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paperanddice · 4 years ago

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Ruin chanters are the personification of decay, but very specifically the decay of artificial structures and aspects of civilization. They become guardians of these sites, living in the crumbling history of great cities, forts, towers or other ruins. They carry a great sadness in their hearts, but bear it with a strong finality that causes them to refuse to see the ruins they call home resettled or robbed. These ruins exist to view and experience the history they carry and nothing more. Attempts to loot the ruins or repair damage are met with violent recourse with the ruin chanter using its magic and abilities to try and drive out all intruders. It's quite likely that if the ruin were to be largely resettled the ruin chanter would fade away, no longer a representation of the land it lives on.

Ruin chanters appear to be regular humanoids, and tend to replicate the former inhabitants of the ruins they are born from. Ruin chanters larger than medium size are rare, and even within the ruins of giant cities they'll usually take on a smaller size. On occasion the ruin chanter's magic may be influenced by the place in which they live, but the stats above indicate their most common abilities and form. They feed on ash and dust, and drink the water found naturally among the ruins, subsisting off of some sympathetic connection to the region rather than the actual substance. They most often wear earth-toned clothing, along with masks, scarfs, or goggles to obscure much of their face. All carry ornate weapons of adamantine, commonly maces but some will have alternate equipment. Their weapons hit with exceptional force, far more than such a simple piece of equipment should, and though they often carry the design of the ancients the weapons are born with the ruin chanter.

Creatures that enter the ruin to simply experience them are welcomed by the ruin chanter, who may even act as a guide. They are exceptionally solitary however and will never camp or eat with the guests. Even if they don't guide the intruders, they will always keep tabs on them, cautious of attempts to somehow sabotage the glories they hold so dear. Ruin elementals dot the region the ruin chanter calls home, ready to aid it in driving out intruders at a moment's notice. The ruin chanter's magic can lay a curse of premature aging onto its opponents, dragging them forward to near the end of their life for a time and weakening them significantly, allowing the ruin chanter to finish them off before the curse wears off.

Lair actions for the ruin chanter included below the read more, as well as some additional 13th Age fluff.

Originally from the 3.5 Monster Manual V. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as a spot on the Paper and Dice Discord server, consider backing me there!

5th Edition

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the ruin chanter takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the ruin chanter can't use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• The ruin chanter turns invisible until initiative count 20 on the next round. • A section of ruin within 120 feet of the ruin chanter collapses abruptly. Each creature within a 10 foot radius must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone and buried. The buried target is restrained and unable to breath or stand up. A creature can take an action to make a DC 10 Strength check, ending the buried state on a success. • The ancient grandeur of the ruin suddenly seems very intimidating. One creature of the ruin chanter's choice within 120 feet of it must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or become frightened until initiative count 20 on the next round.

Regional Effects

The region containing a ruin chanter's lair is warped by the fey's presence, which creates one or more of the following effects:

• Fog lightly obscures the land within 6 miles of the lair. • Whenever a creature with an Intelligence of 3 or higher enters the ruin chanter's lair, the ruin chanter becomes aware of the creature's presence and location. • The natural collapse of structures within 6 miles of the lair seems to slow almost to a stop, allowing the ruins to survive decades or centuries longer than they should have.

Ruin Chanter Medium fey, usually chaotic neutral Armor Class 18 (studded leather) Hit Points 212 (25d8 + 100) Speed 40 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover) Str 18 (+4) Dex 22 (+6) Con 18 (+4) Int 18 (+4) Wis 17 (+3) Cha 21 (+5) Saving Throws Dex +10, Con +8, Int +8, Wis +7 Skills History +8, Perception +7, Performance +13, Stealth +10 Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks not made with cold iron weapons Senses passive Perception 18 Languages Sylvan, Terran, plus any two other languages Challenge 12 (8400 XP) Call Ruin Elemental (1/Month). The ruin chanter can perform a 1 hour ritual, during which the weather within 1 mile of its location changes to heavy precipitation and strong wind. The ruin chanter must maintain concentration on its ritual and sing loudly for the full duration. When the ritual is complete, the storm disappears and the ruin chanter summons a single ruin elemental in a space within 5 feet of a 10-foot cube of rubble that the ruin chanter can see. The elemental obeys the ruin chanter's spoken instructions, and remains until destroyed. The ruin chanter can have a maximum of 5 ruin elementals summoned by this ritual at one time; if it summons a sixth ruin elemental, the oldest one is immediately destroyed. Innate Spellcasting. The ruin chanter's innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 17). It can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material component: At will: shatter (as 4th level spell) 3/day each: enthrall, heat metal (as 6th level spell), spike growth, suggestion 1/day each: antipathy/sympathy, conjure elemental (as 7th level spell, ruin elemental only), greater restoration Magic Resistance. The ruin chanter has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Siege Monster. The ruin chanter deals double damage to objects and structures. Actions Multiattack. The ruin chanter uses Chant of Infirmity. It then makes two weapon attacks or casts one of its innate spells with a casting time of 1 action. Adamantine Mace. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 20 (4d6+6) bludgeoning damage. In addition, nonmagical metal armor worn by the target is damaged and takes a cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it offers. The penalty can be removed by spending 1 hour and performing a successful DC 15 ability score check using smith's tools. The armor is destroyed if the penalty reduces its AC to 10. Chant Of Infirmity. The ruin chanter targets one creature it can see within 60 feet of it. The target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or be cursed and aged prematurely. The cursed target has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks, its speed is cut in half, and if the creature attempts to cast a spell it must make a DC 10 ability check using its spellcasting ability. On a failure, the spell fails to go off, though the spell slot is not expended. A cursed creature must make another Constitution saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it successfully saves against this curse three times, the curse ends. If it fails its saves three times, the curse remains on the character for 1 hour or until removed by the remove curse spell or similar magic. If a creature's initial saving throw is successful or the effect ends for it, the creature is immune to the Chant of Infirmity of all ruin chanters for 24 hours.

13th Age

The many ruins around the Dragon Empire give plenty of places for ruin chanters to inhabit, settling in the remnants of old Ages. They draw their power from these places and resist any attempt to remove their magic from an area. Few people appreciate a ruin continuing to exist in perpetuity, and so ruin chanters have few long term alliances as eventually their partner wants to do something more than look at the ruins.

Ruin Chanter Double-strength 9th level spoiler [humanoid] Initiative: +16 Adamantine Mace +18 vs. AC (2 attacks) - 40 damage and if the target is wearing armor it takes a stacking -1 penalty to AC (save ends, max -4 penalty) Natural 16+: The AC penalty from this hit increases to -2 (still max -4). Natural 20: The target’s armor is bashed up so badly it can’t provide any more protection; the target is now unarmored, adjust defenses accordingly. The armor will have to be repaired during a short rest after the battle is over. R: Chant of Infirmity +18 vs. MD (one nearby enemy) - ongoing 60 damage and the target is weakened (hard save ends both, 16+) Natural 16+: The weakened condition lasts until the end of the encounter. Limited Use: Each enemy can only be targeted by chant of infirmity once per battle. Flight: The ruin chanter looks like it walks normally until it simply steps off of a collapsing bridge. Stuck in the Past: The ruin chanter subtracts the escalation die from its attacks. Wallow in History: Whenever the escalation die would increase, the ruin chanter may make a saving throw. On a success, the die does not increase. If the success was a 16+, the escalation die decreases by one instead (minimum 0). If the ruin chanter rolls a 5 or lower on the save, the escalation die increases by 2 instead of 1. AC 25 PD 19 MD 23 HP 340

#D&D #DnD #Dungeons and Dragons #5th Edition #13th Age #homebrew #my homebrew #monster #fey #humanoid #long post

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akira-chaos-suta · 3 years ago

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Emperor Time Isn’t Kurapika Becoming A Specialist

This whole post started with me being confused on Kurapika’s hatsu’s and nen type, mainly on the difference between Kurapika’s SPECIALIST abilities and comparing them to born SPECIALISTS. It’s EMPEROR TIME specifically that confused me the most, eventually to the point that I read up more on Nen, Kurapika and other SPECIALISTS, and eventually came to the main discussion topic.

EMPEROR TIME isn’t Kurapika becoming a SPECIALIST, but it is a Hatsu he made and can only use while he is a SPECIALIST.

STEALTH DOLPHIN is a SPECIALIZATION Hatsu and does not need EMPEROR TIME to use.

I’ll have to explain a lot about this so please bear with me:

What is a SPECIALIST/comparing them to the other aura types (misconceptions of NEN)?

SPECIALIZATION as a nen type is defined by concepts outside of the other 5 nen types. Basically their main abilities/hatsu’s would concoct anything except the 5 nen types. Many people seem to think that being a SPECIALIST means that they can use all the nen types to their full capabilities (as if they were born with that nen category). This is most likely because of EMPEROR TIME which has caused a lot of misunderstandings in the fandom because of how it functions, which makes sense, Kurapika was the first (temporary) Specialist they revealed and explained outright. Anyway this is false, SPECIALIZATION still abides by the aura category rules, specifically they have the potential to use SPECIALIZATION up to 100%, MANIPULATION and CONJURATION up to 80%, EMISSION and TRANSMUTATION up to 60% and ENHANCEMENT up to 40%. Another misconception is that people have an automatic mastery of their nen category as well as mastery level of the given percentage of the other nen categories that correlate with your own. You don’t, a person still has to train to work up to your potential in the main nen category, as well as the other nen categories. "There are numerical approximations to indicate just exactly how efficient one would be at using aura abilities that one is not born into. Starting at one's own aura type, one has the potential to be 100% efficient at using abilities based in that category alone." ("Nen and Individuality" Nen, Hunterpedia)

Explaining EMPEROR TIME and why it is a hatsu not Kurapika becoming a SPECIALIST.

Now let's discuss EMPEROR TIME. My main argument is that EMPEROR TIME isn’t Kurapika becoming a SPECIALIST, but it’s a SPECIALIST hatsu with a hefty restriction, that one second using EMPEROR TIME takes away one hour of his life. My main reason for believing this is because of what SPECIALIZATION nen allows and what EMPEROR TIME actually does, recounting from the description and labeling of EMPEROR TIME in Kurpika’s wiki page. It is listed as only SPECIALIZATION ability, (this may not seem important but it will come back to it when we discuss how Kurapika actually becomes one, as it is listed as only SPECIALIZATION.) EMPEROR TIME allows Kurapika to utilize all the nen categories to 100%, but specifically for a CONJUROR. Meaning by activating EMPEROR TIME, Kurapika’s nen categories are automatically mastered in correlation to his CONJURATION status, not SPECIALIZATION. Which means his percentages are the following, 100% in CONJURATION, 80% in SPECIALIZATION and TRANSMUTATION, 60% in MANIPULATION and ENHANCEMENT, and 40% in EMISSION. So unlike other Specialists (and other nen users) Kurapika can automatically master all of his nen as a conjuror with EMPEROR TIME. But that's not all, while EMPEROR TIME can only master his Nen level to that of a CONJUROR, it also allows the force and accuracy of each nen category up to 100%. “This ability allows him to utilize all the types of Nen to 100% efficiency (for a Conjurer*). Kurapika explains this using the terms ``Level", "Force", and "Accuracy": his "Levels'' in the various Nen categories remain the same during Emperor Time, but his "Force" and "Accuracy" for every category are raised to 100%. Thus, if Kurapika's "Level" in Conjuration was 10, his "Level" in Emission (the polar opposite aura type) would remain 4 at the most, but his "Force" and "Accuracy" in any Emission ability would increase from 40% to 100%, making him evenly matched against a Level 4 Emitter.”* ("Abilities and Power" Kurapika, Hunterpedia). Wow what an OP ability, yeah but we know the heavy drawbacks of the ability. Now why would an ability that is said to turn Kurapika into a SPECIALIST be set to the standards and conditions of a CONJUROR? Because it doesn’t turn Kurapika into a SPECIALIST, it's a hatsu that is SPECIALIST in nature/creation that he can only use when he is a SPECIALIST (Scarlet Eyes) to boost his aura/nen abilities as a CONJUROR since 5 out of his 7 are CONJURATION (with 2 of them being couple with others).

How Kurapika actually becomes a SPECIALIST.

From what we’ve seen during one of the first scenes of Kurapika’s nen training, his aura changes (spikes) automatically once his eyes turn Scarlet. In Izunavi’s own words he said “When your eyes turn Scarlet your aura spikes. Could that mean . . . Let’s try water divination again!” Aura/nen spiking to the point that a New teacher wants their student to retake the water divination test again. This makes me theorize that Kurapika can transition into a normal Specialist once his eyes turn Scarlet (as it is a bloodline ability it wouldn’t follow the rules of nen) to which he created the Hatsu: EMPEROR TIME, meaning he can be a normal SPECIALIST (not forever as having his eyes scarlet does take an effect on his physical and mental health.) So if we're following my theory, Kurapika can transition into a normal SPECIALIST automatically once his eyes turn scarlet, from then on he has a choice if he wants to activate EMPEROR TIME.

Discussing all Kurapika’s Hatsu’s and their aura types.

A lot of people might be thinking. Does that mean that Kurapika does not need EMPEROR TIME to activate his other abilities and could just train his Nen categories?

Yes and no. DOWSING CHAIN, CHAIN JAIL and STEAL CHAIN don’t need EMPEROR TIME to work normally, but they are most likely enhanced minimally (DOWSING CHAIN) by EMPEROR TIME. Neither does HOLY CHAIN for small injuries or slow recovery time, but EMPEROR TIME allows Kurapika to heal serious and severe injuries in seconds (I’ll explain why). JUDGEMENT CHAIN specifically states that it needs EMPEROR TIME (I’ll explain why). Let's discuss the rest of Kurapika’s Hatsu’s, specifically why STEALTH DOLPHIN is a SPECIALIZATION hatsu and doesn’t really need EMPEROR TIME.

The DOWSING CHAIN is just a CONJURATION ability and is used for defense and offense. It’s main ability is dowsings, specifically it allows Kurapika to use the chain as a lie detector but only for one person at a time and if he is right in front of them, it’s unlikely that the ability will work efficiently if more then one person is talking. The chain can also be used to look for a missing individual if Kurapika has met them previously, I’m assuming. EMPEROR TIME allows the lie detection to increase in versatility and efficiency to the point that Kurapika can tell if someone is lying through video recording with the only requirement being that he has to have met the person beforehand. This is most likely because EMPEROR TIME would increase Kurapika’s CONJURATION to 100% mastery, thus his DOWSING CHAIN would become more powerful/useful. (which also means Kurapika hasn’t reached 100% in CONJURATION)

CHAIN JAIL is a CONJURATION ability and it is specifically designed/restricted to being only usable towards the members of the Phantom Troupe or the limitation Kurapika put on the ability would kill him. The abilities of the chain are simple, its function is to envelope the members of the Phantom Troupe and force the captee into Zetsu, forcing the prisoners to only be able to break out of the chain with their natural strength, which is impossible for the Phantom Troupe. The ability is very versatile as Kurapika can ensnare someone from a long distance, as seen with Uvogin’s first capture. This is probably the only ability that doesn’t have any need for EMPEROR TIME at all. If it was activated the only thing I can see it adding to is forcing the prisoner into zetsu the moment the chain touches them. Being Kurapika’s most unused ability it is unlikely it will see anymore updates on the 100% CONJURATION until the Phantom Troupe take more then one trip upstairs, for all we know the restriction Kurapika put on the ability has already pushed the ability to be 100% in CONJURATION.

STEAL CHAIN is a CONJURATION ability that allows Kurapika to drain his target's aura (which is said to be extremely painful to them), putting them into a similar state to Zetsu, allowing Kurapika to steal/borrow the targets hatsu. Because of this the target is unable to use their ability until Kurapika gives it back, if the target dies Kurapika can still hold onto the ability, but once Kurapika uses the ability it automatically goes back to the original owner. Similar to CHAIN JAIL, I don’t really know what EMPEROR TIME could do to upgrade this ability. Although I thought about it, other than forcing the target into a zetsu like state faster, EMPEROR TIME would make Kurapika’s CONJURATION to level go up to 100%, allowing him to conjure up collection tubes (where your blood goes into when the doctor draws blood) so that he can keep more then one hatsu/ability with him at a time if he doesn’t want to use the stolen ability at that moment.

HOLY CHAIN is CONJURATION and ENHANCEMENT ability that allows Kurapika to heal wounds and injuries through its ENHANCEMENT category, if the injury is more severe it could take the chain a longer time for his injury to heal. Because EMPEROR TIME levels Kurapika’s ENHANCEMENT to 100%, Kurapika can heal critical and severe injuries within seconds. So it can be assumed Kurapika’s level in ENHANCEMENT is good enough for him to at least heal average injuries, meaning he’s probably done some training in ENHANCEMENT as well. While he doesn’t fully need EMPEROR TIME full time (As Kurapika is pretty skilled and doesn’t get injured that much) the ability is pretty useful for those rare times Kurapika or someone else is heavily injured.

JUDGEMENT CHAIN is a CONJURATION, EMISSION and MANIPULATION ability and unlike his other chains, it is stated on Kurapika’s bio that he needs EMPEROR TIME to use this ability as his affinity and mastery over EMISSION and MANIPULATION is low, or low enough that he can’t use the ability efficiently yet. (IDK the percentage he needs for JUDGEMENT CHAIN) Which also makes sense why Kurapika didn’t realize when his chain around Chrollo was removed. This also makes me wonder if Kurapika even bothered to train with EMISSION and MANIPULATION, or if he decided to focus more on CONJURATION, SPECIALIZATION and ENHANCEMENT?

STEALTH DOLPHIN is a SPECIALIZATION ability that allows Kurapika to summon a Dolphin-like construction that is only visible and audible to himself. STEALTH DOLPHIN has so far been used in conjunction with EMPEROR TIME, the main function is to analyze whatever ability STEAL CHAIN has stolen, informing Kurapika of the abilities name, function and conditions, STEALTH DOLPHIN can also hold onto a stolen ability that Kurapika doesn’t need/want to use at the moment. Kurapika can then use the ability on himself or loan the ability to someone else by stabbing/pricking them with STEAL CHAIN, if that person is a non-nen user it will cause them to have their aura nodes open up. If Kurapika loans an ability to someone else, a listening device will appear on their ear allowing them to see and communicate with STEALTH DOLPHIN, who will then counsel them on the newly acquired ability. The ability that is loaned by STEAL CHAIN is fueled by the aura of the original owner. No matter who has ability equipped, the stolen ability can only be used once and then it’s returned to their owner.

If Kurapika equips the dolphin with a stolen ability, then he is able to use STEAL CHAIN again, but even if he transfers the second stolen ability he won’t be allowed out of EMPEROR TIME until all the stolen abilities have been used, thus EMPEROR TIME will remains active until all the stolen abilities are returned. Because STEAL CHAIN has so far been used in conjunction with EMPEROR TIME, I think the ability means to say that if Kurapika steals abilities and transfers them to STEALTH DOLPHIN then he’d eventually have to use those abilities or else STEALTH DOLPHIN won’t deactivate as it is technically still in use. During this time, the dolphin will regularly notify Kurapika how long EMPEROR TIME has been active if it is activated, Kurapika can make the dolphin disappear if it is put on standby. If Kurapika faints from EMPEROR TIME overuse than anyone else that is using an ability loaned to them by him will pass out as well. If we were to use my theory on Kurapika being able to be a SPECIALIST without EMPEROR TIME, then many would want to know why Kurapika activated it in the first place.

