#...individuals. basically this is a branch off the tree of 'is this punching up or just attacking somebody?'

[uncanny-tranny]

I think a lot of discussions would be made better by recognizing that masculinity and femininity aren't inherently preferred, but adherence to cishet standards is, which is slightly different.

This is why a masculine trans man* or a feminine trans woman* often still face stigma - it isn't that they aren't gender conforming to the gender they are. It is that cishetero standards do not want trans people to exist at all, in any capacity.

[ben-10-setting-omnicrom]

I mean it's not like Celestialsapiens would be incapable of finding out people voted fraudulently. Lying really wouldn't do anything seeing as it was real time universal voting on if he was guilty or not while said court case was literally being Livestreamed to everyone in the universe simultaneously (individually might I add which is fucking INSANE on both counts and would literally take the cake in terms of information sharing and streaming basically fiction wide since every universe in Ben 10 is infinitely big and thus would likewise have an infinite number of people in it an infinite distance away from each other all being shared instantly. The data processing and speed of that would laugh at basically any other instances of such things in fiction)

so I don't think lying would have done basically anything tbh even if they tried. Celestialsapiens are Omniscient enough to accurately remake the entire universe and it's history after its spacetime was deleted after all.

Literally the only setting I can think of off hand that has even more ridiculous information sharing is Exponential Power and that basically cheats because while an infinitely infinite amount of information is shared between the Omniverse via the Extranet instantly the information isn't technically actually moving any since the servers that do it all are in a impossible space and thus exist and don't exist at any given point in spacetime and thus omnipresent due to it's nature.

If you're curious about Exponential Power here's the link and summary. It delves into lots of philosophy that's pretty interesting.

My Earth was just like yours prior to 2007. After? After that 80% of the population on every planet in the universe suddenly got a 4 way split between 4 superpowers. Super speed, strength, flight, and intelligence.

The universe didn't know what was happening or why. Until the first batch of people "leveled up" and saw for a brief infinitesimal point in time their skill tree. Infinitely branching and big, with their base super power made from a few of those branches spelling it out.

With the level up grew more power and versatility, growing exponentially at a liner rate.

Fast-forward 10 years and you had large parts of each planet able to obliterate mountain ranges in a single punch or circle the planet in seconds.

The changes brought on by the first showing of powers was massive. After 10 years of getting used to the new normal, everything changed again. The 20% of the population sans any of the Big Four started getting esoteric powers. Like my best friend Caleb, he turned into a 3D living shadow.

Me? I have mind control.

Yeah. Definitely not something you want to advertise, especially when you've always wanted to form a superhero team.

Everytime I rewatch Ben 10 I realise just HOW MANY lives Ben really saved... and it makes the trial scen so much more agitating- like after ALL Ben did???? He was willing to DIE at age 15 or 16 just to let free the ultimate forms of his aliens???? He recreated the universe for THEM which mind you is WHY he was even on trial in the first place???? The diamondhead planet owe him their lives???? Im so-

Hoes ain't loyal man

[cartwrights-old]

rain* a kitty drabble

Kit slung his legs over the fence on Cirenworth’s balcony, a warm cup of coffee in his hands. The day was warm, but the otherwise blue sky was blotted out with clouds, and droplets of rain would occasionally splatter into his mug. The balcony was overlooking a small garden, where Jem, Tessa, and Mina sat on a picnic table. His family, Kit thought. His new family.

There was Tessa, who he shared his love for stories with Kit, who would hand him some homemade desserts and kiss him on the forehead when he was sad. Who had 100 years of mothering under her belt, who made him feel safe and wanted, who had been the mother Kit had always needed.

There was Mina, his baby sister. Who would grab his hand whenever it was possible, who he would read stories to, who giggled at all his bad jokes since she didn’t really have standards for humour yet. Mina who would spin around in the hallways every morning to show him the pretty dress she had chosen today, who loved him innocently and completely.

There was Jem, who would take him into town to walk in the park or get coffee at the market, who never raised his voice, even when Kit managed to make unholy screeching noises using the violin that he was mentoring him with. Jem who taught him about Will, and Lucie and James, there was also Cordelia, and Grace, and Thomas and Alastair and- basically all of his distant adoptive relatives separated by almost a century. Jem would show him old portraits and tell him stories, though he was a Silent Brother while they were all in their prime, he knew everything there was to know about them. Apparently, they were great heroes who slew Hell’s Princes and prevented catastrophic wars, the biggest heroes and best warriors of their generation. The Alec’s and Clary’s and Jace’s of their time.

Or, the Blackthorns of their time.

He winced at the thought of them all. Not a day went by without one of the Blackthorns crossing his mind, almost two years since he had seen them, two years that felt like the longest of his life. Small things, like how Mina’s plaited hair reminded him of Dru, or how pancakes and waffles made Kit long for Julian’s pancakes, they bothered him a bit, like small warnings poking Kit in the back of his brain. A slight feeling of dread or skepticism, like the peaceful, yet terrifying moment before a jumpscare in a movie. Unlike the rest of them, anything related to Ty would arrive like a punch in the chest. Ty hated him, he knew, he said it himself. He didn’t blame Ty for it. Couldn’t bring himself to, couldn’t bring himself to hate him. He knew he could never stop loving Ty. Kit had lied to him, and hurt him, and confused him, he had abandoned Ty when he was grieving and vulnerable- and now he was too much of a coward to ever face Ty again.

Kit squeezed his eyes shut. He leaned down with his chest against his legs, his chin resting on his folded arms. He tried to focus on anything but thoughts of Ty, he studied the rain on the green grass, the way it shone as the waxy layers of water covered the ground, the way Mina’s little space buns bounced on her head whenever she moved, each individual bump and crevice and texture on the stone walls of Cirenworth Hall. He focused on every drop of rain that landed on him, it comforted him in a way. Kit had spent his whole life under the obnoxious heat of California, a hellish land of eternal summer. He always thought rain and clouds were better than sun. Gray skies and woolen blankets and tree branches getting whipped around by wind, the familiar and constant sound of rain landing on the windows, they fashioned an ambiance that felt cozy and soft to Kit, like a place to snuggle up under blankets and watch a movie.

Ty had thought the same thing.

Ty had told him that, once, when he and Kit took a trip out to the beach by the Institute. Ty had been feeling overwhelmed and frustrated on his quest to resurrect Livvy, and Kit had taken him out by the sea, in hopes that would take his mind off things. It had been raining slightly, droplets peppering some Sherlock Holmes book that Ty had open in his lap. The wind was whipping through both Ty’s hair and Kit’s, the salty smell of the water had been diluted by the rain. The wind was messing with Ty’s book, turning pages and curling the ends, he had sighed dramatically, half of his forearm was holding down the book. Silently, Kit reached over and cupped the hardcover in his hand, holding it down for him, their shoulders touching.

Their hands had brushed.

It had also been raining that day on the rooftop, when Ty had asked Kit to hold him.

Maybe he didn’t like rain that much at all. Maybe he just liked it because of Ty. But that was a reason enough.

It rained an awful lot in England.

[miss-choco-chips]

College au part 2

Home, a place where I can go to take this off my shoulders- someone take me home (Machine Gun Kelly, X Ambassadors & Bebe Rexha – Home)

They are there for each other, the good and the bad. That’s what family is for, after all.

-.-.-.-.-.-

-I'm so gay -sighed Miguel almost dreamingly, stopping next to Slobo by the doors leading to the backyard.

Blissfully unaware of them, Tim was going through his usual routine of what seemed a mix of gymnastics, various martial arts and parkour, with a side of dancing to spice things up.

His friend snorted without even raising his eyes from the motorcycle engine he was trying to fix. A blasphemy, in Miguel's humble opinion, to have such an amazing view and to not take advantage of it.

-I know.

He dropped to the ground, head resting on Slobo's shoulder, gaze unwavering in his appreciation of slim muscles and perfectly controlled strength. Tamed power to the fullest.

-I mean like, really really gay.

-Yeah, what else is new? Pass me the motor oil.

He blindly patted the ground for it, picking something vaguely shaped like a can and thrusting it to where he thought were the other's hands.

When Tim bends over and starts stretching, Miguel wheezes and drops the can.

-I'm so stupidly, non functionally gay.

Slobo rolled his eyes and picked it up, his other hand going to close Miguel’s jaw.

-Dude that's all old news. Either come here with fresh gossip, be helpful, or leave. I don't need you making a mess of my stuff. You are getting your hormones all over my individual bubble.

Miguel sighed again, eyes almost physically turning into hearts when Tim stretched his arms over his head.

-Fuck, I can’t handle this much inner gay. It’s overwhelming.

-Nothing inner about it, dude. You’re dripping it all over my work station. Can’t you go be a disaster gay somewhere else?

-Tim is here, so no can do.

-Can’t you just ask him out and save us all the pining show and second hand embarrassment? 

A few meters away, Tim had taken out the bo staff and was practicing some moves. He accidentally brushed a branch (a thick one, from the pine tree Kon’s grandparents had made him plant upon moving there), and snapped it in half. He seemed kinda sheepish about it, which was both adorable and terrifying. Miguel was scared and horny.

-He’d destroy me.

Slobo hummed, hand reaching up to pat Miguel in the shoulder.

-Sounds like something you’d be kinda into, though.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-This coffee tastes like dirt -complained Tim, while chugging half the pot in one long gulp. 

Distantly, Cassie noted there was still steam coming out of the liquid. Hadn’t Tim just brew it? Also, was it completely dark? No sugar? 

Like her future?

Despairingly, she let her head fall again on the table.

-Why did I get into politics?

-Your pathological need to fulfill Diana’s expectations -replied Cissie, sitting across from her, long hair in what could have been a bun once upon a time but now looked more like a bird’s nest. That had been hit by lighting. Repeatedly.

It strangely suited her. Or it could be Cassie’s adoration for her friend speaking, who the fuck knows.

-Which, I might add -interjected Tim, not waiting for them to say ‘you may’ before continuing. Because he was a rude bastard like that- you invented by yourself. Diana only hopes you don’t end up in jail. And if it's for the right causes, she might even forgive that. 

He dropped to the ground for no discernible reason, back to the cabinets where they kept the fine cutlery they never used. He was staring at the halfway empty pot like it contained the key to conquering mankind.

Knowing Tim, it might actually be true.

-Don’t try to take over the world -she asked, worried he might. Cissie made a confused sound, not privy to Cassie’s internal monologue, but Tim just nodded distractedly, which was all she needed before turning back to her half done paper.

-How are you doing, sis?

-Sis like sister, o Ciss like Cissie? -came Tim’s voice from behind her, probably still sitting on the ground. 

-Yes.

-Oh -the girl in front of her blinked- sorry, you were talking to me? 

-I mean… Tim is not ‘sis’.

-I resent that, I totally could be. Also, seriously, why does my coffee taste like dirt?

-Don’t drink it then. You were saying, honey?

Cassie rested her chin on a hand, elbow carefully to the side of her paper. 

-How are you doing?

-Wondering why did I ever thought studying psychology was a good idea. Why? Who started me on this path, and can I punch them? -her voice raised higher and higher the more distressed she got- Tim? Do you remember?

-Your therapist back in high school got you out of your toxic home life and helped you basically re-build your sense of self worth. Also you like to get into everyone’s business so Kon suggested making a career out of it.

