#And while I get that sharing a great-grandparent may make them too closely related for many people's comfort

[katakaluptastrophy]

I think it's fairly safe to say that whatever is going on between them, their relationship is not straightforwardly "that of necromancer and cavalier", at least from the perspective of those who meet them...

While it's hard to know exactly what's going on with Silas here (or anywhere...), he clearly thinks there's something about them which does not meet acceptable standards:

“The Warden of the Sixth House is an unfinished inbred who passed an examination. Your companion is a mad dog, and I doubt her legal claim to the title of cavalier primary.

And Judith feels called to stage some sort of intervention for Cam because she is so concerned that their relationship, even after Pal's death, is not maintaining the appropriate boundaries:

...the relationship between cavalier and necromancer could so easily curdle into codependency…a loss of self on both sides. An obsessive fusion of halves, not two complementary forces.

Judith talks at some length, comparing her perception of the dynamic between Camilla and Palamedes to her own near brush with inappropriate liaison with her cavalier in words that sound rather like the preamble to a 'pray away the gay' speech.

Speaking of a fusion of two halves, that - both in Judith's concerns about their deviation from god's beautiful plan for cavaliership and in their ultimate end in Paul seems to be rather Platonic (which is to say, not very platonic at all...).

Though I do think the text is sufficiently vague, and TM's use of classical references sufficiently complex, to allow for a diversity of interpretation here.

But whatever it is they're doing, they're doing it with such intensity that people are specifically noting their deviation from the expected norms of the necro/cav relationship.

This question is about what you think is the case in canon, not what you like to see in fandom.

[stxrrywildflower]

mom

pairing - bau team x teen!reader

summary - after an incident, you call j.j. ‘mom’ for the first time

warnings - injuries, mugging, mentions of case

word count - ?

living under j.j. and will’s care was something that just felt natural to you.

your family was extremely close with the jareau’s. after your parents had passed on shortly after you were born, your grandparents had taken care of you as well as the j.j.’s parents. but alas, your grandparents were becoming old and soon couldn’t take care of you. for multiple reasons, j.j. had stepped in and legally adopted you when you were 14. that way, you could start high school fresh in washington d.c. henry was more the ecstatic to have a new older sister, even though he didn’t really understand that you weren’t blood related.

two years in, you were more than happy to be a jareau. j.j. and will were honestly the best parents you could ask for. the two have you a surprising amount of freedom, not like you took advantage of it anyway.

summer in washington d.c. was pretty relaxing. present day, j.j. was at work. you would place money that she would be leaving on a case soon. will had taken henry west to go stay at a cabin and go fishing. you had been invited, of course, but declined. they needed a father-son weekend.

one of your friends from school had invited you out to get lunch. after texting j.j. to take sure it was okay, you packed up and headed out. the restaurant was in walking distance from your house, thankfully.

lunch was really great. it was nice to be able to see some of your friends during the summer. you had said your goodbyes to one another before going your separated ways.

your head was down and had your earbuds in as you walked home. pretty much everyone in the city did the same so you naturally just adopted the habit. there was a lot of foot traffic right before the side road leading back to the house. instead of battling your way through, you detoured to the right to take a different route.

as cliché as it sounds, everything really did happen so fast. one moment, you were taking a shortcut through an alleyway. the next, you were being shoved against a wall, your back hitting the brick with a sickening thud. you honestly thought you were seeing stars. as your bag fell on the ground, the two shadowy figures immediately went to searching it. while one rummaged through, the other held you against the wall with his hand. when you tried to wiggle free, a hard punch was landed to both your eye and nose. as blood coursed down your face, the two people shuffled around.

“kids...no...cash...leave,” was all you could make out.

they finally let you go, leaving your bag thrown on the alley floor as they ran away. you collapsed to the ground, desperate to catch your breath. everything from your neck up was throbbing. with shaky hands, you gathered up the strewn items and continued your walk home. it was all you could do anyway.

meanwhile, at the quantico building, the bau team was in the conference room going over the newest case. there had been a string of murders in philadelphia and the local pd had requested their help.

just as the team was throwing about possible theories about the unsub as they did before their departure, j.j.’s phone rang with the ringtone she only had set for you. instantly, all eyes went over to the blonde agent who blushed slightly. hotch made the slight motion with his hand to tell her to go answer.

“excuse me,” j.j. announced, standing up to exit the conference room. instead of taking the catwalk route, she slipped out of the door to the left of the screen. “hey y/n. what’s up?” j.j. asked. she was slightly confused on why you were calling. you almost never called when she was at work.

“mom i really need you here,” you spoke, though it was barely audible.

j.j. tired to ignore the way her heart fluttered at you calling her mom. “sweetie what’s wrong?” she replied.

“i-i don’t really know. i got hurt.”

panic began to set in. j.j. ran her hand through her hair. “you got hurt? what happened?” the urgency in her voice was extremely noticeable. what didn’t help was that she was met with silence on the other end.

“i got mugged,” you finally revealed, letting out a slight sob at the end.

once again, the teams eyes all snapped up once j.j. entered the conference room. garcia has just finished going over the case details and everyone was wating for hotch to dismiss them. “i’m going to be home as fast as i can, okay?” with that, j.j. clicked the end button and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

j.j. wiped her hands over her face before taking a deep breath. “y/n got mugged earlier,” j.j. started. “and she just called to let me know but i really need to get home. i can meet you guys down in philly when i make sure she’s okay but,” her voice trailed off at the end.

when she looked up, she was met with concerned gazes. “of course, keep us updated. everyone else, wheels up in 30,” hotch spoke. the team disbanded from there, the two older agents heading to their offices while everyone else went to the bullpen. morgan and garcia headed to the break room while spencer and emily followed j.j.

spencer and emily shared a look as j.j. frantically packed her bag before grabbing her jacket. “j.j.,” emily said as she grabbed her friends arm to stop her. both knew how j.j. got when her family was in danger. something else was bothering her and the two agents were determined to figure it out before she left. “she called me mom for the first time.” emily’s eyes softened at that statement. “is that a good thing?” the raven-haired woman asked.

“i mean yeah it is but i really don’t have time to dwell on it. right now, i need to get home to my daughter,” j.j. concluded. after waving a final time, she left the bullpen.

the drive back home took longer than expected.

j.j. rushed into the house, tossing her work bag down carelessly. all she cared about was finding you. “y/n?” j.j. called. “in here,” you replied meekly. j.j. entered the living room, her eyes darting around until they landed on your curled up figure sitting against a wall. your face was pressed in your knees so she couldn’t see the extent of your injuries.

a flinch was notable as j.j. placed her hand on your shoulder. you finally lifted your head. you were far from a profiler but j.j.’s face was more than shocked. your eye had already began to bruise as well as the blood on your nose had dried.

you cried again as j.j. pulled you into a tight hug. when she cradled her head with her hand, she pulled away almost instantly. “did you hit your head?” j.j. questioned, showing you her now bloody hand. “yeah,” you replied simply.

“alright well we need to get you to a hospital,” j.j. spoke.

after being helped up off of the ground, j.j. kept her arm wrapped around your waist as you headed out to the car. while she drove, j.j. pulled out her phone to call will. she made sure to talk in a hushed voice, even though you could make out ever single word she was saying.

at the hospital, you were helped almost immediately. j.j. may or may not have flashed her badge for extra effect.

only ten minutes into the doctor talking to you, your eyes had slid shut due to pure exhaustion from the attack. while you were asleep, the doctors had done x-rays for your nose and even head. thankfully, nothing turned out to be broken, just bruised.

when you woke up again, j.j. was looking out the window as she talked on the phone. you couldn’t exactly make out everything she was saying but you had made the assumption she was talking to hotch based on words such as ‘case’ and ‘hospital’ being tossed around. j.j. noticed your eyes open and quickly hung up.

