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houseofbrat · 4 months ago

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As a Kentuckian, the majority of people around here think the tariffs are some 3D chess move. They won’t start to question Trump’s strategy until jobs are lost en masse and distilleries close.

In Chess, a pawn's job is to be sacrificed. They are the pawns.

As a Canadian, I find these tariffs completely baffling. We primarily export natural resources and raw materials—fundamental for your entire manufacturing and agricultural sectors. my economics professor at university always advocated for taxing exports to the US as a way to bolster Canadian manufacturing.

We primarily export natural resources and raw materials—fundamental for your entire manufacturing and agricultural sectors.

I've been trying to explain this to everyone, short of screaming it from the rooftop of my southern, red state home. Canada provides us with so much of our raw materials - from construction to auto manufacturing that it's going to affect damn near EVERY MAJOR JOB SECTOR in some way. Our farmers were already hurting after USAID got slapped around, I can't imagine what they're going to do when they can't get fertilizer. They're down funding, labor, and you know, the shit to grow now.

Whatever. Reap what they sow, I guess.

A lot of the responses are really just here to dunk of Kentuckians so I just want to provide an actual response.

The biggest concern I have as a Kentuckian isn't just that people are not going to buy $9.3 billion in goods from our state, it's that the resulting consequences will be seen for generations. Something a lot of people may not realize is that most of the distilleries in our state are in small towns. They are almost the entire local economy for some of these areas (and for a few of them, the entire county). Once these distilleries start laying off people it's not like there is somewhere else for them to go work. These families likely will not have the money or resources to find work elsewhere and with little interest in real estate in those areas they will be tied down by their own assets. Many of those towns already have issues with cyclical poverty but this will just make the problem largely unsolvable.

To be clear, I understand that Kentucky is a bit of a laughing stock for many people and as a liberal living here I can attest that many of the perceptions people have are justified. Personally, I am in complete agreement with the boycott. We can only hope that there is a way for our country to course correct but I can't say I am hopeful of that.

Edit: This kinda blew up and while I would like to reply to everyone I only have so much time on my lunch break. I am actually a grocery data analyst and this issue is quite complex. I can write for hours about the downstream effects of this boycott (from the distribution companies, warehouse workers, even the brokers who manager these accounts externally). I just wanted to address a few of the major questions people have been asking:

I think the split for people blaming Trump for this is about 20-80. I think most Kentuckians will blame Canadians for boycotting their products without seeing the nuances of any of this. It is terrible and I really wish they could understand why Canadians (or other Americans) would stop buying our products but if there is anything we have learned from this past decade it is that we live in a post-truth era where no amount of facts will satisfy their anger.

I worked on Alison Lundergan Grimes's campaign as well as Amy McGrath's and unfortunately both lost to a man who has do irreparable damage to America (McConnell). Something to consider is many Republicans also hate Mitch, it's just that they see him as giving Kentucky footing on a national level. "Having him as Senate Majority Leader means he can do more good for Kentucky" is a very common sentiment among R's who would vote him out otherwise. It's upsetting, I hate it, but I do believe it is possible to replace his seat with a Dem going forward.

I cannot be more clear that I believe the boycott is a good thing. I know it will hurt people in Kentucky and I feel like that is probably for the best. My concern isn't that the people who voted for Trump this time around will suffer. It's that their kids, their grandkids, their great-grandkids and so on will suffer as the towns die out, crime rates skyrocket, and isolationism festers.

Hope this answers some questions people have and I am happy to respond to any messages later today!

Yea I work at a distillery and am currently getting laid off. My job ends at the end of next month. Thing is: this is a really REALLY bad time for the tariffs to hit. Trump1.0 was in the middle of the bourbon boom, the tariffs didn't devestate the industry due to the overall vast demand. Yes we lost around half a billion in profit because the upward trend in europe stopped, and so did their importing, but the profit margin was so high everywhere else that it didnt matter. This time around, especially with canada and the timing - it hurts. Canada imports alot of bourbon, especially the kind I bottle(bulleit). Roughly ~10% of the export market of bourbon from kentucky goes to canada. Now if it were still 2016/17, this wouldnt be a problem, but its 2025 and the bourbon boom is ending. You have an oversaturated market with a customer base thats no longer growing. Plus if you look at the trends of gen-z, they dont drink, not even close to the generations before them. With the economy generally trending downward too, customers will buy something different. They wont buy the $35 bottle of bourbon when they can get a shitty case of beer for 1/3 the price. The industry could have either shored up production over time and braced for the end of the bourbon boom without trump. Or if the bourbon boom continued with him. Both happening, the end of the bourbon boom trend and his presidency is why layoffs are going wild in kentucky. About 1000 full time jobs have been lost in the past month that i know of, and theres probably more that i dont know about. So how do I feel about a trade war with one of our closest allies/neighbors/trading partners?? Its ridiculous. Its affecting thousands of people across a very large plane of the economy to do this. And for what purpose? Respect? "Fairness"? It makes me mad that people around me directly voted for this bullshit when we all saw it coming a mile away. Its harmful and hurts good working class people everywhere, and we deserve better. Also to our Canadian friends, many of us didnt/dont support this, so we understand your frustration

Sorry this is happening to you. As a Canadian, I wish it didn’t have to come to this. The tariffs are one thing, but I think a lot of Canadians will stay away from US products for years to come due to the 51st state comments.

Dual citizen here. You’re right - the repercussions to this stupidity will last for a long time.

Fellow Kentuckian here. I am indirectly involved in the bourbon industry (I rent property to a distiller). I completely support Canada. They didn’t ask for this fight & if they work hard to find better, fairer trade partners they should feel no obligation to return to this shithole country even if the tariffs are dropped

Even when the tarrifs are lifted, the Canadian market is going to be hostile to American goods for a long time. Potentially generational damage caused by the 51st state bullshit

Canadian here. Until you purge this circus of an administration, I will not be spending a single discretionary penny on American goods. As an American I do not blame you one bit. Canadians are petty as hell when it comes to these kinds of things. in 2014, Heinz closed a ketchup plant in Ontario. The backlash was so severe that they ended up reopening it. Tons of Canadians to this day still refuse to buy Heinz. French's made a ketchup in response to it.

Lifetime Kentucky resident here, also a logistics manager who understands how tariffs work.

This is going to screw over our economy big time. Already, Brown-Foreman, located in Louisville (company that owns Jack Daniel's, Woodford Reserve, etc), laid off 12% of their staff. The bourbon industry was already slowing, and the tariffs have only worsened it.

Not only will alcoholic spirits be affected, but logistics will be heavily affected as well. Louisville is where the largest UPS hub is located, called "Worldport." Millions and millions of shipments from all around the world are processed here, and the revenue it creates for the city is incomparable. With tariffs, we will soon see a drop in imports, and as imports drop, so will the revenue generated by the international traffic at Worldport. People will absolutely be affected by this decision, and far sooner than we expect.

All of that being said, I 100% stand by Canada, and it's decision to start cutting ties with the US. What Trump and Musk have done is wholly unforgivable and downright shameful. They're an embarrassment to the American people and are blatantly choosing to kneel down to Putin and his circus.

If Canada ever decides to resume healthy and fair trade with the US after this betrayal, we will thank them for their kindness and work our hardest to rebuild our trust. Until then, Canada must take care of its own: and that's exactly what they're doing.

If Canada ever decides to resume healthy and fair trade with the US

We will. We don't want this fight. That said, buying patterns will be very hard to shift back. When trade does resume the deficit Trump complains about will be much larger. The longer it goes on the more we'll entrench with the EU, Commonwealth, and other reliable parterns.

As a Canadian, I was surprised to find out how many products there are that simply don't have a Canadian made version, or at least not by an actual Canadian company as opposed to a Canadian branch of a US corporation. We have distribution issues here because of needing to transport goods over an equal or larger sized area with only a tenth of the population. Because of that, it's not always economically feasible or at least worthwhile to produce a purely Canadian version of things when a US distribution system for the equivalent already exists. But this crisis shows us that we're unprepared to fend entirely for ourselves in those spaces... and I suspect that will start to change over the coming years and decades. More trade with other nations (especially from Europe), less overall trade with the US even after Donnie Dorko is gone, and more efforts to produce our own staple goods.

The only good thing Trump has done for Canada, is to force our hand at diversifying our trading partners.

It’s unfortunate that it’s done this way, or needed to happen at all, but imo we will be stronger over the decades because of it. IF we stick to it, and I sure fucking hope we do.

Sorry good Americans, I know you exist, but your country is a cluster fuck of a dumpster fire.

I saw a release here on Reddit, can’t remember…maybe leopards at my face, but one of the bourbon companies blamed the Canadians for the unfair or unjust tariffs. The stupidity is mind boggling, however not surprising.

Dollars to donuts I bet that the distilleries know it's Trump's fault but they're afraid that if they criticize him he will attack them. Which is like...the most likely thing to ever happen.

They do know. I saw a publication on here earlier from a Kentucky distillery that used the wording "retaliatory tariffs" - retaliation to what, ya ding dongs?! Oh yeah, Putin's cock-warmer's tariffs.

Conservatives always expect to be able to attack people and expect no repercussions. It happens in basically every aspect of their platform.

#reddit #politics #economics #economy #USA #canada #donald trump #my gif

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liketwoswansinbalance · 1 year ago

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In a Modern AU:

For context, Rhian is a literature professor who has to deliver a talk at a conference about the chivalric romance genre, and he can't drive himself safely while his stomach is turning with anxiety. And besides, he has to rehearse his speech. However, he did not agree to Rafal being the one to drive him.

[Rhian is standing by the side of the road, on the driveway. Rafal is already in their car, in the driver's seat.]

Rafal: Get in. What are you standing there like a sluggard for?

Rhian: What! No! You're a maniac on the road, Rafal! I'd rather take my chances with Thanatos behind the wheel than you. I'll take the train to my conference instead.

Rafal: [shrugs and says mockingly,] Pardee, suit yourself, Eros. [He presses down on the gas pedal, and speeds off into the distance with an astronomical acceleration, tires skidding through a clouded puddle with a great SPLOOSH, soaking Rhian to the bone—all while wearing an expression that rather did resemble one of a patient who ought to be sealed in a psychiatric ward.]

Rhian: [He remains dead still, trying to keep his hands from shaking with fear and anger, so he won't strangle Rafal the next time he turns up. Then, he blinks the frigid, bone-numbing slush out of his eyes and attempts to stave off the heat of public ridicule in his face, but he's still cold, wet, and redder than ever, and just heaves a resigned sigh.] I'll ready the straitjacket for when he gets arrested.

⸻

If anyone would to know what exactly were the references the brothers made, here are some quotations I've found to explain them:

"In classical Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the death drive is the drive toward death and destruction, often expressed through behaviors such as aggression, repetition compulsion, and self-destructiveness."

"Eros was the god of love, fertility, and passion in ancient Greece. Thanatos was the human manifestation of death."

"Thanatos, or the death drive, generates the tendency of an organism to seek its own destruction and return to a state of non-existence."

"In Freudian psychology, eros, not to be confused with libido, is not exclusively the sex drive, but our life force, the will to live. It is the desire to create life, and favors productivity and construction. In early psychoanalytic writings, instincts from the eros were opposed by forces from the ego. But in later psychoanalytic theory, eros is opposed by the destructive death instinct of Thanatos (death instinct or death drive)."

"Whether by "first sight" or by other routes, passionate love often had disastrous results according to the classical authors. In the event that the loved one was cruel or uninterested, this desire was shown to drive the lover into a state of depression, causing lamentation and illness. Occasionally, the loved one was depicted as an unwitting ensnarer of the lover [...]"

⸻

Also, you can expect the concept of the Thanatos drive to make a minor appearance in Rafal's psyche in TOTSMOV41, if I have the opportunity to allude to it. I think the concept just lends itself well to Nevers in general. And, the Eros drive, its counterpart, works just as well for most Evers.

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clonemedickix · 2 years ago

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EDIT- after I posted this and looked it afresh, I’m not sure he’s as handsome as I thought at first 🤦🏽‍♀️

OC Primer is a handsome dude, right?

