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stefankarlfanblog · 3 years

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I'm going to translate a series of articles that Stefán Karl wrote for the news website of Kvennablaðið, unfortunately Kvennablaðið has been discontinued and the site no longer exists.

But thankfully, the articles that Stefán Karl wrote were archived on archive.org and as a way to archive them further, I'm going to translate all of them.

Something to note first, while the text is intact, a lot of the images weren't archived properly so they're lost, I'm also going to leave some misspellings as is in the articles just for the sake of archiving.

This is part 3 of 8:

Original article: https://web.archive.org/web/20170720095645/http://kvennabladid.is/2015/08/08/paradisarfuglinn-chad/

The bird of paradise Chad

Published on 8 August. 2015 Categorized as COUNTRY & NATION Tags: CHAD JASON • MAKE-UP ARTIST• HAPPINESS • GRINCH • SYMPATHY • FRIENDSHIP

I will never forget the night on Hverfisgatan. Bar 46. It was in the June of 2012. One of my best friends and colleagues, Chad Jason, took hold of me, kissed me and pressed himself against me. I was saying goodbye to him for the last time, but I didn't know any better than that we would meet again in autumn just as last autumn when we started our work in the play of the Grinch.

There he made me up every day and brought me into the role, sometimes several times a day. Then we'd look deep into each other's eyes many times a day.

But when I looked in front of him that night, his eyes were full of tears, he had never shown me so much emotion before, he had never really shown me when he was depressed or sad. If something went wrong he laughed and smiled, made fun of it all. When he got angry, he was quick to put things in a different context, make a mockery of himself and make someone laugh and think that everything was fine.

Chad Jason died in October 2012, alone at a hospital in Queens, New York, after refusing treatment for a disease that plagued him. When he finally fell into a coma and his strength dried up, the doctors were able to start the treatment and give him a cocktail of injectable medicine, but by then it was too late.

He didn't need to die, he could have kept going, he could have continued to live life but he chose not to.

Why, we never get to know for sure, but he had already told me many things, told me what had driven him in his day.

He had already told me how his mother made him eat out of the trash at home when he was little, how the siblings had to pee in a bucket in the yard because she didn't have time to pay the water bill, that his siblings had to steal food as to not starve and later how his sister and brother rejected him because of his homosexuality.

He also told me about how his sister later became a psychologist for homosexual couples and tried to reconcile with him. He told me he couldn't love anyone, how he has no respect for himself and how he works around the clock so as not to have to listen to his thoughts - because then he always heard those voices of the past that told him that he was not free to love anyone he wanted.

The makeup artist is not just a makeup artist

Good make-up artists become one's best friends, psychologists. The first people you meet when you come to work in the theater and those who leave the theater with you in the evening.

The make-up artist reads you immediately, shocks you or calms you down, depending on what you need when you step into the theater from the whirlpool of reality outside the theater.

It can be compared to having a lover which you can tell everything to and that tells you everything. We trusted each other, and during the thousands of hours we spent together in closed locker rooms across the United States, I heard his stories, stories that I am only now able to put into context. I don't think it's fair when I think back and the more I think about it, the more I hear him repeat the same things over and over again. Maybe I'm only now listening to him.

Now I understand why and much better how important it is for us to come together, all as one, and to support diversity.

Now I understand so much better what it means when Páll Óskar sings "I am as I am" and now I understand how important it is when we walk together today and listen to each other and hear what we say, loving, hand in hand.

Chad was like that lover, the lover I needed then and I love him for what he really wanted to be but never got to experience.

I loved him as himself, this wonderfully beautiful drag queen he wanted to be with the gold and silver feathered wings that rose to the sky in the final tone of the night queen. Unforgettable as a national hero, the Argentinian Evita Peron.

In heaven, the audience stand around his soul, I'm sure. They shout:

"Bravo Chad, you are beautiful, beautiful like a bird of paradise."

Chad, I love you.

Here is a video that Chad put together where he shows how Grinch came to be:

youtube

#stefán karl stefánsson #stefan karl stefansson #stefan karl #stefán karl #2015 #kvennablaðið #how the grinch stole christmas #youtube

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bbwcasey · 3 years

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Warning - vulnerable post. Honesty hour.

I've always been fairly committed to sharing every bit of this journey with you guys. The good, the bad, and everything in between. As you can see [here], the other night I took a trip down memory lane with some photos from my very first days as a paid web model from 2015/2016. I forgot that these photos even existed and finding them was a bit.. emotional. I barely 20 years old and that was my old college dorm room. I'm going to unpack a few things for us because I think it's really incredible to acknowledge how far I've come.. and everything I had to overcome to get here that I believe only a few of you OG's really know about.

So of course there is the obvious - SO HOT. It's so hot to see how small I was back then compared to where I am now. Now, these were taken in 2015. This was my very first time gaining, then I lost it due to the experience I had. Then regained back in late 2017/2018 very slowly also with some up and downs, and then more rapidly in 2020, and now here we are in 2021. It's wild for me to look at those photos. I thought I was absolutely HUGE back then. I was so obviously pushing my belly out in every photo to appear bigger... something I can't even do now because my belly is just in a constant state of bloated due to my never-ending feasting. Seeing those photos and realizing how small I was... holy fuck. I don't think I've ever gotten off so hard on my before photos in my life. I am very open minded to taking some time to recreate those photos for a Curvage photoset, just give me some time because I am busier than ever at work right now. I will work on this for us

But then here's where I am going to get a bit vulnerable... if you're just here to get off, I suggest skipping this part.

We look at those photos and it's so hot, right? It's so hot to see how small I was compared to now like I explained above. However, what you guys can't see.. but what I sadly remember so vividly - is the pain in my eyes, the constant fear and worry that filled my chest, and the heartache and consequences that experience caused me. Perhaps I was too young. Perhaps I was too naive. I 100% take a level of self responsibility here. I could've been smarter and I could've been more cautious. I also could have never signed on with that demon of a site. However, I did. And I found myself trapped in a situation that was both unsafe and life changing. During a time in my life in college that was supposed to spent happy and carefree - I was living in complete fear and crippling anxiety. That was when I was "doxxed", as we now call it. Did that doxxing end up being the biggest blessing in disguise years down the road as I now live the most carefree, honest, and open life? Absolutely. Sure, I love now that my life is pretty much an open book. It's very empowering and freeing. But I should have been able to make that decision for myself.. and it was taken from me and hurt many people that I love. Even beyond that, however, so much other negativity was happening. I can't even put it into words. This ultimately resulted in my leaving our beautiful community for a while.

But what's incredible is knowing how much I suffered and looking at where I am now. There was so much I had to overcome mentally and emotionally and personally due to that experience. SO much healing. Even after that, when I re-entered the community in 2017... I held back for SO long out of fear and a bit of PTSD. But now here I am... living the most fulfilled life. Surely people in my life don't get what I do. And that's fine, they don't have to. But they still love me. They're still in my world. I've had so many positive relationships since then, formed so many friendships with people just like me, and am living my dreams with this beautiful body I was given and have grown. I have the best friends, fans, supporters, and lurkers. Heck, I even have pretty respectful haters. I am so fucking blessed. As soon as I realized all of this and healed some of that trauma... I think that is when my weight really started to soar upward more freely.

What I am trying to say is - thank you. Thank you so fucking much for being in my corner always. I love you all.

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sockablock · 4 years

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When in sudden need of a place to stay, Caleb Widogast finds a room for rent at a price so low he can’t believe his luck. Ignoring the worries of his friends, he moves in and quickly finds himself tangled up in the life of one Essek Thelyss, a reclusive scholar who may be even more socially awkward than Caleb himself.

(start) - (next)

Chapter 1: Likewise, Mr. Thelyss

“It sounds suspicious,” Beauregard said. “There’s no way. He’s going to steal your organs.”

“I doubt—”

“Read my lips: no way.” She folded up a piece of paper and tossed it across the table. “Seriously, at a price like that? There’s gotta be a catch. Or…or there’s some kind of crime.”

Caleb Widogast tried to look reassuring. He largely failed, but this was normal.

“Ach,” he said, “is it so hard to believe that just maybe, my luck is turning around?”

She slowly broke apart a lemon muffin.

“Yes.”

She offered him half, which he glumly accepted.

The two of them were seated together at a table in the Wayfarer’s Cove, a small diner tucked away on the edge of the piers of Nicodranas. The windows here, though a bit stained, overlooked the Restless Wharf at noon, providing a clear view of tangled docks, bobbing ships, waves rushing up the harbor and sailors, merchants, and deckhands hard at work. Flocks of seagulls and the occasional migratory albatross swooped in overhead, their cries swelling up along the wordless stream of noise.

Back in the faded pleather seats of their diner, Caleb finished his muffin and brushed the crumbs off his hands.

“What other choice do I have, Beauregard? I am in no rush to return to the Empire—”

“Hear, hear—”

“—but I have nowhere to live if I remain here. This city is expensive. More expensive than I anticipated.”

Beau picked up her mug of coffee. “You could stay with Fjord and Caduceus,” she said. “Or you could tell Nott that you aren’t moving out.”

“But I promised. And more than that, I offered.” He ran a hand through his hair and immediately regretted the decision. It was sticky.

“Take the offer back,” Beau shrugged. She watched him fumble with a napkin. “Gods know the place is just as much yours as it’s hers. And it’s not so small that four of you couldn’t…well. I guess four is kind of a lot—”

“And Luc is five years old,” Caleb sighed. “He will be noisy enough for six people.”

“A Library—”

“Your library?”

She gave him a stern look. “I told you, it’s still being established. You’re going to have to wait another six months.”

He smiled faintly. “It was worth a shot, no? And anyway, I doubt even a Cobalt Library would let some uncredited stranger stay the night.”

“It’s shit that you’re doing this, you know that?” She took another sip of coffee. “I mean, it’s nice, but it’s this…this sort of self-sacrificial thing that’s gonna end badly.”

“Maybe,” he said, in a tone that suggested even “maybe” was too much of an agreement. “Nevertheless, I think it is the right thing to do. Nott has spent so much time separated from her family that she truly deserves this. She was missing them quite a bit anyway, and at least this way she will not be leaving us.”

Beau’s hard expression eased just a little. “Will she be…okay with them around? You know, in her cond—”

“She says she’s made arrangements. And anyway, I feel like I am getting closer. It just…will take time. And the sooner I firm up my own living situation, the sooner I can get back to work helping hers.”

