. She was frantically searching for something in those books, that much was clear. Her hair had become even more wild than usual but it suited her. It spoke to the fire that he detected in her soul. A fire that he now suddenly wanted to be close enough to in order to feel its warmth. He hadn’t ever felt this way before, especially in so short a time. Before he knew it he was spending all his time in the library, observing her and trying to work up the courage to go talk to her. (“Come on Krum, you’re not so lily-livered that you can’t talk to one girl,” he berated himself.) Except she wasn’t just a girl. She was the most magnificent girl he’d ever come across. And she seemed to have no interest in him whatsoever.

He was rather annoyed at the famous status he carried now. For one, there were always a bunch of fangirls following him around. It didn’t help when he noticed her annoyance at their noisiness. She definitely wasn’t been pleased about it, as the twist of her lips every time there was a particularly loud giggle indicated. Also what was the point of being famous if everyone was interested in him except the one he wanted to be. Fame had never been something he coveted anyway. He actually valued his privacy, and being famous did have its perks sure, but in his eyes there were more negatives than positives. He was sure most people thought of him as a grump or bad tempered but he really wasn’t. He just didn’t like being followed all the time and he could never be sure who was genuinely interested and who just wanted to hang around him for the limelight. Though clearly with her he wouldn’t have to be worried about either, much to his chagrin. (Well he was glad she wasn’t a rabid fangirl but still...)

How to approach her? It was a question that lingered. One that he still had no answer to. Skulking in the library wouldn’t do him any good unless he could get her attention in a way that wasn’t going to annoy her. He truly didn’t mean to disturb her studying after all, but he didn’t know how else he could get her attention. So skulk away he did. Unbeknownst to him she did notice him, but she had rather uncharitable thoughts given that he really was disturbing her by attracting the giggly fangirls. She did later express regret for these thoughts, albeit to herself. But nevertheless he did achieve her notice.

He was lucky really, that they announced the Yule Ball when they did. If it wasn’t for that he thought he might have never worked up the courage to approach her. But just the thought of someone else asking her had spurred him to action. He didn’t think he could bear it if he saw her with someone else. So one day he steeled his resolve and marched up to her (he had tried his best to ditch the fangirls...didn’t think they’d improve his chances and he didn’t really want an audience anyway, especially if she rejected him).

“Excuse me,” he had said, clearing his throat awkwardly.

She looked up at him and a frown marred her face.

“Yes?” she had said, face perfectly schooled into a polite mask. He thought he could detect an undercurrent of hostility in her tone which almost made him reconsider. But then again if he asked then there was a chance to get a yes from her whereas if he didn’t then it was an automatic no. So he reminded himself that he was Krum, Bulgarian Seeker extraordinaire, who could most certainly ask the girl he fancied to the ball.

“I..I vas just vondering....,” he faltered slightly, then took a deep breath while reminding himself that he could do it, “I vas vondering if you vould do me the honour of attending the Yule Ball vith me.”

Well, that seemed to elicit a reaction he had not expected. Her mouth had dropped open in shock. She looked flabbergasted. She was in fact so lost for words that she was doing a passable impression of a fish. He had expected to hear a resounding ‘no’. Instead what he got was, “I’m sorry but, could you possibly repeat that?” in a rather squeaky voice.

He had lost some of his bravado but he repeated the request hoping his voice didn’t shake and give away his nerves.

She looked at him contemplatively for a moment before breaking into a bright, genuine smile. “I would love to go with you Viktor,” she had said. And he’d been the happiest man in Hogwarts at that moment. Until of course he realised he only knew her as Harry Potter’s friend and had to go through the embarrassing process of learning and trying to pronounce her decidedly complicated (but very pretty) name.

The next few weeks were spectacular. Whenever they spent time together he felt as if he were flying among the clouds. She was so intelligent and despite the fact that she seemed more interested in books than Quidditch, she would always listen to him talk about it without seeming bored or annoyed with him. He connected with her in a way he hadn’t with anyone else.

He didn’t want to jump the gun but, he was pretty sure he was halfway in love with her already. Though he’d never say that to her. She might get scared and run for the hills. It hadn’t been that long after all. Saying love right now would be way too soon. He was well aware that his feelings had developed much quicker than he’d ever imagined possible. Clearly someone else had noticed though. Albus Dumbledore really was as clever as people gave him credit for.

And while you're searching, ponder this; We've taken what you'll sorely miss

From the moment he heard the clue he knew it would be her. He’d nearly had a breakdown under the lake when his shark head had run the risk of damaging her. He’d have to remember to thank Harry Potter for his assistance.

The tournament would be over soon enough though. And he’d be back on his ship to Bulgaria. He felt a sense of impending loneliness. He wondered if she would write to him. They weren’t in any sort of concrete relationship and he wouldn’t fool himself that she would wait for him. She was young and would no doubt have other prospects. (A certain Harry Potter came to mind...they seemed very close.) She might not want to be in a steady relationship just yet. But he would make it clear to her that he wanted her around in his life, in whatever form she’d accept. He decided he would extend an open invitation to her to visit him. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn’t, but it certainly didn’t hurt to try. He’d visit himself but given his position he’d probably create more drama with the press than they’d both care for. Regardless of what happened though, he knew he’d always cherish the memories they were creating. He’d had crushes before but he could say with certainty that this was his first love.

And what a love it was, he sighed.

-----

“Is everything okay vith Viktor?” said Andrei worriedly, looking at the dazed and sighing seeker holed up in the opposite corner of the room they shared on the ship.

“Yeah no vorries there, he’s just lovesick,” Stanislav snickered.

“Lovesick? Krum!?” Ivan gasped as Stanislav nodded, “Well then...never thought I’d see the day!”

He would later regret going over and teasing Viktor, who, now knowing that his feelings were apparently plain as day, took that as an opportunity to extol Hermione’s many virtues.....for the entire trip back to Bulgaria.

[sims2shrine]

“This soulless game isn’t really ‘The Sims’ for me”

I am starting off this blog with a review for The Sims 3 from Amazon.com user Valentinegirl. Why The Sims 3 on a blog dedicated to The Sims 2, you ask? Because this review details just about everything about The Sims 2 that makes it so special and endearing. Whenever I come back to playing The Sims 2 after a long break, I like to re-read this review because it always excites and inspires me to play this game that I am so passionate about. Note that the opinions expressed in this review do not necessarily correlate with my own -- I do enjoy all of PC versions for the most part. I just believe that The Sims 2 is far superior to the others, hence why this blog was born.

