#horse cough treatment

[johanneequestrian]

Taking care of your horse's health is important, especially when it comes to something like a cough. In this guide, we'll talk about what causes horses to cough, signs to look out for, and easy ways you can help your horse feel better. Here, are tips for horse cough treatment.horse cough treatment

[meowbert-whiskers]

Weird ass Resident Evil head cannons because my brain is too silly

Wesker 100% got bullied by Chris and Jill when he was working with S. T. A. R. S. and cried at least once from it.

The moment Ashely got home she started crying to emo nightcore music while downing an entire pack of shredded cheddar cheese.

Luis definitely grabbed Leon's ass at least once whenever he bent down, then got the same treatment from Leon.

Leon purposefully coughs very dramatically in front of people who smoke to make them feel bad.

Chris has frequent nightmares about marrying Jill just for her to turn out to be Wesker in disguise. Every single time he has that nightmare he wakes up in a cold sweat with tears streaming down his face like he just saw the most horrifying thing know to man.

Rebecca has a penis straw some where in her house. It was a gift from Jill.

Wesker is horribly afraid of horses. Any time he sees a horse he starts running away as fast as he can. One time a horse smiled at him and he started screaming in terror.

The only reason Claire wears a ponytail is because one time when she was younger she went to a public pool with Chris and got her hair stuck in one of the drains and had to get a short hair cut. She was bullied about it for years by Chris.

Sherry is obsessed with Pokemon, especially when Leon first started working with the government since he got a bunch of money, and had a Pokemon themed bedroom. Her favourite Pokemon is Sylveon. Leon's is Pikachu because he's a dumb idiot who never saw the appeal and just wanted to make Sherry happy.

William was incredibly nerdy to the point where Annette would sometimes tape his mouth shut while they worked or else her infodump about each way to use a syringe/suture needle/any sort of medical shit they had to use. Albert didn't mind it when he rambled, though.

Chris once pranked Albert by switching his artificial sugars for his coffee with salt and hiding laxatives in it as well. Albert has never forgave him.

Jill once smacked Chris so hard he fell over and folded like an omelette. His spine has never recovered.

Leon was 100% a fan of Oingo Boingo and Weird Al. I will not explain any further.

Ada gets her nails done every other month by the same nail tech. Rebecca is secretly the nail tech.

Leon once accidentally sat on one of Sherry's Plush Charizards and got screamed at for an hour. Sherry said that she didn't want his "butt cooties" on her dragon.

Ashley loves cheese. Specifically brie.

Leon sometimes stares outside of the windows in his home while zoning out and standing completely straight. He also falls asleep like that with his eyes open. Chris will sometimes join him in watching the outside except he stands like a dad and does that thing where he has some sort of nut in his hands and shakes them around before eating them.

Chris wants to have kids, more specifically a daughter, so when Leon was on missions and Claire had to babysit her, he'd try to bond with Sherry. Sherry was horribly afraid of him and would cry if she was picked up by him.

Chris once smacked Wesker so hard his glasses went flying off. Wesker immediately got on the floor and started searching for them Velma style.

Leon unironicaly goes "YEOWCH!" whenever he gets hurt.

In the helicopter, Carlos slung his arm around Jill to try and be hot. It backfired once he realized Jill was both sleeping and drooling all over his arm. Ew.

Leon coughs like an old man on hospice.

Wesker sneezes like a kitten, especially during serious situations. He goes, "I'LL FUCKING END YOU-Achoo! (｡>﹏<｡)"

William once mistook Albert for Anette when he was incredibly tired and kissed Wesker on the lips. Neither were complaining.

This is so fucking dumb but please listen to my insane ramblings. PLEASE.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep6 Musings - Dead Blood, a retcon(?)

Plenty of posts state that vamps can't drink Dead Blood, and I just wanted to touch on something Madeleine & Claudia discussed:

Now, I've discussed how frikkin delicious (human) blood is to vamps:

ANY blood can feed vamps--including animal blood, as we all know from book!Loustat eating rats & cats (even birds in the movie), and especially Gabrielle & Mekare, who hunted animals in the wilderness, far away from human civilization. Vampires ARE blood-drinkers after all; it's what they DO. Claudia's right: It's FOOD; even junk food can get you by.

But the fandom's been hung up/confused/misled about Dead Blood for decades, thanks to the IWTV movie.

A big problem with the Alphabettery's that its entry on Dead Blood (and Claudia's Murder Plot vs Lestat) directly contradicts what's in the effing BOOK--instead, it's following the MOVIE, too.

First off: the Dead Blood wasn't what sickened/paralyzed Lestat, it was the poisonous absinthe & laudanum she laced the boys' food with--Les guzzled down a frikkin horse tranq.

Second: the book explicitly shows more than once that the boys were still alive when Les drained (& sexually molested *cough*) them:

In TVL, AR's second book, she already contradicts the whole Dead Blood thing when Lestat is tortured by Armand in the Theatre before the Trial.

Les was starved, and raving mad, and Armand fed him corpses to drink from. (I discuss the effects of vampire "starvation" here.)

The whole thing about drinking from the dead was tied to the anathema of vamps (as dead things) drinking up Death, to stay alive.

Les explained to Claudia that drinking after the heart stopped made vampires "SICK to death."

Magnus told Lestat explicitly that NOTHING can kill vampires except the sun/fire (which is only 75% true--the BRAIN is what really matters, as I've explained). But he did warn Les not to drink dead blood--

--cuz Magnus assumed that newborn fledgling Les wouldn't be "strong enough to feel that great moment" of drinking in death, the way an older vampire could--and we know that the Children of the Millennia love to drink dead blood--eating their victims' heart & BRAIN after they were already dead--cuz those organs are where the best/strongest blood is--more on that in my Cannibalism post.

But Les almost immediately broke this rule--cuz Lestat is THE rule breaker (hence why him raving about the Great Laws makes no effing sense).

Fledgling Les kept drinking his victims' blood after they were dead, and it didn't kill him--he felt a "wallop," as he couldn't move in his "rolling delirium."

The Alphabettery described the side effects of Dead Blood as getting "sick...to the point of paralysis," corpse-stiff with rigor mortis. For WEAKER vamps, yes, it can make them feel "sick to death," and even Les' was bowled over, delirious & immobile. But this isn't cuz Dead Blood is inherently DEADLY, like poison (a la the movie); but cuz of the overwhelming affect of FEELING that "great moment" of death--it's psychological as much as it's physical.

Most vamps can't HANDLE the GUILTY FEELING of killing--they can't handle what death feels like. Hence why they're always running from their OWN death, by drinking the blood of the living just to FEEL alive again.

Vamps are inherently SCARED of death--they AVOID being around it, and even being around their own dead victims.

It's the same with tasting death. Magnus said only vamps who are STRONG enough can drink Dead Blood, and FEEL death without themselves wanting to curl up and die with their victims. Tasting death paralyzes them--makes their limbs heavy, tense, & lock up; forced to reconcile their (im)mortality & unnatural body--just like how Pandora & Lestat wept when they first used the Cloud Gift, hating how inhuman it made them feel. Being a vampire is HARD--it's a blow to the human conscience; and drinking death wallops them.

The horrible treatment of the Replimoids/aliens like Derek was cuz their bodies provided limitless amounts of blood vamps could gorge themselves on, as Replimoids never die from bloodloss--they don't NEED blood to live.

We see Rhoshamandes experience feeling death "pass into" him in PL, when he eats Khayman's brain:

He seemed to swoon, either from ecstasy or nausea isn't clear--eyes fogging up and heart racing. But the Dead Blood in Khayman's brain was still "delicious."

In PLatRoa, Rhosh was instructed by Roland that drinking from the aliens was the perfect buffet, cuz there's no Death to drink or feel "pass into" a vamp, if the victim can't ever die from being drained.

The issue of vamps drinking immortal/Deathless Replimoid blood brings me to another point. When drinking Armand's corpses in TVL, Les said something important about "sucking up what was left."

As AR developed her lore, it becomes clear(er) that what vamps are sucking up is not actually blood, but MAGIC--the spiritual life force within blood, that AMEL (as a spirit/ghost) feeds on in order to live.

Maharet explains it in QotD:

Amel, a "spirit of the air" that served as Maharet & Mekare's familiar in their witchcraft, was addicted to blood--not just the magic in it, but also the "taste;" that he "fed" on.

The GOAT Mekare explained that even invisible spirits are still material bodies--they have matter, that can absorb & experience things through our 5 senses--inc. taste.

AR contradicts herself in TVL when first she says Les drinking Dead Blood tasted so "exquisite" that he forgot to stop when the heart did; he just kept going. But then in the Trial, Les said drinking dead blood from the corpses Armand gave him was "cold, nauseating, the worst." I suspect that for fledgling vamps, who're much closer to Amel at the moment of creation, they can't discern the difference between living & dead blood--blood is just blood--"it's FOOD, I need it;" and as a baseline ofc it tastes good--cuz ALL blood tastes good to Amel, too. Khayman's Dead Blood was "delicious" to Rhosh. But as they settle into their vampiric bodies, drink more blood, and age over time, their attitudes/sensitivity towards different blood types gradually changes, too--cuz we see this in Amel, too.