“hey honey, how are you feeling?”

you shuffled around, adjusting yourself so you were sitting up. “better, whatever they gave me is helping,” you smiled. j.j. was extremely glad you already going back to your normal self. you made room for j.j. to sit on the edge of your bed.

“i’m sorry for everything. i knew you were working and i just didn’t know who else to call and-” you already began to apologize. j.j. placed her hand over yours. “don’t apologize. i already have garcia looking into finding the people who did this. and please, never feel bad about calling me for an emergency.”

you nodded, “okay.” j.j. grinned at that. “i love you so much sweet girl,” she spoke, using the nickname for you.

“i love you too mom,” you finished.

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

family/gyatso

Written for Day 2 of @aangweek! Read here on AO3.

~*~

2. family/gyatso - live like there’s no tomorrow (‘cause all we have is here, right now) / love like it’s all that we know (the only chance that we ever found)

“Hey, Zuko,” Katara said as she gently pushed Mai’s bangs out of her sweat-ridden forehead, “can you step outside with Izumi for a moment? I’m going to heal Mai up a bit, but I’ll need it as quiet as possible to concentrate.”

Zuko nodded, panicked tears of relief still trickling down his face. “Right. Yes. I can - I can do that.”

Katara showed Zuko how to cradle the baby, shooting Aang a look over the firebender’s shoulder that said keep him distracted while she did so. Aang gave her a discreet nod before following Zuko out the room. He snagged a tissue from a table on his way - Aang had no doubt his friend would need it.

Mai’s labor had been unexpected. Early.

Dangerous.

It was sheer luck he and Katara were still in the Fire Nation. They were supposed to have left earlier that day - well, yesterday at this point - but had ultimately chosen to stay another night because of a bad thunderstorm rolling in. He and his wife were master waterbenders, yes, but that didn’t mean Aang would feel right forcing Appa to fly through such miserable, risky weather. So they’d stayed, and it was a good thing they had.

Without Katara’s healing abilities…

Aang didn’t want to think about what might have happened to the new mother and child if Katara hadn’t been there. He couldn’t begin to imagine how Zuko was feeling.

Aang closed the door behind him, joining his friend on a small, gold-adorned bench not far from the room they exited from. He left about a foot of space between them when he sat, and he watched Zuko cradle Izumi ever closer to his chest. The baby appeared so tiny and fragile and even sickly, yet all the same…

“She’s beautiful,” Aang murmured. He smiled down at Izumi, who was now sound asleep. Her first cry had been loud and healthy, much to everyone’s relief. Not all premature babies were so lucky. “She’s going to look so much like Mai, isn’t she?”

Zuko laughed, though the sound was still wet with tears. “Tell me about it.” He took a shuddering breath, and Aang offered him the tissue. Zuko accepted it, wiping his face before returning his hand beneath Izumi to support the newborn with both arms once more. “Better than her looking like me.”

Aang frowned, unsure what had provoked that particular line of thought from his friend. “What do you mean?”

Zuko shrugged, careful not to disturb Izumi. “My family’s genes are all but cursed.” He brushed his daughter’s dark hair out of her face. “Better for her not to bear that burden.”

Aang stared at his friend, probably more flabbergasted than he needed to be. He supposed his reaction could be attributed to the early hours of the morning. That and the fragile, weary relief still hanging over all four - five - of them. “Are you kidding me right now?” he at last managed to say.

Zuko gave him a dubious look, which was at least better than the terror that had been so prominent in his eyes only minutes earlier. “Aang. You know my family’s history.” He laughed. Tired. Bitter. “Can you blame me for wanting to spare her that?”

Aang hesitated. “Zuko… that’s not your legacy.” Confusion permeated his voice. “I mean, it’s part of it, yes, but… but that’s it. A part. Part of your family. Part of your history. Not the whole.” He paused before adding, “You… know there’s more to you and your decisions and - and what you leave behind than the choices your blood relatives made.”

Didn’t he?

Zuko frowned, carefully shifting Izumi in his arms. “The percentage doesn’t matter. They’re still my family and my mistakes to own.”

Aang pursed his lips. Zuko wasn’t wrong, per se, but… He was missing something. Even after so many years, he was still missing it. In all fairness to his friend, Aang supposed old, indoctrinated mentalities could be difficult to revise. “Zuko,” he continued after a beat had passed between them, “how do you define a family?”

Zuko raised an eyebrow at him. “Is this a trick question?”

It seemed Aang was transparent. He shrugged. “Maybe. But I won’t judge you when you get it wrong.”

Zuko snorted. “‘When.’ Your faith in me is comforting.” He slowly rocked Izumi. “Parents, I guess. Children. Grandparents. Aunts and uncles. Siblings.”

Not wrong. But not fully right, either. As expected.

Aang chuckled. “Then I guess I didn’t have a family.” He held up a hand before Zuko could speak, the panic written across his friend’s face causing him to bite back a louder laugh. “I didn’t live with my parents. If I had siblings, I didn’t know who they were.” He shrugged. “Guess my childhood was miserable and lonely.”

Zuko sighed, rolling his eyes. “Alright. I can tell you’re readying up some Avatar wisdom. Hit me with it. End my suffering.”

Aang laughed again. “Not Avatar wisdom, actually.” He reached across to adjust the crimson blanket Izumi was swaddled in before smiling at Zuko. Perhaps his expression was tinged with sorrow. “Air Nomad.”

Zuko’s eyes widened, but his gaze soon softened. “Of course.” He offered Aang a sorrowful smile of his own. “Even better for me to learn from.”

“You’re not wrong, per se, about what a family is,” Aang began. He noticed how Zuko’s hair hung limp across his shoulders, remnants of anxious sweat causing it to stick to the sides of his face. “Families do involve your parents and your ancestors.” He stood, moving around the bench to stand behind Zuko. “Ozai. Sozin.” Aang pulled his friend’s hair back from his face, gently combing through tangles with his fingers. “Roku, too.”

Zuko relaxed into Aang’s touch, though he kept his daughter cradled firmly to his chest. “Are you trying to remind me that not everyone I’m descended from did horrible things?”

“Mm, you can draw your own conclusions there.” Aang’s nails lightly scraped Zuko’s scalp, and his friend shivered. “But like I said - that’s only part of what a family is. The rest of it?” A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “They’re whoever you choose to welcome into your life.”

Zuko snorted. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”

“No?” Aang began coalescing Zuko’s hair into a low braid. “Monk Gyatso didn’t have to be related to me for him to be my family. I didn’t have to marry Katara for Sokka to start feeling like my brother.” He chuckled. “We had that relationship long before Katara and I were even dating.”

Aang finished his friend’s braid, tying it off with a ribbon he usually reserved for his wife. He spared Izumi another awestruck glance before sitting down next to Zuko once more. “And Iroh didn’t have to be your father to feel like your dad, did he?”

It was a question that required no answer. Zuko didn’t provide one, and Aang didn’t press him to, either.

“You’re not bound by the mistakes of your ancestors,” Aang continued, his voice soft, “and neither will your daughter be. Because family is everything more than the people you share a name with.” He hesitated. “Does that… make sense?”

There was a pause. Then Zuko exhaled slowly. “Yeah. It does.” He pressed a gentle kiss to Izumi’s forehead before offering his daughter to Aang. “Do you want to hold her?” A small smirk tugged at the corners of his lips. “Since you’re her family, too.”

“I suppose I am her great-great-grandfather,” Aang mused as he accepted the precious cargo, cradling her to his chest the way Katara had instructed Zuko.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Aang laughed, though he never took his eyes off the delicate new life in his arms. “Yeah. I know.”

