#the first one is not like. Extraordinary haha but i read like two hundred and sixty pages last night and it was enjoyable!

[vulpinesaint]

bed covered in books feeling fucking fanTASTIC

[kierrasreads]

Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

****Some spoilers are discussed****

Plot

On the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan, Cafe Donna Donna is fabled for its dazzling views of Hakodate port. But that’s not all. Like the charming Tokyo cafe Funiculi Funicula, Cafe Donna Donna offers its customers the extraordinary experience of travelling through time.

From the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and Tales from the Cafe comes another story of four new customers, each of whom is hoping to take advantage of the cafe's time-travelling offer. Among some familiar faces from Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s previous novels, readers will also be introduced to:

A daughter who begrudges her deceased parents for leaving her orphaned

A comedian who aches for his beloved and their shared dreams

A younger sister whose grief has become all-consuming

A young man who realizes his love for his childhood friend too late

Translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot and featuring signature heart-warming characters and wistful storytelling, in Before Your Memory Fades, Kawaguchi once again invites the reader to ask themselves: what would you change if you could travel back in time?

Discussion

I should've known that Yukari was the author of One Hundred Questions! At first, the new cast of characters threw me off- I actually had to look at Tales from the Cafe to make sure that I didn't miss somebody, haha. In all seriousness, I enjoyed this new setting. Though that leaves one question unanswered: just how many time-traveling chairs are there floating around in Japan?? Maybe we'll get more answers in the upcoming fourth novel?

Tabling my chair question for now (see what I did there?), I'm going to focus on the character development in this one. Character development, in my opinion, was aplenty in this novel. From Reiji to Nanako to Saki, I enjoyed seeing the character's growth.

With that being said, one of the major themes that I picked up from this reading was mental health/depression. All of the time travelers were motivated by grief, depression, or anger (or some combination of the two) to travel to the past. It was a bit different from the previous two novels, but I'm not complaining terribly. It was a bit nice to see characters reacting to the rules.

The ending? I did cry; I also cried with Todoroki's (no, not the MHA character before anyone asks) journey to see his deceased wife and his resolve to not return to the present. I sincerely hope he gets more help.

Finally, I hope we learn more about the cafe's ghost: an old man who's contently reading a novel. This leads me to another question: can the ghost do other activities? For example, if you put a puzzle in front of them, would they solve the puzzle? I guess we'll have to wait to find out!

Content/trigger warnings:

Grief

Death

Terminal/chronic illness

Suicidal thoughts

Rating

4/5

[heliosthegriffin]

Dead Knight

AN: Some context. Used to read alot of The Zombie Knight Sage, was there for the great hiatus, but it started reupdating and I forgot where I left off, said I’d comeback after I figured out where that was. That was like three years ago, that was before I started writing fanfiction. So, I started rereading The Zombie Knight Saga and little idea came to mind... Hope you all enjoy ;)

“Hi, there.” “What!? Who said that!? Why is it so dark? I can’t feel anything, where am I!?”

“Wait, wait, calm down sugar, I’m going to need you stop panicking. I got something important to tell you, and I need you be calm and listen. Can you do that for me?”

“....Ok. I guess I can, but please hurry! I don’t know what’s going on and it’s scarying me!”

“Shh, shh, don’t worry honey, everything’s fine, it’s just you’re a little, itsy bitsy little bit... Deeead. Nothing to worry about, I promise!”

“Ah?”

“Ok, I don’t know if you’re taking this well or not, just digest this for a second, and please stay calm.”

“I’m dead, dead, as in I’m not living?” “Yeeeah, that, nope no life.”

“Oh, oh, wow, that’s alot... to take in... You’re sure I’m dead?”

“Yeah, you are dead as a doorknob! Hahaha, please don’t panic, I need you to be a least a little lucid for this next part.

“How’d I go? It wasn’t stupid was it.”

“....”

“Oh no, how bad was it?”

“You were launched several hundred feet into the air, and you hit a rock head first on the way down... Your head broke open like a watermelon. For what it’s worth I’m sorry.” “That I’m an idiot? Don’t feel sorry for me, I was stupid to try and apply to Beacon anyway. A kid with his ancestors weapon and no training, what on Remnant was I think!”

“It’s fine, you just wanted to live up to your familes legacy, no-one is going to fault you for that... Ok, maybe your family will be mad, since you know, ran off in the middle of the night to go to Beacon with no training.”

“Thanks, that really helps. Now I get to wait for them to come in kick my ass in wherever we are. How did you know I ran away, though”

“... I’ve been watching you since you got to Vale... You talk a lot when you’re alone.”

“ So .... Um, if I’m dead, what are you? Are you, a god? One of the brothers? An angel?... Or you one of those thing that take me to the bad place?”

“Oh, oh, no I’m none of those things! Well, I guess I kinda work for the Dark Brother, but that’s a little complicated, and you’re not really in the right state of mind for that conversation.”

“So, what are you then?”

“I’m a pyschopomp! Carrier of souls to the great beyond extraordinary!”

“A what?”

“...I’m what you might call a Reaper of souls, I’m a grim reaper Jaune. I was trying to make it sound nice, so you don’t get scared. Sorry for confusing you.”

“That’s fine, I guess, so what happens now, do you take me across now.”

“Jaune, I actually have a deal for you.”

“What is it, sell you my soul and I get to comeback? Has this been just one long gimmick to butter me up?”

“NO! It’s not, it’s a deal, Jaune you get something out of this and I do too. Actually deal’s the wrong word for this... It’s a partnership more or less.”

“More or less, so what, is it weighted in your favor then?”

“Sharp, like that in a man, don’t worry though, it’s not that bad,”

“I’m sure every loan shark out there has said the same thing.”

“Ok, that cut’s a little bit, but I forgive you. So, let me explain what’s what.”

“Go on.”

“I can bring you back to life. But, you have to work for me, if I say jump, you jump. I need you to be responsive and quick to my order, otherwise I’m going to let you go!“

“...What’s in it for me?”

“Eh? I said I’d bring you back to life!”

“Yeah, I heard that. But, I didn’t hear any benefits to that. The way I see it, is I’m already dead, I’ve nothing to gain from coming back to life in the middle of the forest full of monster bent of killing me, where no doubt someone will see me go all zombie up from the ground with a bloody, gash on my head! I’ll be dead again before I get up! And if I do somehow get out of there, what do I say to the school when they have me on camera freaking dying! So yeah, you better start laying out the benefits for me working in this partnership, real fast or I’ll start looking for my own way to the great beyond, or wait for another ride there.”

“How-how, do you know someone else will show up? Haha, you might be alone here for eternity?”

“You said it you’re self, A reaper, as though one of many. Way I see I just have to wait around till another one shows up.”

“...Fine, I’ll list out some benefits. One. Superpowers.” “...I can get superpowers?”

“Yeah, once I revive you, you literally cannot die unless I let you, or unless I get killed?”

“How can you die?”

“Being hit by aura, magic, and stuff. Anyway, you’ll develop you’re own powers eventually, but we’ll touch on that later. So yeah, I can pretty much make you a superhero.”

“Nice.”