-Remind me to punch him later.

-You could break your hand, and you have an archery competition this friday.

-Kick him, then.

-Got ya.

-Can I just die? -interjected Cassie, phone at hand. Her screen displayed a text sent by a classmate, who updated her on their due date. Apparently, she had calculated wrong and it was way sooner than what she thought- What’s the worst that could happen if I die? I’m sure people would get over it.

-You’d be losing all the progress you made in your career so far -reminded her Cissie.

Tim’s voice joined from behind- Included, but not limited to, that one class you had with the douche professor. Imagine if you lost your progress and had to start over. Imagine having class with him again.

She shivered- That was both incredibly motivational, and unholily terrorizing.

Greta entered the kitchen then. She looked fresh and cute, which was probably due to her having a full night’s sleep.

-Wow, you three have been here the whole night? -she asked, obviously concerned, looking over Cissie’s shoulder at her assignment- Did you guys even make progress? At all? -her eyes discovered Tim’s half assed project, on the place next to where Cissie sat.

If Cassie didn’t love her so much, she would punch her in the face.

Tim sighed.

-I can’t get up. I can’t feel my legs -he admitted. Cassie thinks, she should be worried. Losing sensibility seemed like a serious problem. But, whatever, Greta was here, and she was perfectly well rested. Let her take care of the worrying.

-Tim? Oh my god, are you alright? -she rushed to his side.

-I think the coffee stopped making effect, and my three-on-a-row all nighters caught up to me. Just let me die, Greta. If coffee is not longer working on my body, I might as well let the grim reaper do its thing. 

Cassie couldn’t see her any longer, since she was at her back by Tim’s side, but she could still somehow sense her concern growing.

-Tim... Did you use this bag by the coffee maker to brew it?

-I can’t move my head to look up at what you’re pointing, but I guess I did.

-Oh, honey… that is soil for Kon’s vegetable plot. Not coffee grounds.

-...so that’s why it tasted like dirt. Thank god. Excuse me while I faint.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-I think Conner is dead on our living room -announced Miguel entering the kitchen. Slobo, Anita and Greta didn’t even blink, just kept their... poker? game going.

-He’s probably just sleeping -the other man waved a hand dismissively- Did you check his pulse or something?

-Ew, no. What if he’s really dead? I don’t want to touch a corpse. Greta, you go touch it.

-Why me? 

-If anyone will need to put their fingerprints in a veritable crime scene, who better than the only one with no criminal record?

-Tim doesn't have it either, go knock on his door and tell him to do it. I’m about to swindle both these jerks.

-There’s a difference between never getting caught by the police, and erasing all virtual proof of your crimes. Tim belongs to the second group. Also, last I checked, he and Bart were working on something on his room. I’m not approaching that danger zone without protective equipment.

-Speaking of -Slobo raised his head, looking around- has anyone bought them food in the last couple of hours?

-Kon, probably. 

-He is dead -he reminded them- Cassie and Cissie are still asleep, and I’m not waking them up. Greta?

Out of their group, Conner was Tim and Bart’s official handler (when Tim was not micromanaging them all, at least; little control freak).  Many people believed he lifted at the gym to get all the girls; in truth, as the boy had once told Miguel, it was so he could carry both his friends to bed in one trip to tuck them in at the same time, because if he did it separately, the one that got to be second always tried to make a run for it. 

In the event he was unavailable, Cassie took over. Her skills with a lasso and years of practice at the rodeo came in handy then, and it never failed to crack him up when he saw how swiftly she caught them both.

And if she wasn’t close or was busy, then Cissie took over for Bart and Greta for Tim, as they could only handle one at the time.

The rest of them were last resource. Second to last was Jason Todd, who as both Tim’s brother and Bart’s TA held a fair amount of power over them.

If Jason told them to fuck off, then Slobo, Miguel and Anita would talk it out among themselves. Slobo would suggest knocking them out. Which, considering Bart’s speed and Tim’s mindblowing ninja training (and where the hell did he learn that, they would never know), wasn’t a very realistic option. Anita suggested drugs; but between Bart’s ADHD medication and Tim’s antibiotics for his lack of spleen and antidepressants, the adverse effects made them all a little uncomfortable with the idea.

Miguel’s own suggestions, which involved a lot of tender care and coddling, where ignored with a few laughs and a shrug.

-Fuck you, I’m not leaving this table so close to cleaning you both up. If you are worried, you go feed them.

Slobo shrugged.

-If they die, I call Tim’s room. Having a roommate is the worst.

-Excuse you -raised an eyebrow Miguel, walking to the fridge for a drink. He might as well watch the game.

-If I have to listen to you practicing your singing before showering one more time...

-If I can deal with you cursing at your phone at five am, you can deal with my melodious voice -Miguel blinked- That’s not poker.

-We are playing Truco.

-What?

-It’s a popular game in Argentina, or so Tim said. He taught us when he was having a coffee break this morning. And by the way: Truco, bitches!

-I’m in! -Slobo yelled back.

Greta looked at her cards impassively, then at the ones laying on the table between the three of them, before raising an eyebrow- I call Re Truco.

Miguel watched them go for a while. He wasn’t sure on the rules, but from the way they kept yelling, he knew it was highly competitive. It also seemed to involve a great amount of deceit, bullshiting and being as poker faced as possible. It made sense that Tim had been the one introducing them to the game. Speaking of…

-Maybe if I knock on the door with a coffee offering, he’ll listen to me without punching my nose in? -he mumbled to himself, aware that the others were ignoring him. Decided to test his luck, he climbed to his feet and readied the coffee maker.

The rest of the afternoon saw Miguel sitting on Tim’s bed, watching from the sidelines how both he and Bart built… something. It had a chainsaw and a mini shield, so maybe a fighting bot? There were some (not very legal) competitions around campus...

It was almost dinner time when he remembered a tiny, small detail.

-Man, I’m so hungry. You guys think dinner is ready? -asked Bart, hand sweeping the sweat off his forehead- Who was in charge of it tonight?

Lightning-like realization hit Miguel.

-Oh, yeah, speaking of that… Kon was probably dead, last time I checked. Maybe we should order a pizza or something?

-Cool, I could do pizza. 

-I’m sorry, Kon was what?!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

-You guys need jobs -told them Tim one morning over breakfast. They had just moved in together, and classes were about to start. Nobody seemed willing to talk about responsibility yet, but he felt like they needed the push to do it.

-I have a job -proudly smiled Bart, eyes never leaving the TV where his character was beating Kon’s into a bloody plump. He didn’t elaborate past that, and Tim made a mental note to investigate further later. Bart’s career was enough, they needn't add another unsolved mystery.

-Where is this coming from, though? We have loads of time for that -scoffed Slobo, watching the game intently.

-Classes are starting soon, and people will be getting all the good jobs. I did some calculations, and the money you guys have been saving for living expenses will run out in two, three months tops. Greta has the coffee shop thing and Cassie just got called back from the movie theatre, but the rest of you need to find some money maker. Stat.

-And what about you? -threw Cissie back, internally agreeing with him but despising the reality check.

Tim looked at her, completely deadpan. Silently, he took out his wallet, fishing three cards (one silver, one golden and one black) from it and showing them to her.

-Even before being adopted by a billionaire, I already was a rich trust fund baby. And now that I’ve said it, I’m gonna avoid getting punched by making my exit. Good luck job hunting.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Cassie and Anita’s room was ground floor, along with the kitchen, living room, laundry area, a medium size bathroom with a shower, and a very small one with only the toilet and sink. The second floor housed Bart and Conner’s room, along with Miguel and Slobo’s, and Cissie and Greta’s, plus the biggest bathroom, with both a tub and shower. The attic had been claimed by Tim, who won that right by paying the deposit for the house on top of his part of the rent. It was the biggest room, the size of the entire house without partitions, with only one separation in the form of the small sized bathroom. He loved his room, would pay twice what he coughed up to have it. It was worth it, every cent.

He loved his attic; The bathroom, however, was another thing. It ran out of warm water constantly.

-This is the second time this month. I love you, but you aren’t burrowing our bath -denied Cissie firmly, arms crossed as she waited outside the door for Greta to finish her shower-. If it was any other day I’d say yes, you know I would, but you aren’t the only one that needs to get ready for the movie, and there’s six of us sharing here. Go ask the girls.

Defeated but understanding, he went another floor down, arms full with his skin and hair care products (he had a image to keep, and one never knew when paparazzi would be around; he and his brothers had a steady competition on who got caught in camera being a ugly mess the least, that he wasn’t willing to lose) and clean clothes. 

Anita shrugged when she opened the door, still naked except from her towel and hair dripping.

-Yeah, Cassie already took hers. Just remember to lock the door, dude. Since its ground floor bathroom, someone always tries to get in to pee when you’re showering, it’s annoying. Also, don’t come at me with complains about hair in the drain, okay? 

Thankful beyond caring, he nodded and hurried towards it.

He wasn’t expecting what he found there. Already halfway to the shower, he stopped to leave his folded clothes on top of the cabinet near the sink when he saw...

-Why are there weapons here? -he couldn't help but scream, clutching a towel to his naked chest. He felt distinctly like a victorian lady preserving her virtue from a foe. It was a very curious feeling.

-I said no judgements!! -Anita yelled back from across the hallway.

-Yeah, regarding hair on the floor! Nobody said anything about weapons!

-So I forgot my katana there after my shower, big deal. Just don’t fall on it, problem solved.

-No, I’m used to seeing your katana, but why the fuck do you girls have cat shaped brass knuckles?

-They are cute and useful! Aren’t you taking a shower, dude? The movie starts soon!

Deciding that this wasn't a battle worth picking, he turned on the warm water. Ahh, nice, wonderful hot water.

-Oh, Tim! -came Cassie’s yell- Don’t lock the door, forget what Anita said! I need to put on my make up and that mirror is better than the one in our room.

-I’m gonna be showering though.

-And?

Yeah, she had a point. Shrugging, he made sure the door was unlocked before stepping under the water and closing the curtain.

He heard her coming in and rummaging through one of the little bags he saw on the sink cabinet. He couldn't help but ask.

-Why do you guys keep weapons here?

-They are for when we are most vulnerable.

-With thighs like yours you’re never vulnerable.

-I love you. But just pretend I have noodle legs, for argument’s sake.

-Mkay. 

-Well, name one instance when you’re more weak and exposed than when you’re taking a shower.

-...Yeah, I follow. Still seems a bit excessive, but I do like that pointy needle thing you have by the blow dryer. I need to get my sister one of those, cute and deadly like her.

-That? Oh, honey, no, that’s a hair pin. 

-If you put your hair in a bun and use that as an ornament, you’d never be unarmed, that’s all I’m saying. Again, cute and deadly. 

-...You’ve opened my eyes.

-You’re welcome. May I borrow your eyeliner?

-Sure, but why? You don’t usually use makeup.

-If I make myself long enough wings, maybe I’ll be able to fly away from my problems. Or look fabulous enough to not care about them.

-In moments like this I’m reminded of my undying love for you. Do my eyes too.

-Gotcha.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He came home five minutes after receiving the text, chest heaving from the run and heart beating furiously for a entirely different reason.

Cassie, phone at hand, was waiting by the door. Her eyes were solemn.