~*~

aang with kids makes me SOFT. i hope to see you for day 3 - avatar state/cycle! thank you for reading!

[happyweddingblogs]

120+ Questions to Ask a Boy Before Marriage

Source: Happy Wedding App

Your marriage is a serious affair; hence, you must gather all the boy’s right details before the event. There is nothing wrong with asking the right questions to the boy before getting married to the guy. Know that marriage is one such affair that changes everything, from your status to your state of mind. Taking things casually is not a great idea. You should always be ready with the right sets of questions to ask a boy before marriage. In many cultures and countries, including India, the boy is finalized by the bride’s family. And the bride’s family makes sure that they gather every detail about the guy, from his family background to his monthly income.

This process is not to humiliate somebody, but just to make sure that there are no issues after marriage. If you are also planning to tie the knot soon, here are 120 questions to ask a boy before marriage. Take a look……

Questions About Relationship and Marriage

The first and foremost topic that you can pick while asking questions is about relationships and marriage. This will help you know his point of view about marriage and relationships.

Q. 1. What is your idea of marriage?

Q. 2. What, according to you, is more important in a marriage, love or respect?

Q. 3. How, according to you, will our life change if we got married?

Q. 4. What would you do if we fell out of love?

Q. 5. What are your long term family plans?

Q. 6. What are you looking for in a girl?

Q. 7. What, according to you, is the best thing about marriage?

Q. 8. What, according to you, is the worst thing about marriage?

Q. 9. What are your career aspirations?

Q. 10. What would you like to be doing five years from now?

Q. 11. What do you think a couple should do to keep the love alive in a marriage?

Q. 12. How do you spend your weekends?

Q. 13. What is your idea of the best date?

Q. 14. How important are events like wedding anniversaries to you?

Q. 15. How would you like to spend special days?

Q. 16. How would you like to spend your time with your family?

Q. 17. Is there anything that you would despise your wife doing?

Q. 18. How would you take it when your wife gets a better promotion at work?

Q. 19. What kind of parent do you want to be someday?

Q. 20. What excites you about marriage?

Q. 21. What kind of house do you want to live in?

Q. 22. Is there anything that I should know?

Q. 23. Do you have any fear of marriage?

Q. 24. What does a wedding mean to you?

Q. 25. Name one thing that you would want to change about our relationship?

Q. 26. Do you think we can have a happy married life?

Q. 27. Do you believe in love?

Q. 28. Is there anything you don’t trust about me?

Also See: 46 Questions to Ask a Girl Before Marriage

Questions about Future Children

It is always good to discuss future children in advance. There are chances that you may want to have kids after marriage, but the boy would be against it. Knowing it in advance will help you design your life after marriage accordingly. Here are the questions:

Q. 29. Do you love kids?

Q. 30. How good are you with kids?

Q. 31. Are you comfortable around children?

Q. 32. How many kids would you want to have in the future?

Q. 33. What values would you want to inculcate in your future children?

Q. 34. How would you discipline your kids?

Q. 35. How would you react if our future kid misbehaves in public?

Q. 36. What would you do if our future kid goes on the wrong track?

Q. 37. What would you do if our children didn’t want to attend college?

Q. 38. How would you react if our future children do not perform well in the class?

Q. 39. What would you do if our future child said he was homosexual or gay or lesbian?

Q. 40. How much say should kids have in a family?

Q. 41. What would you prefer: putting our future children in a private school or in a public school?

Q. 42. What do you think about homeschooling?

Q. 43. What if I cannot conceive? Would you opt for adoption?

Q. 44. In the case of any medical issue, would you be ready to take medical help?

Q. 45. How far apart from the marriage do you want kids?

Q. 46. Would it be okay if our kids stay in daycare? Or would you want one of us to stay home with the kids?

Q. 47. Would you want me to leave my job after we have our babies?

Q. 48. Do you believe that grandparents are needed for good parenting?

Q. 49. Do you think I would make a good mother?

Q. 50. Would you include me while handling parental decisions?

Q. 51. What do you think about how important is the role of parents in parenting a child?

Related: 14 Common Marriage Proposal Mistakes

Questions About Work

It is important to know about the job and the boy’s plan to know about his career and professional life. Here are the questions that you must ask:

Q. 52. Do you love what you do?

Q. 53. Where do you see yourself five years down the line from now?

Q. 54. Are you happy with your present company?

Q. 55. Is there any plan to switch your job in the near future?

Q. 56. What are your long term goals?

Q. 57. Would you mind if I have to travel for my job?

Q. 58. How often do you travel for your job?

Q. 59. Does your work involve night shifts?

Q. 60. Would it be okay if I have night shifts or late meetings?

Q. 61. Would you rather be rich and miserable or poor and happy?

Questions About Family Conflicts

More often than not, people avoid asking these questions, which I trust are the most important ones. Of course, you should know how the boy you are meeting handles conflicts or disagreements in life. Here are the questions that you may add to your list:

Q. 62. Do you believe that disagreements are a part of a relationship?

Q. 63. Would you give enough space to your partner?

Q. 64. How well do you handle disagreements?

Q. 65. What would you do if there are disagreements between your family and me? Whose side would you choose in such a situation?

Q. 66. Would you consider taking marriage counseling if we were having marital problems?

Q. 67. Do you have temperamental issues?

Q. 68. Would you ever go for a divorce?

Q. 69. What do you do when there are immense disagreements?

Q. 70. Do you like discussing things when there are issues or just suppressing your emotions until they get bigger?

Q. 71. What, according to you, is the best way to handle disagreements in a relationship?

Also Read: What is The Best Age To Get Married?

Questions About Sexual Relationship?

Again, this is an important part of a marital relationship. So, make sure you put up some questions related to a sexual relationship. Here are some of them:

Q. 72. What is your idea of romance?

Q. 73. How would you tell that you aren’t satisfied sexually?

Q. 74. How would you deal with the sexual stress?

Q. 75. What are your views on infidelity?

Q. 76. What do you think about birth control?

Questions about Family Values and Religious Beliefs

It is important to know the family values and the religious beliefs of the guy. Here are the questions to ask a boy before marriage:

Q. 77. What is your view on religion?

Q. 78. What kind of marriage would you prefer, a simple religious ceremony or a big fat wedding?

Q. 79. What is more important for you, work or family?

Q. 80. To what extent should a woman intervene in a family’s matter?

Q. 81. Who, according to you, should make the decisions of the household?

Q. 82. What would you do if your relative or somebody else says something bad about me?

Q. 83. Would you only be following the advice of your family? Or would you want to discuss things with your spouse before making any decision?

Q. 84. How important my role would be in your family?

Q. 85. Who do you think should do household chores?

Q. 86. What would be your role as a husband?

Q. 87. Do you believe in sharing responsibilities?

Q. 88. Do you think sharing responsibilities make a marriage better and stronger?

Related Post: 9 Things to Discuss Before Marriage in India

Questions about Extended Family

There will hundreds of things that you would want to know about your extended family; however, here are some of the most important questions that you can consider asking the boy:

Q. 89. How often would you want to visit your family in a month/year?

Q. 90. How often will your family be visiting us?

Q. 91. How often do you think my family should visit us?

Q. 92. How often will you visit my family?

Q. 93. How often will you let me visit my family?

Q. 94. Do you celebrate all the festivals and special occasions with your family?

Q. 95. Would you take your parents in, in case they become ill?

Q. 96. Would you mind taking my parents in, in case they become ill?

Q. 97. What you do if your family doesn’t like me?

Q. 98. Who are you more close, to your mother or father?

Q. 99. What would you prefer spending Holidays and special occasions in some other destination or with your family at your home?