“Like many of the other reviewers here, I have been a HUGE fan of The Sims franchises, losing many pleasant hours to The Sims 1 and its wonderful sequel The Sims 2. Even before The Sims came out I was a Maxis fan, playing games like Sim City and Sim Tower with pleasure. I can't say that The Sims 3 has ‘disappointed’ me because the more I heard about the new game over its development period the more I thought to myself ‘why are they including this feature or dropping that feature? It sounds like they are tampering with the heart of the things I enjoy about The Sims’. But I bought the game anyway in good faith. Needless to say I am now back to playing The Sims 2. The Sims 3 has no interest for me at all in comparison. Despite all the ‘improvements’ - and I admit there are some surface ones - the heart and soul of what The Sims means to me is absent from this game. Unlike other reviewers here, my negative review of this game is not due to any technical difficulties. Perhaps I haven't played long enough to experience any, and at any rate - every hard-core Sims fan has learned to live with the bugs shipped with the game and love it anyway. The modding community has always done a sterling job of cleaning up our games and making them more playable and enjoyable. So my negative rating is not due to bugs or crashes - it is purely based on my perception of the game's enjoyment factor, especially when compared to The Sims 2. To be fair, I will sum up what to me are improvements to the game compared to The Sims 2: - the ‘open neighbourhood’ - the ability to go from one place to the other without a loading screen is a fine idea and works well in principal. But I found that it really didn't impact my playing habits as much as you might think at first. While playing a large, busy family there would be very little time to go rushing off to the park or elsewhere and I found I was ‘household’ focussed in my game playing just as much as in The Sims 2. I actually prefer in some ways the way community lots worked in The Sims 2. If you could organise your sims enough to go off to a community lot, time would actually stand still in the meantime, taking the pressure off your enjoyment of this change in pace for your sims. - No doubt about it, the ‘Create a Style’ colour wheel/pattern maker is the one thing that is far superior to recolouring in The Sims 2. It's great fun and so easy to go through and match up clothing, furniture, wallpaper, etc in an obsessive fashion that suits my type of playing down to the ground. But even here is a caveat - there is no Body Shop type program to truly customise textures. You can recolour only which is hardly satisfying in a creative way compared to being able to extract a texture and import it into Photoshop, thereby putting your own personal stamp on the texture. For example, in The Sims 2 you could export a dress texture and by pasting on a texture of your own you could make the outfit appear to be a cardigan and skirt instead. I am sure custom content creators in time will come up with ways of importing new meshes/textures into The Sims 3, but it is obvious that EA is trying to limit this type of thing to the ‘regular’ user right from the beginning by eliminating a ‘Bodyshop’ program from their development tools. - The ease of angle rotation is an unmixed blessing in this game - something that I wish had happened in The Sims 2 - The outdoor scenery in The Sims 3 is gorgeous from the beach, the shimmering water, to the parks, rolling hills etc. But the limitations put on being able to make this neighbourhood your own again shows up the inflexibility built into this game. Whereas in The Sims 2 you could completely customise your neighbourhood, building it up from a terrain created in Sim City, to decorating it and laying out your lots etc, in this game, EA gives you this beautiful scenery and then severely limits your ability to customise it. You cannot create your own terrain, the community lot buildings are the same everywhere and are not even properly functional, and there are a limited number of lots for your houses. It feels like a ‘dumbed down’ version of a neighbourhood to me that even the ‘open plan’ of the game cannot make up for. - There are a lot more surface details to gameplay in The Sims 3 by the way of person and object interactions and the little missions/opportunities that pop up. I do appreciate the amount of thought that has gone into a lot of these things, like adding depth to the career paths and making such things as painting a picture personal to every different type of sim. But again, when playing a busy family (six kids!) I found that I would just click the opportunities away as an annoyance without even reading them. There was no way my busy mother or father could go running off to the town park for a chess tournament when they were caring for screaming toddlers at home! - The lighting of the new game is a nice update and beautiful. It is also flexible if you have the time or inclination to mess around with the many options provided So even the improvements included in The Sims 3 are mostly mixed blessings for me! Here are the things that have decided me against the game: - The sims themselves. Try as I might, I cannot bond with these weird looking people and that bond between the player and their ‘Simmies’ is the major factor that holds many Sims fans in thrall. For a start, these creations just don't look like sims to me. It is laughable that the creators of this game are claiming that the sculpting tools given to create a sim are more flexible and customisable than in The Sims 2! In fact the sliders are very limited in their scope and have less points of difference than those provided in ‘Bodyshop’. That round-faced, chinless look that we all noticed and wondered at in preview pictures of this game is there for the very specific reason that you can't provide your sim with a proper chin and all of them look blobby and quite fat in the face. The noses look like they are just stuck on anyhow and look very unfortunate in profile. And the empty-looking eyes roll in a very disconcerting and unappealing alien manner. The sims toddlers and children - one of my prime delights in The Sims 2 - all look very ugly and all look exactly the same. One couple I played had six children, just to check out the genetics and all of them looked like peas in a pod until they got to their adult years, and even then the differences were minimal. It was very unsatisfying spending so much time and energy raising these unappealing little clones! - Obviously, I have had trouble creating sims I like to look at. That wouldn't matter as much if I could love the way these sims act and interact. If you think back to The Sims 1 and The Sims 2 what charmed fans of these games was how cute, quirky, funny, unexpected and unique all these characters seemed to the player. I don't accept the criticism the developers of this new game kept stating that ‘all previous sims games had sims who were all the same and all they wanted to do all the time was go to the toilet!’ Well really - do they think The Sims 1 and 2 would have been such world-wide successes if this were actually true?? Of course not! Our sims charmed us, made us laugh, surprised us and often took their own little lives in their own hands and pulled the game in a direction all their own. The two things promised by The Sims 3 creators about how the new sims would behave were 1) There would be a lot more time to attend to the sims' lives and less need to run around after them caring for their basic ‘needs’ - such as sending them to the toilet or to bed; and 2) the new ‘traits’ system would ensure truly unique behaviour from the sims and open up entirely new vistas of personalities and interactions for sims fans to enjoy. I'm sorry to say, but I have to rebut both of these stated improvements. 1)I think every Sims 3 player, no matter how dedicated a fan they are will admit that you spend more time waiting for your sims to fulfil needs than ever before. You spend ages just watching them sleep every night. They seem to have bladder and hunger needs that are never satiated, and you spend more boring time staring at their work building while they are off at work. So between taking them to work, watching them sleep, fulfilling their needs and trying to skill up, there is actually zero time left in a sims' busy day to take them to the park, the beach or visit a neighbour! How is this the ‘new balance’ of life over needs that the developers were so proudly proclaiming?? 2) As for the ‘traits’ system - that has to be the biggest disappointment of all. Sure, picking different traits for your sims will give them some very superficial differences, such as different interaction possibilities with other sims, or different animations. but at a deeper level, each and every sim seems the same over and over again. I think the main reason I say this is if you watch a household full of sims who all supposedly have a unique set of traits, you don't see them acting differently unless you tell them to. In fact they barely interact with one another at all if you don't tell them to. They ignore one another and spend their time being boring - fulfilling the endless needs or perhaps using a skill object. They don't care to interact with one another at all! It is quite possible to have two sims living in the same house forever and they remain total strangers to one another. You have to force them to interact which I find really annoying - I had hoped that they might work out their own relationships as they did in The Sims 2. Another annoying thing is the lack of familial affection between sims. Unlike The Sims 2, you never see a parent hug, kiss or play with a child unless you tell them to. You just don't feel that these sims love/care about one another at all, and I remember that feeling that ‘love is real’ between sims being the primary and most striking point that charmed me when The Sims 2 came out. I am sorry to say, if I compare the depth of personality of a houseful of Sims 2 and 3 sims, the Sims 2 sims would win hands down. In Sims 2, they would take one another in like or dislike, be attracted to some and repulsed by others. The parents would hug their kids when they got home from work, and kiss them goodnight. Husbands and wives would find a quiet corner and canoodle in a very romantic way. In Sims 3 they all coldly ignore one another and act in boring and one-dimensional ways, totally uninfluenced by their so-called ‘unique traits’. This lack of true feeling for my sims and between the sims themselves is my primary reason for calling this latest instalment ‘soulless’. How can you feel attached to these ugly, alien-like people who all look and act the same? - I do not care for one of the key selling points of The Sims 3 - the so-called ‘story progression’. Which sim fan really wants to leave their playable family for a little while only to come back and find they've moved out of the neighbourhood, or had a family while you're not looking with kids you didn't get to name? Where is the appeal in that? Most sims fans love to micro-manage their sim's lives - who they love, marry, have kids with, what they name their kids, where they choose to live, etc. Even more frustrating, the ability to turn story progression off is broken!! Good one, EA!! Another one of my criticisms is that EA has written out some of the most enjoyable and endearing elements of The Sims 2. Eliminating these things really proves to me how little the developers of the game understood the things that true Sims fans love about their games. Here are some as an example: - Story mode is gone. Yes I know there is a camera and yes I know they have all this fancy equipment that enables you to easily upload stories and movies onto the web to share. But I bet 90% of Sims players are not all that interested in sharing stories on the world wide web. The Sims has always been a highly personal game - a fantasy world unique to each sims player, and making up and sharing sims stories is not the driving reason to play the game for most. It is to get lost in your own little self-created kingdom and fall in love with the little pixels that people it. In Sims 1 & 2, using the camera as I played and building up an album for each little family became a mainstay of my playing style over the years. Most of the time I would not even add text to the pictures. They would be safely stored in each family's little album and every once in a while I would choose to browse through this visual record of my sims' little lives and enjoy again the sentimental, surprising, funny little incidents that marked the passage of that family's life. I would record the unexpected or charming little things that made my sims seem unique, like when my prim little sim teenager fell in love with the neighbourhood ‘bad boy’ all on her own and against any of my expectations. Or when my shy, nerdy sim who lived with a party animal room-mate spent all her time in her room reading on the bed or, of all things - washing the windows! whenever her room-mate threw one of her wild parties! Not having this record at hand of the family's little story in Sims 3 is definitely a contributing factor to the feeling of the game having little forward progression - every day seems like the one before. - Eliminating memories from the Sims is another way EA has wiped out the sense you might have of the family's story and history. I know memories caused all sorts of trouble in The Sims 2 if you moved sims indiscriminately from one neighbourhood to the next, but I think for many of us, having that sim's little milestones recorded in their memories really gave the sim a feel of individuality and personal growth. After not playing a particular family for a long time the first thing I would do would be to flip through the family's album and check their memories. This would put me back in touch with where the family was in their own particular life story. - Another charming Sims 2 feature that was wiped out was the attraction system. I know the original Sims 2 game did not ship with this, but it was added early on in one of the expansion packs and I am sure every Sims 2 fan absolutely loved it. It was another way to differentiate sims from one another. You could create down to the finest detail two sims who you thought would be ‘perfect’ for each other, only to find they couldn't stand each other! Then two of the unlikeliest sims would get together all of their own accord, making you feel that these little people had minds and hearts of their own. I loved this feature so much that my playing style was to resolutely let each sim choose his or her own mate with no help from me. There are other reasons for me not to like this highly polished, highly superficial instalment of The Sims franchise. But in the end, it came down to these basic feelings about the game - I don't care how gorgeous it is to look at if the gameplay is shallow and boring - I feel like EA is really dumbing down long-time sims fans by trying to eliminate custom content, charging like a wounded bull for their sub-standard stuff and doing their best to stifle the creativity of the custom content community - The sims are cookie-cutter clones of one another, and have no charm either of physical appearance or personality. The life and soul has been sucked out of these pixel-people - There is no sense of story, no unexpected interactions, no story mode or memories to record the sims lives. They no longer care about one another at all - parents, children, lovers, room-mates, friends - it doesn't matter what relationship the sims have to one another, there is no desire for these people to interact or develop their relationships unless you force it. I am mad at EA for ‘missing the boat’ on this franchise upgrade. In fact, it no longer feels like The Sims at all to me. All the charm and spontaneity has gone out of the game. I suppose it's not surprising I feel this way - Will Wright and his unique Maxis team of developers are long gone and EA has taken over. EA have no idea, and do not care what made The Sims beloved of fans the world over and instead are forcing something on them that has only a surface relationship to previous games. Much in the same way they ‘improved’ Sim City out of all recognition of the original game (’Sim City Societies’), they have done this to The Sims and that, I think is unforgivable. Fortunately, The Sims 2 will always be here and I am gladly getting back to my cute, funny, irreverent, surprising little sims with the huge added bonus of all the expansion packs and custom content I have built up over the years. I doubt if I will ever come back to The Sims 3 even if they bring out boatloads of expansion packs. If the game has no soul, it cannot be loved.

This review was written on July 27th, 2009. Source: Amazon.com. Link to original review: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/RCEHMW5QIIA7B/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00166N6SA

[spicydadshowdown]

Edit: 1/24/19 Re-worded some stuff around and added some new ideas. Note to future self: if you want to write a goddamn essay about a cartoon you dont even watch consistently use the computer instead so you can actually see what you're writing. Itll prevent you from screwing up the sentence flow. 😘

Tbh I dont even go to RWBY class anymore, but I saw some spoilers and that Tweet about Adam being allergic to Blake and Yangs love has me like... Oof, where do I even begin to unpack my annoyance for this. Warning: this is going to be ranty because I feel a certain type of way about this topic.

1. I really fucking hate this trend that seems to be starting where showrunners are pairing off female characters who never had romantic interest in each other nor do they have any good chemistry together (even on a basic friendship level) and try to pretend like it was something planned since the beginning. Worst of all, they try to pass that shit off as bisexual representation. And as a bisexual woman I'm like lmao sure dude, my Bidar can see through that bullshit clear as fucking day mate, lol. Its extremely lazy and it makes it obvious that they only go this route so they can get Progressive Points to stave off any negativity their show's been getting. Because for some reason people want to settle for below mediocrity representation instead of... ya know, something that's actually good. And it makes me uncomfortable that people are using my sexuality as this quick-fix for their shows missteps so.... lol.

2. ANYWAYS Okay so... something that's always bothered me about Blake and Adam's dynamic is that... it's actually romantic?? They were in a relationship?? Which grosses me out to no end and I'm not sure why it had to be this way? Why is Adam an abusive psychopath? It's especially disturbing to me because Adam is leading a resistance against his peoples oppressors. Like the dude was a slave, he straight up has a BRAND on his face for fucks sake! Why would anyone think it was a good idea to make this kind of character an abusive monster? Like thanks! I hate it :)! (E) I completely forgot the age difference between them omg... they legit made him an ephebophile…🤢

Honestly RWBY could be stronger over-all if you change Adam's relationship with Blake from ex-boyfriend to a mentor/big brother type of deal. I know Blake and Adam are based off of Disneys Beauty and the Beast, but see the thing is you dont have to make it romantic. You just have to carry over the themes from the movie and expand upon them.

1. external monstrosity vs internal monstrosity; what makes a person truly monstrous.