Amel drank the blood of the living AND the dead--from people, and from blood sacrifices (which he would "slurp up" (I assume from the altar floor & whatever bowls were laid out on them)). The animals/people and the blood itself would be "dead." Drinking any blood made Amel feel "slow"--as in heavy/more material/physical/CORPOREAL--ALIVE again.

When Amel took possession of Akasha, and revived her corpse from death (thus becoming the Sacred Core of the mother of all vampires), Amel used Akasha (and all vamps spiritually linked to her through the Silver Cord, luracastria, magic, etc), as conduits to feed his bloodlust.

Amel's called "the spirit of the vampiric Blood." But although corporeal/alive inside Akasha, as more blood-drinking vamps were made, Amel's Sacred Core/"rootness" became stretched too thin.

As a (former) spirit/ghost, Amel's "etheric self" was trapped in Akasha's body; similar to how (former) spirit/ghost Gremt was trapped in the synthetic(?) body of flesh & blood he created after witnessing Amel take Akasha's body; made "too solid, separate and individual."

Gremt's corporeal body appreared so real/complete/alive that Lestat could drink Gremt's synthetic(?) "sweet, luscious" blood just fine--

--cuz blood is blood; and Les couldn't tell the difference between this former spirit/ghost's fake(?) blood; and a real humans' blood. Cuz Gremt is pure SPIRIT--and vampires drinks SPIRITS/life forces/magic in the blood.

But interestingly, when Les drank the Replimoid/alien Kapetria's "extraordinary, rich, irresistible, sweet" blood; it was like he started tripping on acid.

Upon drinking Kapetria's blood, Les started hallucinating his worst triggers--the Witches Place, Memnoch, and Claudia's Murder Plot, screaming "Put me in my coffin."

It was so bad he had to be carried out the room--the effect so bad it was like he HAD drunk Dead Blood. Which is odd, cuz Rhosh & Roland never experienced this with Derek. But then again, neither of them held the Sacred Core when they drank from a Replimoid.

I reckon Les was so badly affected cuz--with Amel's Sacred Core in him--he was too close to the Repolimoids to feed on them; it's cannibalism in a too-literal sense. Although "every cell in me was satisfied and upheld by the blood"--cuz there's still a spirit/soul in Replimoids--Les was still overloaded with Kapetria's luracastria. It hit him like Dead Blood would to a weak vamp--cuz luracastria's what makes old vamps turn to stone, like TWMBK--their bodies go heavy, stiff, rigor mortis.

He's not drinking Death with Kapetria; he's drinking life itself (and thus is faced with HIS old life); similar to how vamps drinking vampire blood from the Elders/CoM gives them a better "high" than drinking from regular fledglings--let alone humans.

When Les drank Rhosh's Dead Blood from his brain, it was "so sweet and strong," lighting him up like he was on fire/warm like he'd "never been cold"; "beatific, grand beyond imagining." When Les recovered from the swoon (ecstasy, NOT nausea), Rhosh's blood was "a fine scaffolding of steel supporting me."

Les encouraged his Vampire Court to cannibalize the rest of Rhosh's corpse, and drink his "powerful" Dead Blood to suck up the vitality/strength/power in the life force still lingering in Rhosh's corpse.

As such, here, I disagree with AMC!Claudia's insistence that "life's mystery" isn't in the Blood. I think this is her downplaying just how much she loves/needs blood (just like she downplayed her dreams/nightmares); esp. considering what Louis said about her being afraid she "can't stop" if she takes "a sip" of Madz's blood--knowing what happened to Charlie & her inability to perform the Little Drink like an older/stronger vamp can. You see the raw THIRST on Claudia's face as she fights not lunging at Madz! Cuz at the end of the day, for vamps ("hungry ghosts" in other cultures), ALL BLOOD IS LIFE.

[all-pacas]

DIAGNOSTIC OLYMPICS, SEASON 1, EPISODES 1-5

Hi! I was curious about who on House (besides House) gets the most diagnoses right. Other folks have already run a tally (it's Chase), but I was curious how other factors would influence the tally — whose ideas get run with, who manages treatment, who screws up… So I thought I'd keep score.

1 point for getting the answer. This is almost always going to be House.

.5 points for Valuable Contribution — stuff that isn't the final answer, but either is thought to be the final answer or is valuable to the solving of the case. Stuff like "noticing something on the MRI" doesn't count; things like "figuring out how to treat" does.

-.5 to -1 for Mistakes — stuff that delays or prevents diagnoses, injuring or killing patients, etc.

PILOT

DIAGNOSES: Ham Worms

+1: HOUSE. Final diagnosis and most ideas. +.5: CHASE: Comes up with a way to prove the diagnoses and convince the patient to treat.

PATERNITY

DIAGNOSES: Brain Measles

+1: HOUSE. Final diagnosis. +.5: FOREMAN. Is the one to figure out how to treat the patient, twice, House deferring to him entirely with treating the measles. +0: CAMERON. Comes up with neurosyphilis, which is the only non-House diagnoses to get tested/treated (+.5). But also took a really bad history of the patient, missing that he was adopted and more significantly that he'd had recent head trauma. (-.5) BONUS POINTS: +5 to Chase for sheer asskissing. Sucks up to House in the differential (1), guesses what House wants to hear while looking at MRI results and guesses correctly based on House's response (2 and 3), later reads House again and decides there's a third option for treatment because House does (4), and lastly is the only one of the named cast who didn't bet against House on the patient's paternity. (5).

OCCAM'S RAZOR

DIAGNOSES: Pharmacy Error; gout medication.

+1 House, as ever in these early episodes. +.5 Foreman, impresses House and his idea is taken as correct in the differential. Also takes charge of Cameron and Chase and gets them to pull all-nighters doing testing. Leadership!

MATERNITY

DIAGNOSES: Echovirus.

+1 Team: there is no one eureka moment by one person, so everyone gets the win here. Individual merits: +.5 Chase: I'm giving him an extra half point: he suggests virus first, even if it's initially knocked down, and his suggestion of VSRA ends up being partially correct. He also spends most of the episode in NICU acting as the primary physician and keeping the babies alive. +.5 Foreman: Suggests Echovirus in the final brainstorming session. Doesn't count as a full point because it was brainstorming and not his only suggestion, but he still nailed it. -1 Cameron: Not a good episode for her. Fails to communicate with the parents, then fails to accurately explain the risks of treatment later. When their son dies, she also is unable to break the news, and tries to get Chase to do it (Wilson eventually does). Kind of a bad look. -1 Cuddy: She's scouring the hospital for sources of the illness, and misses the openly coughing and sick old lady handing out stuffed animals? I'd give her a pass if she wasn't actively looking for just that.

DAMNED IF YOU DO

DIAGNOSES: Copper allergy.

+.5 House: There's really not a lot of diagnosing in this episode: the nun is suffering an allergy, and House gets it in the first minute of the episode. I'm deducting points because I think this episode actually shows a downside to House's way of diagnosing: when she has unrelated symptoms, he immediately abandons allergy and jumps to what rare illness is it instead of trying to figure out other causes. He saw a zebra, not a horse. +.5 Cameron: She also suggests an allergy right away, although it's shot down and House calls her out later for not sticking her guns. RAT COUNT: Foreman is the first of the series, running to Cuddy and getting House kicked off the case because he disagrees with the diagnoses.

SOCRATIC METHOD

DIAGNOSES: Wilson's Disease

+1 Cameron: First non-House diagnoses, and it's Cameron suggesting Wilson's disease at the final differential! +.5 House: Unusually nice this episode, and he's the one who both took an interest in the patient and realized her psychosis was a symptom and not a diagnoses. +0 Chase: doesn't let it get in the way, but his insistence/dismissal of the patient as an alcoholic means he's pretty useless this episode. Doesn't screw anything up, but no points either. -.5 Foreman: Loses his temper with the patient and sedates her against House's direct orders, also affecting her mental state/clarity and ability to communicate. House lectures him, and if House thinks it's a screw up, who am I to argue?

Running tally:

HOUSE: 4 TEAM: 1 FOREMAN: 1 CHASE: 1 CAMERON: .5 CUDDY: -1

[simply-whump]

The Heavenly Idol (성스러운 아이돌) - Whump List

Whumpee : Rembrary / Woo Yeon Woo played by Kim Min Gue

Synopsis : Pontifex Rembrary is widely regarded as having the most powerful divine power ever. While he fights against a devil, he gets transferred to a different world. He then finds himself in a small dormitory and possesses the body of Woo Yeon Woo, who is a member of the unpopular idol group Wild Animal. (MDL)

Genres : Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

⚠️TW⚠️ There are talks about suicide in multiple episodes

Warning ! Possible spoilers below!

