#justify every single aspect of case selection

[thatfrenchacademic]

So deep in the methodology section that the next time someone even mention the word causal inference I am going to start chewing on their laptop without any explanation.

[sandpaperdaisy]

Autism Masking and (Unintended) Parasocial Relationships

CW: masking, tangential mention of adult themes (incest, drugs) without either being a topic of this essay

By “masking” I mean the ways in which an autistic person tries to navigate the neurotypical world, generally by putting on a persona or using a different social language in order to communicate with non-autistic folks more effectively.

By “parasocial” I mean a relationship that is real to the person who experiences it, but which does not exist outside their head and therefore is not an actual back-and-forth interaction between them and the other party with equal participation.

ONWARD TO THE BLATHERING:

So yesterday, I realized something. The way in which I mask causes me to experience parasocial relationships, or lend a parasocial aspect to real life relationships, even solid ones.

Keep in mind, everything I describe below may just be me. But if you recognize yourself anywhere in there, here's proof that you're not alone!

I mask by internally imagining every single interaction I am likely to experience with any person, ever. This allows me to test out several scenarios that may result from the various things I say and do, and select what I think will be the most successful one.

I do this because otherwise, I run the risk of seeming “cold” or inconsiderate to the other person, and I would much prefer to be a good friend or associate to them. So I try very much to do the prep-work of thinking about their needs and motives BEFORE the interaction, so I won’t freeze up and ignore the other person’s needs and feelings DURING the interaction.

Generally, this has worked out satisfactorily for me and my associates, but it has its problems.

Problem 1: Friends feel analyzed.

First off, while most of my close friends and family are cool with it, at least one of them spent years chafing under the feeling of being analyzed relentlessly by me. She expressed her frustration with me “thinking so much” and looking at her like “a bug under a glass.” She also felt very judged by me. It truly hurt her to be studied so much, and that is valid and unfortunate.

Problem 2: Strangers feel uncomfortable!

Secondly, all of this pre-gaming on my part results in me living hundreds of years’ worth of lives and interactions in my head before they even occur, and frequently these interactions never occur. So if I carefully considered what to say to an artist I admire on the internet, who is not my friend or personal acquaintance, in the course of practicing how best to potentially converse with them I may have a parasocial relationship with them of several years’ standing. This is definitely the case with a couple of talented artists I admire.

When I have spent that much time observing them and approving of them in my head, if I DO eventually meet them or speak with them online I already have an extremely familiar manner with them. I am much too informal and intimate for someone who hasn't done anything to earn their trust in the real world, and who incidentally has no reason to trust them either.

This results in very understandable annoyance or discomfort for the person! It is also worth noting, that I am somewhat fortunate to be a female with this trait. Generally speaking, the recipients of my esteem feel no MORE than annoyance, because they have the sense (justified in my case) that I cannot physically harm them. If I were male, strangers I am overly friendly with might perceive more danger from my attention and feel genuine fear.

Problem 3: Emotional impact of fast-tracked friendships

There have been many times when people rejoiced from my putting in all that mental "work" ahead of time and immediately met me where I was in our parasocial relationship, instantly becoming my close friends. When this stuck, it resulted in deeply enriching and lifelong friendships (and a marriage) that persist to this day.

But it does not always stick.

From my end, this is because I can't anticipate everything. Many years ago, I had one very close friendship that began in this instantaneous (for them) manner and lasted for many blissful months. Then, one day, I discovered they enjoyed writing fiction that dealt with incest and serious psychological conflicts and suffering resulting from incestuous desires. They had a very large body of work dedicated to these themes and the incest was frequently treated in an approving manner. I did my best to approach their interests with an open mind, but I ended up failing to get past it.

Back then, I didn't see a good path forward other than to end our friendship since it was causing me to have nightmares and experience significant emotional distress. But you can imagine the pain and shock felt by my friend, whose real world experience was that I had instantly loved and befriended them and become a confidante, and now I was instantly withdrawing all love. Terrible, right?

This is the kind of thing that presumably could have been avoided if I had taken as many weeks and months to get to know them *with their participation* as I had already spent with them in my head.

Problem 4: Boys

This problem will likely apply to whomever would consider you to be a possible romantic partner. For me, it's usually been males. And considering the rigid constraints frequently placed on male emotional intimacy, it might lend itself most heavily to relationships with men.

When I've made one of these instantly emotionally intimate close friendships with a MALE, he has very often then experienced significant confusion and distress because generally, in his life experiences that would indicate I'm romantically interested in him.

This can lead to some real disappointment, and in one case possibly contributed to a close male friend's depression. To him, my freely given emotional intimacy and friendship indicated romantic love, so when I began dating, he was extremely surprised, confused, and deeply disappointed. That is not a pain I ever wished on him and it remains one of the deepest regrets of my life.

With all these pitfalls, why would you ever keep masking???

I do it because I've been doing it for over 4 decades and it's simply a part of me. If I were born without hearing, sight, or another sense there are many techniques and skills I would develop in order to still experience the life I want. As a gal who was born without a social sense, I mask! It's kind of like learning a second language on steroids (and meth and perhaps adderall).

This doesn't mean I don't believe in patience and accommodation, though. The ideal circumstance is when you've developed healthy skills to navigate the wide world AND folks are patient and open-minded when you need more help. And then you turn around and show people patience too!

Some of my masking is maladaptive and causes problems, as I've said above. For me the way forward is to know myself and know what I'm facing, and then just to keep trying my best to be a considerate mom, partner, friend, employee, and associate.

But if I've ever done any of this stuff to you, or if I ever do...know I'm genuinely sorry if you were hurt, I'd prefer to find a way that works better for us both, and you can always talk to me about it.

~Heather

[robin-hood-for-freedom]

I now present to you, my followers, the single worst article I have ever read.

TLDR: A supposed 'libertarian' is actually defending vaccine mandates.

This is actually so bad, I think its worth a full response:

If the vaccine causes no appreciable injury, can you still refuse to be injected, notwithstanding that you might be visiting significant risks on others?

For starters, thats a BIG 'if.' In fact, we know for a fact that there is a (yes very small, but not nonexistent) risk of serious harm from the vaccine in the short run, and we have no way of knowing if there will be harm 5 years from now.

But beyond that: The idea that not taking the COVID vaccine is 'visiting significant risks on others' is just...not true. Its pretty well accepted at this point that the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID, it just reduces your chance of having serious problems from it.

And that to me, is why vaccine mandates are dead on arrival. Even if we knew the vaccine was 100% safe(which is isnt), and guaranteed you wouldnt get sick from COVID(which it doesnt), it only protects you, meaning theres no 'externality' to not taking it.

Occasionally, however, advocates of limited government will condone directives to engage in benign activities (even when not cost-free) if failure to do so might cause injury to innocent bystanders. Safety requirements for nuclear power plants would be one example

This is actually a very high-level libertarian question that I dont think I should unpack here(maybe another post). But Its also not really relevant, since not taking a vaccine even if it did reduce the spread of COVID(which again it doesnt) isnt nearly as potentially harmful, nor as clearly intentional as, say building an unshielded nuclear reactor in the middle of a crowded city.

Punishing aggressive acts that have already caused damage is a routine government function. But it’s more complicated when government compels conduct that might minimize or alleviate future harm. That’s an area of the law — endangerment — where rights theory is difficult to apply. How much increased risk do I have to endure before your potentially malign failure to act can be redressed? When rights theory doesn’t provide adequate guidance, defenders of liberty often look to utilitarian, cost-benefit tradeoffs

I'm not sure I actually agree with this. But even if I did, it would have to be in the most cartoonishly extreme cases. Abandoning rights theory in favor of utilitarian cost-benefit analysis in anything less can lead to justifying all kinds of horrific shit. And applied too broadly can justify almost anything.

And, no I dont think refusing to take a vaccine(that doesnt even prevent the spread of COVID) comes anywhere near that level. To quote Jules from Pulp Fiction it ain't the same fuckin' ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same fuckin' sport

vaccine mandates are nothing new. Wyoming, an indisputably conservative state, requires vaccines for 12 diseases if a child wants to attend either public or private school or a care facility, or participate in school-sanctioned activities.

A lot to unpack here:

First I'm against every single aspect of this, not just the vaccine mandates, but all the way down to the very existence of public schools. So this probably isnt the best example.

But even if you want to set that aside: Do you seriously not see a difference between a kid needing a vaccine to go to public school, and an adult needing one to go to the grocery store?

Also, I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that every single one of the diseases kids need to be vaccinated for are more dangerous to them than COVID-19.

Oh and obligatory mention that the COVID vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of the virus.

More vaccinations would have slowed transmission and thereby afforded fewer opportunities for the virus to mutate.

The vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of the virus. So this is just straight up bullshit.

And even if it were true: the delta variant originated in a country(India) that hadnt had access to vaccines due to fuckery by the US government and pharma companies. So maybe you should be going after them instead of people who are understandably skeptical of a new medical treatment that we cant know the long term effects of.

Significantly, based on data from 40 states, persons fully vaccinated accounted for as little as 0.2 to 6 percent of COVID deaths, and 0.1 to 5 percent of hospitalizations.

While this might be argument for getting vaccinated(assuming those numbers are accurate, which I kinda doubt), its not an argument for forcing the vaccine on people. Since the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID, you arent reducing the risk to anybody but yourself.

Third, can we be sure that a vaccine mandate will remedy the problem? Put differently, haven’t we seen numerous breakthrough cases in which vaccinated persons have nonetheless been infected? Yes, but the key reason breakthrough cases are a growing part of the total is that we’ve vaccinated a higher percentage of the population. Most important, as noted above, people who are fully vaccinated experience far fewer hospitalizations and deaths.

All of this is completely irrelevant since the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID

Yes I'm getting tired of repeating myself, but this point cannot be emphasized enough: If you're argument for vaccine mandates is that not getting vaccinated poses a threat to others, then the fact that the vaccine dosnt prevent the spread kills your argument before it even begins.

Perhaps we should just wear masks and maintain social distancing. But the consensus is that the vaccine would still be necessary, and far more effective.

Funny thing, the CDC is saying masks and social distancing are necessary even with the vaccine because(say it with me now) the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID.

Perhaps natural immunity from contracting the disease is stronger than vaccine-induced immunity. But most studies say otherwise.

I feel like I should point out here that I've seen a lot of arguments from people on both sides of this question. And I dont have enough knowldge of immunology to be able to judge which is the correct position.

Although it wouldnt really matter if the vaccine were more effective than natural immunity, since it doesnt prevent the spread of COVID.

Perhaps a vaccine mandate can be geographically or demographically constrained. That’s an obvious consideration, which suggests that local officials be given substantial discretion in establishing the scope of any mandate.

I suppose that would be better than a national mandate. But even that much would be unjustified since the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID.

Or perhaps vaccinations could remain optional, but with restricted access to selected activities by the unvaccinated. That notion — a vaccine “passport” — has the support of nearly 82 percent of Americans, according to a recent survey.

In other news: 82% of Americans are morons who dont realize the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID.

(okay but seriously, given that almost half of all Americans arent vaccinated, I have to question the methodology of this survey).

 we are in the midst of a health emergency, which means that suitably modified, narrowly-tailored, time-limited rules may be justified.

This is a one-time thing because we are in the middle of an emergency is the justification for nearly every tyrannical act ever undertaken by governments. And to hear it coming from a supposed 'libertarian' is equal parts terrifying and nauseating.

Oh and the vaccine doesnt prevent the spread of COVID.

[epimoni]

———  BASICS!

NAME: Monarch / Lou

PRONOUNS:  He/him

ZODIAC SIGN:  Virgo

TAKEN OR SINGLE: I’m in a relationship that’s open to poly

———  THREE  FACTS!

MONSTER FUCKER. I love all sorts of weird creatures, especially if they are lovecraftian aberrations and the likes. Don’t like furries though, they’re just not aesthetically pleasing to me. 

I draw art! I do digital art from time to time. I’m hoping to make it my job some day. You might see some fanart drawn by me on here at times.

I am trans! Genderfluid! I go between male, female and agender. Though, male pronouns are what gives me the less dysphoria. I can also handle they/them.

———  EXPERIENCE!

PLATFORMS USED: I used to rp a lot on forums, then moved to tumblr for a more individual experience considering my time with communities ended up pretty badly. I always loved rping on tumblr and never really had a bad experience on here other than a few brushes with people that I ended up immediately blocking.

Nowadays I roleplay on second life, discord and tumblr.

———  MUSE  PREFERENCE!

GENDER:   I usually rp exclusively male on the physical aspect. But sometimes, my characters will be trans and their genitals might vary (not that it’s super important). 

MULTI OR SINGLE:   I prefer multiship, mostly because it lets me rp with multiple people in case on of my rp partners is gone and that I have an itch for some roleplay. I usually make it that every relationship is its own universe- unless stated otherwise or if there’s cross interactions. 

FLUFF / ANGST / SMUT    

FLUFF :  I love fluff. I’m a sucker for gentle attentions. Hurt/comfort is a pretty great plot point imo.

ANGST :  I love it, but when it’s well plotted and doesn’t come out of nowhere. I like when the angst is justified. 

SMUT :   I am selective on who I do smut with, but I do love to do it. Mind you, my characters are usually bottoms and submissive as it is what’s within in my comfort zone. Though, I can emulate service topping from time to time, so long as my character and I get some sort of directive.

PLOT / MEMES: I am only good at plotting if I have a concrete idea. But prefer memes and random unprompted dash commentaries to use as basis for a thread.

———–

Tagged by: @deathxdefied​

Tagging: You can steal this from me. 

[takaraphoenix]

For the fanfic ask game, could you please do 4, 9, 15, and 19? Really admire the way you write and how you incorporate ideas.

Sure thing, thanks for playing! And thank you for the compliment! ^^

4. Where do your story ideas come from?

Uuuuh from the... me? I don’t know, this question is hard. They just... come to me? Sometimes, I look hard at a ship and say “you. I wanna write you. what tropes/settings fit you?” and thus, I... come up with an idea for it. I want to write something, so I sit down for a moment and come up with something that fits the thing I want to do. Other times, the idea comes to me first - that can be through like around three corners, as in something is cool, I take one aspect of that that I like, I give it a different spin and put it together with a fandom/ship I think would fit. Or it just... comes to me as a total, like standing in the shower and thinking “man I wanna write x”, whereas x is a setting, trope, ship and fandom together already.

9. Is there one character that you refuse to write? why?

Actually refuse to write? At this point, M@ryse. I go outta my way to remove the Lightwoods even from the fics set pre-canon, having them conveniently be in Idris in every scene and just not bringing them up at all during canon events or even post-canon. You can assume, in every single one of my fics, that the Lightwood kids cut ties with their parents. I have zero (0) time to give abusive parents screen time, much less redemption. *

* Valentine can be an exception, due to his importance to the plot, it’s hard not to directly involve him in storeis at times. But I’m more fine with this one than with M@ryse, because at least with Val, canon agreed and stayed constant in that he is a shitty, abusive piece of crap that does not deserve forgiveness. The thing that ticks me off about M@ryse is that canon pretended that one “sowwy :(” is enough to make all her kids forgive her and canon pretended that “my hubby cheated on me :(” is... is... a justifiable reason to be a crappy, emotionally abusive parent (and I will sink my teeth into anyone who comes into my blog trying to defend her or argue that the way she treated Isabelle wasn’t a degree of neglectiveness and manipulation that was emotional abuse, or that calling Jace “a cancer” and being so ready to drop him from the family tree that she poisoned Max against her wasn’t emotionally abusive like ffs children aren’t a selective that you can keep if they are Fun And Bring Honor and then treat like this when they become slightly a burden, that shit is abusive).