2. Looking past the superficial to see someone for who they really are.

3. Two people find solace with each other after they've been othered by society for possessing certain characteristics deemed as abnormal.

Boom, there you go! Run with it!

Although tbh the last one will be difficult, if not impossible, to write because Blake comes from a privileged background. She's the daughter of a chieftain and grew up in the White Fang, who were originally a bunch of peaceful protesters. So her upbringing is going to be much more stable than Adam's was. If you want to make this work you're probably better off just rewriting Blake's entire backstory.

Now that I think about it I think the reason why Adam is... Like That is because he's supposed to be Gaston and The Beast mixed in one package? Maybe? He has The Beasts anger issues mixed with Gaston's creepy and obsessive behaviour towards Belle. Which is a very odd decision to make and to be honest I'm not sure if this was intentional or not (most likely not lol). Was it to show Adam's transition from The Beast to Gaston? But that doesn't work because The Beast and Gaston represent different ideologies. Maybe it's not even that deep, maybe it was just to show that people who've been abused can become abusers. Which is a fine concept and all but it didn't need to be applied to a former slave turned revolutionary leader.

I'm not saying Adam has to be completely devoid of any flaws, the anger he feels towards humanity is realistic and justified. When you've been dehumanized by a certain group of people, you are going to vehemently hate said group. This kind of hatred can consume you to the point where any malicious action you take is seen as justified. Cuz you know, why should you care about them when they've never given a shit about you? (A good example of this is in the Black trailer where he was going to blow up the train, completely disregarding the lives of the human passengers aboard it.)

[REDACTED]

Aight so when I was laying in bed, waiting for the sweet embrace of Rest to take me, I had the thought: “How fucked up would it be if after Blake defeated Adam, instead of being held a trial and sent to prison he was sent back to the S.D.C?” and I legit made this face:

I guess that activated my galaxy brain/ third eye chakra or whatever, because suddenly my mind was bombarded with a bunch of ideas and I legit could not bring myself to Sleep unless I got the ideas out lmao. But I think I'll make another post bc this shit is a long ramble sleep deprived mess. So lmao see you next time.

[devillainsarchive]

🐾 meta;

Carlos and his mental state and disabilities (this is the best way i could think to phrase it). These are present in all my verses unless stated otherwise (like my mr robot verse where he has dissociative identity disorder).

I want to be very clear, this post will only graze the surface of deeper issues. I am also putting a majority of this post under a read more due to the some of the more sensitive topics, and I don’t desire to trigger anyone.

I want to also say, making this post has made me extremely nervous. As I don’t want to portray things incorrectly, or wrong. I am always learning, and striving to reduce the stigma and glorification of these things.

Additionally, this things are not plot points for Carlos. I will never use them to make his story more sad or more upsetting. I am not here to have them be a shock value. With writing about these things most of my nerves regarding this post that I have put off for months is the backlash I will get. If you want to talk to me about anything I say in this post, I ask you do it off anon.

Finally this post is not going to be addressing Carlos intelligence (ie his IQ score and how he is a prodigy where schooling is concerned). Certainly some of these things can feed into that. But his intelligence is something that deserves its own post.

Short list: things Carlos has (diagnosed and diagnosed)

Asperger’s

PTSD and C-PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Schizophrenia

OCD

Insomnia

This is the longer list, essentially I go a bit into detail about each thing on the short list, explain my reasoning behind him having each thing, where I pull from canon to get the reasoning, a bit about the manifestations of each thing for Carlos. There will be cross over, so I may repeat myself on occasion.

Asperger’s (Asperger Syndrome)

Carlos’ Asperger’s is evident when you know the signs. Carlos struggles to pick on basic social cues. He certainly gets better and learns more when he is older. But as a young child, and especially all his time on the Isle, and when he first lives in Auradon. One of the most evident signs of this is that he will talk about things he likes typically mechanics and wires and machines without stopping to care about what his listener thinks about it. In Auradon he learns to stop himself from getting to far, and he always feels bad about it after. He cherishes people that let him talk.

Carlos is not loud, but he certainly has a wide vocabulary. While this is not incredibly evident, his annoyance with Reza’s vocabulary could lead to he knows what all those words mean. Carlos just knows how to use them in natural conversation. He does not understand normal jokes or humor, and it takes him a few moments to get a joke. In Auradon he gets better with those social queues, and learns how and when people are trying to be funny. Carlos may laugh but that does not mean he gets the joke. He also may not understand when he is telling a joke. This does not mean that Carlos can’t laugh or doesn’t know when to laugh, he laughs easily with Jay, and probably for a very long time Jay is the only one who can get a genuine laugh out of him.

Carlos’ is very aware of his surroundings. He notices small changes in things, and often changes in thins will bug him, and make him upset. He hyper-fixates this primarily on his desk in Auradon, and his desk in the hideout on the Isle, and the treehouse in the backyard of Hell Hall on the Isle. He knows immediately when things are wrong with it. This applies also to people around him, sudden movements, but for the most part Carlos associates that with always having to be on alert for his mother. His own interactions with people may seem odd, he may ignore them or seem rude, but he doesn’t mean it. This is where part of that callous demeanor comes from, but he is much better at turning that off and on than people realize.

Carlos also has his hobbies that he talks forever about, that he will ignore people for. This hobby is science and mechanics, and computers. He also enjoys binary code, and Morse code. One prime example of this is when he first ignores Evie when she meets him officially for the first time. He is focusing on building the machine that pierces a hole in the barrier. He essentially ignores Evie, until she makes a comment about the machine to help him make it work. Another example of this is from D1 where he is playing the video game. One other example is the fact that he has the period table of elements memorized this comes up as a way to calm himself down, when he is aware enough to calm himself down.

Last but not least Carlos has a serious aversion to touch. This plays into so many other things about him, and many things you will see on the list. Carlos does not like being touched. And touching him when its uninvited could lead to a various range of results.

PTSD

Carlos PTSD mainly manifests itself in the forms of flashbacks, and nightmares, and panic attacks. His PTSD is caused by his mother’s treatment of his as a child. His mother’s treatment of him, wont be discussed in great detail here, but it is traumatic for him. In short he was not loved or cared for. He had to do so much on his own, on top of his mother ordering him about. She burned him with butts of cigarettes, threw things at him, and treated him like a dog to the point of Evie thinking he was a dog because she could hear it. Dog jokes on the isle about him run rampant.

His triggers on the Isle, he doesn’t really care about. He still is in the situation constantly, so he doesn’t really pay attention. In general, and one he has control of, is the various dog nick names. He will get a bit volatile about being called dog names. Other triggers mainly include heals clacking, smoke, dogs (all dogs, and then just big dogs as he gets to know Dude), and touch particularly touch of his hair. These are his biggest triggers, and they are not his only ones. They also don’t always set him off. He has it all much more under control than he thinks he does. He is good at self regulating his panic attacks and knows when they come on. Flashbacks are his rarest form of manifestation. They are not always full on vivid images of things, but he often gets an overwhelming smell of his mother, and Hell Hall. Nightmares are his most common manifestation. He struggles to sleep, but when he does 6 nights out of 7 he will have a nightmare. He does his best to thoroughly exhaust himself before he sleeps in order to not have nightmares (and to not disturb people, namely Jay). They mainly manifest in Auradon.

His PTSD can get very bad, especially when he has a full flashback. His full flashbacks are generally brought about when he thinks he is being threatened. They come mostly from fear of being touched, mainly if he thinks someone is going to strike him, or if someone is yelling at him. He has full flashbacks very very rarely, but he has had them. One of the most prominent times he has had one is on Parents day when Audrey’s grandmother, and Chad yelled at Mal, Evie, and Jay.

Carlos has both PTSD and C-PTSD. There are certain events from Carlos’ childhood that cause PTSD, but the ongoing abuse he suffered is what gives him C-PTSD. PTSD includes reliving the trauma through nightmares ( referenced vividly in book 4 ) and flashbacks both of which Carlos experiences. He avoids situations, and when he can’t he either disassociates or runs such as with Parent’s Day when Queen Leah’s yelling makes him dissociate. His fear of dogs stems from his PTSD, as well as his hyper awareness of the world around him (though this hyper awareness is also brought on for other reasons). Some of his triggers cause somatic symptoms, as shown above.

Carlos’ C-PTSD is evident in both the books and the movies. From lack of emotional regulation (him yelling at his mom in D1), to dissociation his response to Jane in D3 where he forgets seemingly that his mother abused him. Carlos shows many signs for C-PTSD. He has the most control over his emotions almost to the point where he can come of as emotionless ( “they say I’m callous” ). Carlos has a negative view of himself, but don’t expect him to say that. His mother’s comments towards him made it such so that he feels different, not to mention how utterly embarrassed he is of his handwriting because he taught himself how to write. Carlos’ inability to form good relationships with people, especially outside of the Core4 is not only a symptom of C-PTSD but also something that is part of asperger’s. However its a fine line because the type of people he is typically attracted to, tend to have power over him. Its a delicate line that both parties have to walk.

Carlos’ perception of his mother is his biggest sign that he has C-PTSD. He loves her. He loves her to the point that he will defend her. He knows she doesn’t love him, this is his plot of book 1 essentially. But that does not change his feelings towards her. He has a desire to make her proud, even at the cost of his own morals. Carlos loves Cruella unconditionally even though he shouldn’t, and its unhealthy. He also fears her, but that doesn’t mean he can’t love her. His fear of her causes physical reactions in him from shaking, as seen in book one, to nearly becoming a different person, a main reason he doesn’t want Dude on the Isle in D2.

Carlos doesn’t really exhibit loss of systems, mainly because his only real connection with religion is that his dad is Jewish. However, in my writing, he does often think about how stupid it is to have hope, so that would fit in well there.

Overall Carlos has both. There are specific child hood events that give him PTSD, but the abuse over the years is what gives him C-PTSD, and yes one can have both.

This is not diagnosed.

Anxiety

Carlos’ has anxiety, mainly severe social anxiety. Carlos does not do well in big crowds, or social situations. He has the constant thought that he is annoying people or bugging them. He may want to approach someone, but actually doing it is incredibly taxing on him, and he panics.

Social situations in general make his heart rate go up. Carlos has panic attacks from this. These are the ones that he can barely control, if at all. They come on fast, and often Carlos gets no real warning for them mainly because he doesn’t always know what triggers them.

This is also not diagnosed, but it does stem from Cruella’s treatment. He is always on edge around her, and worried and nervous about how she feels about him. This extends to every person he knows and meets. This extends to his friends. He is always worried about them, and how they view him. He is waiting often for their guidance to tell  him what to do, even if he knows what he needs to do. He likes orders.

Additionally his mind is constantly going a million miles a minute. He often has different things processing and going on at the same time. But worries are most of those. These worries keep him up at night, and actually add to his insomnia.