Questions about Medical History

Don’t hesitate to ask questions related to medical history. Here are the questions:

Q. 100. Is there any history of diseases or genetic abnormalities in your family?

Q. 101. Is there anyone in your family suffering from alcoholism or drug addiction?

Q. 102. Is there anyone in your family with mental issues?

Q. 103. Would you oppose mental health treatment?

Q. 104. How careful are you about your health and about your family’s health?

Q. 105. Do you love to do exercise?

Q. 106. Do you eat healthy to stay healthy, or you simply eat anything?

Q. 107. How important is it to have a healthy routine for you?

Questions about Money & Finances

Money, debt, and finances are the most important things to discuss before marriage. Here are the questions that you shall ask a boy before marriage?

Q. 108. Do you have any loans or debt?

Q. 109. What is better, a luxurious life with too much debt or a simple life without any debt?

Q. 110. Do you save money?

Q. 111. Do you plan for your future, or you just spend everything that you earn in the present?

Q. 112. Would you like to share your money with your spouse or split the money into different accounts?

Q. 113. How well are you at spending money?

Q.114. Do you like budgeting?

Q. 115. How good are you at dealing with financial problems?

Q. 116. What would you do if we have financial problems in the future?

Q. 117. Do you save your life after retirement?

Q. 118. Would you be seeking additional income sources if we had financial problems?

Q. 119. What would you do if a family member asks for a large sum of money?

Q. 120. Who will be taking care of the matters related to household finances?

Questions about Fun and Entertainment

Fun and entertainment are an important part of life. So you must ask the boy’s opinion on these two major aspects as well. Here are the questions:

Q. 121. Do you like traveling?

Q. 122. How often do you travel in a year?

Q. 123. Where would you like to for the honeymoon?

Q. 124. How would you like to spend your time with your partner?

Q. 125. Would you mind if I go for a girl (only) trip with my friends?

Q. 126. How would you like to spend your weekends?

Extra Questions

Then, there are some extra questions other than any particular topics, which include:

Q. 127. How would you like your partner, in traditional wear or modern attire?

Q. 128. Do you like pets?

Q. 129. Would you ever prefer to settle abroad?

Q. 130. What is your retirement plan?

Q. 131. How do you like to spend your mornings?

So these are the 120+ questions to ask a boy before marriage. Know that these questions are to help you know the person before the wedding and not to humiliate anyone. So, be kind and polite while asking these questions. Also, do not ask all your questions in one go. Take your time, and in each meeting, you can get to know the person better.

Happy Wedding……

[mk-wizard]

Are BW Optimus and Megatron related to their G1 Counterparts? (Part 1)

Before I get into this obscure fan theory, note it is very old and actively had to do some research to see if any confirmation was ever made before classifying this as a Transformers obscure mystery. It turns out that there is no solid evidence which proves or disproves whether the Beast Wars Optimus and Megatron are descendants of their G1 counterparts, so this is up in the air. Also, because there are two sets of characters, this breakdown will be split into two parts. The first part will be about Optimus Prime and Optimus Primal, and so there is no confusion, I will refer to G1 Optimus as “Prime” and BW Optimus as “Primal”.

So is Primal a descendent of Prime? Let’s first see the evidence which backs up the possibility that he is and then the evidence that he may not be.

It was confirmed that Maximals were a faction that derived from Autobots and it has also been confirmed that Primal and his crew did share a lineage with the bots who were on the G1 Ark. Moreover, the resemblance between the two bots is striking.

Even when I was a kid, I thought they were almost two peas of the same pod. Their bodies are also very similar though Primal is younger and more agile. And even if there is a Prime king like system in the BW universe, it is possible that Prime or one of his descendants had multiple children and one of those said children who didn’t go on to become a Prime was Primal’s ancestor. It would explain why he was named after Prime since it is not uncommon for families to reuse the names of their grandparents, parents or ancestors in general. I speak as someone who comes from a culture that practices this. Moreover, Primal’s values towards Cybertronian values runs very deep as though he was brought up on them. If his parents were at least related to the Prime lineage, they would still have a great sense of responsibility and sense of duty. I would also imagine that having ties to the equivalent of royalty on Cybertron would most likely make them well off and it has been hinted that Primal did come from a good home and good life hence his education and his job as a researcher. It also explains how he had access to such sophisticated martial arts. It would also maybe even explain how he was able to link up to the computer of Vector Sigma. Perhaps being of Prime’s “bloodline” gives him special access. Primal even knows an awful lot about Autobot facts and history for a Maximal. While it is possible that comes with the territory with his extensive education, it could be that this knowledge was passed onto him by his family.

However, there is a flip side to all of this that we simply cannot ignore which opens up the possibility that Primal shares no relation to Prime. Going back to their faces, Primal has red optics and that is actually a big deal. It has been confirmed that the defining trait of all Autobots is that they have blue optics. Decepticons have red optics. If Primal’s optics are red, it could be that Maximal data works differently from Autobot data which causes their optics to come in every colour or maybe Primal has Decepticon in him which implies that he at least isn’t related to Prime or anyone related very closely to the Prime lineage. Prime’s are expected most of all to follow the Autobot way and that includes to only wed and have children with other Autobots. And we know that our G1 Prime was wed to Elita-One who is also an Autobot and his spark only belonged to her. If he had any younglings to speak of, only she would have been the mother. And even if they had multiple younglings and one could be the Prime, the others would no better than to cause a scandal by getting romantically involved with a Decepticon. And highly doubt they would have in secret because the risk of getting caught would be too great. However, there is evidence that backs up that Maximals are a more liberal society in which they allow interfactional romances and even practice voting. While the oldest of Primal’s ancestors were without a doubt Autobots, the more recent ones were Maximals and it is possible that one of them married a Decepticon. It would also explain why Primal can fly in his robot mode. As for why he looks like Prime and has his name, it could just be that his parents had respect for the legendary Prime and many young manbots were named “Optimus”. And it has been confirmed that Transformers can upgrade their frame and faceplates to look different. Maybe Primal did this and even gave himself Prime’s name because he deeply admired him. As for being able to have access to the computer of Vector Sigma, it could be that this was a side effect from holding Prime’s spark. Or it could just be a case of divine selection. It wouldn’t have been the first time a Transformer who wasn’t a Prime had special and almost divine abilities.

Anyway, that’s it for part 1 of this theory. Personally, I have to lean more towards Primal not being related to Prime, but that’s just me. What do you all believe?

[marshmallowprotection]

C definitely had problems on her own, she ran away often when she was a teen, missed school, etc.

That being said I didn’t do any of the shit she did (I probably will never even attempt to do so because I have a feeling she would destroy me), and the only reason for that comparison is that we have ‘similarities.’ Similarities with my sister. Half or not we still share a portion of our genes so what the hell. And those similarities are that we like the same things... and that I don’t like school... and that I’m... a ‘rebel?’ Niice...

It’s not even like C cares about me lots. She’s not really impatient to the idea of seeing me, it’s been a while since I actually saw her in person. I often wondered why she didn’t come to visit my mother often but oh well... If it’s even just partly the same reasons as I do then I can get behind that. I just don’t really agree with all the shit she’s done, you know? I find it kinda stupid.

She took me one week like years ago and that’s just because there was no one to keep me. (Technically there were my grandparents but they’re shitty too and my grandmother is probably the person I’m the most scared of after my mother. She got mad at me and insulted me for three hours straight, calling me a fat pig and saying that I should stop eating because they would make savings at least, and even tearing up my poems. I’ve been scared of showing my writing ever since. Thank you.)

It’s just kinda insulting bc C doesn’t give any shit about me, and I don’t really either because I’ve never had any great links with my half-sisters in general, especially her. But obviously who cares.