I just... generally am not in the business of bashing characters in a fic, so I elect to leave it at “look at what she did, in actual canon, thus the Lightwoods cut her out”.

15. At what point in writing a fic, do you decide to quit?

Quit? That is such a weird question? Or just a weird phrasing? Does this mean decide that the fic ends there? Like, finding an ending? xD

Usually, that one is a numbers game for me, tbh. Otherwise no fic would ever end because you see after high school graduation they can go to college and then they can get jobs and then they can get married and have kids and grow old and die of old age. There is no natural end to a romance-focused story unless ya take the most natural end of death. And even that is not a hindrance in many universes, such as PJO.

So, I generally... set a length, often beforehand, sometimes only during the writing. Fics are either 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 or 25 pages long (anything longer than 25 pages gets split into chapters). I have enough experience at this point to know what approximate page number a certain plot will require, though sometimes they do get bumped up a number because I put more background/side elements in than originally anticipated.

Usually, the goal is for the main pairing to get together and that’s it; occasionally covering a bit of the relationship (generally, a sex-scene). But I’m in the business of writing getting-together-stories, not so much slice-of-life stuff. Exploring the relationships only happens in multi-chapter fics for me, in which case I decide how long it’ll be in... the exact same rhythm as page count - a multi-chapter fic has a chapter length of either 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15, 20 or 25.

19. How do you handle negative comments?

I have my Dear Anonymous Shitheads tag for those! :)

I like mocking assholes, who really think they’re doing something revolutionary by being homophobic/rude/assholes in the comments. It’s fun to point at them and laugh.

And then I delete the original comment, because ya know, I don’t like shitstains on my fics. Looks nasty.

Fanfic Writer Ask

[nurseofren]

Keeping Your Promise - Chapter 14 (NSFW)

Read on AO3

Read chapter thirteen

Title: Down for the Count

Words: 7400

Summary: The Jaws theme is playing throughout this chapter, it just wasn't relevant enough to the plot to mention it.

ST rambles: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing all the different interactions. As I mentioned last week, this chapter was supposed to be completely different. I will not be releasing the alternative as I have plans to use some aspects at another point.

I cannot promise a chapter for the next week or two as I have a paper due this Saturday and will need to focus my writing and time on that. I like to stay at least a chapter ahead, so I say two weeks to be on the side of caution.

[masterlist]

“Let’s not waste any time, shall we, officer?” Hux said, eyes concentrated on the tablet in his hands, storming past you into his office.

The night had not been restful; your back was recovering from the unforgiving exam table, its intended use not one of comfort, but necessity. Along with the incessant pang radiating at your tailbone, the lack of sleep had outfitted you with reddened eyes and an overwhelming headache, every too-loud sound and overbearing light a throb at your temple. Even as you stood to enter into Hux’s lair of career-ending lecturing, you found comfort in the fact that you wouldn’t have to return to your sleepless confines before the day was over.

With one last steeling breath, you pulled your shoulders back and followed in after Hux, taking in the familiar space, unchanged since your last time being here. Hux had already sat down before you’d entered, still focused on his datapad. Whatever he was looking at was no doubt aimed towards the severing of either your ties with the First Order, or the ties between your head and body – either of which he was excited to take part in.

“General,” you said, taking a cautious seat across from him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this early encounter?” The words were mostly civil, only dipped in mockery.

“And it is a pleasure, officer,” he said with one final aggressive tap to the screen, staring at you in malevolent glee. “Now, I should first inform you that you are still contractually bound to Commander Ren until your official denouncement by the Board of Physicians. Other than that, this is the beginning of the end, I am disheartened to say.”

“I’m sure of it.” The goal was to make it through this meeting without digging a deeper hole for yourself, and that meant taking Hux’s snide comments in stride and withholding your own snark.

“Although I thought it was counterintuitive, I am legally bound to tell you that you will be under heavy surveillance. Not only in your practice as a physician – which will be extremely limited while the investigation goes on, by the way – but in your day to day life as well.”

“What? Why?” The words were quick and emotional, coming before you could stop them. He raised an eyebrow, the outburst only offering him more reasons to expedite your dismissal. Clicking your tongue, you regathered yourself. “I’m sorry, general. Why am I being watched?”

Keeping your stare, he slid the datapad across the desk. “The Board of Physicians has deemed it necessary to not only question your competency as a provider, but also your character as an individual.”

Finding a vague familiarity in the event, you half-hoped for the door to rush open and Kylo Ren to come take you away. To your dismay, however delusional and misplaced, the room stayed quiet of the hydraulic hiss, the only sound inhabiting the room being that of the cyclic boots of patrolling stormtroopers beyond the office. With a swallow, you took the tablet into your own hands and scanned over the screen, finding another legal document. This time, though, not displaying the pointed script of Kylo Ren, but that of another familiar face; within your hold was Talia’s incident report, scanned into its electronic existence from her original penmanship.

“I trust you’re aware of what that is, yes?” Hux asked.

His voice was muffled, background noise to your focus on the document. Not reading a single word, too nervous to know how she told the story, you mindlessly scrolled through the pages, regarding its length even in her small script. Nearing the bottom, there was an occasional edit, a typed word among her handwriting. Looking closer, you realized the necessity of the print, noting the original penning had been defaced with interruptions, splotches of dried tears contorting her testimony.

“Oh, Talia,” you whispered to yourself, reaching for the stitching on your chest, fidgeting your sorrow along those three letters just as you had hours earlier.

“Didn’t she do a wonderful job at recounting the occurrence?” Hux’s voice pierced through your pain-laced reverie. “Truly a professional if I’ve ever seen one. Her dutiful reporting of the event proved her allegiance to the First Order, allowing her to receive a warning instead of a sentence.”

“What is your purpose in showing this to me?”

“You’ll eventually get your own copy,” he said. “I figured you’d need a refresh of the events that led you here.”

“I… will never forget that day, General Hux,” you said, peeling away from the tablet.

“Good. You’ll need that ability of recall when you go in front of the Board of Physicians to state you case.”

Unrelated to the environment, a chill fled over your skin. You wanted to believe that he’d misspoke, but he would never mess up relaying anything so pertinent. The Board of Physicians had called for your presence. It made sense, your actions – a crime in their eyes – had directly involved them, their existence being what funded your position, though you never thought they would think it necessary to summon you for a trial. Yes, ethically you had messed up, but you had thought this would be a quick loss, not one that incited you ever coming face to face with the heads of your profession.

Although you’d worked hard at staving off the endless dread since leaving the assessment room, it now slowly crept into your stomach, tightening your chest in its clutch. In the throes of budding panic, your leg sprang up, bouncing silently, a conscious effort to not let your heel hit the floor. “Why do I need to present my case? They should know what happened by now.”

He cleared his throat. “And they do, which is precisely why they called for your audience. Since you were selected for this new endeavor of provider assignments, they are concerned that their investment in the First Order isn’t paying off as they had intended, and by your formal appearance they seek to revise the program for the future.”

A huff of air flared your nostrils. “They’re making an example out of me. How nice of them to choose public humiliation instead of execution.”

His brow creased. “I don’t think you quite understand,” he said. “You have been accused of first-degree larceny. You will lose your license after appearing before them, but the basis for your execution is subject to their judgement.”

“What have I done that would justify the end of my life?”

“You stole from the First Order, byway stealing from the Board of Physicians. Contrary to what you may want to believe, your actions do have consequences, miss,” he bit your last name off.

“I stole? I saved a man’s life by taking blood that would have expired had I not thought of it. How can they not see that?”

“It doesn’t matter what you did with the blood, although you will be questioned on the ethics of transfusing a blood product that had not been properly crossmatched. What matters is the principle. The First Order does not take any crime lightly, but with your being a beta-tester for this brand-new program, compliance among providers is a priority that is to be enforced.”

Everything the Elite does is unfair. Talia’s voice rang loud as you fought back the need to scream, to flip his desk over, to run to the nearest escape pod and shoot off to some far away planet where nobody could find you. It no longer mattered if their actions were unfair, now only caring that they were wholly unjustified, using you as an example, invalidly exploiting you to incite fear amongst your peers, to set a precedent. It was wrong, lawfully and morally, and you’d had your fill.

“I don’t deserve to die. It is sick knowing the backwards logic you’ve twisted just to rid yourself of me,” your voice was husky with restrained rage.

“This has nothing to do with me, officer. This is completely on you. You made your bed, now lie in it.”

“I did nothing wrong!” You cried out. “I’m a convenient way of pushing some agenda that the First Order takes no prisoners. I’m not even getting punished for what I did, I’m getting exploited to make a point, to act as some warning for years to come.” You were on the edge of your seat, ready to shoot into the ceiling.

Hux sat back and crossed his arms over his chest, watching you draw nearer to spilling over. He tsked, narrowing his eyes, confusion pinching his face. “What’s changed, officer?”

“What are you talking about?”

“In our meeting on the Finalizer, you seemed unphased by the prospect of losing your career. Now, it seems you’re fighting to stay here. Why is that?”

It was something you hadn’t considered. His question begged a truth you hadn’t yet confronted: you did want to keep your assignment. It was as much a revelation to you as it was to him, sending you back in your chair, replacing your rage with quiet shock. What had changed? A week ago you were actively trying to convince yourself you were okay with dying, but now it was all you could do to fathom the thought of merely losing your license. There had been so much anger residing within you; where had it gone? And why was Hux right?

”Oh,” you breathed, eyes fading into your memory.

You deserve to be here. Kylo Ren’s voice, soft in the night, echoed in remembrance; the figment of his past face cast is the celestial shadows remained vivid, a living memory, nearly tangible in its clarity. The admission had floored you when he’d first spoken it, and nothing had changed, still losing your ability to think straight as the words reverberated around your thoughts and stole your breath. You’d run from the bond in his words, too scared of their truth. But, that was just it; they were true. There was no ill intent hidden behind them, the only thing residing in them an unadulterated sense of reciprocated trust.

His words should have lost all meaning when he pulled away that night, although you’d pulled away first; but, here, before Hux, you knew that Kylo Ren was what had sparked the paradigm shift. He had pulverized your heart that night, and you still hadn’t fully recovered, but it was undeniable, even now: the reason you wanted to stay was because you’d realized your purpose – the worth you now felt in your position had been solely provided by Kylo Ren.

“What happened to not wasting t-,”

“I deserve to be here,” you said, echoing your master. “No, I want to be here. I have just as much a place in the Elite as Talia Harper does.” An incredulous laugh left you. “I deserve this.”

Hux, alarmed by your newfound fire, sat forward, leaning on his elbows and tenting his fingers. “Those are powerful words. But I suspect you’ll need a stronger defense when convincing your superiors to spare you.”

“I’m good at my job. I saved that man; I’m not wasting time trying to convince you of that fact,” you said, no longer affected by his attempts at intimidation. “They can watch me all they want. They won’t find anything but the fact that I am a damn good nurse who has effectively kept the Commander of the First Order alive and well with no assistance.”

Hux’s scowl had returned in all its glory. “We’ll find out soon enough, won’t we?” His eye twitched. “Later today you will receive an email informing you of all the expectations surrounding the trial. The dates have yet to be determined, but they are adamant in their desire to get this off their docket as soon as possible – for safety’s sake, of course.”

Unblinking, you stared back in silence, not giving him the satisfaction of a reaction. He continued. “You will need to arrange for travel, as the trial will be conducted on Canto Bight over the course of one to two weeks, depending on the judgement you receive.”

“Canto Bight? Why wouldn’t it be held here on Starkiller?”

“The Board of Physicians’ headquarters is located there. You should know this, although I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t at this point.”

Cracking inwardly, you needed to leave before you spewed hell fire down on him. Clearing your throat and squaring your shoulders, you steadied yourself before speaking. “I’ll keep an eye out for that email. Now, is that all? Am I free to go?”

His lips pursed. “For now,” he said. You got up and walked to the door. “But, remember officer, you are barely free from this moment on.” His eyes pointed to the upper corner of the room.

Sucking your teeth, you entertained him, tracking your eyes with his, finding a security camera angled down to you. Such an ass. “Have a nice day, General,” you said, slipping out of his view before he could get the last word.

The wide-open communal area of the Elite floor was even busier than last night, nearly double the amount of stormtroopers marching around. There also seemed to be an increase in employee population in general, the expanse buzzing with a constant influx of engineers, pilots and technicians. Maybe it was the fact you’d only been here during normal human hours once, only ever seeing the graveyard crowd when you’d reported for your shift, but every new encounter with the main functioning centers of the First Order painted a clearer image of the ever-rising tensions with the Resistance. There had been a few emails you scanned through mentioning an effort to destroy the Republic, but it never seemed pertinent to pay attention to them, feeling they didn’t have a direct effect on your life.

With your head tucked into your shoulders and your arms wound tightly across your chest, you walked into the thick of patrolmen, having no particular destination in mind. Halfway through your trek across the floor, your phone buzzed. Figuring your watch would have dinged if it was anything important, you kept your focus on making your way through the room. But it buzzed again, and again – urgent vibrations sounding through your uniform. Without breaking your stride, and keeping your head down, you pulled it from your pocket, seeing it was Mason.

Before getting a chance to read his messages, the screen lit up with his caller ID. You were in the dead center of the floor, everyone could see you, and though you wanted to be far away from the circling soldiers, it seemed safer to be visible than skulking in a corner; if Robbie were lurking around, he wouldn’t try anything so public. At least you hoped he wouldn’t.

On its last ring, you accepted the call. “Hey, Mason,” you said, peering around.

“Hey! Why did you call me last night? And sorry, Soto has me running forty-eights right now so I’m never around my phone,” Mason explained, grog in his voice, either just waking up or in the process of getting rest.

Last night flashed through your memory, recounting the damaged door, the scratch marks, the dents, the blaring red caution tape tying the terrorizing scene together; it quickened your heart, that feeling of all-consuming dread threatening to return in its entirety. The stiffness at your back pulled you back to reality, reminding you why you had called him. “Actually, I was wondering if I could stay with you for a while.”

The line stayed quiet for a moment, the bustling noises blockading you from hearing his tired breathing. “I mean, of course you can. You know that. But is there any particular reason? Is there something going on,” he attached your name to the end of the question, genuine concern rasping through his exhaustion.

“No, everything is fine, I’m…” The words came too fast, a defense mechanism you’d adapted to keep people from worrying about you. But this was Mason. He knew your tics.

“Spill. Now.” It was a demand, no hint of request in his tone, suddenly less tired than a second ago.

“I know, I do,” you said, pressing your hand against your forehead, scanning the room. “Do you remember that guy I told you about before leaving for the Finalizer?”

“I’ll kill him. What did he do to you? I swear, I - just give me a name and-,”

“Mason.” You chided him, feeling like his words would somehow attract attention. “You’re not killing anyone. Just – I went out with him the night I departed, and it… didn’t go as planned. Okay?”

“Sure, but what does that have to do with you not being able to go home?”

This was it. Telling Mason would only solidify your reality. “So, maybe it went a lot worse than planned. Like. A lot worse. And I think he may have broken into my place while I was gone, and I’m really worried that if I go home that he’ll come and, and…” Your throat thickened, anxiety stealing your words.