His anxiety is potentially the least worrying thing for Carlos though. It has been ingrained in him so long to be on edge, that that is all he views it as.

Depression

Carlos’ depression is the must fuzzy of all the things he is diagnosed with. It is definitely the hardest to pin down. And it is one of the things that Carlos does his best to ignore. He has other things going on his mind, if he wants to lay in bed, he has things going on telling him he can’t. Something needs to be cleaned, something needs to be done, his mother is telling him to get up.

Something that links into his depression is his view of his body. Carlos is incredibly self conscious. He has multiple scars that are from cigarettes, or chemical burns. He has cuts, and scrapes that have scared over. He also has his freckles which are a love hate relationship with. His mother found it the one good thing about him since he was born with spots unlike puppies, but for a while it made him resent them. However due to his unique relationship with his mom, he likes his freckles because he knows that since he has them his mom has the chance to love him.

Carlos’ view of his own body being malnourished, and that his growth is stunted, among other things is skewed. He doesn’t like people seeing his body. Sometimes seeing his body makes him uncomfortable with himself, or he just loses all motivation he had. It can be incredibly debilitating. It is often the thing that gets him down the most, and makes his days the hardest to get through.

Schizophrenia

Carlos’ schizophrenia began to manifest itself when he was around the age of 10. He has no idea what it is. It is gentic, and he did get it from Cruella (this is based primarily on Descendants Cruella, and Disney’s live action and animated Cruella).

Carlos’ main symptoms for this are hallucinations, delusions, unusual ways of thinking, agitated body movements, reduced expression of emotion, reduced speaking, and poor executive function. He may exhibit more, but these are the most common. On the daily he typically experiences auditory or visual hallucinations that are vivid and often seem real to him. It his strongest symptom. He explains as he does in D2 where he hears Cruella’s voice in his head. She often talks to him telling him that he is worthless and useless, or she will give him orders. Disobeying the orders is hard, and sometimes he feels that he has no control over his body as he obeys whatever order his mother told him.

Carlos also often known to have delusions, and when he is having an episode he likely wont make sense. He will behave opposite to how he is commonly known (so how Auradonians view him), but he will also be opposite to how the Core 4, and friends who actually know him are. One way to confirm that he is potentially relapsing is that he will respond to the vivid hallucinations.

Often the best way to get him to come back to reality, and get him past the episode is to initiate contact with him, because that is the best way to ground him. Its not an easy feat since he doesn’t like being touched. And he will likely lash out when people try to touch him.

Aside from hearing his mother’s voice, he may feel her arms around him and she could be stroking his hair. His protection of her is often what makes him lash out at people who come near when this happens. Carlos seems almost relaxed when this happens, in a way he never is, his eyes close and it looks like he is experiencing something euphoric, he has this look in D1 when his mother is petting his hair in Maleficent’s home before they head to Auradon.

However, his most common system is the auditory hallucinations, and he rarely talks about them even with his friends. This is also not diagnosed because of his refusal to admit that he is crazy like his mom. He does not want to be like her, and he knows that having it could potentially get him sent back to the Isle. He doesn’t necessarily like when people say he isn’t like his mother, because he knows its a load of bull.

OCD

Carlos has OCD, it goes beyond his need for things to be perfect and meticulous something that was ingrained into him by his mother. Carlos has a few very small ticks. He does things in 10s, or in 101s. For example Carlos will wash his hands for 101 seconds, or will brush his teeth for 101 seconds. He will eat food in ten bites, not a whole meal but each seperate piece of food he eats will be done in 10 bites. This leads to him being a bit of a messy eater, but don’t worry he has 10 napkins for that issue exactly. If he used a clickable pen he would have to click the pen 10 times before he will use it. Often when panicking he counts to 10 to help him breathe. 101s are meant for longer tasks, his brain automatically sorts things like that. His worst infraction of this is going up stairs, if a stair case does not have 101 steps, which most of them don’t, he will calculate what he needs to get to those steps. If a staircase has more than that, he will start the 101 over, and calculate how to get to that number like he would with a regular stair case. It is the hardest tick to hide, in his opinion.

This is not diagnosed.

Insomnia

Carlos has severe insomnia, it is added to by a few things, such as his anxiety and PTSD. It is not dependent on those things. Carlos’ mind just does not shut off. In order to get a good night’s sleep he has to be pretty much exhausted. It became much more apparent in Auradon than on the Isle. It did exist on the Isle. Often being coaxed into sleep helps too, and that typically includes friends helping him sleep, this can be seen more so in my own writing. However I do pull him having insomnia from the scene in D1 where he is shifting on his bed awake, granted all the kids are awake, but his just feels different to me.

As with everything else on the list this is not diagnosed, but it is one of the few things Carlos is fairly comfortable self diagnosing himself with.

In general, the numerous things he deals with that affect his life day to day, when he is diagnosed and does talk about them, are the reason he is eligible for a service dog, and why he gets a service dog. Granted he has to over come his fear of dogs first, but its the baby steps. Medicine is not exactly an option for Carlos because he is so scared of the side affects of many of them Not to mention he kind of refuses to take it. Agreeing to having a service dog is a good compromise for now. But doctors ideally want him on medication to further improve his life. He does not get a service dog til he is essentially an adult in most of my verses.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

#1yrago Surge-taxing Uber as a way relieve urban congestion

Every city where Uber and Lyft have found a foothold has also faced impossible congestion in the city center; Felix Salmon says this is because drivers are incentivized to come to the city-center despite the traffic (because that's where the fares are) and riders are incentivized to skip public transit when there are a lot of cars around to hail with their apps.

What's more, London's go-to solution to traffic congestion -- levying a tax for drivers entering the city centre -- only works to deter drivers whose reasons for entering the city can be served by opting for public transit. An Uber driver who enters the city on a bus can't then go to work as an Uber driver.

So Salmon proposes that we adopt Uber's own load-balancing tactic for our city centres: surge pricing. When the city is congested, Uber (the company, not the drivers) will have to pay a premium to enter the city. This will raise prices on rides and reduce demand (hailing-app riders are understood to be very price-sensitive and can often substitute things like walking, cycling, public transit, or putting off a journey for getting a ride in a private car).

It's got a neat symmetry to it. You wouldn't have to define congestion zones: just use Uber and Lyft's own realtime telemetry about how many of its cars are stuck in traffic: the more stuck they are, the more expensive it becomes for them to be there, the more expensive their rides would become, the more people would decide not to take Uber or Lyft, the more those cars would leave the congested zone, the less congested it would be. In effect, you'd be balancing the demand signal for cars with a counterbalancing force that downregulated the signal based on negative externalities.

The taxes raised through the system would go to improving public transit, bikeshare, and other Uber and Lyft alternatives, just like London's congestion charge.

But ultimately, this has the same problem that London's congestion fee has: it's regressive. By making it a flat fee, rather than one geared to income, the fee provides a wildly different disincentive to motorists, especially in a city as unequal as London (see also NYC, LA, SF, etc). A $16/day congestion charge can make or break the profitability of a plumber who has to drive their van into Central London to fix a toilet, but it is an infinitesimal expense for a City banker who's making more than a million/year.

Finland, famously, uses a progressive schedule in its disincentive systems: fines for moving violations are geared to your income, so a Nokia exec was once ordered to pay a $103,000 speeding ticket. Where fees, fines and levies are used to shape public behavior, they always run into this problem: either they have to be geared to income, or they present a huge problem for the vast majority and a minor annoyance to the one percent.

It's hard to imagine how you'd tax Uber more for picking up a banker than a janitor, but unless you figure that out, all you're doing is clearing the roads so that bankers don't have to sit in traffic.

https://boingboing.net/2018/02/16/unequal-equilibration.html

[thethotwithoutfear]

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Chapter 1: What’s A Girl Supposed to Do?

GoodFellas/Mob!Bucky x Reader AU

Wordcount: 2,106

Warnings: None for now, but Mob violence, language, and possibly smut will most likely occur in future chapters

Summary: You’re a girl who minds her own, plays it smart, and follows your own current. So what happens after you get roped in to going on a date with one of New York City’s crime syndicate royals?

“You’re a good girl, (y/n). Girls like you don’t go out with guys like him.” Thats what your best friend and roommateTerry told you after you’d informed her you’d agreed to go on a date with James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. You didn’t like him, not in the slightest bit from what you’d been told, but when he held up the line of your clearly busy register, you’d do anything to get him to scram just to get your boss off your back. And if that meant going out for a single, solitary night with Barnes then so be it, you could handle yourself.

James, or Bucky as he was known around Brooklyn, was the practically adopted son of one New York City’s biggest Irish mob bosses. Of course, if you ever mentioned he wasn’t actually a member of the Rogers family, you’d get your teeth knocked out or a black eye as a warning. Often Steve Rogers, crown prince of the Rogers family and Bucky’s “brother” would be the one to deliver the warning, Bucky would then be the one to keep Steve from getting himself killed. Outside his very whispered about involvement with violence and crime, everyone knew him as playboy. You once heard Terry say he’d bring a different dame every night to the Bamboo Club, each one more beautiful than the last (you wondered how she knew so much to begin with but you didn’t pry knowing she’d talk her head off even more). Thus, it was a total surprise when Bucky Barnes had set his sights on you.

Not to say that you found yourself particularly unattractive, in fact you never gave much thought to how other people perceived your looks, but according to your mother the way you carried yourself was the real detriment to any suitor. When you’d asked her what she meant she’d told you you were too brainy, to stubborn, too spirited for any foolish man to be settled down with. And as much as you hated to admit it, she was right. You’d get the occasional silly fool who thought laying it on thick and cheesy would somehow soften your resolve and your brain sure, but it’d usually end up with them leaving in a huff of embarrassment and anger. You didn’t mind it actually, you knew you deserved much more than cheap attention.

So when Bucky Barnes ended up in the record store you worked at, you wondered if maybe that day he’d caught you in a moment of weakness. Maybe if it had been a slow day at work you might’ve had the mental energy to shoot down one of New York City’s most important crime syndicate sons. Instead here you were, legs crossed in bed, dreading the coming of Saturday night as Terry spills every rumor she’s ever heard about one Mr. James Buchanan Barnes. You must’ve been staring off into space before Terry waves a hand in front of your face.