Other than EMPEROR TIME, STEALTH DOLPHIN is Kurapika’s only other SPECIALIZATION ability, the main reason that EMPEROR TIME is so powerful is because Kurapika put a heavy restriction on it, just like CHAIN JAIL. Well as I discussed previously about EMPEROR TIME’s actual abilities relating to a CONJURER nen percentage mastery. Then you know that Kurapika can only master up to level 8 of SPECIALIZATION, but we don’t know what level he is at right now, EMPEROR TIME would increase the Force and Accuracy to 100%. Therefore it would make sense for Kurapika to activate EMPEROR TIME to allow him 100% efficiency in using STEALTH DOLPHIN. You have to evaluate the situation that Kurapika has found himself in as well. He’s posted to take a position on as a bodyguard on the Black Whale that is literally goes in to a continent that is full of the darkest and unidentified creatures, he has Beyond Neterou to worry about, add into the fact he’s trying to figure out how to take the last of the Scarlet eyes from Tserriednich. It’s revealed that the voyage was a ploy for the King of Kakin to declare a succession war that includes the heirs killing each other and Kurapika is one of the two bodyguards left for the most vulnerable prince, 2 of which have already been murdered, and he’s had previous bodyguards betray and spy on him as well. He then manipulates the whole war to a stalemate by revealing nen, teaching Oito nen and then putting his life on the line by opening nen lessons to all the Prince’s guards of choice. The point is Kurapika is stressed, anxious and nervous, he doesn’t know if his baseline abilities will be enough to keep Oito and Wobble safe, so in his eyes it's best to go 100% at the moment.

Comment your thoughts on my theory and if you think I have a point or if you think I'm nuts! LOL

Here's a link to another doc where I was writing all my thoughts out of order. - Rough Copy

Nen | Hunterpedia | Fandom

Kurapika | Hunterpedia | Fandom

Explaining Kurapika's Nen Abilities (Emperor Time + Different Chains) | Hunter X Hunter Explained

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gofancyninjaworld · 5 years ago

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Meta: What rough beast slouches to be born?

Right, webcomic chapter 125 has raised quite a few questions about cyborgs and I purposely left it aside. Until now. I’m sorry for the length, but I’m only allowed one ‘readmore’. :(

What we knew

Many moons ago for us, 9 or so weeks ago for them, Genos showed up at Saitama’s doorstep like a refugee from another world, telling a tale of destroyed towns, rampaging cyborgs, and desperate revenge quests. It’s seemed rather far-fetched, particularly as not much has happened on that front. Over the course of the story, we’ve had little bits of independent corroboration about the veracity of his story. The town that he was born in was definitely erased from the map. Yes, a cyborg is wanted in connection with the incident.

But where is that guy? Does it have anything to do with the powered suit-flogging cyborgs seen early on the series? Does it have anything to do with the ‘glimpse behind the scenes’ chapter the manga offered us with Drive Knight (but no context as to how that glimpse fitted into the wider story)? Come to that, where are all the cyborgs?

To start with, there are a lot of cyborgs of various sorts in OPM. Quite a few moons ago, I wrote a bit about them, drawing a distinction between those who used parts to replace lost function and those who looked at it as a change of identity: “Is the Organization a Claw Analogue?”

Chapter 125 has been surprisingly good about confirming some of what I surmised about cyborgs, but it’s brought some very good additional information! On we go!

There are cyborgs; and then there are Cyborgs

Our ambassador through the world of cyborgs is new Neo Hero recruit Koko (Solitude), who modified his body for the world of cyborg fighting, only he was a little too successful and no one would bet on him. We see him scanning various people and passing commentary on them.

The first to give him serious pause is Webigaza, who lost six months of life to getting her body modifications done -- no wonder she’s pissed off that her rival has self-destructed in the interim.

Koko is shaken by her having 71% of her body modified.

obsessive determination is terrifying to look at

Percentage body modification of the sort Koko is used to seeing, 30% maximum, you can do right here right here and now. It’s equivalent to losing a leg and most of the other. Here and now, we can also do brain implants to control tremors or fits or some neurological conditions, replace part of the heart, spine fusions, quite a few bits and pieces. The sort of modifications Koko is used to seeing are very functional ones that make sense for someone looking to get an edge in fighting for money. They’re also along the lines of what we’ve seen with One-Shotter or Death Gatling.

If you lose and replace all four limbs, that's 50% of your body modified. While quadruple amputees unfortunately exist IRL, I don’t know if anyone has had the kind of money, physical fitness and pure grit to do that. Nevertheless it’s not technically impossible. 60% sounds about right before you're now looking at breaking into the more vital parts of your body. The point at which the risk involved just can't be justified in terms of restoring function or health. I’m emphasising that because I’m going to come back to this point. He’s shaken because modifications that extensive aren’t about simply gaining an edge; they’re being willing to exchange serious bodily harm for serious power. It says a lot about who Webigaza is.

Within the Hero Association, I think we do know a hero round about that 60% mark. Jet Nice Guy comes to mind. He sports an armored exterior, powerful artificial limbs (which will need internal reinforcement to not just rip up his body), but his innards are all human. After the way he started to bleed out after Nyan slashed him, I realised that the reason it looked like intestines when the Deep Sea King ripped him open is because they were... >.< Sorry, dude.

the worst of both worlds -- too modified to have an easy life, still too weak to deal with the real monsters that exist

Scary enough, but then the security staff come in to stop the kerfuffle that Koko and his buddy, Mars Leo, were causing. Koko scanned them and was stunned into horror:

as disciplined and ruthless a pair of killers as you could never hope to lay eyes on. Definitely not frothing at the mouth, these two!

These two have modified themselves so extensively they’re almost inhuman. 94, 95% body modification is equivalent to having only 3.5 - 4.2 kg of live mass left assuming an original live mass of 70 kg. And, if the similar naming convention didn’t tip you off to it, it’s around the sort of hyper-extensive modification we see Genos having. [See under the readmore for a first-principles estimation I did a long time ago.] Maybe Drive Knight too if he’s a cyborg. What kind of power have they exchanged their human bodies for? What kind of people are willing to do that to themselves? Koko is very sure that he does NOT want to know.

When he tells you who he is, believe him

That’s dating advice often given to ladies overlooking obvious red flags but it goes with great force in OPM. ONE has characters tell us who they are early on, even if it doesn’t mean anything to us for a long time.

And he’s had Genos be a particularly straightforward and truthful character. He doesn’t always interpret things correctly, but he says it exactly as he sees it. Looking at the way the high percentage cyborgs we’ve met thus far either be very inhuman looking or completely disguised as regular human beings, he’s chosen an appearance that puts both his humanity and mechanical nature on display.

Something that the chapter has brought up that I've kept saying to people on the Discord and on Reddit: there is no medically justifiable reason for Genos to have a body as modified as he does. Which Genos TELLS US for fuck’s sake. His giant wall of text is a synopsis, no more and no less.

When he says that “...I asked Professor Kuseno to perform a procedure to modify my body. Then I was reborn as a cyborg for justice...” (Viz) “...I begged Dr Stench (sic) to transform me into a cyborg and I was reborn as a cyborg who fights for justice...” (Boon scanslations, who copied verbatim whoever did the webcomic version). It’s nothing to do with health. Feel free to have whatever headcanons you like, but please don’t confuse them with the story.

But it doesn’t end there. I look at Destro and Erimin and realise that there’s another perfectly truthful statement that’s been staring us in the face.

Genos knows. Why would he ask a mechanical engineer who uses a wearable battle suit and pilots armed drones to modify his body, let alone modify it to such an insane degree? Because he knows that Dr Kuseno knows how to build cyborgs like the one who destroyed his town.

We don’t know if Destro and Erimin have any responsibility for the destroyed town, but someone of their ilk does. Which brings us to a third nakedly truthful statement. When Genos talks of not believing that he could be defeated by anything other than the rampaging cyborg, he’s not anticipating winning because he’s suicidal. It’s because he’s aware that if he’s throwing rock, so too is his enemy: mutual annihilation is the best he can hope for.

At least until he met Saitama. And started to hope for not mutual destruction, but victory (check the difference in chapter 108 of the webcomic).

a world away from the attitude of mutually-assured destruction he started with.

Stepping away from the text a bit, it casts a different light on why he’s been so desperate to learn from Saitama. Learning Saitama's secret is his balance-breaker. He wants something other than rock, that is guaranteed to smash whatever rock his enemy might throw. But that’s not all there is. As Garou said, once he discovered Blue Fire’s flamethrower, once you know how a freakish weapon works, you know it. Any edge a new weapon might give Genos is liable to be studied and replicated (see how quickly Dr Kuseno was able to reverse engineer and adapt the principles of G-4′s curving energy beams). But Saitama’s strength is unphysical: no matter how closely you inspect his body, you can never relate the physicality of Saitama’s body to the power he can generate. That unphysicality, that’s what Genos wants too. It also puts in context why he’s been so fascinated by psychic power and wants to learn it if at all possible.

neat trick, I’ll take two! Genos dodging G4′s beams in chapter 38, and putting the principle of them to good use in chapter 120

And finally, since in his world, knowledge is literally power, it gives yet another layered reason Genos is so determined to keep anyone else from becoming Saitama’s disciple. If they learn his secret too, then the advantage he seeks will be lost. (that it doesn’t work quite that way for Saitama is a fact for us to enjoy and for him to find out).

Nothing is as scary as a human being

Nothing is as scary as a human being is one of the things that Reigen says to Tome on occasion. It’s in full force in OPM. Monsters may be strong, but they all live in the now. Only a human being could have put together the Monster Association. When it comes to cyborgs, their abilities may be inhuman but their thoughts, imaginations, morals and appetites are all 100% human. It’s a terrifying combination.

There’s something I missed when I likened The Organization to a Claw Analogue. In Mob Psycho 100, the protagonists are children and they're fighting an organisation made up of over-grown children -- adults who have refused to grow up. In One-Punch Man, the protagonists are adults and the bad humans in the story are very much adults too. With calculated cruelty and depravity to match. When The Organization bares its claws for real, this is going to get so brutal.

If Genos has not been standing still, then neither has his enemy. From the manga, even if we hold Drive Knight blameless and independent of all this mess, his besting Nyan told us that cyborgs can indeed come crazy-strong and highlighted how much more work Genos had yet to do. It also highlighted how very clever and calculating cyborgs can be -- well, they’re human, duh! If I was worried for his prospects then, in the webcomic, Genos is nowhere near as psychologically, physically or emotionally ready as his manga version is. And the guys who look to be his enemies aren’t going to be cutting him any slack. They’re very real. They’re not mad. And they’re closer than he ever imagined.

Fighting monsters is barely adequate preparation for whatever it is that’s to come.

Whenever Genos gets dragged into whatever it is those cyborgs are up to -- or runs into it, since he claims he’s still hunting the rampaging cyborg -- ‘rough’ doesn’t begin to describe it.

Extra Stuff

Edited from an answer I gave on Reddit to the question of how much of Genos was still organic about 2 years ago. It’s unexpectedly relevant!

Short answer: by mass, under 10% , assuming he would have weighed approximately 70 kg. By function, quite a bit.

The long answer.

I’m going to write this starting from what is most readily observable and readily inferred to the least. In appreciation of this being a work of fiction that treats physical laws lightly, I too am taking a more-or-less approach and will keep technical terms to a minimum. I'm also not a medic and I don't play one on TV -- assume generous hand-wavium. Items in {curly brackets} are incidental notes you can skip.

Level 0: Canonically observable. The least controversial observation is that Genos does have an organic brain. Genos does not live in a lab, but is able to live largely independently, including being able to eat whatever he likes with no ill-effect. Not just that, but he lives an active and hard-fighting life that appears to do him no permanent harm (I will return to this in a few paragraphs). What can we take from this?

Edit: There is also ONE’s initial settings for Genos, which I quote here from the Hero Data Book

ONE: There's no need to visit Dr. Kuseno's place every time when his wrist break down, because he got his own spare parts at hand. Dr Kuseno's Lab is there In case for a big reparation job, a drastic upgrade or an examination.

It’s tempting to think that because we see that he definitely has a brain that’s all there is – the brain in a jar phenomenon, so to speak. Something a lot of people miss is that the spinal cord proper isn’t optional either -- it’s a core part of the central nervous system. Spinal cords are a lot shorter than most people think they are, averaging 12 inches long for women and 15 inches for men. The rest are nerve processes that can be cut and will regrow (within limits). We’re also happy to allow for nerves and their endings -- there must be an interface for the prosthetics so they're under the fine voluntary control that we see. However, that’s not all that there can be. The Cartesian mind-body duality is completely wrong when it comes to physiology. Our brains are intimately bound with our bodies and our bodies with our brains. So what does one need?

Level 1: Perfusion. This is the most obvious one. Without a blood supply providing oxygen, glucose and removing waste products from our brains, we have 4-5 seconds of consciousness available, 2-3 minutes in which we can escape brain damage and 8-10 minutes in which not to die. So, number one is a reliable blood supply. Absolutely necessary therefore are a means of generating the various blood cells, perfusing and distributing them and disposing of damaged cells (red blood cells have a lifespan of 1-2 months). While not as acutely important, a self-sustaining blood supply is also the basis of a functioning immune system. It's a bit of an oops moment when your super-killer cyborg catches a cold and dies.

Accordingly, bone marrow is essential as a source of hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cells. A suitably reduced blood vessel and lymphatic vessel system is also needed to run the blood where it needs to go. {An awesome feature of living beings is that new blood vessels will be recruited to where they need to go and redundant branches pruned back, a process known as vascular remodelling}. A reduced liver and possibly spleen will be needed to appropriately destroy worn out blood cells. At least one functional kidney, in the role of producing the hormone erythropoietin, without which red blood cells will not be formed. Not essential: a heart and lungs, which he definitely doesn't have. How much blood is needed? I’ll come to that answer once we’ve tallied how much body is needed.

Additionally, since part of perfusion is getting rid of metabolic waste, a liver and kidney will be absolutely indispensable.

Level 2: Homoeostasis. A living organism has a very narrow range in which its internal environment, such as oxygen saturation, temperature, pH (acidity or alkalinity) amongst other things can vary without harm.

There are around 40 or so hormones, the signalling molecules that keep us going as functional concerns, regulating such things as blood pressure, salt/water balance, available energy, sleep cycle, body temperature, mood, immune system... the list goes on. Each has a stupid number of secondary functions and interacts with others in a ludicrous number of ways (note highly scientific language). Their levels vary and change on the order of seconds to hours. It's a good job that the main organiser of homoeostasis, the hypothalamus, is part of the brain. {Incidentally, this is why a brain-dead cadaver cannot be kept ‘alive’ on life support indefinitely – everything falls out of sync and eventually to pieces.} To do this artificially is to have your cyborg never leave the lab: if you're not constantly monitoring and adjusting levels, then they will die. Fortunately, as mentioned, a living, functional brain has the control network needed to keep everything working without the extensive and expensive effort. Just add air, water and food (in that priority).

At this point, we've already met most of the organs needed to maintain homoeostasis in their capacity of maintaining a blood supply. We need to add some bone, not just to serve as a niche (living environment) for the bone marrow and its stem cells mentioned previously but as a source and sink for minerals, the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland. Finally, one must not forget pancreatic islets -- or it'll be for nothing as he goes into a diabetic coma.

Level 3: Energy. Speaking of food, a brain needs essential fatty acids for turnover and lots and lots of glucose for energy. It’s entirely possible to supply nutrients as total parenteral nutrion (TPN for short). People whose digestive systems have completely failed get individually formulated TPN solutions, which requires that they spend several hours a day feeding it into their blood supply. Not something we see Genos do. And yes, you heard it here: not everyone poops, but everyone sure as hell pees. While a brain only weighs about 1.5 kg, it uses up about 500 calories a day as glucose, so 700 ish calories a day should suffice for all the needs of his live mass. This bears no relationship to the amount of food we see Genos put away on occasion. Why hasn’t he wrecked his liver in a matter of weeks? The answer would appear to lie in the artificial digestive system Dr. Kuseno has given him which turns food into biofuel. It must be patched into a feedback loop which allows it to only supply what’s physiologically necessary at any given time. Lucky for some!

Level 4: So how much body does that add up to exactly? Nothing says you have to keep the necessary organs and blood vessel network the same size. With only a 1.5 kg brain to support, many can be shrunk a good 50% if not more. A total living mass of 7 kg would be quite feasible. We know from organ-on-a-chip experiments (and from unfortunate people who have lost part of their organs) that provided the essential architecture of the tissue is respected, they will work fine. Nothing says you have to keep them in the same place as the original organs were -- you can encapsulate it all in a can and shorten the nerves serving the organs to a more rational, manageable length. It's nice and compact and can be protected as heavily as the brain is.

Now we’re in a position to answer how much blood Genos has. There are about 70 ml of blood per kilogram of body weight, so at ~ 7 kg, we’re talking about 500 ml of blood. For comparison, the typical 70 kg person has 5 litres of blood. Why does this matter? Because it allows us to answer a question many may be curious about: how often does Genos get hurt?

The answer is: Almost Never. With so little body, and with most of that body consisting of aptly named vital organs, even small injuries can turn catastrophic in no time. Genos will bleed out with around 150 ml of blood loss, which is less than half of what is donated in a typical blood donation. Horrible and dramatic as the smashes he gets into are, it’s more akin to a Formula 1 race car tumbling end over end and catching fire, only for the driver to walk out unscathed. His cyborg parts are replaceable and can be sacrificed to protect what’s irreplaceable if need be.

#OPM #cyborg #Genos #meta #ONE hides things in plain sight #because they don't make sense until they do

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itsuki-minamy · 4 years ago

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“K AGAIN”

Translation: Naru-kun Raws: Ridia

"He's K!"

"K is here!"

"The genius of fried rice has appeared, "K"!”

When the man appeared at the "Tatsuya Honpo" store, more than 100 floor employees were yelling at once.

"K! Thanks for visiting us!"

"Please come here!"

The manager and the two assistants rushed on a small run, inviting the man, K, and his partner to the VIP room. The room, which is used for small group meetings, is a complete space with no spaces in terms of interior decoration, furniture, air conditioning and sound effects.

The manager told K, he was sitting in a relaxed environment.

"The owner will come soon. We will examine the ingredients from now on, so if you have a rough idea of what you would like to eat today…”

K's answer to the question was just silence and an optimistic smile.

"That was rude... It was a stupid question."

The manager bowed deeply and left with his subordinates.

The partner who had been looking around the room until then, hit K with his elbow.

"Hey, alright Kamamoto... I don't have much money."

++++++++++

What is this? Yata thought. he just wanted to eat fried rice.

He went out with Kamamoto and on the way home made him hungry, so he said "Let's go eat something."

"Ok, Yata-san, are we going to eat fried rice then?"