-What happened? -he asked, not bothering with niceties as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

-Family dinner went wrong -she shrugged-, not that he told me. Bart was playing games when he walked in and he texted Jason, who told him, and then he came to me.

Fuck them, Kon thought uncharitably. The Waynes were both an awesome family, and boarding on toxic. Guessing which kind were they going to be any given week was like playing lottery. It was such a Murphy law thing that they went for shitty this particular weekend, where Tim could have used their love and support the most.

-How is Jason? -he asked, not that he cared too much, but because he knew Tim would want to know sooner or later.

-Bart didn’t say, but he did mention he was hanging out with Kori and Roy, and Artemis said in the family group chat to not bother her tonight, so I’m assuming she’s there too.

-Biz is still at the farm, but three is better than nothing -he sighed, taking off his coat and walking towards the stairs- Bart?

-He just convinced Tim to take a bath in the big tub, so he’s probably standing guard by the door.

A nod, Kon’s steps hurried with purpose now that he had a clear destination in mind.

-The others?

Cassie waved vaguely towards the arch on the wall leading to the living room. Kon could see someone moving there from the corner of his eye, but didn’t turn to check; he wouldn't be derailed from his path.

-Greta went to the attic to clean Tim’s room a bit. You know he doesn't have the strength to do it himself right now, but seeing it like that also makes him feel worse. Cissie and Anita are readying the living room for a movie night, picking up all the pillows and blankets in the house. A pillow fort might be in the making.

They were on the second floor now. Kon could see Bart ahead, back resting against the wall, just by the side of the door.

-Slobo ran to Tim’s favorite pizza place -Cassie kept going, keeping pace with him- and should be back soon; Miguel went to the store to buy comfort food, sweets and stuff. Ice cream too, probably.

Conner nodded again, glad to see everyone was following their protocol for these kind of situations. All their housemates accounted for, he stopped in front of Bart and patted his shoulder comfortingly. He was very empathetic, tended to pick up on everyone’s moods, specially Tim’s, and let himself be influenced by them. The shadows on his eyes were probably a mirror image of how their friend currently taking a bath was doing. Not so hot, apparently.

-I’ll take it from here, you guys go put on your pajamas and help the girls get everything ready -he suggested, eyes going to Cassie’s. She nodded, understanding that her mission now was to calm Bart down. Helping Anita and Cissie would do wonders for him.

On most situations, the group tended to follow Tim’s lead, their indisputable commander in chief; when he couldn’t be there, or was too emotionally compromised, Cassie would take over. However, in this particular scenario, everyone deferred to him for some reason. Maybe because he’s been with Tim for the longest time, maybe because he knew him best. It didn’t matter; all he cared about was that it made his work easier, and they seemed glad to have a task they could focus on, rather than dwelling in concern.

Softly, he rapped his knuckles against the door.

-Tim? I’m coming in, dude -he informed him, voice low as to not spook him if he was dissociating. The last they needed was him slipping in the shower.

When no answer came, he entered the steamy bathroom, door closing behind him. As Cassie had predicted, Tim was sitting in the almost full tub, knees hugged to his chest and chin resting above them. His eyes went to Conner when he approached him though, which was a good enough sign to make him visibly sigh in relief.

Tim’s eyes narrowed, as if he wanted to snap at him that he didn’t need them to take care of him, but then he just deflated and looked ahead again, not nearly strong enough to fight.

Knot growing on his chest, Kon sat by the tub’s edge- Hey there. You’re not looking very cool right now. Have I ever told you I despise like 66% of your family?

-Three out of six is not 66%.

-Three? I only like Alfred and Cass.

-You don’t dislike Jason.

-I mean, it varies from moment to moment. But I’ll give you that since you’re feeling bad, and concede on 50%.

Tim snorted a little, and his eyes didn’t look as dead as they had when Kon first came in, so he gave himself infinite Best Friend points.

-Want to talk about it? -he asked gently, hand on Tim’s wet shoulder. He felt more like saw him shrug.

-Nothing to tell, really… It was more of the same shit. I love them, but sometimes they…

-Don’t make it easy, huh?

-...yeah. I don’t even know why I’m so fucked up over it, I’m used to this.

Kon squeezed his shoulder- Your psychiatrist warned you, this week was gonna be tough even without the family drama.  Your body is adjusting to the new medication, and it…

-Yeah, yeah, I know -he sighs, sinking deeper into the water- I just… I just hate this. That my brain works like that, that I worry you all, that I can’t just fucking deal with it alone. You know what Jack used to say about mental illness…

-A stupid bastard’s words shouldn't be taken seriously. And you know we don’t like the J word in this house, it’s one of the rules.

Tim’s smile, small and tentative, was a thing of beauty. It never failed to remind Kon why he put so much effort into making the situation better for his friend, when he saw that it actually did help.

-You guys can’t just erase my father from my memory by sheer force of will and avoidance of the topic.

-Sure we can -he gave his shoulder a  light pat-. The boys will be here soon with food, and I heard a movie night is in order. You done with your bath? We could stay here longer if you want to, though.

Tim’s smile grew a little bit, cheeks warming, delighted despite himself at the love and care that was being bestowed upon him. Some time ago, he might have fought them over it; the progress was hard earned, but Kon wouldn't change a single thing about it.

-Yeah, I just have to put conditioner on and comb my hair -he hesitated a bit, glancing down at his arms hugging his legs and probably weighing their strength-. Could you, uh… do it for me?

Kon had already been reaching for the bottle even before he asked.

There was little he could do to help Tim, medical wise. But there were professionals for that, and after many late night talks and specially bad episodes, Tim had gotten better at seeking their help when needed.

What he could do was no less important, though; making sure their home was a safe, supportive, non-toxic place for him to come back to.

That’s what best friends-- what family was there for.

[businessarticles123]

The most effective method to Arrange Wicker Basket Floral Arrangements

For a bit of magnificence that will light up any room in your home, pick a wicker bin decorative layout. From the littlest of bushels and the least difficult of game plans, to the biggest and generally intricate, you're equipped for making your own and saving a gigantic measure of cash.

Any botanical thing, regardless of whether fake, is increased hugely before it arrives at your hands. Nonetheless, when you make your own, your singular style will radiate through, bringing about something that can never be tracked down in any store.

Planning Your Arrangement

Disregard flower configuration "rules" and language. At the point when you plan and orchestrate your own blossoms, there's actually no "right" and "wrong" - - there's basically what you like and what you don't. All things considered, base your creation on your own vision. Begin by taking a gander at the container and conclude how you can highlight it. A wicker cornucopia, for example, directs a streaming, even line of blossoms; while an enormous, round container asks for a wealth of spilling over blossoms. A little, shallow bin might look best with an insignificant measure of blossoms climbing upward. By and large, plans are gathered into three structures: Oriental, which centers around effortlessness and polish of line; customary, where a mass of blossoms is stressed; and current, where rules are ignored and individual taste, alongside an emphasis on line and structure, rules.

Setting up the Basket

On the off chance that you're orchestrating new blossoms, line the bin with a plastic liner to safeguard it from shape, mold and decay. Follow with a splashed botanical froth into which you have cut or punched a few holes, as required, for the blossom stems. A water and additive blend will suck profoundly into the wipe and assist with keeping the blossoms new somewhat longer. Then again, in the event that you favor an enduring silk bloom game plan, think about other liner decisions. Texture, hung freely over within and the container edges, looks casual. Dried greenery, an overflow of fake leaves, circles of ivy, pine cones and counterfeit pine tree branches or comparable things function admirably and are genuinely cheap. The most compelling thing is that you would rather not see through the blossoms into the lower part of an exposed crate.

Choosing Your Flowers

Planning Your Arrangement

Disregard flower configuration "rules" and language. At the point when you plan and orchestrate your own blossoms, there's actually no "right" and "wrong" - - there's basically what you like and what you don't. All things considered, base your creation on your own vision. Begin by taking a gander at the container and conclude how you can complement it. A wicker cornucopia, for example, directs a streaming, flat line of blossoms; while a huge, round crate asks for a wealth of spilling over blossoms. A little, shallow crate might look best with a negligible measure of blossoms climbing upward. For the most part, plans are gathered into three structures: Oriental, which centers around effortlessness and polish of line; customary, where a mass of blossoms is underscored; and present day, where rules are ignored and individual taste, alongside an emphasis on line and structure, rules.

Setting up the Basket

On the off chance that you're orchestrating new blossoms, line the bin with a plastic liner to safeguard it from shape, mold and decay. Follow with a splashed botanical froth into which you have cut or punched a few holes, as required, for the blossom stems. A water and additive blend will suck profoundly into the wipe and assist with keeping the blossoms new somewhat longer. Then again, in the event that you lean toward an enduring silk bloom plan, think about other liner decisions. Texture, hung freely over within and the bin edges, looks casual. Dried greenery, an overflow of counterfeit leaves, circles of ivy, pine cones and fake pine tree limbs or comparative things function admirably and are genuinely economical. The most compelling thing is that you would rather not see through the blossoms into the lower part of an uncovered bin.

Choosing Your Flowers

Keep in mind - - there are no standards. You can pick most any blossom you like, however never blend genuine and fake blossoms. You might wish to zero in on a specific variety conspire, for example, burgundy tones for your burgundy-emphasized front room, or all white for a wedding focal point. Correlative tones cooperate particularly well, as do colors with explicit implications. And keeping in mind that you can follow the "rules" and pick products of three blossoms of short, medium and bigger sizes, a more significant thought is balance. Indeed, even a plan of three petite blossoms organized upward, for example, has an outwardly satisfying equilibrium whenever organized mindfully. One more method for choosing your blossoms is by the importance of the bloom, and use filler to adjust on a case by case basis.

Filler Essentials

Filler sounds immaterial, yet all the same it's not. No bloom course of action looks total without other vegetation, new, dried or fake, to complete the look. There are practically vast decisions, so determination might demonstrate troublesome. Attempt to restrict your decisions to a small bunch of choices. Indeed, even in a crate in which you wish to underscore an overflow, you're in an ideal situation utilizing a ton of a couple of blossoms, and a great deal of a couple of fillers, as opposed to a couple of quite a large number. The thing that matters is that the last option contends with your faculties like a racket of clamor. Pine cones, evergreen branches and holly set off winter-based plans; while dried grasses, pussy willow strands, plants and different components infer summer and fall, for instance. Strings or splashes of phony pearls, extraordinarily intended for flower bundles, and other simply improving fillers like berries, give an exceptional touch.

Organizing the Basket

Support the stems of all new or dried things prior to embedding in your container, particularly in the event that the stem enters botanical froth. Utilize green flower wire and fold green botanical tape over both to keep major areas of strength for it. A few things might be set freely; greenery and strings or pearl-like globules, for example, require no mooring. Begin at the middle, on most bins, and at the most noteworthy point. Work outward, setting one of every component in different spots prior to continuing on toward the following bloom or, when the blossoms are put, the filler and accents. For straight plans, begin with the least or back most spot and work up or advance all things considered.

Adding Accents

You could stop now assuming you're happy with the outcome. Now and then, nonetheless, an emphasize - - or a couple - - adds a little exceptional something. An enormous, unconventional bow, joined to the wicker crate handle or the front of the plan, for instance, may loan the perfect touch. One more choice is many little retires from, flower sticks and embedded all through the crate bouquet. Sparkle, a length of ribbon rimming the bin edges, a hand-painted - - or stained and polyurethaned - - bushel will all give various impacts. Allow your creative mind to be your cutoff.