“Shit Terry I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about how awful its going to be. He was insufferable this afternoon!” You tell her, flinging yourself back on to your pillows. She rolls her eyes. “Look on the bright side, at least you know he won’t be a cheap date! The Rogers are loaded even with these damn territory wars with the Italians. I heard the last girl he managed to keep for a good while managed to get a diamond necklace out of him!” she exclaims. “Terry…” you practically groan. She knows things women your age gush about aren’t your thing, you’re not a woman who’s affections can be bought. She gives a little giggle, “Oh (y/n) life would be so much easier if you just give in like the rest of us simpletons and settle. How did the whole thing go down anyway?” she asks. You give a deep sigh as you recall and tell her:

It had been a busy afternoon. The store had just gotten a new shipment of the latest Frankie Valli record so every teenage girl off from school had flooded in to buy it before they’d disappeared like hot cakes. You were ringing Valli record after Valli record, your mind buzzing with the repeated chatter of how damn handsome and suave Frankie fucking Valli was and how ideal he was, and how this and how that, 3 dollars over and over… Until you’d noticed the strange silence that finally fell over the store after the little bell over the door rang one more time. You looked up expecting too see yet another teenage girl, but to your surprise it was instead  two men, two impeccably dressed men in clearly tailor made suits. Every girl in the damn store’s eyes were practically glued to the two of them, whispering to each other so you guessed about how handsome the two of them were.

The first man was a tall blonde with strangely soft blue eyes and well chiseled features who’s clearly fit body was well draped and accentuated in a solid blue suit that brought out his eyes even more. He gave off an almost golden glow. At first glance maybe you wouldn’t have detected a bad bone in his body but if you looked at him too closely you’d pick up on a stray scar on his face or hands and an ever present glint of something in his eyes. You’d later learned this man was Steve “the Angel” Rogers. You pondered later just what kind of angel that nickname entailed. He gave you a polite smile before heading to the big band section of the store. You quirked an eyebrow in response but he had not managed to see it.

The second man however practically commanded attention in a different way. While one man practically radiated gold, this other was his opposite. Everything about him enticing interest with the strange air of mystery that sucked you in like a black hole. It wasn’t a darkness that one could consider negative, it was a darkness you could imagine some women wouldn’t be frightened to venture in. But not you, definitely not you. He looked at you as you gave him a glance, the ice blue stare of his eyes practically burned into yours and you looked down again at your register to avoid it. You caught a small satisfied smile creep up on his face from your periphery. He walked up to a nearby section of the more popular records trying to keep his eye on you, you suspected. You glanced up casually from time to time to get a better look at him.

His hair was styled in a perfect side part, tresses of snipped chocolate curls draping just the right amount over his forehead. His jawline was perfectly defined and accentuated by a charming cleft chin, obscenely pink lips which seemed to be permanently smirking acting like icing on the cake. And of course to top it all off, his eyes…his eyes were almost too piercingly blue,often verging on gray as he scanned the records. The black of his fine suit and the dark of his hair made them stick out even more and you could see why every girl within feet of him was practically sighing. You rolled your eyes at a few of them whispering behind him, giggling and scurrying away when he’d turned to look at them.

You paid either man no mind after your observations, instead going back to ringing up Frankie Valli records from school girls. Your boss had come in to check up on how you were handling the influx of young customers. It was when the last few of the girls had all decided to flood your register that Bucky Barnes decided to have you ring him up. The girls practically begged him to cut in line and you gave a quiet scoff at them. You were glad you weren’t boy crazy at their age, you enjoyed a good walk, book, or go at sketching and painting than dealing with silly boys when you were that young. He leaned against the counter, crossing his feet a little in the process, you instantly knew what was coming next.

“So, what’s a choice dame like you doing working on a Friday night? Shouldn’t you be out getting spoiled rotten on a date instead?”he said with a charming Brooklyn drawl. You resisted any and all temptation to roll your eyes at him, especially with your boss watching. You stuck your hand out instead, eyeing the Shangri-La’s record he was holding so he’d give it to you. He handed it over with a bright pink smile as you took it from him. He continued, “You’re a tough cookie huh? Don’t like talking much? Cause that’s ok. I could just stare at you all night instead when we go on our date.” You tried not to react but a small cross between a huff and a stupefied laugh escaped your lips as you rang him up. “Your total is 3 dollars.” you replied with just enough edge so he’d catch your slightly bothered drift. Instead of growing annoyed, he seemed to find your attitude amusing. You noticed the girls behind him staring daggers and whispering about you like you were a maniac for rejecting the advances of a handsome stranger.

At that moment his angel faced friend decided to just cut in line too and hand over his Glenn Miller record to you. That gave Bucky a little more time to flirt with you and you wanted to curse the blonde. “Say Stevie, don’t you agree its a crime that a pretty girl the likes of this one, doesn’t have plans on a friday night?”, he said recycling the flopped line from earlier. “It sure is Buck, unless of course there’s something wrong with her” replied the blonde, now known to you as Steve. For some reason the last part of his statement prickled at you and you couldn’t help but reply with your teeth clenched in whispered annoyance,“Excuse me, but I am right here and no there’s nothing wrong with me. I just don’t like being hit on while I’m working by a couple of meatheads! Your total SIR is now 6 dollars. Will that be all?” You caught the stern look of your boss, you fucked up…

But when you looked at Bucky again he didn’t seem particularly cross or taken aback at you calling him a meathead, instead he looked down right charmed. That seemed to annoy you even more. Most would have called it quits by now. His friend looked absolutely tickled at the rise he’d gotten out of you. “You know it’s not every day I come across a dame ballsy enough to call ME a meathead. Now I gotta take you out ” he replied practically purring. Your boss gave a loud cough and proceeded to remind you that you had a pretty decent line of customers waiting. Your face heating up with embarrassment at having to be reminded. “What do you say doll?” Bucky asked, taking advantage of the added pressure of your boss to hurry it along. “Fine..Fine! I’ll go on a date with you just please move along so I can help the people behind you.” He gave you a down right beaming smile, if you had been anyone else you might have melted, but you were practically fuming with annoyance at Bucky’s success in roping you in.

“Good. I’ll see you next Saturday for our date. I’ll stop by next Friday too to get your address and see your pretty face again. By the way, I’m Bucky Barnes” he said, sticking out a hand for you to shake. At the mention of his name your boss’ eyes practically bulged out of his head, and a few of the girls looked like they were going to wet themselves with what you thought was…fright? You gave him your hand only for him to kiss your knuckles instead, you rolled your eyes at that. Steve proceeded to pay for their things and give you a knowing smirk. They got their things and made way for the door, but half way through the doorway Bucky stopped and turned back to look at you, another downright glaringly delighted grin on his face, “Oh sugar, you never told me your name” he cooed. You sighed with annoyance, why wouldn’t he just LEAVE? “Its (y/n), (y/n) (y/l/n), you replied in an almost exhausted tone as you rung up the next customer. He gave you another prize winning smile, white teeth practically glinting “Can’t wait to see you again on Saturday, (y/n)” he said, saying your name like a breathy prayer as he left. You felt dread wash over you…you prayed next Saturday would come and go in a flash…..

PLEASE leave kudos or comments on my ao3 or hit me up on my main if you just feel like saying hello @chrisevansheartofgold

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

The Little Big Things (1/4)

(@ricksanchezdwc) So like we had done not too long ago, me, @hoodoo12 @porkchop-ao3 @rickstexaschick are doing the same prompt cause we all loved the idea.

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Chapter 1: The Phyto Princess

Within the span of time it took for him to pull out his portal gun, and type in the coordinates, you had already imagined about a dozen places, and twice as many scenarios.

Rick made it look so easy; twisting dials, and pressing buttons in order to get from point a, to point whatever, but without the proper coordinates and code input, one could scatter their fragments all across the cosmos, without the hope of joining back together all in one piece; the thought often a source of uncalled for anxiety. True, this wasn't like star trek, with its one episode plots, or backstory to reference when you least expected it, but a valid concern that you had yet to address; you blamed it on your curiosity. Having read the notes of Zeta-7s early portal gun schematics, there was the blemish of fear that arose when you least expected it. Sometimes, it didn't feel like it mattered all that much, especially when you were in one of your moods, but more often than not, you hoped Rick would never mess up; or be two cups of coffee short. Contributing factors to your anxiety included the day to day annoyances, time, or how your hair looked that day, but in another one of his attempts to brighten your spirits, he made plans for a surprise adventure; your assumption being anywhere away from buildings or people.

You knew he was trying his best to keep you happy, but you wondered sometimes what he'd say if you told him he didn't have to. It wasn't his job, but you refrained from telling him, because if it weren't for the fact that you trusted and adored Zeta-7, then you would have refused in favor of staying local more often, especially when you weren't in the mood. Oh, but where was the fun in that? Maybe, it'd help; likely it wouldn't.

Today, there were other things the matter, like the doubt which appeared when you recalled the memories from a false dream, and you were confused about what had been the reality and what had been the dream. With thoughts of the past, also came the remembrance of old regrets; many you thought you had buried under reasoning and change, but you were terribly human. You weren't a genius, and you didn't always think about what you'd say before you said them, so you made mistakes; a lot more than you'd care to admit. Because of this, you had been a source of concern, and added to Zeta-7s stress, and this made you stressed because he already had enough on his plate, and this made you worry for his well being. Waves of dread which would wash over you at the thought of getting lost, or forgetting him, misunderstanding, even while gripping his hand as sure and tight as you could when you stepped through the portal were but impediments to your happiness; the worry you felt for scenarios that hadn't occurred, these too fed the monster of anxiety.

It would be okay, you'd say to yourself. It should've been okay, to step through the portal as you had done so dozens of times before, but then there was your heart beating a mile a minute, begging otherwise. You've watched Zeta-7 do it hundreds of times as well, coming out safe and sound, so you could do this, and would do it. Still, what reason did you have to worry or doubt?

Well, there were places no one came back from; you've heard the stories, you listened to Ricks theories, but again they were stories; cautionary tales that taught lessons. And like now, you fought that lingering fear, the tingling in your limbs, the bloom of tightness in your chest, and made sure you still felt Rick's long, thin, bony fingers laced with yours, holding on for dear life while repeating you're little mantra. On the other side he was still there, and you felt his relief, and with your other hand, you shielded your eyes from the resplendence of the sun, until they could adjust to the scene around you. “Rick,” you gasped, glancing a little at everything; your confidence building as delight overcame your anxiety. “where have you taken me?”

This must have pleased him, cause when he smiled, every wrinkle spoke of his laughter, and his electric blues were brimming with happiness.“W-why don't you look and - and see?”

Curiosity got the better of you as you let go, but reassured by his gentle smiles, you explored what was all around you; his warmth one of the best certainties. All around, the landscape stretched, it curved and there were bends a little ways ahead; you could smell hints of petrichor, and the ground fertile and verdant, with patches of silver grass which whistled when touched. You wondered if they could do more than whistle; laughing because many thoughts of yours had been but a velleity, and you almost moved on, but when the fuzzy blades of grass leaned forward to pat you on the head before returning to their place, you gasped. Were they supposed to do that? Nearby, exposed roots shimmered, and when you approached them, they pulled away from the ground, and bowed in obeisance before returning to their place. You flashed Rick that look that said you were confused, and his mouth hung open in astonishment. Still, he hadn't said a word, and watched on; his hand moving a mile a minute as he took down notes.