Somehow they suddenly came right here.

"Why fried rice? That kind of thing is usually, "Oh, that's how you feel when you're hungry, you feel Chinese," or something like that.”

"It's Ikisu or fried rice."

"Not really. Well, if they tell you fried rice, fried rice, you start to feel like this.”

"Hehe, I had to come. Actually, I know a good store around here.”

"Oh, what? Suddenly the difficulty increased. Not alone…"

When he arrived after Kamamoto while chatting with his usual story, it was a bit annoying.

Separately, they said, "Five hundred yen for three shobo sharks at a chain of fried rice stores," or "A store where a stubborn grandfather and grandmother are together, and the Meshi is delicious but the chair vibrates and you are not calm." So it was nice. That is to say…

What is this store. It looks like a skyscraper about 10 stories high that belongs to an entire Chinese restaurant. There is a large sign on the side of the building that is about the size of a large monitor in front of the station, and it looks strange. The ground floor is another great room, like a party place or a hotel restaurant.

This room he passes through was another. It is much quieter than the hallway...

The tabletop is so thick that it cannot be grasped by hand. It is a century old tree that has been cut and polished.

The slippery jar placed close to the wall makes a big difference. It is almost like a child.

There is an ultra-realistic carving of a dragon on the ceiling, and the ball in his hand is really real crystal. If a series of melons falls and hits his head, he may die.

In general, their sense of distance is dangerous. Even if he eats it like that, it doesn't taste good. Most of the time, the menus in these stores come out in Chinese, so he will have to eat something that he really cannot taste or taste. And the price is "market price".

No, this is not right.

"Kamamoto, let's go out."

When Yata tried to leave his seat ...

"Hahaha!"

A chef-like man came in opening the double doors, pointed to Kamamoto.

"You finally showed up... I've been waiting for you, K!"

When he finally appeared, he walked over to Yata next to Kamamoto and held out his right hand.

"Are you K's friend? Welcome from my teacher. I am Otori, the owner of this Tatsuya Honpo.”

The powerful hand of a craftsman firmly grasps Yata's hand. Not only the grip, but also the pressure as a human being.

"Hey, Kamamoto, how long have you known him?"

"Well, we've been talking for some time..."

Kamamoto scratched his head.

"Long ago, the kitchen game where I was a judge, triggered your store to lose."

Note: Chapter 3 of the manga "Stray Dog Story".

"What are you saying you did?"

"Huh... K, don't worry. My defeat is my own defeat due to my pride. I prefer to thank you for being judged on your sense of taste and being aware of my immaturity. But…"

Otori, who felt bad, looked back at him and pointed at Kamamoto again.

“I'm not what I was at the time! Let's try it now! My ultimate dish, the "Galaxy Cradle", has evolved even further!”

Then suddenly, Kamamoto sighed deeply.

"Still... you seem to be sticking to your own wins and losses."

"What?"

"I just want to eat delicious fried rice... the best fried rice. The "supreme dish" in this store is not your big "Galaxy Cradle".”

"Ah...!"

Kamamoto smiled invincibly when he turned his head.

"I must get it out... the "fried rice that "uncle" doesn't spread".”

++++++++++

"Wow, what is this? The moment you eat it, you feel like you are in a universe!”

Yata yelled, as grains of fried rice flew from his mouth.

The place is inside the roof garden of the Tatsuya Building, and a small Chinese restaurant, which was relocated there.

“I saw it, it's just normal fried rice, I wonder why, I wonder if my arms are different. Hey, Kamamoto..."

"Hehehe... Otori, the owner of the Tatsuya Honpo, which was once called the" Chinese Supernova", but the rumor that there is another genius of fried rice, hangs in your head and is driving you crazy."

Again, Kamamoto asked for fried rice, and Otori clenched his fist.

"It's a shame, but I have to admit it. I am still an apprentice. It's that guy who really needs to be honored.”

"They will come upon you. Even if you praise me, nothing will come out.”

That's when the man with a stubble and an apron seems to laugh. He has a towel around his head. Although he appears to be in his forties, he has juvenile infantilism somewhere, or vice versa, he seems to be using a very old air.

"No, it's serious. Really…"

Yata leaned towards the man named "Ojiki".

"Ojiki, are you always here? I will come to eat again. I like this type of store. Haha, the chair is ringing.”

"Oh, I'm sorry…"

An old man, who was happy looking at the meals of two guests next to the "Ojiki", said to him.

“This store is just a monument. I'm not in business anymore.”

"Eh... it's true. So, this fried rice...?”

"That's why I don't like it, Yata-san." Kamamoto said.

"Just come to dinner." The old man laughed.

Otori bowed deeply.

"Sorry, teacher. I couldn't refuse because I came to see "Ojiki"…”

"Well, is this your lunch? Damn, I ate it!”

“Well, if you eat that much, this Ossan will be happy. Do you want me to do it again?”

"Oh, "Ojiki", wait!"

Yata stopped the "Ojiki" trying to stand up.

"I will because I have eaten it. Well, I'm not a professional like you, but I still help in the kitchen of a store I know.”

"Okay. Then, you will come with me.”

The "Ojiki" sat down,

"Huh?"

"Ah..."

Otori and Kamamoto said quietly.

And…

Otori was watching Yata's kitchen knife, standing in the kitchen behind the counter. In an immovable posture with his arms crossed, but his eyes capture all of Yata's actions, and his thoughts never stop for a moment.

(Hmm, if you think about how skillful he is... "I'm used to newbies.")

(Is the oil, a salad oil? Does it seem like the pan is sweet...?)

(Hmmm, do he put the rice first?)

(Why do you open the refrigerator after starting to make a difference?)

(What?! Is that... pineapple?)

"Heaven is complete!"

The dish was a big departure from Otori's definition of "fried rice."

"Is this fried rice...? It's a little sweet and salty... too innovative...”

"Is it okay to give something so unfamiliar to a respected teacher or “Ojiki”?" Otori was interrupted.

"Ah, this is simple. When I was playing at home on my day off, that's what my mother gives me.”

"Hehe, my mom's taste."

"I feel like I'm not ready, it's not good."

The "Ojiki" and "Teacher" started eating the mysterious fried rice, which cannot be said to be fried rice, in a simple and unexpectedly funny way.

"Hmm, really..."

The sight evoked a certain emotion in Otori's chest.

“Cooking is not only done with ingredients and heat. Memories, feelings ... the hearts of the people who eat it. I could have lost something important again…”

"It is the path I have been through."

Otori looked up at Kamamoto's voice.

"K... You know, today somehow, you taught me that..."

"Hehe... come on, I wonder..."

And…

To thank the Tatsuya Honpo people for the food, the two guests returned. Looking back as they step outside, Otori turned gloomy.

(K, the great genius of fried rice... is a sympathetic man.)

++++++++++

“No, it was delicious, fried rice. Also, I was allowed to eat it for free, thank you very much.”

Yata said, hitting his bulging flank.

However, Kamamoto, I gave a tip to a professional chef, and he understood. I thought it was a small dining room to eat one by one, I was a little surprised.”

Then Kamamoto replied with a serious look.

"Well, it's relatively textured, that kind of thing."

"Hey, what is that?"

"That owner, Otori, is agitated when I say something like that, and I am surprised that he let me eat for free."

"Oh, I’m sorry."

Yata was afraid.

"Don't cheat on a serious person. I can't forgive that!"

"But was it good? Fried rice."

"Well, it was fine, but does that "Ojiki" come only occasionally?”

“Yes, this is the first time I have met him. He is a "ghost cook".”

"I see. Please thank him again… I hope to see him again.”

When Yata looked up at the sky while taking a nap of the taste of fried rice,

"Oh, I'm sorry."

A man walking behind ran into Yata, who had slowed his pace. A long-haired man wearing a Catholic priest's foot collar.

"Ah, priest."

"No, it was nothing."

The "priest" waved his hand slightly, then left quickly. The leek sticking out of the shopping bag in the other hand looked like a mess.

"That…"

Yata looked at Kamamoto again.

"Hey, Kamamoto. The person just before… isn't it similar to "Ojiki"?”

"Hahaha, no way. He's just a little bit similar in profile.”

Kamamoto laughed.

“The fried rice feel of this fried rice genius can never be overlooked by a good fried rice cook.”

"No, I was wondering, who was that "fried rice genius"?"

"Fufufu, it would take longer to talk about that..."

As the conversation between the two drifted toward the "Great Genius," that guy's back dispersed into the crowd.

#K #k project #k stories #k fan clan #yata misaki #kamamoto rikyo #iwafune tenkei #homra #jungle

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maledictusrp · 4 years ago

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VAMPIRE ( vampyr )

A vampire is an undead creature that feeds on the life essence of the living. They are known to be night dwelling monsters without souls, a predatory species with little regard for their prey.

It started with a demon, a demon that held the blood of the seven sins and the mind of pure rage. Its desire and envious feeling drove the demon insane, violent in a cold, red rage of unholy malice. Eventually, the demon had met its final day, breathing its final breath. The carcass would remain in its spot, rotting away as natural as it can be, but it would soon be discovered upon a group of wandering scavengers. These scavengers feasted on the demon’s body, eating all flesh and blood of the ravenous beast until it was merely a meager set of broken bones. Once they had consumed the demon they laid down to rest, unaware of what was to come. It would be then that in those few hours of rest in the day that the scavengers began to grow ill into a strange, violent fit of rage and bloodlust. They had begun to feel a harsh need for darkness, hiding away from the sun to keep it from driving them further into illness. They would attack anything that had come in the way of their path, draining of their victim’s blood. Though if the victim was lucky, however, they too would seem to become ill within the few hours of the attack, undergoing these painful symptoms and passing it along to those who have come in contact with them if they were lucky to survive. They became a silent and deadly epidemic. The humans infected would become ravenous and end up cannibalizing themselves. It would be years before the first few humans became immune to this sickness and managed to survive the transformation stage. No one really knows how old vampires actually are but according to the Sanguinem Verbum ( the Vampire Codex ), the first vampires appeared in Ancient Mesopotamia circa 4000 BCE. During the first few millennia, vampires were not immortal but simply lived longer. Typically a few hundred years before they started to desiccate. Then slowly, vampires started to adapt and evolve until they became gifted with true immortality.

EACH VAMPIRE BLOODLINE HAS A SPECIFIC ABILITY. INFORMATION ON BLOODLINES WILL BE POSTED LATER.

BASIC STRENGTHS

ENHANCED PHYSICAL STRENGTH - Vampires are gifted with superhuman strength. They are capable of bending steel and breaking a human body in half with a single blow. This strength is influenced by age but also by blood consumption. Vampires who are on a particular diet are weaker than those who feast on human blood on a daily basis.

ENHANCED SPEED - Aside from strength, vampires can move at incredible speeds that are undetectable to the human eye.

ENHANCED SENSES - Vampires are able to see, smell and hear far better than humans. They are able to hear a heartbeat from miles away, smell blood at distances, recognize scent of prey and have night vision. When first turned, vampires can get overwhelmed by their senses for everything is heightened.

IMMORTALITY - Vampires cannot die of natural causes.

ADVANCED HEALING - Vampires will heal from any wounds as long as they are still alive. Healing speed can be affected depending on how much blood the vampire has consumed. Starving vampires heal at a much lower speed.

COMPULSION - Vampires possess a natural charisma and can compel humans and supernaturals, including other vampires (if they’re Regium), into doing whatever they want through suggestion. These effects can last up to years but will go away if the vampire is killed. Hunters can be trained to resist compulsion, but some minds are more susceptible than others.Compulsion is largely influenced by age and experience, therefore a fledgling or a vampire who has rarely used compulsion throughout the years would have a much lower chance to succeed at compelling a 100 year old werewolf, for example. Furthermore, compulsion cannot be overruled by another vampire, only added to. Attempting to overrule compulsions can be dangerous, however, for it can cause brain damage or dementia so it does more harm than good. The only ways to break someone out of compulsion are: a) if the vampire responsible for the compulsion lifts it; b) if the vampire responsible for the compulsion is killed; c) if a witch can break the victim out of it, though it is a painful process that takes hours and only certain types witches who are strong enough to perform such a task can break someone out of compulsion completely. NOTE: COMPULSION AFFECTS ACTIONS BUT IT DOES NOT AFFECT EMOTIONS.

BASIC WEAKNESSES

SUNLIGHT - Vampires will be set aflame when in contact with sunlight. A vampire cannot be out in the sun unless they are in possession of a daylight ring. Daylight rings can be obtained through their sires or directly from a witch who’s familiar with the spell. Attention: since daylight is the deadliest thing to a vampire, do not obtain daylight rings from witches you do not trust. They can remove the daylight spell at any time, though their deaths will not affect the spell.

BEHEADING - The head must be completely removed from the body for this to take effect.

STAKES - vampires can be killed with a wooden stake to the heart. They will immediately cease functioning and turn into lifeless corpses. This is called desiccation.

WEREWOLF BITE - Vampires that are bitten by werewolves are essentially poisoned, becoming weaker and weaker until they cease functioning and turn into a lifeless corpse. This may take up to 24 hours to take effect, but no more than that. The cure to any werewolf bite is to drink the blood of an alpha.

VERVAIN - While vervain cannot harm vampires, it’ll protected people from vampire compulsion. There are different ways of using it: some people dilute the plant and digest it, some spray it on, others may carry the plant with them. The most efficient way is to drink it consistently so that it stays in the system. Vervain is very difficult to find and witches sell them at a very expensive price.

INVITATION - Vampires cannot step into the home of the living without an invitation.

STARVATION - Vampires need to feed on blood in order to survive, there is no way around it. A vampire can slowly desiccate from the inside out if they don’t feed.

NECK BREAKING - This won’t kill a vampire but it will immobilize them for some time.

DEAD MAN’S BLOOD - A poison to vampires that incapacitates them for a short period of time. When the blood from a dead human is injected into a vampire it induces a blood sickness, causing them to become very weak.

CREATION

Only humans and witches can be turned into vampires. A human who has consumed vampire blood in some way (whether by drinking it, having it poured into an open wound or being injected with it) and has subsequently died with it in their system will be revived as one of the undead, just like the vampire who sired them. The exact nature of the human’s death is irrelevant to this process; the only condition that must be met is that the body has to be more-or-less intact and able to function once they reawaken in transition. In order to complete the transition into a vampire, the person must then consume a significant amount of human blood, at least a sip’s worth, within the next twelve hours, or else they will simply die. The transition period can be an uncomfortable experience: their senses and emotions are already heightened and their system starts to crave blood. It is an uncontrollable hunger that can stay with the fledgling even after they complete their turning. They are also transitioning into their Bloodline and it can be very painful for a vampire to go through that on their own. This is why new vampires are considered to be dangerous without proper guidance and typically require the assistance of a sire for the first 20 years of their rebirth. Vampires who have not been assisted by their sires during this critical time are referred to as ORPHANS.

VAMPIRE BLOODLINES & ORPHANS

Vampirism began as a virus. A deadly virus that killed everyone who came in contact with it. It took years but eventually humans who were infected started to survive, giving birth to a whole new species. This period would later be labeled as the period of transition. From here, the virus mutated into four distinct strains that are transmitted through blood.

Bloodline is a term used to describe a group of vampires who share a common lineage. While the term can be used to refer to vampires who share a sire, grandsire, or so on, it usually refers to those lineages that have some inherent distinction between the four traditional Bloodlines, be it in their weaknesses, characteristics, abilities, etc. These vampires share a common characteristic passed on by the blood. Each Bloodline has their own organization, culture and characteristics and even though there have been conflicts between them in the past, Bloodlines typically work together out of necessity for a common goal.

ORPHANS IN BLOODLINES: Orphans aren’t an abnormal occurence in the vampire universe. However, depending on the bloodline they come from, they can be considered an oddity.

FUROREM produce the highest number of orphans, they are not known for thinking before acting and they turn many humans only to leave them to fend off for themselves. However, most of them don’t survive past the ‘infancy’ period. REGIUM orphans are extremely rare, and subject to death as they can be considered an offence to their bloodline. Regium only turn those they deem worthy of their blood, so an orphan is an unacceptable reality. CUPIDITAS usually have an attachment to their progeny, so their numbers are lower than Furorem, but they are emotional creatures so there’s always a chance things will go wrong between sire and fledgling. And PROELIATOR usually have plans for their progeny, but sometimes they turn people that won’t go through with them, becoming essentially useless to their makers.

Orphans will still contain the gifts from their respected bloodlines but they will have trouble controlling them. A REGIUM might not be able to compel larger groups without becoming weakened. A CUPIDITAS orphan might not have a good grasp on their suggestive gifts and either be unable to do so properly or have that backfire and have the opposite desired effect. PROELIATOR are physically stronger than other vampires but an Orphan might be slightly weaker and not have as much stamina or take as much damage as a pure Proeliator can. FUROREM are cursed the moment they are turned. Most Orphans become too unstable to live and unable to stand their vampirism. Their blood can become so hot during their first few years that they could potentially liquefy from the inside out. Some have gone mad and killed themselves. The ones who survive are more prone to going into frenzy and their poison is not as deadly as a full fledged Furorem.

Orphans are outcasts and are not protected by any bloodline. If any war between the bloodlines were to happen, they would be left to fend for themselves and they can’t ask for asylum within them own. They have no voice, no claims to any rank and they will never be welcome inside the Kindred. It is against Kindred law for an Orphan to mingle with a “pure” vampire.

LIFE STAGES

Vampires have four life stages:

NEWBORNS - A vampire is considered a newborn from the day they are turned to their 100th birthday.

FLEDGLING - Vampire adolescence lasts 500 years.

ASCENDANT - Adulthood starts at age 500 and ends when the vampire reaches its senior years at age 1000

ELDERS - This is the last cycle for a vampire and it begins when a vampire reaches their 1000th birthday and ends once they reach 2000 years of age. Most vampires die before reaching then end of this cycle.

ANCIENT - 2000+ years. Ancient vampires are a rarity. When a vampire reaches this cycle they slowly begin to turn to stone and will only wake up every 100 years for a few nights at a time.

#horror rp #supernatural rp #vampire rp #jcink rp #jcink premium #preview #site buzz #member group

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christineharrington1994 · 4 years ago

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nationwide insurance massachusetts

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :insure-help.com

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locthaicpa · 4 years ago

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Marseille | France - Top-rated Tourist Attractions

Marseille, a port city in southern France, has been a crossroads of immigration and trade since its founding by the Greeks circa 600 B.C. Travelers visit the port city of Marseille, the third largest city in France, for the meeting of style and history.

Marseille is the "oldest city in France" and indeed one of the oldest in western Europe. The city was founded as Massalia in around 600 BC, and soon developed into an important port in the ancient Greek world. For the Greeks, and later for the Romans, it was a major point of transition and trade between the civilisations of the Mediterranean, and those of Gaul and northwest Europe.

What is Marseille in France famous for? Marseille is famous all over the world for its Bouillabaisse. Go to the bouillabaisse. The famous fish soup of Marseille jumped on the shark. Aggressive marketing has pushed up its cost to 60-100 euros.