“Oh my God!” Your admission had infused his voice with alarm. “Yes, yes. Come here tonight. I’ll call out and we can talk. Okay?”

“Mason, you don’t have to call out. I know how important your residency is. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“You are important to me. And I don’t want you to be alone, not with some psycho out to get you.”

His words warmed you, feeling something other than stress or fear or anguish for the first time in months. But, before you could respond, he spoke with an urgency, realization overtaking him. “Wait. Where did you sleep last night? Oh my – I’m so sorry, I-,”

“Hey, no. It’s okay. You were working. You didn’t know, Mason,” you said. “I slept in the assessment room. It’s private and locked. I was safe. Please do not blame yourself for something you couldn’t control”

A long breath left him, audible even with the synchronized marching swirling around you. “You’re okay now, though, right?”

“I am… trying my hardest. I just really need a break from everything.”

“Well I’ll be all ears tonight. I can pick something up for dinner if you want?”

“Mason, you’re already being too kind by letting me crash. Thank you, again.”

“You never have to ask. My door is always open,” he said, grogginess creeping back into his voice. “Hey, before you go, could you tell me what this bastard is called? I need to assign a name to the violent things I’m imagining right now.”

It was the first true laugh, however short or quiet, you’d had in a while. “Oh, Mason,” you said. “His name is Robbie. Technically. I’ll get into it later.”

“What does that mean?” His last word was a yawn.

“Go to sleep. I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

Another yawn resonated through the phone. “Fine. See you tonight. Love you.” He hung up, potentially falling asleep before he could put his own phone down.

“Good to see you haven’t forgotten about me.”

As if you’d gone back in time, that same unease tore into you, robbing you of breath and stealing your equilibrium. It was him. This was what you’d been dreading since before leaving. Behind you stood the most uprooting factor in your life – Robbie was within feet of you, the familiar modulation of his voice immobilizing.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” he said, sauntering into your line of sight. “You’ve been gone so long,” he rolled your name off, violating as the syllables left his tongue, “I’ve missed you.”

The absence of food in your stomach was a blessing, knowing the adrenaline contracting your body would have ejected it from your system by now. The thoughts swirling around your head were an amass of chaos; echoes and amplifications of fear and impulses, conflicting in their commands – run! Don’t run! Punch! No, kick! Scream! Stay silent! It was all you could do not to fall forward, your knees trembling, readying to give out any second.

“Speak to me with that beautiful voice. I’ve been imagining it for months now, telling me how sorry you are for leaving me.”

What did you have to be sorry for? To him? Snapping your face to his, you snarled, chin trembling. “Excuse me? Sorry? I have nothing to apologize for.”

He hummed, the sound nauseating. “You’re so cute when you’re angry. Is this our first fight?” He circled your wrist in his armored hand. “Let me make up for it, baby.”

“Get the fuck away from me, you freak!” You growled, struggling against his grip, flinging your trapped wrist until it broke free. There was a lasting ache where his fingers had been anchored.

“Hey, hey. No need for hostility,” he said. “I’m just so happy you’re back.”

Your heart threatened to burst your carotids, pulsing angrily over your entire body. “Oh, you are? Why? So you can break into my apartment again? Maybe finish the job you’d had in mind before you realized I was gone? Hm?”

This got to him, his hands wringing at his sides as his posture hardened. “I hadn’t seen you, and you left without saying goodbye.”

“How would you know if I didn’t say goodbye? In my memory – which, by the way, is exceptionally clearer than yours of that night – you passed out drunk before I got the chance. Or do you not remember that?”

“You little bitch,” he barked, drawing the attention of the passing stormtroopers. “Who’d you tell, huh? How’d you get me fired from Ren’s detail?”

Defensively, you took a step back, distancing yourself from his reach. “You did this to yourself, Robbie.” Wanting to hurt him back, you pulled your claws out. “Oh, wait, please forgive me. I meant RB-6745. Forgot for a sec-,”

“My name is Robbie.” The words tore through his throat as he lunged forward, reaching out to you.

“RB-6745,” a voice called from behind him. It was Captain Phasma. “Why have you abandoned your station?”

She walked militantly towards you, her chrome armor glinting with flashes of white as she passed by coupled soldiers. Robbie’s hands clutched below his waist, her presence bringing reluctant resolution to his outburst. When he turned, your face fell from its tight contortion of fear, not having realized you’d flinched away from his incoming assault.

“I apologize, captain,” he said, irritated at her interruption. “I thought it was my break.”

Phasma stopped about three paces from you, staring between you and your masked mistake. “Commander Ren’s ex-charge has had trouble adjusting to maintenance duty,” she said, your reflection bouncing off of her chrome helmet as she addressed you, turning to Robbie before she continued. “Come. I’ll show you back to the engine sector, as you seem to have forgotten the route. Again.”

Phasma motioned Robbie to lead the way. He turned back to you, leaning down and bumping your side against his shoulder in his passing. “This isn’t over,” your name a curse on his lips once more.

Phasma stopped in front of you before following after him. “I didn’t come here with the intention of rounding up one of my men, but it seems I can kill two birds with one stone.”

Clearing your throat, you pulled your shoulders back, her presence commanding the respect that Hux’s never could. “Captain?”

“Commander Ren instructed me to inform you to meet him in his assessment room. He says it’s a pressing matter.” She marched past you, not waiting for a response.

You stood there motionless, still standing at attention, listening as she led Robbie away. It was easier to stay here, to forget what she’d told you and pretend that there was nothing waiting for you beyond the assessment room hatch. But there was. In your nervous rush this morning, more focused on being extra early for Hux’s meeting, you hadn’t thought to tidy up your temporary dwellings; the room was still made up with a loose cape draping over the exam table, two stray socks strewn about the room, and an open bottle of hydrogen peroxide – a makeshift mouthwash in leu of a toothbrush. And now a new addition – clothed in black, hands undoubtedly balled into fists – awaited you. There was a pressing matter, but it had nothing to do with Kylo Ren’s wellbeing and everything to do with your soon-to-be lack of.

Considering it was like wading through mud to break past the shrouds of stormtroopers, your nerves had already worn thin since stepping into the docking bay, but acknowledging how you’d left Kylo Ren last night – his flaming sword of rage swinging destruction around you – the journey back towards the med bay was not one of a casual stride. With a quickened pace the hatch came into view sooner than you’d hoped, simultaneously wanting to get there to explain yourself while also wishing the floor would swallow you whole so you wouldn’t have to deal with Kylo Ren’s theatrics. Within a couple strides, the door slid open, revealing the undeniable presence of your master.

“This’ll be fun,” you said under your breath, smoothing over your uniform with nervous hands.

Passing through the threshold, it whirred shut behind you, its motion sending a rush of chilled air over your legs, whipping the back of your skirt to the side. Kylo was on one side of the exam table, clutching the cape, one of his socks hanging loosely from his other hand. Hidden in his helmet, you could only assume the eyes boring into you matched the fury of his fist.

“There is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this,” you said, tone hesitant and low, guarding against a reappearance of his lightsaber.

His hand stayed rooted in the cape; his warped voice venomously low. “Then explain.”

Staying close to the wall, you circled around him, leaning against the metal counter behind you, grasping onto the edges. “I had to sleep here last night.”

“That is evident, officer.”

“Okay. I couldn’t go home last night.”

“I can make you talk. You know this.” His hand lifted the cape, clutching it up to his chest.

Swallowing, the metal ridges of the countertop bit into your grip. It felt like admitting why you couldn’t go home was accepting a defeat, like he’d won the argument pertaining to your need for protection. You chewed your cheek, looking down at your feet and closing your eyes. “I did actually go home last night. I didn’t just stay here out of preference.”

“Then why?”

“When I got home,” you sighed, looking back over to him, “I found my place had been broken into. And I’m pretty sure I know who did it, and I didn’t feel safe sleeping there.”

“The stormtrooper,” he said, dropping the sock to the ground. “That’s who you think did it.”

“Uh, yeah. There was a maintenance report that said-,”

“A maintenance report?”

His interest surprised you. “Yeah, the lock had been tampered with and the door had been… defaced. Scratch marks, dents. And it had been reported a couple days after our departure for the Finalizer.”

“A couple days after seeing him,” his voice was eerily calm, like he was only trying to understand you.

You paused to look at him, analyzing the intent that remained hidden with his eyes. “And before I came here, before Phasma told me to meet you, I ran into him. Well, I don’t know if I’d describe it so casually, but nonetheless.”

His hand came back down, freeing the cape from his grip, letting it pile up on the table. “How would you describe it?” He began circling towards you.

It was too much to verbalize the fear Robbie had incited, wanting to pretend he didn’t exist. “I… don’t know.”

“You’re afraid,” he said, drawing closer with each careful step. “You think he’s watching you, stalking you like prey – that’s it, right?”

Swallowing, you wished he didn’t possess the ability to feel everything you did, pinpointing your emotions better than you could. You nodded, looking up to his visor, his frame working to consume yours as the distance closed between you.

His hands came down next to yours, brushing the sides of your pinkies with his gloved grip. He leaned down to you, his gaze centered on your eyes. “You can’t stay here again.” It wasn’t darkness in his voice, or even command; he was only stating what you knew as truth.

The sound of his muffled breathing flourished over your arms, your own breathing newly audible. “I know,” you swallowed. “I’m not. I figured something out.”

“Did you?” His hands dropped from the counter to wander over the fronts of your thighs, skimming his thumbs just under the hem of your uniform. “Tell me, where are you staying tonight?” He leaned into the crook of your neck, the brush of metal eliciting the heat of your cheeks.

You breathed out, his teasing touch evaporating your train of thought. “With a, with a friend.”

His leather-covered fingers rooted just below the curve of your ass, his thumbs sliding up and down, streaking sparks in their repetitive paths. “Mm, wrong answer.” Kylo dug into your thighs, tearing your feet from the ground, propping you up onto the chilled counter.

The metal bit at your skin, making you seethe at the contrast. He parted your knees so he could stand between them, tracing his hands over the excited skin; the warmth of his gloves washed over you, stealing your focus as they slipped under your skirt once more, his thumbnails dipping just under the seams of your panties. With a steadying effort, you gathered your thoughts. “What? How am I wrong?”

His breath was getting thicker at your ear, his unaltered voice trickling through the modulation at his proximity. “You’re staying with me.”

In the throes of his distraction, you distantly regarded your meeting with Hux, remembering the surveillance order hanging over you. “I can’t,” you said, reveling in the feel of his thumbs inching ever closer to the apex of your thighs.

“I’m not asking.” Your core throbbed at the nonchalance of his voice, so sure and casual.

At the stitching of your panties, he hooked two fingers below the thin fabric, dragging them perpendicular down your slit; his gentle petting caught your breath, pulling you from your defense. “I’m being watched,” you said, the words falling as your lungs did. “I have to at least appear professional.”

He hummed, the modulation vibrating down your neck. “Your trial. I thought you were fine with whatever consequences your actions presented.”

The tips of his fingers slid between your folds, pressing around your entrance, forcing a small moan from your lips. “I was,” you breathed.

The pressure at your entrance slid up your slit; his fingers rolled your clit between them, the seams of his gloves offering an additional friction over the sensitive bundle. His other hand pressed into the pliant flesh of your inner thigh, mindlessly kneading it while your lungs chorused for his touch. “Past tense. Why is that?”

The sensation of the rough leather slick with your want robbed you of words, feeling his other digits stroke over the outside of your folds as they tortured you with their leisure. “I realized,” you said, tone shaky, “I may deserve to be here after all.”

Just as you were when he’d said them, he was immobilized; both his hands stopped moving, relaxing and resting in place as his head pulled away from your neck, your core pleading for his action to resume. But he only stood there, staring at you beyond the mask, the indecisive path of his eyes evident over your skin.

“Where do you deserve to be?” His voice was low, the modulation cutting out subtly.

Grinding against his hand, begging him to commence his earlier advances, you gaped in front of him, gaze pointedly aimed into his visor. “You know where.”

His hand left your slit, forcing a snuffed whine at the absence of his touch. “Tell me, officer. Where is ‘here’?”

There was something irresistible about his teasing, sitting here, legs splayed to receive him; your chest rose, absorbing his hidden stare. When he lifted his hands to either side of his helmet, your heart picked up in anticipation, your blood rushing at the prospect of his enamoring face. The locks hissed and he ducked out of his confines, shaking his head to clear his face of any stray strands. Not taking his eyes from yours, he placed the helmet beside you.

He pulled at the fingers of his gloves, separating them from the tips of his digits. “I won’t ask you again,” his jaw wasn’t set, lips slightly lifted at the corners, twisted in the subtlest of smirks.

“Here…” You looked over his features, silently praising his freckles, in awe of how such a sweet feature could be present under eyes so haunted.

“Yes,” the tail end of your name rose in pitch, a question, lascivious and redundant.

“Here is,” your focus shifted down to his lips, heart fluttering faster imagining them against yours. “Here is with you, as your provider. Appointed by you,” your breath shuddered, his lips fluid before you, “under the First Order.”

He hummed, face sly as his brow raised and his chin pointed towards you, placing his gloves with his helmet and returning his touch. With his hands on either of your thighs, your body buzzed as your pulse took prominent residence between your legs. His head advanced so the tips of your noses nearly touched, his breath mingling with yours. Flitting between your eyes and your lips, his eyes held the same appreciation for you as yours did him. “It only took you a couple months.”

“What are you talking about?”

His thumbs pinched into the crease of your thighs, his fingers splayed over the curve of your hips. With his lips whispering against yours, short shocks lighting at each accidental meet, he closed his eyes, prompting yours shut immediately after. “To listen to me.”

He pressed his mouth to yours, lips soft as his need reigned unmatched; it was a collision, a bludgeoning, a massacre of every atom separating you in an attempt to brand his mouth to yours. The intensity residing in his fervor fluttered your heartbeat, your core surging with chaos to find his touch again. Without leaving your lips, he slid you away from the counter, your extremities binding yourself to him as he carried you to the exam table.

Your head fell back over the piled cape, smelling the leather below, admiring its owner above. With your knees framing him, his hands slid down your thighs as his lips fell to your jaw. “Are you going to keep listening to me?” He said, the words divided as his lips traced to your neck.

As he knelt forward on his knees, his arms clutched into the edges of the table at either side of your head, you reveled in the heated shelter of his body. Without prompt, your knees locked around him, wanting him closer, needing him against you. It was in vain, though, his strength too much to overpower. One of his hands reached between his legs, mussing with his belt and layered uniform.

“Tell your friend,” he said, seething as his cock sprang away from its constriction, “you found other plans.”

Peering down over your chest, you caught view of his length, bobbing as he moved over you. You swallowed, your hands gripped around the flexing muscles of his upper arms. “I can’t.”

At your ear, Kylo grunted, tearing away from you and sitting back on his knees. He looked over you, palming his erection, face blank while he gathered precum at his tip and smoothed it over himself. “Roll over, then.”

There was no emotion to his voice, flat as his face was. You pulled back your elbows and rested on them. When you opened your mouth to contest, his eyes flared in warning, a brow lifting to question if you really wanted to challenge him. Pulling your bottom lip into your mouth, you gathered your legs and turned over so your chest was against the exam table, face flat against the now warmed leather, hands at either side of your face.

“Better,” he said.

Behind you, his hands came down over yours, his nose tracing over the helix of your raised ear. “I’m going to make you cum on my cock, and then tonight, in my quarters, you’re going to have another lesson in obedience.”