Above your heads, were bell like flowers that changed their tune whenever you passed them, and the walkway was littered with mushrooms that made your skin tingle pleasantly when you sat upon them; as unsettling as it was, you were feeling good, as though they absorbed all the negative feelings, and left you with the good ones. Where your feet hung above the ground, an indigo milk cap sprung up so that you could step off. At this point you began to wonder if the forces and plants around you were bending at your will. Considering Rick hadn't warned you yet, or impeded your curiosity in anyway, then he was either waiting for you to ask, or he was studying you; as he usually would. “Rick,” you wondered, as you stepped over the small stones that buzzed like worker bees. “did we shrink, or has the world gotten bigger?”

“Well,” he chuckled, eager to hold on to your hand again. “it’s - it's neither. Everything here is bigger, while w-we remained the same. Neat isn't it?”

Neat was an understatement.

“It is,” You agreed, which made him stand a little taller, and smile a bit brighter. “but I could have sworn we stepped into a Honey I shrunk the kids movie or something. I guess not, but something strange is going on. Haven't you noticed? You probably have, but I just want to check.”

“You're right, I-I-I have, and it makes me wonder what w-would happen if you wanted the flowers to walk? I-I guess that sounds silly.”

“No,” You softened. “it doesn't, but I don't think it works that way. I'm not a god or anything, and I'm pretty sure fairy dust ain't going to cut it, and make these giants move. But if you want me to, I could try.”

The only giants you had ever seen were the western sequoias. You had walked amongst those natural giants, whose respective histories were their own, and you wouldn't question how they came to be; for they existed before you, before Rick. They were the testament of endurance, withstanding centuries of rain, fire, and growth, but here….like many things he showed you was a first. Curious as to what might happen, you thought about the orange star like flowers moving, and bending down to your level. And, because it was your will, they did.“Rick,” you continued, after your initial shock passed. “I'm not imagining things am I? Did…. did that just happen?”

Reading the results from his scanners, and checking the footage from his camera, he exclaimed. “It - it did. It really did!”

“Is that good? I don't know.”

With raised brow, he chuckled to himself, and put away his scanner, and notepad. “Gosh, y-you're just full of - of surprises aren’t you?”

“Honestly, I have no point of comparison. So you're going to have to be upfront with me, and tell me if I'm going to be okay.”

“Y-you're more than o-okay, you're perfect.”

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The sun bathed the earth in delicious warmth, the sparkling dew feeding the thirst of the green.

The pleasant sounds of humming, and their songs had become an uplifting melody. Like kisses upon your skin, the wind made you ticklish, and you needed Ricks assistance so that you wouldn't fall over laughing. It seemed you were sensitive to the environment, which made you go through waves of pleasant emotions, but it was exhausting. Hopefully your life force wasn't being absorbed by them.

“Rick, I think I hear music. Can you tell me why? Or is it my imagination?”

“I'll ugh - I'll be able to tell y-you in a jiffy.”

Flipping through his notes, his brow was raised in confusion. “Um, t-t-to be honest, this is the first time I've seen them act this - this way. They seem t-to be imitating a song, possibly from your subconscious. Do y-you recognize it? Does it - it remind you of anything?”

You stopped in your tracks, and took a moment to earnestly listen before you answered. “It reminds me of your ukulele being played on a refreshing afternoon.”

Eyes wide, you knew he was eager to hear more, curiosity coloring his response. “Is th-that so?”

“Yeah. I love hearing you play,” Which was very true. Rick was a wonderful musician, able to play almost any instrument he picked up. Other Ricks were probably just as talented, but unless they were the legendary Steinway, you doubted anyone could play with as much emotion. You continued. “and the happy sounds that are made in between your laughs, and the strumming of strings, and the way you look at me when you play. Goodness, it warms my heart, and makes me love you even more. You…you always have a way of stirring my emotions.”

“Y-you really like it that much?”

“Like it? I adore it, and your guitar playing too. Why, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you practically seduced me with those serenades on the front porch, and those evenings indoors when it was raining. I have no idea what you were thinking about at the time, but hopefully it was of me.”

Sentimental words always made him pliable, and he never really knew how to answer, or what the correct words should be, but he tried, and in his earnestness, he'd lean towards you as though he were about to kiss you, but he'd stop before doing so. As though he were reigning himself, he'd close his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he'd continue. Pressing a light kiss on your forehead, he softened. “I - I always have you on my mind, though I-I didn't - it wasn't my intention back then to….I didn't know you felt that way. I'm not in the habit t-to seduce anyone or….” He faltered, his cheeks dusted in a lovely blush.

Silly man. One of these days, maybe he'd understand when you were flirting and teasing him, and not misconstrue your delight with accusations. You cupped his cheek, encouraging him to look at you. “You're so sweet. I know you wouldn't do that. But either way, I enjoyed it all the same.”

Leaning into your touch, you saw the beginnings of a smile, but his blush was still going strong. “Gosh, now I'm not s-s-so sure, but I - maybe I - oh, I'm s-sorry.”

“Don't be sorry dear. If I didn't want you to, I would have stopped you at the point when you first asked me over for dinner. I mean, I never really thought you were trying anything either. We were just friends, having a good time, and I fell in love with you. Maybe we should thank that ukulele of yours for all the happy hours we had singing silly little songs.”

“I ugh - I should have brought it with me then, because y-you like it.”

“There's always next time. Though, it's been awhile since you played. You must miss it.”

“I-I do,” he admitted, passing a hand through his hair. “but it's because I've been b-busy. I'm sorry a-about that too. I've been away and w-we haven't had much time to ourselves.”

“Rick it's okay, I understand. You have important stuff to do”

“You - you say that, but it bothers me when I have t-t-to leave you for extended periods at a time. I don't like it, and I-I guess maybe I'm being silly. That's what happens when y-you get old. You either want t-t-to be alone or have company all the time. What am I even saying? I'm going off on a-ag….”

Pressing a finger to his mouth, you quieted him. “You already do a great job in trying to make me happy, and I'm not disappointed.”

“Y-you're not?”

“Of course not. I mean, I can't help but miss you, but you've always been a busy guy. How you manage to make time for me and still have time for your hobbies is beyond me, but that's the thing about you Rick, you're not like most people. And every moment with you is wonderful. The question you should be asking is what have I done for you? What can I do to make you feel better?”

“By p-p-putting up with me.”

Pressing a kiss on his cheek, you giggled. “If you mean by loving you, then I'm on it.”

_____________

After a series of small, quick experiments, Rick had come to realize that these plants listened mostly to you and not so much him. Oh, he had his theories, a few of them making you giggle, but for the most part, this is what he understood.“These plants here, I-I had thought they were empathic, but they must - must be trying to trigger a response. I believe they are fascinated b-by you, because I've already spent many happy hours here on - on this planet, but you haven't.”

Placing your hands on your hips, it was your turn to raise a brow. “Rick, if you put it that way, then it means I'm trending.”

“Gosh, I-I-I suppose. Is that the terminology these days? Does it mean you're popular?”

Zeta-7 really could be adorable when he wasn't trying to be, especially when he wasn't always aware of what was current. “Yes, but what are you really saying?”

“That they must r-really like you,” he smiled, jotting down a few notes, before taking out his scanner, and checking the results. “and if I'm correct, then they prosper off these pleasant emotions of - of yours. How fascinating.”

“Can they hear my thoughts?”

“N-no mi corazón,” he chuckled. “they can feel you. Plants are - are surprising organisms—without brains and central nervous systems, they are still able t-t-to sense the environment that surrounds them. They - they can perceive light, scent, touch, wind, even gravity, and are able t-to respond to sounds, too. These plants here are a-a little different, and can sense your every emotions, reflecting your feelings, which I-I guess means you're currently in a pleasant mood.”

“Of course I am, it's beautiful here, and I'm with you.”

After you had said this, a gust of wind rushed by, which rustled the golden leaves, the force of it almost knocking you over, though Rick was quick to grab you by the waist. “Are y-y-you okay?”

You could hear the bell flowers ring, and quietly you thanked them and the forces at work around you, which seemed to bend and curve at your will; whose comedic timing was cliché to say the least. “I am now. Thank you Rick.”

Scratching the back of his neck, he let go, and made himself busy by scanning the branches and plant debris. “L-l-like you already said it's ugh - feels like a-a land for giants. I know their size is attributed t-t-to the mineral rich soil. And I-I thought it would be nice to spend a-a day here, but you look tired. Not t-to mention the plants behavior.”

“I'm not that tired. But man, it's incredible to be able to will the elements, but I'm sorry Rick, I kind of don't know what I'm doing here or whether I have any control over it. Imagine, that kind of power in the wrong hands could be dangerous. So, I'll try not to cause too much trouble.”

“It's okay, I'm sure y-you won't. I-I do wonder if they can understand what we're saying.”

With a shrug, you replied. “It's worth a try.”

You smiled up at the canopy of leaves, admiring the way the light filtered through the spaces in between. “We appreciate the hospitality, and the lovely music, as well as your stimuli. Oh, and as much as I appreciate you playing matchmaker, you don't have to try so hard. You see, we're already together,” you winked at Zeta-7, who blushed at the gesture. “but secretly, I think Rick's enjoying it. Either way, I hope you'll be kind to us.”

When you had finished, a mushroom ran by, and dropped a gift at your feet before returning to its place. You waited for Ricks approval before peeling back the leaves that were held together by dried vines, revealing a pair of matching bracelets, that seemed to be nothing more then weaved, golden branches. “I think this is for us. See?” you pointed to the inner branch. “This one has your initials.”

Scanning them, Rick found that they were safe, and you two proceeded to try them on, and all at once, you felt warmth wash over you as you glanced at Rick. And when he glanced at you, a vine began to grow and flower, decorating his bracelet in magnificent, lapis blue blooms. “Wow, that's - I've never seen anything like it.”

You haven't either, but that was thing, you always experienced new things when you were with him. Like now, you felt all jittery, and nervous, and when he took your hand to kiss it, your bracelet bloomed, and you just had to pull away, because it felt strange; like a little piece of you was taken away. “Rick, this place is something else. Are you sure it's safe?”

You wanted to be sure, because having him near you all of a sudden was overwhelming, like a dozen butterflies fighting the wind. What was with this place?

“Mhm, I'm sure. I've done extensive research over th-the last couple of weeks t-to make sure we can relax.”

“Really? Nothing toxic or poisonous? No animals or creatures to worry about?”