Is Marseille France worth visiting? Marseilles is the second largest city in France, and one of the biggest port-cities in the Mediterranean. ... That said, it's a city worth visiting as it's not as famous as Paris, but there are still many beautiful and unforgettable places to see.

Is Marseille, France safe to visit? OVERALL RISK : MEDIUM. The police are doing its best to protect both the citizens, and tourists in Marseille, and it is highly-effective, But tourists still might be a target for pickpockets on the city's streets. It is a safe city with certain parts to be avoided.

Rather in the same way as Genoa or Naples, Marseilles' importance as a port, rather hindered its development as a tourist destination; and while other Mediterranean ports like Barcelona, and Valencia began to develop their tourism in the 1970's, Marseilles did not. Its port was too important. But more recently, Marseilles has managed maintain its status, as one of the most important ports on the Mediterranean, and develop as a tourist destination at the same time.

How expensive is Marseille? You should plan to spend around €91 , ($106), per day on your vacation in Marseille, Which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, €21 ,($25), on meals for one day and €25 ,($30), on local transportation.

How dangerous is Marseille? Having said that, we can't say that Marseille is a totally safe city, where you can walk around everywhere without any risks… Indeed, it is unfortunately well known for its trafficking, of all kinds, (prostitution, drugs, weapons), and for its high crime rate.

How many days should I spend in Marseille? For a solid itinerary, we recommend at least two to three days, so you can explore the city's famous port, its diverse neighborhoods, and the delicious food scene. Tack on more time for Marseille's ancient sites, and modern museums, with possible day-trips to the Provençal countryside or Mediterranean coast.

What are the dangerous areas of Marseille? If it is possible, you should avoid certain areas in Marseille, like the northern districts. These areas, like the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th arrondissement, are dangerous. The Bellevue on Felix Pyat in the 3rd arrondissement, and the Hauts de Mazargues in the 9th arrondissement are particularly notorious.

Is it expensive to live in Marseille? Summary about cost of living in Marseille, France: Four-person family monthly costs: 3,339.95$ , (2,869.27€), without rent, (using our estimator). A single person monthly costs: 917.35$ ,(788.08€), without rent. Cost of living index in Marseille is 23.07% , lower than in New York.

How cold does it get in Marseille? In Marseille, the summers are short, warm, dry, and mostly clear, and the winters are long, cold, windy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 39°F to 84°F , and is rarely below 30°F or above 90°F.

Is Marseille a good place to live? Marseille, France, is among the top cities with a free business environment. Our data reflects that this city has a good ranking in housing, and healthcare.

Do the French eat croissants everyday? Do as the French do, and get a great croissant. Although there are patisseries on every street corner, and pastry is one of the things that the French do best, They tend to be more of a once, or twice a week treat rather than an everyday item. Most Parisians are too health conscious to eat pain au chocolat every day.

How long is the train ride from Barcelona to Marseille? 10 hours, and 19 minutes. The average journey time by train between Barcelona, and Marseille is 10 hours and 19 minutes, with around 7 trains per day.

Do they speak English in Marseille? In Marseille – People, who deal with tourists will speak English, – hotels, restaurants, attractions, and places like the Vieux Port, Cours Julien, and La Canebière. Elsewhere English proficiency tends to be more basic, so having some French phrases will really help here.

How much is a taxi from Marseille, airport to Marseille? When traveling from Marseille airport, to the city centre, you have three options, bus, taxi or train. A taxi costs 50€ in the day, and 60€ at night, and takes 30 minutes to reach the centre. A bus will cost you 8.30€ one-way, and your journey will take around 30 minutes.

How long is the train ride from Paris, to Marseille? 4 hours, and 18 minutes. The average journey time by train between Paris, and Marseille is 4 hours, and 18 minutes, with around 19 trains per day.

Should you tip in France? Think of it as a gesture, not an obligation. Once again, it's not necessary, but is appreciated for good service. There are no rules about tipping in France. In nicer restaurants, such as 3-star tables, where the service is exemplary, a tip of €20 is fine to leave.

What is special about Marseille, soap? Thanks to its “extra pure” vegetable composition, Marseille soap is highly recommended for greasy, or acne-prone skins. It can be used for deep-down cleansing, and controls sebum. What's more, it makes so much lather, that it can even be used as shaving foam. It cleanses the skin, and prevents ingrown hairs.

Does it snow in Marseille, France? Much like in Avignon to the north, winter properly arrives in Marseille in December. Although the city rarely sees snowfall, it does experience cool temperatures, ranging from an average of 4°C at night, to 12°C on average in the afternoon, which continue to become chillier into the New Year.

Where is the best place to live in France? The Best Place To Live In France: The Verdict.

Paris: Best for nightlife... Brittany: Best for its affordability... Lyon: Best for food and drink... Montpellier: Best for families... Luberon: Best for countryside... Dordogne: Best for retirement... Provence: Best for beaches.

Is Marseille The oldest city in France? Founded in 600 BC by the Greeks from Phocaea, Marseille is the oldest city in France, and the second largest after Paris.

Why do French drink coffee out of abowls? Practically speaking, there are advantages, too. A bowl is (generally) bigger, which means more coffee, and easier dipping for your croissant. Not to mention, drinking your coffee from a bowl also negates the need for those mugs.

What is the most important meal of the day in France? Lunch. Essentially, it comes down to this: Lunch is the most important meal of the day for the French. Even serious corporate businesses often look the other way, if employees take more than an hour at lunch. For the French, lunch is that big meal that's supposed to get you through the day.

How do I get from Paris to Marseille? It takes an average of 3h 59m to travel from Marseille, to Paris by train, over a distance of around 410 miles, (660 km). There are normally 19 trains per day, travelling from Marseille to Paris, and tickets for this journey start from $23.30 when you book in advance.

Is there Uber in Marseille, France? Uber is available at Marseille Airport, so you can enjoy a convenient, and comfortable trip to wherever you need to go. ... Uber prices to, and from Marseille Airport may be affected by time, traffic, and other factors. Check the Uber price estimator in the Uber app for approximate trip prices.

Why do you only tip 6 percent in France? Why don't we tip the same way in France, as we do in America then? In France, waiters are paid a living wage. That means that they don't depend on tips to supplement their salary, like waiters do in the US.

Do French restaurants include tip? Unlike in America, cafes and restaurants in Paris, and the rest of France include a 15 percent service charge in the check, which is required by French law. The words service compris indicate that, the tip has already been included, so take a good look at the bill when it arrives.

Can I just move to France? Yes, as with anything administrative in France, moving here as an American involves a lot of paperwork. However, those wanting just a taste of France won't need a visa, if the trip is for fewer than 90 days, (unless you're a diplomat, or a journalist). All you need is a passport that's valid for at least three months.

Which is the richest city in Europe? Luxembourg, the capital city of the small European nation of the same name, was named as the richest metropolis in Europe. The city is the richest city in Europe in terms of GDP per capita, according to the study.

The city of Marseille was created in the 6th century BC, when Greek explorers met with the local tribes, in the north bank of today´s Vieux port, and decided to settle taking advantage of the natural conditions to stablish a port. The colonist from Phocaea named the new town Massalia. Later on, in the year 49 BC, Caesar conquered the city in the expansion of the roman empire. The name changed to Massilia, and the economic activities focused on the port continued to expand.

Nowadays the city of Marseille is the second, urban agglomeration in France, after Paris. It has a population of 850 thousand inhabitants, and almost 1,8 million in the metropolitan area. The port still plays an important role in the economy, and the labor market. The city has stablish itself as an important tourism destination, and is integrated in the PACA region, (Provence, Alpes and Cote d´Azur), which is one of the most attractive regions for tourism, and leisure activities. The physical geography is typical from this part of the Mediterranean, with an accidental topography, including mountains entering directly into the water with very few flat area.

Marseille, the oldest city of France, overflows with cultural, architectural, and artistic treasures to discover. It is a tourist destination particularly appreciated by the French, and foreigners. Between tradition and modernity, the city of Marseille is waiting for you. From the Vieux Port (Old Port), to the Calanques (rocky inlets), by way of the Panier district, and the Corniche facing the sea, you will certainly be amazed by the beauty of the cosmopolitan city. Beyond the game of Pétanque, and its football club Olympique de Marseille (OM), Marseille reveals itself behind its emblematic monuments, such as the Château d’If, Les Docks, the Palais de la Bourse, the Fort Saint Jean fortification, Notre-Dame de la Garde, the Palais Longchamp, the Marseille Cathedral of la Major to name just a few.

European Capital of Culture in 2013, Marseille aims to be a destination of choice for art, and culture enthusiasts. Still in 2013, Marseille inaugurated the MuCEM, a museum dedicated to the Mediterranean civilizations of the 21st century. It is today one of the most visited museums. In the historic center of the city, you can also go to La Vieille Charité. There, you will find many cultural structures: the Mediterranean archaeology museum, the African, Oceanic, and Native American art museum (MAAOA), but also a cinema, a bookshop…

While exploring the city, alone or with a guide, immerse yourself in the local culture, and discover the traditions of Marseille. Relax on the terrace of a restaurant, under the southern sun, to taste Marseille’s cuisine. Let yourself be tempted by the bouillabaisse, a fish specialty, or by the pieds paquets, the panisses, etc. If you were to bring back only one souvenir of Marseille, no doubt you would choose the famous soap. Particularly effective, and renowned, it can be used to clean skin, hair, clothes, floors, walls… Ideally located, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, is a starting point for various tourist destinations accessible by train, plane and boat.

Shop at La Canebière. This famous avenue is the wealthy shopping heart of Marseille. It’s sometimes compared to The Champs Elysees in Paris, where luxury brands alternate with cafes and restaurants. This wide street starts from Le Vieux Port, and stretches all the way to the Capucin neighborhood. La Canebiere is not as glamorous as it used to be, but is still one of the most important streets of Marseille, and was featured in the movie French Connection 2.

Try the most famous Bouillabaisse soup. Bouillabaisse is Marseille’s most famous dish, and the way they serve it here is surprisingly different from what you may have seen outside the Provence region. Here, the broth is served separately from the fish, and the stew is made with 3 local, bony fish that originally could not be sold at the market. Many restaurants around the old harbor serve it the traditional way, but don’t be surprised if it’s not as cheap as you may think.

End the day at La Caravelle in the old harbor. End the day at the harbor where you started it, with a traditional anise-flavored spirit from the south of France called Pastis. A great place to conclude your exploration of Marseille, is by relaxing on the terrace of La Caravelle, with a view of the Vieux Port, and the illuminated basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde. The bar also hosts jazz concerts 3 times a week.

Corrupt, dangerous and brutal to its poor – but is Marseille the future of France? The truth is Marseille is the one city, that possesses the dynamism the rest of France seems to have misplaced. Mémain rhapsodises: “When my friends from Paris, and Bordeaux take the bus here, they start crying. C’est la force! Of hearing people struggling to survive, – it’s drama, it’s magnificent theatre. And it’s free. In that sharp light, you understand nothing, but you’re dazzled by everything. It’s very, very beautiful, and the political project is always to shatter this beauty. It’s appalling.”

Marseille is the place for people, that are not afraid to discover a real place, with real people. From colourful markets, (like Noailles market), that will make you feel like you are in Africa, to the Calanques, (a natural area of big cliffs falling into the sea. - Calanque means fjord), from the Panier area, (the oldest place of the town, and historically the place where newcomers installed), to the Vieux-Port, (old harbor), and the Corniche (a road along the sea), Marseille has much to offer.

Marseille-Provence International Airport is located about 30 km from Marseille. Buses, taxis, and a train connect in less than 30 minutes. Shuttle services from other European cities, have made more places available from Marseille. Airport buses go directly from the airport to the train station, (Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles), and from train station to airport, every 15 minutes, for the cost of €10, (or €16 for a return ticket).

#Marseille #France #Europe

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norristownnews · 5 years ago

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What Is the Cheapest Way to Get Into the Legal Profession?

"What is the Cheapest way to get into law? " Entering the legal profession is without doubt one of the most expensive job options apart from becoming an airline pilot. It involves investing thousands of pounds in education that may or would possibly not lead to a position at the end of the road. Unfortunately there is no simple answer to which is the cheapest way to get in because there are actually all sorts of implications as to the different paths you choose to go down. The Legal Executive route is the cheapest option. Several people go down this particular route following on from an undergraduate degree, whether law or otherwise, or upright out of school. The Legal Executive route in terms of monetary cost is considerably cheaper than the Graduate Stage in Law/LLB degree and the Legal Practice Course (the solicitor route). We did a bit of research along with the current cost in 2013 to complete both parts of the Legal Executive training (Part 3 and A part 6) is about £6, 500 (course fees, exam fees etc .. ) The current cost of the Legal Exercise Course at the University of Law is £11, 000-£13, 000. If you combine the Graduate Diploma with Law (GDL) and the Legal Practice Court (LPC) the overall cost is about £18, 000-£20, 000. If you blend the Legal Practice Course with the cost of completing a law degree then the usual overall charge is around £25, 000 to £30, 000, which is gradually creeping up to around the £40, 000 mark since law schools start to capitalise on the willingness and ability of potential lawyers to pay. In the past people are generally down the vocational course route or alternatively the New York Attorney route, but these are options which were now in the past because, as we understand it, the Law Society still require you to complete the LPC and a exercising contract or training contract equivalent, which makes it senseless to plan to do either of these two in order to become a legal representative. So if you look at the different options, the cheapest one by far is the route through the Institute of Legal Executives and to become chartered legal executive before then either moving on to being a solicitor simply remaining a legal account manager. The various borders between all the different types of lawyer (legal executive, paralegal, solicitor and Barrister) are becoming distinctly unreadable. Solicitors can now do work that was exclusively reserved for barristers. Barristers can see clients directly. Legal middle management can gain the Rights of Audience that solicitors and barristers previously exclusively enjoyed. Legal Middle management can now become partners of law firms and so can barristers. Solicitors can practice as Advocates without truly needing to take instructions from clients themselves. However one thing remains very clear and that is that in the minds involving lawyers themselves there is still a hierarchy in terms of both fee income and status. At the bottom of the pack is a paralegal and this is very unlikely to change for a good few years yet simply because paralegals have no rights in any respect in terms of advocacy, and similarly cannot practice on their own without another type of lawyer being with them. Second in the bin are Legal Executives who are starting to enjoy more status in recent times but similarly hold lesser standing inside legal profession as a whole than solicitors and barristers. It is partly because of the old-fashioned view that most people who have end up legal executives are former secretaries trying to work their way up. this is still very much the case for a lot of and perfectly understandable as a very easy way in. After all, being a solicitor requires you to do quite a bit of instructional study at some point or other whereas becoming a legal executive is mostly something you can do on the job with a few times a week at night school or weekends at doing distance learning spread over a considerable length of time. Second from the prime are solicitors. Make no mistake, in the legal professional solicitors are definitely considered second rate by just about absolutely everyone including themselves, even when they are commercial lawyers earning considerable sums of money and more than the Barristers people instruct. Solicitors are seen more as wheeler-dealers and go-getters than actual lawyers, and the profession itself after a while has determined effectively that solicitors are the monkeys to barristers' organ grinders. At the top of the pile are definitely the barristers. The vast majority of barristers I suspect would class themselves as upper class. They are often very sharp, really intelligent, usually residing in exclusive villages or streets reserved for premier league footballers, doctors and older businessmen and with cars to match. Barristers see solicitors as a necessary evil as traditionally the solicitors get hold of clients for the barristers and the barristers did their best for them even though they usually have not met the client before the day of their first hearing and have absolutely no interest at all in their welfare or personal situation. Barristers are 100 % pure law at the end of the day and are not interested (quite understandably) in their clients' welfare or wellbeing. These are typically traditional views on the legal profession and the way it is structured. How you choose to interpret the above article can be a matter for yourself, but it is based on my own experiences in law, whether as a lay person undertaking cases average joe or as a qualified solicitor working with barristers and other solicitors. The reason I put this level of detail straight into this article is to show you that if you decide to go in the cheapest way into the legal profession there is always a catch, together with at the moment the catch is that your status for the remainder of your time in the profession will be diminished by the decision you cash in on now. Once a legal executive always a legal executive. The lawyers recruiting you at the moment are constantly "pure" solicitors. They will hold your status as a legal executive against you and probably for the the rest of your career. Your salary will often be affected as solicitors traditionally believe that legal executives are worth less of your budget than qualified solicitors. I would estimate that over the time of your career remaining you will lose around £5, 000 to £10, 000 per year at the very least through your decision to go down the Legal Executives route, at the least up until you have been in a solicitors job for 5 years min. Furthermore, certain doors will be closed to you from then start. If you qualify as a legal executive you very often have to qualify into a space where legal executives are used and practice. This invariably means debt recovery, some types of employment -- usually contentious, crime, family, conveyancing, wills and probate and sometimes commercial property. Whilst some of these may not be known to be too bad in the long term - commercial property and wills and probate are not too badly payed off at the moment - it does mean that the majority of commercial law for example is going to be outside your remit. It is very difficult to advance from one field to another once you have specialised in one particular area of law. So for example if you qualify as a suitable executive undertaking crime work and have 5 years' experience you cannot then use your legal executive condition (or indeed your solicitor status) to move across and practice in corporate finance. If you are an able scholar or graduate with excellent grades then you should almost always make an effort to go down the solicitor or barrister journey. Going down the solicitor route is not as expensive as people think it is. For example you do not need to pay the College associated with Law or BPP to do the Legal Practice Course or the Graduate Diploma in Law. There are actually far cheaper alternatives and regardless of what the more elite institutions tell you, the vast majority of law firms don't care two hoots where you do your LPC because most qualified lawyers view these courses as burning hoops to help you jump through in order to qualify than any sign of your ability. Employers are always interested in your basic degree. For the rest of your career. Forever! They are also interested in your A level grades. Forever! This plus your A- Level grades will determine whether you are a student or graduate with excellent academics. If you have straight A's at A Level or AAB or possibly ABB then you will be an excellent student to come into law. If you have some sort of 2: 1 Degree in anything other than pop music or country dancing (my first degree has been pop music), then you stand a very good chance of training and becoming a qualified solicitor. If you have less than this then this life as a lawyer will be considerably harder to start out with. The Legal profession do not view 2: some degrees as being something that entitles you to practice as a lawyer. It will go against you for the remainder of your position and there is no way round it. I suspect that if you are sat there reading this with a 2: a pair of degree you have been badly misinformed by anyone who has told you to go into the legal profession. It is not impossible - I have trained and coached many students and graduates who have 2: 2 degrees (sometimes even a 3rd) and they have gone onto enjoy rewarding careers as lawyers in some capacity. However , their road towards law has been considerably harder as a result of their inability to obtain a 2: 1 degree. So getting back to this statement that if you have excellent academics you should always consider becoming a solicitor so as not to damage your career in the long term just by going down the Legal Executive route. If you do not have excellent academics then you should always consider alternative options then one of these will be to go down the legal executive route. However I would not recommend paying to undertake a genuine executive course until you have legal work experience, you are able to use in the longer term to secure yourself a superb legal career. By this I mean that if you are a student or graduate you should definitely not go straight down to the Institute of Legal Executives and sign up for any legal executive course. If you are going down a nonconventional route into law then academic study once you have completed an undergraduate degree or your A-Levels is utterly immaterial. Experience is what matters and nothing else will do. Legal work experience is the key so that you can gaining a successful start into law. You cannot skip this, circumvent or navigate round it as a lot of people try every year. This is why academic institutions have been bought out by overseas companies looking to make a quick money. There are a lot of people out there undertaking postgraduate and undergraduate courses with no hope at all of ever finding a occupation in the profession they are going into. Furthermore, there are lots of people out there who have the academic qualifications but lack any succeed experience or activities or interests who similarly are very unlikely to ever get ahead in regulation or get through the easy way. No careers adviser will give you this advice, but the main thing to do to get into law may be to get experience, more experience and even more experience. This may cost money in itself, and you may say that I have your fees to pay and I have to live. This gets me to my point that if you want to invest in your job then spending money on academic qualifications is not the way to go. Getting experience is and this in itself will cost you money. To give you a simple example, as I write this a vacancy has come in from one of our central London law firms. They are buying fee earner to go and assist for a month or two with a load of admin work. They will pay properly for this, and it is a job probably most suited for an LPC graduate. I have one in mind. It is not an LPC masteral with a 2: 1 law degree or good A levels. It is not an LPC graduate with an LLM from a good university or some sort of summer school academic qualification. It is an LPC graduate with corresponding experience to that the firm are seeking. The firm will not give two hoots what the LPC scholar has in terms of additional qualifications but they will study the LPC graduate's work experience to date to decide with certainty if to take them on for this particular role. It is so important to understand this that when somebody says what is the cheaper way into law that there is no easy answer. You cannot just take a decision now that will affect the rest to your career simply on the basis that it may cost one or two thousand pounds more to go one way into the lawful profession rather than another. You will notice that so far I have not mentioned anything about barristers. This is because in my experience guidance to be a barrister is almost always a complete waste of your money and time. You would probably be shocked to hear the following and perhaps put it down to my natural bias against barristers having been a solicitor myself. I would grudgingly accept that probably I am a little biased against barristers having run around courts for them, I've taken care of some pretty awful ones over the years (as well as some absolutely fantastic ones) but the barristers' follicle of the profession is pretty much tied up and it is very important to understand this. The word nepotism could almost have been devised for this part of the profession. Let me give you an example. Back many years ago when I had just qualified as a solicitor our practice used a local chambers which had a very good reputation in the area and was probably the top number of barristers by a considerable distance. I cannot remember any of their barristers being unsuited or incompetent and a lot of being incredibly talented advocates. At some stage in my first year after training I remember that they advertised for two scholar barristers to join them. There were a considerable number of applications, as you would expect because this was a top quality set of chambers, superior reputation with quality work coming in, in an area where there are not many barristers' chambers. I do not have a clue how the recruitment process occurred but I do know that the two pupils selected were children of one of the person barristers in chambers and one of the more junior barristers. I am afraid that the barristers' profession can discuss diversity and equal opportunity to their hearts content but when recruitment like this occurs in a chambers of this size it is completely irrelevant. It is always going to be the case that if chambers at that level recruit their own personal then anyone else will either have to set up rival chambers or alternatively work for a lesser standard of chambers. It may be that the two children of the barristers already in practice were the best suited for the role, and Seen they went on to be absolutely outstanding barristers but the point is these two people gained their pupillages using chambers to which they were already affiliated through their parents. Without any sort or recruitment process that will eliminates this (and after all why should it - I would have done exactly the same myself as a barrister when my children wanted to practice as barristers! ) then this is not a strand of the profession to go directly into unless you have family or extremely good friends who are able to assist you in your search or pupillage. The vast majority of people who comprehensive the Bar Professional Training Course do not end up as barristers. They end up working as paralegals or non-qualified attorneys with a views to taking the Legal Practice Course at a future point in their career, costing much more money. This is a false economy because the cost of completing the Bar Professional Training Course and the Legal Put into practice Course is verging on the ridiculous for the returns that you will get at a later stage in your career. So summing up I recommend anyone coming into the profession to do one of two things. 1 . If you have excellent academics and the ability to increase legal work experience to your CV to bolster this then go and try and qualify as a lawyer. Do not go down any other route. 2 . If you do not have excellent academics do not go down the route of determining to be a solicitor. You can go and get work experience and prove me wrong (and I hope you do) but you would be better suited to a life as a legal executive with a view to cross-qualifying at a in the future stage by competing the Legal Practice Course or simply being happy doing what you are doing for a legal executive. Always think - why are you going into law? What do you want to get out of it? How much how about to earn in order to get what you want out of life?