Show of hands on who’d root for this brown eyed boy in a fanfic? Because I have a deal for you!

Rating: Explicit

Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence | Adult themes | Blood and gore | Under 18 DNI

Category: F/M

Relationship: CT-7567 | Rex/Original Female Character(s)

EXCERPT:

Primer and Boost were making a run for supplies, having taken a small squad to Ryloth for trading and purchasing. They wanted doonium for fuel, to supply their homes with warmth and get their ships off the ground. They planned to hang around on the planet for a while, maybe see if the men could get leads on other clones needing evac or help. The men disembarked the cargo ship and made their way into the city of Lessu, ready to bargain and buy. It didn’t take long to see it was a city more or less under marshal law. There were stormtroopers everywhere, and several fortified areas scattered around, all heavily guarded. They noted there were even areas of new construction, as if something had happened here fairly recently requiring rebuilding. Primer and Boost shrugged it off; Ryloth had always been a system at war, holding out against the Separatists as long as they could during the Clone War. They were a fierce and stubborn people, and the clones noted many furtive looks thrown their way from the natives. Primer nodded to his men to keep their hats down and heads low; clones were all rather easily recognizable since they shared the same face and voice, nearly the same build and gait. It wouldn’t do to get picked up by the Empire as deserters.

The men fanned out through the city, going about locating and purchasing the supplies they needed, but came up a bit empty when trying to buy doonium. It seemed the Empire had cornered the market on that particular product, taking over the mines and refusing to distribute the fuel to any other buyers. Primer noted the Twi’lek citizens seemed rather tight lipped and angry about the whole subject. They were mining the fuel, but it was basically being stolen from them right under their very noses. The city was uneasy, simmering in anger and ready to boil to the surface. It didn’t take the clones long to realize they should probably hurry their business and leave.

There was a bit of a to do happening on the edge of the shops, over at the landing zone for the city’s ambassadorial palace. An Imperial shuttle was standing ready for loading, and they noted a very tall, imposing figure in black, helmeted and cloaked like some kind of dark king. He was surrounded by a platoon of stormtroopers, and they were loading a group of what appeared to be prisoners on the shuttle. Primer wondered who in the galaxy that black figure could be; he’d never even heard of such a person before. Some of the prisoners appeared to be Twi’lek, but some were…clones. A couple of them suddenly put up a bit of resistance, and Primer was horrified to see the stormtroopers immediately start to beat the two men senseless while the dark man watched, his posture impassive. Boost stood next to Primer quietly watching the spectacle, and in their shock, they were noticed by a couple of the white clad stormtroopers on the periphery of the landing area, who raised an alarm that there were deserters among the crowd. Their cries got the attention of the figure in black, who turned his baleful glance in their direction, and ordered a squad of troopers to apprehend the clones. Primer and Boost turned and made to disappear into the crowd, hoping to lose their pursuers in the streets and warrens of Lessu.

This move only made the Man in Black send more troopers after them, and he evidently had little compunction about harming innocent civilians. He ordered his men to tear the city apart, spare no shop or street vendor in their search for the wayward clones, and Primer and his squad soon found themselves back at the periphery of the city, barricading themselves against the front of a building and using random carts and shipping containers for cover. The stormtroopers opened fire as soon as they saw Primer and the clones dig in. The Man in Black hung back a bit, watching the erstwhile battle unfold, studying the moves the clones were making. They seemed incredibly familiar to him, tactics he’d seen before as if in another life. When a Twi’lek child wandered onto the edge of their fire, Primer saw it and darted over to grab him, shielding the boy with his body and basically throwing him out of the way. It put Primer near a trooper, who moved to fire on him with a stunning blast. Primer grabbed a lid from a refuse bin for cover to redirect the blast at the trooper, missed his aim on the bounce and then took the shield and belted the trooper across the body with it. He followed that action up with a roundhouse kick that sent the stormtrooper flying into a heap, and rolled back under the incoming fire to his men, taking cover behind their barricade again. That was enough for the Man in Black’s memory to click. Only men from one group would have used a move like that. The Man commanded his troopers to pull back, and requested reinforcements from their cruiser orbiting the planet to be sent to the surface. He also had them set up an automatic heavy Z6 chain gun to fire on them in the meantime.

Primer knew some element about the fight had changed when the troopers pulled back and firing stopped for a moment. “What just happened, LT?” Boost asked in surprise and concern.

“Not sure,” Primer answered back tersely. “They may have made us,” he said with a worried tone. He could see them working on setting up the heavy gun; they were going to have to think up some plan fast or they’d all be dead soon.

“Well, what are we supposed to do about that? It’s just us. If we can’t get out of here and back to the ship without tearing Lessu apart, what should we do?” Boost was worried - it appeared to his trained eye that they were severely low on options.

Primer gave his sergeant a look out of the corner of his eye and a small shrug. Damned if he knew, the motion seemed to imply. Internally, he was doing his best to think up options, but he was seething really. He’d been a fool, standing there gaping like that where people could see his face. How could he have messed up so badly? What would the General do when she found out they were taken by the Empire? His anxiety was ratcheting up a notch every minute a solution didn’t present itself, which in turn was sending out signals he couldn’t control, or block. Belatedly, he realized she would know. The General would know they were in trouble because of his shared connection to her, and she would come for them, regardless of how he felt about that move. They had put her in danger with their actions, because Lara would not leave them to be taken.

Boost saw Primer freeze in some kind of terrible realization out of the corner of his eye, and was turning to ask what was wrong, what new threat was on the radar, when it was as if silence suddenly descended on them in a vacuum. The Man in Black turned to the troopers manning the heavy gun and gave them the order to open fire. In slow motion, Primer saw them turn to arm the gun and fire, but before the first blasts even got to their barricade, the bolts were stopped in midair, hanging in the open and vibrating with their potential power. Primer closed his eyes in knowledge and in some despair. It was too late to alter course now, though. As if time suddenly sped back up and sound returned with it, they looked over to see Lara standing behind them, holding the blaster bolts frozen by means of the Force.

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eco-finders · 2 years ago

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Howlite/Cross Geobitty

Howlite bitiies have a wonderfully soft and peaceful energy that gently expands outward when used during meditation, prayer or spiritual journeying. It calms our spirit, helping us to find a sense of balance in our everyday life and to connect more directly with our Highest Self and other guides. Howlite encourages us to believe in our dreams and to not hesitate when action is needed. It is a stone of patience and wisdom.

Emotional Healing: Howlite bitties quiet the ‘inner critic’ which is often so unkind, and replaces that voice with one more compassionate, patient and tactful voice. Howlite helps us to calmly and clearly express our own thoughts and emotions and to better understand what other people are trying to communicate, both verbally and non-verbally. Howlite is particularly helpful for handling boisterous children in a loving fashion which nevertheless commands their attention and respect. Howlite can help us to better handle rude behavior or thoughtlessness of other people. It gently releases stress and irritation from our emotional body, and reduces outright anger by channeling it in a productive direction. Howlite encourages us to speak and act with true decency towards others and to encourage this humanitarian spirit in others.

Mental Healing: Howlite inspires good, thoughtful reasoning. It is a wonderful stone for scholars and students as it encourages a love of learning and improves memory retention. It inspires patience and a willingness to observe, experiment, and carefully analyze before jumping to any conclusions. Howlite teaches discernment and can help us to give and receive constructive criticism in a more palatable way so that it is easier to accept and integrate. It also reminds us to be patient with ourselves and our learning process, while remaining ambitious and eager to go after our goals.

Physical Healing: Howlite reminds us to pay attention to what we eat and make sure we get the nutrients we need. It can help us explore dietary problems, which lead to harmful weight-gain or weight-loss. It reminds us that the body wants to be healthy and balanced and that giving our body good food and proper portions is an act of wisdom and self-love. Howlite is particularly recommended for anyone exploring the role of calcium levels in their body. It is a lovely talisman for anything to do with teeth, bones, cartilage, as well as illness such as osteoporosis. It is also a sweet crystal for anyone suffering from insomnia or nightmares. Howlite helps us to calm down and to engage in soothing activities.Don’t be surprised if Howlite’s recommendation is “how about you have a nice glass of warm milk, and then hop back into bed.”

Do not dump them in water!!! It's can cause damage to this bitty!!! However it is okay to place the bitty in Moon water (water that is laid out overnight). That helps the bitty heal if injured.

Art by: ShadowofIgnite on Instagram

#howlite #Cross bitty #first generation #geobitties

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thesilentlands · 2 years ago

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-Next

Chapter 1: Beguining

...

The Silent Lands, many decades ago a silent rapture acured where all the humans gone in to war, this war left only few milion left alive wail the other billion went deep into the ground, unknowing because many have died a odd substance was produced from theier bodies, this substace was concious and could greatly speed up the ageing time of many or completly stop theier ageing all togheter, for some this was great but others where greatly afraid, the substance also caused the world to seam infinite but also small, after the substance has touched all it disapered, leaving the humanity to remain, any babies that where born had the substances effect also but it effected them after they turned 49 but they sadly die after one decade.after the substance dissapered another war happend, and another, and another until humans understood that no matter what they do they will never die. Then humans tryed to rebuild but have failed to do so, then they isolated them selfs in bunkers, building tech that was never seen before, like that they ignored each other, they ignored other cryes for help and anger, all the bunkers where considered dead. The humans that remained outside constructed small but tall cities that everyone on the other had was social and helped one another.

Our story beguins in a bunker, the lowest level of it to be exact, there are sleeping cuarters that are now long abondoned, its because the humans dont find sleeping productive since they dont need it anymore, but yet someone is there, laying aimlessly trying to get the poinless rest, but the sound of other humans keep him up. He finaly fives up and desides to join the rest, but before that he goes into the bathroom and washes his face and looks at him self. His eyes dont resemble any color, just two black voids that are trying to find keep same from all the argumenst and isuess that the bunker constantly gets, his dark brown hair looks undone but he lost the curage to keep it well, but he cares for well enought so no bugs would stay in there, his washed face looks as if there was no emotions in him, yet it looks some what friendly, his krocked nose makes him the main cause of laughter for others, but he knows that they would someday let go of that nasty habit, he also has a light goatee without the moustage, because he likes it this way, the boddy of his isnt the weakest ones nor the strongest one, the only thing that matters to him is that hes feed, many humans that chose to not eat become insane and they start to hurt others, his clothes consist of redwood red scarf, beige coat that resembled a lab coat, black tracksuit pants and reddish brown long shoes. When he looked at him self something sudently his him, he doesnt belong in hire. He has to get out otherwise hell end up like the others, he walked out of the bathroom, walked pass the sleeping cuarters and in to the elevator that broth him on to a floor where he had his things, he needed to pack up all the nesesary thing so that he wont miss this place. But before he went there someone stopped him, a "friend" of his

-hi there Michael how are you doing? -im doing good right now, how about you?- he said in an emotionless voice, Michael is known by many to be silent and not be social, he pretty much hates any human interaction, but sometimes he makes acceptions. -we are not doing fine right now... -what happend? -you see, for some reason someone took all the main keys, so if we dont find them we are pretty much stuck underground forever- Michael didnt react, and just walked away to his room.

After the door closed he punched it out of frustation, he wanted to get out soo bad but now his chanced where closed to zero, but despite that he desided to pack anyway just in case the keys would be found.

He packed his big backpack with all his things, supringly he managed to fit all the nesesary thing, after packing all the thing, he desided to take one last walk around the main arena. he walked outside to people rushing in to the storage room, he followed to find many people searching thrue everything.

-whats going on hire? He asked -somebody destroyed all the keys! But our scans show that there is one key left somewhere in hire -intresting...- Michael started looking around the trash piles that has formed, he and the others search for many minutes, then someone sudently yells -ITS THERE, RIGHT THERE- everyone stops and starts running to him, Michael tryes to go, but somebody trips him, so he falls flat on his face.

He lifts his face up to reavel the main key right in front of him, he quickly takes it and gets up as if nothing happend, he looks over at the croud of people looking up at a shiny small object sticking out from the towels. Michael realized that that shiny object was a spoon yet everyone became crazy about it.