Rembrary / Woo Yeon Woo

Ep 1 : Chased, hit by some magic, falls down his horse, attacked, protecting himself with magic, struggling, thrown to the ground, shoulder injured, healed with magic, using magic, stumbling, head spinning, headache — Transported from his fantasy world to our world, screaming, really confused, a bit manhandled — Brought to the hospital — Cuts his palm, heals himself

Ep 2 : Tries to use his powers, gasping in pain, passes out — Looks really tired — Uses too much power, sweating, collapses, passes out, found unconscious, concern for him, wakes up briefly before passing out again (Gif Set)

Ep 3 : Unconscious, concern for him, slapped, heavy lidded eyes, speaking weakly — Coughing — Feeling dizzy

Ep 4 : None

Ep 5 : Using a lot of power, struggling — Knife at his throat, restrained 

Ep 6 : Bag on his head, restrained — Restrained, taken by the police — Handcuffed in an interrogation room — Attacked with a knife, thrown against a wall, stopping the blade with his bare hand, bleeding, struggling, running away, stabbed in the shoulder, crying out in pain, collapses, passes out (Gif Set) — Wakes up on a stretcher, concern for him, heavy-lidded eyes, speaking weakly — At the hospital, bloody, refusing treatment, wincing in pain, hand treated, wincing in pain, concern for him (Gif Set) — Walking with an IV drip, hand and shoulder bandaged, talking bout sad memories — Helped to walk, bumps his shoulder against some furniture, wincing in pain, concern for him

Ep 7 : Under the influence of a spell, has to do everything someone tells him to do, forced to drink, drunk, told to drive a car and to crash, slammed against a car, collapses on the ground, concern for him, (Gif Set), freed from the spell

Ep 8 : Worried for someone, attacked, protecting himself with a magical shield, stabbed in the leg, bleeding, (Gif Set), healing himself

Ep 9 : Falls down some stairs (comedic) — Can’t use his powers, shocked, desperate, blaming himself, teary-eyed — Told to go kill himself if he wants to save everyone, pushed against a wall, angry, has a panic attack, can’t breath, collapses, passes out (Gif Set)

Ep 10 : Wakes up in bed, vision blurry, looking exhausted, depressed, wishes to kill himself to save everyone, worried — Falsely accused of all sorts of horrible things — Covered in flour and eggs — (Flashback) Found unconscious — (Present) Has a panic attack, breathless, holding his chest, half-collapses, heavy breathing, looking exhausted (Gif Set) — Surrounded by paparazzi, has another panic attack, has trouble breathing, saved, saying hurtful things to his loved one — Depressed — Has a third panic attack, has trouble breathing, blaming himself — Manhandled, using his powers, collapses unconscious, concern for him (Gif Set) — Wakes up in bed, heavy-lidded eyes

Ep 11 : Restrained, put to his knees, attacked — Attacked, thrown to the ground, stabbed in the shoulder, falls down the stairs, unconscious, bleeding from the head, (Gif Set), wakes up back in his fantasy world, chained, sword pointed at him (Gif Set) — Back in our world his body is found unconscious, concern for him, hospitalized, oxygen mask, waking up, heavy lidded eyes — Told he has to die for the people to be saved, magic used on him, in pain, collapses to the ground, told to kill himself, feeling betrayed, angry, collapses on his knees, devastated, crying, screaming, sobbing, comforted (Gif Set)

Ep 12 : Thrown to the ground — Hit with a wooden pole, restrained, taken away — Bag on his head, teary-eyed, magic used on him, in pain, his powers are being taken from him, gasping in pain, passes out — Stabbed, collapses, passes out

>> More Whump Lists

[bluerose5]

Astarion gets the Twilight treatment. I take my crackfics very seriously here.

...

"A little help over here!" Erys called out, grunting as he shoved at the slab of stone covering the hunter's sarcophagus.

They were deep within the latest tomb on their journey to find a way to counteract Astarion's... aversion to sunlight, and all paths that they followed led there.

Astarion watched him with a smirk, his hands on his hips.

"Oh, I don't know if you need me," he said. "I mean, I do rather like the view from here."

In response, Erys's tail swayed from side to side, draconic wings giving a slight flutter at the praise.

Of course that didn't stop Erys from turning to narrow his eyes at him.

"Astarion, my love, if you want to know whether this is what we've been waiting for or not," Erys crooned, "then you'll help me."

"Ugh, alright, fine. Spoilsport," Astarion huffed, poking his bottom lip out into a pout. "Although, if I ruin my nails on this filthy hunk of rock, then you owe me."

Erys snorted.

"As if I expect anything less."

Astarion joined him, brushing his fingers over the Infernal carvings upon the sarcophagus, familiar enough with the language by now to understand a few of the words.

"What do you make of it?" Erys asked.

"Blah, blah, something about darkness and light, yada, yada," Astarion muttered.

"Well, I'm surprised you got that much right," Erys taunted, taking Astarion's hand and guiding it over the script as he read aloud. "Roughly translated, it says, 'Bring darkness into light at your leisure, but remember that light shall always expose the true nature of darkness.'"

"So..." Astarion hummed. "What does that entail exactly? Will I turn into some sort of hideous beast in the sunlight instead of turning to ash?"

"Hot," Erys said under his breath; and when Astarion glared at him, he asked, "What?"

"Just help me open the damn thing."

Together, they pushed against the slab.

They pushed and shoved until, finally, the stone fell off to the other side.

A crash roared throughout the tomb, and a cloud of dust sprang up into the air.

Astarion and Erys coughed, frantically waving their hands around until they could see the remains within.

A blood hunter, or what was left of them at least.

And on their finger was a ring, emanating some of the strongest magic they've felt in a while.

"Is that—" Astarion started.

"Maybe?" Erys answered.

"Well," Astarion said, "only one way to find out."

He reached forward, but Erys grabbed his hand before he could reach it.

"Wait," he said, "what if the effects are permanent?"

"What?" Astarion asked. "Wouldn't you still love me as some sort of horrific, malformed beast?"

"That's not what I'm worried about." Erys grimaced. "I'm worried about you making a choice that you might come to regret."

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?" Astarion took a deep, bracing breath. "I have to try. I have to know for certain."

After a moment of searching Astarion's expression, Erys nodded, then released his hand.

Astarion reached into the sarcophagus and wrenched the ring free from the skeleton's bones.

They waited for a lone beat, sharing a skeptical look when nothing happened.

"Really?" Erys raised a brow and searched around them. "No hoards of undead to fight? No angry spirits to ward off? That's it? We can go?"

"Kind of underwhelming compared to the other places we've been to get here, I must admit. Not that I'm one to look a gift horse in the mouth."

When it truly appeared as if their theft didn't trigger any world-ending event, Astarion looked at the engraving along the inside of ring, the words upon the sarcophagus embedded within the band.

Astarion prepared himself for the worst.

He squeezed his eyes shut, then slid the ring onto his finger.

Again, nothing happened.

He peeked an eye open and patted his hands against his face, at least relieved when that remained the same.

"Well?" Erys asked, impatient. "Feel any different?"

"Not really," Astarion answered, his lips tugging into a scowl. "Guess we've come to the moment of truth then. That cryptic warning did mention that light will bring out my true nature or what-have-you. It must mean the sunlight will trigger whatever transformation awaits me."

"Are you sure you're ready for that?"

"As ready as I'm going to be."

"Alright, then," Erys sighed, scratching at his beard. "Time to make camp and wait for sunrise, I suppose."

It all seemed way too easy.

They did, in fact, make camp within the tomb —campfire, bedrolls, and all— but the night was a restless one to say the least.

When Astarion wasn't tossing and turning, trying to slip into his trance, he was up pacing back and forth within the darkness.

Erys eventually dragged him back to bed, unable to sleep without him, heavy wings draped over him in an attempt to keep him there.

Only then, in his arms, was Astarion able to rest.

But he was up at the crack of dawn.

Erys took that as a sign to get the hell up himself, yawning as he made his way outside first.

Once the sun rose, he lifted his hand up to shield his face against the first rays of daylight, peering out between his fingers.

He looked back at the entrance to the tomb, where Astarion teetered on the edge between darkness and light.

Erys reached a hand out towards him.

Astarion nodded to him.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and stepped out into the sunlight for the first time in years since their initial journey ended.

Astarion still didn't feel any change, his brow furrowed, confused by this turn of events.

On one hand, at least the change didn't hurt.

On the other, Erys was absolutely silent.

"Erys," He hissed, panic rising in his voice. "How bad is it?"

The silence stretched on.

Then, out of nowhere, the bastard snickered.

"Are you—" Astarion sputtered, indignant. "Are you laughing at me, you bastard?"

"I'm sorry," Erys wheezed. "It's just that, all of that suspense and build-up, and for this?!"

He barked out another laugh, to which Astarion stomped his foot with a huff.