I you’re going to compare me to someone, a) don’t compare me to someone that was dead for 22 years and that I’ve never known, and b) don’t compare me to someone who doesn’t care about me. There’s ton of persons I know she could compare me to.

It’s just,,, she does stuff for me and I feel like a monster if I feel bad at the idea of being stuck with only her, if I get scared of how she could react to the slighest of mistakes, if I say anything even remotely bad about her. It’s a great thing having to always be cautious of everything, everytime. And then she wonders why I stay in my room all the time, my door closed and locked, and barely come out, even avoiding people in the processus. My room’s the only place I feel safe in at this point. At least I know she can’t be here if I don’t want her to. I can be there to supervise everything she does in my room because I don’t even trust her with that.

TW: depression, family issues

I can relate, unfortunately. I have half-siblings as well and they left knowing how bad our parent was, never helping me or my younger sister. I am still upset over that and I always will be, and that is why I have no relationship with them. I get that it can hurt because you want to have family that cares but that’s not always the case. Keep in mind that family made by choice rather than by blood is a big thing. You made that happen, and you made it work. Your choice can make you many years of true happiness.

It will just take time to get there. You just have to be patient and think it through and keep walking forward. I want you to know that it’s okay to feel confused or unsure about leaving behind a family that has hurt you. This is the thing about the people that abuse their children, they want you to feel ashamed so you stay with them and do what they want. They want you to feel like this. They want to hold control. 

You don’t deserve that. Nobody does. I am saying this because I went through this and it took me a long time not to feel sick for hating the person that hurt me but now I’m in a place where I can say that I hate the person who hurt me and I will not forgive them or be near them. This isn’t an easy thing, nor is it something that you should feel like that’s the only choice. You have plenty of choices that may work for you. 

You need to talk it out in therapy. You need someone that actually can give you advice that applies to you, apart from me guessing what I can do and say to go and reassure you. It’s good to be reassured that you’re not bad for feeling this way, but you have to know that once you’ve said it is happening, you need to keep walking to protect yourself. 

All I’m hearing is that you need to get help so you can get to a place where you don’t feel scared. If you’re that scared in your own household, then you need to talk to someone that can help you. Don’t feel ashamed of wanting to ask for help, just breathe, and go for it. 

[theritualofourexistence]

Odes to Old Gods

I started this year intending to journal about things I survive. Then at the end of the year, I could look back on my challenges and think about them in a more positive way--wow, look at what I overcame! The plan was to document everything, both good and bad, so that I could think about them more as experiences and lessons learned than as... good and bad. 

Needless to say, I stopped keeping track of those things in April. 

Earlier this month, I pulled out the journal again to update the list. I ended up quitting on that too. 

I do think, though, that in a less chaotic year, thinking about my life this way would be good practice. So, here I am, sharing my list with you in the form of an end-of-year, wrap-up blog post. 

A few quick caveats: 

This year was hard for literally everyone except maybe Jeff Bezos. 

It is not healthy to compare challenges or struggles or suffering.

I am not sharing this because I am looking for sympathy... I believe that being vulnerable is a very important part of the human experience but we can all also use a reminder that we never really know all of what anyone is experiencing. We shouldn’t need that reminder to treat others with love... but the older I get, the more I think those reminders might be necessary.

Things I have survived in 2020:

- A bit of a stalking experience in January which has since been resolved.

- Losing my job, hunting for a new job, securing a new job, training for the new job.

- My first Harry Potter tattoo for my ten-year tattooiversary.

- The fires in Australia.

- An absolutely wonderful trip to NYC with my dad when I got to see both Beetlejuice and Hadestown and have an enormous strawberry cheesecake milkshake from Junior’s. 

- Losing Kobe Bryant.

- Parasite absolutely CRUSHING the Oscars.

- Having a really, really good visit with my grandparents in March before all hell broke loose. 

- Weinstein being convicted and sentenced.

[Everything after this point happened during a global pandemic.]

- Losing Grandmom. I was unable to attend her funeral and still have not had the chance to grieve this loss with my extended family. 

- Losing my health insurance.

- A Zoom party for my Grammy’s 80th birthday.

- Losing Breonna Taylor. And George Floyd. And so, so many others. This is the first year I have really committed to understanding the current race-related issues this country faces and BOY, do we have work to do.

- The stress but success of orchestrating a safe family trip so that I didn’t have to go an entire year without seeing my brother.

- Losing my shifts at my primary job due to virus-related concerns.

- Countless other family happy birthdays over Zoom.

- My 60-year-old mother returning to work face-to-face with a student population that largely ignores all virus-related guidelines despite her working tirelessly for months this spring to offer UHS providers an adequate work-from-home option. 

- Being diagnosed with hypertension.

- A nightmarish friend trip. Despite our best laid plans for a safe and healthy visit, Mother Earth decided to trap me 90 miles north of my best friends for 4 days. I eventually got to see them for about 12 hours and honestly, it was worth it. That is the only time I’ve gotten with them all year.

- Losing Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

- The selection of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court.

- Our sweet girl Clio being diagnosed with a seizure disorder and then coming down with a life-threatening upper respiratory infection. 

- Learning that my grandmother would be voting for Trump in the 2020 election.

- The actual election.

- Losing Rooster, my sweet, sweet boy.

- Learning that my uncle has been diagnosed with esophageal cancer.

- Missing Thanksgiving with my extended family.

- Getting really excellent holiday gifts for my favorite people.

- Missing Christmas with my extended family.

- Safely spending some holiday time with my immediate family.

That is FAR from everything. But I don’t have the energy? Capacity? Time? to sort through everything.

Here are the things from this year that I am still currently surviving:

- A global pandemic! And all the associated chaos. With my asthma and high blood pressure and obesity, I am considered high risk and am still not able to safely return to my primary job. 

- Hypertension! More on this later.

- Grieving Rooster. In the days after we said goodbye, I wrote a memorial that I will eventually share here. Psychology has recently analyzed data suggesting that losing a pet can be equivalent to losing a relative... I have never felt grief like this. It’s been over a month. I cry every night. 

- Managing Clio’s health. She is still adjusting to her seizure medication, which she gets twice a day, and is still on medication to help with lasting symptoms of the respiratory infection. She is fussy about food and her weight fluctuates a lot week to week. She is also a feral rescue who has only ever been handled by me, my mom, and our vet. If mom and I are ever going to vacation together again, we will need to find someone who can manage catching and pilling her twice a day... no easy feat. Fortunately, at the moment, vacations aren’t really a thing for either my mom or I and I am working hard to approach these concerns in a cross-that-bridge-when-we-come-to-it way.

----

This year has been overwhelming. The last two months alone have been overwhelming. And they would’ve been overwhelming without the added spice of a global pandemic. The number of Americans we have lost to this virus has doubled since I last posted here in mid-August. Some time this week we are likely to reach a point where we’re losing 4,000 Americans per day. PER. DAY. This year has been overwhelming.

----

There were some good things this year, of course. I am so, so thankful for all the time I got with my immediate family and the very brief but vital time I got with my friends. Fortunately I am only ever a text away from my closest friends and we are able to message pretty much every day. I am also extremely glad to have found a place in the fantasy enamel pin community. The family I’ve found in pin-land has carried me through some of my lowest points this year. I spent more time in view of the ocean than I typically do in a given year... even though much of that time was still riddled with anxiety. I did art this year. I read books this year. Some really important ones, in fact. If you read nothing else in 2021, read The New Jim Crow. I also got tattooed! I’m going to include those here because I think the significance of each reflects something interesting and important about all I have survived and am surviving this year.

----

In January, I got my first Harry Potter tattoo! My favorite quote from the entire series is delivered by Hagrid during the Triwizard tournament:

”What’s comin’ will come, and we’ll meet it when it does.” 