“Anyway, Benefit two, I can make you a hero... Our goals line up Jaune, you want to be hero, I need a hero.”

“Why me, then? We both know that’s a up-road journey.”

“You’re available, and heroes don’t die very fast.”

“...Yeah, I guess they don’t.”

“Hey! None of that, honey! You’re going to be fine, heroes are made not born.”

“Alright, if I do agree to this though. What do you need me to do? I’ll put this out there right now though, I’m no one’s hatchet-man.”

“Nor do I expect you to be. I won’t lie to Jaune, there is a shadow over Vale right now and It looks like a lot people are about to get hurt or worse, and I want someone to stop it.”

“Why can’t you though, aren’t you Pyschopomp extraordinary?”

“Jaune, I carry souls, that doesn’t translate to saving lives. If I had a damn body I’d use it, instead of making you do this.”

“Sorry.”

“Huuh, it’s not your fault, it’s nobodies fault but mine now. So, I’m going to need a answer now. You in or are you out?”

“I’m in, I just wanted to make sure that I’m going to work with somebody who least seems like they want to help some people.”

“If I wasn’t a disembodied voice, you’d see me smile.” “Creepy.... Well, I’m Jaune Arc, but I’m sure you already knew that.”

“Hehe, yeah I did, name’s Summer Rose.”

[bredsticon-blog]

title: the alternative

part: one (saint or sinner)

desc: you have died. you weren't an extraordinary person when you were alive--you made a few little sins and a few little good deeds, but it's not enough to land you in heaven nor hell. so the reaper gives you two choices: be in limbo forever, or serve equal years in heaven and hell. well, you choose the latter...

tags: angel!nick & demon!zion love triangle (or not? wink), heaven and hell au (yes ik purgatory exists but it has different purposes for this series), ooc (on purpose, i swear), sfw (as in, no smut), gore, violence (i mean, you're in hell...), cussing, murder, mentions of: rape, abuse, addiction (alcohol, LSD, heroin, uhh everything else), mental issues (depression, suicide), and death in general. gender/sex neutral reader (as always) and humor to lighten the mood

word count: 2k

notes: it isn't nearly as scary as the tags make it seem, i promise. i spent a l o n g time on the promo art for this (which imma post LATER) so uhh please read :'( haha yes i WILL finish writing the fma!austin fic and make the part 2 for ¡quake! & ~the wave~ but my ass is still collecting gifs and cleaning up plot holes sksksk and on the 2.76% chance the boys read this: hi follow me im @/bredsticon on ig, i make quality content and be more active on tumblr please we love you

You don't remember dying.

You're dead, and you don't remember dying.

Perhaps, in another life, you once thought that death accompanied a special feeling: life flashing before your eyes, lights out, everything over before your last breath escapes your lungs. But this is... this is slow. So slow. You're still on earth. Floating.. somewhere. Nowhere else. You see the world, all of it. Stars twinkle in the mist. The world around you is gray and dark. You watch your home fall apart. Every crack and shake is in full detail, and, dimly, you watch the sprouting of vines and weeds in its place. The weeds brush heads as they cluster your old house, your old neighborhood, your old country, your old everything.

You're old.

Breathless doesn't begin to describe it. You don't have lungs. You don't have... you don't. You just don't. You are nowhere. You are nothing. You don't exist.

Someone waves inside of you.

What the—

"Hello, Soul One-Hundred Thirty-Three Billion, Seventy-Five Million and Sixty-Five. You're late."

An NYC accent? You're from—

"Now that's a mouthful. I'll just call you Rosebud. See, you were supposed to cross over..." A watch ticks inside your... your form? You? "...millennia ago. Five millennia, in fact."

The voice throws a powder on you. Something blooms inside you, and you fall to the ground.

You gasp—holy shit, you can gasp. You move your head around. Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, you have muscles, you have form, you can move. You exist.

The voice has a form, too. He looks like you: human. Flaming blue hair, khaki-colored skin with reddish-pink polka dots and marks. He wears modern clothes: a bright yellow vest and green pants. And glowing. He's like a painting. Human, kinda.

You gape at him. This doesn't exist. This can't exist. You thought you'd be nothing forever. But now you're something and that's something and the world around you is still murky but it's something and oh my God. Oh my fucking God. What happened to you? What happened to your home? Why aren't you dead?

The form smiles at you. "Be careful with mentioning the Master Creator so much. They're listening, y'know. They can tell when you're talking about Them."

He offers you a hand. Shaking, you take it. You wobble so hard you grab his shoulder, and he pats your wrist.

"Relax, Rosebud, we're gonna go up now. Take my hands." Gently, he takes your hand off his shoulder and interlocks your fingers together. You close your eyes as he pulls you close.

Once you open them, you're no longer on Earth.

You're in an office.

Vaguely relaxing piano music plays in the background. The walls gleam "eggshell white" (whatever that means), and copy-and-paste potted plants commiserate in corners, on shelves, and on top of desks. Rows and rows of cubicles line up in front of you, complete with ancient computers, loud clicking, and early morning groans of "I need more coffee, for fu- fun's sake!" A vending machine and a water cooler stand behind you, with banged-up tables interspersed between those.

Someone rises out of a cubicle. His skin is pale, but his hair is dark. "Reaper Honoret Jr.! Is that—oh my goodness, is that the stray? You did it! It took a few millennia, but you did it!"

Honoret Jr. grimaces. "My bad, Dad. The soul blended in so well, it took me a while... my readings showed complete neutrality. It's like there's no one there." The reaper looked back at you. "I only caught a flicker. Right now, I can't—"

His dad chuckles. "Not Dad. It's Reaper Honoret Sr. to you." He winks. "I'm kidding, y'know how they get around here."

He comes forward and wraps his arms around the boy, then unlatches. Without Honoret Jr's support, you fall to the ground, so you watch as he holds his son's shoulders. "Your bad? What do you mean? I'm proud of you. So, so proud. You're the only one who could even—actually, wait."

He turns to face the cubicles. "Reapers of Thanatos & Co., guess who just caught the stray!"

The clicking stops.

Someone coughs. "You're joking, right?"

"Absolutely not. In fact, it's behind me, right now."

Chairs scoot on scratchy carpet as the reapers of Thanatos & Co. nearly jump out of their cubicles to see you. Forty reapers dressed in some manner of business attire speed walk in your direction. One pushes Honoret Jr. out of the way—his dad has to catch him before he falls on his face.

When they see you, they stop. They start staring at the air around you. They sniff like blood hounds.

After a pause, a reaper with large eyebrows turns to another, eyes wide. "I think... I can't... I literally..."

The other nods. "Same here. Reaper Honoret Sr. isn't lying."

The crowd murmurs in agreement.

A reaper with short pink hair raises his hand. When no one calls on him, he puts it down and mutters something about being new. "Wait, if Reaper Honoret Sr. found the stray, shouldn't we tell the Grand Reaper about it first?"

Once more, the crowd murmurs in agreement.

The eyebrow reaper stares at you—no, not at you. Into you. Like you're not even there. "Before that, we need to know who found it. Reaper Honoret Sr., did you find it? We need someone to congratulate."