That was Michaels chance to escape and leave without a sound, he exited the storage room and straight in to his room to grab his backpack and a sleeping bag, he left his room and came to the grant elevator, to only elevator that can access the outside, its titan frame makes it so none will break it in many years. He looks back at the empty rooms, then back at the elevator, inserting the key made the elevator door slide open without a sound, he stepped in and selected the ouside button, the elevator slamed shut and slowly made its way up. Michael didnt regreted anything, leaving them down there its the best thing to do, they had a nasty habit of stealing, causing arguments that dont make anyseanse and murder intensions. They dont belong outside, hell they dont belong even underground, but luckyly they are stuck down there, without a main key its nearly imposible to make another one, and because of they being them they will never make it.

As the doors slide open, Michael steps out in to a hallway that leeded to the exit of this bunker, but sudently he heard something, a sound for something approching, he stood completly silent and listened to the sound. Sudently something came from around the corner, a mechanical dog, with one eye that was glowing faintly yellow, he appered to have antenas that mimiced ears, it also had two broken tupes on his back, it had pretty long limbs that where ended with wire like fingers that had a small blade at the end of each, his tail resembled a scorpion tail.

The creature didnt notised Michael at first, but when it did they stared at each other waithing for each others next move

-hello?- after michael said that the creature started running away, Michael started to chase it untill they reached a dead end, the creature looked back, visibly scared.

-hey there, are you ok?- -*static noise* hurt... -what? - i hurt... Help? -what do you need? -power liqued... Please - the creature slowly aproched Michael as he searched his backpack from some power liqued valvs. Power liqued bacame a thing when the time substance was still a thing, this liquide is like a batter but long lasting and restoring when exposed to the sun, this is why the liqued is mainly used for mechanical things, to keep them powered even for many decades. lucky Michael found two spared glass tubes full of this stuff, he carefully removed the broken tubes and replaced them with the new ones.

Once he screw in the second one the dogs eye started to glow brightly, and it stood up. -thank you! thank you! -hes speakers voiced out without any static over it -whats your name? -name? I dont have one, just a symbol from my bunker - it pointed at his neck -see? V -maybe i can name you? -what name? -well since you have a V soo... Maybe Volt? -my name Volt? -yes buddy -buddy? Im a good boy? -well yeah, would you like to tag along with me? -to where? -well i dont know, ive just exited tye bunker for the first time in years so why not explor- Volt sudently scans Michael fully -Michael -yeah?- then Volts sudently bites geantly on Michaels hand, sudently a sharp pain, then Volts lets go, Michael inspects his arm to a glowing yellow lends thats been implanted to his hand -what is this?! -chip, your my owner now- he looks at volt puzzled, but then one of this eyes starts to feel weard, then his vision begones to change, he now can inspect things with only a look - i i can see your name! H how? -chip, its very special, and your eye became special too - well thanks -can we go outside now -well yeah.

As they walk Volt starts to talk about bunker V, that bunker was a crule one, using every human and machine animal to dig deep to find something, Volt managed to escape but in the proces his power liquid tubes were broken, he managed to walk all the way to hire to seek something or someone to help him. Yet he did

Both walk outside, when sun rays hit Michaels eyes hes blinded, when his eyes ajusted hes meet with an empty plain with only odd colored grass around him, -w what happend hire -what do you mean? - there was a city hire once, where is it?! -how many years where you down there? -...ive been there when the time substance still exsisted -analizing... The city is gone for 247 year now, you have a lot of things to catch up with -god... Do you know where is a city -yes, its many killoneters away, but about a two week journey can get you there -sure lets go then.

They both started walking, to lands they never saw before, to unknonw planes

The adventure begone!

#the silent lands #story #mechanicaldesign #Volt #Michael

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validrantswithmychat · 1 month ago

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Rant 3- 17/05/2025, 3:12AM-4:07AM

Context:

In our quest to be more inclusive people while failing to be inherently more accepting, judgement has often been disguised as “curiosity” or “intellectual discourse” when really, people are just uncomfortable with anything that doesn’t mirror them. Everyone’s too busy projecting their own imperfect mentalities onto others to actually care about compassion. We ask why someone’s angry, quiet, erratic, or avoidant because we want to help but because their difference makes us itch and we want to pin it down, label it, shrink it into something less confronting. But let’s not pretend this is about understanding. Because even when we do get the context, we still fail to show up with patience or support. Because our identities as individuals are constantly clashing; and that’s okay. We can strive to live in harmony even if we are incompatible. So why should anyone keep explaining themselves to people who aren’t listening to learn—they’re listening to rank? At some point, we need to stop playing therapist to the world and just accept that we’re all different—point blank period. Designed differently, shaped by biology, history, and society. That’s the whole formula. And instead of wasting energy dissecting what should just be understood, maybe we focus on how to keep the world spinning with our differences, not despite them.

Thought piece:

“The Construct of Context: Dismantling the Demand for Justification in a World That’s Not Listening”

1. Everything Has a Cause—But That Doesn’t Mean It Needs an Explanation

Yes, every behaviour, every emotion, every personality trait can be traced to something.

There’s always a reason. Always a context. Always a set of experiences, systems, and conditions that helped shape someone’s “why.”

People aren’t just randomly angry, entitled, quiet, disorganised, reactive, withdrawn, or annoying.

They’re reacting to something. They were taught something. They survived something.

Examples? Sure:

• Entitled men are not a mystery. They are the product of historical power, social leniency, and internalised superiority.

• Black women’s anger is not irrational—it’s the sound of boundaries being born in the face of generational disrespect.

• Autistic people going non-verbal is not confusing—it’s a nervous system saying “too much.”

• A child acting “naughty” is not just difficult—they’re overwhelmed, misunderstood, or unsafely exploring.

• A poor person lashing out is not “bitter”—they’re reacting to being structurally excluded.

All of it makes sense.

But here’s the twist: it shouldn’t have to.

Not for people to respect it. Not for people to honour it. Not for people to leave it alone.

2. People Aren’t Listening to Understand—They’re Projecting to Avoid Themselves

The world loves context, not because it fosters connection—but because it gives people control.

When people ask “why are you like this?” they’re not trying to meet you in your humanity. They’re trying to reframe your humanity in a way that makes them feel more secure.

Why? Because your unfiltered existence is confronting.

It reflects something they’re avoiding in themselves.

• When a man is challenged by a woman’s anger, he calls her “irrational” instead of asking why her anger feels threatening.

• When a neurotypical person doesn’t understand a blunt or shutdown response, they call it “rude” or “off” instead of admitting they fear rejection or discomfort.

• When a white person sees a Black person express rage, they pathologise it because they’ve never had to carry rage themselves—so they avoid their guilt by framing you as the problem.

Projection is how people cope with their own emotional illiteracy.

They call you dramatic because they’ve never been taught to sit with intensity.

They call you intimidating because your boundaries trigger their entitlement.

They ask for your backstory so they can justify staying detached.

It’s not compassion. It’s self-defence.

3. In a World That’s Always Changing, Constant Explanation is a Trap

We’re living in a time where:

• Identities are expanding.

• Language is evolving.

• Social dynamics are shifting.

• Beliefs are being dismantled, remixed, and reimagined in real time.

We are intersectional, fluid, and in motion.

Yet somehow, we’re expected to pause every five minutes to explain ourselves like we’re submitting a bloody TED Talk just to exist.

It’s not sustainable. It’s not healthy. And it’s not necessary.

The constant need to simplify ourselves into digestible soundbites for the comfort of others is a distraction from the real work of living—and letting others live.

We’re not static archetypes.

We’re not permanent data points.

We’re people—messy, dynamic, contradictory—and we should be allowed to feel what we feel, express what we express, without being reduced to a “case study.”

4. It’s Time to Let Things be What and How they Are

What if we let anger just be anger?

What if we let silence just be silence?

What if we let confusion, laziness, apathy, reactivity, frustration—all the “unproductive” and “undesirable” traits—just exist without an academic or diagnostic disclaimer?

Let’s stop intellectualising our humanity just to survive it.

We’ve created this bizarre social norm where only the traits deemed inconvenient, unproductive, or socially disruptive are dissected like science projects. If something makes people uncomfortable, slows down capitalism, or resists conformity, suddenly it demands a thesis. Why is this person so reactive? Why are they withdrawn? Why are they angry, avoidant, erratic, disorganised, defensive, loud? But nobody’s writing essays on charm or punctuality. Nobody questions the origins of confidence or charisma—they’re just accepted as “good” and therefore self-explanatory. But anything that challenges the dominant flow of power or pace must be intellectualised into submission. It’s exhausting. What if we stopped pathologising people for being hard to manage, and instead just accepted that some traits exist—not to be corrected, but to be navigated? Every trait is a surface-level truth with a deep root, sure—but maybe we don’t need to dig every time. Maybe it’s okay to just respond with presence instead of analysis.

#Spotify

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chryso-poeia · 3 months ago

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I can tolerate a handful of sexist posts but at a certain point, the energy that some of these blogs send out is so vile and counter productive, that shit can’t feel particularly good, nor is it constructive at all. ”straight men are disgusting” yeah we know, what are you actually trying to accomplishing?

As a matter of fact. Based on statistics. If you don’t want police to show up next time you’re in an emergency, hold that thought. If you don’t want firemen to show up or the military to protect you, hold that thought. ”But i’m already miserable and in defense, and i need to vent, so you can’t reach me” ok, good for you. Virtue signaling is like a nails on a chalkboard at this point. ’Spreading awareness’ is wonderful but when it starts to create echo chambers and negatively influencing a lot of people, i don’t know that it’s helping.

Besides you aren’t going to solve the global gender normative issues anyway, without being constructive and atleast trying to understand the deeper mechanics first. Pretty hard to do that when you’re so blocked by anger. So unless you want to stay miserable, process the pain and redirect your attention to things that don’t make you so angry. Pre-emptive measures probably don’t hurt either, neither does situational awareness. Check what you’re allowed to carry in terms of self-defense for example.

If this is considered insensitive or arrogant, that might be because i am a male, lgbtq at that too. So while i face and have faces similar challenges, i could never fully understand the female experience. I could never fully understand what it’s like to feel physically unsafe moreso than safe in daily life. So if you’ve been traumatized by straight men or several, it doesn’t take away from you or your pain in the fucking slightest. Neither do opinions like mine. It takes away from their character, because of what they caused you. If you’re in pain, that’s what it’s about, give that pain a voice without obeying the anger, or resisting it.

But no trauma or pain is grounds for sweeping statements or generalizations, regardless. That’s just what the brain does naturally. Furthermore, society at large perpetuates the fantasy of thriving through masculine energy, through productivity, survival, hardening, performing etc. But those same masculine principles do not survive without feminine, of receptivity, of play, of feeling, love, connection, nourishment, divinity etc. The feminine is literally life giving. However, it makes sense why it’s by far the most powerful. Not that comparisons matter. But i say that to say, you don’t need to harden (masculine) in response to stress or pain. The most healing is always to soften (feminine). This is especially relevant if you’re more driven by the feminine, which doesn’t have anything to do with gender.

So ultimately you have to make a choice about what you want to send out into the world, because it becomes you, especially if it’s subconscious. And no i’m not talking about ’positive thinking’ or repression. I’m just talking about the responsibility we have towards each other, as it regards our rhetoric. Because words are ultimately spells. The implication being one of intelligence. That’s all.

”Death plucks my ear and says, ’Live—I am coming’”

#sexism #echo chambers #media #internet culture #philosophy #my writings #identity #gender norms

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patchmenow · 1 year ago

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I usually dont do stuff like this, but i feel like i have to say it somewhere:

Disclaimer:

This has been written in a tired fit of anger. My thoughtprocess might not be easy to follow, as my brain is half dead rn. I am not attacking anyone, nor am I calling specific people out here. This is about a behaviour I have seen on multiple occasions from, too many to count, Twitter users.

(Please ignore grammatical errors, Im very tired)

If you dont like an art piece, don't be an ass about it.

For context: I've been on Twitter (X or whatever) going through some tags i frequent to have a look at the amazing art the community graces the platform with. Found a drawing that had been posted a good while ago and only like 10-ish likes. I wrote a comment on how i thought it looked insanely good. I come back to my phone having a message from Twitter, that someone answered to my comment. "What do you mean that looks so ugly"

I hate these comments, i really do. They make me unreasonably angry, even if it hasn't been on my own art.