Beau studied his face, and finally relented. “Alright, well…I wish I could help.”

Caleb stared into his mug. “I do not think I can stay with Fjord and Caduceus,” he said instead. “Their apartment is…very small. And I think they are still saving up to move somewhere else.”

“Gods, I mean, if Yasha hadn’t moved in with me and Jes after, well, after y’know—”

Caleb smiled again. This time, it almost reached his eyes. “I will see about this perspective roommate,” he said firmly. “Who knows? Maybe I am getting lucky.”

— — —

“—after the tone.”

Caleb rubbed his face and set down the phone. Filling his room—though doing that wasn’t very hard—were all of his worldly possessions, packed away.

He smoothed out the flyer, a bit rumpled now from its time shoved in his pockets, and read it over.

SEEKING: TENANT FOR HOUSE

One room Available to Rent $300/Month Internet Access, On-Site Laundry

Must be Quiet, Organized, Willing to Sort Recycling

NO DOGS

At least, he mused, scanning the last line, there would be no issue with dogs. And Caleb naturally was a quiet person, very amenable to learning how recycling worked. Beauregard’s accusations from earlier this morning did flit briefly through his mind, but in the face of a rental price that low, any concern of impending doom was promptly, seamlessly, quashed.

Besides, it wasn’t as if Caleb couldn’t defend himself. A single spool of silver thread went a long way.

He glanced at the number again, and re-dialed.

— — —

“No, Verin, as much as I appreciated your help, I do not think it will be necessary anymore.”

“Is it because of just the one recommendation? Because if you let me try again—"

From behind the kitchen counter, his microwave whirring and a coffee mid-pour, a young dark elf with short-cropped hair did his very best to hide a scowl.

“Verin, your recommendation came back every night at two in the morning and never once locked the door. He also clearly did not understand how to do his chores. And he left hair in the shower.”

“Ah, but he was quiet, wasn’t he?” This was followed by the sound of something smashing on the other line.

Essek sighed. His brother was many things—a good friend, a compassionate person, a true confidant—but calm or quiet was not one of them.

“Perhaps by your standards, Verin. Certainly not mine.”

Another noise, like someone laughing, then footfalls.

“You should lower your standards, then! You’re in a foreign city surrounded by strangers, and probably every one with different customs.”

“I was under the impression that silence was a universal language.”

“I think that is love. Or, actually, Common—”

Essek rolled his eyes and glanced at the microwave, which had just finished beeping. Leftovers from last night, re-heated, a delicacy for the preoccupied scholar. He slid over to retrieve it, lowered his phone, and only then did he notice the message across his screen: CALL INCOMING.

This wasn’t a number he knew, but with a growing sense of dread he noticed that it had already tried to call him twice…

He abandoned his lunch and pressed the phone to his ear.

“—but if Undercommon exists, then what does that say about us, really—”

“Shut up, Verin! Someone’s calling!”

“It—wait, what?”

“I’m hanging up! I’ll call you later!”

“Yes, you’d better! I still haven’t asked you about the—”

Essek ended the call. He took the briefest pause to compose himself, then hit answer.

“He—”

“Hal—”

A pause.

“I am so—”

“My apolog—”

They both stopped.

Essek began counting to ten. When he hit six, the voice on the other end of the line said:

“Ah, er, hallo, my name is Caleb Widogast, I am calling in regards to your, ah, your advertisement. Am I speaking to Mr. Essek Thelyss?”

Essek sat back down. “Yes,” he said smoothly. “I am Essek. You’re interested in the apartment?”

There was the faint rustle of fabric. “Yes. I am quite interested in renting.”

There was another pause. At the count of three, Essek gave up and took the initiative. “I am happy to hear that,” he said. “Have you reviewed the fee and the conditions? Do you have any questions?”

More rustling. This time it sounded like paper. “Er…no, actually. I am happy to agree to your requirements. Er…I do, ah, have…I have a cat—but, but if that is too unwelcome—”

“No, no,” Essek waved a hand. “A cat is more than fine. There is…yes, there should be space in a corner of the living room for…cat…things. Boxes. And…bowls? Yes, so long as you are amenable to cleaning up after, er, him?”

“Him,” the voice confirmed. “Frumpkin.”

“I see, er…charming.” Different customs, Verin had said. “Well, if there are no other issues, I would be happy to begin renting to you as soon as possible. I should mention, though, that while the clauses I stated earlier are the most important to me, I would also like to negotiate a contract with you regarding other details.”

“Oh, er…of course. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, they mostly focus on the division of space and…promises to keep? I would like my bedroom and study to remain off-limits, but you are welcome to any common areas you would like. I do not take up much space in the fridge, so if you wish to cook, that is fine, however I also ask you not leave a mess. Smaller details of this nature.”

“That is completely understandable,” the voice said. “If I am being honest, I believe it will make establishing boundaries and navigating our living situation much more clear-cut.”

“I am delighted you think so,” Essek said, finding that he actually was. “If that is the case, then…I would be happy to have you move in as soon as possible. Mister…Mr. Widogast, was it?”

“Ja. And that would be perfect. I, er, when exactly would you be ready to have me arrive?”

Essek tapped his chin. “Well, I normally do not spend much time in the unit, to be honest. But I was home this morning cleaning up after the last tenant, so the room will be available tonight.”

“Tonight!” There was a pause, and then a shuffle. “If that is no rush, then tonight is wonderful.”

“Excellent.” With one hand he nudged the microwave open again and retrieved his lunch. “In that case, I will see you tonight. I look forward to meeting you, Mr. Widogast.”

Essek heard a chuckle. And then he realized he’d been smiling as well.

“Likewise, Mr. Thelyss. See you tonight.”

— — —

“No.”

“Aw, come on—”

“No. I mean it.”

“But why not, Caleb?”

“She does have a point, you know,” Nott called from her perch atop the car. “We don’t know anything about this guy. He could be dangerous.”

“He could be a murderer,” said Jester. She was helping Caleb load the very last of his belongings onto the trunk. One last cardboard box joined to two smaller boxes, and a trunk.

“You will scare him into evicting me if you storm his building like that,” Caleb said. “And anyway, He sounded polite on the phone. I will not be getting a better price.”

“Luring you in with rent to die for,” Jester nodded.

He elected to ignore this, and instead turned to Nott. “It is not a bad neighborhood, either. I am sure everything will be fine.”

“But…are you really sure?” she asked. “I mean…if you need more time to look around, Yeza and Luc won’t be here for two more days.”

“I know, and thank you,” he said gently, “but I doubt two more days will be necessary.”

“I feel like I’m kicking you out,” she said wretchedly. “This was your house for as long as it was mine. And you’re my…well, I shouldn’t do this to you—”

Caleb quickly shook his head. “Do not say that, please, do not. It is more important to me that you and your husband will have a place to be together. Truly together, for once, and with your son.”

“If the apothecary hadn’t burned down—”

“But it did,” he said. “And now here we are. Do not worry. Please, do not worry.”

She met his gaze. “You’ll have to visit,” she said eventually. “Every weekend. And weekdays. At least twice.”

He nodded immediately. “I will do my best. You have my promise.”

She hopped down from the roof of the car, a landing so perfect any acrobat would be proud. Three foot four of determined goblin wrapped as much of him as she could into a hug.

He crouched down and hugged her back. After a moment, Jester joined in for the spirit of things. Her charms jingled and jangled as she moved.

And eventually, when Caleb was dimly beginning to realize they were blocking the sidewalk—

“You two, I am not leaving for another hour.” His voice was muffled. He was also feeling a bit warm.

“That’s nothing,” said Jester.

“I don’t care,” said Nott. “I’m going to miss you.”

“I am just a phone call away. Barely a bus ride.”

“And don’t you forget it.” She finally pulled back, and quickly wiped at her eyes. “You hear me?”

He smiled. Quite easily. “Loud and clear, Miss the Brave. I do.”

Jester tapped the side of the car. “Beau says she doesn’t need this ‘til later tonight. We could go out for some food?” Her voice was hopeful. “There’s a really good place that I heard about that does these big milkshakes—”

Nott elbowed her. “Does it have real food too? Or just sugary drinks?”

“Oh, they have burgers, and pizza, and fries, and—”

Nott’s mouth threatened to split her face in two. This was happiness, in goblin form.

Caleb ruffled her hair. “Let’s do it. I am starving just thinking about it.”

— — —

Essek had only just rolled up his sleeves and wiped the condensation from his brow when the phone rang.

He glanced back, and his eyes lost their glow. The faint sensation of coiling wind faded from the interior of the room. About half a dozen various cleaning implements clattered to the floor.

Annoyed, he waved a hand and floated his phone over. Then he scowled.

“Can it wait? I am in the middle of something.”

“Well, if it is something more pressing than the greatest Dunamantic breakthrough of this century—”

“Yes, yes, alright,” he responded testily. “What is it?”

“I believe you will want to see this in person.” This voice was a smooth baritone, lightly accented by something airy, and old. “Besides, it is quite difficult to make progress without our resident expert—”

Part of Essek wrinkled his nose. The other part, a part that he would not readily acknowledge, nor likely even recognize, puffed out its chest.

“I…have a prior engagement tonight,” he said, but was already beginning to itch for the study. His mother once said that knowledge was a disease, and right now he could hardly disagree. “How much time will this take?”

“I believe that is up to you, is it not? It is your artifact—”

“I am glad you remember.”

Silence followed, and Essek basked in the little victory. He floated his coat across the room.

“Give me a moment to get ready and write a message,” he relented. “I will be there soon.”

He could practically hear the pleased smile without seeing it. “Excellent. I await your arrival.”

Click.

He sighed again. Of course, he wanted to chalk this up to…to his associate being overly nosy and much too eager to flex his authority, but the fact of the matter was that he very rarely bothered with Essek unless it was important. Which, naturally, had its own problems, but at least it let Essek keep to his own schedule.

It was just a shame that he would have to miss the arrival of his new tenant. He hoped it wouldn’t set a bad first impression—well, second impression, technically. The first one…already it had been two missed phone calls and a stiff conversation.

He found a piece of paper and uncapped a pen.

Then again, he wasn’t here to make a friend, was he? Of course not. He was just being self-sufficient.