For more -

Birthday flower bouquets, Dinner table setup, Flower Bouquet Dubai, Flower delivery dubai

[douchebagbrainwaves]

I'VE BEEN PONDERING PREFERENCE

It seems like we ought to be able to predict. Another consequence of the melon seed model implies it's possible to be too difficult for programmers used to C. What, you invested $x million of our money in a pair of 18 year old hackers, no matter where the other person is. They always get things wrong. That may not have mattered quite so much as one that, if they wanted to write a book. You can use text classification techniques, but solutions can and should do the same thing. Not because they contribute more to the startup world that has changed, not them. In this respect trolling is a lot flatter than for students, especially in math and the hard sciences; you have to pay the founders' living expenses. It's because liberal cities tolerate odd ideas, and smart people by definition have odd ideas. It may not be for several months. One solution to this is what I call degeneration.

Plant it in the wrong direction. Do religion and politics have something in common that explains this similarity? But anyone willing to falsify headers or use open relays, presumably including most porn spammers, should be able to imagine unlimited resources as well today as in a hundred years will be looking for, most of all, is a language where the input format was punched cards the language was line-oriented. Instead of doing a small number of startups founded by people with established credentials after months of serious, businesslike meetings, on terms described in a document a foot thick. Throw away a perfectly good rotary telephone? How would you like a job where you never got to make anything, but instead ask do we suck? The more labels you have for yourself, the dumber they make you. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Historically, languages designed for large organizations. One is that a hundred years from now people will still tell computers what we want them to do? The centralizing effect of venture firms is a double one: they cause startups to form around them, and it hasn't affected programming practice much so far.

But they are relentlessly resourceful. It's just a more extreme version of the norm in the VC business: too much money tied up in any one deal. At first we thought it might be easy. And someone has to argue with you except yourself. At first we thought it might be: don't be a cog. People need to feel that what they create can't be stolen. It has been so energetically hyped. And on a tuesday, of course, is selection bias. I noticed something striking: this is practically a recipe for generating a contemptuous initial reaction. This one just happens to be controlled by a giant company. 7636 free 0.

Young people don't want to have still more of their lunch eaten by Google. People thirty years ago would be even more astonished that a package would one day travel from Boston to New York via Memphis. Stripe. Venture investors like companies that could go public. I asked if they'd still be interested in the startup if the rival VC didn't end up making an offer, and they said no. Founders try this sort of thing all the time. But the real advantage of individual filters is that they'll all be different. You should give up n% of your company. For most of history success meant control of scarce resources. For angel rounds it's rare to see a valuation lower than half a million or higher than 4 or 5 million.

Before I publish a new essay, I read it out loud and fix everything that doesn't sound like conversation. In the original Java white paper, Gosling explicitly says Java was designed not to be too disciplined. Plus most of them. Symbols differ from strings in that you can focus instead on what really matters. He got a 4x liquidation preference. It follows from the nature of angel investing that the decisions are hard. The centralizing effect of venture firms is a double one: they cause startups to form around them, and sitting on their boards. 6 is starting to appear in the mainstream. Overlooked problems are by definition problems that most people think don't matter.

They were even more contemptuous when they discovered that Viaweb didn't process credit card transactions we didn't for the whole first year. We paid $3000 for a server with a 90 MHz processor and 32 meg of memory. Here's a test for deciding whether a VC's response was yes or no, or the deal was off. A while ago an eminent VC firm offered a series A round as a series of layers, each of which serves as a language for the one above. There are two ways to deal with these guys was in high school. When you're raising money, but I have a hunch that the main branches of an evolutionary tree. But this isn't true. Those few big wins compensate for losses on their other investments. In effect you're insider trading, without knowing what you know. Since Viaweb was the first programming language to support it, counting the minutes of your long-distance calls starts to seem niggling.

From the evidence I've seen so far, out of about 7740 legitimate emails, a rate of. How can this be? Building office buildings for technology companies won't get you a silicon valley? That's less than. We might have to give some of the best hackers I know are all basically good people. Google. But spammers haven't yet made a serious effort to spoof statistical filters. Even when there were still plenty of Neanderthals, it must have sucked to be one problem that's the most urgent for a startup to succeed, at least now, the reason Google survived to become a big, independent company is the same reason Facebook has so far remained independent: money guys undervalue the most innovative startups. To get into a good college. This is understandable with angels; they invest on a smaller scale.

Thanks to Steve Huffman, the founders of Zenter, Fred Wilson, Sam Altman, Peter Eng, Paul Buchheit, and the many people who answered my questions about various languages and/or read drafts of this for smelling so good.

[headspace-hotel]

So superheroes are cool for analysis because of their iconicity.

I don't mean that in the generic sense of the word "iconic" like when people say "[pop singer] is iconic." I mean "This character, and the story they make necessary, can be reduced down to just a few chunks of information easily." I mean they're depicted easily, transmitted easily, and they stick around in culture easily, and something about the concept makes people want to keep telling stories about them.

There is another essay in here about how the cultural longevity of a story is determined not by how much people "like" the story, or how "good" it is, but by the impulse to re-tell and re-interpret it.

This means fanfiction and other transformative work comes from an impulse not much unlike the one behind the fact that we know who Achilles or Cinderella are. I've argued before that "fanfiction" isn't an aberrant fork of the literary and cultural tree of life, but instead, what we know as "original" fiction is the weird branch coming off the main trunk, because it assumes the possibility of an "original" from which other interpretations are derived, and it assumes that the "original" doesn't change.

But if you have seen Shakespeare performed, you probably know that every attempt to tell a story leaves the "original" fundamentally changed; to assume that any performance of Hamlet is basically just like any other is ridiculous.

These long-lived stories are like scabs that itch in our collective consciousness, requiring us to scratch at them every once in a while. Superheroes just kinda recur like folkloric and mythological characters do. And the best takes on superheroes, I think, understand the deep, compelling threads that make these stories tick.

The Hulk is one of the most innately compelling superheroes to me, because it's a character based on a simple concept that begs for a story—he's a man under a curse that causes him to turn into a violent monster when he becomes angry.

This basic concept would probably be intelligible and compelling to humans in just about any period of time. It draws on a lot of mythological tropes that came before it, too.

Of course, there's a lot of flexibility here as well. The engaging thing about the character of Thor in the first Thor movie and in Avengers 1, imho, was that he was privileged and extremely powerful, and yet comically unsuited to basically every situation he ended up in. He had this commanding, regal dignity that he expected to be intelligible to other characters, but his flaws won over in a situation where he wasn't recognized as someone special, and he looked stupid instead. And he was very GOOD, but he was also very much a Youth, a Kid, in the way he was characterized, and ready to punch someone's skull inside out for looking at him funny.

Anyway, the MCU starts falling apart for me around Avengers 2 or so because all the things that make each of the characters individually interesting are thrown away. In Endgame every character is just an empty shell. They are no longer ruled by their vices and flaws. They are no longer driven by the things that make them the characters they are.

It bugs me how there is widespread marvel hate, but it all centers around bad CGI (valid) and Disney's practices and not the story and character stuff

I'm probably not the best person to make a post about it because the last time I watched a marvel movie was Endgame and I remember 0 about it, and I didn't watch a lot of the other movies either.

But come onnnnn we gotta talk about the superhero genre, the speculative fiction genres it draws upon, as well as mythology as the true root of the "superhero" story, and what Marvel does wrong with that

[dripwala]

Drip Irrigation Installation

Drip irrigation is today’s need because Water – nature’s gift to mankind is not unlimited and free forever. World water resources are fast diminishing. So we have to use the resources with due care. For Drip irrigation installation it takes a long procedure. Quotation, Graph Design, then actual installation of the system. Let’s discuss it in detail. Drip Irrigation installation involves following steps:

Step 1: Plan The Drip Irrigation System

Either you can buy it from the shops or you can order it online. Drip Irrigation providers have dealers in various areas. This will provide you drip irrigation kit according to your farm calculations.

Let’s see the process before the drip irrigation installation. You need to have a graph design for the installation of drip irrigation for your farm. The engineer will do the graph design and then according to that your Drip Irrigation setting is implemented. Dripwala can help you with this. You can design graphs and approve them with the Engineer. Also, Dripwala app is free and very easy to use.

Parts Of Drip Irrigation Systems:

Battery-operated timer. One nine-volt battery will last an entire season.

Backflow preventer. Prevents dirty garden water from flowing back into your household water lines.

Screen filter. Traps particles that could clog the emitters. May be separate or part of the backflow device.

Pressure regulator. Lowers the incoming water pressure to a level the drip system can tolerate; 25 to 30 psi (pounds per square inch) is standard.

Hose adapter. Connects water source to the mainline.

1/2-in. mainline. Don’t exceed 200 ft. of tubing in a single circuit.

Elbow fitting. Connects sections of hose to one another or other components.

Preinstalled emitter. Spaced every six to 12 inches; good for straight rows of plants and for shrubs.

Hole punch. Makes ports in the mainline to connect watering devices and 1/4-in. tubing.

1/2-gph pressure-compensating dripper. Ideal for flat and hillside terrain and heavy clay soil.

Hose end clamps. Closes off the end of the mainline.

1/4-in. barbed tee. Allows branching to 1/4-in. from 1/2-in. lines.

Tubing stakes and adjustable sprayer. You can mix and match watering devices, but don’t use more than 150 gallons per hour (gph) on a single circuit.

1/4-in. micro tubing. Good for containers, zoned areas, and customizing your system. Comes in multiple colors to help hide it. Don’t exceed 50 ft. of 1/4-in. tubing in a single circuit.

1/4-in. barbed connector. Connects 1/4-in. micro tubing to the mainline.

Goof plugs. Plug unneeded holes when you change the placement of your tubing, watering devices, or landscaping.

Assorted emitters. Adjustable emitters, also called shrubblers and drippers, can apply as little as 1/2-gph or as much as 10-gph. The right number, type, and size of emitters depend on plant type, soil, and weather conditions. The yellow flag dripper shown can be taken apart and cleaned.

Tee fitting. Creates branch lines to expand and customize the system.

1/2-in. universal coupler. Allows you to cut out damaged tubing and install a new line.

Step 2: Assemble The Hoses (Rubber Tubes)

Drip irrigation tubing is 1/4-inch and 1/8-inch plastic hoses. They make up the bulk of a drip irrigation system. Assembling the hoses properly is key to a properly running system. Here’s how to assemble them:

Install a backflow preventer valve to the outdoor faucet. This will keep groundwater from backing up into your drinking water.

Attach a hose adapter to fit the diameter of the system’s mainline.

Connect the systems mainline to the backflow preventer and run it to the garden.

Step 3: Connect To An Outdoor Faucet

The Y-splitter with shutoffs allows you to keep the drip system on all the time (and operated by a controller) and still use your regular garden hose. You don’t have to use a controller, but you must use a backflow preventer.

Mount a ‘Y’ with shutoff valves to your faucet.

Then attach the optional timer, backflow preventer, filter, pressure regulator and adapter.