"Sometimes I could just wring that pretty neck of yours. What in the Hells are you talking ab—Oh."

Astarion opened his eyes, only to be met with the sight of his skin, the same as before except for one teensy-weensy detail.

It was sparkling.

"Huh," he muttered, turning his hands back and forth, but there was no denying reality. This was really happening, apparently. "Never read anything about this sort of thing in all of those dusty, old tomes we dug up."

Erys shrugged.

"Perhaps the ring affects different monsters in different ways. Our buddy in the tomb, ole Hunter-What's-Their-Face, was consumed by the curse of lycanthropy in their final days. Either that," Erys guessed, "or the 'true nature' being revealed relies completely on the individual."

He beamed at Astarion in amusement.

"I think I like the second option more. Would make sense that you, of all people, would become the sparkly, glittery vampire."

"Ha! Whatever do you mean by that, my love?" Astarion crooned with a playful bite in his direction.

The sunlight bounced off his skin in a rainbow of color, casting light all around them.

"Only that I absolutely love that radiant personality of yours."

"You don't say," Astarion drawled, then instantly perked up, twirling back and forth as he basked in the morning's warmth. "You know, as flashy as this may have turned out to be, I'd take this over the alternative any day."

Gathering up their supplies, he reached out and took Erys by the hand.

They followed the path that they took to the tomb, their heads held high.

Erys bumped him with his arm.

"Hey, if anyone asks, we'll just say that this is some quirk of your Fey ancestry. That's if anyone has the courage to ask about it with me at your side."

"Heh, it's as good an excuse as any."

"I can't wait until Gale and Shadowheart get to see this at our next tea time," Erys laughed.

"Is that where we're going next then?" Astarion questioned, embracing the freedom to go wherever their hearts led them, however they pleased. "To Waterdeep?"

"To Waterdeep!"

After all, they owed him that special guest lecture of theirs.

[rookthebird]

a chronically ill character rescued from a horrible accident.

like a superhero pulled from the rubble of a collapsed building, or a noble lifted from a frozen lake after their horse stumbled and threw them in.

their friends rush to their side.

"don't worry, we'll make sure you get the best medical treatment possible!"

the chronically ill character just laughs bitterly, a laugh that turns into coughing up blood.

"you really think doctors will believe someone like me when i say i'm in pain?"

[nemesis-is-my-middle-name]

Well about the perception of Volo vs Kamado thing, and why more people don’t hate Volo, I have my own reflections (pretty privilege is absolutely a factor tho let’s be real 😂)

Everyone growing up has at least one story of an adult being super unfair to you, even though you were doing everything right. Their own biases and experiences could be understood later once you were older and calmer reflecting back on the incident, like a teacher who snapped at you maybe had a super long day of wrangling hundreds of children. But we never forget how it feels in that moment to have those who should be guiding us be unfair and seemingly unreasonable. So naturally that’s gonna hurt when you get kamado being paranoid.

Volo on the other hand is just absolutely delightful I’m sorry maybe if Kamado put on a silly outfit and hair for his boss battle instead of plate mail he’d have more art. Like you said Volos betrayal is one and done really, he acts like a theater kid and then dips. You have to keep seeing kamado being in charge in the game after his blunders for a while which can rub people the wrong way. (Also this is maybe just me but I never trusted Volo just like I never trusted Cynthia as a kid, and finding out he was evil was a great moment of vindication I CANT be the only one who experienced this)

TLDR we see unfairness way more than we see someone betray us while making their hair like a god horse

well, you heard them, kamado. time to go get the jester outfit. cmon chop chop it's to redeem your image

yeah, the point abt getting burned by adults in authority is also very fair. most of us were not scarred for life by theater kid antics lol. the other thing abt it is that often those same adults never really face any consequences. you were always just expected to move on, suck it up etc. cause that's life as a kid right. sometimes ppl will use their power over you just to flex their limited authority, or to vent whatever's going on in their home life, and this doesn't really stop when you grow up it's just that when you're a kid basically every adult has that authority position. so it's just expected that there's nothing you can do. i mean unless you decide to be the karmic force of justice in your own life by being the most stubborn bitch of a child to walk the earth. not that i would know anything about that cough

uh anyway. the thing is the thing btwn you and kamado isn't about about child vs adult. you're more or less considered an adult yourself by jubilife, albeit a rather young and more importantly low ranking one. like we've said (a million times already lol) kamado's not doing it just to grasp at a sense of control, he's reacting to what he perceives as a very real threat to his village (and also because the writers clocked him in the face with the idiot ball for plot advancement reasons lbr).

and the thing is kamado DOES, kind of, face consequences and own up to his mistakes by the end of the game. also after the red sky event he's like, REALLY nice to you lol. not just briefly either! imo you can tell that he sincerely respects you and regrets his actions in the red sky. go look at his late game quotes-

"Perhaps you are a divine being yourself, sent to bring us gifts from above... "I know I've no right to say this... But we are truly fortunate to have been able to count you among the Survey Corps' ranks. If you had not joined us, we would have fallen on Mount Coronet. We would have lost our home. We would have lost our future." "I'm grateful to you for showing me what a heartening presence Pokémon can be. We must spar again sometime!" "<player>, forgive me for taking so much of your time [telling you about the Galaxy name.] Please accept this as a sort of apology."

like he's trying to make up for the way they were treated earlier and give them the proper treatment they're owed for all their help.

idk i don't have a good way to conclude this i guess. i just think he's a cool character

[sidewalkchemistry]

Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana, Brassicaceae - Mustard Family)

an extended version of this materia media can be found on the Patreon - where I share some gastronomic/culinary commentaries on horseradish

"The root's potent smell can be attributed to allyl isothiocyanate, or Mustard oil, which is released when the plant's skin is broken or disturbed. Similar to other members of the Brassicaceae family, this constituent is also found in Brussels sprouts, Mustard, and Turnips."

"In Greek mythology, the Delphic Oracle told Apollo, 'The Radish is worth its weight in lead, the Beet its weight in silver, the Horseradish its weight in gold.'"

"To a worm in a horseradish, the world is a horseradish” - Yiddish Proverb

Gardening: full sun to part shade; well draining loose or sandy soil; regular water; room to spread and grow deep, often takes over more space than expected; thrives even when neglected; herbaceous perennial

Native Region: Russia & Eastern Ukraine

Season: autumn and winter (hardy to zone 5)

Affinity: sinuses, lungs, digestive system, circulation

Parts: roots and leaves

Medicinal: fire cider/oxymels, cold-water infusion, succus (fresh juice), cough syrup, poultice for sprains/injuries, tincture, culinary measures

"Grated horseradish mixed with honey [or vegan alternative]. After mixing, allow to stand to take off sharp taste. The [sweetener] is only used to make it more palatable. 2/3 horse-radish and 1/3 [sweetener], or to suit the taste. The ordinary radish, especially the black radish, may also be used the same way, or finely sliced and eaten alone as a salad. For consumptives who cough without spitting, give a spoonful every once in a while." - Special "Mucus-Eliminator" Recipe in Arnold Ehret's Mucusless Diet Healing System

^I like to add grated orange peel to help make it more manageable to taste^

Actions: diuretic, stimulant, expectorant, rubefacient, aphrodisiac, digestive, antiseptic (laxative), aperient, anthelmintic, emetic (in high doses)

‼when you cut into horseradish, its pungent smell can irritate the eyes and nasal passages, so it's better to do in a well-ventilated area or outside. It is more potent in its effect than onions. The taste is also very pungent, so you don't need much.

Energetic Uses (eg. flower essence, elemental rituals): FIRE ELEMENT - balance fiery nature, excite inner fire, move you beyond sense of being stuck/helpless, shine a light on blockages, release old patterns or thoughtforms

Indications: hoarse, persistent, dry cough; rheumatism; tuberculosis; kidney stones; parasite infections; cold; congestion

Analogs: wasabi, radish, mustard, brussels sprouts, moringa (Moringa oleifera)

Traditional Uses:

Ancient Greeks & Romans: rub for lower back pain or menstrual cramps, aphrodisiac

Middle Ages: asthma, arthritis, cancer, toothaches

Jewish: bitter herb for Passover seder

Native Americans: toothaches, menstrual cramps

British: accompaniment to beef and oysters, cordials

Scurvy preventative

Treatment for tuberculosis

Restoring color and freshness to skin (cosmetic usage)

Modern Ideas:

"The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) is a useful

tool for detecting antibodies in the molecular biology field."

"In 2008, researchers reported that they had developed a fire alarm for the deaf and hard of hearing by harnessing the strong smell of horseradish."

"Researchers from Pennsylvania State University announced in 1995 that according to their studies, using horseradish may help purify wastewater and tainted soils."

Sources: a b c d e

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

Remus had fancied Sirius Black since he was 10 years old. Back then, his crush seemed simple. Remus had the illusion that Sirius would one day feel the same and they would confess their feelings and ride a horse into the sunset. To be fair, every reference he had of romance were novels and Disney Movies.