He pulled away, quickly lifting your hips so your knees and forearms bore your weight, the leather slippery beneath your warmed skin. He stood on his knees behind you, flipping your skirt up and pulling your panties down to your knees. Your name was a praise from his lips, a stark contrast from when it had come from Robbie. “Always so wet for me,” he said, pushing a finger from your entrance and down to your raised clit.

You bucked into his hand, moaning, needing more. “Kylo, you have to understand, I ca-,”

His touch left you, but quickly came back with full force, smacking against your exposed entrance, a wet echo filling the room. Every muscle below your abdomen clenched, your fists balling at the sides of your head. “I do understand, officer,” he said, smoothing his hands over your ass, digging his fingers into your hips. “But you need to understand something yourself,” the pleasant presence of a familiar pressure grazed your entrance, stretching you in its tease. “I don’t care.”

He pulled back on your hips, sheathing himself against the tight, drumming walls of your core. A long, drawn out groan tied itself to an awe-inspired cry, garbling out into nonsense as he shattered your pelvis, splitting you open to receive his merciless length all at once. With your hips high and his hands locking them to his, your walls sparked around him, feeling him throb inside of you.

“It’s been too long since this pussy broke for me,” he seethed, even out of sight you could hear the strain of his jaw. “Fuck, I forgot how good you feel.”

He pushed your hips forward, sliding out of you, absorbing the feel of your walls’ compliance as he took nearly every inch from you. As he pulled out, your breath stuttered out in short pants, the hollowness tormenting as he’d just cracked you open. You whined into the table, sweat beading at your forehead, the palms of your hands sliding against the slickened leather. The head of his cock pulsed at the base of your core, stopping a moment before he rammed back into you, your knees sliding back with his force.

He bent at his hips, his chest molding to your back, the whispers of loose tendrils tickling your spine. A hand dipped down over your slit, two fingers running against your folds as he hummed behind you. “Where are you staying tonight, officer? Tell me.”

His voice was thick with breath, his words leaking onto your nape. A shiver bloomed goosebumps under his heat, the friction of his rough robes almost painful against your sensitized skin. No matter how he would try to convince you, there was nothing he could say or do that would change your mind. “Kylo, I can’t-,”

“Another wrong answer.” His other hand snaked over your throat, trapping any words that tried to leave. “You’re down for the count with no hope of winning. Give up, it’ll be a lot easier if you do.”

His hips began a rigorous tempo, slamming into you while his hand tied around your throat and his fingers slid into your slit, his frame completely devouring you, swallowing your body into nothingness below him. He used your throat for leverage, pulling back to meet his thrusts, grunts panting from his lips in beat with his hips. Every slam of his pelvis and swirl of his fingers catalyzed your release.

“You’re getting close,” he stuttered out between thrusts. “So fucking tight, coming undone – shit – breaking for me. Such a slut, and only for your master.”

Beneath his hand, you wanted to moan, to hiccup into the room how good it felt to have him rocking against you. Even though his effort was aimed towards your defeat, you basked in how full he made you, the dull sound of your skin slapping with robes, the squeaks of voice escaping in spite of his grip; you knew you couldn’t stay with him, but that didn’t keep you from wanting to.

“And you deny it, but you know it’s what you want – to meet me tonight, to have our lesson, to please me – don’t you?”

He lifted some pressure from your throat, a go-ahead for words. “Yes, I want that,” you panted. “I want to.”

“Yes,” he grunted, his thrusts becoming crazed, coming without a pattern. “Be a good girl, give into in.”

“I want to, Kylo,” you swallowed, sweat spilling from your brow. “But I can’t.”

“You can.” The hand maintaining your clit wound tighter circles, eliciting a searing need for release just beneath your skin.

“I, I – fuck – Kylo, I-,” you could only whine, your body pummeled with his rampant push towards your climax.

“Where are you staying tonight,” he hiccuped your name. “Say it. Scream it.”

Your walls were quaking, spiraling towards the abyss he’d opened inside of you. All of your senses were trembling, buzzing as you resisted his effort to send you flying over the edge. A pained whimper, filtered through tight teeth, left you, building into a more prevalent cry.

“Tell me!” He yelled, thrusting into you, hitting your cervix in time with his swipe over your clit.

“Fuck! With you, I- Kylo, with you!”

With his body wrapped around you, the simultaneous strike of your cervix and clit, and the pressure clouding your vision – you let go, falling into a riotous, convulsive, all enthralling pit of pleasure. The growl that had resided in your throat, the one that had evoked from your attempt at resistance, had evolved into an endless string of astonished praise; it was a song you’d never sung, yet as he lost himself behind you – his hands bracing on top of yours when he fell forward, crushing you underneath him – he sounded as you did, creating a chorus of cries, a melody only known to each other.

He breathed at your ear, panting rampantly, off-beat with yours as they came between his. The weight of his body consuming yours only aided in the afterglow, your breathing obvious as his chest tided on top of your own. Every now and then he would swallow, the hiccuped sound popping next to your ear as his chin bobbed against your back. The peripheral image of his hands covering yours an added prize to the already hazed satiety which had enveloped you. He laid on top of you as he softened inside of you, staying there for an immeasurable amount of time.

To your disappointment, you couldn’t stay there forever; he sat up, a wince leaving you as he slipped out. Behind you came the shuffle of clothing and the clamber of boots as he met the floor. You were still recuperating when he came into view, his hand – gloved, yet again – smoothing over your sweat-stuck strands. As you turned to your side, he flipped your skirt back down, covering you as his cum leaked out from your core and onto leather that lied beneath.

He pinched your chin up, prompting you to crawl up on your elbows, looking up at him with half-lidded eyes. “Twenty-two hundred. You know how I feel about tardiness.” There was a regard of fondness as he looked over your sated body.

You could only respond with the nod of your head, peering up at him, admiring him for all that he was in this moment – a beautiful man who wanted you to stay with him. With one last swipe of his thumb over your bottom lip, he gathered his helmet, ducked into it, and left you sprawled about in your own company.

After a few minutes, watching the radar on your watch to ensure his distance, you allowed your guilt to swallow you whole; you had all but promised Kylo Ren that you would come to him tonight, and although you wanted to appease him, to be with him in such an intimate way as to lie next to him, you couldn’t risk your life for something as temporary as an afterglow or a rush. Tonight you would go to Mason, a welcome break from all life had thrown at you in the past twenty-four hours.

[astrologysvt]

Chart First Impressions: Jeonghan

In celebration of the return of our libra king 😭

This is just a very general reading of the member’s charts — the parts that popped out to me, things I personally liked, things I thought were interesting or contrary to the image I have of them. I’m not looking at anything in particular with each reading. Some of their readings may be more aspect focused, where some may just focus solely on their personal planets and their signs. If you have any questions on specific aspects or want to request a more specific reading, feel free to send me an ask!

I hope you like air signs.

cuz we’ve got some air here. 

a lot of air. 

if ya’ll couldn’t tell. 

libra sun, aqua moon, libra mercury, libra venus. 

sun and mercury in the 2nd decan (aquarius) 

venus in the 3rd decan (gemini) 

aqua moon in the 2nd decan (gemini as well) 

so basically every single air sign has an influence on his personality in some way shape or form. 

because of this you may find he’s more independent and quirky than your average libra, and he may come across a lot more antsy and curious thanks to those gemini influences.

i think this makes a lot of sense considering how fun and playful of a guy he is as he’s CONSTANTLY looking for something to do or new ways to play around with his members. 

even in the background he’s constantly moving around whether it be grabbing someone’s hand or playing with something, it just goes to show how active his mind is. 

he’s a very inquisitive, intelligent person. 

aqua influence on sun and mercury make him more discerning and less people pleasing than your run-of-the-mill libra. 

he certainly is still interested in maintaining balance and positive feelings, but he is going to be more willing to make a few concessions if is aqua placements can justify it. 

lmao, like if its funny enough Jeonghan will throw all that libra caution to the wind and just go for it. 

his gemini influence on his moon and venus add a sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity to aspects that would have been more analytical (aqua)/traditional (libra).

not only that but it makes his aqua moon more impressionable and receptive than it would be usually, which can lend itself to being able to simulate his reactive and sensitive scorpio mars a bit more than an aqua moon in say in the 1st or 3rd decan may. 

this is also in due part to the moon square mars he already has going on that links the two.

otherwise his aqua moon would be taking in stimuli and then just telling his scorpio mars to beat it. even if his scorpio mars is secretly stewing beneath it all. 

his scorpio mars is just 

*chefs kiss* 

so good

his scorpio mars takes all of the airy traits he has and really amplifies the helllll out of them

it takes his aqua’s desire for individuality and authenticity and adds this sense of intensity, honesty, and emotion to it.

he’d be less interested in pursuing his own path for his own sake or even to prove a point, and would be more concerned with how it came across and the message it conveyed, how it swayed others, and the general impact it had. 

it takes his gemini influence’s vast set of interests and adds such a strong sense of commitment and determination. he refuses to leave things half done and refuses to give anything but his absolute best. 

this goes even with the smallest interests, as he generally wants to know the ins-and-outs of the things that spark is curiosity.  

a lot of people would probably attribute his intelligence and wit to his aqua or air placements but that would be discrediting how smart, resourceful, and calculating a scorpio mars is. 

they take into account everything from profit to expenditure and are super super clever. they absolutely refuse to spend more time on a task than necessary which is why you get savage jeonghan.

not only that but they can be rather relentless in getting the things they want/need 

👀👀👀👀👀👀 i.e. the cheating 

but his aqua influence is more than likely proud of his ability to bend the rules as he’s thinking outside the box and outsmarting the game. 

hes good at it what can you say 

one thing that jeonghan had said that really stuck out to me was during the recent TTT episode when he hoshi had mentioned he said, “i hope you guys don’t talk about these things lightly because this team is all I have” 

this fear is super scorpio mars. 

scorpio mars’ aren’t afraid of commitment, it is so easy to them and they are so incredibly ready to go to the ends of the earth for the people who they care about. 

their biggest fear, on the other hand, is to be that committed and to find out later that the people they gave 100% to did not care as much as they thought. 

they don’t think twice about these things and in that, there is this fear that he wasn’t enough paying attention and that the excitement and desire to commitment was all in his head.

this is one of the reasons they tend to be rather secretive. they like to keep their cards close to their chest as they like to maintain a sense of control. 

they are absolutely terrified of being vulnerable to someone who isn’t on the same level as they are.

i can totally see this being the case with jeonghan, and also one of the reasons why you really only hear this side of jeonghan second hand. 

he only shows it to a very few people, and this is another aspect of that sense of scorpio control and secrecy mainly because, again, he views his commitment as vulnerability and is only comfortable sharing that with a select few. 

he’s a ride or die guy. 

which, again, given how airy his chart is, is kind of unsuspecting but is also one of the reasons he’s able to serve as a kind of “glue” to his team members. 

his air influences are so charming and light and he generally knows how to work a room. 

but then the scorpio/water influence makes him so emotionally intuitive and empathetic. 

he’s really able to tailor how he communicates with the members, and how to personally care for each member with such ease because both ends of the spectrum make a lot of sense to him. 

i know this reading is super scorpio mars forward but i sincerely believe that his scorpio mars is a huge huge influence for him, even if his airy-brain tends to push it towards the back. 

his air traits speak for his personality, his humor, his interests and so on and so forth. but his scorpio mars speaks for his values and the things that drive him to perform and show up for the people he loves. 

when his air traits may normally get distracted or may rationalize giving up and moving on, his scorpio mars keeps him where his heart is. 

[thenixkat]

Nix Reviews: Animorphs

Summary: Five teens take a shortcut home, run into an alien, and get the power to transform into animals. They are tasked with saving the world from a covert alien invasion.

Score: 1.3/10

Sexual Assult Drinking Game: at least 5*

(+) Very iconic

-has some of the most creative alien designs in scifi

- the hork-bajir are wonderful

- actually very good fuel for fanfic inspiration

- the introduction of James and his friends

- a decent start for baby furries

(-) Really needed to go through a few passes with an editor b4 being published

- is the opposite of educational

---frequently gets basic, easy to research things about animals wrong in a series where animal biology/behavior is a significant factor ie. dolphins don’t have blubber

---gets everything extra wrong with prehistoric animals. Absolutely everything. Looked like they based an entire book off of the Jurassic Park sequels

-both blatant and harmful animal biases ie. bugs and reptiles are not scary or ugly and predators aren’t evil

-Written as White and male default as you can get regardless of the viewpoint character

- Filled with inconsistencies and plotholes

-literally so lazy that a deus ex machina was turned into a recurring character

- Once you reach book 7 with the reveal of a godlike being who does whatever he wants and wants the main characters to succeed there are no longer any emotional or narrative stakes in the series

-Also really fucking racist across the board

---there is a book where an alien species that is uniformly described as ugly and stupid by every viewpoint character and the writers themselves out of universe are directly compared and paralleled to Black people

---said aliens are stupid b/c they don’t speak or understand English well, except for the rare smart ones that speak properly.

---said aliens are also stupid b/c they can’t read English

---every indigenous character shown is incredibly superstitious and immediately believes that the group of mostly White American monolingual kids are spirits from their respective local religion for no known reason

---Makes an African American character a slave owner in one of the alternate timelines and makes a Jewish character an out and out fascist in that timeline as well

---When directly talking about racism in the series is very “Colorblind” about it which is bad

---Introduces an Asian character alongside a group of White characters and for some reason, the Asian character is the only one who’s name is forgotten

---It’s so White. There are literally more specifically blond White characters than nonWhite characters overall

-The series is really in love with the idea of genocide as the solution to conflicts

-Series nerfs every single nonprotagonist to fit a poorly thought out plot instead of letting the story develop organically

-It’s way too long with so much filler for the story they were telling

-Thinks it’s deeper than it actually is

-Assumes the audience has the memory of a goldfish

-The character most frequently used as the authors’ mouthpiece justifies the use of slavery and genocide in their narration

-Writers think that saying ‘respect the differently-abled’ covers their asses for all the ableist shit in the series. It does not

-the andalites receive no narrative punishment for their genocidal actions and racist beliefs and never apologize to their victims or pay reparations

-There is an incredible selection of sexism on display from the male default writing to the tough girl characters who are ‘not like other girls’ to turning compent female characters into shrieking helpless harpies once they aren’t useful to the plot at hand or need to make unlikable before killing them off for mainpain

- Does that really annoying, nonsensical, and boring ‘Humans are Special’ thing that is the bane of good scifi

- Fails in its xenofictional aspects by the writers’ either refusal to go outside of their comfort zone or by their sheer lack of talent

Overall: I could never recommend this series on good conscience. Partially because of racist/ableist messages and partially because of just how bad it is at the science part of science fiction that it feels like something really harmful for children to read in case they internalize the worst of its bullshit. There are much much better things out there to show/read to children about war and grey morality, please find them. If you still do wanna read Animorphs, save yer money and find it free online.

*edit on the sexual assault number. I’d forgotten the implied sexual assault of at the very least 2 hosts of Visser One. Second edit I forgot to include sexually assaulted dudes and rape vis deception. 