For the people who see art, don't like it, and their first thought is "I don't like this, i'll share with the world how ugly it is": Please don't. Im not telling anyone to shut up and Im most definitely do not forbid you to share your opinion. What I am asking is that you try not to be so crude in your commenting, if you feel the need to share your thoughts.

A simple "This is ugly" is neither helpful to the artist or you. Such unthoughtful, in the moment, comments shoot down so many starting artists, whose skills, realistically, aren't on par with maybe that one artist you know that has been drawing for decades. But you might also hurt yourself in the process. There are so many people on Twitter who might hound you for insulting an artist they enjoy and might even go far beyond than a simple "you're wrong" (There is a very high chance that replys won't be as nice as my example. It is Twitter after all.)

The point that Im trying to make is:

Be nice and take a minute to think how your actions affect others, even if it's on the internet.

If you really want to share your thoughts on an artpiece you don't really like, try finding something you do like about it. Perhaps you like the colours? Maybe the scene that the artist was going for is something fresh and new? Perhaps even just the idea of the piece in question is something you enjoyed and start your comment with what you did like. And maybe try to describe *why* you dont like certain parts of their art.

Constructive criticism is the most welcome form of criticism. (or so I say)

If you can explain (or even just try to) why you dont like a certain aspect and then give an example on how it could be fixed, your comments can be a lot more helpful! It shows that you took your time to really look at the art and makes your criticism a lot more likely to be acknowledged and applied to the next piece!

In general: Let's all be a little nicer on the internet, because even if everyone is basically anonymous, the aftereffects of our words can have tremendous effects on others, it does not matter if we see the aftermath or not, it still happens. Insults from faceless strangers you might never know, still sting.

Again:

P.S. I am aware that stuff like this is so very common on Twitter and that yes, I am probably at fault for getting angry at this, because I keep using that forsaken app. Most likely, my post is not the first, nor the only, one about this topic. I simply felt like I needed to say it aswell.

P.P.S. I am also aware that I am not immune to writing rash comments or other various types of posts, in fits of strong emotion. This entire post is one such product.

#Rant #or does this count as more of a vent post?#It's my own fault for being on Twitter at this point #i seem to attract people who write insensitive comments without thinking #anyway #text post #twitter?#tired and angry #its very late #or early #be nice #my opinion #If you disagree with what i say or how I said it let me know #Im open to criticism on this

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satyawan9saitama · 2 years ago

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How to Channel Your Anger at Work: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

At some point in our professional lives, we all experience anger at work. Whether it's due to a demanding boss, a difficult coworker, or overwhelming deadlines, anger can arise in the workplace. However, it's essential to find healthy ways to channel and manage this anger to maintain a productive and harmonious work environment. In this article, we will explore effective strategies on how to channel your anger at work and transform it into positive outcomes.

1. Understanding Anger: What Causes It?

Anger is a complex emotion that can be triggered by various factors in the workplace. Understanding the root causes of anger is the first step towards effectively managing and channeling it.

Anger can be sparked by feelings of injustice, disrespect, or being undervalued. It may also arise from unmet expectations, excessive workload, or lack of control over a situation. Identifying these underlying causes can help you address the source of your anger and develop appropriate coping mechanisms.

2. The Consequences of Uncontrolled Anger

Uncontrolled anger can have detrimental effects on both your professional and personal life. It can damage relationships with colleagues, hinder career progression, and lead to a toxic work environment. Moreover, chronic anger can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being, leading to increased stress levels and decreased job satisfaction.

3. How to Channel Your Anger at Work: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Recognize the Signs of Anger

The first step in channeling your anger is to be aware of the signs and symptoms. These may include increased heart rate, tense muscles, irritability, or difficulty concentrating. By recognizing these signs early on, you can intervene before your anger escalates.

Step 2: Take a Pause

When you feel anger building up, it's crucial to take a step back and create some distance from the situation. This pause allows you to regain control over your emotions and prevents impulsive reactions. Take a few deep breaths, count to ten, or excuse yourself for a short walk to calm down.

Step 3: Analyze and Reflect

Once you have calmed down, it's essential to analyze the situation objectively. Reflect on what triggered your anger and try to understand the underlying causes. This reflection can provide valuable insights into your triggers and help you develop strategies to prevent similar situations in the future.

Step 4: Practice Active Listening

Active listening is a powerful tool for managing anger in interpersonal situations. When engaging in a conversation, make a conscious effort to listen attentively and empathetically to the other person's perspective. This practice fosters understanding and reduces the likelihood of anger escalating.

Step 5: Use "I" Statements

When expressing your anger, it's important to use assertive and constructive language. Using "I" statements allows you to take ownership of your feelings without blaming or attacking others. For example, instead of saying, "You never listen to me," try saying, "I feel frustrated when I don't feel heard."

Step 6: Seek Resolution and Compromise

Anger often arises from conflicts or disagreements. Instead of engaging in a power struggle, focus on finding resolutions and compromises that satisfy all parties involved. This collaborative approach promotes harmony and reduces the likelihood of anger reemerging.

4. The Power of Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in managing anger effectively. It involves recognizing and understanding your emotions, as well as those of others, and using this awareness to navigate interpersonal dynamics. Developing emotional intelligence can significantly enhance your ability to channel anger constructively.

5. Effective Communication: A Key to Anger Management

Clear and assertive communication is instrumental in managing anger at work. By expressing your thoughts and emotions openly, you can prevent misunderstandings and resolve conflicts more effectively. It's essential to choose the right words, tone, and non-verbal cues to ensure your message is conveyed appropriately.

6. The Role of Self-Care in Anger Management

Self-care plays a vital role in anger management. Taking care of your physical, mental, and emotional well-being helps prevent anger buildup. Engage in activities that promote relaxation and stress reduction, such as regular exercise, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy. Prioritize self-care to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

7. Creating a Supportive Work Environment

A supportive work environment can significantly contribute to managing anger at work. Employers and managers should foster open communication, provide conflict resolution training, and address underlying systemic issues. By cultivating a culture of respect and empathy, organizations can minimize anger triggers and promote overall well-being.

8. The Benefits of Seeking Professional Help

If anger at work becomes overwhelming or persistent, seeking professional help is a wise decision. Mental health professionals can provide guidance, tools, and coping strategies tailored to your specific needs. They can help you navigate challenging situations and develop long-term anger management skills.

#anger #meditation

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hyperlexichypatia · 2 years ago

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One of the most common criticisms of "housing first" initiatives (programs to provide housing for unhoused people unconditionally without gatekeeping) is that housing first "does not improve mental health." Now, let's set aside for the moment that this criticism is irrelevant -- the purpose of housing is to provide shelter, not to "improve mental health" -- what definition of "mental health" could possibly make this true? As much as I try to critique and deconstruct the social construction of "mental health," how could it possibly be true that having a safe, assured place to live would not result in greater happiness, greater inner peace, less depression, less anxiety, less negative emotions, than living on the street? What possible definition of "mental health" would not be improved by being housed rather than unhoused?

Answering this requires unpacking the wildly different, almost completely unrelated, definitions of "mental health," one applied to relatively privileged people, and one applied to oppressed people.

For relatively privileged people, the concept of "mental health" is centered on emotional well-being, introspection and self-awareness, and the mitigation or management of negative emotions like pain, depression, anxiety, and anger.

For oppressed people, the concept of "mental health" is centered on compliance, obedience, and productivity.

Like most privilege disparities, this isn't binary. For most people who are privileged in some ways and marginalized in other ways, "mental health support" will include some degree of the emotional support given to privileged people, and some degree of the compliance and productivity training given to oppressed people, with the proportions varying on where exactly each person falls on various privilege axes. All children are oppressed by ageism, so all children's "mental health" has some elements promoting compliance, obedience, and productivity. But relatively privileged children may also receive some emotional support mixed in, while children of color, children in poverty, and children with existing neurodivergence labels will receive a much higher ratio of compliance training to emotional support.

One of the clearest illustrations of this disparity is the contrast between the "self-care" recommended to privileged people, and the "meaningful days" imposed on oppressed people.

Relatively privileged people are often told, by therapists, doctors, mental health culture, and self-help books, that they are working too hard and need to rest more. They're told that for the sake of their mental health, they need work-life balance, self-care, walks in the woods, baths with scented candles. Implicit in these recommendations is that the reason these people are working too hard is because of internal factors, like guilt or emotional drive, rather than external factors, like needing to pay the bills and not being able to afford a day off.

By contrast, unhoused people, institutionalized people, people labeled with "severe" or "serious" or "low-functioning" mental disabilities, are literally prescribed labor. Publicly funded "mental health initiatives" require the most marginalized members of society to work tedious jobs for little or no pay, under the premise that loading boxes at a warehouse will make their days "meaningful" and thus improve their "mental health." And unlike the self-care advice given to relatively privileged people, the forced-labor-for-your-own-good approach is not optional. People are either forced into it directly by guardians or institutions, or coerced into it as a precondition to access material needs like housing and food.

The form of "mental health" applied to relatively privileged people has some genuinely useful and beneficial elements. We could all stand to introspect and examine our own feelings more, manage our negative emotions without being overwhelmed by them, have self-confidence. We all need rest and self-care.

Still, privileged mental health culture, even at its best, is deeply flawed. At best, it tends to encourage a degree of self-centeredness and condescension. It's obsessed with classifying experiences as "trauma" or "toxic." It's one of the worst culprits in feeding the "long adolescence" phenomenon and generally perpetuating the idea that treating people as incompetent is doing them a kindness. Even the best therapists serving the most privileged clients have a strong tendency towards gaslighting and "correcting" people about their own feelings and desires.

But perhaps the worst consequence of privileged mental health culture is that it gives cover to the dehumanizing, abusive, compliance-oriented "mental health care" forced upon the most marginalized people. Privileged people are encouraged to universalize their experiences with sentiments like "We all deal with mental health" or assume that the mild, relatively benign "mental health care" they experienced are the norm, so what are those silly mad liberation people complaining about?

Tonight, I listened to a leader from an agency serving unhoused people talk about how "Everyone struggled with mental health during the pandemic"... and then later mention that their shelter categorically excludes people with paranoid schizophrenia diagnoses. So perhaps "everyone struggles with mental health," but only certain people are categorically excluded from services, from shelter, from autonomy, from basic human rights, because of how their brains happen to work.

As always, it seems like so much effort in the mad liberation/ neurodiversity/ antipsychiatry movement is spent holding the hands of relatively privileged people receiving relatively privileged "mental health care" and reassuring them that we're not trying to take it away from them. Fine, it's great that you like your antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication and your nice therapist who listens to you and your support group. Great. Go live your best life. But that has nothing to do with our fight against forced drugging, forced labor, forced institutionalization, forced poverty. It's not even close to the same "mental health."

#mad pride #universal housing #neurodiversity #anti psych #ableism #social services #mental health #poverty #housing #housing crisis #capitalism #late capitalism

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starr-fall-knight-rise · 3 years ago

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God of Chaos

https://www.patreon.com/empyreaniris?fan_landing=true

https://starr-fall-knight-rise.tumblr.com/post/182501791735/master-post

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jzEIdDAB4omdO2JcQVMObfrhLJ5kX4ONmSsLypM1ks0/edit?usp=sharing

They stood on the viewing deck of the derelict, one of only four still on their feet after the attack. Everette stood eyes closed in something akin to rapture as he swayed back and forth over the ground. A small, manic smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and every time his mouth opened a string of incoherent whispers would cascade from his lips.

Renegade stood next to the man clinging on to the last fraying edges of her patience. She had locked that other bitch away in the back of her head, but that didn’t change what had happened. She had the entire group of them in her grasp, and could have dealt with them then and there, but the other one had gotten in the way, actually taken control of her body.

Forced her to do things she did not want to do.

That fact was both embarrassing and rage inducing.

“You’re just afraid.”

Worst of all, she was still here.

“I am not talking to you.”

“Giving yourself the silent treatment, you know, back on earth they make pills for that.”