Since Sirius was home schooled the only friend in his life was Remus. So Remus had no one to compare himself to. But now it was different.

Teenage Sirius had conquered the hearts of mostly every student at his school. Sirius was popular. He had a solid group of friends which were amazing. And he was no longer the boy that thought girls were gross and never wanted to have a girlfriend.

Sirius was a true Casanova now. Of course. The wanker was gorgeous. He attracted every girl at Hogwarts.

Having a crush on Sirius now was the worst. It was totally a nightmare. Remus wasn't innocent anymore. He had changed. Ever since he came out as trans, he had less chance with a very heterosexual Sirius.

Remus and Sirius were close as before. And oh how much Remus adored him. But he had to endure with Sirius' multiple girls.

The first time they saw each other after five years, Sirius' girlfriend Julie made a scene in front of Remus.

"You promised you were going to spend the day with me and you stood me up, Sirius! Do you think that's fair?"

"Remus came to visit me, Juls... He... He is a special friend for me. I haven't see him ages!"

Julie was not necessarily annoying. For what Remus heard, she had the right to be angry. Sirius didn't take their relationship seriously. And it seemed like it wasn't the first time he stood her up.

"Come on... Don't be angry with me" Sirius made his classic puppy eyes that worked on Julie.

"You are so immature" she was smiling.

God, Remus hated how Julie was naturally beautiful. She was older than Sirius. She wasn’t wearing any makeup. Her hair looked amazing in that ponytail. At that time, Remus was barely starting his T treatment and he was very insecure.

When they kissed, Remus looked away because it hurt. It broke Remus' heart how he realized he still have feelings for his friend and how it was very impossible for them to be together.

He had to bury this crush deep into his heart. Even if he had to take it to the grave.

When Remus got to Hogwarts, Sirius had broken up with Julie. But his relationship with an older girl had given him a reputation. Sirius was even more desirable. But the thing was that he didn't want to have a serious relationship anymore.

"Having a girlfriend is slaving, Moony" he used to say "I am a free spirit. I want to have fun and do what I want without a girl nagging me about it"

But that didn’t stop Sirius from snogging girls once in a while at parties. The first times, watching those scenes, made Remus' chest ache. All of them were pretty and confident. Something Remus would never be during his transition. But the thought that comforted him as he got used to it was that those flings never lasted long.

Besides, it was Remus who Sirius looked for comfort, for a serious talk, for a cigarette. Sirius may have many girls, but Remus would always be constant in his life. Remus was the good friend. He knew Sirius' secrets. He loved to know what to say to make Sirius laugh. He loved that Sirius drew things on his arms during class. Or that Sirius took care of him. That they had a special connection. That Sirius called him Moony. It made him feel special. It differentiated him from all those girls.

There were times that Sirius was so close, that said certain things that made Remus think: "Wow, what if he loves me?". It gave Remus the illusion that something beautiful could happen between them. Until Sirius kissed another girl and Remus' bubble was crushed.

There were sometimes when Remus couldn't hide his jealousy. Like when those girls were so clingy of Sirius and flirted with him on Remus' face. He would mock their stupid giggles and then cleared his throat pretending to be coughing when he was caught.

"Sorry... Got something on my throat"

Sirius always smiled amused. As he knew. That fucking bastard.

It wasn't until Marlene that Remus felt threatened. Marlene was one of the coolest girls Remus had ever met. She was outgoing, funny, said what she wanted when she wanted. Like she wasn’t afraid of anything. Besides, Remus had gotten closer with her. Remus hadn't had girl friends before but with Lily, Mary and Marlene, it was easy. They had become Remus' friends.

And Marlene wasn't one of the other girls that flirted with Sirius like an idiot. On the contrary, she was constantly making fun of him, putting him on his place. There was no sign of her fancying him. But that was not what James thought.

"Come on, Pads" he said "Someone who is giving this constant attention has to fancy you. That's why Marly is constantly bothering you, to hide her inner feelings"

Remus had been relieved when Sirius laughed his butt out.

"If Marlene fancies me, then Professor McGonagall is utterly in love with you, Prongsie"

James raised his hands "It could be"

Sirius shook his head "You're crazy"

Remus was content that Sirius was a free spirit, that he would never be serious with a girl (at least for now). Maybe one day, Sirius would fall in love and get married. But wishfully until then Remus had managed to get over him.

Remus didn't expect for Sirius to be interested in Marlene though. It was Remus' seventeenth birthday and the Marauders organized a huge party for him and James. The idea was sell tickets for the party to help Remus save money for his top surgery. By this point, Remus had been very grateful towards his friends. He knew he was lucky. And yes, finding that all of it had been Sirius' idea, made Remus love him more. But he decided to put those feelings aside. Because he was just content to have a good friend like that. He couldn't ask for more.

But on that party, Marlene showed up with a beautiful tight dress with a neckline. And Marlene was always pretty. But she was more attractive than ever.

Sirius was staring.

"You look really nice, Marly"

She looked pretty nice.

Marlene blushed for some reason.

"I feel really stupid" Marlene murmured.

"Nice job" Remus heard James whispering on Mary's ear. And they hit palms in conspiracy. It was obvious what they were trying to do. They were trying to pair them up. It was okay. James didn’t know about Remus' feelings. And that his throat had gone dry.

As the party carried on, Sirius wanted to spend time with Remus and only Remus. Following him around like a puppy. Although Remus caught him throwing glances at Marlene once in a while.

They hid in the kitchen of the Shrieking Shack, smoking weed and chatting for hours. And for a second, Remus forgot about everything. He could pretend Sirius was only his.

"You're amazing, Moony" Sirius said after Remus had said something stupid to make him laugh.

"You are amazing too" Remus swallowed.

"Oh I know that already, Moons" Sirius joked.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"Well I will shut up now"

As Sirius laughed, Remus wondered if he could kiss him now and then pretend it had been the weed or something.

But Marlene came into the kitchen in that second.

"What's up, fuckers?"

"Hey Marly" Remus smiled.

She went directly to serve herself a drink. She was dancing and singing to the music. And Remus noticed Sirius couldn't take his eyes away from her.

"Marlene looks pretty hot with that dress, don't you think Moony?" Sirius whispered in Remus' ear.

Remus felt suddenly very cold and nauseated.

"It is not her style" Remus commented, taking a drag of the joint.

"Exactly! I've always seen Marlene as Marlene... Not like a girl, you know?"

"But she is a girl, Pads"

"Yeah but you know what I mean... A girl girl..." his eyes fixed on how Marlene swallowed her drink in one gulp. And proceeded to serve another. What was this girl trying to do, get herself drunk?

"Do you actually think she fancies me?" Sirius continued whispering. Remus wished he would just shut up.

"I don't know..."

Sirius nodded, taking a sip of his own drink.

"I mean maybe she wore that dress for me"

Remus wanted to punch Sirius.

"What's the difference?" he asked a little annoyed "You don't fancy her anyway, Pads... Right?"

Remus hated how his voice trembled at the end. Sirius didn't answer. He just shrugged and smiled.

"Right, Pads?"

"I mean we are always bickering and bothering each other..." Sirius answered "I haven't even thought about flirting with her..."

Remus was going to be sick.

"What are you whispering about?" Marlene interrupted them "Have something to say, Black?"

Sirius smiled at her the way he always did with other girls. With Marlene he was always rolling his eyes or making stupid jokes. But not anymore.

"I was telling Moony that you haven't drank with me"

Marlene rolled her eyes.

"Well... Keep up dickhead... You are too sober"

As Marlene drank more, Sirius whispered in Remus' ear again.

"Would you leave us alone, Moony?"

Remus was panicking. What the hell was going on? This surely was a nightmare. He had to wake up.

"What are you going to do?" Remus asked, trying to sound casual "She is tipsy, Sirius"

"Still whispering about me, idiots?" Marlene tutted "I am gonna go..."

"No wait!" Sirius stoop up "Let's have a drink together... Remus was just leaving. Right?"

Remus was frozen on the cold floor.

"Why are you leaving?" Marlene asked clueless. She definitely didn't sound sober.

Sirius was pleading with his eyes. And in that second, Remus lost hope. Marlene wasn't a girl to fool around. If Sirius tried something with her, it had to be serious. He would have to treat her like a gentleman. Because Marlene didn't deserver nothing less. And Marlene was Remus' friend. He couldn't hate her. It would only complicate things.

Remus didn't want to leave. But he didn't have an excuse not to. Unless he would confess his feelings for Sirius now. Which was inappropriate because it was obvious Sirius didn't feel the same.

"I..." Remus stood up as well "I have to supervise the music... People won't like this"

Remus looked between the two and his heart broke into a million pieces.

"Yeah go do that, Moony" Sirius winked clueless of how much he had hurt Remus.

And Marlene was still very confused.

"Okay see ya, Remus" she shrugged.