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calunavulgaris · 6 years ago

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I’d like to think that anyone who knows me knows that I am 100% pro-choice, but in case it needs to be said: I am unapologetically, completely, irrevocably pro-choice.

There are two main reasons for this, the first being that I have known from a very early age that I never wanted to be pregnant or give birth. The idea is beyond horrifying to me. The second is much less personal. I have never encountered an anti-choice argument that wasn’t laughably easy to dismantle. I’ve been vocally pro-choice for roughly 30 years now (thanks, Mom) and in that time one thing has become painfully evident: anti-choicers have nothing but tenuous, easily debunked “arguments” that are based solely on emotional manipulation, anecdotes, and pseudo-science. They’re also dreadfully unoriginal and repetitive. It gets dull, let me tell you.

But what the hell, just for fun let’s go through some of them here:

“Abortion is MURDER!”

Nope. Murder is a legal term with a clear, concise definition. Abortion does not meet the criteria. Go ahead and look that up, it’s pretty easy to find.

“Abortion KILLS BABIES!”

It’s funny how those who claim to be on the side of science (which is ridiculous on its own) resort to unscientific terms when their goal is to evoke a purely emotional response, isn’t it? “Killing babies” packs more of a manipulative punch than “a medical procedure involving the removal of fetal tissue.” Believe it or not, I sympathize if the termination of a fetus squicks you. I get it. Being that I’m pro-choice, I will always defend your right not to ever undergo the procedure with the same fervour I employ when defending the choice to obtain an abortion. That’s what it means to be pro-choice.

“The fetus is innocent and has a right to life!”

By definition, the fetus can’t be innocent or guilty, it is purely neutral. The “right to life” does not grant anyone the right to use any part of another person’s body for their survival, no matter how “innocent” that person may be. The person carrying the fetus also has the right to life and bodily autonomy, and having sex/being pregnant isn’t something one can be “guilty” of, as neither is a crime. If we want to talk about innocence, let’s start there.

“What about the rights/autonomy of the fetus?”

For starters, the fetus has no autonomy. Its survival is completely dependent on the person whose body it’s inhabiting. That person is fully autonomous and must consent to their body being used and occupied by the fetus.

I know this is repetitive, but it seems to need repeating: There is no human right granted to anyone to use any part of another human’s body, living or dead, for their survival. If you’re in need of an organ transplant, and someone has just died with the organ you need, that doesn’t grant you the right to take what you need from them unless they consented to it before their death. You don’t have the right to take their completely viable organs that they are no longer using if that person did not sign up to be a donor, and it doesn’t matter if you will die as a result. If I’ve been stabbed and am bleeding out, and will die unless given a blood transfusion, no one can be legally compelled to give me their blood to save my life. Not even my own mother. Not even if she was the one who stabbed me in the first place.

If no one has the right to a dead person’s organs or their mother’s blood, what right does a fetus have to another person’s entire body?

“You shouldn’t get to kill a baby just because you’re too lazy to use contraception!”

Please, tell me which form of contraception is 100% effective 100% of the time. Even a minuscule failure rate (based on perfect use) means that unintended conception will occur. I have personally met several people who conceived/were conceived themselves despite multiple forms of contraception being used. It happens. If someone uses two or three methods in tandem, I think they’re making it pretty clear that they do NOT wish to conceive, don’t you? And sure, some do decide to continue with the pregnancy (I think the best reaction I ever heard along these lines was “I need to meet the person who could get past all that!). Again, that’s their choice.

Yes, some people conceive because they neglected to use contraception, for whatever reason. Those reasons are no one’s business but their own. Having unsafe sex is not a crime and isn’t something people need to be punished for. More on that coming up in the next point.

“Abstinence is 100% effective! You made the choice to have sex, deal with the consequences!”

Electing to have an abortion is one way to deal with the consequences. It’s just one that some find immoral, or icky, or selfish. Thankfully, morals are subjective, and it isn’t a crime to be selfish or icky. Even if it were, using forced pregnancy (which the UN defines as a form of torture) as a punishment is unconscionable and inhumane.

Also, what do you suggest for childfree couples? Believe it or not, there are people in long-term, committed, loving, healthy relationships who don’t wish to have children. Should they be condemned to lifelong abstinence because there’s a chance they might conceive? Have fun trying to sell that one.

Consent to sex does not equal consent to pregnancy. Now, imagine that it wasn’t consensual to begin with. (This is where they like to bring up the statistic of abortions as a result of rape, because they live in a world where every instance of sexual assault is reported, and every victim discloses how they came to be pregnant.)

We don’t deny medical care to those who develop lung cancer due to their 20-year pack-a-day habit, or those who drink themselves into liver failure. If a drunk driver causes a collision, we don’t stand by and let them die from their injuries, even if the collision caused the death of others. But somehow, there are those who think a person with a uterus should literally be tortured and have their human rights revoked if a fetus is inhabiting that uterus. That is terrifying.

“What about the father? The fetus is 50% his so he should have a say!”

It may be 50% his genetic material, but it is 100% inhabiting another person’s body, which is why that person gets to make the final call.

Let’s break down what’s being implied here: If a couple conceives and the pregnant person wants to abort, they should obtain permission from their partner in order to do so. If he disagrees, they should respect that and carry the pregnancy to term. That doesn’t seem very 50-50 anymore, does it? I think it’s funny that this argument only seems to work under the assumption that the father would want to continue with the pregnancy. If he felt it would be best to terminate and his partner disagreed, would they still argue that his vote somehow carries more weight? I doubt it.

“You shouldn’t have an abortion just because pregnancy is inconvenient!”

“Inconvenient?!” Dude. A hangnail is inconvenient. Missing a parcel delivery and having to go to the post office is inconvenient. Your cat’s preference for hacking up hairballs on your clean laundry instead of the tile floor is inconvenient. To call pregnancy “inconvenient” is absurd in the extreme. Pregnancy, even under the best conditions, permanently alters a person’s body. I dare you to tell someone who has been through pregnancy and labour that it was merely “inconvenient.” Seriously, look up third-and-fourth degree tears, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, abdominal separation, etc. just for starters, and then tell me it’s just inconvenient.

“Post-abortive women suffer from depression and mental illness!”

Find me an unbiased source to back that up, please. It simply isn’t true, the majority of people who have undergone an abortion report feeling relieved. Also, what kind of an effect do you imagine forcing an unwanted pregnancy and birth on an unwilling person has on their mental health? Hell, wanted pregnancies can take a huge toll on a person’s mental health, but I don’t see anyone using postpartum depression to argue against pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.

“Doctors don’t know everything! I knew someone whose doctor said their pregnancy was unviable and they should terminate, but they didn’t and now they have a beautiful, perfect child!”

Cool story. I’m glad this person was able to make that choice for themselves and that things turned out okay. I’m still gonna trust the advice of someone who invested their time and money into getting a medical degree over the anecdote of an internet stranger, but that’s me.

“Infertile couples would be so happy to have your baby! Just give it up for adoption!”

I don’t know if you’re aware, but there is no shortage of children in need of families. There is, however, a shortage of people willing to adopt older children, or non-white babies/children, children and babies who are born addicted, HIV+, severely disabled/medically fragile... I could go on.

Getting back to the “Doctors don’t know everything!” point, it may be worth noting that I used to work in a foster home with severely disabled children. It was by far the hardest, most heartbreaking and exhausting job I’ve ever had. I have seen firsthand what these kids go through, how much around-the-clock care they require, how forgotten some of them are by their families, and how they are considered “undesirable” as far as adoption goes. I have seen how they suffer. I wouldn’t go as far as to say it would have been better for any of them if they hadn’t been born, but I fully understand if someone is simply not up to the task of devoting their life to caring for a child who will be completely dependent on them for everything for however long they live, which sadly isn’t long for many of them. I’m glad I did it, but not everyone can, and there is nothing wrong with admitting that.

All of that aside, adoption is only an alternative to parenthood, not pregnancy. No one owes you the use of their uterus to house a fetus you want just because you’re unable to make your own.

This is already longer than I originally intended, but I think I’ve covered the most commonly recycled arguments. The rest mainly boil down to “Abortion goes against my personal theological/philosophical beliefs or moral code!” and all I can say in response to that is that I’m so glad I don’t have to live by anyone’s concept of morality and am allowed my own. It’s pretty great.

I won’t be complacent, however. I have never been more terrified in my life as a uterus-bearing person as I am right now, and I know I’m not alone in that. We cannot allow our rights to be revoked. We cannot afford to lose the ground those before us fought so hard to gain. I will do all I can to keep that from happening.

If the right to our bodies isn’t worth fighting for, I don’t know what is.

#abortion #pro choice

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life-of-will · 5 years ago

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I really like Mass Effect: Andromeda

So I picked up Mass Effect: Andromeda about two weeks ago and proceeded to poor over 80 hours into one playthrough. So yeah, I really liked it. Which got me thinking why I really like it and why it has such a bad rep. Andromeda came out over two years ago now and I understand when it launched there were actual game play problems. Broken quests, deleted saves and crashing games are not acceptable launch conditions and I am not here to defend that in any way. But! Many reviewers as well as the parts of the fandom (hard to tell how much) seem to really dislike the story and characters of the game. I’m here to talk about why I love them and really hope there is a sequel.

The characters are all consistent with the theme of new beginnings, both in terms of place but also identity. Specifically the shedding of stereotypes. Suvi (I romanced her and she’s such a cutie) is a scientist that is spiritual. Clear stereotype breaking. Drack is a 1400 year old Krogan that has seen the worst of Krogan and the worst done to the Krogan and while he will fight he is smarter than a lot of his younger fellows because he realizes peace and cooperation are the path forward, something he obviously imbued in Kesh. Vetra a Turian that’s not super militaristic, cares for those outside the social hierarchy and is obviously very diplomatic given her many connections. Not something Turians are known for more of an Asari trait. Which brings me to Peebee. The least Asari Asari we’ve met in the Mass Effect universe. Yes she’s in her maiden stage but we haven’t seen an Asari act so rashly before. Liara was about the same age as Peebee in the original Mass Effect but she was shy and not outgoing. Peebee disparages long term thinking and planning opposite of most Asari interacted with across all the games. Kallo directly tells you he rejected his cushy job in order to explore. Gil a man that is always joking, surprisingly good poker wants to have a child. In most stories this type of character would never approach parenting expect when joking. Cora a human biotic that spent years with Asari commandos would seem like the Miranda type character to conflict with the player character’s leadership but instead she immediately trusts Ryder and offers her support. Liam, ah Liam. It seems like he might be the most disliked squad mate in the game. I think this comes from his genuine and unfaltering optimism in the Initiative. Let’s be honest a lot of people these days are cynical and perhaps for good reason and when confronted with optimism tend to scorn it. And I’ll admit Liam was annoying at the beginning but by the half way point his antics with Jaal and his optimism made me smile. Jaal is probably the hardest to fit into this dynamic since it is his home but he does end up embracing the Pathfinder and the crew as another family for himself. Lexi’s played by Natalie Dormer so obviously she’s great. The game also shows the damage stereotypes can do. Most notably in Tann’s rejection of the Krogan and the Roekaar’s lumping of the Initiative with the Kett.

Speaking of the Kett, I think they have the potential to be a much more interesting villain than the Reapers. Now, I love the original trilogy and the Reapers and I think I might be the only person who liked Mass Effect 3′s ending pre-extended cut. (Liked the extended cut too) The idea of an AI taking its programming to a logical extreme is something we have to start worrying about in the real world but it does limit story options. The Kett on the other hand are a biological enemy made up of individuals which means there is room for lots of growth. I think the reason people saw the Kett as one-dimensional is because they are by design. The Kett encountered in the game are only military expedition personal, we meet no civilians, no politicians, no one but military. All those other types are hinted at in codex entries and logs but not a lot is revealed. The potential for the Kett to be an interesting and nuanced factor in future games is 100% there.

There is also so much potential for future conflicts within the Initiative, with the Exiles, with the Krogan Colony and with the Angara. Not to mention the Jardaan are probably still out there and the mystery of who unleashed the Scourge on them remains. The Ryder family’s own drama around their mother is also quite compelling. As well as the knowledge of the Reaper attack that the Pathfinder has now.

I could write about a lot more and maybe I will another time. I think the touching on colonization and indigenous reaction is fascinating and could be discussed at length and dived into deeper in future games. I know people were let down by the buggy launch and the graphics problems (I personally don’t care about graphics but I know many people do). But Andromeda is a solid game with great combat, an interesting story and good characters. I hope Bioware continues the story and that they address the very real failures of the first game.

#Mass Effect #mass effect: andromeda #andromeda #it's good #bioware #pathfinder ryder

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weightlossformen-blog1 · 5 years ago

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The Simplest Diet for Quick Slimming at Home

A dream is a slim elastic body, not only for women, but also for men. In modern life there are many different perceptions that affect our figure. In addition, there are many ways to restore your body's humility and dilution. But sometimes the desire to lose weight is not before our deficit, which does not allow for a long time any type of diet to follow - we break down and enter our usual lifestyle and diet. But diet for the "weight loss" lazy is there, just because essays are simple, fast and strict.

The perfect solution together

On the way to achieving progress there are various obstacles. This is also the willing to follow the rules of the chosen diet, and the lack of time. And some people do not like diet products and their quantity. Hence, the ideal solution is to find a diet form for weight loss, and those rules would be very simple. It should be non-expensive in financing and in a short period of time help to get extra pounds ready.

Whatever method of weight loss you use, no diet will be effective, unless you meet common for all conditions.

Do not eat at night! Do not forget about the refrigerator for a few hours before bedtime. If it won't be easy at first, after a few weeks, you will realize that this is quite true.

If you still accepted the rules of the diet - be with them. Any product included in the diet may result in zero yield and is not consistent with the diet. Reassess the temptation, and after you see the result, a new dress to give yourself a smaller size.

Develop a sense of proportionality: if the diet does not provide a product, you should not always be involved.

Reduce the amount of salt intake gradually. It has many in the products themselves. Too much salt destroys water in the body, resulting in a few steps and more weight.

For cooking, choose high quality products only. All additives and fillers used in modern production will remain in your body, accumulate and can cause serious diseases.

Lazy food

The main principle of the diet is that continuous use of water without changing the normal diet.

Before each meal, you must drink one or two glasses of water. There is a ban on drinking after eating. Snacks are acceptable, but they must also drink water before them. Tea or coffee, but without sugar and sweets favorite, or again you can drink water only after 2 hours after any meal. Sweets and sugar - this is the only restriction in this diet, and if you want to achieve the result, it is recommended to respect it.