Off to her right Everette continued to whisper to himself.

“Will you shut up!” Renegade snapped, finally unable to contain her rage, but unable to direct it at the true target of her anger without choosing to punch herself in the face.

Everett turned to look at her, the manic smile passing from his face for only a moment, “You do not understand what we have accomplished here. HE is coming.”

The phrase made renegade shiver, and in the back of her mind she couldn’t shake the shard of ice that formed inside her head and sent radiating shivers down through her body. What made it worse: that sliver of ice, that sliver of doubt wasn’t the product of Maverick, it belonged to Renegade herself. Even worse than that, the smug satisfaction radiating from Maverick, who had sniffed out the sliver of doubt the moment that it appeared.

This time when Maverick spoke it was, surprisingly not mocking, her voice was soft and reasonable…. And she hated it. “Of course you have doubt, you spent your entire life trying to avoid this moment, to fight against apollyon. You know what he can and will do. Personally I don’t think you are fighting for Apollyon at all.”

Renegade snorted, but tried not to think too far on the subject.

“You are fighting because you are angry and rebellious, and they are the only ones out there to fight for. Personally…. I think we should just go off on our own. If I can’t have my friends then at least don’t subject either of us to this.”

Renegade ignored the construct in her head, but she didn’t have to worry about fighting Maverick for long as they were both interrupted by a sudden rising chill. It began in that sliver of ice in the back of her head and radiated out through her body. Though nothing outside in the universe had noticeably changed, to her it seemed as if the world had grown that much darker.

Wavelengths of orange and red became more saturated, and the shadows in the derelict behind her only seemed to deepen. Her heart sped up a fraction, her mind filled with the distant buzz of anxiety, like a fly trapped inside a fluorescent light.

Everett leaned his head back, eyes rolling and mouth open in a sick expression of pleasure, “He is here!”

Another shiver ran like a rat down the ladder of her spine.

“We must go to him.”

Even renegade could admit that was the last thing she wanted to do. Apollyon was not a creature in the same way they were. They talked about him in terms of he, and intentions and thoughts, like he had a body and a mind like the rest of them, but the truth couldn’t have been more distant.

Apollyon was…. Something that could not be described by words alone.

Outside the forces of the universe the architect had created. He and the architect were equal and opposite in all ways. Where the architect had a form, Apollyon had none, where the architect was a being of rules and law, Apollyon was a creature of complete and total chaos. In a world ruled by apollyon there would be no sentient life, no structures no, light, nothing, because all of those things require rules and are governed by laws.

But still she stood, following at the mad priest’s heels as they made their way through the ship and out of the airlock, leaving their dead abandoned in the altar room. With a flash of light and a dizzying whirl of colors the two of them passed through a warp tunnel created by Everette, finding themselves floating in orbit above the Necratorium. A column of light funneled itself down toward the planet’s surface as the souls of the living were slowly fed into the proverbial woodchipper to fuel the void machine.

Maverick shivered.

Renegade tried not to agree, but it wasn’t until she turned her head, and caught an eyeful of the void behind them that she truly understood. It only took a moment, just a single moment with her guard down, and she almost went mad.

She couldn’t have explained it, what she saw or how she felt when she looked upon apollyon, and words will never be able to describe what she saw. The thing, it was not an entity, not really, but a nonentity forced to take on a shape against tis will, but instead of a recognizable structure, it took on a cloud of color, shapes and impressions all set within a haze of rage, fury and uneasiness.

If she were to describe it as anything, she might have compared it to some sort of nebula, a vast fog of intelligence that spilled malice like a star radiating light.

And at its center?

A gaping well of blackness shot through with streaks of burning light:

Sagittarius A* the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy.

In that moment, past the fear and confusion and gibbering madness that tried to take her over, everything around her became suddenly clear.

Beside her, the mad priest cackled in delight.

The black hole, the one place in the universe they didn’t understand and had never understood, the place where time and light and space didn’t make sense, where all the rules seemed to break in impossible ways…..

That was the domain of Apollyon, one of his many calling cards left as indelible scars on the universe what remained of the world that came before. From here it was impossible to tell Apollyon’s relation to his dark phenomena.Was he spreading out from the black hole, escaping from it, did he live inside? Or WAS he the black hole.

It was impossible to tell and she found she did not want the answer.

In a moment of, what she felt to be weakness, she turned her head from the scene.

At her side Everette reveled in it, basked in the sight of his lord, raised his hands in praise to the doom he had called down upon them.

Doom she wanted nothing to do with.

Her implanted com system blinked with an incoming call, and she hailed it with only a short message of reply before grabbing Everette and heading down towards the surface of the necrotorium. Even past the faded hazy atmosphere of the necrotorium, Apollyon was still visible as a vast discolored streak across the sky. The ring around the black hole provides the light required to warm the planet’s dry, cracked surface.

Kaza waited for them at the base of the temple steps beneath the red haze of the sky, head tilted back to look up at what they had wrought.

She turned her massive head to look down at them, wicked spikes of her helmet silhouetted against a bloody morning.

“The end is coming.”

At the base of the steps stretching across the cracked earth as far as the eye could see, knelt an army in the process of prayer, thousand upon thousands of creatures both void and construct kneeling upon the dirt and bowing their heads to the thing in the sky. Black metal and spikes jutted up from the crowd in homage to their awoken leader as construct, void creature, and turned maker alike pressed their foreheads into the cracked ground.

Everett raised his hands to the air, and began to chant out a cry of glory to his dark lord, throwing himself to his knees and prostrating himself to the dirt, pressing his head down against the ground, rising up only moments later to hold his hands to the sky before bowing again.

It was a sick display.

One that neither Kazna nor Renegade chose to emulate.

Renegade, sickened at the sight, turned her back on the crowd, instead choosing to look at Kazna.

The tall Drev was looking older, though massive, and shrouded in apollyon’s cloak of swirling black tendrils, somehow she didn’t seem any bigger or more intimidating than she might have at any other time. Once upon this story, Kaza had been the biggest scariest thing to roam the galaxy

And now.

Well, there wasn't much special about her.

There wasn’t much special about anyone. Apollyon was going to destroy it all, and it wouldn’t matter whose side she was on in the first place. Apollyon wouldn’t be here if she hadn’t.

Nausea began to rise itself within her stomach.

Had she gone to far?

But no.

Stubbornness refused to let her answer that question.

She had done what she had had to do to get her independence, that was…. What she had wanted, wasn’t it.

Beside her, and inside her Maverick let out a soft painful laugh.

“What have you done”

“This wasn’t me.” She snapped

“No, maybe not, but you sided with these crazy people. Your rebellion isn’t going to mean shit if there is no one and nothing there to experience it. If apollyon wins he is going to take everything and destroy it. Even the meaning of your rebellion will be gone, because there will be no one around to think about anything, because thought in the way that we understand requires some sort of law to govern it.”

Together they turned to look out at the mindless worship happening beneath the necrotorium palace.

“Look at them, look who you threw in your lot with.”

The nausea only grew.

“Are you proud of this?’

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hauntedbythefanficsofmypast · 5 years ago

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Blacklisted

"Blacklisted…" Marinette whispered her face blank as she stared at Chloe's worried face. "Adrien and Lila had Gabriel blacklist me." Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she choked back sobs, she covered her face with her hands. Chloe moved quickly pulling her shaking friend into her arms. "What am I going to do Chloe? Fashion was my future-and-and they ruined it for me. Four years of college all for nothing." Marinette sobbed into Chloe's shoulder as both girls sank to the ground.

"I don't know Marinette, I really don't know." Chloe said quietly she pulled back and pulled a handkerchief out of her bag. She brushed it across Marinette's cheeks wiping away the tears. "My mother confronted him and he refused to unblacklist you. It ended in a screaming match and mother declaring that Bourgeois would never associate with them again. Mother has been trying to counter the blacklist but Agreste has gotten too far already Mari." Marinette sniffled nodding as Tikki and Pollen flew over to their holders tentatively, the other Kwami remained near Pollen's little mansion.

"There is nothing that can be done? There has to be something!" Tikki said with anger clear in her voice. Marinette gave her a sad smile holding out her hand for Tikki to sit in it. Pollen landed in Chloe's open hand curling her arms around Chloe's thumb.

"No Tikki there is nothing we can do. We just have to move on." Marinette said they could all hear the anguish in her voice. She took a deep breath stopping herself from crying. "Plagg," she called softly , causing the Kwami to fly over. "normally I wouldn't allow this, but I think Gabriel has a streak of bad luck coming don't you?" Plagg was silent before her let out a loud cackle flying around Marinette's head.

"Oh kid, you're my favorite Ladybug for sure! What do you say Tikki, want to take away his creativity?" Tikki frowned part of her wanted to join in, but part of her pointed out that she should be the better person. "Come on Sugar Cube, I know you want to get payback for your chosen." Plagg said softly, smirking more when Tikki sighed and nodded.

"But only once." She said looking at him with her own glare.

"It's funny," Audrey commented during dinner, she looked up with a smirk. "ever since Gabriel made the mistake of blacklisting you six months ago his designs have really dropped." She let out a laugh before taking a sip of her wine. "On top of that he has not only lost workers, but I heard there is a scandal going on with his son and the model of his!" Chloe snorted at that shaking her head, she took a bite of her steak. She glanced over at Marinette sending her a gentle smile, Marinette returned it before turning back to Audrey. "Mari dear, have you decided on what you want to do? I told you once I have absolutely no problem with you remaining here. On top of that I am more than willing to help you sell your designs under the acronym MDC like you've been doing with Jagged." Marinette glanced down at her food before looking up with a small smile.

"I am going to keep designing for Jagged and Clara. However I will not for others

, no, I have other plans now. Audrey you like my food, pastries, and weird drinks, yes?" Audrey glanced at Chloe in confusion before nodding.

"Yes I find it pretty amazing that you can make pastries from all over the world. Your apple pie is my favorite, although it is the reason that I have to work out so much." The comment caused the two young women to burst into soft laughter. "What does this have to do with anything?" Marinette smiled and placed her elbows on the table resting her chin on one hand. She smirked slightly thinking over her plan.

"You see they derailed my dream just a bit, yes, but I have two loyal customers so I'm not completely stuck. I am not a one trick pony, I have a lot of talents." The mother and daughter were silent both confused, causing Marinette to laugh softly. "I was raised in a bakery, and my Great Uncle is a world renowned chef. I think a restaurant is in my future." Audrey smirked as she held her wine glass up.

"You see Mari, this is why you're one of my favorites, you never let anything keep you down. You'll have my backing and my husband's as well. With Chloe's help we are going to make your restaurant a hit." She shared a smile with her daughter knowing that Marinette's restaurant would be a hit when it opened. "Just one question Mari, what is the theme?" Marinette smirked looking over at Chloe with a twinkle in her eye.

"It's going to be subtlety themed around Paris's heros. Ladybug, Lynx(Felix), Viperion, Ryuko, Queen Bee and current Honeywell. Each hero will have their own signature dish. That is their personal favorite, Ladybug's is macaroons with her famous spotted design. Lynx's is Soupe à l'oignon, and so on. Desserts will be specially designed after their hero., While meals will be served on dishes resembling their costumes."

“Well, you know you’ll have my full backing. Once you pick the perfect location I will have construction workers on the site, and once they’re done interior decorators to listen to your every input! On top of that I will make sure to talk up your restaurant to every business partner I have.” Audrey declared gently dabbing around her mouth with a napkin. She placed the napkin down before standing up; she made her way to Chloe grabbing her daughter's face and kissing her forehead gently, before doing the same to Marinette. “Now it is time for me to retire to bed. Don’t stay up too late girls!” She waved walking to the door nodding when Butler Jean opened the door for her. “Much appreciate Jean.” She gave him a rare smile, one which he returned with his own. Chloe and Marinette shared a look giggling softly together as Jean closed the door behind Audrey.

“Well, Dupain-Cheng, shall we retire as well?” Chloe said mimicking her mother’s voice. Marinette snorted covering her face with her napkins as Butler Jean gave Chloe a stern look struggling to hide his own smile.