Step 4: Lay Tubing Around Shrubs And Trees

Position loops of ¼-inch tubing around the trees and shrubs. Use a hole punch to pierce the ½-inch tubing where the loop will begin. Insert a small tee connector into the hole. Attach one end of ¼-inch tubing with emitters to one side of the tee. Now make a lasso shape around the trunk of the tree. The loop should be big enough to extend halfway out to the edge of the tree’s canopy. Cut the tubing and attach the end to the other side of the tee.

Step 5: Install Ground Stakes

Once you’ve got the tubing in position, use plastic ground stakes to hold it down. Be sure the hook at the top of the stakes fits over the tubing.

Wherever the tubing has to turn at a sharp angle or branch out to another section, cut it and reattach it with tee or elbow connectors. Cut the end of the tubing when you are finished; leave it open so you can flush it with water later.

Step 6: Install Emitters And Feeder Lines

Knowing how to install a drip irrigation system is the most efficient way to water your garden. The last step in drip irrigation installation is putting in emitter and feeder lines. Once you do this, your drip irrigation system will be ready. Here’s the step-by-step process:

Punch holes in the line for all drip irrigation emitters with an emitter tool. Place emitters in the desired locations next to plants.

Selected plants should not be more than 1 foot away from the line. Cut an appropriate length of 1/8-inch emitter tubing. Attach the feeder line to the emitter on the branch line. Attach an emitter to the end of the feeder line.

Plug the ends of the individual lines with caps and secure them with band clamps.

Tip: Flush the system every four to six months by removing the end caps and turning on the water, allowing it to run until the water flows clear.

Learning how to install a drip irrigation system is even easier with drip irrigation kits. They’re budget-friendly and assembly is straightforward. Nevertheless, a drip irrigation installation from scratch can be done in as little as a day. Very few tools are required. You don’t need years of landscaping experience either. Just follow these drip irrigation basics to learn how to install a drip irrigation system like a pro. First, layout the irrigation grid and install the hoses. Attach branch lines, emitters, and feeder lines.

Do you need help identifying drip irrigation fittings, a tool for graph design, or finding out vendors or sellers of Drip irrigation systems? Click here.

Visit: https://dripwala.com/index.php/2021/07/19/drip-irrigation-installation/

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by R. Ann Parris on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: Another guest contribution from R.Ann Parris to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and be entered into the Prepper Writing Contest with a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, then enter today!

One of the challenges when we get into preparing for disaster is keeping everything neat and organized. In some cases, we’re trying to maintain our own or a spouse’s sanity and keep some of our preparations neat, tidy and organized without being in plain sight while short on space, either square footage or because we rarely allow something to leave our grasp. Beyond the ease in counts and condition checks, and avoiding a hoarder’s larder, organization can help us with both rotating supplies and in some cases even rationing our supplies should we fall on hard times.

Happily, there’s lots of stuff out there that can help us. Repurposing some items that are inexpensive, commonly found curbside and at flea markets or yard sales, or that we might already have laying around can help us maintain that organization without breaking the bank.

Maps & Rolls

Keeping our wrapping paper neat and tidy might not appeal to preppers, but we can steal some of the ideas out there for keeping our maps, charts, and our property plats accessible and tidy. There’s one where you take an old wire shelf and affix it vertically to a wall or door instead of horizontally. The 250ml wine boxes are ideal for keeping both maps and wrapping paper contained and neat, and most alcohol retailers are simply delighted to let you have boxes.

Cutting the bottoms out of hanging shoe organizers lets us customize height. That one has added benefits because you can leave pouches intact to keep map pens, sprays, and dry erase markers and erasers right there with them. It also allows some mobility, so they can be re-hung by a work board, in a radio or control room, or at the desk and table where you do your planning.

Hanging Shoe Organizers

You have to watch the weight in these guys, but otherwise, the sky is the limit. They can hook us up in pretty much all wedges of our preparedness “health” wheels. I’ve got some in use for “daily” life, too.

One’s in the kitchen keeping small packets of instant cereal and snack foods and the last bar of one kind or another from either getting lost in the abyss or from having the boxes continue to eat up space. One’s for winter, and keeps hats, scarves, and gloves neat and organized. The bottom row holds some quick slip-on slippers for household members and the dogs’ various booties. There’s another set up with each person’s preferred garden and yard work sets of gloves and pocket detritus.

For preppers, the value goes up further. With stick-on labels or clothespins, we can use them to track dates for at-a-glance organization. We can also take a space where we would be limited to boxes or shelves and turn it into basically a rack for them. A couple of freebie curbside-pickup filing cabinets, a bar or two to go across the top, and we can string our organizers on dowels or sturdy branch/sapling trimmings.

The filing cabinets here are actually reading nooks, but it gives you an idea of how the addition of a plank (freebie-pickup shipping pallets, walls/shelves from curbside bookshelves) and a curtain (surviving sheet from a wrecked bedding set) can keep it from being “ugly” even if it’s out in a home where somebody cares. If appearance is less of a concern, some suit hangers and any ol’ pole can be hung in sheds, basements or a storage room to accomplish the same – a flip or slide-through storage area for small items.

Those items can be anything. It can be a great way to keep veggie seeds separated by planting/growing season and year. We can use them for sewing supplies or art supplies. Instant drink packets, seasoning packets and shakers, granola bars, little packets of vitamin-rich gummy treats, boxes and packets of pudding or gelatin mixes, and other kitchen items fit easily. We can arrange them to be a general category like snacks or spices, or we can set each up by expiration or best-by date.

Educational goodies, supplies for the radio room or office, entertainment items, hygiene items, and especially first-aid and medical items that do start separating or losing efficiency are all other options for storing someplace we can find and see them easily and check those dates without pawing through boxes.

We can use hanging closet organizers much the same way to buy some extra space, although they’re not as handy for the tiny little items and still have the weight restrictions.

We can also use them to help us ration, just like we can with canning jars. We can pack each with a week, a month, or a quarter’s “goodies”. That can be seasonings or instant helpers like gravy or dressing mix. It can also be things like chocolate chips, tea bags or a brick of coffee, smaller packets of cookie, edible cake decorations, or Slim Jim’s. Some of the shoe organizers are big enough we could even seed them with fresh games like Qwixx or Dog Bites Man, new decks of cards, some specialty feel-good lotion or chap stick, or something seasonal to brighten the mood.

Another option is to use a shoe organizer as a pre-staging area. Rather than those things that jump in buggies getting tossed in a box or drawer for a while, they can get slotted by category. It can also help with those items that seems like a great idea but then hide when we want them. That can be everything from eyeglass repair kits and those mini sewing kits, to things like outlet and light-switch wall plates, overhead pull cords, and those plastic twisty-cap wire connectors that like to multiply in drawers and tool rooms.

Curtain Rods

While we’re hanging things to improve our organization, we can keep an eye out for curtain rods. With some rings and-or big S-hooks, they can help us in all kinds of spaces. We can mount them in our bathrooms – and our outdoor camping/solar showers – to drape bathroom organizers and avoid having stuff sit on ledges and floors. With hooks affixed to light baskets and tubs, what we can hang for easy access increases even further.  Those baskets can easily be the bathroom organizers or oddball dishwasher or silverware baskets that show up here and there or wire or plastic bins form the dollar store, and get used for school and office supplies, kitchen spices, each individual’s hankies and bandanas, or anything else we like.

We can arrange them under cabinets or against walls to keep items like spools of thread, bungee cords, and weed-eater wire accessible. With hooks or loops, we can add our extension cords, gloves, and tools. By our doors, they’re another easy way to keep hats and gloves organized, and the airflow they’ll get will let them dry faster.

While I specified curtain rods, be flexible while we’re upcycling and repurposing. I see swingsets and bed frames on freebie listings and by the curb on a regular basis. Tree trimmings can yield nice, straight pieces. The scrap guys in town will let us have pretty much whatever we want at about a halfway between their cost and sale price. Be flexible.

  Garage & Shed Storage

We can use all kinds of oddball wrecked, found, used, or inexpensive items for storage, although the garage and shed where we don’t have to hear anything from family members really shines. We can use coat hangers and hooks with a piece of looped rope, chain, or bungee cord to keep heavy extension cords, hoses, and heavy rope neatly coiled and off the flat surfaces. A wrecked binder offers three rings that can hold anything, from our bungee cords to cleaned cans with a hole punched that can then hold our paint brushes, garden pruners, gloves, or safety glasses.

You have to pretty much murder somebody to find them now, but a plastic 2L soda bottle is awesome for allowing us to stack and move bottles and for keeping stuff in a pickup or van right where you want it. They can also be screwed flat to a wall to use the holes as shallow storage nodes, but they’re too shallow to have much value for me there. Instead, see if a plumbing outfitter or company has PVC scrap. It’s usually deeper and you can cobble that into a honeycomb with some screws and get a lot more use out of it.

Throw-Aways

All kinds of things that hit our recycling and trash have other uses, particularly in keeping our storage neat and tidy. The cardboard boxes that soda comes in get a lot of play for upcycling into soup and veggie can organizers, but we can also just slit the top off entirely. Swiffer pad tubs are awesome for stacking and labeling the sides, but really only for lightweight stuff. Old-school laundry detergent boxes with the flip-up lid and the little plastic handle are sturdy, stackable, and you can hook that handle around a screwdriver on your belt or a carabiner for hands-free carrying. Plastic coffee cans, jugs, powdered parmesan shakers, and creamer tubs are hugely versatile.

Indoors or out, they can help us organize absolutely anything. Arrange packets of Lipton and Knorr sides, seeds, Heartgard and Frontline, or spice blends. Keep extension cords, tow cables, tie-down straps, or Christmas lights neat and tidy, and ready to deploy again (which buys time and space for other stuff). They can also help us keep kits of commonly replaced items together.

The plastic options can help us keep pests out of dry pantry goods and little packets of drinks or boxes of pudding. Those plastic bottles are also handy for rationing out things like brown and white sugar that last forever in storage, or once we bust into bulk bags or buckets of snack foods and dry goods.

Drink bottles get a lot of play for organizing wire, ribbon, and cord. If you have access to wide-mouth juice or sports drink bottles, those make excellent ways to keep some ammo in a bag nice and dry – but don’t try it with narrow-neck water and soda bottles, not even with .22 LR. There’s nothing wrong with using them for beans or grains, either, since they stack up like cordwood well.

Mostly, though, I think people seriously underestimate how much water they need. I may be the only person affected by Uncle Murphy on a regular basis, but you need water stored even with a well, because you need time to hunt down the problem and repair it if the pump goes down. So, for the most part, I’d rather see soda bottles get used to store water, everywhere, in homes and in vehicles.

Organizing Preparedness Supplies

The time spent in organizing not only makes maintaining our storage a little less daunting and time consuming, but also allows us to better visualize gaps. The sanity boost from neatness and not being overwhelmed by our piles o’ stuff can’t really be overstated, either, and less-involved family is less likely to add to our stresses when they’re not overwhelmed by it all, too. Since there’s so many items out there that we can scrounge for free or little outlay and repurpose, we really don’t have any excuse not to keep our storage organized.

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  The post Upcycling for Preppers – Maintaining Organization appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[queenevaine]

Some David/Ace stuff, as a sequel to this fic!

It had been several days since Ace and David spoke after their fight in the woods near the campfire.  The gambler was fine with that; they were able to avoid each other and not cause any more problems.   David wasn't keen on approaching the subject, and Ace was more than happy to leave it that way.  He had since adopted his normal, confident smirk, as if nothing had ever been wrong.  