Water, the stomach to fill, eliminate the feeling of hunger, helping to reduce the amount of food to eat, improve metabolism. When it is eating up before eating, it eliminates the desire to eat extra liquid after eating in the form of compound, juices or tea.

Simple Diet

Design the simplest diet for a week. All fruit and vegetables need to be eaten exclusively. Eat them both raw and stewed. Vegetables should be multiplied, to saturate the body with vitamins and vehicles. Exchange them among themselves. The number of vegetables and fruit should not exceed two kilograms per day. To improve the effect before bedtime, you can take baths with sea salt.

It is considered a simple diet based on buckwheat porridge. Because cereals, rich in fiber, without oil and salt, but by combining greens, apples and kefir, removes the cleaning of the intestine, thus contributing to effective weight loss.

The simplest and most effective diet results in weight loss take up 5 kilograms per week. But we must remember - the result will not only be in the case of compliance with all recommendations of nutrition.

Strict diet

To understand how the "essay" of the proposed diet, it is necessary to take into account not less than 1200 kcal per day required from human body. With a rational diet, we get about calories 2000.

The most intense diet for weight loss intake of calories per day sets to 500 kcal. This is very small. A hard diet at the 3rd day will not harm the body, but it will not be safer than increasing health. There is also a safe route to an intense diet - we all know the "unloading day".

So: Breakfast: sweet confectionery and two rusks.

Lunch: boiled eggs 2, tomatoes 4, cracker 2.

Diets

The best diets are effective and short in terms of. It must be remembered that the result will be faster than the selected result, the shorter and the more unstable. Typically, it is used for a few kilograms to be reduced rapidly.

Diet "Before the holiday"

We limit our diet to a piece of lean meat, 4 apples, 3 croutons and one lemon. If the first day does not change, we will find one more.

And finally, to cope with the need and keep control, determine fines where the rules are not met: 100 kcal: jump through the rope for 10 minutes. 90 kcal: half an hour floor washing. 50 kcal: 20 sites with arms extended.

Since a simple diet for weight is quickly lost, there is no doubt whatsoever. But the best option is still to consult a dietitian who will choose a particular diet, because of your health status, the amount of excess weight, age and taste you will have.

Dinner: 50 gr. cheese of hard varieties, tomatoes 1, rice bread slice 1 and a glass of sweetened tea. This diet needs to be left carefully and gradually, increasing the number of calories to a total nutrition level.

#weight loss for men #weight loss #health & fitness #fitness for men

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whiskeyworen · 6 years ago

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Name: Maeva Corolis Race: Human Gender: Female Gods: Blessed by Grenth... who still awaits her arrival in his realm. Class: Elementalist Allies: No one. Does business with certain clientele, for a steep price. Relationships: Antagonistic. Direct rival and nemesis to Kaleb. Earned Miriya's hatred for what she did to Kaleb. Indirectly responsible for Tenna's self-imposed condition. May have had business dealings with Cyrus's crew in the past, or when Cyrus was associated with the Aetherblades. Weapons: Shadow Focus, Plasma Scepter. Also Windstorm warhorn, and Emberspire staff, and carries a Bloodstone dagger at all times hidden behind the folds of her clothes.

Patient Zero. Maeva Corolis alone is the source of much chaos and torment in Tyria. Where she goes, she spreads fear, devastation, and broken people. And with a smile on her face.

It is not known when it happened, or how old Maeva truly is, but what information can be gleaned from those who have encountered her and been favored enough to survive, claims her at over 100 years of age. Somewhere in her youth, she had an encounter with a coven of Fleshreavers daemons. Whether she was kidnapped, found them accidentally, or went out specifically looking for them, no one knows. But a bargain was struck, a monumental thing when regarding daemons, and Fleshreavers in particular. Many an adventurer has met a gruesome end to their flensing claws and talons. What the bargain was for, again, is unknown, but what is known is that the Fleshreavers gifted her with a portion of their own power, drawn from the Mists. They crafted wings for her and imbued her with their attributes, in exchange for.... no one knows. Given Maeva's attitude in the current age, it's highly likely that once she had her wings and their power, she betrayed them utterly and left them as a scorched mark on the ground somewhere, laughing as she left. Even though she knew that the coven would hunt her until she either paid her debt or they killed her, she did not care in the slightest.

It is not easy to hide those large, bat-like wings, so along the way she had a Mesmer illusion-infused disguise amulet crafted, which would hide her more daemonic features. Just a twist of the gem in it, and her true appearance would be revealed. For many, it was a LAST view. It became a game for her, to go into taverns full of adventurers, and lure individuals or groups out into secluded locations, before indulging in her destructive fun and her blood thirst.

Oh the Blood Thirst. Maeva is perhaps a true vampire, in the barest sense of the term. She does not need to ingest much blood for nourishment; a mere glassful here and there over weeks can sate her. But that doesn't mean she can't enjoy seducing, tormenting, and then draining her victims. If she's in a playful mood, she might leave them alive just enough to tell tale of her attack.

The blood sample a certain engineer infected herself with was a two-steps-removed sample of the blood that flows through Maeva's veins. There's a decent chance that, if she leaves someone alive after draining them, the mutational effect of the Torment energy in her blood ends up killing them, either through chronic genetic diseases that ramp up as the virus accelerates, or by simply causing uncontrolled mutation that can be fatal over time. Because of the nature of Torment energy and the constantly-shifting nature of the Fleshreaver virus, almost anything can happen.

Maeva is a sellsword, a mercenary, with no loyalty except to her wallet, and her own entertainment. You can hire her to work with you, but never ever turn your back on her. Or you'll find a Bloodstone dagger in it very quickly. She also indulges in burglary when the mood suits her. Such was the case when she encountered and was hired on by Kaleb and Miriya's Pact crew. She pretended to be a friendly local (not hard, as she had probably known the area for decades by that point), and aided them in the search for an artifact. During the journey, she and Kaleb had a small tryst, which she found amusing but pointless. While he was honest with his feelings, she could literally feel nothing for him, other than the desire to goad him onward. Pretending her affection, she led him around by the nose until the artifact was discovered. Which is when she sprang her trap. There had been rumors in that town of a harpy thief or something like that, and the terrible death toll among refugees from Ascalon travelling towards Divinity's Reach. Each case, the victim was entirely drained of their blood. While the group had pondered over the nature of the beast, Maeva had stood off to the side, trying to keep herself from laughing. In one fell swoop (figuratively AND literally), she made off with the artifact. Perhaps she intended to sell it, or use it in barter against the Coven that still chased her when they managed to break through the walls of reality, but no one knows. Kaleb tried to give chase, but she easily overpowered him and, with a vicious, mauling bite, critically wounded him, leaving him to die while she escaped. She had no idea how resourceful his team was though, or of how adaptive the viral toxin she spread with her fangs really was. If she had known, she probably would have slit his throat instead, instead of merely drinking him. Now, months later, Maeva is only starting to realize how the tables are turning for her; there's an Asura out there that smells of a diluted form of her blood magic, who's sister helped SAVE Kaleb, and was the source of that blood sample, the Coven still hunts her as ever... and now Kaleb, fully restored, but heavily tainted with the same Torment energy that exists in her, has a single goal in his mind. Find Maeva Corolis, and put her in the ground. Preferably with an oaken stake in her blackened heart.

Sufficed to say, life has grown more amusing and interesting in recent months...and Maeva loves every minute of it. Eternity can be SO boring without something to do...

--- (My notes: Maeva, along with Kaleb, is one of my oldest creations. In the game she's relatively recent, but story-wise, I've had her created since 1999, and keep finding new homes for her, and her character never really changes. She is terrifying and awe-inspiring in equal measure, and I constantly try to find artists to try and draw her based on description. Each time I get an image, it's a LITTLE closer to the daemonic woman I see in my head when I think of Maeva.

The moment the Batwings and Batwing glider combo came out, I knew I had to make her. It took SO LONG to find the right pieces of gear to make the look I wanted, and even then there's things that aren't perfect yet. She still sends a shiver down my spine. If ANet ever adds a few more human hair styles, I might find the perfect hair for her, but for now, this short bob is what works the best.

Originally I wasn't sure I could use the Fleshreaver aspect the way I wanted to, but having done the quest to get a Griffin, and the Torment-realm creatures that infested a certain location after its protector disappearred, I felt I could use the Fleshreavers again. The idea that Fleshreavers, who have a very unnatural growth and lifespan (seriously, wiki it! It's weird!) were daemons from outside the Tyrian world appealled to me. So Maeva made a 'deal with the devil' to get her wings and enhance her power, and then reneged on their deal.)

#My Characters #GW2 #Guild Wars 2 #Elementalist #Human Elementalist #Maeva Corolis #Tenna Danae #Cyrus Sigismund #Miriya Danae

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blucmoon · 3 years ago

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━ ☾ ⊹ ( kim chungha, cis female, she/her ) say hello to KWON YENA, the TWENTY FIVE YEAR OLD that seems to have a lot in her hands with HER job as an ART TEACHER! beyond that, they seemed CREATIVE AND DEDICATED upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of RESERVED AND IMPRACTICAL though. she seems to live in a 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT in SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA. anything else to add? oh, yeah! she’s also A SINGLE MOM OF A FIVE YEAR OLD GIRL!

– basics

full name: kwon yena

goes by: nana

birthdate: feb 02, 1996

age: 25

gender: female

ethnicity: korean

religion: atheist

spoken languages: korean, english.

current living conditions: 2-bedroom apartment on the 18th floor of her building. decent sized and 15 minutes away from the college she works at and a 10 minutes walk from sooah’s elementary school.

occupation: teacher at k-arts in the school of visual arts.

– relationships

father: kwon chanyoung (alive) polite.

mother: kwon kyungmi prev. seo kyungmi (deceased) good terms.

older brother: kwon namhyuk (alive) close, good terms.

aunt: seo hana (alive) really close.

– physical traits

height: 161cm

weight: 50kg

eye color: dark brown

hair color: currently dyed black, long.

tattoos + piercings: has her daughter’s birthdate tattooed in roman numerals on her ribcage, peonies on the left shoulder.

– personality

mbti: infp “the mediator”

moral alignment: true neutral “the undecided”; act naturally, without prejudice or compulsion.

strengths: idealistic, seek and value harmony, open-minded and flexible, very creative, passionate and energetic, dedicated and hard-working, loyal, devoted, sensitive to feelings, caring and interested in others, values close relationships.

weaknesses: too idealistic, too altruistic, impractical, dislikes dealing with data, takes things personally, difficult to get to know, sometimes loses sight of the little things.

yena is a true idealist, always looking for the hint of good even in the worst of people and events. she likes searching for ways to make things better. while she might be perceived as calm, reserved or even shy she has an inner flame and passion. she’s guided by her principles, when deciding to move forwards she will look to honor, beauty, morality and virtue, being led by the purity of her intent, not rewards and punishments. fantasy worlds particularly fascinate yena. she can often drift into deep thought due enjoying contemplating about live overall. she relies more on intuition and is more focused on the big picture though she can be particularly meticulous when it comes to her students’ art or her own.

she places emphasis on personal feelings and her decisions are more influenced by these concerns rather than by objective information. When it comes to making decisions, she likes to keep her options open and tends to delay making them just in case something about a situation changes. she experiences a great depth of feelings but she largely processes these emotions internally. yena has an incredible sense of wonder about the world.

– background

1st momentum

the kwon family was highly renowned in the business world, not only for how perfect the family seemed to be, but also because the head of the family, kwon chanyoung, was an extraordinary business man with a love for charity and helping others as well as other social reasons. he was a firm believer that the moment to change the future was now. yena was the second child in the family, younger than his brother by 3 years. despite the age gap, both kids always enjoyed one another’s company, that and the mischiefs they always managed to pull with their family and friends. yena was a well-behaved kid despite this, following orders most of the time. those rare times she didn’t were due they not making a lot sense or being correct in her own books. since young, she’s always questioned every single thing and wondered out loud the reason to do this or that. her parents always fed her curiosity with the answers she sought, fully knowing that it was better to let that inquisitive spark live than having a girl without her own criteria.

2nd momentum

as they grew up, the siblings became even more inseparable even when they weren’t in the same school or years. as for yena, she started to show her love and talent for arts and her parents enrolled her in a high school with a prestigious art program which allowed her to experiment different mediums and techniques to find out that she was extraordinary when it came to oil painting and sculpting. there she met her first love and dated him for around 2 years before breaking up. high school helped her to get prepared for college life in both, the art department but also in the entrance exam, which she successfully passed and enrolled in the korea national university of arts.

3rd momentum

college. the place where one truly finds themselves. this period in her life made a huge difference in who she was going to become in the future. upon arriving, yena noticed how competitive and extremely ambitious everyone was when it came to their art… which further motivated her to excel in every aspect. soon, yena managed to become a hot topic as someone labelled her as a “freshman prodigy”. her artworks proved to be top quality and exquisite, minimum details and corrections were pointed by her professors, but what marveled everyone the most was how it seemed like the title didn’t get to her head and she always remained humble and kind to anyone who asked her for help. this caught the attention of several guys who wanted to have at least a date with her. at the end of her first year, she started going out with someone from the design department. no one knew how or why it happened, but it did and yena was completely head over heels for the guy. he was kind, polite and liked to go full-on nerd mode when it came to topics that interested him, which was utterly endearing for her and so they dated for around a year and a half before everything changed.

4th momentum

suddenly, at the end of her sophomore year things went downhill. desperation took the form of mascara tears running down her cheeks as the two lines in a cheap pregnancy test, which she got in a haste from a convenience store, confirmed her fears. she was pregnant at the age of 19. yena was well aware that it could potentially change her relationship with her boyfriend and family. still, she decided to keep it a secret until she visited the doctor to confirm the results.

when telling her boyfriend about it, he acted in a way yena never expected him to. he was surprised, to say the least, and didn’t want to believe he was the father as he was always careful to bring protection with him. yena explained that it wasn’t a 100% effectiveness rate… and then he accused her for cheating, claiming that he wouldn’t take responsibility.

heartbroken, yena decided to go home that night to also tell her parents the truth whom were extremely disappointed. nonetheless supported her when she decided to keep the baby. their relationship, though, wasn’t the same as it used to be. her father was cold and drew a line yena knew she’d never be able to cross and her mother constantly looked at her with what she recognized as pity and disappointment.

not being able to take it anymore, she decided to move with her aunt, who completely understood the situation as it was similar to what she went through years ago. her parents didn’t stop her and other than paying for her college, only because it was something they didn’t want her to leave unfinished, they rarely talked ever again. yena was able to finish the following semester but decided to temporarily leave school as her last trimester approached.

5th momentum

in march, her baby was born and she named her sooah. thankfully, both of them were healthy. yena became a single, 20 years old mother. despite her young age, she matured as her baby grew up and became completely devoted to her without dropping school. with the help of her beloved aunt looking after the baby in the mornings, yena picked up her education and managed to finish in time after cramming a whole semester. after that, she decided to get a masters degree so she could become a teacher. all this while taking care of her baby and having a part-time job to support them both. her parents noticing how hard she was working to give sooah a better life, decided to help her for a little bit until she got back on her feet, but it was also because they little sooah won both of their hearts in their very first meeting.

now, at the age of 25, she’s a renowned teacher at her alma mater while sooah is in kindergarten.

– her daughter

full name: kwon sooah

birthdate: 27/03/2016

age: 5

gender: female

personality: sooah is smart, creative, and unconventional. she is also laid-back, disorganised, and non-judgemental. out of chaos comes genius, but due to her lack of organisation she often has trouble applying her energy and finishing projects. she is quiet, reserved, and a thinker. prefers to stay at home rather than go out and make friends. has a rich inner fantasy life and is a fan of science fiction and fantasy. prone to eccentricity. she is polite, compassionate, and thoughtful. goes out of her way to help people, and is sympathetic to the plight of people she has little in common with. does not mind a messy environment. she is quiet and does not make friends easily, but she cares deeply for the friends she does make. she is emotional and anxious. her imagination can work to amplify her fears, because she considers all the ways in which things could go wrong. she is strongly affected by horror films. sooah is hard to get to know as she is shy and sensitive. she naturally prefers to be alone or to have just one or two friends, and her tendency to be anxious and afraid makes her nervousness around people more intense.

#INFO.TXT #YENA.EXE #LOC.SEOUL

0 notes

picardonhealth · 4 years ago

Text

‘Who do masks protect: the wearer or other people?’

André Picard answers your questions on face masks and more

7345 Words

Thursday, July 02, 2020

The Globe and Mail

We’ve tried to provide answers to some of the most common (and occasionally obscure) questions.

Face masks

Navigate to a question: Who do masks protect? • How do I make a face mask at home? • Are masks with valves better? • Do face shields offer better protection? • Where do I buy a mask? • What do experts think about mandatory universal masking? • Why don’t governments provide masks for everyone?

Who do masks protect: the wearer or other people?

Masks principally protect other people, not the wearer. Coronavirus is spread by respiratory droplets from an infected person. If you wear a mask, you are less likely to spread the virus when you cough, sneeze or talk, and less likely to leave germs on surfaces. As the saying goes: “Your mask protects me, my mask protects you.”

How do I make a face mask at home? Has the Canadian government provided instructions?

Do-it-yourself cloth face masks can be made fairly simply. You don’t need to be a couturier. The Public Health Agency provides instructions for making three variety of masks: One that requires fabric and sewing; using an old T-shirt and no sewing; and a bandana-style mask.

Are masks with valves better?

While valves make a mask look more sophisticated, they are actually worse than a cloth mask. The filter – which often isn’t medical grade – filters air coming in but usually allows you to exhale unfiltered air. In other words, it doesn’t protect those around you. If you’re doing renovations and don’t want to breathe in sawdust, wear a filtered mask; if you’re going shopping, wear a cloth mask.

Because there are so many variations of homemade fabric masks, do face shields offer better protection?

There are advantages and disadvantages to face shields. They tend to be more comfortable, and are more easily cleaned, but are more expensive than masks. Shields also allow us to see a person’s facial expressions and lip movements, which is particularly important for people who are hearing-impaired. Cloth masks do not filter 100 per cent of the virus so, theoretically, a hard shield would be more effective. However, there is no definitive research demonstrating superiority. Like masks, face shields must be worn properly to be effective. A mask needs to cover the mouth and nose completely, and be snug. A shield needs to extend from the forehead to below the chin. And whatever face covering you use, it must be cleaned regularly.

Where do I buy a mask?

It is virtually impossible to go on social media and not be bombarded by advertisements for companies selling masks, everything from designer brands on down. Because you can’t try them on, you risk purchasing something that’s uncomfortable or ill-fitting. Masks can also be expensive - $25 or more for piece of cloth with an elastic. The DIY ones work just as well and, with some fiddling you can custom fit your mask(s).

What do experts think about mandatory universal masking in public places?

There is a growing scientific and political consensus that wearing a mask is desirable in health care settings, on public transit, grocery stores, restaurants, shopping centres and other crowded places with poor ventilation. Doing so is recommended by public health officials and, as the economy opens up, many stores are making face-covering a condition of entering. Masks are mandatory in 31 U.S. states and a number of European and Asian countries. So far, there is no indication the federal or provincial governments intend to make masks mandatory. It is seen more an act of civic engagement than a legal obligation.