He grins. "Nope! My son did." He shook his boy's shoulders.

The reaper raises a brow, then gives the blue-haired reaper a look. "Oh. Well, uhm, congratulations."

The crowd weakly claps. Good job... mhm... congratulations, Junior... and then they disperse back into their leather spin chairs.

Honoret Jr. turns to you and makes a face. "Sorry about that. Office drama. Can't escape it, even in this world."

He doesn't look like a reaper to you. No black cloak, no creepy aura, no skeleton fingers. Kind, colorful, couldn't be a reaper. Nope. Impossible. None of this is.

"You're not believing a lot of things, I know. The first few days are the hardest." He gifts you with another smile. "You'll get there, I promise. I'm here to help.

"Name's Edwin, by the way. You've been calling me Honoret Jr. and that just gives me middle school flashbacks. No thanks."

You can't even make a proper facial expression to react to that. You can't formulate words—or even walk without Edwin holding your hand. He's reading your thoughts, at least. You're basically a vegetable.

He shrugs. "Give it a few hours, Rosebud. The vegetable'll wear off. Your body's just adjusting to this plane. No shame."

You can't speak, so you just think of the word: thanks. My name is—

"Oh, I know what your name is. I've been searching for you for five millennia. I'd be a horrible reaper if I didn't know."

He extends a hand. "Speaking of vegetable and horrible reaper, I bet you're hungry. You're also naked. Let's fix that."

-

Reapers need to eat, surprisingly. Edwin leads you through a myriad of hallways with the exact same paintings and potted plants (this is disgustingly easy to get lost in, you think. Edwin agrees) until you reach the break room. It takes you an hour.

No one's in there except you two. Edwin gave you some of his clothes (kept in another room), so you're wearing a red fit with a black vest and a lime green beanie. He tried to offer his matching ski mask, but you managed to mentally shout "No!" before he put it away. You don't mind wearing his stuff, but you wonder what that could imply. Do reapers...? Actually, you don't wanna think about that.

The break room curves up into a sparkling, plastic chandelier. The rest of the room accommodates a fridge plastered in posters, a microwave, and a dirty coffee maker paired with beige countertops. A pile of paper plates and utensils decorates the left countertop, while a sink occupies the right end. Island tables take up the rest of the center, leaving room for vending machines in the back.

Edwin scrunches his nose. "Who's bummy ass forgot to wash the coffee pot? Ew." He examines it, then starts washing the dishes.

He looks back at you. "You can go raid the fridge. Just don't touch the lunch boxes or uh—bento boxes, I think. Those are Reaper Porter's, and he will get very mad if you touch his bento. I did that once, so he threw a fork at me then said I messed with his feng shui."

Edwin mutters something about unseasoned chicken as he continues scrubbing coffee stains.

You stand up. Your walk is wobbly at best, and you feel like a pile of jello—you're weak in the knees, like jello. But you're getting there. Its better than before. At some point in your hour-long journey to the break room, poor Edwin had to carry you. You felt bad, but at least he's strong. Maybe it's a reaper thing.

You stumble to the fridge. Posters and dates and schedules cover the surface, but you brush past them to find what truly matters: the food.

Reaper office food tastes just as bland as human office food. How sad.

You find that your body works just like it used to. You're hungry, you can feel pain, and you're starting to move. It's like you never died. And now you're in a huge office full of slightly-glowy people who call themselves Reapers and also can't sense you, which is a concept you still don't understand. Or maybe you didn't die? Maybe someone stirred some LSD in your drink? And this is all... a major... acid... trip...

You blink, then pinch yourself. Nope. You're 'swell.

Edwin pulls out a chair. "Now that we're done with the basics, Rosebud, we need to get you registered. You're a bit of a weird case, but you're not too too special. Just uncommon."

He pauses. "Well, actually, you might be a little more special than that. Just a tad."

You give him a look. Something builds in your throat.

"What the fuck?"

He giggles. "Those are your first words on this plane? I—"

"No, seriously. What. The. Fuck." You sound like a cheese grater but you don't care. "I literally have no idea what's going on. I died, I think, then I watched mankind die too as the Earth turned into dandelions, then you went inside of me and threw some pixie dust to make me come back again, suddenly I'm in a 90s sitcom office and I'm naked which literally no one told me about until everyone else saw me as bare as the day I was born and—"

Edwin pats your hand. "All right, all right, let it out, let it out. I'll explain everything. It's just really long." He rubs the back of his neck. "And we're kinda on a time crunch here."

"A time crunch. When it took us an hour just to get a snack."

"Yes, a time crunch. We have about two more hours to get you registered before you become tied to this plane. Then you'll have to become a reaper, like me, and you don't wanna become a reaper." He bites deeply into his peanut butter and banana sandwich. "Shit's hard."

"I can't even—"

"Mhm." He says through a mouthful of peanut butter. "I'm rellay sorreh you're goineh frough thif. I geh how you feel. Eferyone dehs."

He swallows. "We all started out alive. No one's been here since the beginning. Except for some of the seraphim, I guess. But the rest of us? We just humans the Master Creator decided to gift. You're not alone in this. I went through the same bullshit as you. I get it."

You bow your head down. Your thoughts are too jumbled to feel actual anger. "Thanks, Edwin."

"You honestly deserve better, but no problem." He stands up and wipes his hands on a napkin. "Imma clean up after myself, so you can get a head start. We do only have two hours." He yanks you out of the chair. Still chewing, you watch as Edwin shoves you out the break room.

"Wait—hold up—wh—I don't know where I'm supposed to—"

He grins. "You will! Your senses will guide you."

"What— more vague shi—" and the door slams.

[redscullyrevival]

A Monstrous Regiment of Women: Mary Russell Rundown

@sonnetscrewdriver, anything that reminds me to occasionally comment “Oh fuck off Tennyson” is a good book in my book.

Plot/Setting/Narrative

Haha, other than revisiting my own personal hell this was a good time!

I knew it would be with that amazing title. 

I love how men always try to condemn and speak poorly of women but actually make us out to sound badass.

“A Monstrous Regiment of Women” - nice!

“She was warned, she was given an explanation, nevertheless; she persisted” - nice!

HAHA dudes be wack.

Anyways.

There is a big ‘ol dynamic in this book and it doesn’t try to hid itself but because of the narrative style it’s a very sleek back and forth that can easily be overlooked among the thrills, tension, and action:

The lighting pace back and forth between Faith/Religion and Reason/Logic is hard to trace, precisely because it’s so perfectly stitched. 

Like thread holding two fabrics together we get glimpses of the characters discussing these dynamics upfront on the surface only for them to dive under the cloth and become the structurally important but unseen thread, before rising to the forefront yet again.

Over and under goes Faith and Reason, Religion and Logic (Agape and Eros!), from start to finish and it’s very compelling, very slick stuff.

What’s fascinating is how it feels like it’s all held together with those before the chapter quotes! 

What a gambit!

Especially because I’m pretty sure the chosen quotes are meant to be as humorous as they are reflective. 