Mr. Widogast, he wrote. Unfortunately, I have been called away for an emergency at work…

— — —

And it was only about twenty minutes later, as he let himself into the Marquis’s guesthouse, that he realized he should probably text his tenant the house code.

— — —

“Maybe we should’ve brought him something too,” said Nott, leaning on the side of the car, watching Jester and Caleb lift one last box. An orange tabby cat wound between her legs.

“Scheisse, I did not think of that,” Caleb blinked. “Er��do you think it is too late to visit a store?”

“A store?” Jester shook her head. “What are you going to get him, a bag of chips?”

“Well, er, no, but…perhaps an ice cream…”

He leaned against the stack of boxes and caught his breath. When he looked back up, there was pity in their eyes.

“Caleb,” said Nott, “that’s a terrible gift.”

“What? I…really? I thought…don’t people like them?”

Jester reached across his luggage and gave him a pat.

“I got an extra slice of blueberry cheesecake,” she said. “I was going to save it for later, but…I think you should give that to him.”

“Oh, Jester, I cannot—”

“Do it,” she insisted. “If you’re not going to let me meet him, then at least I want to help you make a good impression.”

“Apparently, he is not even home right now.” Caleb gave his phone a gentle shake. “He texted me earlier with the door code and an apology. So unfortunately, you would not be able to see him even if you wanted to.”

“Part of the trap—”

“It is not a trap—”

“Oh, but if he’s not home,” Nott began, and Caleb was instantly worried from her tone, “doesn’t that mean…doesn’t that mean we could go inside? And…take a look around?”

“Nott—”

“Oh, oh! But what if it’s a trick!” Jester gasped. “What if it’s a test? To see what Caleb’s like?”

“Caleb is great at tests,” Nott said. “I’m sure he’ll do fine.”

“I can only do fine if you two cooperate,” he rubbed his face. “Please, if I do end up staying here long term, I am sure that there will be plenty of opportunities for you to snoop.”

“Not snoop,” Nott corrected. “Scope him out.”

“Ja, exactly that. Now…” Caleb glanced at his friends, then looked over his shoulder at the entrance to the apartment complex. It was in a much nicer area of Nicodranas, much nicer than he particularly was used to, though quite a distance from the coast. Tall oak trees draped over the streets, boughs draped in a fine trailing moss, branches weaving modest shade from the sky. Coral ivy climbed up the side of the building, and from down on street level, looking up, Caleb could count a total of six floors.

A few of the windows were open, letting in the cool summer breeze.

Home, Caleb thought. A home, anyway. For now.

He gave Nott and Jester a smile.

“Thank you for helping me move, today. I promise I will send you pictures of the inside.”

“Good!” said Nott. “It’s the least we deserve.”

“And don’t forget the cake,” Jester added. “Are you sure you’ll be alright lifting everything by yourself?”

He held up a hand, and waggled his fingers.

“I think I can find a way to manage. Though I must say, it will not be nearly as fun without you two.”

— — —

And now, it was well after sunset.

Caleb sat in a bedroom that was three times bigger than his last one. Neater, too.

This Mr. Thelyss must do very well for himself, to afford such a home. After lugging his belongings into the elevator and congratulating Schmidt on a job well done, Caleb had ridden up four floors and punched in the password and had been truly surprised at the size of this housing unit. Thelyss had a full kitchen, complete with bar stools and a counter, and even a small sitting room with a couch and TV. There was a bathroom, with a tub, and Caleb noted the two other doors that were off limits—bedroom and study. There was a section of the sitting room, by the large bay windows, where space for “cat things” had been set aside, and a sliding door beside that area led to a modest balcony. All of the décor was minimal, with only a few paintings adorning the walls, depicting landscapes of some place that Caleb could not recognize. Aside from that, the only concession to personality was a bookshelf stacked to virtually spilling with tomes and novels and hardbound texts. To his surprise, he’d also found he could not read a majority of this writing, though not for trying.

There had also been a note on the counter. He could read this one. And after he did, he smiled faintly, then wandered into his bedroom, put his things away, and got his cat settled, as instructed.

Then he gently placed a single slice of blueberry cheesecake next to the note, taking care to make sure that none of the corners got jostled.

He picked up a pen. He wrote:

Mr. Thelyss—

I once again thank you for your flexibility. Though I similarly am saddened that we cannot yet meet face-to-face, you have a beautiful home that I will do my utmost part to maintain. Additionally, please accept this gift as a small housewarming token.

Also, Frumpkin is a very well-behaved cat. If you see him when you wake up tomorrow, feel free to give him many pats.

Looking forward to speaking with you, Caleb Widogast.

He read through a note a few more times to make sure that he was covering everything of importance.

And, when that was settled, he retreated to his bedroom, and flicked off the lights.

He lay in bed for a few minutes, gently stroking his cat.

“Well, Frumpkin. Here we are. Home sweet home. For now.”

Frumpkin meowed back.

“Well-said. Now, we should probably get some rest, eh?”

He shifted around, getting comfortable, and eventually closing his eyes. How lucky he was to find a place like this, he marveled as he began drifting off to sleep. With such comfortable sheets, as well.

And all that was left was to finally meet this Essek Thelyss.

On his chest, Frumpkin began to purr.

And to hope that they’d both get along.

— — —

✨ Ko-Fi Link in Bio! ✨ | Requests are OPEN

#critical role #critfic #critrole #shadowgast #fic #fanfiction #oh boy oh boy im excited for this one!!#jay writes #now what are the chances of that #caleb widogast #essek thelyss #modern au #long post #fanfic #text #THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!!

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monaisme · 3 years

Text

Day 11: hallucinations

Tony paced.

He’d screwed the pooch... hard.

The look on the kid’s face as he’d disappeared into the night after the whole ferry thing? That had been rough.

But this?

Coney Island was the game changer.

How, in the name of all that is holy, did he think that this kid would step back?—Just because Tony Stark told him to? Tony knew his origin story—KNEW that Peter Parker was a boy seeking redemption for another man’s crime.

And so Tony made the decision, one he should’ve made from the start. He’d commit to training him, tutoring him... Tony would unlock the world for him.

Thank goodness the kid was smart!

There were so many directions they could go in!

Maybe they could build another suit together? Then he wondered if Pepper would do up some paperwork and maybe they could give the kid an actual internship?! Yeah! He’d seen that kid’s desk and all those scavenged components from who knew what. If he could make those web shooters out of nothing, Tony imagined what he could do with a fully outfitted lab—Geez- Tony hadn’t done a lab binge with anyone since Bruce had, well... But the idea of watching the kid build something incredible with nothing but his own hands, like Tony kept trying and trying and trying to do.

Tony paused that train of thought for a second.

Nope. There was too much potential for deep shit happening there, and so he stopped it right there.

He definitely had to make a plan.

First, he’d need Happy. Midtown was just far enough that he’d need to collect him after school. He was sure Happy wouldn’t mind. He could get to know the kid, and then no one would have to worry about a replay of that damned beach.

Tony shuddered as he remembered the beach.

But no! That wouldn’t happen again, because the kid would be there on Tuesdays and... Fridays! Yeah, that would work. Maybe? Well, maybe every second Friday so Pepper wouldn’t get upset about his availability for those awful fundraisers and galas. They’d just need to be flexible, right? And then Pepper would be fine.

His brain was on fire with so many thoughts and ideas—“FRIDAY!” He called out. “Jot this stuff down, and when we’re done, Cc it to Pepper and Happy for me, okay?”

“Of course, Boss.” The AI replied.

Tony moved over to the bar cart tucked into the corner of the lab and poured himself a few fingers of whiskey. “Title the list, S.P.A.A.M.” He snorted as he said it and then took a mouthful of his drink. “He’ll get a kick out of it. Yeah. ‘Supply Peter An Awesome Mentor!”

Tony listed off his ideas aloud, detailing items to be created and for purchase; like the new refrigerator he’d need for drink pouches, cheese strings and whatever other nasty stuff teenagers snacked on. This lab was going to be a geek’s paradise.

Tony couldn’t wait.

“Boss,” FRIDAY spoke, unprompted, “If I may, there are some tasks that require mentioning as you plan your list.”

He gulped down the last swallow of his drink and walked back to the cart. “Fire away, Baby Girl!” he called out. “I’m nothing, if not a collaborator!” His hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle.

“Sir, while limited, there are existing studies that show a direct correlation between lab accidents and substance use—which in all case studies, included: alcohol, marijuana, illegally procured and/or incorrectly used prescription medications, cocaine, heroin, metha—“

“Got it! Stop!” He put the bottle down with a clank. “Seriously? You got anything else you wanna throw at me, FRI?”

“Yes, Boss, in a 2018 Global status report commissioned by the WHO, studies showed that excessive consumption of alcohol in the presence of minors—“

“WHOA! WHOA! WHOA! We were doing so well! First, what do you mean by excessive?! And second—where in the ever living hell is this coming from?!”

“Boss, over the course of the last several months, I have observed a greater than average consumption of alcoholic beverages during times when the consumption itself is not considered socially acceptable.”

“But—“

FRIDAY continued over her creator, “This information, along with the concerns voiced by Ms. Potts, Mr. Hogan, and Colonel Rhodes over the course of several conversations, and the addition of a minor child to the lab environment, has led me to surmise that there is a need for adjustments to your S.P.A.A.M. protocol.”

Forgetting about the whiskey for a minute, Tony walked over to his lab table and dropped onto the stool. “What kind of conversations are we talking about, FRI? And why haven’t I heard about them before now?”

“All referenced conversations were done with your wellbeing in mind, Boss. As I have only been programmed to report malicious intent, there was no need to make you aware.” FRIDAY paused. “I believe that Colonel Rhodes’ exclamation of “I could kill him!” was not an actual declaration of intent as neither Ms. Potts or Mr. Hogan reacted in an alarmed fashion, but if I am mistaken and need to adjust any subroutines, please advise.”

Tony was suddenly exhausted. “No, no. You’re fine, FRI. I’m just... huh.”

He sat in silence for a few minutes, thinking.

“They’re worried?”

“They are, Boss.”

“Huh.”

He sat silent for a few minutes more, and then finally, “FRI? What are the suggested task additions for the list?”

“Mr. Stark, removal of all alcohol from the lab would be the first and easiest suggestion.”

Tony didn’t disagree. “And the second?”

“Mr. Stark, it would be advisable that you participate in an alcohol detoxification program while under medical supervision before implementing any aspect of S.P.A.A.M. that includes Mr. Parker in a lab setting.”