How can masks be required when they just aren’t available and why does the government not provide masks for everyone?

Well, businesses can require you to wear shoes and a shirt, and they don’t have to provide those. Increasingly, masks are becoming a standard part of our wardrobe. We can expect workplaces to supply them to employees if they are mandatory. Governments are also getting in on the act. Alberta, for example, is going to make 20 million masks available free in a partnership with fast-food stores that have drive-thrus.

The second wave and reopening

Navigate to a question: When do nail salons open back up? • What is the expected source of the second wave?

When do nail salons open back up? When do churches reopen? (What guidelines are needed, what criteria must be met?)

Nail salons, hairdressers, barbers and other esthetic services are beginning to re-open in some provinces, but the exact timing varies widely across the country. The experience is likely going to be very different than pre-pandemic.

Obviously, maintaining a two-metre distance is impossible if you are getting your nails done or hair styled. So masks will be de rigeur, for employees and customers. Appointment times will be more precise to avoid congregation in waiting areas. Larger gatherings like church are a whole other matter. Most provinces still have rules and regulations that limit gathers to anywhere between five and 50 people, and they have to maintain physical distancing of two metres. So, in theory, a small religious service with congregants may be possible in the coming weeks but probably won’t be allowed until after summer. And remember, public health officials are looking to the fall with trepidation; if there is a second wave of Covid-19 infections, even smaller gathering will likely be off-limits again.

Now that housekeepers are allowed in our homes in Ontario, is it safe for a cleaner to come if she takes public transportation?

The over-arching philosophy of physical distancing is that you want to minimize your contact with other people – especially those who interact with many others. Ideally, with your cleaner, whether they take the bus or not, you should try and get out of the house or isolate in one room.

What is the expected source of the second wave of the virus as we open things up?

The public health measures taken to date are designed to slow the spread of coronavirus and they are working. However, there are still an unknown number of people in the community who are infected. The more we open up the economy, the greater the risk of those people infecting others. The analogy that is often used is that there are embers in the forest and, with the right conditions, they could grow into a fire.

The fear is that, in the fall, when we start spending more time indoors, and the regular soup of respiratory viruses like colds and flu take hold, it will create ideal conditions for the coronavirus to spread widely again. Historians warn that, during the 1918-19 influenza pandemic, the second wave was much more deadly than the first, in large part because people were more complacent.

Testing and coronavirus antibodies

Navigate to a question: Who can get tested and where? • Once you’ve had, are you immune? • When will we have a comprehensive testing strategy? • When will we see routine testing for antibodies?

Who can get tested? And where?

Most provinces have assessment and testing centres and some even have mobile clinics. (The locations are on public health websites, or you can call 811.) The rules about who can be tested differ a bit depending on which province you live in but, essentially, anyone who has symptoms of COVID-19 can and should be tested. In the hardest hit provinces, Quebec and Ontario, there are also “targeted campaigns” in community hot spots, and among high-risk groups like frontline health care workers, residents of long-term care homes, shelter residents, jail guards and inmates, farm workers and some retail workers. While there are calls for “everyone” to be tested it’s worth remembering that current tests do a poor job of detecting asymptomatic cases (people who are infected but have few symptoms.)

Once you’ve had coronavirus, are you immune?

In theory, once a person is infected and recovers, they should develop antibodies that make them immune to reinfection. However, with coronavirus, there are many unanswered questions about how immunity develops, how strong it is and how long it lasts.

When can Canada expect to have a comprehensive antibody testing strategy?

Canada has created a COVID-19 Immunity Task Force to develop a testing strategy. One of the priorities will be trying to figure out how many people in the general population have actually been infected because, in theory, everyone without immunity is at risk of infection.

When can we expect to see routine testing of people for COVID-19 antibodies or the virus itself?

In some jurisdictions – for example in German schools – testing for coronavirus is are already being done broadly to try and ensure the infected are caught quickly. At this point, antibodies testing done largely to get a sense of how widely the virus has circulated in the community. But the technology is not good enough yet to, for example, grant ‘immunity passports’ to some knowing they will not be reinfected. (There are also legal/ethical issue with the passport approach.)

What is coronavirus?

Navigate to a question: What is coronavirus? • What are the symptoms? • Can someone without symptoms spread the virus?• Can you be infected more than once? • What is the coronavirus recovery rate? • When will we be able to say coronavirus is “over”?

What is coronavirus?

The new illness that emerged last December in China – officially called COVID-19 – is caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The coronavirus that is making global headlines, SARS-CoV-2, is “novel” because it has never been seen in humans, meaning everyone is susceptible to infection.

COVID-19 has a higher mortality rate than the flu: About 3.4 per cent by recent estimates, which is lower than SARS (10 per cent) but much higher than seasonal influenza (0.1 per cent).

On average, it takes about five days for people infected with COVID-19 to show symptoms, according to a U.S.-based team’s estimates published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The incubation period for SARS was much longer, about 10 days.

In recent years, we have seen two other novel coronaviruses emerge – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. There are four other coronaviruses that circulate routinely – OC43, 229E, HKU1, NL63 – which generally cause colds.

How is it different from other viruses?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The coronavirus that is making global headlines, SARS-CoV-2, is “novel” because it has never been seen in humans, meaning everyone is susceptible to infection. In recent years, we have seen two other novel coronaviruses emerge – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012. There are four other coronaviruses that circulate routinely – OC43, 229E, HKU1, NL63 – which generally cause colds.

What are the symptoms?

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 can cause an illness known as COVID-19. The symptoms include fever and dry cough.

Unlike a common cold, people with COVID-19 generally do not have a runny nose or a sore throat.

According to a large study in China, the vast majority of those infected with the novel coronavirus:

81 per cent of patients have mild symptoms

14 per cent of patients had severe symptoms, including trouble breathing

Just under 5 per cent of patients suffered critical illness, meaning they needed to be on a respirator

It is not yet clear how deadly COVID-19 is because many mild cases have likely gone undetected. The treatment is the same – you treat the symptoms with fever-reducing medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and bed rest. You should not treat fever with ASA-based painkillers such as Aspirin, especially in children. Antibiotics do not help; they only work for bacterial illnesses.

How long can an asymptomatic carrier spread the virus?

An asymptomatic carrier is someone who is infected with coronavirus but has no obvious symptoms. It’s not clear how long they are infectious, but likely 2-14 days, which is the incubation period for the virus. Remember though is that the sicker someone is, the more likely they are to spread the illness to others. An asymptomatic carrier can infect others, but there is far less virus in their body to shed. So, most important, is to avoid those who are sick and for sick people to stay home and out of the public.

What is the coronavirus recovery rate?

There are a couple of ways of answering that question. In Canada, a little under one per cent of people known to have been infected with coronavirus have died of COVID-19, so you can say that 99 per cent have survived. Of the roughly 90,000 confirmed cases, almost 50,000 have officially been declared “recovered” – meaning they have undergone treatment and/or isolation and no longer test positive for the virus. That’s a 55 per cent recovery rate. Beyond the statistics, it is important to remember that recovery varies tremendously. Some people have a mild illness and are fine afterwards, as if they had a cold. But a significant minority of those infected with coronavirus – even young, healthy people - have severe and long-lasting symptoms. Some may suffer permanent damage to their lungs, hearts and kidneys. Furthermore, it’s not clear why some patients get so much sicker than others.

When will we be able to say coronavirus is “over”?

The World Health Organization declared coronavirus to be a pandemic on March 15. At some point – and that could be a couple of years from now – it will be declared “over.” This happens essentially when a disease has run its course and there are only sporadic cases or no cases, or when the disease becomes endemic.

How does it spread?

Navigate to a question: Can you catch coronavirus from a fart • Where has coronavirus been reported? • Can you contract it Antarctica? • Is food delivery safe? • Is money a risk? • Do landlords have to inform tenants when there is a case of coronavirus in the building? • What is being done to trace/track where and how the disease is spreading?

Ontario’s data does not identify where cases are from - congregate vs. community settings. What is being done to trace/track where and how the disease is spreading?

You’re quite right, getting detailed data from some provinces (like Ontario) is like pulling teeth but, increasingly, researchers and the media are collecting and analyzing data independently. A recent Globe and Mail analysis found that 32 per cent of cases are currently occurring in congregate settings and the balance, 68 per cent, are happening in the community. Where exactly, we’re not sure, but it looks like they are mostly happening in low-income neighborhoods (where people tend to live in crowded conditions in high-rises that make physical distancing near-impossible) and in workplaces like warehouses and manufacturing plants where employees toil in close proximity. Ontario, to its credit, has now shifted its testing strategy to focus on these “hot zones.”

Do landlords have to inform tenants when there is a case of coronavirus in the building?

Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), landlords are allowed to ask tenants if they have an infectious disease like COVID-19. However, tenants have no obligation to disclose and, even if they do, the landlord must have explicit consent to disclose that information to others.

Can you catch coronavirus from a fart?

Who knew that six-year-old boys read The Globe and Mail?

The short answer is: No, it’s highly unlikely that coronavirus infection could be transmitted via flatulence. If you want to get more technical, while virus has been found in feces, shedding virus via droplets in a cough is much easier than via a fart, especially if you’re wearing a butt mask (read: underwear and pants). But here’s an interested related point: If you can smell ‘it,’ you are likely too close to someone to be respecting physical distancing rules, unless, of course, you dealt it.

Where has coronavirus been reported? How many cases are in each province, country and region?

The number of reported and confirmed cases changes rapidly. Consult the Globe’s guide to to provincial, national, and worldwide numbers for updates.

Each province and territory has a different website where they list how many cases they’ve detected or tests they’ve performed:

British Columbia

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Ontario

Quebec

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Nova Scotia

Newfoundland and Labrador

Can you contract coronavirus in Antarctica?

Oddly, several people have asked this question.

Coronavirus needs a human host, so it can spread person-to-person anywhere in the world. However, Antarctica has not permanent settlements; the only residents are in scientific bases so there is little opportunity for large gatherings.

Also implied in the question is whether coronavirus can spread where it’s cold. It can, in fact. Respiratory viruses spread more easily in winter conditions because people tend to huddle outdoors. But, so, far, Antarctica is the only continent where there are no COVID-19 cases.

I’m trying to stay inside but I need to eat. Is food delivery safe?

Coronavirus can live on surfaces, including the packaging used by food delivery surfaces but, again, the risk is relatively small. Some people wipe down the outer layer of packaging, like the pizza box.

Gig economy workers who can’t work from home push for benefits, sick leave amid coronavirus outbreak

“A bit of a middle-class bias to all the interventions”: What the pandemic reveals about Canada’s class divide

Companies such as Foodora and Door Dash are also experimenting with “contactless delivery” – where they leave your order at a set spot so you don’t interact with the delivery person (some apps allow you to send a photo of the precise location).

Remember that food-delivery people are low-wage workers who are being run off their feet during the pandemic. Tip generously.

Is money a risk?

Coronavirus is spread by droplets - the spittle when you cough. It can live on surfaces like money but, relatively speaking, the risk is low.

You should probably be more worried about all the germs left behind by people who punch the keys on the card reader. Use tap if you can. And, hopefully, the café wipes down its card reader regularly.

What can be done to stay safe?

Navigate to a question: Are public washrooms safe? • How can I protect myself? • I’ve close contact someone infected; what do I do? • Is expired hand sanitizer effective? • How often should I wash my hands? • Should I carry anti-bacterial wipes? • Should I be taking extra precaution around pregnant women? • Should I be stocking up?

Are public washrooms safe?

The safety of bathrooms depends largely on how well and how often they are cleaned. Bathrooms tend to have a lot of “high-touch” surfaces but the good news is that they are already designed to reduce disease spread – with handwashing and ventilation. But not all washrooms are created equal and public bathrooms are – how should we put this delicately? – not always known for being pristine. They are, however, essential, and probably more so now because of the importance of handwashing and because the old stand-bys, Tim Horton’s and McDonald’s, have social distancing restrictions. In other words, instead of debating the safety of public washrooms, we have to make accessibility and safety a priority.

How can I protect myself against the virus?

The best way to protect yourself against coronavirus infection is to follow the age-old advice of mothers around the world: Keep your fingers out of your mouth and nose, your hands off your face and cover your mouth when you cough. And, of course, wash your hands, frequently and thoroughly.

This is the single most effective way to stop the spread of disease

You can also practice physical distancing – keeping at least two metres from someone with a cough. The “Wuhan shake” (tapping feet) and the elbow bump are also displacing handshakes and cheek kisses.

What should I do if I had close contact with someone who has been infected?

If you have had close contact with someone who has been infected with coronavirus, public health officials urge you to limit your contact with others by self-isolating, and to get tested.

If you have symptoms (dry cough, fever, but not a runny nose or sneezing) and think you may be infected you should seek medical assistance. However, don’t go directly to the emergency room or a medical clinic, because you risk infecting others.

Call public health authorities by dialing 8-1-1 in most provinces (1-866-797-0000 in Ontario). Depending on the severity of your symptoms, they will send a nurse to your home to do testing, or an ambulance to bring you to hospital. The test is simple – a cotton swab in your nose, and the results will come back quickly. Several provinces are also creating testing facilities that will be off-site from hospitals.

There’s no hand sanitizer anywhere! I have a bottle from 2012—is it still effective?

There is nothing in sanitizer that can go bad, so it won’t harm you. The important ingredient is alcohol and it can lose its potency a bit over time. So old sanitizer is better than no sanitizer.

You can also easily make your own sanitizer with rubbing alcohol and aloe vera gel.

But avoid the expensive “essential oil” products. They may smell good, but don’t contain anything that kills viruses so they don’t work. Soap and water is still your best bet.

Small-batch distillers are using their alcohol to make disinfectant and sanitizer

How often should I wash my hands? Do I really need to wash them for 20 seconds?

There is no set number of times you should wash your hands. Rather, it depends on your activities.

You should wash your hands after:

blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing;

after using the bathroom;

before eating and cooking;

after cleaning around the house;

after social or work activities that include lots of interaction or touching of public surfaces (i.e. taking the subway);

after touching animals, including family pets;

before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives.

The 20-second hand-washing rule is to ensure you have time to adequately scrub surfaces, and under the nails, where germs accumulate. There are many videos online that demonstrate proper technique.

A common trick is to sing a song while you wash your hands, to make it less tedious, like Happy Birthday or the chorus of Another Brick In The Wall.

Should I carry anti-bacterial wipes everywhere?

Wiping down surfaces is useful for minimizing the spread of germs. But coronavirus is a virus, not a bacterium, so you don’t need anti-bacterial products. Look for alcohol-based products. Baby wipes don’t contain alcohol. Neither do popular products such as Wet Ones. Lysol and Clorox wipes do contain alcohol.

Should I be taking extra precaution around pregnant women?

Pregnant women experience changes to their immune systems that can make them more susceptible to viral respiratory infections, including COVID-19. Women who have been infected with other coronaviruses, like SARS and MERS, have slightly higher rates of miscarriage and stillbirth. It is not clear if the fetus is at greater risk if a woman is infected with COVID-19 but it is established that high fevers during the first trimester of pregnancy can increase the risk of certain birth defects. There is no evidence that coronavirus can be transmitted via breast milk.

In short, it is always a good idea to not expose pregnant women (and other with compromised immune systems) to infectious illnesses, and this is especially true during flu (and coronavirus) season.

Is flying safe right now? When will we be able to travel internationally again?

Contrary to popular belief, flying itself is not that risky. There are few documented cases of passenger-to-passenger coronavirus infections. The air on planes is filtered, passengers sit facing forward with barriers (seat backs) between them, and don’t circulate that much. Most airlines have sharply increased cleaning and made masks mandatory. Some have stopped selling middle seats, and suspended food service, though those measures are unlikely to last.

Navigating the airport is the challenging part of the journey because you encounter a lot of people and, unlike your fellow passengers, they can’t easily be tracked down. Airports are re-jigging to try and minimize contacts between people but that won’t make travelling any more pleasant. For example, some airports have already removed seats at gates.

As for international travel, it’s still happening, but most airlines have dramatically cut back flights. For the most part, travel is not banned but it is strongly advised that you don’t travel unless it’s “essential” – which means different things to different people. Perhaps the biggest barrier to international travel is that you will be quarantined for two weeks most anywhere you travel, and that could put quite a crimp in your business trip or holiday. What we are seeing develop are travel “bubbles,” where you can travel between countries like Australia and New Zealand or Finland and Norway. A lot of people are going to be staying a lot closer to home for the foreseeable future.

Testing and coronavirus antibodies?

Navigate to a question: How long does the test for coronavirus take? • Can I know if I have the virus without being tested? • Why don’t we test everyone?

I got tested for coronavirus but I never got results. How long does it take?

The test is simple – a swab in the nose – and it takes only a few hours to get results, in theory. However, despite operating seven days a week, labs are slammed, especially as provinces try to ramp up testing dramatically.

While awaiting results you should act as if you are infected, meaning remain in isolation – no contact with other people. In most provinces, you will only get a call if you have positive test result, and it will come within 24-48 hours.

The “don’t call us, we’ll call you” approach is not ideal. Some provinces have established a “negative results line” to confirm your test is negative, but you have to wait at least 72 hours because the paperwork takes time.

Can I know if I have coronavirus without being tested?

If you are infected, you will likely develop symptoms such as dry cough, fever and shortness of breath, two to 14 days after exposure.

Public-health officials recommend that you call 811 (or 1-866-797-0000 in Ontario) where you will be asked some screening questions and told if you should be tested or not.

Keep in mind, however, that the testing guidelines are changing rapidly, especially now that tests are running low. 811 lines are overwhelmed. You may get a busy signal or wait hours for a call back.

Use self-assessment tools to avoid making unnecessary calls. Some provinces, including British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario, have online self-assessments to help you determine your next steps.

Depending on your answers to a series of questions, these assessments can tell you whether you require emergency medical care (this is only if you experience any of the following: severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pain, a very difficult time waking up, confusion, loss of consciousness).

Online self-assessments tool can also tell you whether to call 811 (or 1-866-797-0000 in Ontario, 1-888-315-9257 in Manitoba, 867-975-5771 in Nunavut) and wait until someone is available to answer, or whether you need to be tested at all.

I think I have symptoms of COVID-19. What should I do?

If you have symptoms such as serious shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, persistent pain or pressure in the chest, confusion, the inability to be aroused, or bluish lips or face (signs of oxygen deprivation), you should call 911 immediately.

Emergency numbers to call:

Here are the local numbers for public-health authorities across Canada.

British Columbia: 811

Alberta: 811

Saskatchewan: 811

Manitoba: 1-888-315-9257

Ontario: 1-866-797-0000

Quebec: 811

New Brunswick: 811

Nova Scotia: 811

Prince Edward Island: 811

Newfoundland and Labrador: 811 or 1-888-709-2929

Nunavut: 867-975-5771

Northwest Territories: 911

Yukon: 811

Why don’t we just test everyone?