“It’s beautiful.” Audrey said in awe taking in her once protegees restaurant. The outside of the store was simple yet elegant. Cream bricks with black accents, the two large windows were slightly tinted and had the name written in elegant cursive. ‘Miraculous’ The outside sitting area was gated off with a station for the host that provided shade on particularly hot days. It was divided into different sections, for certain Parisian heroes. Ladybug, Lynx, Viperion, Ryuko, and Honeywell. Each section was styled after their hero, Marinette and the interior designers had managed to make it so the colors didn’t clash. Instead they gave off a look of abstract beauty. In the middle of the outside area sat one table that had a sign stating it was permanently reserved for the original Queen Bee. The table made Chloe shine with happiness that only doubled once she realized that there was also a table inside reserved just for her. The inside was much the same except in the middle of the restaurant their was another table for Chloe. There was a window that took up much of the back wall, displaying the kitchen where ten chefs were divided in two, each learning their heroes menu together. There were two hallways on either side, the right had the bathrooms and the left had five private rooms. Each styled after their hero. "I must say, I was unsure that you'd be able to fit their colors together. However, you and the interior designers pulled it off flawlessly. May I see the menus?" Marinette smirked a twinkle in her eye as she held up five menus.

"Five menus for each hero. Which one would you like to see? The waiters and waitresses are instructed to request what hero's menu they would like to eat from. Each has eight different meals, five deserts, one specialty drink, and specialty salad, the only thing they have in common is drinks. side salads and soups. Two waiters and two chefs for each hero, more will be added if needed. The chefs have their own spaces together in the kitchen." Marinette surveyed the restaurant, a smile taking over her face as she took in her finished product. Butler Jean walked up placing a hand on her shoulder, his gentle smile already present.

"If I may break character for just a second, I must say and I'm sure Mistress Bourgeois and Mistress Chloe agree, I am quite proud of you Miss Marinette. You've truly outdone yourself." Chloe nodded and came up hugging Marinette's arm smiling at her as Marinette started to tear up. The tears didn't fall until Audrey placed her hand on the back of Marinette's head, a rare smile on her face.

"Thank you for everything." She whispered softly, smiling brightly at them.

"Don't bemused, it's just the news! Nadja Chamack back again! Good afternoon Paris! New in Paris today, I'm sure you have all heard of the hit restaurant Miraculous that only opened a week ago! Well Paris, I have the inside scoop for you today! I was invited by the owner of the restaurant just last night! Now I am sure you are all wondering! Nadja, how did you get a direct invitation?! I was shocked too! Only to discover the owner of the restaurant was my goddaughter Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Marinette is twenty-three years old and now owns one of the most popular restaurants in Paris! Let me tell you! The restaurant is absolutely beautiful and styled after our heroes, you all know Ladybug is my personal favorite. So Marinette set up a private room for my daughter and me. She has five private rooms, all designated with a specific hero, so obviously my room was Ladybug's! I must say the restaurant is truly one of a kind! Marinette has out done herself, and its not just me saying that. Jagged Stone, Audrey Bourgeois, Clara Nightingale, and even some famous actors and musicians have all gone to Miraculous this past week. Each one had raving reviews, so much so that many celebrities and even some heroes are coming to Paris just to eat there. Pictures on Jagged's and Clara's Instagrams show them posing with a bright eyed Marinette, in one of the private rooms together! I think Paris agrees with me when I say this, congratulations Marinette, and I must say this to my goddaughter, I'm so proud of you Marinette. Now it’s time for sports-" Lila paused the tv glaring at is as she stared at the picture of Marinette between Jagged and Clara. She screamed throwing the remote at the wall, causing Adrien to tense up in their share kitchen. He sighed glaring down at his coffee only sparing a glance at the tv as he stirred.

'When will she stop causing problems, I seriously thought she was more mature than this. But no she just has to keep thrusting herself into the spotlight knowing it'll piss Lila off.' He shook his head turning to watch his fiance finish her tantrum, as a smirk covered her face, a plan clearly forming. Only briefly did he wonder what the new lie was going to be this time. 'I am surprised she didn't just give up when we ruin her dream. Lila and father thought for sure that would break her.' He glanced down at his right hand where the ring use to rest anger growing in his chest. 'She deserves it, if she had just kept her mouth shut things would be different. No, she had to tell Ladybug everything when she discovered my identity. If it wasn't for her I'd still be Chat Noir, things would be different. I'd be with the love of my life and out of my father's control. This is all her fault, she deserves to be ruined.' Lila turned to him with a predatory smirk, her eyes glinting in the light as she walked up to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck leaning against him standing on her toes as she lifted one leg into the air. She bit her lip before kissing him and pulling back their lips barely touching as they stared into each others eyes.

" We're going to get reservations at her crappy little restaurant, and we are going to destroy it and her name for good." Adrien smiled and placed his mug down wrapping his arms around her waist. He pulled her closer kissing her deeply before pulling back

"I'll have Nathalie set them up for us under my name. Now go get dressed, we have a photoshoot at 5." He let Lila go picking up his phone and texting Nathalie as Lila went to the shared room in their penthouse. He picked his coffee back up and starred at the picture of Marinette on the tv a smirk crossing his face.

Two days later however they were all furious when the reservations were denied under all their names. They were only given reservations after using a fake name. When the day came they were dressed to impress and arrived in a limo. Lila smirked before letting her mask fall into place, as paparazzi turned to them and started taking pictures. She wrapped her arms around Adrien's arm giggling and waving at them until they reached the door only to be stopped by two guards and a hostess who was looking down at her book. "Name?"

"We are under Anthony Stewart." Adrien said smiling charmingly. The host ran her finger down the book till she came to the name. She nodded and looked up glancing at them before turning to the guards only to turn back surprised.

"I apologize we do have a Anthony Stewart down for reservations but you are not him." Adrien smiled nodding to her glancing at Lila.

"Yes, you see my assistant set up the reservation for us under his name." The hostess gave them a tight smile before nodding politely.

"Yes we do allow that to be done here. Unfortunately I am still not allowed to let you in." She said holding back a smirk at their shocked faces as the cameras began to take even more pictures.

"What do you mean you're not allowing us in?!" Lila said anger displayed clearly on her face.

"I'm truly sorry, here Maya let me take over while you take care of our other guests." Marinette said as she stepped out of the restaurant. She hair was pulled into an elegant up do, still wearing her signature black earrings. However she had a simple pairing of silver glasses on and was wearing a pink pencil skirt a white ruffled top and a black blazer. Her nails were a soft pink matching her toes as she wore black open toed heels. Both Adrien and Lila saw the glint in her eye even though she was smiling politely at them. "I really hoped you would all take the hint when reservations under your name were all rejected. You see I refuse to allow petty drama cause problems for my restaurant, and I'm afraid that you two bring drama with you where ever you go. However I can see my hint was not noticed so I'll tell you myself. Lila Rossi, Adrien Agreste, you two and your families are banned from setting foot into my restaurant. So sorry, but after you two repeatedly bullied me, spread lies about me and tried to ruin my future, I simply couldn't find it in myself to allow you in. Now please leave, your blocking other customers." Marinette turned and began to walk back into the restaurant until Adrien grabbed her arm dragging her back roughly.

"Now listen here Marinette!" He started until Marinette turned to him no fear in her eyes as she drew her free arm back and decked him. Adrien released her arm falling backwards holding his nose in pain, Marinette falling to the ground holding her arm gingerly.

"How dare you!?!" Lila snapped dropping down and wrapping her arms around Adrien's shoulders protectively, glaring at Marinette attempting to play the victims. "Thats it! We are sueing you for everything you have, I can't believe you just assaulted Adrien!" She smirked as she watched an officer get out of her car and advance on them. "Officer! Officer please arrest her! She just assaulted my fiance!" Lila cried out as tears began to fall.

"I'm afraid I'll be taking Mr. Agreste into custody instead Miss Rossi. I was here the entire time and I watched him grab Miss Dupain-Cheng roughly. He assaulted her and she defended herself." Sabrina said staring down at the two as Lila looked up at her in shock. Another officer pulled up with his lights on and stepped out of the car. "Raincomprix, an ambulance is on the way to fix his nose before I take him in. Please make sure to get the photographers names, emails and numbers so that we can get pictures and possibly videos. Then take Miss Dupain-Cheng statement along with pictures of her and her arm, I'll take his pictures. After that get witness statements." Sabrina nodded before pulling out her notebook and walking over to the paparazzi. A few minutes later an ambulance pulled up and took care of Adrien before he was escorted to the back of the police car. Lila stood watching in shock, her mind running a mile a minute, she was quick to flee the scene once she realized pictures were still being taken.

The next day they were all over the news and everyone was on Marinette's side. Videos and pictures were all over social media and Gabriel's lawyers told him that there was no way they could save Adrien from being guilty unless they took a plea bargain. Adrien would admit his guilt and instead of jail time he had to pay Marinette a settlement and was given a restraining order to not come within fifty feet of her for five years. Gabriel's brand took a great hit and for a while Lila and Adrien couldn't step outside with out receiving glares or being refused business. Their reputations were dearly hurt and it didn't look like they'd ever be fixed. While Marinette was higher than ever everyone viewing her as a strong and amazing person after she didn't let his attack hold her back. This drove them crazy but they knew they couldn't do anything, Lila however decided that Hawkmoth just needed to target Marinette. Unluckily for them, it was that targeting that gave away Gabriel's identity to Ladybug and the Miraculous team.

A few months later it was breaking news when the Miraculous team brought in Gabriel, Natalie, and Lila and exposed them as Hawkmoth and Mayura, and that Lila was working with them. Adrien was spared after Ladybug revealed that he was Chat Noir. Everyone was ecstatic, parties were thrown and statues of the heros were placed in different parts of the city. It was shortly after that it was revealed that Gabriel blacklisted many people and allowed his designers to steal work in the hopes that they'd get others akumatized. Marinette was ecstatic that her name in fashion was cleared but she told the press she wasn't planning on going back into fashion. That only a few people would receive her designs, and they would only be those that Clara or Jagged recommended. It was a few months later that Gordon Ramsey visited her restaurant everyone was expecting Ramsey to find something to tear apart and were extremely surprised when he made a tweet praising Marinette's meals and her chefs talents. It actually spurred a friendship between the two and soon Gordon was added to the list of people that received her designs. After this everyone was going to Marinette's restaurant, they had reservations book 6 months out. Every day there is new pictures of celebrities at the restaurant Marinette was the new name in restaurants and cooking. She even agreed to star on some cooking shows. Her favorite guest spot was on Nailed it. The show was themed after heroes Jacques Torres made cupcakes specialized after America's heros, while Marinette made a five tier cake, each tier representing a different Parisian hero. Marinette lost it when she saw the cupcakes for Batman and Robin she couldn't stop laughing and immediately took pictures. Marinette and Jacques held multiple conversations in French, both struggling not to laugh as Nicole made faces at them. When Marinette pulled out the money gun she flicked her head done and a pair of Eiffel Tower shaped glasses covered her face. She looked at Nicole seriously and nodded before saying she was ready to complete the mission. This cause Nicole to burst into laughter. After the winner was announced Marinette made another announcement, all three contestants and their family had an all expenses paid trip to Paris and a free meal at her restaurant Miraculous. It was shortly after that, that Marinette began to open more restaurants starting in each heroes city. Twenty-five percent of their earnings went to either the heros in question or a charity that they picked. Marinette's restaurants got popular quickly and soon she was named the youngest billionaire and only twenty-five years old. Everyone was shocked when majority of her money was put towards charity and thar she began different foundations to help others. She even began programs to pay for peoples schooling in university and colleges. Soon she was invited to charity events all over the world, from the Maria Stark Foundation to the Martha Wayne charity Gala. When she is twenty-six Marinette moves out of Audrey's penthouse and travels between different homes until settling down into a penthouse in New York. Audrey and Chloe both follow her over Audrey simply returning and establishing New York as her base of operations once again.