I got that incorporated into a tattoo. In January. 

Also in January I got a “Prisoner of Donuts” tattoo... because life just wouldn’t be manageable at all without donuts.

In March, I got a bird of prey carrying a book to represent one of my all time favorite poems, “On Thought in Harness” by Edna St. Vincent Millay. The final lines of that poem:

“Soar, eat ether, see what has never been seen. Depart, be lost, but climb.” 

In July, I was able to safely navigate getting a tattoo that symbolizes the saga told in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. LOTR is my first and oldest fandom and the story is still so, so important to me today. The lessons I learned from Tolkien when I was a kid also carried me through some of my hardest moments this year.

Also in July I got a Plumpy tattoo. That’s right. Plumpy. From Candyland. If you haven’t played the game in a while, you may not remember Plumpy. He’s one of the first characters you meet on the game board... and one of the worst cards to see when you’re close to winning the game. You could be three damn squares from the finish line and pull the Plumpy card and back to the beginning of the board you go. Plumpy is a really great reminder that even when we have no choice but to lose ground, we can gain that ground back again. And hey, once you pull the Plumpy card from the deck, you likely won’t see him again for a good long while. 

In October, I was able to safely navigate getting my second Harry Potter tattoo. Neville has always been one of my favorite fantasy characters and I chose to carry him with me permanently. His courage, despite so, so much bullshit, inspires me every day. I also got a nautical tattoo for my mom’s ancestors who came to this country and fought in the Revolutionary War. Just as my family has a long and proud history of fighting for what matters, I too will carry that banner, even if it looks very, very different in the modern age. My third tattoo of the appointment is a cuckoo holding playing cards, a nod to one of most important stories I’ve read: Ken Kesey’s “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” This book has informed not just my personal journey with mental illness but my passion to work in the field as well. My final tattoo of my October appointment, less than a week before the 2020 election, is a weeping Lady Justice. 

----

This year has made me look critically at things I very comfortably ignored for a long time. I would hope that it has done the same for most of you. Very little if any of this year was easy for me... but the most important lessons are never easy to learn. I’ve spent this year more worried and more angry than I’ve ever been before... and all I hope to do moving forward is use that fear and that anger to make this country, this world, a better place. Miss me with your resolutions this year. Every single day we should prioritize surviving and treating others with understanding and active love. I worked hard to do that this year and I will continue to work hard to do that every day. I’m proud of the work I’ve done. And in case it wasn’t clear, I’ll be dragging as many of you as I can on this journey with me. If you really feel the need to make a resolution this year, resolve to learn. Resolve to understand. Resolve to read The New Jim Crow and then TAKE ACTION. Take action with your votes and your voices and your money. Resolve to act.

----

This year wouldn’t let me escape it without being put on blood pressure medication, despite my best efforts to lower my blood pressure without it. Although I had gotten back down into a healthy range for a few weeks, RBG’s death and the landslide of utter shit that followed that completely wrecked all the progress I had made. I’m not happy about adding a new medicine to my regimen. I’m not happy about adding a new chronic diagnosis to my already lengthy laundry list. I did not expect 30 to look like allergy pills and three daily moisturizers and foot stretches and Metamucil and acid reducers and migraine medication and iron supplements and six prunes a day and chronic pain and blood pressure medication... but here we are. I’m exhausted from working so hard to be healthy just to have all that work not be enough. I feel very much like my body is giving up on me... and that is a feeling I am struggling with a lot right now. My soul is a vibrant but powerless passenger in a car speeding towards the edge of a cliff.

I’ll keep trying though. I start my new medication tonight. Hopefully it helps. Hopefully the side effects are manageable. I don’t really feel like I can handle much more... but I guess we keep going until we can’t.   

----

I have no expectations for 2021 to be better. I don’t have much hope for it to be better either. This vaccine will saves lives and that’s really good news. But a lot of other things will be difficult, will stay difficult, will become difficult. I’m going to try to keep fighting, and I hope you do too. 

“What’s comin’ will come, and we’ll meet it when it does.” 

[drjackandmissjo]

firewhisky on ice, sunset and vine

you’ve ruined my life by not being mine

Chapter 2 --- previous chapter --- next chapter

Harry Potter fic Masterlist

Set in the course of his Sixth Year, this story follows Slytherin’s finest, Blaise Zabini, as he navigates classes and friendships and Death Eaters and a certain idiot plant-head Gryffindor.

'Dittany is a powerful healing herb and restorative and may be eaten raw to cure shallow wounds.'

Blaise had read that same sentence for the 24th time. Had counted each time his eyes went up on the page towards the words that were now permanently marked in his memory, yet so far out of his grasp. It wasn't that 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' was a boring book. To someone truly passionate about the subject it might actually be quite enjoyable, but it was a textbook and textbooks are not supposed to be entertaining. Unless you were a freak as Granger, but her distorted mentality was not his to judge.

Sighing, he rested his head on the table he was studying on, careful not to make too much noise. Madam Pince and her fine hearing were simply awful to anyone who merely breathed too loudly in the library. "One more time and if I can't do it then I'll try again later after dinner" he told himself, on the verge of despair.

He simply couldn't understand. Charms came easy to him, even Potions with Snape wasn't that hard to follow, even if he was a mess at teaching it: brilliant man and head of the house, but all over the place and really, really terrible at sharing knowledge. Even in his current new position as Defence Against the Dark Arts, he wasn't that great, and that was the job he had lusted after, for years.

But flowers and herbs, those were is Achilles's heel. The worst part was that it seemed to come naturally to Bloody Longbottom.

Perfect asshole with his neat notes at the margins of his books and his terrible grasp of changing shit from their original form, but despite all that was better than a few of his housemates and studied hard to maintain his acceptable level in Transfiguration. Bloody moron who simply could understand what Professor Sprout meant to say even before she said it, who had the best grades in Herbology, who laughed tilting his head backwards whenever Saint Potter or one of his friends made a joke that was particularly funny, who seemed to be everywhere since their first Transfiguration lecture together.

Blaise was so screwed.

He had now begun to have a hard time concentrating during the class he seated with the Gryffindor, his mind wandering to the bloody fingers tapping lightly over the desk as he scrunched his nose up in concentration.

He was so bloody screwed.

'Rule number eight, if you can't get someone out of your head, make sure you're stuck in theirs also.'

But it wasn't that easy, was it? For one, despite being 100% positive of his sexuality, he hadn't told anyone but his mother, who was really supportive and immediately shared all her rules for landing a hot and rich husband. At that time he had laughed, almost uncomfortable, but now he was sure her set of rules was going to be a lifesaver, and not only when boys were concerned.

Second, he did not know whether or not Longbottom shared his likings and had absolutely no way of figuring it out. Sure, he had gone to the Yule Ball two years prior with the Female Weasley and hang out now with Loony Lovegood and the rest of the moronic Gryffindors, but there was nothing that betrayed his heart's true desires. He had no one in their circle to ask to, and was pretty sure that cute, shy, jacked, nervous and downright hot Longbottom, "damn Salazar why even his surname had to have such a sexual innuendo?", wasn't out or anything. Maybe he was still figuring it all out?

Groaning, he rose up to his feet, unable to concentrate on fucking dittany without losing his mind for one second more. Bloody Longbottom with his very nice ass made his way into his mind and suddenly Blaise's pants felt way too tight for his own comfort and he had to adjust his robe. He closed roughly his book, placing it in his bag alongside his notebook and pens and highlighters, avoiding Madam Pince's burning glare at the unwanted noise.

He began to quickly make his way towards the Great Hall, wondering what would be there for dinner and completely lost in thought. In the back of his mind, he could feel his mother's voice telling him 'Rule number twelve, always be conscious of your surroundings', but his brain couldn't stop wandering, his body relying only on muscle memory to not walk into walls.