I read the words of Tennyson and Shakespeare and friggin’ Knox and I’m not filled with anger or burning for justice; I laugh. They’re funny. 

What isn’t funny is how I also know these men shaped their times, that they are considered definitive and important and are apart of contemporary schooling and social undercurrents - they’re not simply far away melodrama but remain to be part of the day to day world, of my time as well as Russell’s.

The violence Russell is subjected to is unfortunately not extraordinary. 

The heroin is elaborate and a part of the Mary Russell narrative surrounding The Temple mystery as designed by King - but women being manipulated, used, and being targeted and subjected to overwhelming power? All that’s common place common day. 

You don’t read those before chapter quotes and think “Ah, women had it better when these men where alive.” And you certainly don’t read them and think “Well, it’s gotten better by Mary’s time” - and it’s the realization that the various quote’s undercurrents are still rooted into today that chills their absurdity. 

So how do we instigate change? 

Mary Russell

How do women gain ground?

Do we go to into the temples men worship?

Do we go into their spaces and ask uncomfortable questions and share our opinions, unasked?

Do we dig into the sacred texts looking for what has been changed in an effort to prove we’ve been included all along?

Do we interpret the text anew and preach our understanding?

OR do we maybe rewrite and/or add to the text and insert ourselves in?

You must see where I’m going with this.

What’s shocking is that all those above courses of action are faith based.

Logic and reason, the truth of women’s rightful place, can’t be grasped until those in power acknowledge we’re here and worth listening to and only pleas of faith can begin to breach that wall.

Which is massively fucked up and the root of all evil.

Bringing it back around, what’s also messed up is how Sherlock Holmes’ canon is exclusively understood as male.

The perception that follows the character is this: Sherlock Holmes is male, written by a man, and those of authority on the character and his stories are male and those fans who are true are male and that’s because Holmes invokes intelligence and reason and thus maleness - the notion being there isn’t anything of female worth to be found in proper Sherlock Holmes.

Barf, right?

Our author certainly thinks so.

King’s disgust for the Holmesian Understanding™ is practically palpable; not for the character of Holmes, but she does (to me) seem to distinctly turn her ire on the aura of his existence as he sits in wider literature’s mind’s eye.

And I don’t even think it’s Russell and Holmes locking lips that’s meant to be the big middle finger, although it is fun; I honestly think it’s as simple as King’s Holmes accepting, trusting, and considering her Russell as his partner in work and then, yes, in life.

Laurie King is working at turning Russell into the Logic and Holmes’ into the Faith.

I’m down with that.

‘Cause Mary Russell is my girl. 

I’m gonna read all them books. 

Sherlock Holmes

Lets stop and take a moment to really bask in the intense and amazing glory that is the throw-away-mention of Holmes’ son.

I know “canon” Holmes does not have a son.

I also know that the character of Sherlock Holmes has directly and indirectly given birth to the most characters ever committed to media’s various forms, which makes him the most promiscuous man I’ve ever read. 

For King to solidify Holmes parentage is a very big big big choice - just as big if not even bigger than having him kiss Russell and marrying her. 

Man, that must have really chapped some hides. 

Oh my god, there are folks I know who would probably burst into flames over such an “OOC” move. 

The son implies and seeds many things, not so subtly of which is that Holmes isn’t an automoton and down to get jiggy with it if so intrigued. 

What’s more sly is that King knows what she is about and knows what she is doing and is very adamant within the narrative that Holmes is secondary to her character - that Mary Russell is the protagonist and the mysteries of Holmes isn’t mystery to her and we better starting taking her narration as gospel.

So that was a fun kick in the pants. 

The romance was, you know, irritatingly thrilling.

Although! 

Holmes’ comment, of how he has wanted to kiss Mary since he met her, is a little iffy and not even entirely because she was 15 at the time (still side eye worthy though, obviously) - the issue is that his words imply pure physical attraction even when he didn’t know Mary or her at that point and I’ve been lead to believe their Grand Canyon age gap is inconsequential because their minds are wondrously in-tune and that is what connects their souls.

So that was kind of weird.

Especially from an author usually very tight in her characterizations who is meticulously organized. 

Highlighted Passages

“I am having a holiday from the holidays. I am relaxing, following the enforced merriment of the last week. An amusing diversion, Holmes, nothing else. At least it was, until your suspicious mind let fly with its sneering intimations of omniscience. Really, Holmes, you can be very irritating at times.”

Twice I hid from the sound of a prowling horse-drawn cab with two wheels. The second time launched me on a long and highly technical conversation with a seven-year-old street urchin who was huddled beneath the steps to escape a drunken father. We squatted on cobbles greasy with damp and the filth that had accumulated, probably since the street was first laid down following the Great Fire, and we talked of economics. He gave me half of his stale roll and a great deal of advice, and when I left, I handed him a five-pound note.

“I thought that man was going to punch you.” “It’s only happened once, that I didn’t have time to talk my way out of a brawl.” “What happened?” “Oh, I didn’t hurt him too badly.” She giggled, as if I had made a joke. I went on. “I had a much rougher time of it once during the War, with a determined old lady who tried to give me a white feather. I looked so healthy, she refused to believe me when I told her I’d been turned down for service. She followed me down the street, lecturing me loudly on cowardice and Country and Lord Kitchener.”

“I was grateful to that large and noisy man, however. Not immediately,” she added, inviting us to chuckle at her youthful passion, and many obliged, “but when I’d had a chance to think about it, I was grateful, because it made me wonder, Why does he want me to keep silent in church? What would be so terrible in letting me, a woman, talk? What does he imagine I might say?” She paused for two seconds. “What is this man afraid of?

“Here this man is working with God, thinking about God, living with God, every day, and still he does not trust God. Deep down, he doesn’t feel one hundred percent certain that his God can stand up to criticism, can deal with this uppity woman and her uncomfortable questions; he does not know that his God is big enough to welcome in and put His arms around every person, big and small, believers or seekers, men or women.”

“If you want to be logical about it, don’t tell me that the woman was given to Adam as a servant, a sort of glorified packhorse that could carry on a conversation.”

“That was what my loud preacher feared, to be told that he and his cronies had no more right to tell me that I couldn’t speak in God’s house than I had a right to tell the sun not to shine.”

Her attitude towards the Bible seemed to be refreshingly matter-of-fact, and her theology, miracle of miracles, was from what I had heard radical but sound. Oh yes, I should like to meet this woman.

“Men have other options. Women need the help of their sisters, and in fact, that to me is one of the most exciting things about what we’re doing, when women of different classes meet and see that we share more similarities than differences, in spite of everything. We are on the edge of a revolution in the way women live in this society, and some of us want to ensure that the changes that are coming will apply to all women, rich and poor alike.”

“The vote was a sop,” she snapped. “Granting individual slaves their manumission after a lifetime of service doesn’t alter the essential wrongness of the institution of slavery, nor does giving a small number of women the vote adequately compensate the entire sex for their wartime service—to say nothing of millenia of oppression.”