“Huh.”

It was barely a beat before Tony jumped up, decision made.

The kid was going to be the best of them, and Tony would do whatever it took to make sure of it.

“FRIDAY, please locate all alcohol in the lab and on the private floors. We’ve apparently got some cleaning to do!”

It took longer than he thought it would but eventually every drop of alcohol had been dumped—with the exception of a bottle of scotch Howard had gifted Tony when he was eighteen years old—ironic, Tony thought, but whatever. He wasn’t too concerned about it though. All he needed to do was let Rhodey know about it and he’d be set.

And then he was done. “All right now, my dear AI, that was enough distraction. Let’s get back to the list.”

“Boss,” FRIDAY interrupted him again, “before we continue, might I suggest that you gather some essentials in the event of a medical emergency?”

“Update the first aid kits! Good call, FRI! Add that to the list!”

“Addition noted, sir, but I was referring to the need to manage symptoms of your imminent alcohol withdrawal if you choose to ignore the medical supervision aspect of the suggestion.”

The “Denial Tony” that Pepper, Rhodey and Happy all knew and despised, emerged in that moment. “It’s gonna be fine, Baby Girl. I’m not that bad. I promise.” And Tony moved to a corner of the lab, intent on organizing it for his future intern.

Of course, Tony chose to disregard the headache, after all, it was just a headache and he’d only gotten in a few hours of actual work. It wasn’t his first, and it most certainly would not be his last—so he worked on.

The hands shaking started soon after that and he realized that he hadn’t really had much to drink since earlier in the day—and if he was getting up, he may as well grab some Tylenol, too.

The nausea kicked in within minutes of the water washing down the painkillers and Tony cursed himself for drinking all of that water too fast and taking the painkillers on an empty stomach.

What an idiot move on his part.

And then he cursed himself more as he lunged for the garbage can to empty the contents of his stomach.

Tony groaned.

“Mr. Stark, would you like me to contact the medical floor and ask for assistance?”

“no,” he grunted out. “m’fine,” and then continued to heave up every single thing he’d ever consumed in the entirety of his whole damned life.

“Mr. Stark, please be advised that in the event you refuse medical intervention during an extended period of compromised health, a subroutine installed by Colonel Rhodes will be initiated. This will allow me to override your directive and contact one of your personal emergency contacts. I am allowed to ask for a preference, but in this case, Happy Hogan is currently on-site. Because you are still conscious and not actively bleeding, you have fifteen minutes to exhibit signs of improvement.”

Tony spit into the garbage can, breathing heavy, then glared at the ceiling. “I keep forgetting the asshole went to MIT. shit.”

Being left with no choice, Tony stood up from the floor where he’d curled around the can. He only staggered a little as he made his way toward his nap couch, then sat. “What happens if I decide to take a nap?” He called out. “Are you still gonna narc on me?”

FRIDAY responded, “I will continue to monitor, Boss, and will make that determination as your vitals dictate.”

“Awesome,” he groaned and swung his legs up onto the couch before settling his head down on the throw pillow. “Let me know how it works out, FRI!”

Tony closed his eyes.

He didn’t know how long it was before he woke from his dose. Something must have been malfunctioning, though, ‘cuz he couldn’t take the unbearable heat anymore. “FRIDAY! You gotta lower the heat,” he called out. “I’s like a sauna in here.” He pulled off the hoodie he’d been sporting all day, hoping he’d cool off.

“Mr. Stark, it is currently 68F with humidity resting steady at 43%. Are you certain you would like me to adjust settings?”

Even in his muddled state, the scientist in Tony knew that those conditions were optimal. Any major fluctuations could mess with the sensitive equipment he used for his suits. “Never mind,” he replied, and decided to try and get back to sleep.

Tony wasn’t sure if it was his heart racing or FRIDAY’s announcement that Happy Hogan had been notified of Tony’s condition per Rhodey’s protocol and was on his way that woke him up this time, but he was up—

And he felt like death.

But it was okay. He was fine.

It was just that his heart hadn’t beat like this since Tennessee but then he and Pepper had gotten back together and everything was fine. He was fine.

He vomited again, this time on the floor.

He felt disgusting.

He was disgusting.

“Of course you are! Look at you!” Of course. Howard was always around to rub it in whenever Tony wasn’t peak Stark.

“Please don’t, Dad. I can’t deal with you right now.” Tony pulled the throw cushion over his face to block him out.

“Of course you’re gonna try to hide! Pure Tony! Always running away from the consequences of your actions. Well, maybe you’ll listen to your mother!”

“Howard, hush. Can’t you see that he’s not feeling well?”

Tony sat right up, “Mom?”

She smiled at him, looking as beautiful as always. “Sweetheart, why aren’t you in bed? I know how much you need your sleep when you’re sick.”

“I’m... I...” Tony couldn’t find the words.

A hand pressed to his forehead.

“Speak up, boy! I—I- just spit it out! For fuck’s sake! Stark men are made of iron! You know this!” Howard looked down at him, “You’re no Stark at all, are you?”

Tony tried to stand, but a hand on his shoulder kept him in place, so he continued, “Dad, I’m trying so hard! There’s a kid—he’s...”

“Of course there’s a kid.” Howard spit out in disgust. “ Perfect. Some bastard floating around out there, demanding power and prestige just because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.” Howard stepped forward, intimidating. “MIT was supposed to make you into a man, but you and your progeny are nothing.”

Visions of Peter on the ferry while pulling together tonnes of steel overlapped with burning sand and vulture wings. “No! Pete’s... Pete’s a good kid. I’m gonna... I’m...”

“Yeah, Boss, he is a good kid and you’re gonna do great by him. I know it.” Happy finished his thought as he kneeled on the floor in front of him.

Tony blinked back into reality. “Happy?” He looked around the lab, feeling more and more frantic as the minutes passed. “Mom? Mom?! Happy?” He grasped at Happy’s suit jacket. “Where is she?!”

“Hey, hey! Tony, you’re okay!” Happy called him back into the moment. “I’ll go looking for her in a minute, okay?”

“Happy! She was right here and...”

“I know, Tony. It’s okay. Shh-sh-sh-“ Happy cleaned his face with a damp cloth. “We’re gonna get you somewhere safe and then I’ll go look for her for you, alright?”

Tony was confused. She’d been right there—and Howard? But he trusted Happy and so, “Yeah, okay. Safe.”

Happy hauled him to the elevator. Literally. “suppos’d be made o’iron...” he kept mumbling, but then the elevator doors opened, revealing his mother once more.

Tony beamed. “Mom! You’re back!”

And she spoke, “You know, you may be a Stark, but you have Carbonell blood running through your veins, too, Anthony—and trust me, they weren’t made of iron.

“Not iron?”

She smiled at him so lovingly, “No, son. They were made of earth and wind and heat. They lived for muddy fingers and grape stained toes.”

“Fingers and toes?”

“Yes, son, fingers and toes. They were joy and sunshine and laughter... no iron in them at all. Just joy.”

He looked at her, feeling maybe hopeful, “So ‘m a Carbonell.”

A hand touched his cheek.

“Yes, son, you are my joy.”

And Tony began to weep.

Happy increased his speed after gathering up his friend in his arms. “FRIDAY, make sure Cho is ready to receive. I know you tracked his day, too. Make sure she’s got a timeline.”

“All information has been relayed.”

Happy shifted the man as he waited for the elevator to reach the med bay floor. “Tony,” he whispered to him, “You son of a bitch. You gotta tell the people who love you about shit like this so we can take care of you.” The doors opened and Happy rushed down the hall. “You’ll get through this buddy. We’ve got you.”

* * * * * *

It wasn’t the next Tuesday, or even the Tuesday after that. It was the third Tuesday after that fateful day at the beach when Peter finally arrived at the tower for his first official internship day.

Tony was waiting in the front lobby, looking pale and a little thinner than the last time Peter had seen him, but feeling more present than he had in a long time.

“Mr. Stark! Oh, m’gosh! I cannot believe I’ve got an actual internship! When I told Ned that I’d actually be in your labs he almost died! This is gonna be so awesome!” Peter bounded up to him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“It is going to be incredible, kid! Wait until you see what I’ve done to the lab! And you have to take pictures of the fridge to send to Ted when we get there. Did you have any idea how many different types of drink pouches there are? I know I’m a billionaire, but we’re gonna have to whittle that selection down a little.”

Peter laughed as Tony led him to the private elevator. “Mr. Stark, you have no idea—this is like, on the top of my bucket list, having any sort of anything at Stark Industries! Like, if I died right now, I’d be the happiest person to have ever died—not that I want to die, it’s just...” Peter seemed lost for words. “Just,” Peter made some primal sound that Tony figured spoke volumes more than everything else the boy could manage to articulate. “This was right above going to Italy with May—but don’t tell May that it was above, ‘cuz she’ll try to make me some pasta or something to convince me I was wrong and then I’ll really be dead.”

Tony’s heart warmed and he threw his arm around Peter’s shoulder. “Hey, speaking of Italy! I have recently been reminded that my family has a vineyard there...”

@febuwhump

#febuwhump #febuwhump2021 #fanfiction #alcoholism #detox #redemption

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overthinkingkdrama · 4 years

Text

Exit Review: Extraordinary You

Synopsis

Eun Dan Oh is a happy-go-lucky high school girl with a heart condition and a one-sided crush on her childhood friend. That's it. That's her set up. But she carries it well, with verve and energy. She feels certain this world is made for her and things are going to work out. Imagine her horror and surprise when she discovers that she's a character in a romance manhwa with a plot thinner than tissue paper. Not only that, she's not even the main character. She's an extra who exists only to facilitate the romance between the leads. Everything will certainly not be okay.

Now Dan Oh will do whatever it takes to shift the plot in her favor and take control of her fate.

Review

Story: This is one of those rare dramas that immediately sets fire to the Kdramasphere with the electric buzz that comes with a unique high concept and all the promising potential that goes along with it. Everyone is waiting with baited breath to see if the writing and direction can live up to that potential and whether that concept has the legs to get us through 16 hour long episodes and--wonder of wonders--stick the landing.

Not unlike another drama with a similar premise, W: Two Worlds, I started this drama and immediately fell in love with the concept and the characters. It seemed so full of promise, and I knew I was going to be in it for the long haul. Though I do think it managed a rather more cohesive and focused telling than W, I still don't think Extraordinary You had the necessary stamina and ambition to fulfill all the hopes I had for it.