[toomuchtimenerd]

Review for ‘When Wishes Bleed’ by Casey L. Bond

Hey it’s me and I’m already back on my YA fantasy binge! At this rate I’m going to run out of YA fantasy to read (not really considering how flooded this genre is) if I don’t run out of money to buy these books first. I quite love having hard copies of books, but good grief they’re usually always more expensive than the ebook copy and I can’t quite get over the environmental impact of hard copies. Thus, I can’t justify shelling out more money and contributing to environmental issues just for the sake of having a pretty cover on my bookshelf. But honestly, had When Wishes Bleed been a 5/5 book I would have been so tempted to get a hard copy of this book and admire its cover from afar. Sadly, this was definitely not a 5/5 book and it pains me so much because I really only had a major issue with ONE aspect of the book. I thought everything else was decently done, but the book came with a single fault that I could not and will not ever be able to handle. 

When Wishes Bleed is told from the POV of a witch named Sable, who is dubbed the Daughter of Fate. Fate appears to be some kind of... entity that cannot physically materialize and must inhabit a witch and have said witch perform his bidding. Fate inhabits Sable in this case, and essentially compels Sable carry out his duties such as sentencing people to death. Fate also grants Sable the power to vaguely read someone’s future, which is more or less how this story begins. Sable reads the future of the crown prince of her kingdom, Tauren, and discovers that someone will soon be after his life. In response, Tauren invites her to the palace to find out who is trying to kill him, while Sable is under the guise of being part of the competition to be Tauren’s wife and future queen. Very much bachelor-esque and The Selection, yes? 

Sable is pretty awesome. She’s got super badass powers, even without the ones granted to her by Fate. She is, surprisingly, still a good-hearted person deep down despite being pretty much shunned by her entire witch community because of the immense power that Fate grants her (and later we find out it’s also because Sable’s mother was power hungry and very willing to shed blood for it). She’s incredibly committed to her community, and also to Tauren. On top of all that, you’ve gotta admit she’s got some humor in her bones - the tea party scene with Rose? Yeah that made me snicker a bit. 

Now for our male lead, Prince Tauren... sigh this is where it goes all wrong. Tauren himself is fine as a character, not particularly remarkable or even all that charming. But my issue with him and his relationship with Sable is the icky insta-love that happens between them. This is precisely my issue with this book, and this book could’ve easily been at least a 4/5 book for me had the romance been much more carefully crafted and developed. These two literally fall head over heels for each other at first sight. Sable is looking through a crowd of people for the man she’d supposed to hang in retribution for his crime against her people, and then she sees Tauren in the crowd and his golden eyes are all it takes for her to swoon and temporarily forget what she was doing. After Sable reads his future, Tauren invites her to his “Selection” and pretty much admits that he’s in love with her as soon as she arrives at the palace. Like, come ON! That’s not how love works!!! How does ANYONE suddenly fall fast in love with someone who just told you that you would be murdered soon?! I sure as heck wouldn’t. The romance itself was cute and fluffy between the two, but 0/10 romantic development, sheesh.

To top it off, there was definitely a love triangle, super yuck. And unfortunately, like most books in the YA fantasy genre, it was not well written. Brecan is basically a childhood best friend to Sable, and had actually asked for Sable to be hand-fasted to him (their community’s form of marriage, more or less) before Tauren invited Sable to the palace. Sable obviously declines, and Brecan ends up going with her to the palace as one of her escorts. Brecan is incredibly annoying and kind of douchebaggy the entire time, which is understandable since he’s literally watching the love of his life fall in insta-love with another man. But to be fair, I really admired Brecan’s steadfast devotion to Sable despite the romance situation and I was really glad the author didn’t make him petty during serious situations. Cause honestly, that’s the WORST thing about love triangles: when things get serious and someone goes and fucks shit up for everyone just because they’re mad about their love being unrequited. At least Brecan kept himself together when it really mattered. It was definitely touching to see how much Sable mattered to Brecan, though. Brecan admitted to being heavily attuned to Sable’s magic, and he would always show up with concern every time Sable performed powerful magic. 

The build up towards the climax (with Sable’s mother) was pretty insane. The climax itself was really fast-paced, and I personally would have liked it to be more drawn out since I felt like the ‘final battle’ aspect of the climax was resolved a little too quickly. I really appreciated that the author took the time to draw out the ending, after the resolution of the climax. Most YA authors just kind of end the book maybe a chapter after things get resolved, and sometimes it works for me and other times it really doesn’t. It’s like there’s all this build-up to a climax, then the climax occurs, and then there’s finally a resolution and every one’s able to calm down, and then bam the end. With When Wishes Bleed, the author at least took the time to illustrate how the witch community came back together after suffering a traumatic event, and the author portrayed Sable’s personal resolution with her feelings towards Tauren. So while the romantic development sucked pretty bad, at least their ending together was much more well-written and believable. Not to mention that epilogue? Oh wow. 

All in all, not a bad book. Could have been great, but as it is it’s alright. The world building was decent at best, and I liked the writing style enough. I think my final rating may be around 3/5, because honestly I liked almost everything about this book except for the insta-love and love triangle. Yeah, that totally killed it for me. The story/plot itself was enough to keep me from DNF’ing although the climax wasn’t as fleshed out as it could have been, but agh. That insta-love. Why??

[redqueenmiku]

Why do you dislike Rosalina? Is it because of how she appears more often? If so, she has been a spin-off regular for quite some time now. I do think it was a bit odd for her to get into Smash and in a platformer before Daisy, but I like the character regardless. She is a unique and gorgeous addition to the cast. Before you ask, I adore all three of the Mario ladies equally!

Well, thankfully, I already had something typed up specifically for this occasion. It was going to be its own post, but I think an ask is a perfect segue into releasing this thing I’ve had lying around wondering whether I should post.

Now, DISCLAIMER: I’m not trying to tell anyone they shouldn’t like Rosalina. This is just the reason why I personally dislike the character. This is an opinion piece. Nothing more.

Also spoiler: I do dwell on her game appearances for a while, but that’s not the only thing I touch on.

If any of you read all that’s ahead, thank you so much for taking the time to hear me out and please excuse any pettiness I may display. Thank you.

Now, welcome to a rant I like to call…

DEATH BY OVER-HYPE: THE RISE AND FALL OF ROSALINA

Now, as we all know, Rosalina first appeared in 2007’s Super Mario Galaxy. In said game, she served as Mario’s guide, being the caretaker of the game’s spaceship hub world, the Comet Observatory, and its residents, the Lumas. She was regal, mysterious, and motherly with a stoic yet kind air to her. You really got the sense that she was unlike any character in the series beforehand. She was powerful and she was in a league of her own.

This same game also gave us Rosalina’s backstory in the form of her storybook. She was just a normal girl until she found a Luma and a broken spaceship. She helped the Luma repair the spaceship and set off into space with it to find its lost mother. Along the way, she took in more Lumas, who became her family as she traveled through space. There’s something about a dead mother in there that I thought was way better explained than it actually was and then the first Luma Rosalina met transformed into the Comet that became the Comet Observatory. It’s a touching story.

After that, Rosalina began appearing rather frequently. Of course, she regularly showed up in Mario Kart starting just a year after her debut, but she also stepped foot into Mario Party, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Mario Sports Superstars, the Mario and Sonic series, and even bit cameos like the Mario Mash-Up pack for Minecraft or as a sprite in the moon-themed areas of Super Mario Odyssey. I have no complaint about any of these appearances. They’re all either inevitable and open to all sorts of characters already or, in the case of Super Mario Odyssey, it fits her role.

Now allow me to complain about a select few appearances that really get on my nerves.

Now, games like Mario Kart and Mario Party and all that make sense. Those are games where all sorts of characters show up and it makes sense for the most distinct characters to make constant appearances. Rosalina was always going to be a regular for those.

What I can’t excuse is three very specific games.

The first is Puzzles and Dragons: Super Mario Bros. Edition. Now, this might seem like a really weird game to be bringing up, but, when you really think about it, it’s really messed-up that Rosalina appears in this game. The only other non-enemy characters playable in this game are Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi, and Peach. Rosalina has absolutely no reason to be in this game, yet here she is.

You know what other game Rosalina has absolutely no reason to be in? Super Mario 3D World.

Super Mario 3D World was Rosalina’s fifth appearance in the franchise and her very first playable appearance…in a game that takes place in another world, the Sprixie Kingdom, and whose only playable characters are franchise staples Mario, Luigi, Peach, and Toad in a throwback to the US version of Super Mario Bros 2. Rosalina has zero reason to be in this game, much less be a prominent playable character.

Then, there’s the biggest blow of them all, which came just one year after 3D World: Super Smash Bros.

If Rosalina hadn’t appeared in Super Mario 3D World, there would be absolutely zero merit to putting her in Smash Bros considering that, outside that single instance, she was made no more important than any other character in the Mario series and she had never done anything to merit a Smash appearance. Because Super Mario 3D World exists, though, she has to appear in Smash, right?

And then there’s a point that I’ve had yet to bring up: the existence of Baby Rosalina. Like, gee. Rosalina sure warrants a baby form that goes against her entire backstory, doesn’t she? Let’s just do that.

By now, my biggest problem with Rosalina should be readily apparent. Rosalina shot to favorite child status way too quickly and her most egregious appearances are nothing more than blatant fanservice.

There’s an old document I have where I try to talk about my distaste for Rosalina. The explanation was really poorly thought out and filled with a lot of salt that didn’t need to be there, but one particular section I can still get behind is one where I essentially compare Rosalina to Shadow the Hedgehog. I think the comparison is still rather relevant.

Once you really start thinking about it, Rosalina really has this kind of Shadow the Hedgehog syndrome, not in the personality itself, but in how her creators treat her. Both characters were created for a specific purpose in a specific game in already well-established franchises with a lot of characters already, but gained an explosion of popularity due to popular aspects in their characters along with their compelling backstories that shot them past the other characters into a place where they’re now used in just about every game including ones they have no place in and are touted by their fandoms as some of the best characters to ever exist.

One major difference between Shadow and Rosalina, though, is that Shadow is actually a really well-developed character that has developed even beyond where he first came from. This is the effect of being part of a largely story-driven franchise that has allowed Shadow to evolve and come into his own. He’s earned his place among the cast through meaningful interaction.

Rosalina is cursed with coming from a franchise that doesn’t even have well-established characters much less any kind of evolving story. Rosalina just…exists, meaning she can’t do anything to really make herself fit in being who she is. Her personality constantly fluctuates to the point where the most I can tell you about her personality is that “she’s nice”. The rest of the main characters in the franchise all come from the same world and regularly interact with each other. This has the negative effect of making Rosalina feel like an outsider. She doesn’t need to be there in any instance and any time she is it just feels like going out of her way to be there, which would be fine if Nintendo wasn’t trying to sell her as this mature, introverted character that’s supposed to contrast the rest of the cast. She’s constantly contradicting herself left and right and it doesn’t feel like Nintendo ever really knows what to do with her but shove her in everywhere they can because “she’s popular, right?”.

That would be the reason I don’t like Rosalina. She doesn’t fit in, but Nintendo keeps trying to shove her where she doesn’t belong. She doesn’t have a consistent identity outside of the one from Galaxy that she keeps contradicting all the time and she’s been in games she has absolutely no business being in for absolutely no justifiable reason.

Now, maybe I’m just being over-critical, but this is something I personally feel very strongly about. Rosalina is one of the most overrated characters in existence in my opinion and it’s gotten to the point where I don’t even want to see her anymore, even in places that she does belong. She’s been absolutely ruined for me by Nintendo’s practices concerning the Mario franchise and I can’t even stand her anymore.

Yes, it’s petty, but that’s just me.

At the end of the day, I know that this is just my opinion. I hope no one came to this rant expecting otherwise. I just wanted to make clear my emotions about this character. If you’ve made it to this point, thank you for hearing me out. Have a nice day.

(oh this is going to be sooooooo controversiallllll….)

[cubase309-blog]

The Secret of Successful CUBASE TUTORIALS

Intro

Among the oldest sequencers, cubase along with Reasoning (old-timers might remember the golden age of Pro 24 as well as Notator), Cubase has more than the years, imposed numerous ergonomic, technological, and also theoretical criteria on the competition. Releasing a brand-new version of Steinberg's flagship software is still an occasion in itself, although it needs to be admitted that today, the pretenders to the throne of the king of sequencers are fairly countless. Because of this, development and excellence are no more special to Cubase as well as, without also discussing various other sequencer heavy-weights (Logic, Sonar, Pro Equipment, Samplitude, Digital Performer and Ableton Live), the last years has seen several brand-new oppositions, with varying price and also popularity, however loaded with excellent features: Fruity Loops, Melodyne, Tracktion, Power XT, Reaper ...

In a market as competitive as this, it's certainly significantly difficult to attract attention. Cubase 4 had its doubters despite the fact that it launched the VST3 standard, brought its effects and online instruments as much as date, inaugurated a new media administration system and you can finally relocate effects from one track to another by drag & drop. Yet it appeared a lot more like they were attempting to catch up to the competition as opposed to actually innovating ... Even the a lot more initial technologies, like monitoring of external hardware (specifically Yamaha's, considering that the Japanese maker had lately acquired Steinberg) and also the development of control room targeted functions were fascinating, yet did not impact all customers and also for that reason didn't always validate the raised software program cost: around $879! Luckily, when the remarkable Reasoning 8 came out for around $500 it required Steinberg to reconsider its rates and also advertising and marketing strategy: you can now find Cubase 5 for around $500! With relatively interesting updates: 4.1 and 4.5 (side chain administration for their impacts, far better routing management, extra audio banks for HALionOne, etc.), as well as this fifth version, Steinberg is doing its best to attract us. Allow's get involved in details ...

When I'm 64

The box is heavy which's an excellent sign. Along with the USB dongle and also serial number that let you register, it really contains 2 manuals: a flying start overview, as well as an instead huge thorough manual that does not, nonetheless, cover the effects nor virtual tools consisted of with the software application, but which are covered in PDF files. There are 4 DVDs: the DVD to install the program, a DVD with audios as well as samples, as well as two DVDs with a 90-day demonstration version of HALion Symphonic Orchestra. Keep in mind that in addition to the manuals, the setup DVD consists of a great deal of tutorial videos that are quite possibly done and also deal with all the vital aspects of the sequencer. When you consider that there was a time that Steinberg was producing handbooks only in PDF style, we can just give thanks to the German firm for having changed its methods.

The installment went efficiently, and after double clicking on the red symbol, I was in acquainted region: the job window. The very first uniqueness of this variation does not leap out at you, since it's unseen: Cubase currently totally supports 64 little bit technology. Had not been this already the instance? Indeed and no, because despite the fact that Cubase 4 worked with 64-bit operating systems, the code had not really been rewritten for this. It consequently stayed basically a 32-bit application, yet efficient in running on a 64-bit system, whereas Cubase 5 is now readily available in full 64 little bits.

What's the huge deal regarding 64 little bits? It's straightforward: it enhances the addressable memory room. 32-bit os handle at finest 3.2 GB of memory, while a 64-bit OS can in theory increase to 128 GB (I say theoretically, since there presently exists no machine, offered to the public, that has that much RAM). A very vital information at once when online ROMplers included banks of 10s of Gigas for providing a single tool (BFD, superiorDRUMMER 2, Vienna, EastWest Symphonic Band, Cream color Piano, etc.) and simplifying the lives of those who do audio/video as well as need to take care of massive video clips within their sequencer.

Reduced Tech Propellerhead!