“But that’s . . . That means . . .” “Yes,” I said wryly, pleased with the effect my idea had on her. “That means that an entire vocabulary of imagery relating to the maternal side of God has been deliberately obscured.” I watched her try to sort it out, and then I put it into a phrase I would definitely not use in the presentation in Oxford: “God the Mother, hidden for centuries.” She looked down at the book in her hands as if the ground beneath her feet had, in the blink of an eye, become treacherously soft and unstable. She turned carefully to the drawer, riffled the gold-edged India paper speculatively, and put her Bible away. She returned to her chair a troubled woman and lit another cigarette. “Is there more of this kind of thing?” “Considerably more.”

“You couldn’t help but want to break his control and see what lay beneath.”

“If all these images can come from the word light, how many more from the word love, a thing invisible but for the movement it creates, a thing without physical reality or measurement or being, yet a thing which animates the entire universe. God is love. God creates, and when He sees His creation, He loves it and calls it good.”

Holmes would have done the matter by telegram, I knew, but I always prefer the personal touch in my matters of mild blackmail.

I felt reassured. If he could be rude, he was reviving.

I then turned my warning gaze back on Marie, who subsided, muttering French curses that I wish I could have overheard more clearly, for the sake of my education.

An accurate throwing arm is perhaps the only truly remarkable skill I possess.

None of that was absolutely true, but it fit the image and laid a basis for my future behaviour, which was to do whatever I damn well pleased, fine.

“The boy has a cup of tea for his mother,” she read, and repeated it, then looked up again and laughed, her eyes shining with the suddenly comprehended magic of the written word. Her teeth were mostly gums, she smelt of unwashed wool, her hair lay lank, and her skin wanted milk and fruit, but for the moment, she was beautiful. Veronica Beaconsfield knows what she is about here, I thought to myself, and took the work-roughened hand and squeezed it hard.

No slick-faced creature with a sharp blade was going to destroy my wardrobe again.

I always hated what Londoners called with such wry pride their “particulars,” their “peculiars,” their “pea soupers,” like the beaming parents of some uncontrollable and pathologically destructive brat.

Blind, stripped to my underclothing, and ill, I thought muzzily. Mary Russell, this is going to be very unpleasant.

He had already let me in under his guard, and I him. Holmes was a part of me, and to imagine myself “in love” with him was to imagine myself becoming passionately enamoured of my arm or the muscles in my back.

“These last weeks, since Christmas, have been odd ones. I have begun to doubt that I knew you as well as I thought. I have even wondered if you wished to keep some part of yourself hidden from me in order to preserve your privacy and your autonomy. I will understand if you refuse to give me an answer tonight, and although I freely admit that I will be hurt by such a refusal, you must not allow my feelings to influence your answer.” I looked up into his face. “The question I have for you, then, Holmes, is this: How are the fairies in your garden?”

The restlessness of the day before was controllable now, and the shame something to be acknowledged and not dwelt upon.

With the ponderous dignity of the profoundly intoxicated, she took up a strategic position across the street from the doors.

I could not do this. The safe was not going to open for me, not in the time I had. Tell it to Holmes, nagged a voice. Watch his brief flare of irritation give way to sympathy, understanding. Live with that, will you?

“I walked into the hall, to find utter panic, of the Oxford variety: tight voices, careful poly-syllables, a certain amount of wringing of hands.”

[marissaofunderground]

oops I drew Undertale again. 

 This picture was actually an illustration for my contest entry on the Undertale Amino, which runs all kinds of creative contests often. There's always one happening over there, and the one that's been going on this past week is the "Letters Writing Contest", where you write a narrative that consists of two characters from the game writing letters back and forth to each other. I don't write as often as I draw, as art often takes me ages, and writing can be just as slow of a process (even though I write REALLY fast - so I should really write more)! It was good to get writing again. Nothing like a contest for a little motivation, right? 

 I'd like to post my entry here, for your enjoyment, in case you want to read it yourselves. For my entry, not surprisingly, I chose Mettaton as one of the characters, and for the other, I wanted to pick someone a little less recognized: Shyren! Enjoy, it's below the break! 

 Missing You

by marissaofunderground 

 🎵~•~🎵

Dear Mettaton, 

I'm not sure if you'll read this, since you get hundreds of fan messages daily, but I thought you might like to hear from an old friend - haha, yeah, I knew it was you because I'd remember a voice like yours. It took me a while to build up the courage to speak to you, but we used to be good friends in the past. I want to congratulate you for reaching your dreams...I hope maybe mine will come true one day, too. What am I saying, King Asgore's going to make all of our dreams come true! We all want to see the surface, don't we? Anyway, I wanted to ask, how's stardom? And Hotland? I've never been there myself, but I hear the air is too dry for a swampling like me. Just writing to say that I miss you, and I hope you visit Waterfall soon...your cousin misses you, too.

Sincerely, 

Shyren 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dearest Shyren, 

Oh my stars! Shyren, it's been ages, hasn't it? Ah, life of a glamorous star is a demanding one, but it's worth it, darling! Don't give up on your own dreams, Shyren, the world could always use more singing sensations, and people will love to hear your voice! And, mine, of course. Especially mine. 

Hotland is magnificent! Here is where stars can truly shine! Provided that you can handle the heat, that is. 

How can you miss me, darling, when I'm always on your television screen, performing just for you? Tune in, and I'm there. It's....as close as I can get to visiting anywhere else in the Underground, I'm afraid. Not only am I a star on the screen, but I have a resort and brand to manage on top of it all. Ooh! How about you and Blooky drop by at my resort some time? I'd love to have you here! 

With love, 

Mettaton 💖 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dear Mettaton, 

Thank you so much for writing back! I'm pleased to hear from you. I'm glad Hotland is treating you well, but I don't think Napstablook and I can make it over to the resort....the heat could dry me out. I'd better stay where I am. But I did ask Napstablook if they wanted to visit your resort, and they were...unsure. They said they just didn't feel worthy enough to drop by and see you. I wonder if they even know you're their cousin... 

By the way, have you heard there's a human in the Underground? I've met them myself, and they're so sweet! We even sang a concert together! I'm rooting for them, though I'm gonna be sad that they have to die to free us all. But, it has to be done.... Maybe you'll get a chance to perform with them, too...if they make it that far. I hope so! 

Sincerely, 

Shyren 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dearest Shyren, 

Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry. It was worth offering, and I understand if Hotland is too much for you. At least we can always keep writing to each other! Which reminds me, maybe I should try writing to Blooky....I haven't really spoken to them since......since... 

But are they doing well? Still making music? Still enjoying my show? Who wouldn't be enjoying it? 

Ah yes, the human. They arrived in Hotland before I even got a chance to read your letter. Have you seen my quiz show today? Guest starring: the human! If you haven't, it'll be re-run soon! 

I need to go now, I've got a cooking show to put on, and they'll be my glorious assistant! 

With love, 

Mettaton 💖 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dear Mettaton, 

Haha! Wow! Your performances with the human so far have been immensely entertaining! I haven't laughed so much in ages. They've really got a sense of humor, don't they? 

Some monsters claim that the human is just an effect, isn't that crazy? How can they say that when the news of a human's presence is everywhere, and many of us have met them for ourselves? Hard to believe that despite all this, some people will claim it's false. Weird... 