As other people on this site have pointed out more eloquently, there is a lot of innate existential horror that goes along with the idea that you are merely a character in an imperfect story written by an indifferent writer. There is so much that can be done with that, especially once you establish antagonism between creator and creation. It's possible, since I am unfamiliar with the source material and I would imagine the web comic has a little more freedom to play with the parameters of this world, that this comes down to a problem with adaptation. But still, I found that the last third of the drama sagged significantly and the conclusion felt more like a cop out than a real resolution, never addressing the inherent horror of the characters' situation, but only changing the setting and circumstances.

Acting: Kim Hye Yoon is the single best thing about this drama, and I mean that up to and including the really strong concept and the built in meta levels this show has. After finishing Extraordinary You I also went and watched SKY Castle which is a drama that has been on my list for a while, and she's good there too. I think she's going to be a big star. She handles the huge emotional switches Dan Oh's character calls for very well. She's funny and bubbly and brings energy to every scene she's in, but she's also exceptionally good in the quiet and sad moments. I think if we give it a few more years she'll be swimming in the same kind of drama waters as Park Min Young. She's clearly got the chops for it.

As for the rest of the cast, I thought Lee Nan Eun and Jung Gun Joo (Joo Da and Do Hwa respectively) were the stand outs. I thought they imbued their characters with a lot of charm and appeal, even though the writing kind of did them dirty at the end.

As for everyone else, I thought they were serviceable. I'm definitely in the minority here, but I thought Lee Jae Wook was totally wasted as the perpetually dyspeptic Kyung. From what I understand he's a lot better written in the web comic. Here he was flat and frustrating. Here's hoping I'll Come to You When the Weather is Nice is a better role for him.

This being my first brush with Rowoon, I don't know if his performance was more a result of the constraints of the character or his own inexperience as an actor, but I thought he was fine as Haru. At least he's at the upper end of passable idol actors. Functional enough not to be embarrassing or distracting. He's well cast in the sense that his face looks too perfectly formed and symmetrical to exist in nature, so the explanation that he was just drawn that way makes sense. (Oh god, how rabid is the SF9 fanbase? Please don't flame me.)

Production: The production choices seem like they're exactly what they need to be for the setting. The school and the uniforms look like they were lifted right out of a shoujo manga and there are a lot of fun effects--like the sunbeam that follows around the heroine, or the blurred aura that indicates a characters internal thoughts are differing from their stage actions--and sound design choices--like the page turn noise indicating we've moved to the next scene. The whole thing is very pretty. It has that sheen of the idol drama, and that's not a bad thing. I would have loved it if they had leaned more into the existential horror of it all. There's a part later on (mild spoilers btw) where a region of the story is literally shutting down and the lights start going off around the characters and all I could think was "wow, I wish they had done more of this kind of thing."

Feels: Although Extraordinary You couldn't live up to all my expectations and hopes for it, there is still a lot to enjoy about this drama, especially in the first half, and I hope that a lot of younger viewers coming into dramas for the first time get the chance to check this one out. It seems like it has great potential as a gateway drama. It's certainly a better option for the uninitiated than Boys Over Flowers, which was my gateway, and sets the bar considerably higher.

Would I recommend Extraordinary You? Probably, especially for shoujo fans, people who like stories with meta story levels, or new drama fans.

7.5/10

#extraordinary you #a day found by chance #haru find by chance #exit review #kim hye yoon #rowoon #lee jae wook #kdrama reviews

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blackandblueandstars · 5 years

Text

A Life for a Life

-before-

Kamilah held the stake in her hand. It was surprisingly light. It was a wonder how something so light could end her existence. After more than 2,000 years, she just didn't have it in her anymore. Gaius had been dealt with, and things were stable. There was no need for her anymore.

Adrian texted her, speaking of mysterious deaths that seemed terribly familiar. "Ferals," she thought. Kamilah sighed. One last problem to fix, then she would be on her way.

-now-

"I'm sorry," Kamilah whispered to the tomb, her hands laying gently on top of it. "I know this isn't fair. I know I didn't give you a choice. It's just...well, you didn't give me a choice either." She pulled up a chair, sitting next to Amy. "It's kind of a long story," she said, into the silence. "But it's not like you've got anything better to do."

Eyes red from crying, Kamilah began her tale.

"I had decided I was done," she told Amy. "Before I ever laid eyes on you, I had set my expiration date. Figure out the feral problem, resolve it, and then...retire. Finally leave behind the exhaustion, the monotony that had become my life."

Kamilah shifted in her chair, eyes glistening as she recalled her story. She sat tall and stiff, hiding the pain she felt.

"I had lived for so long, and I didn't think I would ever know happiness again. After Gaius, every day was just working through the motions. Honestly, I think I only stayed alive as long as I did out of obligation. First to my family, they didn't raise me to give up. Then to Gaius, I couldn't kill myself if I tried, his hold too strong. And most recently to Adrian, my brother. He was so lost after Gaius. I know he needed me. But he was finally doing well. So, I just needed to fix the ferals, and then I could finally have peace."

She sighed. "Of course I didn't realize that ferals were the least of our problems. None of us did. I still remember the first time I saw you, at the meeting to discuss the feral problem. You were just another mortal, and I was ready to die. So I tried to ignore the way you caught my eye. The way you talked about the scarab," she smiled, "it made me feel at home. I hadn't felt like that in a while. Too long. I tried to keep you at a distance."

-before-

Kamilah's eyes finally took the girl in. Adrian's new assistant, a mortal, and yet something about her had Kamilah rethinking everything she knew.

"No," she thought to herself. "You have charted your course. You're not going to let a simple mortal derail you. She is nothing more than a fly in my web, I cannot change course so easily."

Kamilah left the meeting, threatening the girl. She would not have her breaking Adrian's heart and giving her a reason to delay the inevitable. She yearned for the peace she deserved, and she could not let anyone take that from her.

Back in her office, Kamilah pushed the balls of her hands into her eyes. She felt every second of her age, in this moment. How many years had she destroyed humanity, thirsted for blood, made the world a lesser place by existing? Sure, she had changed, but she couldn't deny that normalcy was dull. She opened her laptop, doing a search for recent crimes in the area. She looked through news articles, finding a few that were sure to be ferals. Before she knew what she was doing, she navigated to Adrian's company site. The girl's profile popped up. "Amy," she murmured to herself. She looked through her bio. She was upbeat, positive, caring.

A knock on her door pulled her from her revelry. She slammed the laptop shut as Adrian walked in. "Everything alright?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied cooly. "Let's get to work."

-now-

"I don't think I stood much of a chance. The more I got to know you, the more you changed me. Your laugh made me feel alive. Your smile reminded me of the feeling of sunshine on my skin, centuries before. I fought so hard to keep you from changing my course, but you were a hurricane, and even I couldn't fight the strength of your waves. By the time we reached that final battle, together in the cabin... I realized that I was afraid. Afraid to die. Because you had given me reason to live."

Kamilah shook her head, tears falling.

"Can't you see, little firefly? I begged for death. And then you came, and made me believe again in living. You single-handedly altered my existence. You saved a life that I didn't ever think was worth saving."

Kamilah paused, trying to compose herself.

"I hope you can understand, my love. I hope that you can see, I've never had a choice. I had to love you, to live for you. And I cannot do that alone. You cannot bring me back from the brink just to leave me behind," her voice rose as she continued. "I need you. You are the only reason I am alive, and the only thing that makes me want to keep living."

Kamilah was breathing heavily now. "So I didn't give you a choice, just the same as you didn't give me one. We don't get to choose to die. We owe it to each other," Kamilah sobbed. "We owe it to each other to fight, to live."

She collapsed back in the chair, laying her head on Amy's tomb.

"Don't you dare leave me, Amy," she whispered. "Don't you dare."

Final word count: 955

Tag list: @h-doodles @scarlet-letter-a0114 @idkbutkamilah @lightning-fury @galaxyside-0 @blogsupitssam @ilovetaylor13m

#kamilah sayeed x mc #kamilah sayeed #mc x kamilah #kamilah x mc #kamilah #mc x kamilah sayeed #bb&s writes

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surveensaniya1 · 4 years

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ww2argumentativeessaytopics675 · 4 years

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its-a-writer-thing · 5 years

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How to Build an Author Website – How Many Pages + Social Media

In our last installment of “How to Build an Author Website,” we gave some advice on where and how to learn the skills necessary to build your own author website. Now we’re taking a peek into the final bit of nitty gritty involved with designing your own site – how big should it be? How many pages should it have? And, of course – does it replace social media?

Let’s dive in.

How Many Pages Does an Author Site Need?

You may think ‘the more, the merrier,’ but this isn’t always the case. In fact, across all industries, people are adopting a cleaner, non-cluttered approach to their web design. It’s considering ‘modern’ to put everything you need on one or two pages, since viewers have very little patience to click around in a mad hunt for answers to their curiosities or questions.

So, one or many?

Advantages of One Page

Less design needed from you! With every page you add, you’re increasing the amount of design effort you’ll have to invest. With just one page, you can focus all your creativity into a single area and ensure it truly shines.

Less clutter. As stated above, we’re becoming less and less patient as internet users. We know what we want and we’d like our answers in a snappy fashion, thank you! By having only one page, you allow readers to quickly learn all they need to know without having to switch tabs. As a bonus, it’s a godsend for those with slow internet connection, who certainly can’t tolerate more load time.

Less weight on your server. The more pages you have, the more data that results in – and that means your server has to store more. By limiting the amount of pages, and therefore data, you can stay within a cheap hosting plan that only provides a few megabytes worth of storage, saving you money.

It’s in vogue. A great number of author websites stick to just a landing page, since there are only three to five things readers are truly looking to know. A) Who you are as an author. B) What your book is and what it’s about. C) Do you have social media? D) Do you have more books coming out, and where can I find them? E) Fun facts or interesting snippets from/about your writing. There really isn’t much else! As such, many authors are choosing to go with the one-page format, so you’ll be sticking to the industry standard!

Disadvantages

Limits your layout. While a one-page site is in-fashion among authors, there are still some who choose to leverage multiple pages. Because, well, it looks nicer. It gives a more orderly sense to your website, and since a great number of websites have a menu bar with additional pages to view, if you lack this, it can make your site look a tad claustrophobic.