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monsillage · 3 years ago

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“What chronic worry does over time is recreate the impotence many of us felt as children. This chronic disempowerment, over time, creates a victim mentality. One of the most troubling features of victim mentality is that it makes you believe you are protecting yourself, when in reality, seeing yourself as a victim gives you the permission to retreat from your challenges, which reinforces a sense of helplessness. In this way, victim mentality forms a self-reinforcing loop of helplessness and retreat. If you maintain a victim mentality, you can never overcome your anxiety and alarm because you are paralyzed by them.

This state of affairs further chips away at your self-confidence, eroding your faith in your own abilities and holding you back from breaking free of the very victim mentality you yourself are perpetuating.

Productive anger and mobilization allow you to see aspects of your true self that you may have lost as a child and are constructive ways out of victim mentality. Healthy anger shows you are not helpless—far from it—and that you can gain confidence in and depend on yourself for self-soothing and self-care. Worriers perceive themselves as victims and don't have the confidence to soothe themselves, and that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So the key, as always, is awareness. It may take a while to notice how you disempower yourself and hold yourself immobile because you have become so numb to your own anger and helplessness that you don't even see it anymore.

If you struggle with chronic worry, there is a good chance you were a victim to a form of abuse or abandonment as a child, at a time you had little power.

There is a good chance you adapted to the futility by repressing your anger and adopting a victim mentality. It was just too demoralizing to become angry or try to fight back when you had no power to change the situation, so to minimize stress, you just gave up the fight, like an animal that is cornered by a predator and has no other option but to play dead.

This is the problem with many of our childhood defence mechanisms like adopting a victim mentality: we make the assumption that because that defence worked in childhood, it will always work. That erroneous and neurotic assumption is stored in us as unconscious implicit memory, and it's frickin' powerful.

Know that you are not in the powerless situation you were as a child. It's okay now to mobilize with anger (notice I did not say rage), and it is more than okay to stand up for yourself and stand up against your worries.”

#anxiety Rx book #Thoughts

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sparkledfirecracker · 4 years ago

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Deeds For The Big Screen

I see writing as a form of creative artwork with everyone having its own liking or preference to it.

Do not interact if you are uncomfortable with any of the given warnings or if you are a minor.

Your media consumption is your own responsibility, proceed to read with care. Warnings have been up and mentioned, if I missed any please feel free to let me know.

Warnings: 18+, explicit sexual content, explicit language, sexwork, porn industry, vaginal fingering, unprotected sex, oral receiving (f), swearing

Rating: explicit

Pairing: Ari Levinson x Female Reader

Summary: You’re taking power into your hands when your actors don’t seem to do their job and are wasting expensive production time.

Word count: 3006

A/N: This might be a little rusty, I haven’t done this in a while, but some creators have inspired me to pick up writing again! Fairly new to Tumblr, despite having an account for years and having done zero with it. Apparently me dreaming about different story ideas has become a thing now. So bear with me here. As said; if I missed any warnings please feel free to let me know.

@punani ’s ‘The Fluffer’ was inspiration for the chosen work field. So thank you for writing that magnificent piece.

English is not my native language; my grammar mistakes are purely my own. Constructive criticism is allowed and appreciated, I won’t bite unless you’re being rude.

I do not consent to have my work copied, reposted or translated on any other platform. Reposts on any given platform have been reposted without my permission or consent. By reading this, you agree that you are at least 18 years old!!!

Please do feel free to comment, like or reblog.

ENJOY!!!

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Deeds For The Big Screen

Irritation bubbling underneath your annoyed expression, your lips tightly pressed together. Fingernails tapping aggressively on the armrests of your director’s chair. Your legs crossed, bouncing with frustration at the sight in front of you. It seemed liked the actors onsite were on a mission to make everyone’s life on set hell. Your hands grabbing the armrests your knuckles white from the intense grip of the edges of your chair.

You were a visionaire, adultery was your passion, you had been in the business for year before starting your own company. Focusing on the female friendlier porn demand had paid of well for you, your company was your pride and you thrived on the success. You ran a tight ship, time was money and currently both actors were wasting every second of it. The current creative project was not being envisioned at all. It had been meticulously drawn out on a storyboard, it seemed like everything that had been discussed and rehearsed was thrown out the window.

You let out an annoyed huff, it had been hours on end anything between action and cut. Your million-dollar superstar was propped on his elbows towering over the fragile body underneath him. His hips franticly pumping in and out of the actress underneath him, who was clawing her nails into his skin desperately. Was he really the problem or was it the useless woman caged underneath him. Her super loud moans that probably could be heard at the other side of the world and the quantity of clawing at his skin.

“CUT!!!” you yelled and everyone in the production stopped, heavy sighs heard across the studio. Your hands rubbed your face slightly not wanting to yell or lose control of the raging thoughts running through your mind.

“What’s wrong this time?” your most prized possession asked, the annoyance clearly dripping of his tone. He stood up facing you, his hands falling to his hips, sticking out his chest while his thick muscle stood proud against his pelvis. You couldn’t help but take in the sight, his cock was red and he was painfully hard. You licked your lips and took in a deep breath, trying to refocus on your thoughts.

“Alright let me make myself very clear here. The crew is TIRED and I am tired of fucking repeating myself” you took another deep breath as you felt anger rising “was I not clear enough when we had a table read yesterday and when we rehearsed this morning?” your eyes switching between the actors. No response “An answer would be nice, because that storyboard on the wall contains every movement of where body parts go during every fucking scene”

“Get the fuck out Y/N, you know storyboards only contains the major outlines of a grand story being told, it is different when you are pumping in and out of a body you know. You don’t always get to choose where a hand, leg or cock lands”

“Ari, we are in the god forsaken porn industry, that thick throbbing dick better end up in the fucking dripping vagina, between her lips or even in that nice and tight puckered hole” you could hear a few supressed snickers from the crew. Ari just kept staring you down “Right now all I see is stiffness, no passion, no fire and absolutely nothing that was on the fucking board or script”

“Whatever Y/N” Ari huffed, you rolled your eyes breaking the tension that was clearly building between you and Ari. You turned your gaze to Edie, who just sat there uncomfortably.

“Edie, can you just tone down on the moans, I know this is your first gig and a step up from the amateur adultery films you have done, but we are not in the cheap kind of porn. This is exclusive, sensual and soft sex. We make porn for the ladies and if it happens that men love it too so be it-” you clapped your hands together trying to get through to the actors in front of you “Also ease up on your facial expressions too they are just too much and stop clawing at Ari, we are not feral wolves in the outskirts of woodsy valley…” you pointed at her, the hostility evident in your voice, she just nodded your way she almost looked too scared to speak. Your attention turned to Ari, just by looking at him you knew he wouldn’t be able to take a lot more of your antics “-And for you mister, I need more open posture. We want to see those muscles work underneath that toned skin of yours. Flex them a little, you want the person watching this to drool from their mouths while their vaginas or arseholes are begging for your majestic cock. Yes, we can do this all rough and tough, but with this project we want fire, passion and mind-blowing sex. Understood?”

Both pornstars nodded your way and you sat back down in your chair. The actors taking their spots again, you raised your hand, cues being called across the room.

“ACTION!” Edie tried her utter best to contain her excessive sounds, but she looked like she was about to take a dump “CUT!”

“Y/N, what the fuck is wrong with you?” Ari yelled, jumping of the small platform, grabbing his robe from the floor, storming your way while putting on his robe, you got off your chair.

“Is it really that hard to do what I am asking? Edie you look like you are about to take a dump right in front of the camera” you lost control of the anger that had been boiling inside of you. Ari bumped into you, almost knocking you down, it must have been on purpose as you could sense his anger “where the fuck do you think you are going?” he spun on his heels

“I have been edged for hours on end, I need some form of release and it looks like our director is not going to let us get any release for a few more hours” Ari spat your way

“GET BACK HERE!!” you definitely lost control, watching Ari on a mission to march out of the studio “ARI I SAID GET BACK HERE”

“I AM NOT YOUR FUCKING A DOG!!!”

“YOU ARE MY FUCKING TOP DOLLAR DOG, SO YOU BETTER GET THE FUCK BACK BEFORE I FIRE YOU MYSELF” it was true, Ari was your million-dollar star, your company couldn’t have grown without him. He had been there from the beginning, you had him to thank for the success of your company and in return he had you to thank for his stardom.

Your words had made Ari stop in his tracks and turn around, the temperature in the room increasing quickly. You had started to doubt if the room had been that hot the entire time or if it was the arousal creeping through your veins caused by Ari’s deep angered gaze.

He charged your way his finger pointing at you and his mouth was moving, but your hearing seemed to have vanished. You contemplated if you should just show them what you meant or just call it a day. Things were getting heated and the crew was already exhausted enough. Your thoughts interrupted as your mouth started to speak.

“Do I really have to do everything around here?” you muttered under your breath “Edie get off the sunbed and put your robe on” she complied to your order, getting of the stage and putting on her silk robe. You took a moment to analyse your thought, to see if the voice inside your head would protest of what you were contemplating. Nothing came to mind, so instead you unbuttoned your sundress quickly before regretting your decision “Last attempt to film this guys, start rolling. Ari off with the robe, we start from the beginning. Edie take notes” you ordered around the room. Your sundress and underwear falling off your frame piling up next to your director’s chair.

“What are you doing baby girl?” Ari whispered in your ear as you walked backwards his hands holding your hips guiding you towards the double sunbed. His anger seemed to have disappeared and replaced with intrigue.

“Showing you what I want, but mostly taking what I need right now” you replied, he quirked an eyebrow, a smirk plastered on his face in approval “Let’s give them the show they want”

“The show you want” Ari chuckled as he corrected you, before narrowing his eyes a little “The big boss in action, I like it…” Ari whispered as he took in your naked body “I like it a lit” His confident spoken words made you a little insecure, but you hid it well trying to hold your nerves together.

You climbed on the sunbed laying back, your eyes wandered over Ari’s toned chest, his cock aching, your pussy throbbing. You licked your lips and the muscles in your core tightened with the exciting thought of him filling you up to the brim in a matter of minutes, you being at his complete mercy.

“ACTION!” you yelled

Ari crawled on top of you, your hands roamed freely over his arms and chest, his lips crashing on yours briefly before moving on to your neck and your upper torso. Your hands finding their way onto his shoulders, caressing the bare skin. You arched your back at the delight feeling when he sucked on your nipples, a low moan left your lips. Ari’s hands cradling your frame as he peppered kisses further south.

Your eyes following him, he looked back at you through his long lashes as two of his fingers tease your entrance, running gently through your folds. One thing was for sure, you were hot and bothered, all because of the eye candy encaging you in his porn play. He dipped two fingers in your aching core and pumped three times before they stilled inside you. His face coming up to meet yours, his eyes darkened and stole another passionate driven kiss.

His fingers starting pumping you faster earning a few unexpected deep moans. Your lips parting, your lust blown eyes were completely taken by the current moment. Your mind completely forgetting everything was being recorded. Ari’s fingers left your soaking cunt as he lowered his head and settled himself between your legs.

His mouth sucked your clit, you took in a sharp breath. His tongue firmly stroked downward on your slit, enough pressure for a controlled yet obscene moan to escape you. His tongue entered your dripping hole before returning his attention back to your clit. Ari’s fingers rejected as your vaginal muscle had tightened from the attention your clit was receiving. His mouth eased off and he pushed his fingers inside you, your cunt accepting, sucking them in.

The pleasure was almost too much, your hands caressing your upper body finding your breasts. With a feathered touch you rubbed your index fingers over your nipples, biting your bottom lip at the pleasure. Your touch made your nipples erect, the sensation spreading like wildfire through your entire body. Ari increased his pace and your moans and whimpers became more frequent, but in a more wanting and loving way.

Your back started to arch up and you were about to cum, when Ari stopped all his actions. Your eyes shot fully open to protest, but he shushed you by placing two of his fingers in your mouth allowing you a moment to taste yourself before retracting them. You watched him pump his hard cock with his hand, before he gripped your hips as his member slowly pushes down in your sopping cunt.

“Big enough for you princess” Ari grunted as he pushed fully into you.

“Y-Yes” the response was short and simple, your brain not functioning anymore when the pleasure had taken over from the thoughts. His tempo made your eyes roll backwards, your hips meeting his rhythm as he held a firm grasp on your hips helping and guiding you up and down on him. Without warning Ari stopped and flipped you over. A fistful of hair grabbed pulling you back, his grasp wasn’t harsh and only intensified your lustful awakening.