So what's next? Got any more shows left to do with the human before their time comes? I'm sure that last show with them will be a grand finale. Whatever will happen, I know I'll love it. 

Sincerely, 

Shyren 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dearest Shyren, 

Thank you for your encouraging words, darling! I know just how much the Underground has been entertained by my performances with the human! It's been so much fun putting on shows with them!

But, all good things must come to an end. This will be the last episode of my show guest starring the human - and my last show in the Underground. If the humans on the surface are as great as this one, they're going to love me up there! I have a whole new audience waiting for me above, and I have a brand new body waiting to be tested out. This is a look the humans will fall for, I just know it! 

Well, toodles, I have a human soul to take for my own, and a war to prevent. 

With love, 

Mettaton 💖 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dear Mettaton, I just saw your last episode. Thank you for changing your mind. I understand your intentions - I'm not sure I want humanity to be destroyed, either. And if Asgore takes the last soul we need...perhaps...we could find it in ourselves to convince him not to attack everyone living on the surface? That human...maybe they can convince him, if they can survive. They were strong enough to get past you, so maybe they can get past anything. 

I hope you're okay. I know you're undergoing repairs right now, and I know that you won't be able to read this again until you're fixed, but don't forget, your fans are here for you. I'm here for you. 

Sincerely, 

Shyren 

(P.S: I love your new look!) 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dearest Shyren, 

Just woke up...Had a lot of fan mail to get through, and it was hard to read everything without my arms. They've just been reattached, and I can get to writing this message! 

I'm still concerned for our future. You know how much I adore humanity. I think we should go convince the King and the human not to fight. That seems to be what Alphys is thinking, too. 

Shyren, I have to admit...I haven't considered performing with others, and the human...they reminded me of just how much fun it is to perform with someone else. You know what? I'm coming to Waterfall. My visit is long overdue and I need to see Blooky again. Hearing their call...It made me realize just how terrible it was for me to leave them like that. Even the human seems to know. They waved an old belonging of mine in front of my face during my show. How did they find that? Regardless, I have places to go. The barrier to halt a fight, and next, Waterfall. See you there! 

With love, 

Mettaton 💖 

(P.S: Thank you, darling! I love it too, but oh, thank Alphys for building it in the first place!) 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dear Mettaton, 

What...what just happened? Did you experience it, too? There was a white light, and I felt like I was being sucked into it....and now I'm back where I was, as if nothing happened. Others seem to be buzzing about it, too. But, whatever it was, it seems to have broken the barrier! We're finally free! And maybe, just maybe, we can live among humans peacefully now. You'll have the audience you've always wanted - and now an even bigger audience, with both humans and monsters. Maybe I'll try singing for them. Do you think they'll like me? I'm a bit worried... 

I thought that key looked familiar. I don't know why Frisk would take it...hey, why do we suddenly know their name, anyway? I don't remember them ever telling any of us... 

I've got more good news - my sister just came home! I've missed her so much! And, now I understand why Alphys has been so quiet about the determination experiments, but it doesn't matter! My sister's back, and so are Moldbygg's and Aaron's relatives! Since they're now all stuck together into one being, I wonder if this means Moldbygg, Moldsmal and Aaron are now my cousins? Not that I mind. We're all just happy to have them back and we're relieved that they're okay. Hope to see you soon, Mettaton! I'll be catching up with my sister.  

Sincerely, 

Shyren 

🎵~•~🎵 

Dearest Shyren, 

That white flash reached me as I was on my way over here. When I woke up, I found myself lying dangerously close to a stream of water. And the barrier! I didn't even know it was broken until I heard people talking all about it as I crossed Waterfall. Everyone's abuzz about it, darling. Frisk did it! They've freed us all! I knew there was something extraordinary about that human! 

Now, I have a proposition to ask: would you like to sing backup on my shows? And how about Blooky join us too, as DJ? It's long overdue that I hire some company to share the spotlight with me. What do you think? 

I'm going to visit Blooky first. I owe them a great apology. We really need to talk. We'll catch up with you, and your sister, too. I'm so glad Alphys could finally reunite all the families who were involved with the experiments. Not even I knew the full extent of what had happened. 

That human, they've brought out the best in everyone. They've helped us all. If it weren't for Frisk, I don't think I would be here, coming back to Waterfall for the first time in years. I'd have still left my cousin in the dark. I wouldn't have even thought of performing with others. Frisk taught me that I didn't have to throw everything away for the sake of stardom. Now, I'm bringing my family with me to the screen. And I have Frisk to thank for this. We all have Frisk to thank today. They're a hero to us all. 

Anyway. I'll send this letter off, and it's to my old home I go. Until then, Shyren! 

With love, 

Mettaton 💖 

🎵~•~🎵 

The End

[dumbfrickinlit]

#sircius - #mainquest character

The sun has long since set when the frail figure hunched over the cluttered desk finishes paging through his 9th book for the evening. It’s another tome on rare herbal medicines, and it was no more helpful than the last one he’d barreled through roughly 30 minutes ago. 

The elderly man - a tiefling named Sircius - fidgets in his chair and moves to seize the next book atop the tall stack sat on the floor next to him: an encyclopedia on rare and extraordinary curses. He spares no time as his hands move quick to peel open the pages and his eyes begin to fly across the text, intently observant of every key word or phrase which may be of interest to him. 

While his eyes scrutinize the book’s contents, his concentration wanders elsewhere; and as if to punctuate the thought at the forefront of his mind, a ragged breath cuts the potent silence, and Sircius instantly turns his head to look at the younger man laying on the bed just a few feet from him. 

His son’s face, as dormant as ever, greets him in return. And although his son, Malerus’ stirring has changed his appearance none, Sircius cannot help but worry if the brief disturbance - uncommon for his son -  is a sign of something worse.  

Something, he's beginning to worry, he may not be able to stop. 

Profile.

Sircius Emberos. Male. 69 years old. School of Divination Wizard. Sage background. Tiefling. True-Neutral alignment. Character strengths: incredibly loyal and protective of those he truly cares about, lets knowledge and reason dictate his actions, cautious, intelligent. Character flaws: cold, distant, stubborn, holds a general disdain for those less intelligent than him, holds no regard for laws or morality when it comes to his interests and the safety of his loved ones.

Sircius Ebmeros and my experience playing him.

There’s perhaps more to Sircius Ebmeros and what he means to me than what lies on the surface.

He was my first-ever character - both for D&D and as a genuine “OC” for me to put actual time and effort into - and with him I really wanted to break the mold, as I knew he would make the first impression for what I could do as both a character conceptualizer and a roleplayer.