However not every little thing is glowing in the land of 64 little bits. Despite the fact that Steinberg is dedicated to supporting Mac OS X, Vista 64, and the forthcoming Windows 7, no assistance for Windows XP 64 is formally expected (it doesn't always mean that it won't function). Do not forget to examine your plug-ins: some programmers currently include 64-bit compatibility and Steinberg suggests, through VST Bridge technology, a way to use 32 bit plugins in the 64-bit variation of the sequencer, yet it's still highly likely that or more of your old impacts that you have actually had for ages in your VSTplugins directory site will collapse or decline to begin. Making Use Of the VST Bridge also takes in resources symmetrical to the use of a true 64-bit plug-in ... In addition to these small aggravations, the major disadvantage of 64-bit is the conflict with Propellerheads innovations: if you make use of Cubase 5 64-bit in a 64-bit OS, you will not have the ability to use REX data styles, nor the ReWire system: so farewell making use of Cubase with Reason, Ableton Live as well as Melodyne, among others ... Naturally, the Swedish developer will probably not leave the circumstance as it stands, yet currently, no announcement has been made on this issue ... What do we do in that case? Set up the 32-bit variation of Cubase 5, which runs efficiently on a 64-bit OS, up until Propellerhead makes an action. This is annoying of course, however it can not be condemned on Steinberg. Let's have a look now at functions that will change the way you make use of Cubase.

Cognito, Ergonomic Sum

There's no transformation in regards to interface, the German designer appears to have selected, with this release, making the interface less complex and boosting work circulation. Take for instance the new Automation panel that brings together in a single home window the major automation commands. One click currently is adequate to equip all the tracks in Read or Write settings, while you can pick to display or conceal automation information, as well as engage/disengage playback or recording features by Type: Quantity, Frying Pan, EQ, Sends, Inserts. The moment saved is considerable!

As for controls, a host of small improvements have been made, such as the existence of a digital keyboard that enables you to play music from a QWERTY keyboard (helpful when you're on a laptop when driving, and you don't have a key-board), or a cost-free application for iPod/iPhone which will allow your remotely regulate the transport bar by means of WiFi ... wonderful, you might say, yet inadequate to justify an upgrade. Other than that Steinberg has actually likewise taken this occasion to fulfill the desires expressed by numerous customers, by incorporating, to start with, an export of multiple audio files.

Total Export, Hallelujah!

Requested ages ago, the Total amount Export feature now makes it feasible to export numerous tracks in one shot. Previously in Cubase, when you wanted, for example, to make a CD of 16 audio tracks to offer to a good friend or a studio working under another sequencer without the OMF style, you had to do track by track, making use of the Solo and also Mute buttons: a wild-goose chase! Now, in the Mixdown home window, just check the little boxes for your outputs, audio tracks or instruments and impacts tracks. The only point missing out on in this home window is the capability to enable/disable the results put in tracks, so you can easily provide a dry track, although it can still be carried out in the mixer or task view. It would have been nice if Cubase handled lossless sound layouts (Ape Audio among others). Anyhow, even if Steinberg is catching up with the competitors greater than introducing on this factor, this simple attribute alone is worth the upgrade from any type of version of Cubase to this brand-new version ...

[rukmanigroup]

Choosing the Right Floor Tile For Your Kitchen Renovation Can Be Easy If You Follow These Steps

At the point when we were working in Designer Floor Tiles in Kathmandu area deals, we found that there was dependably that one client who might stroll through the display area entryway with a look of fear all over. The notorious deer in the head light look would now and again make me keep thinking about whether they had strolled into the right store. "May I help you?" I would inquire. The reaction from this client would definitely be, "I really want tile for my kitchen and I have no clue about where to start".

My essential way of thinking in dealing with this cycle has forever been to start by choosing the components that provide you with minimal measure of decisions. Assuming there are 50 decisions in cupboard styles and gets done and 5,000 decisions in floor tile; which choice do think will come more straightforward? The second piece of guidance is don't continue on to stage two until you have settled on a choice on stage one. I have seen individuals come into the display area with 4 distinct bureau tests and 3 unique rock tests. Going with regards to it in this manner resembles attempting to enrich three or four unique kitchens immediately and you will observe you are going around aimlessly and fooling around.

Whenever you have settled on the choice on your cupboards its opportunity to continue on to the ledge. First settle on a choice on the material (overlay, manmade manufactured tops or rock) and from that point tight down the shading. Whatever you pick, coming into your neighborhood tile display area with one ledge test and one bureau test will go far in making your tile determination simpler and more charming. Presently you have a perspective. By strolling into the tile display area with your cupboard and ledge choice close by, you have in a real sense killed 80% of your tile decisions and you have given the tile sales rep something with which he can work.

So presently you are prepared to choose your floor tile. This is a three way marriage of sorts. You would rather not consider "coordinating". Matching makes every one of the components of your kitchen get cleaned out into one another. There is no definition, no point of convergence and no understanding of aspect. We need to organize. At the point when we coordinate the counter, cupboards and floor; every single one of those components will stick out, and yet, be a piece of one another. I generally recommend that the floor should differentiate the cupboards. Assuming the cupboards are dim I would will more often than not pick a story that is lighter as well as the other way around. Assuming the cupboards are a medium shading tone you can go in any case; lighter or more obscure, yet all at once not coordinating. Remember too that lighter tones will cause a space to seem bigger and more open.

The relationship of the ledge to the floor is an alternate matter. Ledges that are strong bolder tones wed better with nonpartisan tone floors. Assuming that your ledge is multi-hued and somewhat more occupied it is a smart thought to get some component of the ledge tone in the floor. When you have your floor selected you might imagine that your independent direction is done, yet there is another choice to make. You need to pick the grout for your floor tile. Most grout units contain 20-30 distinctive grout tones. My way of thinking has forever been to either match your grout to your tile or somewhat contrast it on the lighter side. More obscure grout can make the floor take on a "matrix" look and cause it to seem occupied.

So the writing is on the wall. Some fundamental standards to assist with making your floor tile choice somewhat simpler. Settle on your choices deliberately, with extra special care. I'm certain you'll observe that when you get to the furthest limit of your venture, all the difficult work and exertion was definitely justified.

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[threewaysdivided]

Quality Should Not Be Binary

In my wanders through life in general - and the internet in particular - I’ve noticed a strange mindset regarding the quality of media and the people who produce it.  It’s this weird idea that something is either 100% perfect, flawless and ‘how dare you claim to be a real fan while suggesting there’s anything wrong’, or that it’s completely awful, valueless and ‘you’re a terrible person for enjoying that or thinking it has anything to offer’ - sometimes flipping from one to the other as soon as a ‘flaw’ is revealed, or a ‘bad’ work does something suitably impressive.

This mindset has never really made sense to me.  Maybe I’m a just habitual over-thinker who spends unhealthy amounts of time analysing things, but I can’t see how this sort of absolutist approach would do anything other than shut down discourse, limit the value to be had from a piece and maybe make people angry.

So in honour of that please enjoy some indulgently long navel-gazing about critical analysis and media quality.

Disclaimer: This post is going to summarise my personal philosophy. Everyone approaches life - and especially art - in their own way and far be it for me to say you’re wrong if you prefer a different approach.  You do you.

Blindness Hurts Both Ways

To an extent I get the simple yes/no mindset.  Analysis takes time and it would be exhausting to give an extensive, nuanced breakdown on your view at the start of every discussion.  Plus the whole ‘dissecting the frog’ thing can definitely apply to enjoyment of media.

However, taking it to the point where you’re denying the positive side of things you dislike or refusing to acknowledge faults in works/people you enjoy has the potential to swing around and bite you in the butt.

Why deny yourself a useful experience? I think there’s an important distinction to make between being good and being useful. Subjective, technical or, ethical ‘badness’ is not the same as having no value. Similarly, being touching, entertaining or otherwise enjoyable doesn’t preclude something from having genuine problems.

Personally, I can find it difficult to work out exactly what’s going right in a generally positive piece.  After all, ‘good’ doesn’t hinge on a single point - it’s usually the product of a lot of things working well together, and it can be hard to figure out cause and effect in a system like that. It’s much easier to look at a failed attempt and identify the specific elements that caused problems, where it had the potential to recover, and places where it might be succeeding in spite of those issues. Similarly, some works can be very strong except when it comes to ‘that one thing’, which in itself is a useful reference.  Negative examples can be just as beneficial as positive ones, and turning a blind eye to a piece’s weaker aspects just denies you that tool.

On the other hand, sometimes a piece and/or creator can be ethically awful while being technically strong or succeeding at its intended purpose. In this case, while they’re not positive it can certainly be valuable to analyse the techniques they use, and even apply those tools when selecting and creating things for yourself.

It’s important to remember that acknowledging where something is strong isn’t the same as endorsing or supporting it, and that there’s a huge difference between pointing out a genuine weakness or failing and maliciously hating on a work or creator.

Why give something that much power? Starting with the gentler side, I think it’s important to remember that a work being ‘good’ on the whole shouldn’t be an excuse to gloss over possibly troubling elements or to give creators a free pass on their actions.  Sure, even the best-intentioned artists make bad PR and creative decisions sometimes but it’s also valid to acknowledge and call out possible misbehaviour when it crops up, rather than blindly playing defence until it reaches critical mass and undermines the good of their work (or worse, actually hurts someone).

There can also be a danger to simply writing off and ignoring ‘bad works’, especially if you dislike them based on ethical grounds.  If something ‘bad’ is becoming popular it’s usually a sign that it’s getting at least one thing right - whether that be plugging into an oft-ignored hot-button issue, or simple shock-value and shameless marketing.  Attributing the success of such pieces to blind luck and ignoring any potential merits that got them there opens up the potential for other, similarly objectionable works to replicate that outcome.

Not to mention the issues that can come from letting these things spread unchecked.  Think about how many crackpot theories and extreme notions have managed to gained traction, in part due to a lack of resistance from more moderate or neutral parties who at the time dismissed them as ‘too stupid’ or ‘too crazy to be real’.  Unpleasant as it may be, I think there’s some value in dipping into the discourse around generally negative media.  If nothing else, shining a spotlight on the misinformation or insidious subtext that a work might be propagating can help genuine supporters notice, sidestep or otherwise avoid the potential harms even as they keep enjoying it.

Why lock yourself into a stance like that? Maybe it’s just my desire to keep options open, but it seems like avoiding absolutist stances gives you a lot more room to move.  Publicly championing or decrying a work and flatly rejecting any counterpoints runs the risk of trapping yourself in a corner that might be hard to escape from if your stance happens to change later.  If nothing else, a bit of flexibility can help you back down without too much egg on your face, not to mention shrinking the target area for fans or dissenters who you might have clashed with in the past.

A little give and take can also help build stronger cases when you do want to speak out.  Sometimes it’s better to just acknowledge the counterpoints you agree with and move on to the meat of the debate rather than wasting time tearing down their good points for the sake of ‘winning’.  The ability to concede an argument is a powerful tool - you’d be surprised how agreeable people become when they feel like they’re being listened to.  

Finally, from an enjoyment perspective, is it really worth avoiding or boycotting what could otherwise be a fun or thought-provoking experience just because you don’t 100% agree with it or have criticised it in the past? Sure, there are absolutely times when a boycott is justified but why deny yourself a good time just because it involves an element that’s been arbitrarily labelled ruinous.  ‘With Caveats’ is a perfectly acceptable way to approach things.

Existence vs Presentation of Concepts

A rarer argument that occasionally pops up is the idea that certain works are inherently ‘inappropriate’, ‘distasteful’, or should otherwise be avoided purely based on their subject matter.  Usually this revolves around the presence of a so-called ‘controversial’ topic; things like war, abuse or abusive relationships, sexual content, bigotry and minorities (LBGT+ relationships being a big one right now).

Personally I think this is a reductive and pretty silly way to choose your content.  No topic should be off-limits for any kind of media. (With the possible exception of holding off until the target audience has enough life experience and critical thinking skills to handle it.  There is some value in TV rating systems.)  Yes, some concepts will be uncomfortable to confront, but they are part of life and trying to keep them out of mainstream art simply stifles the valuable real-world discussions and conversations they might spark.

What we should be looking for is how a work handles the concepts it chooses to use.  There’s a world of difference between presenting or commenting on a controversial topic as part of a work, and misrepresenting or tacitly condoning inappropriate behaviour through sloppy (or worse, intentional) presentation choices.  The accuracy of research and portrayals, use of sensitivity and tact, consideration for the audience and overall tone with which a topic is framed are much more worthy of consideration than simply being offended that the idea exists in media at all.

‘Bad’ Art, ‘Good’ People and Vice Versa

I think it’s important to remember that our content creators are, well, people.  They’re going to have their own weird taste preferences, personal biases and odd worldviews that will sometimes show through in their output. They’re also going make mistakes - after all, to err is human.  Unfortunately, in the creative pool you can also find some genuine bigots, egotists, agenda-pushers, abusers and exploitative profiteers who don’t care about the damage their work might be doing.

It can be discomfiting to notice potentially negative subtext in the work or actions of a creator you like, and upsetting to realise that a work you love is the product of a person who you can’t in good conscience support.  Which of course leads to the discussion of art, artists, whether they can be separated and what to do when things go wrong.

Obviously I’m going to be talking primarily about the ethical/moral side of things, as I think most of us are willing to forgive the occasional technical flub, production nightmare or drop in outward quality from creators we otherwise enjoy.

It can also be a touchy subject so I’d like to reiterate that this is just an explanation of my personal philosophy.  My approach isn’t the only way and I won’t say you’re wrong for taking a different stance or choosing to stay out of it entirely.  

‘Bad’ art from an apparently ‘Good’ person In general, when it comes to apparent bad behaviour or negative subtext from otherwise decent creators, I favour the application of Hanlon’s Razor.

Hanlon’s Razor Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence - at least not the first time.

Art is a subjective medium, with multiple readings and interpretations being possible from the same piece.  It’s definitely possible for an author to lack the  awareness or experience needed to notice when unintended implications or alternate readings have crept into their work.  Sensitive topics are tricky to handle at the best of times and seemingly harmless edits or innocuous creative choices can stack into subtly nastier tonal shifts. Similarly, being a good creator doesn’t automatically make them good at PR or talking to fans - it’s easy to get put on the spot or to not realise the connotations of their phrasing and how it may have come across.   Of course this still means someone messed up, and it’s totally reasonable to call them out for ineptness, but I’d take an unfortunate accident over malicious intent any day.

Then there are times when the negative subtext is a lot less unintentional.  In that case I think it’s important to make the distinction between creator sentiment and the sentiment of the work, character or their production team (if collaborating) before making a judgement on them as an individual.  For example, the presence of casual bigotry might be justified in historical piece that’s attempting to accurately portray the culture of the time, and a creator/actor might write/portray a protagonist with biases and proclivities that they personally disagree with for the sake of a more compelling story.  The presence of a worldview within a work doesn’t automatically translate to the opinion of it’s creator.

Similarly, when considering a problematic production or team it’s worth acknowledging which positions hold creative power, if every member is complicit and why a dissenting individual might stay silent; whether out of contractual obligation, a desire not to throw colleagues under the bus or just because they don’t have the financial security to risk rocking the boat or walking away from the role.   It’s important to figure out who the buck stops with before we start pointing fingers.

Overall, I don’t think there’s much value in passing judgement on an artist for the troublesome content in a single work.  You’ll get more mileage and a fairer assessment from looking holistically across their collection and personal/private channels for telling patterns of subtexts and behaviours.  For the most part I prefer to offer the benefit of the doubt until there’s enough supporting evidence or they do something to definitively out themselves.  Speculation fuelled witch-hunts are no fun for anybody.