Unfortunately, muscle memory wasn't that reliable when taking into account other moving people and objects. Which was why he had ended on the floor, landing on his ass and soundly cursing whoever was the bloody "pezzo di merda di doxy" that still hadn't learnt how to walk.

His mother was always controlled and poised and he had never heard a bad word coming from her red painted lips, but his paternal grandparents were a different kind of people. His grandfather’s favourite word was, alongside of other Italian curses, a very pointed minchia. He used it almost on each sentence, changing the intonation to accommodate a different meaning. Most of the time he added to the equation a variety of gestures that, given the situation, assumed a rather crude sense.

His Nonna was slightly more PG, preferred not to use certain words, especially in front of Blaise, but she still told her husband to fuck himself in whichever language she was thinking at the moment and taught him her fair share of Ethiopian hexes.

"You came onto me, genius" the idiot that had clearly gone into him said, rather angrily sounding.  "Ma porca di quella puttana" Blaise thought, of course his rotten luck would make him crash into the long legged Gryffindor he was just daydreaming of.

Remembering who he was and finally stopping acting like a ridiculous hormonal dork, he rose from the floor, trying to look menacing despite being the shorter one in this debate. "No, good sir, you appeared out of nowhere" he said, sounding sturdier and surer than he'd thought. He was rather proud of his impeccable composure, until the other boy spoke with a sly smirk on his lips, "Haven't taken my apparition exam yet so can't just do that."

Blaise's brain stopped working immediately. Deep down he knew that anyone, even someone as dull and bland as a Gryffindor, could surprise him, and so far the dumb dork had surpassed all his expectations, excluding the ones on Transfiguration. But he simply couldn't picture sweet, shy, formerly chubby, Schlongbottom as someone who knew how to talk back, especially with such an authoritative tone. The mere thought did funny things to his body.

Questions began to swim all around his mind: Was this real or a hallucination caused by his very recent fall? Since when did this bloody plant-head even know sarcasm? How was it possible for someone to become even more attractive?

Did Blaise mention that he was so fucking screwed?

"What, cat got your tongue?" Longbottom asked smugly, visibly pleased with himself.

In that moment Blaise swore off any possible feeling that wasn't related to hatred or anger towards the idiot in front of him. "I don't reply to morons such as yourself" he said, mustering a casual and bored tone he didn't know he had. "Bloody superb" he thought proudly as he watched the Gryffindor's gaze harden.

He suddenly didn't enjoy the turn their conversation had taken.

Longbottom then briskly shoved his forgotten Herbology textbook, "when did he even picked it up?", and stormed off to the other side of the empty corridor, towards the glasshouse, without uttering a single word.

"Great Hall's on the other side, idiota" he yelled at his slowly stepping away back, "You're gonna be late for dinner." Blaise couldn't care less, of course, but the impulsive part of his brain wanted to get the Gryffindor's attention for a little bit longer.

Longbottom stopped dead on his track, turning sideways to look back at Blaise and giving him the perfect side view of his backside, as well as of his front. "Ammazza oh." was the only thought that filled his mind before registering that the other boy was speaking: “Not that's any concern of yours, but I gotta get some Baneberry for my toad."

He was speechless. It was explicitly forbidden to take even the most innocuous weed from the glasshouses and classes, even during lectures to study them afterwards, yet this bloody Gryffindor marched towards the door as if he owned the place. He knew Longbottom had the best grades and was clearly their Professor's favourite since he fainted in excitement on their second year at their first class, but damn.

Astonished, he couldn't stop himself from blunting possibly the dumbest sentence ever: “But Professor Sprouts doesn't let us take any of her plants outside our designated scheduled time!"

The other boy had the audacity to grin, viciously and borderline dangerously and porca miseria it was getting hotter under his robe by the second. "Maybe to the rest of this school" Longbottom said, his shoulders squared and posture tense, "But I'm her assistant and have her blessings to do whatever the hell I want in any of the greenhouses, however dangerous it might be. So taking an innocuous plant for my toad isn't gonna get me expelled before I can say 'Quidditch'"

Blaise did definitely misread the look the Gryffindor gave him, thinking it hinted something while it was only meant as a superiority glance, and he was definitely thinking with his dick now.

Longbottom merely turned around, unbothered by his silence, and walked forward towards the glasshouse for the 2nd year, unaware that Blaise was still rooted on his spot, trying to regain his footing and willing his body to direct the blood back into his legs, failing miserably.

He was in such deep shit it would almost be laughable.

BONUS

When Neville turns around all he can think is either "Shitshitshitshit" and "Damn he's hot but I’m Str8. I think, but damn I'd tap that."

Glossary:

"Pezzo di merda di doxy" means 'piece of doxy shit' "Minchia" is a commonly used curse word, especially in southern Italy; it literally can mean both penis or vagina, depending on where you're from, but most commonly is referred to the female genital; it is typically used in the same way as the English 'fuck' to curse "Nonna" is Grandmother "Ma porca di quella puttana" again, another curse; literally is 'that fucking bitch' or something along those lines, but here it is used as an expression of disbelief, like 'you gotta be kidding me' "Idiota" is idiot "Ammazza oh", literally "Kill it oh", is the equal of a long whistle, mostly of approval "Porca miseria" is "that rotten luck", and is used to express discomfort or as the English 'holy shit'

I'm sorry for all those curse words! I deeply apologize!

Bonus: When Neville turns around all he can think is either "Shitshitshitshit" and "Damn he's hot but I’m Str8. I think, but damn I'd tap that."

[psychic-refugee]

Me being sad about Cameron Boyce for almost 1k words

Literally, skip if you don't need to be sad with me.

Mourning is not a competition.

We don’t pit people against each other and tally up points to see who gets the right to mourn someone. Cameron’s mother, father, and sister aren’t going to Sophie and Karan and telling them they can’t mourn Cameron as much because they’re not related. Libby and Victor aren’t telling Maya that she’s only known her brother for 18 years while they raised him. Libby isn’t telling her husband that she gave birth and therefore she gets to mourn him the most.

Grieving can be for anyone, and maybe there is an “intensity” factor depending on how close anyone was to Cameron, but we can grieve regardless.

And just as human beings, I think we can grieve if we have at least an ounce of sympathy and empathy. Regardless how much we knew Cameron personally, or didn’t, as fans he had a positive impact on our lives. Where he made us laugh in a comedy, or garnered an admiration for him as a philanthropist, we can mourn that a genuinely good person has passed.

I can’t say that I’ve cried, and I don’t think I will. I’ve only been a fan since 2017. Basically when Descendants 2 came out, and I finally checked out the music videos for the Descendants songs. I made a Disney sing a long playlist and that’s how those videos ended up on my recommended algorithm. I’ll even admit that I ignored them for a couple months because I was like, hey this is a kid’s show and I’m too old for that. But I finally gave the videos a chance and thought “wow, these kids are hella talented and these songs are catchy AF.” So I wiki’d the movie to see what it was even about, that piqued my interest and when I saw Ways to be Wicked, there was this one scene where Carlos leans in front of Mal against lockers. There was something about his mischievous smirk that Mal returned, and that was here LOE and CarMal was born for me. That lead me down a road of watching the movies, the Youtube content, and little off shoot shows Disney produced.

I followed all of them on Insta and whenever something incidentally came up about him, I caught interviews on Tumblr or Youtube etc…, it always put a smile on my face. I particularly liked how Cameron valued his privacy. I think he could have gotten so much more attention if he sought it, but he didn’t. He treated Insta as something to post fun pics and maybe as a necessary evil of his profession. I respected the boundaries he tried to set for himself and I very much respected that he knew there were more important things in life than fame.