"You are actually attractive tonight" Sirius said as Remus walked away in a very slow pace. "Who are you and what have you done with my friend Marly?"

Marlene snorted "First off all, I am not your friend and second of all go fuck yourself, asshole!"

Sirius laughed amused.

"So if we are not friends, what are we?"

"Barely acquienteces..." Marlene said.

"Or maybe something else..."

"Like what?"

Remus couldn't listen anymore. He grabbed the first bottle of alcohol he encountered and gulped its insides trying to swallow the pain he was feeling. So this was what it felt like to have his heart broken. It hurt. It hurt like nothing else. 

Remus drank until he managed to get numb. He didn't know how much time had passed. But he had been sitting on that couch for ages. With his eyes puffed and red. He had cried at some point. But he didn't even remember it. He was really dizzy. He was sure if he moved just a little everything would start to spin around again.

"Jesus, Remus" James was saying in front of him "How much did you drink?"

Remus didn't know how he got there or how much time James had been talking to him.

"How are we going to get him to the castle?"

Lily was also there. Remus smiled at her but she just looked worried.

"I really tried to give him water but he just kept yelling at me"

Peter was next to him as well. Apparently he had been there for a long time.

"Peetee... Peetee...." Remus chanted before buring his face on Peter's shoulder.

"Please don't vomit on me, Remus"

Remus just hummed in response.

Remus heard voices after that. Mary was there too. Remus heard her voice and smelled her perfume.

"We are going now, Peter!" another voice said "I am not going to get in trouble for your drunk friend"

"Susy... I cannot leave him like that..."

"Nobody forced him to drink like that, didn't they?" Susan buffed "He did that on himself"

Remus heard people discussing until he felt Peter's shoulder being replaced by Lily's or maybe Mary's. It was a girly shoulder.

"What happened?"

Sirius' voice made Remus opened his eyes.

"Remus drank like a wanker, that's what happened"

Sirius was kneeling in front of Remus with a worried expression. Remus hated him. He hated him with all his heart.

"Moony..."

"Remus has a high tolerance for alcohol. He must've drank a lot"

Marlene was speaking. And Remus didn't want to hate her but shit he did at the moment. It was not her fault.

"I don't know..." James said "Peter found him this way"

"Where is Peter?" Sirius asked

"Susan dragged him into the castle" Lily sighed.

"He left? He abandoned us? We were supposed to clean everything together... Bloody wanker!"

"I think it was the bitch of his girlfriend, mate" James added.

"Where were you two?" Mary asked.

Remus saw how Sirius and Marlene smiled at each other. And he felt strong nauseas.

"Oh my God!" Mary squealed "You were together, weren't you?" she smirked "What happened?"

"Nothing!" Marlene blushed.

"Let's not talk about this now..." Sirius said "We have to sober Moony up"

Remus felt Sirius' hands on his knees but he couldn't do anything else. He was too dizzy to move.

"You definitely snogged, didn't you?" James' intention was to tease.

But that was the last drop that made Remus puke on Sirius' shinny shoes.

Everyone gasped and yelled in disgust.

Sirius' expression made Remus giggle afterwards. The perfect revenge. Sirius deserved it.

"Gotcha, pretty boy"

Remus' giggles broke up the tension and everyone started laughing, except for Sirius.

"It is not funny!" he shinned "These were my favorite shoes!"

Remus sobered up as they got to the castle. But I the process of keeping Remus steady and sneaking in undetected, they were spotted by Filch. McGonagall gave the group of Gryffindors detention. It wasn't that bad since she thought they had been drinking out in and had not organized a big party with half the school in an abandoned house in the middle of the woods and worse charge the entrance. They surely would've been expelled.

The worst of all was that Sirius blamed Remus for getting caught. Sirius wasn't Remus' favorite person right now, so he was bottling up his anger.

"Why did you have to drink like that, Remus?" Sirius asked as they got to their dorm. Remus was craving his bed.

"It was my birthday party and I wanted to bloody drink, what is your problem?"

"That was irresponsable! You could've been poisoned by too much alcohol!"

Remus snorted "Everyone else was drinking..."

"Not like a bloody animal!"

"Fuck you, Sirius" Remus murmured.

"What?"

"Let's go to bed, shall we?" James intervened "It's been a long night and we are going to wake up Peter..."

"Let's wake the fucking traitor up!" Sirius yelled.

"Sorry lads..." Peter murmured from his bed "Susan is graduating this year and she wants a clean record..."

"We don't give a shit about what your stupid girlfriend wants, Wormtai!"

"Oh fuck yourself, Sirius!"

"Why is everyone against me?"

Sirius looked at James and the latter shrugged.

"Maybe because you are a twat, Sirius"

"What did I ever do to you, Remus?"

"Nothing! You are just bloody perfect with your perfect hair and your perfect face and everything about you is perfect!" Remus was pushing Sirius away with his finger "You have to have everyone wanting you, right?"

"Remus, what..." It was James trying to intervene but Remus stopped him.

"Why Marlene, Sirius?" Remus continued "I won't let you hurt her, okay? She is my friend as well"

"Padfoot!" Peter exclaimed "You and Marlene?"

"Yes, Peter!" Remus answered "But Sirius doesn't give shit about her, just like every other girls are he fucks up with"

Sirius was angry now. He pushed Remus.

"Why do you have to assume that? I would never hurt Marlene, idiot!"

James sighed "Lads... Please... We are going to wake up everyone in the Gryffindor Tower..."

Remus ignored him. To be fair, he was still slightly drunk, tired and with vomit flavor on his mouth. But above all he was jealous. Really jealous.

"Are you gonna date her then? Are you going to be the perfect boyfriend she deserves?"

Remus knew it would hurt if he said yes but he didn't want Marlene to suffer.

Sirius didn't answer.

"Padfoot... Marly is like my sister" James added "You are not going to hurt her, right?"

Sirius looked furious.

"Why do I have to be the one to hurt her? Why do you think that of me?"

"Because you are fucking selfish womanizer!" Remus spat.

'And I bloody love you'

Sirius shook his head.

"Fuck you, Remus"

"Pads..." James sighed "We just want to know if you actually fancy Marly"

"We are just friends that's all, okay?" Sirius walked to his bed. But Remus was shaking his head. That twat. Maybe he had already become bored of Marlene.

"And leave me the fuck alone!" Sirius added "All of you!"

James tried to apologize and be nice. The gentleman he was. But Remus didn't care anymore. He dropped into bed without caring about changing or brushing his teeth and he fell asleep fast.

A week later, Marlene came out to the whole friend group as a lesbian. Turned out that she had a crush on Dorcas Meadowes. And she made the stupid mistake of trying to make her jealous with Sirius.

"You are gay, Marly?" Remus couldn't avoid smiling. It was selfish to think that way but Remus was relieved Marlene was out of the market.

"Yes, Lupin. That's what I said"

"Here, have a muffin" Remus giggled happily.

Marlene raised an eyebrow.

"Cheers, love" she took a bite of the muffin.

Then Remus felt immensely guilty for behaving like a jealous possessive wanker. He had been horrible to Sirius, thinking he had always snogged Marlene for one night and then pretended he wasn't interested. Remus had been so unfair.

"I am sorry for calling you a wanker and being angry at you...." Remus told Sirius later that day "It's just that... Just that..."

He was out of his mind in love with Sirius and got jealous?

"I really like Marlene..." which was also true.

"Did it really upset you, Moony?"

Remus shrugged "Sorry. I was a twat... And sorry for ruining your shoes"

Sirius smiled.

"You were partially right" he sighed "I mean... James had been nagging my head with the idea that Marlene fancied me that I saw her in that dress, looking so pretty, and I tried to convince myself to fancy her as well.... You know? That at least she didn't fancy me for being handsome and being a Black, like the rest of girls. But because of me... "

If only Sirius knew that Remus would die for him. He would love Sirius even if he was ugly and poor, like himself.

"Handsome? You?"

"Oh shut up! You know it's true"

Remus laughed then he smiled at him.

"I think you will find someone who loves you truly, Sirius. Despite your beauty and family"

"You think so?"

If Remus had managed to fall in love with him, another girl would. A girl that was worthy and would drive Sirius mad. Sirius deserved that after all.

"Yes, I know so"

Sirius smiled and looked away.

"Oh Moony, I am done with girls and dating for now" Sirius said "Let's enjoy the rest of the term single..." then he rubbed his hair "Marauders before hoes, right Moony?"

Remus smiled "Peter still is dating Susan"

Sirius groaned "God, I know! I hope they break up"

"Me too" Peter didn't deserve that bitch.

"But honestly, Moony" Sirius sighed "No girl is going to replace my friends. Especially you, okay? You are my best friend"

Remus promised himself not to act like a maniac when he got jealous of Sirius. Not ever again.

"What about Prongs?"