‘Good’ art from ‘Bad’ people Exactly what defines a ‘bad’ creator will vary (there’s a reason I’ve been putting the terms in inverted commas).  Whether it’s a disagreement with a key opinion/ creative philosophy/ method, that they’ve done something actually heinous/ illegal, or anywhere in between, enjoying a work while being in conflict with the creator can be a difficult situation to reconcile.  Personally I think there's power to the Death of the Author argument in these cases:

Death of the Author An author's intentions and biographical facts (political views, religion, race etc.) should hold no special weight in determining an interpretation of their writing.

If you’ve found value or enjoyment in a work then you’re well within your rights to enjoy the work on those grounds, even if the message you’ve personally taken from it runs counter to the original author’s opinions or intentions.  

It’s also important to remember that a creator’s personal and/or moral failings don’t retroactively invalidate their skill and achievements in their field.   It’s possible for a person to continue offering valuable insights, observations and lessons on their chosen speciality in spite of their other behaviour or stances.  Their work can have value in isolation, although it may be worth taking the information with a grain of salt when it comes to possible biases.

This becomes a little harder when the disagreeable sentiments bleed directly into their creations but, again, there’s no reason why you can’t decide that the strengths of a work are worth looking at even if they take some squinting past uncomfortable elements to appreciate.

The question should never be ‘can I still enjoy the art?’ because that answer is always yes - if you liked it before learning about the artist then you’re allowed to keep doing so afterwards.  The new context may add caveats to the discussion but it doesn’t demerit the existing positive aspects.

However, Death of the Author runs into problems when the creator is still alive.  If the artist is out of the picture then you can engage freely without any financial support or publicity going back to them.  When they’re still around the question becomes ‘do I still feel comfortable supporting them?’ This is particularly relevant when it comes to online creators, as just interacting with their content can generate passive ad revenue, increase view counts and contribute to algorithm boosts.

I honestly don’t think there’s any one answer to this particular question.  It all comes down to a personal case-by-case judgement; weighing the severity of the conflict against how much you value their work and, in the case of creative teams, whether you think their colleagues are worth supporting despite them.  Even if you decide to pull back there are soft options before going for a full boycott; using ad-block to limit passive financial contributions, buying physical media second-hand or lending/borrowing hard copies to avoid generating any new purchases.

There are creators that I disagree with politically but continue to enjoy because their stance isn’t especially harmful or is relatively minor compared to the value of their work.  There are creators who I no longer want to support but whose pieces I like enough that I don’t regret having purchased from them in the past.  On the other hand, there’s a creative team whose content I adore in isolation but who I’ve had to drop entirely after their leader was outed as an emotionally manipulative office bully.  Where someone else would draw that line comes down to their own personal standards, and it wouldn’t surprise me if another person took a completely different approach.

Don’t be a Jerk

I feel like this should go without saying.  Rational discussion is great.  Being able to have a critical discourse - even one that’s focused on the more negative sides of a work - is wonderful.  Opinions are fun.

However, the thing with opinions is that a lot of them differ.  We aren’t always going to sync up and there are times when you shouldn’t, and won’t be able to, force someone to agree.  In that case, please don’t attack them over it.  You don’t have to like or respect their views but some basic civility would be appreciated.  You’re trying to have a conversation, not win a catfight.  Condescension, derision, high-horsing, ad hominem and otherwise getting personal doesn’t tend to win many friends or endear them to your perspective.   And to the rare few who go so far as to threaten or harass fans, creators and their families; that’s an awful, completely unnecessary, out of line thing to do. (Seriously, never do this, it won’t help and just makes you look crazy.  Also, it can be considered criminal behaviour.)

It’s also important to know when to let things go.  You’re not always going to be able to turn the tide and constantly chasing the argument, stirring the pot and fighting waves of push-back eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns.  No matter how important the issue is there’ll be times when you’re just screaming into the void.  The best you can do is make your peace, say your piece and take your leave.  After all it’s not the school playground.  And unlike the playground, we’re not obliged to stick around.

Value Judgements: It’s Good to Examine Your Tastes

At the end of the day I think you get more mileage from reaching an opinion based on a value judgement of a work’s positive and negative sides than you do from just bandwagoning into blind adoration or hate.  ‘Perfect’ and ‘Unsanctionable’ aren’t binary boxes - they’re points on a scale, and figuring out where you stand on a piece can be a useful mental exercise.  Even if your opinion ends up matching the general consensus, at least you know how you got there and can defend yourself if challenged.  

If nothing else this kind of thing can help you figure out what elements you like, dislike and prioritise in media, and where your personal boundaries lie in regard to different issues.

Still, even after all this there are plenty more factors that determine whether or not you’ll enjoy something.  I’ve dropped way more pieces for not being to my subjective liking than I have due to technical or ethical flaws.  Your tastes are your own, and if needed you can stop the conversation at ‘it’s just not my thing’.

In the end there’s no ‘correct’ way to be a fan of something.  We’re all just here to have fun.  So try not to be an ass when you run across someone who does things differently.

[reneto-realty]

Condominium for sale in Dallas Texas

If you're thinking of buying a house, particularly in an urban area, you'll be asking yourself. Is a condominium for sale in Dallas Texas a higher deal?

What is a condominium?  Condominium for Sale in Dallas Texas

A condo, like a hybrid among an apartment and a residence, is an asset that you can purchase and own outright. A Condominium for Sale in Dallas Texas, gives some similar factors of rental dwelling. For example, many condos are adjoining to others, so owners regularly share a wall. And in case you live in a high-upward thrust building, they can place your condo above or underneath someone else's home.

A condo is a collection of housing units wherein the owners own their character unit space. And all of the dwelling's percentage possession of everyday use areas.

The person units usually percentage partitions, but that is not a demand. The principal difference between condos and regular single houses is that there's no personal ownership of a plot of land. All of the grounds inside the condominium challenge are owned in not unusual through all the owners.

The benefits  

There are numerous exact reasons for owning a condo. One of the maximum commons is their persisted popularity over time; this means that while you're geared up to retire or circulate, promoting your condominium for sale in Dallas, TX will perhaps be more straightforward than selling a single home.

Every other gain is the outside and structural maintenance issue of rental ownership. Because the proprietor, you want now not address landscaping, mowing grass, outside protection, or other restore problems associated with the exterior of the gadgets and the commonplace areas. Retirees like this and holiday proprietors like it. Buyers want this aspect as correctly, as they are not counting on tenants for outside maintenance.

You can pick to shop for a rental in a holiday area where you often go. You can then take advantage of certain tax breaks for property ownership, and you would not hire in rooms throughout your routine visits.

Coverage and a few utilities may be much less costly as nicely. The rental proprietor desires the handiest to ensure the interior of their unit, not the exterior and shapes overall.

The Drawbacks  

All of these blessings come at a price, and that's the condominium for sale in Dallas, TX, affiliation rate issue. You may pay a monthly or quarterly rate into the condo affiliation to take care of all commonplace charges, coverage, taxes, preservation, upkeep, some utilities, and so on.

The expenses and the dues that fund condominiums for sale in Dallas, TX, can change and almost always boom through the years with inflation. You as a proprietor get a vote at association conferences, but it's miles simply one vote. If the policies say a majority vote can enhance month-to-month proprietor dues, then you may need to pay them, or you will discover a lien in your unit.

Periodically, you may also locate policies that allow assessments for primary upkeep, such as a new roof or parking and sidewalk work inside the assignment. There also can be exams divided among owners to redo the pool or renovate the clubhouse. In shopping for a condominium for sale in Dallas, TX, you'll have agreed to abide by using the policies and pay your proportion of legitimate exams.

Policies and boundaries Apartments for Sale in Dallas

There may be stringent apartment association policies and restrictions. Power into any Apartments for Sale in Dallas, TX project and pay attention to the outside of the devices. All of the appearance the same with appreciation to color colorations and outdoors construction and layout substances, and that they usually will.  

You'll locate strict regulations inside the association covenants and rules that mandate no converting and little individuality on the subject of the exterior appearance of the gadgets. You could find out which you cannot even cling a vacation wreath in your door, and you will, in all likelihood, turn up a rule approximately no wind chimes. It's all about keeping a traditional look for the entire mission. You could also locate barriers on what sort of furnishings or other objects you could have on an outdoor patio.

There may even be regulations about how tons you can individualize the interior of your unit. Those are justified by using statements that the companies must be in a condition to be effortlessly bought within the market.  

If you paint your interior vibrant orange and your shelves shiny inexperienced, this can cause troubles. If you're a hermit, they may not recognize you until you leave. But be aware that the regulations practice both exteriors and interiors in many condo projects.

Universal, deciding on a condominium for sale in Dallas, TX instead of single-family homeownership, is a non-public selection, with very character motives for everybody or a circle of relatives.

Why choose us?  

If you also want to buy a condominium for sale in Dallas, TX. Contact RENETO REALTY right now. We work hard to fulfill every need of our clients.

Reference Article: https://rentorealty.blogspot.com/2021/05/condominium-for-sale-in-dallas-texas.html

[smoothvacuum]

Best Ash Vacuum Review of 2021: 138 HOURS RESEARCH!

Numerous individuals are selecting commercial ash vacuums as they save lots of time. Besides that, it’ll spare you from all the tough work you would typically do for keeping away stains & ash dust. Therefore, we’ve conducted the Best Ash Vacuum Review of 2021 to know about some of the best ash vacuum cleaners available in today’s market.

However, what individuals should use in these circumstances would be either a handheld ash vacuum, a bbq vacuum cleaner, or even a hot ash vacuum cleaner that’s industrial for their health safety.

Using one of these smart vacuum machines will be keeping you safe from stains but also assist the stove, the BBQ grills, or the fireplaces to work longer. There are several sorts of designs from which you can select.

For instance, some are considered the ideal ash vacuums for a pellet grill, whereas the other models will permit you to clean away the warmer ash, and some are super fast in cleaning the mess, putting it away in a faster time.

This being said, let us assist you in selecting the ideal ash vacuum cleaners from the most famous models on the market. You will locate the complete reviews with pros & cons, along with a guideline, which will take you closer to an ideal purchase.

1. PowerSmith PAVC102 Ash Vacuum Review – Overall best

Ash vacuum cleaners Perfection score – 9.8

The first product that’s vacuuming up the rest of the competition is PowerSmith PAVC102. This model from PowerSmith has been designed ideally to clean up cool & warm ash from wood barbeque grills, stoves, fireplaces, and pellet stoves.

It’s basically a lightweight design and arrives with wheels and a conveniently-placed handle, making it easier to move around. Moving it from the cupboard under the stairs will be possible to wherever it’s required without a struggle.

This black & green ash-killing machine arrives complete with all the bits & pieces you’ll be required to keep the fireplace in top shape. A durable metal nozzle is there, and a metal hose, different sorts of nozzles, filter, and two extension wands.

So, what about the specification of this fireplace vacuum? The vacuum has a respectable three-gallon capacity, and it’s working process is exceptionally quiet. In fact, it will just generate a maximum of 79 decibels. Just as it’s a quiet operator doesn’t imply it’s not powerful.

FEATURES Metal nozzle Metal canister Filter Motor housing Metal lined flexible hose Two extension tubes Crevice tool carpet/floor tool 4 casters Operator’s manual Fabulous aspects to PowerSmith’s work

A staggering 10-amp motor is there beneath its shell, and that proves smaller designs can too pack among the biggest punches. There are even more fabulous aspects to PowerSmith’s work. The brand has added a toggle switch to make it pretty simple to operate.

However, we might have saved the best feature of this vacuum until last. This fireplace vacuum arrives with a two-stage filtering system to make sure your machine keeps running at maximum smoothness.

The standard filter is basically backed up by a second filter, and that’s designed for catching the finest pieces of ash & dust. This secondary filter is built of a reliable microfiber mesh.

The two filters can be removed from this machine to be washed or replaced easily if required. This fireplace vacuum also comes with a two-year warranty that’s pretty standard for most of the models. However, in what aspects can we say it’s not standardized? How does this machine compare with the other 4 vacuum models still to come?

Well, this is among the most rapid vacuums on the market and is a sturdy competition to the other 4 vacuums that just don’t function as smoothly as this model does. Moreover, the ten-amp motor it has makes this vacuum the highly powerful model on our shortlist.

Why is it called the Best ash vacuum?

It can easily take care of warm ashes, which some of the other vacuum models cannot do. It just falls short in the ash-holding capacity it has when compared with some of the larger drums on some of the other models.

A few would say that it’s a smaller fireplace vacuum model. However, the reduction in the holding capacity makes it highly compact and more transport friendly. Every single of the other features of PAVC102 is pretty impressive too.

When you consider the power & ability it has to clear warmer ashes, you might require doing a double-take towards the price tag it has. It’s the best vacuums here and nowhere near the most costly!

BIG BENEFITS Easy to assemble. Holds maximum 3 gallons of ashes in the canister it has. Quiet & powerful 10 amp motor. Arrives with a wheeled base, which isn’t usually common with ash vacuums. 2-year limited warranty. PROBLEMS The hose is short & might not quite flexible.

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON!!

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2. Shop-Vac 4041300 Ash Vacuum Review – Best hot ash vacuum cleaner

Ash vacuum cleaners Perfection score – 9.5

Here comes the best hot ash vaccum. In case we were hosting a beauty contest, especially for these machines, then obviously there wouldn’t be much competition. The Shop-Vac model is undoubtedly the coolest looking due to its all-around metallic body.

It’s actually built with a blend of aluminum & stainless steel. These mesh together to craft lightweight portability with user security and the fabulous aesthetics we just described.

The filtering aspect of this vacuum’s design is again another area in which the manufacturers surely have invested a lot of considerations and time. The brand has gone with the renowned HEPA sort of filter. This permits the machine to trap even the best particles of dust & ash.

Besides that, the filtering system prevents ashes too from being eliminated out of the exhaust pipe of the vacuum. For further info on what a HEPA filter entails, you can locate more details towards this article’s end.

FEATURES Double filter system Stainless steel body Quick clean filters HEPA filter cartridge 5-gallon collection tank – A fantastic combination of reliability & practical functionality

The machine arrives with a steel hose, which easily locks onto the vacuum. The vacuum is wrapped in a vinyl that enables flexibility to retrieve the ash that’s leftover from those tough-reachable places. It’s a fantastic combination of reliability & practical functionality.

The intake nozzle is of superb quality, too, and continues the theme of metallic. Much of the device is then added with thermal protection. This is for improving safety, even though the vacuum is just to be used on cold or cool ash. It even has the thermal cut-off just to ensure safety if it gets too hot.

Ah, the design is awesome!

This is basically an all-around fantastic design, which is built even better by its portability. The vacuum weighs a minuscule 12 pounds and arrives with one of the thickest and handles that are most comfortable and in comparison to the other models.

The only simple complaint among past buyers is that some of them have found the removal of the top lid process difficult – a bit of elbow grease might be required. Compared to the other models, you’ve had your magnifying glass already on.

Besides that, this fireplace ash vacuum cleaner can easily finish amongst the best. It’s a design with among the most robust features aided by some perfectly planned additions. The flexible hose it has is among the most lucrative features, which you get.

Truly unbeatable on some grounds!

This specific feature will surely win over a chunk of the market, which the other brands might miss out on. The capacity & power of the vacuum machine are comparable with the industry standard, and not many aspects to complain about are there.