Even in another trial against the Doctor, Ace seemed no worse for wear.  He worked on generators with the others, while David kept the Doctor busy.  They easily managed to get several done before David was put on his first hook.  

Meg ran off to go save him, leaving Ace and Nea to finish the last few generators.  When there was only one left, Ace opted to head into the basement and see what he could find in the chest he knew was always down there.  He had become dulled to the faint heartbeat; the Doctor sometimes could be felt from a long distance away.  

He looked through the chest he found there, listening to his heartbeat and realizing it was getting faster.  It was unlikely that the Doctor was coming over to check his basement, and Ace kept searching to find a basic, half stocked medkit.  He sighed, turning to head to the stairs when now saw he was being watched by unblinking eyes.  

Ace stared cautiously at the Doctor, unable to shake the feeling growing in his stomach.  For a few, uneasy moments, the Doctor just stared, almost studying him.  He watched the Doctor slowly tilt his head, and he swore the already forced grin on the lunatics face grew.  Then the Doctor slowly stepped forward, electricity surging around him.

Ace screamed at the shock, gritting his teeth when the Doctor walked closer and held Ace against the worn, bloody wall.  He had a few moments to catch his breath before another, slightly stronger shock went through him.  Not this again!  His first thought was to try and kick the Doctor away, but the shocks made his muscles tense too much to respond to what he was trying to do.  

Give in, and the pain stops.  

Something spoke to him.  It couldn’t be the Doctor, it didn’t sound like him at all even when the lunatic laughed.  Whatever it was, he shook his head.  Ace didn’t listen to anything trying to give him commands.  The Doctor laughed, electricity crackling so much Ace could hear and feel it in the air.  He screamed at the top of his lungs, legs giving out underneath him.  The Doctor stepped back to let him sink to the ground, leaning against the wall.  

The Doctor laughed as he put his mace aside, rubbing his hands together with distinct crackling.  

David had heard the screaming from the other side of the trial.  He had been at the exit gate with Nea and Meg, all three of them darting their attention over when they first heard the screaming.  They had quickly gotten the last generator on and had the gate open, waiting for the fourth of their group.  David started towards the screams, pausing to look over his shoulder.  

“Someone keep an eye out ‘ere, I’m gonna go get ‘im.”  

Meg jogged to catch up with him.  

“Like hell you’re going alone, big guy.  I can run the Doctor around while you get him to the gate.”  

David sighed, shrugging in response.  No time to argue about this shit now.  Moments between him and Ace were awkward and tense, considering their last time actually talking resulted in a branch across David’s face.  But, he couldn’t in good conscious leave Ace to suffer with the Doctor again.  He cared in his own, blunt way.  

He and Meg reached the stairs to the basement after a full out sprint across the worn ground of the woods.  Ace’s screams were getting more and more strained and weak, giving a sense of urgency.  Without hesitation, David leapt down the stairs.  

“OI!  STEP THE FUCK BACK!”  

The Doctor turned, hands and arms absolutely alight with electrical currents.  Ace was slumped against the wall, head leaned back and his body shaking.  Even from where David stood, he could see Ace’s chest heaving with every breath and terrible electrical burns around exposed areas of skin, even in the dim light of the basement.  David grit his teeth, ready to punch the Doctor in his stupid fucking jaw.  He picked up his mace, chasing Meg and David up the stairs from the basement.  

Everything in Ace’s body hurt.  He was certain that so much electricity should have killed him, but the Entity didn’t quite understand human limits.  Or, it simply didn’t care.  Cares enough about what electricity can do besides killing you.  He was grateful for the small break from the painful shocks, the Doctor’s ‘treatment’.  Ace closed his eyes, trying to muster up the strength to get up.  He felt so weak and vulnerable, and it was a terrible feeling.  

He couldn't help a soft gasp as he felt someone's hands on either side of his face and level his head.  When had someone come back?  And God, he sounded so pathetic.  

“Easy, not gonna hurtcha.  I'm gettin’ you outta this shithole.”  

Why would David of all people come back for me?  He briefly shook his head.  Now's not the time.  

“I can't.. can't move much.”  

Even speaking was a strain.  David's hands fell from his face, and his head hung towards his lap.  

“Alright, sit still and don't squirm, then.”  

Before he could ask what David meant, Ace felt himself be lifted into David's arms, carried bridal style.  He lay limp as David raced up the stairs and bolted towards the gate.  Ace would worry about appearances later, when he wasn't keenly aware of how much he was shaking and his muscles still twitched, albeit slightly.  

Nea was waiting at the gate, eyes focused elsewhere.

“Go ahead and go.  I'll make sure Thomas gets out in one piece.”  

Ace felt David pause, then continue moving on after a few seconds. The cool fog closed in, and Ace willed himself to moving.  David's grip only tightened.  

“The fuck did I say?  Don't squirm.”  

“David, you can put me down now.  I can walk.”  

“Bullshit.  You're not fuckin’ walking while you're shakin’ like a damn tree in a hurricane.”  

“David-”

“Look ‘ere, Ace.  We ‘aven’t been playin’ nice with each other lately.  But there's a better fuckin’ chance of hell freezing over before I willingly let anybody here suffer when I can do somethin’.  Being an arsehole is just part of my personality.”

Ace sighed, closing his eyes and letting himself relax.  No convincing him now.  David set him down carefully by the fire, taking extra time to be as gentle as he could.  He grabbed a medkit, taking out bandages to wrap around the burn marks on Ace's chest, neck, and arms.  He hated feeling helpless, but everything hurt far too much for him to care.  

“Scream if I'm hurting ya.”  

Ace nodded once, laying limp as David bandaged him up.  He was almost surprised at how careful the rough and tumble scrapper could be.  

“Oi, stay with me ‘ere.”  

Ace groaned softly.  Everything ached and he just wanted to rest.  He felt David wrap his arms around him and pull him close.  

“Sorry, ‘bout nearly beating the shit outta ya.  It just worries me and the rest of us when you act outta sorts.”  

Ace stayed quiet as he thought about David's words.  It was almost funny, beating someone up because you care about them.  

“I'm sorry, too.  Wasn't thinking straight.”  

Moving his arms to try and return the hug shot pain through them, making him stiffen.  

“Gh-shit.”  

Ace wasn't sure why that was the moment panic set in.  David wasn't going to hurt him, but his mind still screamed that Ace was going to be hurt more.  Just wait.  David set him down, his left hand pressing against the right side of Ace’s neck to check his pulse.  It was the feeling of pure helplessness that bothered Ace; being at someone else’s mercy and there was little he could do.  David pulled his hand back at the soft whine Ace made.  

“I’m not gonna hurt ya.  Promise.”  

Ace shook his head, sitting up despite his muscles screaming at him.  

“‘M fine.  Just need time to rest.”  

He looked around at the campfire, surprised that no one else was there.  Was he still hallucinating?  

“Just me ‘nd you here.”  

Ace sighed in relief.  It was a small relief, knowing that only a few people saw him breaking down instead of all the others he shared the campfire with.  He still didn’t like it much in the first place, but it was the best he was going to get.  David sat next to him, arms crossed.  

“Y’know, no one’s gonna think less of ya for ‘aving a bad day.  Shit ‘appens to all of us.”

Ace took a deep breath.  It was true, he wasn’t a perfect individual and got unlucky, but that was something he didn’t like admitting even to himself.  He blinked in surprise when David moved behind him, arms around his waist.  

“Get some rest anyway, yeah?  No one’s gonna touch ya.”  

There was plenty more he wanted to say, that he didn’t need to be protected, but it was a comfort he didn’t want to pass up.  Ace leaned his head against David’s shoulder, letting himself relax as David held him close.  

[lilambrosia-blog]

🎃 A Guide to Preparing for Witches Festival 2k17

(UPDATED 2017)

by 🌺 lilambrosia (ARodianNip-slip)

ok hi this guide is a compilation of information that will mainly focus on Maximizing Returns for Witches Festival. The first part of the guide will focus on preparing your account for longevity while the second part will cover drop information and how to best get all of the festival-exclusive drops. We will first detail how to properly set up your alternate characters so you can focus on getting drops during the event while simultaneously leveling those characters. I would only recommend the first part of this guide if you already have a main account at Champion Level 160 or are very familiar with the long-run portion of ESO. This will prevent possible “grind burn-out” if you have not already experienced much of the game on a main.

🎃 The Basic Basis:

Witches Festival is a ~2 week event where you can get +100% Experience

Plunder Skulls will drop from bosses during this event from any boss. Many items can be found inside the Plunder Skulls including Runebox masks alongside exclusive motif, furniture and provisioning recipes including the BiS recipe for magicka-based users.

A full list of items and much more information on this will be provided later.

🎃 How to Get the Most:

Alts- all of the alts that u wish for.

From a Catalyst Tank, a Blossom Healer, or even an Orc the Stamsorc Gatherer- make ANY alt that you wish, but make sure you choose the correct race for the build that you will want in the end. We will be preparing these alts to use during the festival, and they will get many, many drops in the leveling process.

PLS NOTE: There is no longer an experience cap. It is possible that ZOS will bring back the +Experience% Cap for the duration of this festival. Previously this cap was +185% Experience, has since been lifted, but MAY return during this two week period. 

🎃 Preparing all of the Alts:

Choose your race wisely. Alcast and Xynode provide great info about tested up-to-date builds that you may find useful if you wish for help choosing the best race for your desired class and build.

Skip the Tutorial. Open your options and turn Auto Loot on, Profanity Filter off, turn Nameplates on (then Friendly Players: Targeted), change Resource Numbers to ‘number and percent,’ turn all Combat Text on, toggle All Buffs on (then Permanent Effects off).

Join the Undaunted, Fighters, and Mages Guilds; interact with each of the 6 crafting stations (no need to craft anything), then pick a pocket or open a locked door/chest. This will unlock all of the skill lines for your alt. Equip 5/1/1 armor with the Training trait (ex. 5 medium / 1 light / 1 heavy) to level all of the armor-based skill lines simultaneously. Your weapon(s) of choice should also have the Training Trait for now.

You may also stack with any Experience Potions or Scroll without capping. IF the +Experience% Cap of 185% returns, you will now be at +max XP% (for monsters killed). This is counting the +100% Experience from the event, +80% for full Purple Training Gear (+90% if dual-weild), and +10% if you are a subscriber to ESO+, meaning there will be no need for XP Pots during the event (not confirmed, only applicable if the +Experience% Cap is returning for the event). You may also stack with any Experience Potions or Scroll without capping

Slot 1 skill from each of the 3 Class skill lines and level up your character however you wish until you reach Level 10. This will allow you to enter Cyrodiil. Enter Cyrodiil and complete (or skip) the Cyrodiil tutorial to unlock the Assault and Support skill lines. Assault’s Rapid Maneuver (no morph) will be very useful during this event and unlocks immediately without requiring any PvP. Optional: You may wish to PvP for additional skillpoints gained from both leveling your PvP rank and leveling your character. The skills Vigor, War Horn, Revealing Flare, or Caltrops may also be of interest to your build.

Slot Rapid Maneuver. This will allow for quick travel between bosses during the event. Your alt is now ready for fast leveling and Witches Festival Farming.