Sirius smirked "What he doesn't know doesn't kill him"

Remus laughed. Then he said:

"You are my best friend too"

[iviarellereads]

The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 52 - In Search of a Remedy

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Thom's harp icon) In which, oh good, they're gonna go get that cough looked after.

PERSPECTIVE: Mat. Thom is pretty damn sick, and Mat has a moment of "how are we going to keep looking if he's so sick he can't walk" before he feels real guilty about the thought. Mat says the innkeeper told him there's a Wise Woman near here, and Thom says he doesn't need any foul concoctions, but lets Mat drag him anyway.(1)

Mat notices horse tracks with what might be carriage or wagon wheels in the street next to the Wise Woman's house, just starting to be squished out by the ox tracks and cart trails. He pushes it from his mind quickly, and knocks at the front door. It takes a while, but a woman answers the door, and Mat asks if she's Mother Guenna? Cavan Lopar (the innkeeper) said she might be able to help his friend's cough, and he can pay.

She's a little defeated but says she supposes she can still do that, at least. She leads them to the kitchen, and Mat is surprised to see three horses outside her window. But he pushes them from his mind, too.

Mother Guenna gives Thom a tea, at one point holding him in a chokehold and forcing it down his throat by holding his nose. She tells him he'll drink it twice a day and use a salve at night, or she'll tie him to a bed upstairs with his cloak. The first gleeman who ever came to her won't die on her watch.(2) Mat thinks she sounds an awful lot like the Amyrlin.(3)

He says he knew a woman once, who talked of fish and nets and things, and had her accent, maybe she was Tairen. Mother Guenna says she knew some girls with the sound of his speech, too. Well, two of them at least. Mat's skin prickles, and he describes the three, at which MG frowns and confirms. She finishes by saying she's sorry.

Sorry?! He's been trying to find them for days! He berates himself in his thoughts for walking right past this place on his first night. She says he couldn't understand, he's an outlander, the High Lords... Mat says don't tell him he doesn't understand, just tell him what happened. MG says she's been told not to speak of it, does he know what will happen if he breathes her name? He swears he'll never mention her name to anyone, but they're in great danger.

She finally gives in, and says he's too late by three hours. High Lord Samon sent for them, sent women who could channel to fetch them. She comments that it goes against the very law the High Lords made, and if they broke every other law themselves, they would never break that one. Mat says if they were Aes Sedai that must be alright, they're going to be Aes Sedai themselves, but MG says no friend gives bruises like the ones those women gave the girls. Mat cusses at himself for his foolishness.

He says at least he knows where they are, now he just has to get them out, and gives her two Andoran gold coins, for Thom's treatment and for letting him know about the girls. He kisses her on the cheek for himself. He asks if Thom can stay here, and Thom protests, but MG pushes him back onto his chair like a child, and says he'll be taken care of.(4)

Now, Mat just has to get into the Stone, somehow, and bring out three women, somehow. He can feel the dice tumbling in his head.(5)

=====

(1) A sign of how much he needs the help no matter his protests. The Pattern might have been escalating the illness to make Mat go find the girls. A bit late now, but he's back on track, at least. But poor Thom. (2) Good thing Thom insisted on wearing his cloak. (3) Siuan Sanche was, in fact, from Tear, and from the Maule at that. Daughter of a poor fisherman. Good ear, Mat! (4) You tell him, Ailhuin! (5) Supplies: a near unlimited supply of supernatural luck and a position so prominent in the story that it's highly unlikely the Pattern would weave you back out now, high cunning, a moderate bundle of fireworks… I'm sure he'll figure something out.

[copperbadge]

Sam - i have no idea if you’ve already considered doing this, forgive me if you’ve already rejected it - a couple of years ago ((cough lockdown cough)) I started using mineral oil and beeswax to treat the wooden handles of my knives. I saturate the wood with mineral oil (takes a few applications: wipe on, wipe off, let dry, wipe on wipe off etc) and then seal it with beeswax (tempered with mineral oil; heat both in a makeshift double-boiler to mix and get a good applyable consistency). It makes the wood so gorgeous!! Downside: obvs can’t wash it with hot water bc then I have to reapply the beeswax, but I do have to repeat the treatment every couple of years anyway. Upside: It really makes a world of difference for the appearance of the wood and protects it a little (maybe a lot, I don’t know). A+ do recommend.

You know, it never occurred to me? Really it should have. They're very worn and soft so it's never been a texture issue, but I've never thought about conditioning the wood to protect it further. They're easily 40 years old, probably closer to 50, and I've had them at least 20 years, so it's been a while since they've been conditioned if they ever have.

I don't think I'll seal them, but I did just treat my cutting board with Walrus Oil yesterday, so I pulled it off the shelf and gave the handles a nice rubdown with it this morning. They look pretty good! As a reminder here's the before, and here below is the after:

[ID: Two Chicago Cutlery knives, a boning knife and a paring knife, are lying on a wood cutting board; all three have the sheen of freshly-applied conditioning oil. The bottle of oil, reading "Walrus Oil: Cutting Board Oil, Original Formula" is sitting nearby.]

I'll probably reapply it in the next few weeks, and I've added a note to recondition them whenever I sharpen the blades.

So this morning I did the knives, cleaned for the electrician, tried on some shirts, measured the bathroom closet doors for a new towel rack, and measured the floor for a rug -- I'm finding some disadvantages with the wooden mats, mainly that the second you step off them the floor is gritty, and also one of them prevents the bathroom door from closing. So I think I'm going to put a rug in front of the sink and double up the raised mats in front of the bathtub/toilet (which is where I need them most anyway).

I also made the spectacular discovery that GiveBackBox is still active, since I thought the program had been discontinued. More on this later, but GiveBackBox lets you pack a box of goods to donate, print out a postage label, and mail the box to a local charity (usually Goodwill) completely free of charge. I used to use it ALL THE TIME and I'm thrilled to find it again because I have a pile of shit to donate that is roughly the size of a small horse. I don't love donating to Goodwill, I know it has a lot of problems, but it gets this stuff out of my home and into the hands of people who will make use of it.

Though I might save the clothes for one of those "dress for success" closets that helps people without resources dress for interviews. I've got a lot of good business casual in there.

Listened this morning to "An Economic Argument for Heat Safety Regulation" by The Indicator, then tried to listen to both The Journal and Planet Money's pieces on Sam Bankman-Fried, the guy behind the FTX collapse, but it was mostly recycled content so I skimmed on to part one of "How Cigarettes Invented Everything" by Behind The Bastards, which was fascinating. And part two just came out today! About an hour and a half of work all told.

[four-loose-screws]

FE7 Novelization Translation - Chapter 10 Section 6

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———————————

Chapter 10: New Resolve (Section 6)

And so, they decided to go to the Nabata Desert, and immediately started to make preparations to leave.

Their destination was a blistering hot desert… In this case, they would need to buy extra drinking water, camels to carry their belongings instead of horses, and many other supplies.

In the midst of all the activity, Oswin visited his lord in the commander's room in secret.

“...Is that you, Oswin? Ah… Ack!” Uther saw his retainer appear, then was hit by a brutal coughing fit. His entire body broke out in a sweat, and his face became even more pale than it had been when Hector first noticed it.

Uther's condition sent Oswin into a panic, who quickly closed the door, then rushed over to his lord and rubbed his back. “Lord Uther, you really should have stayed to rest at the castle…”

“That, I could not do… my brother came to give a report of critical importance. I needed to meet him and hear it directly…" Uther said as he sunk into an armchair.

After Hector left on his journey, Uther had followed Oswin's suggestion and made an appointment with a doctor. That was how he learned that he had the same incurable illness that took their parents.

No matter how powerful the healing staff, nor how great an herbal treatment was said to be at treating all kinds of illness, they could only lessen his symptoms, and not cure him.

When Uther had listened to Eliwood and his allies' report just now, and taken a break for a moment to think about it, he was of course indeed shocked by the severity of the news, but the main reason he left was because he could no longer hold back his cough.

Uther strung his words together through ragged breaths. "...I may not have much longer. If so, then I at least wanted to see Hector’s face one last time…"

"Please, Lord Uther! Don't say such weak-minded things!" Oswin shouted instinctively at his exhausted lord. 

But Uther himself quietly shook his head. "I know very well what condition I am in. …There is not even a slim chance that this illness could be healed." Uther was always calm no matter the situation, and remained composed as he handled the challenge in front of him. Even when ill and facing the reality of his death, that did not change. "...If the time does come, Oswin, I will trust your judgment. Please take care of Hector…"

"Lord Uther…"

At those words that could be interpreted as his lord's dying wish, it took Oswin everything he had to hold back the emotions welling up inside of him.

☆

"...It seems that someone is coming our way." Inside of a temple built during ancient times buried within the desert, an old man sensed someone moving towards the desert.

Both his long hair and beard were entirely white, and though he looked very old, he was still able to maintain proper posture and spoke clearly.

"Perhaps it is Lord Pent?" The person next to him asked.