My honest perception is that most people gravitate towards starting with and/or playing characters who are very close to themselves in their own personality (which is not a bad thing at all; it offers a transition into roleplaying for those uninitiated to it, and for those with no priority or interest in roleplaying, it’s simply more fun for them); this is very much something I did not want to do. So instead of making my first character an unexciting, passive, amicable, and all-around-cooperative young human female - a definite and obvious reflection of myself - I decided to make Sircius: a temperamental, demanding, isolate, unsociable old tiefling -- who, on the upside, is incredibly smart and cares deeply about family. I decided when making him (and as I do for all characters I create) that every character has a problem, and Sircius’ would be his incredibly ill son. And as the campaign was already lacking a genuine problem to unite our characters, this gave our first chapter a goal: to find Sircius’ son Malerus a cure to his inscrutable disease. Along the way, Sircius Fireball’d a fellow party member, was shot in the kneecap by another, and was threatened more times that I can count about how he needed to behave and play nice with everyone else. So it probably goes without saying that playing Sircius can be exhausting. I constantly have to shut everyone out, turn away help, and pretend to be fine on my own when as a player and a character I know very well that I’m not. It’s difficult sometimes to remain true to Sircius’ character and instigate disagreements within the party, but I have always tried to do so with taste, and never so frequently as to call into question Sircius’ place in the group. Sometimes this means on the rare occasion sacrificing the integrity of the character (i.e. making a call that I’m not wholly convinced Sircius would do), but I find it absolutely necessarily for the continuation of the story. At the end of the day we are all here to play and adventure with each-other, and I would much rather try to reason Sircius into doing something he wouldn’t normally do than leave the party fractured or disbanded because I wanted to stay ~true to the character~. I mean, what kind of story would that be? Not a good one.

So I’m left playing a totally hard-headed, widowed husband, whose only family remaining is his deathly-ill son and a grandson hundreds of miles away from him. And as ridiculously painful as that might sound to play... I actually enjoy it. -- Most of the time, I really do. Some of my most cherished memories I have of D&D are the few deep conversations I’ve had as him with other characters. When someone has finally managed to crack Sircius’ shell it’s incredibly cathartic to let his more compassionate, vulnerable side show. And I’m immensely thankful for those moments because they make him feel like a genuinely likable character despite his obvious flaws - and not just some anal-retentive asshole that everyone has to put up with. Over time, Sircius became more and more palatable as a character as the events of the story unfolded. Eventually Sircius and the party obtained the “miracle cure” that they had sought out. They then returned to the tiefling’s home to revive the ill Malerus. Things did not work out as planned, however, as although the cure resuscitated his son, it also left him both in an essentially vegetative state and made him completely unreceptive to magic, basically making his new condition unquestionably and emphatically incurable.

Now, let me clear up before continuing any further that the result of the miracle cure was never intended by any of us or the DM to be what it was. The cure was always meant to succeed, but as a bit of fun on the DM’s part (I believe), two side-effects were added via rolling on Orrex’s Net Libram of Random Magical Effects. What was rolled was possibly the most depressing and horrifying result I can think of. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry when this all happened. Quickly realizing how grim of an outcome this was, the DM set to rectify this.

The unfortunate effects of the cure were kept canon (a reroll was never done, which in retrospect I would have appreciated), but instead of leaving Malerus (and by proxy, Sircius) to his exceptionally dark fate, a cleric - the father of one of the other party members, Eleniel, in fact - gave up his life in order to restore Malerus’. While I can appreciate this as it added drama to the story and changed Sircius’ character and his relationship with Eleniel, the unfortunate rolls on the Net Libram still leave a bad taste in my mouth to this day. It’s something I try to forget about - and often I leave it out of conversation concerning Sircius and the campaign because of how exceptionally dark it is. It’s a little to “real,” and for reasons that I’ll get to later, was very hard for me to accept when it originally happened.

But all of that aside, those events helped shape Sircius into who he is currently. With the full revival of his son, Sircius’ temperament cooled substantially and allowed him to possess and practice gratitude towards his fellow companions. It also gave myself narrative reason to keep Sircius in the story, which worked especially well in Chapter 2 when the party reunited to help Eleniel (whom Sircius now obviously owed after the sacrifice of her father). Because of this his character has developed and established itself well in my mind.

So, it’s probably crazy for me to say now that all of this - Sircius’ story and everything that he has theoretically ever been through - might change in the future. Crazy, maybe, but not unwelcome. 

Mainquest is being heavily considered (and by “heavily considered” I mean basically approved but pending until we get around to it) for a “reboot” down the line. Various reasons have been cited; the most pertinent being the inconsistency of the party and DM (this is a campaign that’s seen 3 different players come and go and also had a DM switch starting in Chapter 2). The DM also seeks to refine and revitalize the story. For us, it’s the campaign that’s seen the most mess, so there’s an innate desire to redo it “right.”

Will this change Sircius as a character? Possibly. Will this change the events that shape him? Likely. But I’m ok with that. Actually, I’m looking forward to it. I enjoy the idea of getting a chance to play as Sircius again and to re-experience and refine his transition from unsociable recluse to.... well, someone tolerable, haha. I would even be up for a more somber take on Malerus’ arc.

You see, what I have neglected to acknowledge leading up to this point - and I suppose if you’ve bothered to read this far you have earned the right to know - is the inspiration for Sircius’ plight; something completely unintended by me until I realized it far too late.

And this is where it gets almost unnecessarily heavy, so feel free to back out here.

During the time I created and played Sircius, I was dealing with problems in my own life -- problems of a kind which I had never faced before. 

I was struggling to cope with a friend’s (the very best friend I had at the time and perhaps will ever have) diminishing medical condition. ALS. We didn’t know at the time; a diagnosis was never made clear until months and months after things started unfolding. To us, she was just slowly losing her ability to do everything for no apparent reason. And it was exceptionally painful for me -- losing her, like that. Being there, but not. I couldn’t fathom the thought of people dying who were important to me -- especially someone who was so important to me as she was. 

So it’s too disgustingly easy now for me to see the overlap between my life and Sircius’. The only thing that really separates us is how the story ends. Malerus got to live, and my friend eventually passed away. -- I guess Sircius was always meant to be the fantasy I could never have in reality.

Since then I’ve learned to cope, to appreciate my best friends’ life for what it was, and to try and let go. -- Very different from Sircius’ experience. But I’m starting to think that an alternative ending to Malerus’ story - with him passing away - wouldn’t be as bad as I originally thought. Would it be a hero’s story? No. Of course not. But Sircius could then serve as a conduit for something more important, I think. 

Maybe. Maybe not. It could be an absolutely terrible idea. -- Also a hell of a lot of pressure on me and my DM to make it work. But I’d at least like to make note of it here: I am not so opposed to anti-stories as I once was.

And so that is my long-winded experience playing Sircius Ebmeros: the grouch of a tiefling who turned out to be something a little bit more. Perhaps he will change in the future in story and/or character, but for now, this is how he remains.

[thetappingsolution]

How to Use Tapping for Autoimmune Disorders

..If you have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and are struggling with the pain, the discomfort and the frustration, know that you are not alone!

To date, there are about 100 known autoimmune illnesses, impacting up to 50 million Americans, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), and that number is on the rise.

Just being diagnosed with an autoimmune disease can be confusing and scary, if not totally overwhelming...

Sadly, according to our current, conventional medical system, there appears to be no cure, so treatment for autoimmune diseases focuses on relieving the symptoms...

But the most commonly used treatments often lead to devastating side effects!