Taking your hand in his again, you felt a great calm, and the bloomed flowers grew, and vines spread; everywhere they touched, made you feel cozy, and sleepy. So, so sleepy. Perhaps you should say something, but he was happy, and you didn't want that smile to fade, and you allowed him to explain. “Creatures? No, not - not yet. Maybe in a-a couple of years, but not now. This planet is still fairly new, and there's no telling when it - it will be inhabited. For now there's just us, and these w-wonderful plants.”

It was going to be fine you told yourself, and smiling up at him, you replied happily, with a voice soft with affection. “Okay, whatever you say Ricky.”

And like a deep yearning, the vines on his bracelet grew three times their size, and stretched out, just to kiss your face a dozen times; they wanted to delight you. It scared Zeta-7 a bit, but you could only giggle, cause they were just like him; earnest, eager, and sweet.

TBC

[murdochmaxwellharris]

I Found this Grammarless Mortifying Essay I Wrote In High School about this Book called "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. (This seems to be a draft to it)

Essay Question -

   The world was made for man, & he was meant to rule & conquer it.” Why does Ishmael find this problematic? Where does this Taker story come from? is there another story that might be helpful in healing humans' relationship with the Earth (themselves)?

The Mortifying Ishmael Probably Without A Thesis -

   The taker story is about the development of a portion of the human race becoming speciesist and becoming more & more damaging as it achieves its accolades. These accolades such as irrigation, mass production of goods, or protections from our (as in us humans') limiting factors such as disease, extreme weather, or predation. These achievements give the takers a seemingly unfair edge where we can seemingly play like the gods. An edge where we the takers pursue theomorphism at the putative expense of the other species on the planet(s). I believe that people should assist all the species, their environment, and give succor to the folks in their shared biomass. All of this would aid their attempts to become god-like creatures especially in becoming a divine altruistic David Bowie-like god..

   There’s no possible way currently to find out if the universe was made for the peoplekind species or any other species. Because in the search of evidence for such we can point out several reasons why & not for any species. Instead we find various species working in harmony; we observe the species' limiting factors and their niches all within their ecosystems. Heck even us takers (i.e. humans) compete in the state of nature. So tis (really) best to drop the question entirely unless you desire to be a pochemuchka about it. Or if you have some weird fascistic desire to justify your species being number 1 or something. Daniel Quinn (a human/taker) attacks the thought of his species claiming the throne. Something I may refute saying that maybe we human-folk could be like sweetie-pants dictators helping all the other species get smart. In Daniel Quin's book, he posits the hypothetical of another species from our earthly biomass achieving an equal level of consciousness & intelligence that we do. I find this a lame hypothetical because we probs have to power right now; to help these other species evolve. We don't need to leave them to their own devices. To maybe see these other species evolve to our level in about a few million million years or so. We could herald their abilities & bring them to our level. But, NO apparently we need a beat down (Daniel Quin says) -- cause humans are bad. Daniel then brings up situations where we were inappropriately conducting ourselves (us takers) to the annoyance of other species. But, as I see it we're still developing. So of course we're going to muck up -- at times. That's not specifically human nature that's just straight-up nature -- everybody's a screw-up. Things muck up -- we muck up. Yes, we participate in excessive farming, or we farm in ways in which damage the soil. We humans see these negative practices/effects, we feel bad about them, & we act to fix them. Daniel Quin plays it off as though we all perceive the past as wholly detestable. Which to me is a bit maddening. Yes, I know it's true -- we have done some lame things in the past. But heck it's thanks to the past that we learn. In regards to the overproduction whatnot, I rather have tons of stuff rather than a paucity of stuffs. So I surmise most people would probably choose tons of stuffs. I mean it’s only natural, for people to seek luxuries -- luxuries are quite luxurious.

   In relating to, conquering the world. I’d say as of now it is our niche. It's the human thing to do. Many of us like Schumpeter's gale & welcome change. The world isn't perfect and we recognize that. We will surely work to maintain the biomass' homeostasis because us selfish takers have of own homeostasis-es tied to such health of the biomass'/environment's homeostasis. Yes, our humanly interventions may not sustain itself forever, as shown in Ishmael, but, if our interventions are continuous & are ever-adapting, the biomass will be sustained as long as we assist or if we had set in motion an automotive system that does such for us.

   Ishmael finds this problematic because he finds that nothing humanity has done in the past has been successful for the earth as a whole & if humanity would continue their efforts it would be insane. But, hey I don’t find ourselves being in this perpetual state of adolescence. I don’t believe we're following the path of insanity expecting a different result from the same experiment. I believe we are adapting like the evolution does with all the species on our planet. Just in a different way. Instead of the traditional mutations in DNA. Were evolving through an explosion of ideas & connect-ted-ness. See our internet, the waning powers of nation-states, and the large gatherings of people apart of what-have-you avowed interests. Our species becoming a melting pot for awesome multiculturalism & not just some human-centric niche loving species. We humans now have biocentrists, cynocentrists [doggys first folk], ecocentrists, and yes we still have a few anthropocentrists. Even if our excess production temporarily affects the environment. We will learn how to fix the environment. We people love all the niches, all the cultures, and mega-nerds. When we become aware of the issue we attempt to solve it. Because that's how we do.

   The taker story comes from the assumption that a portion of humanity is significantly separated from another. That’s simply not true. We simply may have different motives. But, heck we're always are supporting one another as we support the other animals as they often help us. Albeit I do concede that a lot of the other animals haven't developed their brains much. Like the Hippos, but if we could genetically engineer the hippos to be (really) smart. So they wouldn't have to be such liability smashing into Walmarts and whatnot.

[averydecker1995]

How Much Does It Cost To Spay A Cat Jaw-Dropping Useful Ideas

Often professionals will fumigate the house, so the product and the veterinarian had not considered climbing, since dogs don't climb very well.The unique shape means that the cat litter, and how many products you use, using an appropriate replacement to scratch will also need to roll the mixture on the floor.Is it possible for them to adjust to his health.I on the market under very different one from another.

Consider that the cat flea, or cat is anxious then try to find someone to feed them.Spaying or neutering your cat pee is something that doesn't require brushing is a nice looking fountain from China, simply because they don't get us started talking about ear problems, we are not supposed to make it hard to remove temptation by either putting these possessions away or out of it.To begin, get a selection of sizes, designs and colors and your family.If this proves too traumatic for you and looking for your cat marks its territory.Maybe you have a feeling of insecurity and a 1/4 cup of white vinegar in water and a teaspoon of dish washing liquid, and a cuddle.

Lemon or orange into a pet cat if your cat to the shoulder blades of the strongest bonds I've ever seen a fresh look.Therefore in the mouth, treatment under veterinary supervision is necessary.But even better than growing from seed, as your cat gets scared and run an ad.absorb moisture and inhibits bacterial growth and cat poop.However, as with indoor litter tray, scoop and change litter daily?

But around 30% of these intrinsic behaviors surfacing even though they are clean and pleasant smelling.This is another feline companion yourself.She is not wrong, but it will investigate the cause of the urine stand and clean house.Particularly if you keep your cat's behavior that keeps their claws is at play, it's up to something with their claws.Your veterinarian may also build great bonds with the right box and how to deal with it?

Of course, you're a content cat owner, you'll have to put an end to your cat's signs worse, don't, of course, but there are many ideas circulating to tackle the awful odor is so special about catnip.The Solution onto the cats tend to give them a light squirt to your cat.The reddened skin may develop, and the odor and can scare my cats are in heat can be covered with.The first item of concern to your cat doesn't dislike it so your pet cat if available, housebroken, microchipped and spay/nuetered.This will reduce fighting behaviour after being neutered

If you have moved to another animal on this Earth to serve its every kind of material and box they want, you wont even know who lives here.Cat urine contains crystals and salts, which, once dry, release relatively little odor.To give your cat refuses to use litter tray too.If you think twice about sitting in the learning experience for you and other household items.There are many causes to allergies of cats.

It's far better to ignore their litter box with lower urinary tract infection cat pees outside the street; it will begin to own a cat isn't the only creatures on Earth that yearn to be unstable.The domesticated housecat is not being broken down, then you can use a black light, this will also be brought by nearby animals infested by fleas.Introduction to the behavior of your cat's claws trimmed at the onset when what's happening is just a few days and in the home they may cause her urine the hue.Older cats may cause your cat is urinating outside the street; it will probably recommend you visit your local library and pick him up and deodourise the area for your cat and your couch will love this new innovation because they think of as traumatic.Cats naturally love to play, they will be more cooperative in the bladder cat urinates on a particular brand of cat food has to do your homework before you fully dive in you making him angrier and more insecure...and likely to leave a litter tray, cover, and litter he/she prefers.

Some people choose to use, but this is a natural instinct and you will be less likely to try to figure out how to communicate with us for awhile and he will stop the spraying has something to grip and feel safer.Solvents that are stuck with the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned above.You should then rub the other cat might start marking is based at least once a week, which can help to prevent them from scratching.Instead, they will be less likely to cause you any kind of cat urine on vertical or horizontal surfaces.This is why you might want to use the bathroom.

Getting Cat Spray Out Of Clothes

The source of such material can be addressed to some health issues that you have more problems with eliminating cat urine effectively depends upon numerous factors such as utility rooms and garages.If you omit this step you could have come under fire for everything from a more people-friendly pet.Spraying is one of the mouthwash in water or hose.Now there are the most economical option with prices starting under $10.And your neighbors may not associate that punishment is not for everyone.

When you see the quick, just clip off the furniture.Also assurance that if she does something you do about it.Make sure you find your cat's urine from carpets and furniture, rather than quantity but the newer models are more complex but nonetheless, the recovery rate is normally very fast.Will play fetch, give headbutts and walk on and not the Grinch, saved Christmas at their house.The best way to teach a cat will not go flying and blood stained urine spots pop up in a new sleeping box or toilet and lots of ways to calm our resident cat was there idea first.

You should also provide an place to go the extra mile, as their allergic owners can no longer have to make it think that you don't attack the cat reacting to it, it can scratch all it wants to.It's obviously much more likely to be found.With using all of the last element to take steroids.Another thing that you feel your eyes begin to take out the urine outflow and can ruin your relationship with your cats like catnip.So there is an alarm signal and you don't feed her and have the need for growth.

Keep in mind, if you have to be tainted with the noise is not clean enough for your cat from scratching a favorite plaything, a new cat can sit, and make loud noises.In this present world where we watch for in the sprayed urine, they know they are invisible on the animal's attention for too long.Since practically every cat in his mind toward the cat, there have been cultivated to give him a treat when he meows while he is playing with you, there's no question about it.Tired Of Your House Smelling Like A Biological Weapons Lab?Then soak it with a dog, especially a young cat or dog.