No shop function. Since shop functions are a complete system of their own, they will require their own page, even if this is linked on your landing page. Should you intend on selling your book on the site as well, you’ll have to create a second page anyhow. If you’re selling on Amazon, Smashwords, or another venue, however, one page with several links will be fine!

Overload. Additional features and plug-ins have a ‘weight’ of their own, and too many of them in a single area can lead to an incredible lag for visitors. Like the shop function, if you intend on adding a rotating album of your books, a ready-play video, or other flashy features, it’s better to spread these out on multiple pages, so visitors can decide to click in and accept that load (and that load alone) or pass it by for the more crucial aspects of your site.

Advantages of Multiple Pages

Better organized. As mentioned above, a site with multiple pages allows you to categorize information and spread it around neatly, so readers can more easily find the details they want without having to scroll, scroll, nothing but scroll.

Not in vogue, but an old favorite. While slimmer websites are in fashion, that doesn’t mean they have to be only one-page slim. It’s been a favorite of visitors and site builders for some time to limit the amount of pages – but to spread this over at least two, so as to ease navigation.

Less load. Also mentioned above, spreading out data makes it easier for visitors to load a single page at a time, without taking the brunt of an entire site all at once.

More features! You can have a shop function, a little animation sequence, videos, photo albums – the works! This can be spread across as many pages as you like.

Disadvantages

A labyrinth. Visitors are impatient. If they’re forced to search throughout your entire site via multiple pages to find the simple information they want, they’ll cut their losses and click away.

More design effort. With many pages comes many design options. You could leave all the others rather plain while tidying up your landing page, but this will give it an unfinished look. Remember, the more you have, the nicer it all has to look!

More cost. If you hire a designer, they will likely charge by the page, raising your overall expenses. If you do it yourself, you still have to ensure your server can hold all this new data, and that may result in upgrading your hosting package.

Pro-Tip from Lena S Andersson: “One of the most important things is to keep things clear and simple in terms of layout and looks.”

If you have enough content to span 10 pages, be sure to ask if it should. Is there anything you could remove without truly hurting the site? Then you should, as a cluttered site can be even more damaging than no site at all!

“It all depends on the message you have. If the book you’re publishing has an attached history that’s really crucial, then perhaps more pages are needed to convey the magnitude of what comes with this simple book. If your story is a more straightforward, then one page may be enough.”

To Social Media or Not to Social Media?

Now that you have a site, does it replace social media? Does it make social media less important?

Pro-Tip from Lena: “I wouldn't say a website replaces social media, but the two can do a great deal for each other. Social media can help you get the site out there and reach people in a different way than what just a website can do on its own. A website can give people more information and guidance than just social media can do. Both are important in their own way.

“It’s key to remember that, on social media, you’re playing on someone else’s platform. Having your own website means having your own platform!

“So, both are needed, but having a website can do more for you than existing only on social media. It gives you a solid presence that is easy to reference and easy to share.”

Wrapping Up

That’s all for now! If you’ve missed them, please check out the other articles in this series of “How to Build an Author Site.” A big thanks to L S Andersson for her insights and advice about this exciting (though daunting) venture for writers.

If you’re interested, please take a look at her author site, AnamMara.com, and check out her debut book, Behind Closed Doors: Trusting The Unseen, available on her site and on Amazon. Along with her book, Lena is preparing to launch an inspirational project, called AnamMara.

The Project

Can you briefly describe the project?

“A lot of women around the globe are not able to leave dangerous and violent surroundings, domestic abuse, and sexual violence due to fear, lack of resources, and a lack of funds. Even worse, they’re trapped because they have nowhere to go and nobody who 'sees' them.

With this project, I work passionately and actively to empower women to break free from the destructive cycle of poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse, violence, and modern slavery. I hope to accomplish this through advocacy and my book, as well as through a network of independent stylist resellers.”

The Goal

Can you briefly describe the goal and overarching purpose of the project?

“I am passionate about creating business opportunities for women, and empowering individuals to create independence via their own income. This vision comes from my own past experiences of abuse, socially vulnerable, and disadvantaged situations. You can read more about this in my book.

I also feel we need to talk more openly about these issues in society and in the world. As such, my goal is to educate and inform - to tell people how the world looks for millions of women everywhere, a fact which is so silenced and oppressed.”

The Steps Being Taken

What steps are being taken to launch this project and make it a success?

“I am partnering with organizations working to get the voice out for people who have no voice. I hope that - through advocacy and my book, by partnering with organizations, and by collaborating with resellers and ambassadors – together, we can make a difference and see change when it comes to abuse and violence against women.”

You can sign up via the website AnamMara.com to participate in this project now, donate via GoFundMe, or buy her book Behind Closed Doors: Trusting The Unseen on the website or on Amazon.

Thanks for reading, and happy writing!

#author site #anammara #L S Andersson #writing advice #empowering women #building an author site #author website #iawt #Behind Closed Doors #Behind Closed Doors: Trusting The Unseen #writing tips #writing resources

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theamitanand-blog · 4 years

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Business Facing Challenges & Solutions for Pandemic Time

Steps to Selling Online More Effectively

I am calling this as "Pandemic times" maybe a bit of an understatement to you, or perhaps you've pivoted your marketing strategy nicely and aren't negatively affected by the COVID-19 crisis.

There's no arguing this pandemic situation has led to increased internet traffic as people work, socialize, and entertain themselves online with using online facilities

Netflix, a company that sells online video entertainment content internet backbone, has seen a traffic increase of about 50%.

But an increase in internet usage doesn't necessarily translate into increased sales for your small business.

Many consumers are hesitant to buy, either because they aren't sure when they'll be able to use the service you sell, or because they've been laid off or have had their hours reduced.

That's why I'm sharing eCommerce challenges and solutions to bring you out from this pandemic situation, maintain and even grow as an entrepreneur during this crisis.

*1st Challenge: Generate Need, Making Your Product more Essential

Many entrepreneurs are trepidation because they have a traditional business model, or selling through traditional way on eCommerce website.

And, many worries they don't have an indispensable enough product or service to offer online, like grocery stores.

Okay, so chances are you don't sell groceries. But you can still be indispensable to your customers.

Are there certain products or services you can focus on that will better serve your target audience?

* If you have a clothing store: fabric face masks, casual outfits for working from home

* If you offer financial service, life, or other counselling services: 30- or 60-minute mental health sessions; many people are feeling lonely and isolated because of Corona

* If you sell entertainment items: create short videos highlighting games, crafts, or puzzles that will be fun for bored kids or adults

While it's not possible for every small business to pivot this way, the reality is that if you don't adjust to this "new way" as much as possible, your small business will suffer.

Changing your marketing strategy can be tough, but it's amazing how a bit of innovative thinking can transform your situation and increase your web presence.

2nd Challenge: More Queries More Business

While posting the phone number on your website or in the search results may have been enough in pre-pandemic and help your customers when they need your support now more than before.

More people online means an increased number of Queries & suggestions reaching you to improve and grow.

Surely you've been incredibly frustrated while being put on hold for a longer duration, or not getting an email revert when you asked about something. Don't let your customers have a similar experience on your products

To increase the capacity to serve your customer, consider implementing new technology to revert which is a chatbot to increase your web presence. Autoresponders allow a business to provide more solutions and even cater to generate leads.

According to #IBM, up to 80% of routine customer service questions could be answered by automated solutions.

You can outsource this objective to us, we will manage your business queries and lead generation at Aventure Corporate Solution which will improve efficiency

3rd Challenge: Techie Issues

Let's say you already have an affiliated #eCommerce site for your great business. If your link is not routing to the right page or, #404page or slow loading times, your visitors will go choose another substitute.

Even a clever 404 page can't save you from losing visitors and qualified sales.

Also, you're not going to build trust among your audience with poor user experience. Nobody is going to enter their contact or credit card info if they don't trust your website.

Not to mention, an unkempt website is a target for hackers.

Remember: You're not only responsible for protecting your own data, but also for your visitors'. Security requirements are always changing, and no small or large business is safe.

That's why it's essential to monitor for glitches, update your software and back up your site regularly for optimal user experience.

Now, what if you have to start selling online in response to #COVID19? While there are sites out there that let you start an eCommerce #website yourself, remember that your website is your number one marketing tool.

From calls to action to the font type and images on your pages, how you present your small business to the world makes a big difference to how you're perceived.

Also, you're not going to have the same customization options if you go the DIY route.

A professional web development company will understand not only the technical aspects of the build but also the best ways to get your message across to your target audience.

Just like that, we woke up in a different world! The coronavirus epidemic has completely changed our lives and transformed the way we do business.

For many, this can be an incredibly frightening time to be a business owner. You worry about the health of your employees and the business, the bills that keep coming, your income and family obligations.

But rather than let worries overwhelm them, smart small business owners can use this opportunity to plan and prepare for future growth and success. We've created a #COVID-19 checklist to help you make the most of this uncertain time.

Whether you have to start an eCommerce website from scratch or adjust your existing marketing strategy to increase your web presence, now is not the time to sit back and wait for the pandemic to blow over.

Right now, your target audience is "living" online, so you're going to have to tackle eCommerce business challenges as quickly and smoothly as possible. Be proactive, pivot your marketing strategy, and learn from this journey!

#Happy #Selling !!!!!

Amit

Amit Anand, a founder of the award-winning sales development and digital marketing firm Aventure Corporate Solution, is a Web Specialist, Business & Marketing Consultant, and Social Media Advisor. I am working with entrepreneurs who struggle with having the lack of knowledge, skill and support needed to create their online business presence.

As a result of working with me and my team, clients feel confident and relieved knowing their online marketing is in trustworthy and caring hands so they can focus on building their business with peace of mind at having a perfect support system in place to guide them every step of the way.

Visit http://www.aventuresolution.com and Call us any time when FREE

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moftaksolutions-blog · 5 years

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What is CRM and how it help Your Business?

Are you worried about customer retention? And your company is suffering from not getting enough loyal customers? Customers come but moved into the next website? You can’t figure out what’s going on. You are putting efforts on making value able content for your readers, your sales team is continuously working every day and people are showing the interest after all results are not the same as expected? You might put all your efforts needed for a business or you might give value to your customers but if you are not putting efforts into a relationship with potential customers and you can say that all your efforts are waster after all.