And according to AARDA, it takes an average of nearly five years (and five doctors!) for a patient to receive a diagnosis, and in the meantime they often end up consulting multiple specialists for all their symptoms: a dermatologist, an endocrinologist, an immunologist, a neurologist, a rheumatologist...

Patients are often told by their doctors, “There’s nothing wrong with you,” or, “You’re just a little run down.”

This leads to a lot of frustration, overwhelm and stress that only makes these issues worse.

But here’s the good news: YOU may have more power to improve your health than you realize!

  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) there is an emotional component in 85% of all illnesses!

As science has now proven, your thoughts and your patterns of belief produce chemical reactions in your body that affect your nervous system, as well as your digestive and endocrine systems, your hormones, your energy level, even your balance. And they all immediately and directly impact your immune system.

And most of the thoughts and emotions that drive us, roughly 95% of them, are run unconsciously so we're not even aware of them and the affect they're having on our body and our health.

In our modern society our high levels of stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and other negative emotions that we deal with on a regular basis put a tremendous strain on our immune system and our health.

And unfortunately our brains weren't wired to be able to understand and react differently to the stresses of our modern society versus the stresses that our ancestors faced, where there were real and tangible life or deaths threats on a daily basis.  You see,...

When stress hits us our body goes into what's known as "fight or flight," causing large parts of our brain to shut down and causing the chain of chemical reactions to take place that affect our health...

To make matters worse, when you go from “fight or flight” into a “freeze” state your body is effectively storing the stress of that moment.

Dr. Robert Scaer, a neurologist who has researched traumatic stress, has found that the “freeze” response encapsulates stress in our bodies, preventing us from moving on after a stressful event until we’ve found a way to release the stress that’s literally lodged in our bodies, in our muscles, even our cells.

With Tapping, we’ve found a quick and effective way to release this stress…

Here’s how it works…

Something stressful happens, or you start thinking about something stressful, like the the challenges you're having at work, at home with your kids, with your health or weight, or in your relationship...

Within seconds, the part of your brain called the amygdala, the almond-shaped part of your midbrain, tells your body to release stress hormones.

Adrenaline and cortisol, which is often called “the stress hormone”, floods your body, affecting your digestive and endocrine systems, your hormones, your energy level, even your balance and more.

The functions that are needed for survival are given priority over the functions that are needed for healing.  This reaction from the primitive part of our brain was after all, necessary for  survival hundreds of years ago.

In the wild, if you were being chased by a threat like a tiger, bear or other human in the woods, you'd need to be able to run faster, jump higher, and react quicker.  The needed processes for healing would take a back seat until the body was once again calm and in a state where the life or death situation was gone.

In “fight or flight”, stress is literally limiting your ability to heal because the resources need to be diverted elsewhere.

The challenge is that in our modern society we have constant stressors that bring the body into fight or flight, just the same as it did hundreds of years ago, except these stressors happen much more frequently, causing us to be stuck in states of chronic stress.

  When we’re under chronic stress, ours bodies stay in a state where healing is not the priority, and thus illness oftentimes follows.

If you ask yourself honestly…

“Am I dealing with any stress right now?”

You’ll probably say something like... “haha…of course I am! Who isn’t?!”  :)

But here's the great news...

EFT Tapping has been scientifically proven to rewire the brain to bring both the body and mind back into balance!

When you use Tapping to shift your unconscious beliefs and emotions, you shift the chemicals being released into the body. In doing so, you are literally able to shift your nervous system, as well as your digestive and endocrine systems, your hormones, your energy levels and more!

So far, modern science’s investigations into just why Tapping works have been astounding. The results reveal that Tapping is the perfect bridge between cutting edge Western medicine and ancient healing practices from the East.

Hundreds of studies have been performed that show the effects of using Tapping on health challenges.

One such study showed that using Tapping for Fibromyalgia improved variables such as pain, anxiety, depression, vitality, social function, mental health, performance problems involving work or other activities due to physical as well as emotional reasons, stress symptoms and more.

Another study showed that using Tapping for Psoriasis often brought immediate and sustained relief, and continued to improve over time. Participants from this study experienced significant improvement in functioning and psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms.

In another double-blind study conducted by Dawson Church, Ph.D., cortisol, know as the "stress hormone" was measured as it is a key indicator in how our bodies are responding to stress.

Tapping was shown to produce, on average, a 24 percent drop in cortisol after just one hour of tapping.   During that same hour of talk therapy without tapping, participants showed a much smaller drop in cortisol levels. This powerful research study showed that tapping significantly increases the ability to eliminate the the hormones causes by stress, allowing the body to go into a state of healing.

Study after study show that when you deal with the underlying emotional issues, the body is brought back into balance, and immune system function improves!

  How to Start Using Tapping to Eliminate Negative Emotions and Chronic Stress to Bring Your Body Back into a Place of Balance and Healing...

There are a few great resources that can help you in getting started using Tapping for Pain Relief:

Resource #1 - Free Tapping Meditation on Befriending Your Body

This is a powerful meditation designed specifically to help your body get out of fight or flight.  Through this soothing and balancing meditation you'll:

-Understand the importance of creating a powerful relationship with your body that will lead you to quickly experience extraordinary results.

-Experience how your patterns of thinking and believing produce chemical reactions that affect the health of your body.

-Realize how you can quickly and painlessly shift your emotions, and create a powerful point of leverage to release the imbalance in your immune system.

To learn more and get immediate access to this free meditation go here.

  Resource #2 - The Tapping Solution for Autoimmune Disorders Program with Dr. Kim D'Eramo

If you're serious about wanting to eliminate your autoimmune disorder than this program is a must!

We teamed up with Dr. Kim D'Eramo, a physician, speaker, bestselling author and expert on using Tapping for Autoimmune Disorders to bring you the most effective protocol possible.

With this program you get:

5 Powerful Audio Presentations that you can stream or download.

Introduction and Overview of the Autoimmune Disorder Program

Module 1: Breaking Free From the Vicious Cycle of Anger, Frustration and Hopelessness

Module 2: Family Patterns Contribute to Your Health, Just Not In The Ways You’ve Been Told.

Module 3: The Impact That Being Sensitive To Other People’s Energies And Emotions Can Have On Your Immune System.

Module 4: A Whole New Way of Looking at Improving Your Health Through Nutrition and Exercise

5 Tapping Meditation Audios These soothing Tapping Meditations will not only work to rewire the causes of the issues in your brain and body, they’ll also help you to instantly release anxiety, re-center yourself, and bring you to a place of peace and balance.10 PDF Transcripts so that you can read the information of the audio presentations.

Digital Workbook to go along with the introduction and 4 modules. This digital workbook will help guide you in the process.

To learn more about this program and how you can get immediate access to it, go here.

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I hope you take advantage of these two resources.  I know they can help you.

If you have questions at any time please don't hesitate to ask.  Just send me an email by clicking here.  Or join me on Facebook here.

Until next time... Keep Tapping!

Nick Ortner

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What did you learn from this post?  What questions do you still have?  Post your comments below!

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How to Use Tapping for Autoimmune Disorders was first seen on: http://www.tappingsolution.com/