Probably among the things you could complain regarding is the cost. A few found this vacuum model a bit pricey. However, it surely justifies the bigger price tag entirely in our experts’ eyes. Your thoughts?

BIG BENEFITS Doesn’t easily clog up. Retains up to 99% of ash. Being built of stainless steel makes it simpler to get rid of ash & clean the vacuum’s tank. There’s no requirement for bags as ash particles go straight to it’s tank. PROBLEMS The clips on the lid of this vacuum cleaner become loose after rough usage.

CHECK PRICE ON AMAZON!!

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3. Snow Joe ASHJ201 Ash Vacuum Review – Best pellet stove vacuum

Ash vacuum cleaners Perfection score – 9.3

Now, this is the best ash vacuum for pellet stove in 2021. The next model on fire, no pun intended, is the one and only Snow Joe model. This awesome model is much unique from what we just saw earlier. It has a little less-powerful motor at just four amps; however, it does have an extra 1.8 gallons of the area to its name.

It also differs in a different way too. It could only be used on cool ash, although the last model we saw earlier was for warm and cool ash cleaning.

Don’t worry – it means you could clean up last night’s party in the early morning instead of annoying and setting off the neighbor’s dog at 1 am. It has an ideal filtering system. This pellet stove vacuum would trap dust particles while you are cleaning to prevent them from entering your breathing place.

FEATURES 2-year warranty Powerful 4 amp motor Sturdy build Dual filtration system Sturdy and flexible hose Reusable fine dust cartridge filter Awesome filters (Oh yes)

These filters could be washed and removed, making it reusable and the model a much more convenient buy. It doesn’t come with a bag inside this model. Well, not having a bag does make the whole operation of disposing of ash much more smooth.

There isn’t a chance of a bag spilling all over on the washed floors, and on top of that, it does not make removing the bag a disadvantage. Instead, you can simply lift up the lid and also tip the ashes away as you need.

So, what else do you need to get excited about?

We have only really seen just the tip of the iceberg. There could be a ton of other cool features on this model. The design team over at Snow Joe has also added an innovative safety function in this fireplace ash vacuum cleaner.

If you are a forgetful mate and whenever you forget to reinsert the filter when you have done cleaning, then the vacuum will definitely refuse to start. They have also added a convenient handle at the upper side of the vacuum’s body to create transporting all 9 pounds of the vacuum cleaner effortlessly.

Besides that, This is on the top of the wire basket to provide protection to the filter, a window so you could see how full the apparatus is and to clarify potential blocks, and a part to store the hoses and cord. Just like the PAVC101 vacuum, this product also provides a two-year warranty for added peace of mind.

Well, Sizing this one up to the different four tells us enough. Its motor doesn’t have any weakness, and it is also much useful than tons of other models, meaning it’s likely to perform as well.

Shall the expert say something?

Yet, it outshines some of the other vacuum cleaners with some innovative functionalities which you won’t see again. The bag-less design provides the use of the model incredibly easily.

Add the safety function, which prevents processing without a filter, and you have got a couple of ways to make up for its puny motor.

After all, When it comes to the value of the budget, and comparing it to another one and its functionalities to what else is out on the market, we would less-argue because it’s reasonably priced.

It’s not expensive at all although it is one of the cheapest models available on the market nowadays however when the suction power is much important part here, you won’t have to pay more for such little power. This pellet stove ash vacuum is undoubtedly worth buying.

BIG BENEFITS Is portable because it’s incredibly light and also comes with an smooth carry handle. Picks up cold ashes from wood stoves and pallet, fireplaces & fire pits as well as barbeque grills. Easy to clean. Unbelievable motor builds 500 watts of power. Snow Joe + sun Joe customer promise. Reusable dust cartridge filter. Effective in picking up cold ashes. PROBLEMS A bit of expensive, but it is quite effective in cleaning, and true value for money.

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4. Tacklife Ash Vacuum Cleaner Review – Best vacuum for ashes in wood stove

Ash vacuum cleaners Perfection score – 9.1

If you’re confused that you are going to be spending a lot on the quality and also results-driven ash vacuum, then you should go for the Tacklife PVC 03A, which will dispel all the woes. This beauty provides an 800-watt motor, which gives 15 kPa of suction power to clean out ashes in just the blink of an eye.

Besides that, the motor is extremely quieter than most other models, allowing a user to communicate with others while cleaning without having to shout as they pick up ashes from their barbeque grills, fireplaces, and stove.

Tacklife also comes with a dual filtration system that can filter the ash and dust particles and also prevent them from harming the material of the motor that comes with this device. You could also save up on the replacement filters since these filters of this vacuum cleaner are reusable and washable.

FEATURES Top quality filters 18-liter tank Heat-resistant metal hose 5 m power cable Heat-resistant components Dual filtration system Excellent for picking up warm or cold ash

A word of advice, many of the users ask, What to do when the filter gets clogged up when there is a lot of ash inside the vacuum’s tank? Well, the answer to that question is you should have to clean and wash the tank after every time you use it.

Except for those hot ash, the Tacklife is much helpful and excellent for picking up warm or cold ash. It comes with a heat-resistant and durable flexible metal tank, metal hose, and also an aluminum nozzle.

The attachment of The power cable, which is over 5 m long, gives you plenty of areas to cover and move around if you are not close to a power outlet by your stove or fireplace.

Hey, it’s a cheering device!

This product of ash vacuum is extremely great for those who are searching for a multifunctional model. The powerful motor could both blow and suck the air, so it is the best device to store in the house or anywhere you are working with fire. The flexible hose would be much helpful whenever you are cleaning every part of the stove or fire.

BIG BENEFITS Affordably priced. Washable, heat-resistant, and reusable filters. Simple to clean. Not a thing to hide, as it looks attractive. Highly impressive powerful suction. Very easy to maneuver. PROBLEMS The hose is short.

(Currently Discontinued)

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5. Dustless Technologies Cougar + Ash Vacuum Review

Ash vacuum cleaners Perfection score – 9.0

The quintessential machine is The Dustless Technologies’ Cougar+, which comprises state-of-the-art components and also delivers an impeccable ash cleaning performance. One of the best ways the device accomplishes this is because of its two-stage filtration processing system.

The fiberglass filter gives a stop to bigger particles as well as protecting the main filter from hot coals or embers. The second filter is PTFE-coated, which prevents fine dust particles that are as small as human hair. Besides that, The motor of this device is surprisingly much quieter, ensuring you extra peace of mind as you vacuum.

FEATURES Metal construction Patented filter system Necessary accessories included Drawstring carry bag included Fire resistant hose Clean filters without opening Ok, what else?

After that, the hose is also flameproof, which will prevent causing any kind of damage to itself as the vacuum cleaner does its job. To stop the ash from spilling out to wherever you are cleaning up at the moment, the Cougar provides a 6-gallon canister with metal clamps so it could keep the top sealed.

Well, Not only does this lessen the cleanup time later on. However, it prevents dangerous particles which could enter the lungs, especially for that kind of people who are suffering from asthma or allergies.

But the essential part about this device is that it provides an astounding ten-years warranty, apparently ensuring that you are covered in the long run. You certainly could not get any better than this, now can you?

BIG BENEFITS Powerful suction ability Lightweight Large tank capacity Made of fire-resistant metal Able to store ash particles Easy-to-clean filters Features toolkit A relatively smooth operation with silent motor PROBLEMS The hose doesn’t come with a holder. The power cord and hose are short.

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What Is an Ash Vacuum?

An ash vacuum is specially designed for vacuuming to pick up the ash from fireplaces or the stove, barbecue oven or an old-fashioned, or the pellet stove. But you might be wondering why exactly you should clean up that residue with the ash vacuum instead of using a regular vacuum?

Although you might be tempted to use the regular vacuum cleaner to vacuum the ash, we highly recommend against it. Here are several suggestions which you need to consider before you use the regular vacuum cleaner to vacuum the ash:

Top suggestions: BIG CONSIDERATIONS Metal housing decreasing fire risk The feature you get with the ash vacuum’s metal housing which prevents as well as containing fire ashes, because of that decreasing the risk of fire which your house may be exposed to whenever clearing up your wood stove or fireplace. Safety A house vacuum cleaner is not built for the heat of a wood stove or fireplace, and also it can even pose a risk of causing a fire as well. Besides that, Ash vacuum cleaners are specially built to handle those kinds of temperatures that are hiding behind the cool ashes. Regular vacuums are not built to handle the ash particle A regular household vacuum cleaner is not able to endure the warm particles of ashes as they can melt the rubber/plastic in the hose and the dirt bin construction and might even trigger a fire inside your regular house vacuum cleaner. Simple and compact use Ash cleaners are usually portable and are manufactured for their simple use when you wanna clean in and your firebox surroundings, especially those kinds of areas which are enclosed areas which include ash pans. Some products also come along with wheeled bases, which allows you for easier maneuverability with the entire wood box and also heat stove area. It’s affordable and safe The prices differ depending on the type of model you choose; most ash vacuum cleaners sell for $200 or lesser than 200$.

Ash Vacuum Buying Guide

Whether you’re gonna purchase a Bacoeng ash vacuum, a Snow Joe ash vacuum, a Pellethead ash vacuum, or even a Tacklife ash vacuum, we recommend you to pay attention to some important points.

There are few points to always keep in mind whenever you’re racing to purchase any of the products mentioned above and, of course, others, for which matter. Now, to show you the direction to make a suitable purchase, here are the best relevant points to bounce around before taking any decision on a specific model.

Storage and portability vs. Capacity

The Capacity of the portable cable ash vacuum will sometimes be quite impressive; that means, for the majority of users, that you’ll get multiple uses for these kinds of models before having to empty them, which doesn’t mean that all the available models are made the same.

However, there are some particular models, which are slightly remarkable and they’ll have to be emptied more often. Well, I will recommend you not to be defrauded by this point, and also not choose the ash vacuum just because it comes with a bigger capacity, besides that, it would be more appropriate to move and empty.

Let’s be honest. Who will like to carry a massive ash cleaner just because it has a big storage capacity? While This being said, every user needs to make a decision which point is more important for ‘em.

The transporting part or the storing one? Basically speaking, try not to be misguided by the huge capacities or the products you’re looking at, but you must look after the weight of the vacuum cleaner instead.

Power

Power is one of the ideal aspects of any vacuum cleaner, including the ash one. If you’re looking for a model to suck up all the kinds of dirt and dust and also the ash, then you definitely know how important this part is. In this case, we suggest you look at all the specifications of it and the motor type to find the best one to rely on.

Just to be pretty sure, keep in mind that the benchmark for any specific model is a motor with a 5 to 10 amp power. Everything which is less than 5 may not be enough power to do its job perfectly.

Hose and cord length

You just have placed your order right now, and you are expected to get the product very soon. Your Sundays at the barbeque seem better now, whenever thinking about the little mess you’ll be able to clean after the party.

Then you just open the box, get the cleaner outside and pull the cord as much as you could, only to realize that it’s not enough to get over the barbeque hearth. This must go without saying that it’s very annoying and unpleasant.

So for that, always read, know, and do not let this happen to you at any cost. Identify the length of the cord from the very beginning and the hose also, to see if it pleases your needs.

Warm or cold ashes?

Just to be sure, it’s never safe to use the ash vacuum right after the fire has stopped. This may burn the parts of the vacuum cleaner and the embers, the filter of the machine as well. There are some ash vacuum types, though, which are built to be able to vacuum warm ash, but the majority of these models are meant to suck cold ashes.

That means you’ll have to wait for the considerable temperature of the ash before you could pull out the ash vacuum cleaner and clean the place.

Noise level

It really doesn’t matter if your ash vacuum cleaner is a Power Smith ash vacuum cleaner, or a Sun Joe ash vacuum cleaner, or a HEPA ash vacuum cleaner; all of these models and other models are going to make some noise while vacuuming.

However, at least make sure that they’re not that loud as them to drown out everything which is around them. However, technology is upgrading day by day, so not all the models have to be that noisy. More than half of the models on the current market have motors, which work much quieter than the average vacuum cleaner does.

Models just like Bacoeng advanced ash vacuum isn’t making that much noise, so you could talk with the peeps around you, listen to music, and do your task without being annoyed by the noise of this model. Also, you should think about your ears, since it’s safer to use a less noisy ash vacuum cleaner as soon as you’re using them much often.

Dimensions and weight

When you’re working in a limited area, it means you will not have so many places and tools to work with. Also, you will not need them. The fireplaces and stoves make no exception. In case you do not have so much room, it means you will certainly look for a compact vacuum to fit the room you will clean and store.

There are tiny models that still have enough power and a decent ability to do their task pretty well. This means you will not face any trouble with the sucking feature. Besides that, The compact ash vacuum cleaner will still smoothly clean the fireplace, the barbeque, and anything else which needs a good cleaning.

In Addition, The weight of the vacuum is very important, if it doesn’t really specify the castors, to make the model easier to carry with yourself. Also, considering that when emptying, the ash vacuum cleaner will weigh pretty less than when it is full of dirt and ashes. Of course, we suggest a lighter model for ash cleaning. It will be much easier to carry it around.

Warranty

We are sure that no one can say that the warranty isn’t such an important aspect. What if the vacuum is not working as it should be supposed to do from the very beginning? Most ash vacuum cleaners have a 30-days money-back guarantee.

This means in case the vacuum cleaner doesn’t work as it should in this number of days; you could decide to have it to yourself or not. This is just fine, as soon as the problem appears right away.

But, it’s better to look for a model which has a minimum of 2 years limited warranty and covers any kind of problems which could be caused by faults provided by poor workmanship. This being said, you should go for a product which has a good warranty so you will not have to waste more money on repairs.

The bonus info about Ash Vacuum

BONUS INFO Can You Use Your Collected Ash For Anything Useful?

Once it’s a moment to empty your vacuum cleaner, where do you head? The trash bin most likely. However, hold it there for a minute. There are definitely a few good points why you shouldn’t throw your ash into the trash bin. Ash could come in useful for your home and even for your garden. Here are a few more points to hold another barbeque very soon!

Clean your glasses

It must need to be seen so it can be believed; however, adding some ash to a humid cloth or mixing it with water to create a thick paste, which will do its job fantastically as a cleaning agent. Your cutlery and glasses will be sparkling in no time. It could even get oil spills out of other kinds of materials.

Improve your garden soil

burned wood ash is able to provide soil and some other plants with a mixture of minerals in quick time. These minerals could encourage healthy living and growth. There are plants which won’t fare great from a scattering of ash. You can do some research on your crop before spreading ash everywhere you decide.

Slug problem! What problem? – you could use ash to discourage slugs from reappearing. You can sprinkle around plants or in your own bathtub. Or wherever they are continually commuting to. We suggest just be sure to rinse the bath whenever your partner jumps in.

LET'S CONCLUDE

Let’s Conclude Best Ash Vacuum Review

Now, let’s recap the best important ideas discussed today. First of all, there’s no need to stay in a jumble & destroy your pretty clothes when you could easily begin cleaning the barbeque grills, the stoves, and the firepits with a smart vacuum machine. Secondly, you should never use a regular vacuum for cleaning the hot ash.

It could damage them a lot in a way. The most important thing about your lecture is that you’ve learned everything there’s to know about the best 5 models of the ash vacuum cleaner on the current market.

This way, you could choose the best one for yourself, depending on your needs. If so, let us know in the comments below which kind of model impressed you the most and share your experience about which modern ash vacuum model you have used earlier.