Your customers are your true assets, if they are not happy then your business is not good enough. It’s obvious that when customers don’t get value and not getting anything related to your business on a regular basis then it’s impossible to stop them moving to the competitors. If this is the case that I am talking about the cure for this problem is a CRM Model.

What is CRM? CRM stands for customer relationship management. It includes the type of services you provide. What and why is it important in this aspect. What means “what are you sending to your customer” and why means “why you are sending this to your customer. It should match according to the need of the valuable customers. A CRM model is actually a framework that will manage your companies’ Customer Relationship. If you are aware of what your customers want then it will be easy for you to solve their pain. In this way, you can most probably build the trust and they will stick around to you. It’s important for you to know that the CRM model and CRM tool are two different things. A CRM tool is used as a database to store and manage the data of your customers. But, it’s an intelligent database that builds relationships.

If you have CRM then you might new about the unique features by using that you can win the customer's heart and could build trust and nurture it over time. If you are implementing these three steps that it will not just increase your sales but you can also get more across the board.

Focus on quality relationships with your customers, win their hearts and build loyalty.

You must understand the customer's wants and needs, then personalize the customer experience.

Create a USP for your company, it will provide a competitive advantage as you serve your customers better than your competitors.

However, the ultimate goal of the CRM model is to build a stable revenue.

Tips to build an effective CRM strategy

Define a vision

Having a transparent vision is a vital facet of building a CRM strategy. Raise yourself what ought to be the top goal of your CRM strategy. Reckoning on your goals, you'll track the progress of your team. As an example, if your goal is to extend conversions, you'll check metrics for web site traffic, lead generation and conversion, etc.

Ensure that the ultimate objective of your CRM strategy incorporates what ought to be the longer-term atmosphere of your business keeping in mind client expertise and gain.

Align your CRM strategy with your corporate strategy

Businesses have many ways that specialize in doubling revenue growth or providing a novel client expertise of these goals that will be achieved by implementing an efficient roadmap.

However, “CRM strategy” may be a sophisticated term. It’s not associate in the nursing implementation framework however rather helps in achieving strategic goals like increasing client loyalty, reducing client churn, etc.

It is essential that your company strategy and CRM strategy complement one another. Your CRM code ought to even have the practicality to deal with your company goals. If your CRM code struggles to deal with these distinctive priorities, your business conjointly struggles to urge accrued user adoption and hardly becomes property.

Respect the data and Examine your existing data wisely

The existing information that you just have already gathered plays a vital role in developing your CRM strategy. It’s essential that you just map your customers’ journey by analyzing their client personas. Go deeper into the issues you two-faced whereas human activity with customers within the past.

Segmenting client journeys into numerous teams will assist you determine distinctive client variations and expectations. Your team will then range these teams to initiate communication consequently. As an example, a separate set of email are sent to repeat customers and customers WHO build giant purchases.

Wok on your content marketing

Having an efficient content arrange plays a vital role in building a strong CRM strategy. It’s essential that your content delivers a relevant message to your audience and particularly those that area unit central to creating purchases. Write blogs that educate your audience and increase their chance to convert.

Similarly, you can provide valuable content through email marketing. Inquiring many experimentations could facilitate find out the proper content channel for you.

Kickstart your communication channels

One of the most objectives of getting a CRM strategy is to extend the effectiveness of your support channels. Doing this makes it simple for your customers to achieve intent on support if they encounter a retardant.

The best arrange is to implement a live chat possibility on your web site to let customers get solutions for his or her queries quickly. Live chat not solely enhances the client support expertise however conjointly helps boost conversions. Similarly, you'll conjointly think about employing social media channels to resolve customers’ issues.

Find the best CRM for your business

Businesses usually build mistakes whereas selecting the proper CRM code. It’s vital that you just benefit analysis concerning what CRM code would integrate properly along with your business operations. You’ll conjointly think about learning what CRM code your competitor’s area unit victimization.

If you have got shortlisted many CRM solutions, it might be a decent plan to go to their official forums and reviews and check the past experiences of alternative customers. You’ll conjointly get some useful answers for yourself whereas exploring these community forums.

Businesses use CRM code to include their CRM strategy into their overall business arrange and yield higher results. A decent CRM answer helps businesses manage all interactions with their customers digitally and seamlessly. Victimization CRM code that comes within the cloud helps totally different verticals of your business retrieve info from the hold on information as per their usage. This reduces the requirement to take care of info silos.

Remember, there is a unit of numerous CRM code solutions accessible within the market. However, selecting the proper one in step with your necessities is the key. Choosing a CRM code that comes with all-in-one practicality like sales, marketing, and support helps contour your business operations. It conjointly helps avoid info silos and provides you with a 360-degree read of the client.

In most of the cases, businesses anticipate to investment CRM code while not having a productive CRM strategy. Though this might be done, your business could face numerous obstacles like accrued implementation time and price, reduced user confidence, etc. that's why it's important to possess a CRM strategy before choosing your CRM code.

· Conclusion

Customer relationship management is a vital facet for each business in spite of its trade. Having a strong CRM strategy helps businesses move with customers within the right method and deliver a relevant message.

Building AN efficient CRM strategy is the key to success for your business. However, shifting landscapes within the trade and speedy technological advancement have remodeled CRM. It’s vital for businesses to adapt to those changes so as to save lots of themselves from turning into obsolete.

The future can see numerous changes in CRM that require to be enforced to make a strong CRM strategy that helps your business grow. Follow the points higher than to develop your own CRM strategy to provide a lot of conversions and increase revenue.

#crm #cloud based crm #crmnpnshmnt #crm tool #crm solution #technology

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atlantaworldus-blog · 5 years

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Why I Really Like Blogging

But over time, I recognized my blog provided even more than a writer platform also it wasn't by pointing out figures. Blogging offered another and much more profound purpose. I'd even state that it's altered generate income take a look at and live my existence.

This is exactly why if you are considering beginning your blog, I'd recommend it. That's, if you are blogging for the best reasons.

If you are beginning your blog to obtain wealthy or perhaps to eke out a full time income, well, don't rely on it. Monetizing your blog is super hard nowadays.

Actually, after 3 years, I am still not trying to sell my blog. Incidentally, don't think all of the hype from people selling web based classes that attempt to convince you blogging is a Atlanta Tribe way to make passive earnings. Make no mistake, writing and promoting your blog is a lot of work. There's nothing passive about this.

Actually, it's all too easy to obtain frustrated when you initially begin a blog. Like a technically-challenged person, I needed to learn WordPress. Then, I spent considerable time promoting my blog and looking for a crowd. Another thing I understood little about. Associated with pension transfer bloggers, I rapidly grew to become obsessed - and depressed - using the figures and the number of visitors, subscribers, and Facebook supporters I'd on a day.

Why Blog?

Many people may disagree beside me, however i think blogging should not you need to be about creating money, drumming up business, gathering an enormous following, chasing fame, or selling books.

Blogging may serve as an innovative funnel to voice ideas, ideas, opinions, beliefs, and feelings. On the top of this, blogging and site-building supplies a wonderful chance to inspire and touch the lives of others inside a positive way.

How Blogging Altered My Existence

My blog has certainly seen me through many good and the bad these past couple of years. I have discussed happy moments like a vacation to Chicago with my hubby to celebrate our anniversary, each day spent playing within the snow with my grandchildren, watching Paul McCartney and also the Moving Gemstones at Desert Trip, along with a quick weekend trip with my children to Bay Area.

I have also put me out while care giving in my Mother who endured from Lewy Body dementia and authored about her eventual dying. I shared my angst when my mother-in-law died from ovarian cancer and my boy experienced an unpleasant divorce and child custody fight that very same year. (Ironically, soon after I began blogging and site-building about happiness, I'd the worst year of my existence.)

Yes, I really like studying, which supplies a welcome rest from my troubles, but writing is my real escape, outlet, and fervor. After I write, I become so focused, my problems fade for some time, giving us a necessary break. Actually, if you are a classic author, trust me, it's a existence-lengthy addiction!

The entire process of putting my ideas and feelings into writing has introduced me comfort in addition to assist me to relive happy moments. author

As I have discussed my existence, my blog solved the problem consider what's vital that you me and see if my existence is headed within the right direction.

Since I Have can't talk about every event, idea, thought, and feeling, blogging provides a kind of filter, clarifying my existence. My blogs have solved the problem know very well what is most significant in my experience. I have discovered on the way that typically it is the simplest moments which make me the most joyful.

#Blogging

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pdgeog4390-19 · 5 years

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The early bird gets the worm, but the second rat gets the cheese.

Happy World Rat Day everyone!

To celebrate, I have decided to focus this week’s post on urban perceptions of rats and their importance to the natural world. Rats are a common problem worldwide and exist almost everywhere that there are humans (and trash). As global populations continue to rise, cities will become denser with more waste generated. Impoverished inner-city neighborhoods are disproportionately affected by rat “infestations” and therefore suffer from increased occurrences of rat-human contact. Public health research has traditionally focused on disease transmission associated with rat infestations, but little is known about the psychological affects of this environmental exposure. The current rates of rat-borne illnesses in humans within urban centres are relatively low and without immediate and obvious public health threats, governments can become apathetic to rat-related issues. In urban settings, rat infestations can have significant impacts on mental health; even being cognizant of an infestation in their dwelling without any direct contact can be a source of anxiety for residents. Rat exposure can trigger symptoms associated with mental illness such as headaches, dizziness, stomach aches, insomnia, feelings of depression and hostility. These instances did not vary among demographic characteristics (age, ethnicity, or education). Rat infestations are only one part of the constellation of stressors experienced in inner-city neighborhoods. However, studies have also shown that some residents may develop passive acceptances of rats as part of their environment.

The top 5 rattiest cities in Ontario (2017): Taken from Orkin Canada

1. Toronto

2. Ottawa

3. Mississauga

4. Scarborough

5. Hamilton

Homeowners are encouraged to cover any cracks or holes in their foundations with a weather-resistant sealer; an adult rat is capable of squeezing through a gap the size of a quarter.

Through generations of negative experiences, rats are ingrained in our psyches as bad, scary animals, comparable to that of snakes or spiders. Humans have long acknowledged rodent problems but are reluctant to deal with the underlying issues that make them problematic. We continue to be horrified and disgusted yet often lack the power to do anything about it. Despite their negative reputations, rodents are a source of joy, entertainment and companionship. Rodents have played the main protagonist in hundreds of novels and films, perhaps one of the most well-known examples is Disney’s Mickey Mouse.