Two reasons: We don’t have an unlimited number of tests or laboratory capacity, and secondly the test is not effective in people who don’t have symptoms. For now, public-health officials are concentrating on testing those at greatest risk of suffering harm, people with symptoms, especially if they are in high-risk groups such as the frail elderly or those with chronic health conditions.

How does coronavirus affect children?

Navigate to a question: What do I tell my kids? • Can I arrange playdates? • My kids are home: how do I keep them busy? • Can I drop my child off at daycare? • Are kids immune? Are they carriers?

My children are asking about coronavirus. What should I tell them?

The virus can be scary or confusing for young children, so it’s important to keep it simple.

Explain to them that the coronavirus is a germ, and because it is a new germ people are trying to learn more about it and are taking it seriously.

Let them know what the symptoms are and what to look out for: coughing, fevers and breathing trouble.

Explain that children are less vulnerable to the virus, but they still can get it – so the best thing they can do to is to wash their hands properly.

Finally, tell them that anyone can get the coronavirus. It has nothing to do with a person’s background or what they look like.

With school out, my kids are going stir crazy. Can I arrange playdates?

Sorry beleaguered parents, your snotty, noisy housemates may be distracting, especially if you’re working from home, but that’s still a hard no. Children are very hands-on when they play. You have to do the physical distancing for them. Obviously, if you have more than one child they will interact, but minimize contact with the outside world.

So how can I keep my kids entertained? Can I take them to the park?

If you are physical distancing but not in isolation, you can go outside. A visit to the park might be okay, put keep your kid away from other kids. And be aware that a lot of germs accumulate on playground equipment.

Globe staff compiled suggestions for keeping kids busy. They include:

For kids 4-9: Implement school structure as much as possible, with outdoor time, free choice (playdough, drawing, Lego), homework, and inevitable screen time. Create obstacle course. Pull out “old” digital cameras, and give kids a scavenger hunt (a list of photos to shoot).

For kids 10-15: Baking or learning how to make an easy meal or two from a recipe. Check the free online resources of your local public library, and use your library card to register for Kanopy or Hoopla. Start a family jigsaw puzzle.

What experts say:

Create some structure to your day, with an hour of quiet time and time for physical activity

Ask your children to put together a performance (play or dance routine)

Create assignments (like planning future road trips or meal planning)

Families turn to schedules to maintain children’s routines during coronavirus outbreak

This photo scavenger hunt is helping keep kids active and engaged while schools are closed

Obviously, it’s hard to work in these circumstances so you have to make alternative work arrangements. (Telecommuting is also physical distancing measure.) In some countries, child care has been provided for parents who work in essential services.

Kim Brooks: To take care of children during the COVID-19 pandemic, parents must take care of themselves

Can I drop my child off at daycare?

This is a tough one because the recommendations are all over the map. Some provinces have closed daycares, some have closed only public daycare and some not at all. Also, families who work in essential services need daycare. If a child is going to be in care, the groups should be kept as small as possible and the children should be monitored closely (taking their temperature at least a couple of times a day).

Are children immune? Are they carriers and do they put people with compromised immune systems at risk?

Children do not seem to be getting seriously ill from coronavirus; however, that doesn’t mean they are immune – in Calgary, a child at a daycare centre tested positive for COVID-19. When children do get sick, they’ve generally experienced mild, cold-like symptoms, according to public health officials.

However, children are likely carriers and, as such, could put people with compromised immune systems at risk.

How do I care for my children during a new coronavirus outbreak?

What about older or immuno-compromised people?

Navigate to a question: Can I visit my elderly parents at home? • I’m young and immuno-compromised. Should I stay inside? • I’m 75 and healthy • My mom is 75. How do I keep her safe?

Can I visit my elderly parents at home?

No. It is also recommended that people older than 70, even if living independently, self-isolate. Visitors should be kept to a strict minimum, for example delivering food and medicine. It is, however, important to stay in touch – but by phone, Skype and other means.

I’m 34 and immuno-compromised. Should I just not leave the house?

Individuals have to make personal choices based on their own risk tolerance. But people who are immune-compromised – because of chronic illnesses, medical treatments or medications – are at much greater risk of both contracting and suffering more severe symptoms from infections, including COVID-19. Aggressive physical distancing is wise and total isolation probably a good idea, if you can tolerate it.

My mom is 75 and lives alone. She insists on going shopping even though it’s recommended that people over 70 not leave the house. How can I keep her safe?

Some people will not heed the public health pleas to practice physical distancing. If that is the case, like your mom, try and preach harm reduction. If she’s going to shop do it when the risk is lesser, when stores are less crowded – morning rather than just before dinner. Some stores, like Shopper’s Drug Mart, have set aside special hours for high-risk people, such as seniors. Finally, there are a lot of Good Samaritans offering to shop for their cooped-up neighbors, and maybe your mom would accept one of those offers.

How is coronavirus treated?

Navigate to a question: How is coronavirus treated? • Why is quarantine set at 14 days? • Can it be cured with chloroquine? • What’s the state of a vaccine? • Will the coronavirus vaccine be mandatory?

How is coronavirus treated?

There is no specific treatment for COVID-19. Only the symptoms can be treated. If you have mild symptoms such as a cough and fever, then you need rest, plenty of fluids and maybe Bubbe’s chicken soup. Fever can be treated with medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), but you should not treat fever with ASA-based painkillers such as Aspirin, especially in children. The French health minister (who is also doctor) has said that NSAIDs can worsen symptoms but, according to pharmacologist Dr. David Juurlink that claim “is not based on very much.”

Antibiotics do not help; they only work for bacterial illnesses. There are no licensed antivirals for COVID-19 but one drug, Remdesivir, is being studied and used experimentally. In more serious cases, COVID-19 patients may develop pneumonia (inflammation or fluid build-up in the lungs) and a physician may prescribe steroids. In the most severe cases, people can develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and require breathing support, a ventilator or ECMO (extracorporeal machine oxygenation). ARDS is what kills.

Why is quarantine set at 14 days?

That numbers is based on the incubation period of the virus – the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease. Most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from one to 14 days, most commonly around five. In other words, if you don’t have symptoms in that two-week period, it’s highly unlikely you have COVID-19.

Can coronavirus be cured with chloroquine?

There reports of COVID-19 being treated successfully with the anti-malaria drug chloroquine as well as with the HIV drug combo lopinavir/ritonavir (sold under the brand name Kaletra).

But anecdote is not evidence and we should always be leery of people who claim to have miracle cures, especially when their “evidence” is published in the tabloid Daily Mail and not a reputable scientific journal.

What’s the state of a vaccine for the disease?

Developing a vaccine is one of the top priorities in the coronavirus response. However, creating a vaccine is a complex, time-consuming process. There are currently no coronavirus vaccines (efforts to create vaccines against SARS and MERS have stalled) so, best-case scenario, is that a vaccine will take at least 18-24 months to be on the market.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said it would take at least a year to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and at least 18 months before it would become “deployable.”

In other words, while multiple companies have vaccine candidates under study, a vaccine is not going to stop the pandemic spread of the disease – a least not in 2020. The best approach in the short-term is tried and true public health measures to try and limit spread and developing better treatments for those who are sick. One drug, remdesivir, has shown promise against other coronaviruses and, anecdotally, has worked well for some COVID-19 patients. Drug-maker Gilead is ramping up testing.

Will the coronavirus vaccine be mandatory?

A vaccine is a long way off – probably a year or two if scientists are able to develop one so there is a lot of time to have this discussion/debate. In Canada, there are no vaccines that are universally mandatory and that is unlikely to change. However, vaccines are sometimes obligatory in congregate settings like schools and nursing homes and that’s likely to be the case with coronavirus vaccine.

A glossary of coronavirus terms

Common terms: Physical distancing • Temporal distancing • Self-isolation • Self-monitoring • Flattening the curve • Community spread • Pandemic • Endemic • Social “bubbles”

What is physical distancing?

Stated simply, physical distancing means maintaining a distance between you and other people – one metre to two metres – and minimizing contact with people. In other words, assume everyone around you could be infected.

The rules on physical isolation are changing. André Picard has the answers to your latest questions

What is temporal distancing?

Physical distancing – keeping two metres apart – is now a part of our daily lexicon. Temporal distancing means spreading out contact over time rather than space. For example, a school could have half its students attend in the morning and the other half in the afternoon or in an office, instead of everyone working 9 to 5, half could work 7 to 2 and the rest 2 to 9.

What is a family “bubble”?

For a couple of months now, people have been urged to stay at home, with only their immediate family contacts. Some jurisdictions, as they loosen restrictions, have urged the creation of “bubbles” – expanding your social circle to include another family, like your sister’s or your neighbor’s. That way you can see more people, but always see the same ones, minimizing your risk of infection. For the most part, there are no precise numerical rules but the guiding principle is always the same, to try and minimize your social contacts.

What does self-isolation mean?

Self-isolation requires you to stay at home, monitor for symptoms, and avoid contact with other people for 14 days, according to the Government of Canada website.

Expectations for those who are self-isolating include:

Staying home from work and school;

Avoiding public transportation;

Arranging to have supplies, such as groceries, dropped off at their doors;

Especially avoiding elderly people and anyone with compromised immune systems or chronic conditions;

Keeping any unavoidable interactions with other people brief, maintaining at least two metres’ distance from them and wearing a mask.

Advice for

enhanced hygiene measures

for those self-isolating at home include:

frequent hand-washing, avoid touching their faces;

coughing and sneezing only into the bend of their arm;

and disinfecting surfaces at least once daily.

Those in self-isolation are advised to get lots of rest and eat a balanced diet. They are to monitor themselves for symptoms and immediately get in touch with their health-care provider or with public-health authorities if those symptoms worsen.

And some tips to maintain your health and wellness:

Give your days some structure: Shower and put on jeans, says Lia Grainger. If you work from home, make a separate space for work. Try meditation.

Don’t just binge Netflix; lift a little: Paul Landini suggests body-weight exercises, or skipping rope to get in some cardio.

When you do need a break, try one of these 10 books that offer lessons from past pandemics or consult Barry Hertz’s guide to the best Canadian streaming options.

What is self-monitoring?

According to the Government of Canada website, self-monitoring is for people who do not have symptoms but have possible exposure to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days. Self-monitoring means to monitor for one or more symptoms, but to go about your normal day while increasing space from others and avoiding crowded places.

What does “flattening the curve” mean?

When diseases reach uninfected populations, a graph of the new infections will generally follow a curve: Infections rise, then peak, then fall.

Officials talk about “flattening the curve,” or preventing the peak infections from exceeding their health systems’ ability to handle them.

Who’s ‘flattening the curve’ on the coronavirus, and who isn’t? A global graphic comparison

What is community How does it spread??

Community spread is when a sick person transmits the coronavirus to someone in the community. Community spread is more problematic than “imported” cases – meaning a traveller contracted the illness in another country and returned home sick – because cases can multiply quickly.

What is a pandemic?

On March 11, the World Health Organization’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared coronavirus a pandemic, by which point the coronavirus was in more than 110 countries.

The WHO says the new coronavirus is a pandemic. Here’s what that means

When the WHO last revised its guidelines for pandemics, it didn’t include a single, quotable definition of what a pandemic is. Instead, it described six phases from initial infections to pandemic, each giving national health authorities advice about what to do as the urgency increased:

Later revisions to the influenza guidelines simplified and blended these stages. First there’s an interpandemic phase between outbreaks of a disease; then an alert phase, when a new disease type is observed in humans; then a pandemic phase, when the disease has spread globally; and finally a transition phase, when the global risk subsides. WHO risk-management documents acknowledge that the situation can quickly change between the stages.

Ultimately, the declaration of a pandemic is up to the WHO director-general.

What does endemic mean?

An “endemic” disease is one that is present in the community at all times but in relatively low frequency. For example, chicken pox is endemic, but very few people are infected (and they are almost all unvaccinated). Coronavirus could, theoretically, because endemic, just hang around like a number of other less harmful coronaviruses.

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medicated-for-public-safety · 7 years ago

Photo

DO NOT ALTER, EDIT, REPOST, OR CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF PICTURE OR CHARACTER INFORMATION. THAT IS SOMETHING ONLY A VILLAIN WOULD DO.

Finally finished my Boku no Hero Academia OC, Youko; with bonus corner All Might!

Took me a while, but I’m pretty damn proud of how she came out. Mainly the eyes and hair. Should you pluck a single strand of her (entirely natural, thank you weird physical anomalies in quirk users) hair and hold it up to the light, the ‘blue’ section of her hair will appear clear and transparent; just like water. Her hero costume is mainly based off of koi fish, so it was a bit of a bitch in terms of the color scheme I was trying to go for. I got it down, though!

Anyway, here’s the more important info under the cut~

Name: Youko Mizutani (水谷洋子) Age: 26 Nationality: Half Japanese, half American. Hero name: Sky Koi Quirk(s): Is able to manipulate water, such quirk being a familial trait on her mother’s side (she never knew her father, who is somewhere in America last she heard). Her specialty lies mainly with controlling condensation, the natural moisture in the air, small bodies or amounts of water, and the water molecules within living people. Youko can gather and move it in great quantities, raise or drop the temperature, and even use her ability to make it appear as if she is floating! She does this by focusing on the water molecules within her body and controlling them in such a way in order to carry herself in the air. There are some downsides to her quirks, one being that dealing in the water molecules hanging in the air to fight tends to make her clothes moist, but Youko can dry them off by pulling the moisture back out with her quirk. The second major downside is, should Youko overexert her quirk (Ie; moving an amount of water greater than the size of a public pool, moving 100+ people out of harm’s way all at once via how she usually flies around, ect.), she will come down with severe dehydration, a fever, and fatigue. This can usually be cured with little issue so long as she sleeps for a minimum of three hours while hooked up to an iv drip full of water. She has a second quirk, which she assumes she got from her father. Youko doesn’t use this second quirk often, seeing as all it does is light up her body in a soft golden hue. Not very effective for battle unless she wants to blind someone in a dark alleyway in the dead of night. In a relationship with: Toshinori Yagi History: Youko grew up in Japan with her mother’s family, seeing as she never knew her father, whom had hooked up with her mother on a business trip shortly before he went back to America. Despite being fatherless and an incident that occurred when she was around five that very few know of, however, Youko still managed to have a decent childhood within the Mizutani family home. While most of the family members weren’t in the hero business, Youko’s step grandfather was the one to spark her interest in becoming a heroine when she got older. He, himself, was a hero that could be found stopping purse snatchers and helping the elderly with their shopping and groceries into the years after Youko had graduated from UA. Unfortunately, by the time she was twenty, her grandfather had gotten into a battle with a particularly nasty villain and was heavily injured and poisoned with a toxin. He had to be placed in a hospital specifically for heroes for almost a year and Youko visited him every day once her hero duties where taken care of. It was during that year that she met Toshinori, who had suffered the critical blow to his chest from his arch nemesis and was in and out of a number of surgeries and medically induced comas to aid his recovery despite how often he insisted on discharging himself. Youko would pass his room multiple times a day whenever he was there and, after only seeing a couple of people actually visiting the stranger, decided that the fellow hero (whom she didn’t exactly recognize) could use some company. Toshinori was in one of the aforementioned medically-induced comas the first day the girl slipped into his room with a vase of fake flowers to help brighten up the room a bit when he was woken up. She sat beside the bed and softly talked to his unconscious form for the next few days about little things, after first introducing herself on day one. When the hero was finally taken out of the coma but still hooked up to all kinds of machines, Youko would sneak in while Toshinori was sleeping and rearrange the fake flowers by the window. She never felt comfortable bringing real ones in, what with his clearly horrible condition. Despite getting into trouble with the nurses for being in the room when she didn’t even know the blonde hero, there seemed to be nothing that could stop Youko from spending some time within his room as a visitor. Even when Toshinori stirred one day while she was changing out some of the flowers with newer, more vibrant ones, she apologized but asked if he was alright with her staying for a while. The two became friends in that hospital, but Toshinori never told Youko what his hero name was as he continued to whither away. Heck, she didn’t ever really ask and was content simply by knowing him as the man Toshinori Yagi; not the world’s greatest hero and symbol of peace, All Might. Not to say that she didn’t have her suspicions initially. Youko continued to visit Toshinori whenever he was forced to return to the hospital for his condition, even after her grandfather was discharged, and the two were able to talk to one another for hours on end when the girl wasn’t just sitting beside the bed and reading to Toshinori as he rest from one of his many surgeries or a fight. It wasn’t until the hospital was attacked by a villain hopped up on dangerous narcotics, that Youko learned the suspected truth about her new and dear friend. Toshinori had managed to transform into his muscle form after Youko was knocked into a wall from trying to protect his bedridden form from the indiscriminate attacker of the hospital occupants. All she was was All Might appearing from the once sickly form of her friend before she relented to unconsciousness and a pretty bad concussion. When she regained consciousness in a different hospital for heroes, Toshinori was in a wheelchair beside the bed. He, of course, asked her not to tell anyone that he was All Might once realizing that she’d seen it all. Youko’s response was, since it was just her and her friend in the room and that she couldn’t thank All Might with a fruit basket or something, to simply lean over and kiss Toshinori on the cheek before thanking him by name, saying he was her hero. He was flustered about it and how Youko didn’t care about his almost skeletal appearance, but couldn’t help but agree to her offer of them going out for some tea together once he was well enough to be discharged from the hospital. The two began to date shortly after he was, indeed, discharged for the final time, though decided it would be best that the public didn’t know that All Might had a girlfriend. It also made it easier for the two to go out in public together for shopping or the movies whenever they had free time. Only their closest friends came to know of the relationship. When Toshinori received the teaching request from UA, he was surprised to see that Youko had gotten one as well, but was glad to not be separated from the woman that loved him so dearly, and he her. Thankfully, Youko also was privy to the information of One For All and how Midoriya was the successor that Toshinori chose, so she would try to give her lover tips on teaching whenever he would feel the need to ask. She giggled when she found out that he bought the ‘Even a complete idiot can still be a teacher’ book, but still ended up reading it with him. The two are close and enjoy snuggling and sharing little kisses when they’re relaxing alone together. Youko is, however, known to steal a quick kiss or two should she be floating when they pass each other and there aren’t that many people around. At UA, Youko has been placed in charge of any foreign exchange students and co-instructing the classes of 1A and 1B. Her current priority student is a first year from America that she has to keep a pretty close eye on due to the boy being not only short-tempered, but a pervert as well. The passing on of his quirk hasn’t changed anything in Toshinori and Youko’s warm relationship, despite his impending demise approaching on the horizon. He enjoys calling her “My Darling!”, since she always breaks out in a blushing smile whenever she hears him say it. Youko has a considerably mild form of PTSD (from the event in her early childhood), but is still able to continue her everyday work as a pro hero. She does, however, receive treatment for said anxiety and PTSD, and manages to hold herself together well enough should an episode spring on her during work, which is rare but has happened before. Her greatest asset in this is being able to ‘fly’ away from the media before the effects of her attacks become too obvious. Toshinori hugs, no matter what form he’s in, also help a great deal.

#Mun's pixel art #OC #OC Heroine #All Might #Toshinori Yagi #boku no hero academia #boku no hero academia oc #my hero academia #my hero academy oc #This was fun #time for sleep noooow

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