She had beautiful blonde hair, charming purple eyes, and striking facial features, all making her exceptionally good looking. Though her clothes were easy to move around in and lacked any excessive decoration, they were made of fine silk that shone with a smooth luster. The graceful curve of her hand on her cheek, as well as her proper posture even when she was relaxed, were proof that she was of noble birth, and trained in etiquette and dance since she was a child.

"No, they were sent by Uther of Ostia. Hawkeye has already noticed them, and will likely bring them here." The old man answered, then closed his eyes, and focused his mind on the desert.

He had obtained the power to see a place just by picturing it in his mind. With it, he could grasp the location of whomever he wished, without going out into the scorching desert.

"...Your companion is still searching the desert."

"He just can't find it, can he?"

“No, he will obtain it shortly. …More importantly than that though, is that the group of thieves living in the desert has begun to move. By my calculations, they will find and attack him."

"Oh dear…" At his words, she put her hand over her mouth in an expression of concern.

"Are you worried about him?"

"No, Lord Pent will be alright on his own. But if this makes him late to return here, then…"

"Then what?"

"Will you take your dinner before us? I will wait for Lord Pent, but you must be hungry, Archbishop."

"Ha ha ha ha…." He chuckled lightly at her strange choice of words.

"What is it, Archbishop?"

"Louise, you are a truly amusing woman. Ever since Pent brought you here, I've laughed ten years worth of laughs! I am grateful for all you've done."

"I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but what is most important to me is that we have been helpful to you."

Her answer just made him laugh once again.

But the moment Louise said her next words, the Archbishop immediately stopped laughing.

"...By the way, our visitors are from Lycia, correct? For what reason are they coming here?"

"...No one can stop the wheels of fate. But as long as they have hope, humanity will continue to try. …They do not know of the despair awaiting them…"

The archbishop's face had been that of a good, kind old man until now, but it instantly changed to that of a strict, serious expression, like that of a fortune teller foretelling an omen of complete destruction. 

[iamanartichoke]

1 and 7

the character everyone gets wrong.

I mean -

7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

I don't think there's any character I hate as a result of fandom; tbh, I don't think there's any character I hate, period. At best, I dislike some characters - some more strongly than others *cough*Vision*cough* - but, that's due to their treatment by their writers/directors/etc. and has nothing to do with fandom. Generally, though, I'm pretty ambivalent about most characters outside of the "core Thor" universe.

It's weird bc it genuinely takes so much energy to dislike something, and to hate something, and while fandom can be annoying with its various blorbos, in various ways, I just don't have the energy to waste on caring about it much? I think that's part of what generally baffles and frustrates me about wank, too - so much of it is rooted in this need people have to make others see and/or agree with their point-of-view - but, I feel like there's so much gray in fiction that allows for a lot of various interpretations, and even when I think someone's interpretation is wrong (or even when it is factually wrong), I just feel like - well, you do your thing, boo. It only becomes an issue for me when boo wants to make their thing the only valid one, to the point of hostility and toxicity. That said, it doesn't make me dislike any character, it just makes me lose patience with the fandom.

Which - I don't mean to seem like I am on this high horse or anything about being "above it all," because I do get feeling some kind of way and feeling it strongly. I mean, there was a time when the way fandom acted about Ragnarok made me dislike Ragnarok, but the problem with that is that I actually liked Ragnarok. I don't think it's as brilliant as some of the fandom claims, and there's a lot to criticize about it, but it became clear to me at some point along the yellow wank road that "I don't think this is a good movie" and "I enjoy watching this movie anyway" co-existed for me, and very few, if any, people agreed with that. Like, it had to be one or the other. And in that instance, it wasn't so much the fandom's attitude toward Ragnarok that made me dislike Ragnarok - rather, my issues with Ragnarok existed independently of the fandom wank, and I managed to figure out a way to curate my fandom experience and my feels around that so that I could continue to enjoy myself. Bc ultimately, if I'm going to invest a lot of mental and emotional energy into a Thing, I'd rather get serotonin out of it than anguish. I'm willing to invest my energy into having a more complicated relationship with my blorbo and his blorbiverse if it means I can continue to get something positive; I'm not willing to invest my energy into making myself feel worse. The world sucks enough.

I don't know if that really answers the question, but *helpless shrug* tl;dr: not applicable, but no tears were shed for Vision's demise.

Choose Violence Ask Game.

[storycollectorstash]

New Blood

A Game of Thrones Fan Fiction

Warnings: mentions of rapists…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 2: Dinner and New Faces

When night fell, the families joined in the great hall for dinner. Andorra and Edward were on opposite ends of the tables as the voices could be heard echoing. Andorra excused herself and made her way to her brother. Leaning down she whispered to him she needed some fresh air and headed out to the barn. She grabbed a few apples from the hall and went to her horse, Lalia. The horse was content chewing on an apple. Suddenly Andorra heard a small group of voices from behind the barn and went to check it out. She saw a dark haired boy getting into an argument with a few of the Lannister men.

Andorra hated those prying on the weak or misfortune. Stepping around the corner she put her hand behind her back and coughed alerting the men of her presence.

The men turned around to see the agitated princess.

“Is everything alright?” Andorra asked as the Lannister mens smiles dropped and they immediately bowed their heads

“Your Grace, we were only putting a bastard in his place, there is nothing wrong here” one of the men said as you could barley see a smile form on his face when he said bastard.

Andorra frowned.

“Bastard? Unless you’re an idiot you must know why I have a problem with your treatment hmm?” She said as the tension started to grow.

The raven haired boy started to slightly laugh

“I’m sorry but we don’t your majesty” the men quivered as a evil look overcame Andorras features.

“Well for next time you decide to treat anyone below your rank, my sister, the princess of Polina is a bastard. But unlike you low lives we see the worth in these souls. I will not tolerate this behavior in anyone,now get out of my sight” She sternly says as the soldiers scurried off.

Andorra turned to the raven haired boy and realized it was Ned Starks son.

“Are you alright my lord?” She says as he nodded his head without looking up at her.

“I’m no lord your grace. Bastards are not considered lords” He said as Andorra finally got a look at his face. He had a frown and seemed uncomfortable with the names.

“Well alright then, what is your name? Better to call you something other than bastard” Andorra says

“Jon, you can call me Jon” He says with a small smile that makes the princesses heart flutter.

“Well, Jon, what are you doing out here in the cold? The feast is still going on, why don’t you join me for some mead?” Andorra suggests but he shakes his head.

“I’m not allowed to go. Bastards are considered a burden at these affairs. But i prefer out here that in there with all the eyes watching me” He explains. Andorra felt bad for him but genuinely wanted to know more about him.

“Well i have a better idea, why don’t I go grab some food and drinks and we can sit up in the hayloft and you can tell me more about yourself.” Andorra says as he looked up in the barn and thought for a second

“i have a better option, meet me in the tower there” he says pointing to the tower. “It’ll be worth the view.” He said as Andorra agreed and the pair got to work.

Andorra arrived back to the feast and told her brother quietly of her plans and she bid the lords and the king a good night an headed to the kitchen and grabbed some fruit, meat and a jug of mead. Slowly she made her way up to the tower saw a dim candle lit in the middle of the tower, the window was overlooking Winterfell mountains.

“Wow, this is amazing” She awed looking out the window over the whole keep. Lights were seen all over the walls and the shadows of flags swayed in the breeze.

“I told you, now what have you brought for us?” Jon says as they both began to talk half the night away. Jon would share his past on how he came to Winterfell as a babe and Andorra in turn would explain how it has been with all the harvest work and the traveling.

“Sounds tiring” Jon says sipping on some mead

“Yes but if it gets less mouths to feed every time to worth it to me. I’m the first royalty to leave Polina in over 50 years.” Andorra explains biting an apple.

“Really? Why for so long, wouldn’t you have to leave to meet with any lords or ladies?” Jon questioned

“Not really, they would almost always come to us and if not would send a raven. It was just the way it was. But when the drought had hit I knew something would have to change soon. Guess i was right, I’m in a new land after all and now we’ll be setting some roots here.” The princess says looking at the flickering candle

“when I was younger I would have given everything to stay here, but I feel I have a different purpose in this world. When you leave to go back to kingslanding I will be taking the black to defend the wall. It’s the only good I will be able to do in this life” Jon says finishing his drink and looking off out the window.

“Guess we both have different paths to follow. I hope that wont stop us from seeing each other in the future” Andorra states as Jon looked at her shocked. Still wanting to be in contact regardless of where he is going. “Maybe I’ll join you and see this ‘wall’ i have heard a lot about it” She adds but Jon quickly sat up and shook his head.

“I would advise against that. The wall is where murders, rapist and all the bad men go if they cannot be beheaded. It would not be safe for you there Andorra” Jon says and Andorra looked a little stunned at his outburst.

“Well, perhaps will ride together before then. I may have not known you long Jon but I know you are going to do great things” Andorra says looking out the window as Jon looks at this foreign princess with such admiration.