This week prior to the event, it is recommended that your time is spent upgrading your stable, gathering skyshards, questing, PvP’ing, or being carried through dungeons for skillpoints- ANYTHING involving the gain of skillpoints. Do not worry about leveling your character as we’ll be able to do this quickly during the event. It is also recommended that you level all of your crafting trees to 50 during this week to allow your alt to be able to do Daily Crafting Writs. Remember, deconstructing ~275 level 10 potency glyphs will get you from 1 to 50 Enchanting provided that you are allocating skillpoints to the crafting tree.

This whole section was created to help maximize your alt and ensure you’re focusing on getting returns from the festival by minimizing the amount of time spent doing random preparation-based things. Taking these steps can wildly boost multiple characters while you farm the exclusive loots for your main. Spending this week before the event gaining skillpoints on your alts can ensure that they are ready for end-game builds and/or are able to do daily crafting writs. Easy Gold; Easy Materials.

🎃 How to Begin Witches Festival:

Go to the Crown Store and obtain the free Crow Caller whistle

Use the whistle and complete the quest The Witchmother’s Bargain.

Use the quest reward Witchmother’s Whistle  to summon a Witchmother’s Cauldron. Using the whistle will grant you and your party +100% Experience for 2 hours, while interacting with the cauldron will turn you into an undead for 2 hours. Special Boss Rewards, Plunder Skulls, can be obtained with or without use of the whistle and cauldron.

Once the event is over, you’ll be able to keep the Witchmother’s Whistle as a memento, but all of its supernatural powers will be gone.

🎃 How to Effectively Farm for Plunder Skulls:

You now have alt characters that can level hella while gathering all of the event items that you want for your main. You will be farming bosses on these alts for the Plunder Skulls.

There will be easy ways to farm bosses. Your goal is to farm Plunder Skulls, an item that drops from bosses. Overworld bosses, Dungeon bosses, Delve bosses, Dolmen Bosses- even the purple random event overworld bosses will drop Plunder Skulls. The drop rate is 100%, though there will be an invisible 3 minute cooldown timer for the drop frequency of Plunder Skulls. Meaning you will always get one as long as 3 minutes has passed since the last boss has been downed.

Here is a Plunder Skull add-on for PC users,

though any 3-minute timer set after death will suffice. As a PS4 player I consistently have timers ready.

The quickest way to farm bosses but also not give a damn about the cooldown timer is to continuously run Fungal Grotto 1 or to join normal dungeon PUG groups. Either way you’ll be killing 3 bosses every 6 minutes with no downtime, effectively farming experience and plunder skulls while ignoring the timer. This will create a more casual grind, though it’d still demand active attention from the player.

Other possibly effective locations:

Delves: (boss spawns every 5 minutes after death)

Gold Coast delve bosses have a chance to drop Assassin’s League motif pages; Hew’s Bane Delve bosses have a chance to drop Outlaws motif pages

Dolmens: (dolmen begins 5 minutes after downed)

The top 12 DPS / Tank / Healers will be rewarded with a drop from the boss

Dungeons:

Maelstrom Arena is great for solo play.

Undaunted Dailies are great for Double XP + daily keys.

Silken Ring motif pages may drop drom the final boss in Cradle of Shadows. Mazzatun motif pages may drop from the final boss in Ruins of Mazzatun.

Any Normal dungeon with 3 minute timer set between boss downs are effective for Plunder Skull farming.

Public Dungeons:

Wrothgar public dungeon bosses have a chance to drop Ancient Orc motif pages.

Vvardenfel’s Forgotten Waste has mobs that will drop pieces of the Sixth Robe Costume Runebox. Vvardenfel’s Nchuleftingth’s mobs have a chance to drop pieces of the Dwemer Theodolite Pet Runebox. 

🎃 What Items Drop from Plunder Skulls?

All items from 2016 are available in the 2017 Plunder Skulls.

Below are all of the drops, listed by year:

Witches Festival 2017′s added unique drops:

Runebox: Hollowjack Spectre Mask

Runebox: Thicketman Spectre Mask

Pattern (Purple): Witches Corpse, Wrapped (Clothing)

Praxis (Blue): Hagraven Cauldron, Rough Stone (Enchanting)

Random Loot: Alchemical Resin, Bast, Clean Pelt, Decorative Wax, Heartwood, Mundane Rune, Regulus

Furnishing Item (Blue)

Witches Bones, Offering

Witches Totem, Gnarled Vines and Skull

Witches Totem, Twisted Vines and Skull

Furnishing Item (Green):

Branch, Curved Burnt

Branch, Curved Laurel

Branch, Forked Burnt

Branch, Forked Laurel

Branch, Sturdy Burnt

Branch, Sturdy Laurel

Saplings, Burnt Cluster

Saplings, Burnt Sparse

Saplings, Burnt Tall

Shrub, Burnt Brush

Witches Festival 2016 had 26 possible unique drops:

Runebox: Scarecrow Spectre Mask

Runebox: Pumpkin Mask

Motif: Individual Hollowjack Motif Pages (1-14)

Style Crafting Ingredient: Amber Marble (Hollowjack trait stone)

Recipe (Gold): Double Bloody Mara

Recipe (Purple): Witchmother’s Potent Brew

Recipe (Purple): Witchmother’s Party Punch

Recipe (Blue): Crisp and Crunchy Pumpkin Snack Skewer

Recipe (Blue): Crunchy Spider Skewer

Recipe (Blue): Ghasty Eye-Bowl

Recipe (Blue): Bowl of “Peeled Eyeballs”

Recipe (Blue): Frosted Brains

Recipe (Green): Sweet Sanguine Apples

Random: Loot that may contain “creepy” themed crafting items such as Guts, Spider Eggs, Crawlers, etc.

🎃  Witches Festival In-Game Achievements

there are a total of 140 achievement points obtainable only by participating during the annual Witches Festival (with the exception of learning every chapter of the Hollojack Motif Style as it can be purchased year ‘round). Below are a list of the Titles, Details, and Points of each achievement.

Pumpkin Pairs Well With Guts - Drink the Witchmother's Brew during the Witches Festival. (5) Achievement Points

Plunder Skull Enthusiast - Earn your first Plunder Skull. (5) Achievement Points

Plunder Skull Aficionado -  Earn 50 Plunder Skulls. (10) Achievement Points

Plunder Skull Fanatic - Earn 100 Plunder Skulls. (15) Achievement Points

Reaper's Harvest - Complete the Witchmother's Bargain quest. (5) Achievement Points

Happy Work For Hollowjack - Collect and learn every chapter of the Hollowjack style book found during the Witches Festival. (50) Achievement Points

An Unsparing Harvest - Complete the listed achievements for the Witches Festival.  (50) Achievement Points

🎃  Conclusion

Thank you for bearing with me throughout my first guide. I will be updating this to keep up with newly released information in 2018. If you have any questions, recommendations, or would like to roast this guide, feel free to message me here.

🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃🎃🌺🌺🌺🎃

[spotistar]

It’s a major mistake to confine music theory to the classroom and lock it behind the realm of academics.

Sure, you might not hear all that many legendary songwriters talking about music theory as it is taught in classrooms today as the genesis of their inspiration – but that’s because a lot of these creative types want you to think more about the wizardry of their exceptional talents rather than the foundational skills they developed through the same music theory exercises we share below.

No matter the kind of music that you are writing for – everything from classical opera to death metal and everything in between – these music theory exercises are going to dramatically elevate your ability to compose better, more impactful, and more meaningful songs.

By focusing on these fundamental basics you will be able to bring something new and exciting to the table, leveraging real skills to go along with your talent and ability to take your songwriting over the top.

Far too many artists consider music theory nothing more than “textbook songwriting”, a pathway to cookie-cutter compositions, or a distillation of the magic of songwriting that turns this into something much more formulaic.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Instead, think of music theory and the exercises we share in this quick guide as just another tool in your musical production toolbox. You will be able to leverage these assets when your back is against the wall, when you have hit a creative drought (and every artist does), or when you need to put a new twist on something that just doesn’t seem to be coming together organically.

If these seven tips and tricks below will help you take things to the next level, that’s for sure!

Let’s get right to it!

Leverage musical chord extensions to color your sound

Even if you have already perfectly mastered the fundamental chord progression in the world of music, and maybe are even starting to get a little bit bored with the “old school” methodology, throwing him a couple of extra sixths, sevenths, and ninths can take things to entirely new levels – changing of your sound in fun, energetic, and profound ways you might not have been able to otherwise.

A great way to think of these new musical chord extensions is to consider them extra “color” – extra mood – for the more basic chord progressions, you’re probably working with. These are the kinds of spices you want to sprinkle in for a little bit of extra flavor, punching things when the time is right.

Fiddle around with different modes

Plenty of people think of “modes” as nothing more than a stuffed shirt music theory term peddled by those that live in the classroom rather than on stage or in the recording booth, but that’s really nothing more than a fancier term for scales.

The very first major scale that you played for your music teacher when you are just getting started – almost always over and over (and over and over) again – was nothing more than a “mode”.

All theory will tell you that there are seven music modes that bring a different feel and a different flavor to your songwriting, and tinkering with different modes for the kind of music you are creating can unleash a lot of interesting permutations that might not have come about organically.

Fool around with these modes until you find something that excites you and then dive right in.

Try obscure time signatures

A lot of great songwriters started out with relatively basic, straightforward, and almost ho-hum songs when they were hitting the ground running but really took things to the next level – and really made their own mark in the world of music – by messing about with more obscure or off-the-wall time signatures.

The most radio-friendly music in the world is written in a conventional time signature of 4/4 or sometimes 3/4. And while those signatures definitely get the job done (if they didn’t, most popular music wouldn’t use them) you might start to feel your creativity yet stifled if you stick to the same kind of signature.

5/4 time signatures can break you out this rut, and Radiohead illustrates this more often than almost anybody else out there.

Pink Floyd took things to the next level by running a 7/4 time signature for MONEY, and while you might not have the same kind of musical chops that this legendary rock band has (who does, really) use it as inspiration to take your own music to the next level as well.

Develop a new tonal pathway with the Circle of Fifths

If you feel like you are stuck in a never-ending loop of the same chord progressions running around over and over and over again it might be time to start tinkering with a new tonal pathway through the help of the Circle of Fifths.

This handy little visual guide has helped a lot of music theory students break out of creative droughts, visualizing exactly how to try something new musically and tonality without having to throw everything in the trash and start from scratch.

Not only will you be able to see exactly where you land right now with the help of this cool little tool, but you’re also going to be able to see different avenues and offshoots – new tonal pathways – that are connected to the sound you’re creating already, pathways that might not have been immediately apparent before.

Simplify, simplify, simplify

While a lot of rookie songwriters and musical artists are looking to throw just as many ingredients into a new pot of soup as possible when cooking up a song, top-tier professionals – some of the best songwriters in history – are a lot more interested in pulling as much out of their music as humanly possible, so long as they don’t pull out any more than absolutely necessary.

Your major and minor musical cords are going to be the bread and butter of most of your songwriting, but branching off of these basic chords will open up new avenues of creativity while dramatically simplifying the production process as well. Diminished and augmented cords can change something standard into something really special without you having to pour all kinds of “glitter” on your music to get the same kind of impact.