His left arm snaking around your waist finding your right boob, giving it a sinful squeeze, pinching your nipple between his fingers. He held your back close to his chest while his lips sucked pleasure marks on your neck and breathing heavily into your ear, whispering nothing but obscenities to you. Your arms lifted up and your hands fisted his hair, your fingernails scraping his scalp a little. He growled in your ear, you repeated your actions and he gave your hip a single firm squeeze.

His cock slowly being dragged in and out of you, your walls coating his thick veined cock. The squelching noises pulled from the juices being pulled from between your legs. Ari’s hands running freely over your skin setting it on fire. You felt fucked out and your orgasm was building rapidly.

Ari must have felt it as his hips started bucking up into you even faster, making is his mission to finish you. Your moans of sin becoming frequent again, Ari’s wandering hand slid in between your folds, rubbing your clit gently, pushing you even closer to the edge. One of your hands held onto his wrist holding it in the pleasurable place whilst the other placed on the nape of his neck, fingers gripping the hairs at the bottom.

Your orgasm washed over you as Ari let you ride out your high before pulling you off, laying you flat on the double sunbed. As you tried to calm your breathing he straddled you underneath him, pumping his member faster. The white strings of sin faltering out of his cock, you leaned up on your elbows and opened your mouth while he decorated your face and chest.

Licking your lips with his salty cum, you swallowed and stared back at Ari who seemed to enjoy the fucked out sight in front of him. When he had finished squirting his load on you, he cradled your head in his large hands, his thumbs running over your lips before leaning in to steal one last fiery kiss. You separated from the kiss and kept staring each other in the eyes for what felt like hours.

“Happy boss?” Ari questioned still holding your head gently as you nodded your head

“CUT!” you yelled, Ari climbed off of you and helped you up.

“WOW, that was amazing” Edie clapped being stunned by the scene that just had taken place.

“Thanks, hopefully a great lesson for you on what to do next time” you spoke, she smiled widely back at you when you walked towards your chair, picking up your clothes from the floor “Well done everyone, I think we all need a break and we’ll continue with fresh eyes tomorrow” a relieved cheer was heard “I’m off to have a shower, since I have become a Picasso art piece” you started walking towards the dressing room

“Worth millions” Ari spoke after you, you raised your middle finger at him without looking back at him. His loud laughter filled the room.

-----------------------------

You walked out of the building, rolling your eyes at Ari as he leaned against your car, one leg propped up on the tire, his arms folded and a cocky grin beaming back at you.

“There she is, my million dollar star” Ari clapped his hands before raising up his arms slightly and bowing down “I bless the ground you walk on peaches”

“Oh shut it Ari” you felt your cheeks burn, embarrassment bubbling underneath your skin. It was ridiculous, but you felt a little insecure “Hopefully good enough for what I want to get done” you continued walking towards the car, halting in front of Ari.

“Hopefully?” Ari raised an eyebrow “Peaches you were wonderful, you are in my top 3 ‘the best fucking sex I ever had’ so I guess for a retired pornstar you still possess your magic” you shoved him a little and his head fell back letting out a laugh “Don’t be embarrassed, I liked it a lot” his hands found their way on your waist pulling you into a hug, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“Thank you Ari, but can you move out of the way, I want to go home, I am little worn out” “Must be because of my majestic cock” he laughed

“Don’t flatter yourself, it doesn’t suit you” you giggled “Why are you still here, I thought you left a while ago”

“Couldn’t stay away from you peaches, since you performed so well today” Ari wiggled his eyebrows

“Had to show you guys somehow, you were costing me a fortune” you pointed out, opening the car door, tossing your bag on the backseat.

“Would it make a difference if it was done on purpose?” Ari questioned, climbing into the driver’s seat. Your mouth had fallen open from the shock and your brain scrambled for words and phrases to throw Ari’s way. You opened the door on the passenger’s side and got into the seat.

“Are you telling me you put on an entire show so you could get your dick wet on the clock?”

“Had to fuck the brat right out of you somehow” his cocky grin beamed back at you. You knew he was taunting you if it wasn’t for his sunglasses shielding his eyes “You have always been such a perfectionist, so I knew you would fall for my well thought out trap”

“Well next time ask me to eat a snickers instead” you rolled your eyes as Ari started the car.

“Might need another round of fucking the brat out of you peaches” Ari grabbed your hand, pulling the intertwined hold to his lips and placing a kiss on top. Your cheeks flushed with heat at the thought of how intense your fuck session had been and what kind of ways you both would fuck one another later.

YIKES, that was a true adventure!!!

#ari levinson #ari levinson x you #ari levinson x reader #ari levinson x female reader #ari levinson x y/n #ari levinson smut #ari levinson fic #chris evans smut

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kiingocreative · 4 years ago

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The Structure of Story is now available! Check it out on Amazon, via the link in our bio, or at https://kiingo.co/book

Performance coach Tony Robbins says that the quality of our lives depends on the state we live in every moment of every day. That state, whether we’re happy, sad, frustrated or excited, depends on three things:

• Our physiology — the way we move our bodies, the way we breathe and what we do with our face.

• Our language — the words we use, whether spoken out loud or inside our own head, to describe our experiences.

• What we focus on — the things we see versus the things we block out or fail to notice.

Today, I want to zone in on that final piece, because what we focus on is key, and it will in turn affect the way you move your body and hold yourself, and the language you use. I see this play out so much around me in general, and in the writing community in particular.

At any given time, the things we focus on determine how we feel and what we make of a situation. And what we focus on, in turn, is governed by the questions we ask ourselves every moment of every day.

Take your writing journey for instance:

If someone leaves you a negative review, do you ask yourself whether this means you’re a failure and your work is a failure? Do you ask yourself how dare that person belittle your work with a bad review? Or do you ask yourself what you can learn from this? Could you ask yourself how good it is that this person was honest in their feedback, so that readers with similar tastes won’t buy your book—and therefore not spend money on a read they might otherwise dislike and rate negatively too?

See how different questions would illicit different points of focus, and therefore different states? Some are more conducive to a positive mindset, whilst others tend to nurture frustration.

‘Why’ Questions: The Endless Loop.

And so it goes that by asking lousy questions, we get lousy answers. Because our brain has this tendency of taking any request we give it and processing it, regardless of whether or not it’s good for us. It’ll scour through the recesses of our mind and go on and on until it finds an answer.

‘Why’ questions are the worst, because there’s often no clear answer, or more than one possible answer to them, and it sends our mind on a chase to find as many possible reasons, processing like a headless chicken, often going around in circles, leaving us ruminating.

Take our example again: What if you asked yourself ‘why is this person leaving me a bad review?’

Now unleash your brain on that one, and let it roll with it—you may get:

• Because they didn’t like the book.

• Because my book is terrible.

• And if my book is terrible, then that makes me a terrible writer.

• Maybe I should just stop writing.

• Who was I to think I could do this?

• I’m clearly not good enough.

• Or maybe they left a bad review because they’re an idiot and didn’t get the brilliance of my work.

• Clearly they’re a moron.

• Maybe I should track them down and tell them just that.

• Maybe I should rally everyone I know on Instagram to shame that dimwit for leaving that review.

• …

… this can go on, until it loops back to the top and starts again. Sounds familiar?

What kind of state do you think you’d be in from obsessing over those disempowering, angering questions, never able to get closure because the loop has no logical end?

Empowering Alternatives.

My own experience of asking myself lousy questions, and my interactions with others within the writing community, have left me convinced that writers need to start asking themselves more empowering questions.

Because the way we tend to ask questions to ourself—those that breed anger, and resentment, and self doubt—ultimately only bring us back to two fears that sit at the root of it all: the fear that we’re not good enough, and the fear that we won’t be loved (or appreciated, or liked). These fears can be crippling. And that can’t be good for anyone’s art anywhere.

I’m writing this today to give you some more empowering alternatives. Some that I have used along my journey and have helped me improve.

Here are four examples:

#1 — gearing up for success:

• Instead of: ‘Why are other writers so much more successful than I am?’

• Ask yourself: ‘What I can learn from other writers to become more successful myself?’

There’s a lot of comparison out there. We know we shouldn’t fall into the trap of it, but it’s easier said than done.

If you see fellow writers thriving with their writing, their social media strategy or their exposure, try modelling what they do that is working and find what, from that, works for you.

Better even, reach out to people and ask them for advice—most people will be more than happy to share, and it’s a great way to build a network!

#2 — boosting sales:

• Instead of: ‘Why am I not selling books?’

• Ask yourself: ‘What I can do to increase my book sales?’

It can be discouraging to have published something, and to see your sales figures stalling. If you start wallowing in self pity through disempowering ‘why’ questions, you’re bound to start spiralling.

Instead, make a list of what you could do to help your sales along.

Here are some ideas that come to mind:

• Seek out book clubs and put your book on their radar. See if they’d been interested in reading your book and having you for an author Q&A when they’re done reading the book.

• Look into running promotions on Amazon (like discounted eBooks).

• Go local! Reach out to your local community and spread the word (cafes, local bookshops and libraries, local Facebook groups and communities etc.) and give them a chance to support a local.

• Contact your old school or university and enquire about showcasing you and your book as an alumni success story.

• Build genuine connections with fellow writers, avid readers and book bloggers. These relationships are a fantastic way to increase your reach and spreading the word about your book—and as a result, improve sales.

• Offer to do a read and review swap with a fellow author, where you read and review each other’s book.

• And so on.

If you start asking your brain to think outside the box, it’ll do just that!

#3 — the writer’s life:

• Instead of: ‘Why can’t I be a full-time writer and have financial security from writing?’

• Ask yourself: 'How is my present occupation helping my writing?’

• …And then ask: 'What can I do to increase my revenue from writing?’

This is one topic that’s been crossing my mind a lot, and I suspect many of us out there have pondered it at one point or other. If asked the wrong way, this question can send you spiralling into a frustrated state.

I don’t write full-time at present, and I have had my moments of daydreaming hours away, wishing I could live off my craft. That never led to anything very productive.

What I have found helpful however has been to focus on what my day job enables me to do with my writing:

• It takes away the pressure of earning a full income from writing.

• It gives me time to write and experiment with my craft in different forms.

• It enables me to look into ways to monetise my writing at my own pace.

• And that’s made for much more exciting trains of thought!

#4 — social media guru:

• Instead of: ‘Why can’t I manage to grow my Instagram reach?’ Or ‘why is social media sapping my energy?’

• Ask yourself: ‘What can I do to create a healthier balance when it comes to promotion efforts?’

Social media is a tricky one. It has incredible benefits if leveraged the right way, and it’s an amazing tool to get yourself and your work out there. In fact, I recently wrote a piece on the immense value of joining Bookstagram for writers.

But it can also be a drain, because the mechanisms of social media are built on the principle of addiction. It’s literally designed to suck you in and make you crave more, and fear that you’re missing out and not doing enough.

To avoid falling into that vicious circle, I’ve found it much healthier to ask myself how I can find the right balance to achieve what I want with my social media presence whilst also keeping my sanity. What this ends up being will look different for different people. If you’re unsure where to start, think about what you find challenging about maintaining your social media account, then what you find helps with your peace of mind, and try to find a middle ground somewhere in between that meets your needs.

Ask and thou shalt get.

I’m a firm believer in our ability to manifest our reality—at least to some extent. If you focus on all the wrong things, then your reality will look challenging and bleak.

If you train yourself to look for constructive ways forward and to get yourself excited about making the journey smoother for yourself, then finding that sweet spot that works for you can be a fascinating journey.

And that all starts with asking the right questions. Finding the right point of focus. Writing can be a wonderful, yet at times confusing and challenging journey. So do yourself a favour: where possible, take away those mind blocks that stand in your way!

Different questions about your writing journey illicit different points of focus, and therefore different states. Some are more conducive to a positive mindset, whilst others tend to nurture frustration.

#writingtips #screenwriting #creative writing #writers on tumblr #writers #writing #writerblr #writing advice #writing community #writing resources

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