Our tendency to focus on rats as pests negates their importance in ecosystems and food webs. In rural areas, the majority of rat species receive little human interaction. It may come as surprise to know that some plants have co-evolved with rats to fulfill their reproductive needs. Pollination by rodents, shrews and marsupials are collectively known as therophilly. Rats have excellent sense of smells and have been trained to detect odors specific to landmines and tuberculosis. This strong olfactory sense helps them to hone in on food supplies, including nectar. While feeding on flowering plants, their heads become completely covered in pollen, fertilizing the stigmata of nearby vegetation as they travel from plant to plant.

A small mouse pollinating Protea nana

With at least 2000 species, rodents are the largest group of mammals in the world. They have adapted to life in almost any habitat from swamps, to rainforests, to deserts, to remote islands. Some spend their entire lives underground, seldom venturing above the surface while others prefer a life in the treetops. Rodents are important sources of food for birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals and even fish. In addition, they play host to a number of parasites including mites and ticks. In Africa, larger rodent species have also served as food sources for humans when larger game has been exhausted. Rats are superb diggers often creating extensive and intricate tunnel routes which not only create habitats for other species but also improve soil health through aeration, allowing water and air to flow deeper into the ground. Their excrement helps to return nutrients that are often lost through runoff and leaching. As a rat owner, I am committed to breaking the various negative stereotypes associated with rats in order to show people how vital they are to the natural world

My two boys Caesar (left) & Xerxes (right)

As you can see, I could talk about rats all day. Here are some more cool facts (well, at least I think they are cool):

- over 50 known species (Rattus)

- originated in Asia (Northern China and Mongolia to be exact)

- live in colonies with strict social hierarchies, a group of rats is called a “mischief”

- contain 92% of our DNA

- live a fast-paced lifestyle, every human year equates to 30 rat years

- excellent memories, once they navigate a route, they won’t forget it

- unable to vomit

- can reproduce every 3 weeks

- known to succumb to peer-pressures, will even eat unpalatable foods if they are in the company of rats who are eating it

- extremely social creatures who get lonely and depressed without companionship

- 1st of 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac, people born in this year (incl. me) are associated with creativity, intelligence, honesty, ambition and generosity

- great swimmers; can tread water for 3 days without drowning, have even been known to survive being flushed down the toilet

- Hector (1961) was the first rat in space

Hector, the French astronaut

Resources

http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2018/9/24/rodents-as-pollinators

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/feb/25/rats-disgusting-people-world-thrive-mutually-dependent

http://www.ncceh.ca/sites/default/files/Full%20Document%20EN%20-%20R%20Lam.pdf

https://animals.mom.me/rodents-ecosystem-7390.html

Have a splendid day,

Paige

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ourievamp · 6 years

Text

OK I NEED TO TALK THIS OUT

Some of you may have heard of a YouTuber named Markiplier. He has been posting videos on the web site for over five years now and has accumulated over 20 million followers. His videos are mainly devoted to LetsPlays of horror games, but through the years he has branched out into sketch comedy and improvisation. He has used his internet fame to help others by holding charity live streams and donating massive amounts to various well deserving causes. He is very talented and has even produced a few films like Who Killed Markiplier https://youtu.be/YoSrocwNYjA and a choose your own adventure style video called A Date With Markiplier https://youtu.be/yyU_1JD2wuA.

A year ago I had no idea this man existed! My boyfriend and I went over to a friend's house to play video games. I am no means a gamer, but I can play occasionally. That day, though, a hilarious video was playing on one of the many TV screens that were up and running. A deep voiced man was playing a gruesome game called Happy Wheels! I asked who that was. Many of the people there were surprised that I had never heard of Markiplier https://youtu.be/9SUrbImyTMo . While my boyfriend and his friends played their games, I watched Mark hilariously mangle his avatar, such gory deaths was one of the appeals of the game. While everyone else wound down and went to sleep I stayed up and laughed as he raged against a particularly difficult level…or ten. When I got home, I went on YouTube to keep watching…and I never stopped. Whenever I want something on, especially for a laugh I turn to Markiplier. Just something about him…

Another thing happened as I watched. Mark's kindness and message to his fans to always think better of themselves, improve themselves and work toward their goals really resonated with me as I had felt stuck where I was for years. I graduated from college in 2012 with a degree in fashion design. After graduating, though, I felt like a child thrown into the deep end of a pool. No one was there to tell me what to do anymore. I was making my own choices. Well, I knew I needed a job, so I took the first full time job that was offered to me. Thus, I began my career in Aerosteuctures and composites (building aircrafts). I worked a year before moving out to South Carolina to live on my own since I earned enough to do so and continued my job in airplanes. I made the mistake of living just below my means, which left little money for fabric, or time for developing the skills I had learned in school. I also felt like my schooling was inadequate to properly prepare me for the fashion world. Sure, I had learned a lot: I now knew in great detail how to make and present a garment or an idea, but no clue how to make that into a living. I didn't know how to sell a design, or source materials, or manufacture products for people to buy! I felt like I would die doing a job I didn't want, never realizing my dream of being a designer.

I really want to be able to see something in a store window, or a costume in a film and be able to stay ‘I made that!’ Instead, I sat in large buildings, sticking carbon fiber sheets onto molds that would become a plane. Some may say that a full time job creating airplane parts is a pretty cool job, but honestly it is repetitive and can be quite boring. I would rather be in front of a sewing machine, seeing a garment put together piece by piece into a garment that will be worn during some event in someone’s life!

Theater was also a love of mine, but my choices had led me from that path as well. I had moved far from Broadway and the theater where I had moved was lacking. Even my attempts to costume some shows were thwarted by my being placed on night shift. As Mark went on tour and created characters that could make his fans, including me, laugh or cry, I wrote my ideas in notebooks…and nothing else. Something about Mark and his content showed me just how much a person can accomplish with just themselves, a camera and ideas! It was not difficult to acquire a camera and a space to use it regularly to tell a story of some kind. I'm still waiting to see if I can gain an audience as well, but time will tell. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC130iG2OBxdGgxDfB8ObsyQ

Despite this attempt, I still felt bound by my ill conceived choices and the life they led to.

Then CLOAK happened. Markiplier and Jacksepticeye (a friend of his and fellow YouTuber) announced that they had been developing a line of clothes that would soon be released for purchase. Another one of my aspirations had been accomplished by a man only a year older than me! I had to look back and think of what I had done with my time and the answer was…nothing. I went to work, came home, slept and did the same thing again the next day, and the next and the next. I felt both trapped and helpless like there was no time in the day to do anything of worth towards reaching my dreams. Mark had worked for where he was. He experimented, collaborated, and put effort into every video and it showed! Trust me, I began by watching his older stuff, attempting to view it all in order, and the amount that Mark had grown through the years is amazing!

I needed to change. I wanted to be like Markiplier, but…no, I want to be better! I want to find my own characters, my own content, watching Mark, learning from his mistakes and gain my own fans to push me further and keep me going…but how? Little by little. Bit by bit, every day doing just one more small thing to get further to my goals. I want to lose weight, so I began running every day (lost 13 pounds so far!). I want to read more, so I devoted an hour before bed to read one of the many books I had been meaning to learn from! I want to tell my stories, so every week I post two videos to YouTube, one as a vlog for myself, one as a fictional character to tell the tales that have been locked in my head for years!

I want to be a fashion designer…….. Here is where I lost my way for a moment. When CLOAK was announced it was quite simple: a small assortment of t shirts and hoodies in black and grey colors. It was praised for having a diverse group of models, but I didn't get the appeal until I heard it said that it was a clothing line built for the gaming community. That confused me even more because I assumed a gamer would rather spend $80 on a game than a hoodie, but I was quickly proven wrong as CLOAK sold out of their stock of preorders in the first weekend.

One thing that kept coming up was ‘Would the CLOAK brand ever sell a cloak?’ Both Mark and Jack had been asked this, but I had yet to hear a definitive answer from either. I decided to design my own cloak, drawing heavily on the designs in the brand and doing all I could to further its development to be produced one day…but who would produce it?

If I was designing a cloak for CLOAK shouldn't it be sold by them? How would they go about it? I knew it was very possible that any suggestion made through their means (they ask for input on their web site) would be taken from me with no regard to me or any repayment. I could go through the time and effort to draft a pattern, create a technical sheet and pretty much everything but manufacture it and CLOAK could just take it and there would be nothing I could do! Any sketch, picture, anything is a risk in design because clothes cannot be copywritten, and therefore easily stolen. I knew the value of my design and did not want to give it up for nothing!

Could I sell the design to them? Both Jack and Mark make many appearances at cons and the like, if I could have a discussion with them, perhaps they would be willing to compensate me for the work I had put into the cloak. This ranged from a monetary sum (the amount of which….I had no idea what the work I had done was worth!), to simply gaining a job that would be beneficial to my pursuit of having my own brand one day! For days the possible outcomes of such a discussion went in and out of my head as I contemplated selling my design to the brand in which it ‘belonged'.

No. I will not give up what I have worked on just for someone else's name to be on it! My cloak may have been inspired by the CLOAK brand, but it is still mine! I realized that I was designing this for Mark when I should have been designing it for me! I have found a need that I can fill. People are calling for a functional, modern cloak that can be worn in this day and age. If the CLOAK brand will not oblige its many requests to produce one….I will!

Of course this presented it's own problems. If I utilized the design that was similar to CLOAK brand, would it be called a knock off or imitation? That is not how I want to begin my career, but if I differ from the design, I may lose my target customer, that being a Markiplier or Jacksepticeye fan who would love a CLOAK cloak! It is possible the garment, through fabric or other decisions in production, will evolve and differ from the original concept, moving away from a CLOAK copy and into a design all my own! I plan on finding a manufacturer soon to help me in this process so, I suppose we shall see!

I suppose the point I'm trying to get at is…in the year since I found out about this guy called Markiplier I have done more with my life than the five years since I graduated college. Thank you Mark. I can feel a fire inside of me driving me forward. The flames belong to me….but you are the spark! #markthespark

Stay tuned

@markiplier

#markiplier #markimoo #jacksepticeye #cloakbrand #cloak #dream #drive #jealousy #choices #failure #i hate my life #i hate this #hate my job #hate my body #hate myself #change #hope #fire #markthespark

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