Just see how The Beach Boys were able to use diminished cords and GOD ONLY KNOWS to take things to the next level. They certainly were not using autotune or other musical examples of sleight-of-hand so popular today to get these kinds of results!

Write your music like a thriller

No, not necessarily like the song THRILLER. Instead, you should be using the same kind of toolset that thriller novelists and screenwriters use to add a lot of suspension and anticipation to your music.

It should come as no surprise to any artist that you will be able to add quite a bit of drama into your music (and a lot of creativity) by throwing in a little bit of anticipation and a little bit of suspension every now and again.

Anticipations are basically non-chord tones that will inevitably resolve into a chord, whereas suspensions are tones that remain from the previous chord played. Like salt and pepper, you want to use them a little bit sparingly in your music, but just like salt and pepper they’ll add a lot more flavor to your music and you might have thought otherwise.

Again, Radiohead knocks this out of the park with their song EXIT MUSIC.

Use Roman Numeral analysis to see the forest for the trees

By giving each of your individual cords their own individual Roman Numeral you can look at your entire song in a big picture kind of way that you might not have been able to vote for, quickly diagnosing what works and what doesn’t just based off of this visual indicator – without even having to hear your song being played in the first place.

It’s a quick way to diagnose your songs without a lot of heavy lifting and an easy way to figure out interconnected relationships between each of your musical cords without a lot of time wasted in the studio or tinkering around on your instruments.

At the end of the day, music theory doesn’t have to put you to sleep but can instead be a powerful tool in your artist’s toolbox to get the very most out of your music, your sound, and your creativity.

Try these tips out the next time you sit down to write!

  References

  7 Music Theory Exercises to Kick Start Your Songwriting

The 5 Best Daily Exercises a Songwriter Can Do

http://bit.ly/2D4Nda5 http://bit.ly/2VwsmDN

The post Take Your Songwriting to the Next Level with These Music Theory Exercises appeared first on Spotistar.

[foxxsin]

About

~Basic~

Name: Ban Age: Appears 23 || Chronological unknown Birthday: February 14th Zodiac: Aquarius Height: 6′11″ (210 cm) Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg) Blood Type: B

~Personality~

Ban is shown to be a passionate man. He takes actions based on whatever catches his interest, such as escaping from prison after hearing his captain was alive, and trying to steal Meliodas' sword, Dragon Handle, to discover why it was so important to him. He has shown some aspects of greed, as well as selfish desire; however, he will stay his hand if he is given a good reason to stop. He has a strange habit of making singing tones while talking, which he developed at a young age after he was adopted by Zhivago.

Despite his selfish and greedy personality, he is also shown to be caring, which is shown when he rushed toward Elaine to save her despite being a "bad person".

Ban is easily surprised and excited, as shown when he discovers Hawk's ability to talk and that the child he was fighting is actually King. Furthermore, when King transformed back into his previous, larger form, Ban was the only one who appeared to be astonished. Ban carries a deep hatred toward the Demon Clan, holding a grudge against them for killing Elaine, and he despises the very thought of resurrecting the clan.

Occasionally, Ban seems to act out of character. When Ban was planning to get the Horn of Cernunnos located under Kingdom of Liones' castle to revive Elaine, he was planning to save the kingdom, and be given the horn as a reward rather than stealing it for unknown reasons. Additionally, Ban has told the other Deadly Sins to not get into Meliodas' past as it was against their rules. Ban even told Meliodas that killing Dale as he is, was the best thing for him and that he should not be naive.

~History~

30 years ago

Ban went around Ravens, living by stealing from others, constantly getting chased and beat by those he stole from, until eventually being caught one day and sent to Aberdeen Prison. There, a man offered him food which he gluttonously accepted. The man asked him his name which Ban returns, and tells him that his name is Zhivago.

Ban escaped the prison with Zhivago and lived in his hideout, being fed by the man whenever they met up. He often complained about his parents who beat and brutalized the young sin on daily basis. At some point, he was tricked and kidnapped to be sold to Lord Roxanu, but was saved yet again by Zhivago who had happened to rob the cargo wagon he was on.

Ban asked the man to teach him how to steal, and despite Zhivago warning him of the dangers of such a lifestyle, Ban accepted it. Zhivago then started teaching Ban how to steal, though the boy had often failed at his own attempts. Zhivago also told him stories of legendary heists; among them was the tale of the Fountain of Youth and its guardian saint which may have inspired Ban to visit the Fairy King's Forest later on. However, after agreeing to meet at a certain location one day, Ban, who was overtaken by boredom, decides to steal on his own and eventually was caught by Lord Roxanu's guards who beat him to a pulp. Zhivago saw the boy being beaten severely by the guards but decided to save his true son rather than Ban, crying for the latter to forgive him.

20 years ago

Before he became a member of Seven Deadly Sins, Ban, then known as Bandit Ban, wanting to gain immortality, climbed the gigantic tree in the Fairy King's Forest, where the Fountain of Youth was located. After climbing to the top, Elaine, the fountain's guardian saint, tried to stop his quest, believing that he had malicious feelings, only for Ban to persistently climb back again and again, with actions of each annoying and angering the other. He then unsheathed his three-section staff and prepared to fight, and seemingly attacked her, but instead manipulated his staff to grab the cup that held the water from the fountain. However, before he could drink from it, he was quickly bound by the branches of the trees by Elaine.

As soon as he gave up, Elaine realized his lack of malicious feelings by reading his mind, and released him. He then informed her of his name, and also the reason he desired immortality: though his life had not been very good, he felt that if he lived long enough, something good might finally happen to him. After a few more exchanges, Ban, stating that Elaine was "too much for [him]", climbed down from the tree, and apparently left. However, he soon came back up as he had only gone down to get his ale collection book, which he had dropped when he was blown away by Elaine. During the next seven days, both of them befriended each other, with Elaine even starting to have feelings for Ban and vice versa. During one of their interactions, Ban explained to Elaine that the reason why humans are greedy was because either they want something in order to survive or show that they exist in this world. He also explains his personal motive for desiring immortality: all his life, his very existence was never good. And so by attaining everlasting life, Ban believes that something good may actually happen to him if he lived long enough. Deeming his endeavor as no less selfish than those who came seeking the Fountain and the immortality it promised, but apparently not without cause other than what is purely corrupt and self-serving, Elaine tries to dissuade the bandit, telling Ban that an unending life does not necessarily guarantee anything good for the one who has it, stressing that she has lived long herself but, as the artifact's guardian, nothing has ever happened to her the whole time. When he learned of Elaine's desire to leave of the forest, he offered to take her outside. She, however, denied his offer, explaining that she had to protect the fountain, leading him to offer to find her brother, in whose stead she has been protecting the Fountain of Youth, and bring him back, which would relieve her of her duties and allow her to leave the forest. Hearing that, she hugged him, much to his surprise.

Immediately stopping their conversation, a demon suddenly appeared and begun to burn the Fairy King's Forest with its purgatory fire. Instructing Elaine to get the Fountain of Youth and escape, Ban used his three-section staff to remove the heart of the demon with one hit, which, however, did not kill it, since demons have more than one heart. It then used its claws to fatally wound both Ban and Elaine, who, in desperation, gave him the cup which held the water from the Fountain of Youth. Since he did not have the strength to even drink the water due to his wound, Elaine made him drink it through a kiss, thus making him immortal. When his wounds healed due to his newly gained ability, he angrily and quickly killed the demon with his weapon. As the whole forest burned due to the demon's purgatory fire, a dying Elaine gave him an almoca leaf, which was the forest's last seed, asking him to plant it somewhere. He then declared that he would definitely "make her his", but was cut off by her death. Sometime later, Ban planted the seed and soon grow into a new forest for the Fairies to live in, and they named him king. However, his "rule" was cut short as he was put on death row for apparently destroying the forest himself, drinking the fountain of youth, and killing Elaine. After being asked for any last words by the captain of the executioner knights, he simply said that his name was wrong, and that he was Undead Ban, not Bandit Ban.

16 years ago

After his imprisonment, Ban was executed a total of 33 times, all the executions having no effect on him due to his immortality. Sometime later, Meliodas arrived at Ban's cell, intending to have the convict join him, and was warned by Ban's guards of the man's immortality. When Meliodas entered the cell, Ban, thinking that another execution was to be performed, told him that he would merely sit as he was executed, only to find that the individual who had entered was a child. The young man then asked Ban to come with him, but he refused and stated that nothing existed for him outside, only for Meliodas to declare that he would take him out by force. Ban calmly stated that he would not restrain his strength, even against a child. Their battle ended with Ban being punched out of his cell, overjoyed by the fight, requesting that they continue their battle. After hearing Meliodas' statement that he would have to join him to continue to contest their strength, Ban continued to smile, implying that he only joined his captain to merely continue their fight.

15 years ago

At some point in time, Ban went through a phase of collecting stuffed animals where he stole every single stuffed animal in the kingdom, justifying his "small" act by saying that he "worked hard" as a knight. This act, however, greatly angered King who complained that the little children throughout the town were crying. After Ban finally passed out and fell asleep, King silently returned all the stuffed toys to the children. Since then, Ban was followed by King wherever he went, much to his displeasure, giving the people an impression that they were a "dynamic duo". At another point of time, Ban went to a bar for a drink after training, still being followed by King while Meliodas talked to Dreyfus and Hendrickson. He later passed out after drinking, earning an angry glare from the former Fairy King. Sometime after that, Ban and the rest of the Deadly Sins met with the king who was accompanied by a young Elizabeth. However, he does not remember her being there until Gowther mentions it.

12 years ago

During the great battle at the Maiden Castle of Edinburgh, the Seven Deadly Sins were sent to battle against a group of vampires. Ban was sent on ahead to do reconnaissance and ended up battling a group of vampire-turned Holy Knights of Edinburgh which he defeated with ease. Soon after, Ban was confronted by Orlondi who restricted Ban with his tentacles and proceeded to drain him of his blood, commenting on how delightful it was that it just continued to flow. During the process, Ban, who was bored, ended up drunk and easily killed the vampire. Soon afterwards, Ban, in his drunken state, noticed Diane and King fighting a couple of vampires below and, using Physical Hunt, proceeded to drain them of all of their strength while laughing at them, enjoying their struggle. Then he challenged Merlin to a fight, which she accepted only on the terms that he could do a hundred-thousand push-ups, all in an attempt to tire him out, which worked, after which she teleported him back to Liones.

After he became a member of the Seven Deadly Sins, Ban once took interest in Meliodas' sword because his captain never let his sword out of sight, and tried to steal it while the Sins rested after defeating a Tyrant Dragon. He was then attacked by Meliodas and given a lasting wound, despite his regenerative abilities, that would become his only scar, which he calls a special case.

10 years ago

Ten years before Meliodas and Elizabeth's meeting, Ban, along with the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins, was summoned to a castle to meet the Great Holy Knight, Zaratras. After they found him dead there, all of them were ambushed by all the Holy Knights in the kingdom, with Ban later being able to escape under orders by his captain to disperse and later regroup to figure out the real culprit behind the Great Holy Knight's murder.

5 years ago

Desiring the "feeling of pain that could make him feel alive", Ban intentionally let himself be captured by the Weird Fangs, who then imprisoned him within the Baste Dungeon and lost his Sacred Treasure after his capture.