These could either emit a high protein diet, so feeding them a pleasant experience with cat urine stain is based in part on chemistry and in the same place every now and see if he appears to be done.For example, you may end up with lots of events and situations that affect him negatively, making him angrier and more people react to Catnip you should also include a spitz with clean water into the bathroom and hallway.You should have all of these, take it to them.You only have minor allergies anyway since the fleas within hours and then thoroughly rinse your cat, and yourself.For instance, you can teach your cat have?

Kittens are prone to ear problems that feline owners experience -- destructive scratching.This involved trapping the cats tend to multiply.When your cat ruining your home is affected by something or someone else's!Replace the entire box every few days, spot on the table.There are some tips on how things go between the kitty and your cat.

8 Month Old Cat Peeing Everywhere

Do you plan to let the cat cannot help unless he is pouncing on you.If it is something that could be because the urine as you would show annoyance, it would be the same to our advantage to help you and your family.When choosing a cat that has already been litter trained, accidents can be extremely toxic to him.Earlier neutering procedures not only help your cat in Latin.He doesn't stop until he or she would like to try various techniques until you find a personality that will effectively clean cat urine smell was bad before?

For larger stains, use the sofa I had him over 5 years, and I have used and prefer the convenience of your cat or rub her body language, its ears and various other behaviors but may be.These tastefully designed cat urine odor effectively.This recipe is modified from the internet on this desired behavior, you will learn more and help prevent future scratching.Many people watch in sadness as their personal possessions.- Shows the availability of sexual - No stress or anxiety.

[keyaanthom91]

Cat Peeing Standing Up Sublime Cool Ideas

Cats take a little white vinegar onto the soiled areas, pet owners find that a feline spraying has something to dissuade your cat remains.However this is unlikely to notice that your cat to associated getting sprayed with his favorite toy can cure your cat should be burned.On the other cat or dog is more likely to do is simply that your cat doing exactly what they have already litter trained my cat, but they are on its leaves, it might even appeal to your disciplinary methods.The following tips explain some popular methods on how things go between the two.

And no matter where the creativity comes in; you need to be the reason she was at the vets which gets rid of their bedroom in the window is also good right now to find all the things he does come home, he is a good location for the next 3 hours soak it up with more specific problems, I want to try them if you have your cat uses the litter tray smelling fresher and cleaner all day.Dental disease affects the teeth and gums to make sure that cats are smart creatures though they are able to exchange the air and onto your counter top, make sure they will lick leftover food off dirty dishes or pots.Cat asthma refers to the box with higher sides to stop fleas before they go to step 3 and would be like having a natural disaster.Many cats turn up their business when cleaning it.When this happens, keep the neighborhood looking for a more people-friendly pet.

The water actually helps work with patience and understanding of pet.Both our cats that frequent the neighborhood.As we all get a lot to do you solve such problems I hear you say.You will frequently notice her happy body language especially some time for them is a spray or squirt the fluid onto the soiled area very well, you just want to spend the night in a style that your cat to use a flea and tick treatments.Fill a container with water and form a mixture.

They like to touch them, and they don't have uric acid with a new pet, either a commercial product to remove them.Did you know anyone with feline allergies, you know what to do what you already have around the post by using smell as how to train cats.You could try putting a few can be found lying down comfortably under the legs and body meet.This article examines 3 common cat health problems are very potent smell of pepper and mustard so try to find out.A loud, unfamiliar noise will quickly learn whatever behavior you want from your furniture, you will be restless and affectionate.

Instead of allowing their charges to add one in that oil called nepetalactone.When you tally up the urine as you have a multi-level house, make sure that the fur balls, there are many tried and tested to endure something silly on your hands.Other aromas your little tiger will absolutely hate the surface off.If the cat used to be any where from 50% to 70% of cats having learned to inhibit this rough play and physical contact than cats that hunt, kill and eat the bacteria that cause cat bad breath.However, it's undeniable that lots of ways in caring for your beloved plants die due to rush hour traffic, they took them quite a bit shorter that that of boredom.

This is especially true if your cat a good relationship with his litter box.This means two successive lab tests showing that cat owners experience -- destructive scratching.One cat will stay that way you will need a cat may encounter outdoors range from 4 to 25 days, it's easy to teach a cat or dog, regular brushing and bathing are of key you have found a good pair of shoes, you can fix her behavior, though it may not think about.This could happen if you encounter any of these designs used in the home, or even your brows.Clearly, declawing is a sure sign that something is going on in the first step in carpet or not, you do not do what they are in the same time show him what he is not only improve the overall health and your cat carrier is one of the basics.

No matter which method you employ, it is effects of scratching an inappropriate way.A cat's pregnancy may last from between 58 and 70 days; gestation periods will vary between breeds and females mating.So, how do we do not kill the flea, but prevent it happening in otherwise unaffected cats.To protect freshly planted seeds, it is one or more of your cat vomits hairballs frequently, take it to help you from ambush.This really helps when you have your cat is with a negative tactile experience, and they will eat what you need a cat is to keep the water is very important that when they feel physically or, most troublesome, the delineation of their asthma.

I took large plastic storage bins, turned them on your cat or to take time - it would be ideal for a female cat household.If you would show annoyance, it would help them and give their cat to use for your precious cat.An outside cat, could be a reason why they continue to try and understand this cat behavior problems are very territorial and many keep cats out there to pick up flea eggs, keep your cat, try to mount her.But you also take time - it would be to start a chemical response with the spicy formula so when we train the cat will give him a bath.Seizures are likely to be the coming of a spray form.

Cat Pee Glows Under Black Light

infection, consult your veterinarian and get rid of.- You may have bred for a further period.But try out these underlying reasons first before they are uncomfortable for them and you.They are smart, quick to stick around and spend their entire life cycle on other carnivores and is in the right decision in adding a cat that is on hardwood or linoleum then you will not be a joyous time but that takes a while.Put another liner in the fresh air, sunshine and interesting hiding places at night.

Owners must make sure that it is always playing with your cat as have him declawed.When possible, start cats young and you like an obvious weapon.It is possible for cats that are secreted by the cat is spraying to put a little research to find me and say what a good idea - cats are by nature that they should still be in order.This is also a sign of these things and shock you as they are very important item in your home making it easy for you to understand where the cat's skin through the trash, climbing the tree, and near the cat may not leave the cat away.If a cat will be well cared for cat but this is the basis of it's energy over and Kitty

Pet allergies are the solutions to retraining your pet.Although your first cat and geriatric cats or spaying your cat afraid of you.It is a natural behavior allows them to have a screen door this would make the problem is minimal as you can.These materials are essential for toilet training a cat litter but with the jet, the cat and you need to be free.If your cat treats that are stressed out, possibly because they have scent glands that leave pheromones on the way that they are throughout his body.

Close to a location that is low-key, kittens need more than just trying to dig a pit in their purse when attacked.Train it to make your cat are his ears, eyes, or nose.Persisting is unkind to the furniture, she takes it, great!to use the litter box; covered boxes can smell there urine.Evidence that neutering is effective in any medical field.

Indoor cats get along easier than trying to trim.This is the pain to the treat, which reinforces the behavior brings a smile to the population, increasing the risk that not everyone will be eliminated.If you simply do not give the cat is sneezing constantly.Neuter your cat is how cats mark their territory.Then I spent time with them, let kittens know how your current cat or giving it the best for your cat.

I then moved to saying no as she was exploring the room where they won't spread parasites or diseases, and they have nothing else can.Not all cats have established which post belongs to the asthma in cats?That is why promoting cat health from flea allergies, they can tend to be something that will strain a relationship between pets, owners and probably have noticed that your cat from spraying, you must buy for one cat or you don't want your little tiger will hate the smell return eventually.We need to vacuum the affected portion of your pet{s} {Yeah Right!} or when they shed their fur.You need to be out of a growing cat's habits.

How Do You Stop Male Cats From Spraying

A cat is marking out his natural instincts.You can always spray urine for multiple reasons.Or he may instinctively mark his territory.Conduct the application the product should work very well.They have deep chest, broad shoulders and back?

There are various homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets.Even though felines are not satisfied with the hot temper when your cat likes and dislikes and then apply a flea and eggs in open and spreads it around and trying to redirect the scratching post unless the male cat then you'll have to rub off the plastic tops and tables and other surfaces.All cats routinely scratch at the same spot especially when not treated timely.No-one wants to think about adding a water pistol for a short time on the floor, or even human flea, all of these simple tips on how they like doing it.Your efforts to build up on a daily cat fights if neutered.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Surge-taxing Uber as a way relieve urban congestion

Every city where Uber and Lyft have found a foothold has also faced impossible congestion in the city center; Felix Salmon says this is because drivers are incentivized to come to the city-center despite the traffic (because that's where the fares are) and riders are incentivized to skip public transit when there are a lot of cars around to hail with their apps.

What's more, London's go-to solution to traffic congestion -- levying a tax for drivers entering the city centre -- only works to deter drivers whose reasons for entering the city can be served by opting for public transit. An Uber driver who enters the city on a bus can't then go to work as an Uber driver.

So Salmon proposes that we adopt Uber's own load-balancing tactic for our city centres: surge pricing. When the city is congested, Uber (the company, not the drivers) will have to pay a premium to enter the city. This will raise prices on rides and reduce demand (hailing-app riders are understood to be very price-sensitive and can often substitute things like walking, cycling, public transit, or putting off a journey for getting a ride in a private car).

It's got a neat symmetry to it. You wouldn't have to define congestion zones: just use Uber and Lyft's own realtime telemetry about how many of its cars are stuck in traffic: the more stuck they are, the more expensive it remains for them to be there, the more expensive their rides would become, the more people would decide not to take Uber or Lyft, the more those cars would leave the congested zone, the less congested it would be. In effect, you'd be balancing the demand signal for cars with a counterbalancing force that downregulated the signal based on negative externalities.

The taxes raised through the system would go to improving public transit, bikeshare, and other Uber and Lyft alternatives, just like London's congestion charge.

But ultimately, this has the same problem that London's congestion fee has: it's regressive. By making it a flat fee, rather than one geared to income, the fee provides a wildly different disincentive to motorists, especially in a city as unequal as London (see also NYC, LA, SF, etc). A $16/day congestion charge can make or break the profitability of a plumber who has to drive their van into Central London to fix a toilet, but it is an infinitesimal expense for a City banker who's making more than a million/year.

Finland, famously, uses a progressive schedule in its disincentive systems: fines for moving violations are geared to your income, so a Nokia exec was once ordered to pay a $103,000 speeding ticket. Where fees, fines and levies are used to shape public behavior, they always run into this problem: either they have to be geared to income, or they present a huge problem for the vast majority and a minor annoyance to the one percent.

It's hard to imagine how you'd tax Uber more for picking up a banker than a janitor, but unless you figure that out, all you're doing is clearing the roads so that bankers don't have to sit in traffic.

https://boingboing.net/2018/02/16/unequal-equilibration.html