Watching him and his career brightened my day, there’s not much more to it than that.

I don’t just mourn that a good person has passed. I mourn for his family. They lost a beloved son and a cherished brother. I mourn for his grandparents who see their grandchildren as the future given physical form. I mourn for Sophie and Karan who lost a brother in all but blood.

I don’t know the details of what happened, but it sounds like Cameron died at home. I just feel completely gutted to think about poor Sophie or Karan that probably found him. I can imagine too easily that one of them went to check on him, probably thinking he slept in too late. The eternal few seconds it takes for them to realize that he’s not reacting. The panic that sets in when nothing they do will rouse him. The heartbreaking phone call to 911, probably hysterical and desperate for any advice that would make him wake up.

It just destroys me to think of the hope they may have had as they wait for an ambulance to arrive, thinking maybe the paramedics could do something they couldn’t. If not them, then maybe the hospital. In denial of what his prone unresponsive form meant. Did their world completely crumble when they were told Cameron was DOA? How hard was the phone call to Cameron’s parents to let them know their son died? Could they even do it at all, or did they let the police or doctors tell them?

I’m not just sad for Cameron, I’m sad for those who have to live without him.

I’m sad that Maya’s children will never know their Uncle Cameron. That one day they’ll ask about him, and she may sadly tell them of all the great stuff they did together. She’ll be sad they’ll never get to know him and how she knew he would have been the best uncle ever. It kills me that one day maybe one of them will show a talent for acting or dancing and she’ll think, “You get that from your Uncle Cameron.”

I’m sad that he won’t be Best Man at either Sophie or Karan’s weddings, or that their children would call each other cousins, or call them Auntie Sophie and Uncle Karan. They won’t get to conspire with one another, determined that their kids would also be best friends and maybe, just maybe they’ll marry each other.  

I’m sad to think of Libby and Victor having their first Thanksgiving/Christmas/Hanukkah without their first-born child. Other people will probably oversee hosting/cooking this year, but they’ll see a random dish and remember that it was Cameron’s favorite. It’ll hit them hard that seeing something like stuffing, challah bread, or kugel and they’ll realize that Cameron will never get to enjoy it ever again. They’ll remember all the small joys they’ll never get to share with him again.

I’m sad to think of their constant fear of whatever Cameron had, will Maya have it to?

I’m sad about more than “just a celebrity.”

[gwiiyeoweo]

Umbra sends Noctis way, waaaaay into the past and into Somnus' own bed. Well, the second part he did himself.

Pairing: Noctis/Somnus Rating: Explicit

The Royal Lucian genes are a helluva thing. 

When Regis once remarked how similar his son looked to his father Mors, Noctis thought it was pretty common and definitely nothing out of the ordinary. If his biology classes taught him anything, it was that grandchildren can bear a striking resemblance to their grandparents compared to their parents. Noctis had only seen Mors through news articles and the grand portrait adorning the Hall of Kings, its walls dedicated solely to the everlasting frames of royals past. He couldn't really see how a gray-haired man could look so close to 15-year old him, but when he Moogled a younger snapshot of Mors he almost mistook the old photo as himself.

There were definite similarities in bone structure and hell, even that tiny mole near the corner of their mouths. 

But this? This is like staring into a straight-up reflection.

He’s literally looking up, eyes half-lidded and face twisted in pleasure with a touch of pain, but through the haze of heat lighting up his body and mind, Noctis can’t help but think of the irony and plot twist and — 

“You’re thinking again,” Somnus reprimands, voice just a mark away from a growl, “of something other than me.” 

As if in punishment, the man digs his fingers into Noctis’ thighs — just another set of marks to add to the blooming bruises along his wrists and the curious rough circles on his collarbones and neck — and hoists his hips up into a better angle to slam himself into. 

It does the trick. Something like fire and lightning, something like magic hits Noctis in all the worst and best ways, and he scrambles for purchase, hands flinging up to claw at the pillows as he arches his back and keens.

He’s learned that Somnus can be gentle in his own ways, if one overlooks the narcissism that veils his true heart — a heart that, beyond blood and family and love, treasures his people and will tread through fire and sacrifices if (when) necessary. But the young king makes for a rough and merciless lover. With every brutal thrust, he draws out a sob and smiles ever the wider for it, Noctis’ wanton cries a sweet music to his ears. He only slows when he has Noctis babbling his name in an incoherent string of stammers and gasps, rewarding him with a soft kiss to his temple before he picks up the unrelenting pace again. “Much better,” he purrs, watching the way his near-copy writhes and sings with a gaze that scorches.

Noctis will admit, that fucking his great-great-great-great-whatever grandfather was never on his agenda; though given the many generations separating their blood, they were probably just as related, if not less, as he would be to Ignis or Gladio, considering how their families were borne out of the Caelum line to begin with. Hell, being transported all the way to this ancient Lucian era was a minor surprise to this fork in the road. The night before they set off for Ardyn and Insomnia, to reclaim the throne and bring back the light, he asked Umbra for a last trip down memory lane, only for the dog to throw him ages further and in free fall thousands of feet up. Good thing he was used to falling by now, and he was never more thankful to still have his warping powers and the Armiger. 

Except, he sort of screwed himself over by warping right in front of Somnus Fucking Lucis Caelum. 

‘Shiva’s tits, ’ he couldn’t help but think, not out of fear or anxiety but because Somnus looked exactly like he did when he was still twenty. He thought he must have landed in a time before all that… shit went down between the two, before Ardyn turned saint turned martyr trying to foolishly save the world one person at a time. Before Somnus went with the ‘go big or go home’ method and burned down anything that did so much as cough.

Before their clashing ideologies led them to clashing swords. 

He never really thought he’d be grateful for being stuck in the purgatory known as the Crystal, but it’s a perk to see their ancient history play across his eyelids like a giant home theater. 

Somnus probably shared similar thoughts at seeing his living reflection, considering the bulging eyes and the white cast across his face — which, really, would have been rather comical in any other circumstances — but it wasn’t until later when Noctis was one hundred percent sure that had been the reason, when he looked in the mirror and realized he was smaller and younger and twenty again. Because while Noctis thought he was looking at a past version of himself, Somnus was looking at a near replica of his own. Age and all, minus the hairstyle.

Without revealing his true origins and the outcome of the future, Noctis had to think on the fly, and he still curses himself for not having the same quick mind that Ignis does (Did? Would? Time travel is weird). 

“I’m a Messenger,” he said a second too fast, internally beating himself up for being so godsdamn stupid. “I didn’t have a physical form, so I took on the first one I saw. You.”

It worked out in his favor that Somnus was never a god-fearing man, a downright heretic compared to Ardyn, but that explanation was enough to satisfy him. And his ego, probably, that a demigod would choose to liken himself to Somnus’ visage. Oh, and that he currently has said demigod moaning and flushed beneath him, pliant and desperate and sobbing with ecstasy.

“Somnus, ” Noctis cries out, hands moving from the pillow to grab at the man’s arms, blunt nails leaving pink trails in their wake. 

Somnus smiles at that, wicked and slow despite the exertion that sweats down his skin and brow. He recognizes the sudden tightness around his cock, of Noctis clenching around him and his stomach straining its muscles, as well as the swell that coils within his own. 

“Hold on, pretty thing,” Somnus purrs, moving one hand from Noctis’ thigh to his cock, keeping a grip just a hair from pain but miles away from release. “Together we go.”

‘Arrogant prick, ’ Noctis thinks, despite the frustration and heat haze of pleasure filling his mind to the brim. Somnus may as well stand in front of a mirror and flirt with himself if he’s going to continue spewing words like that at someone who looks exactly like him. But he’s teetering on the edge, held back by a cruel hand and a vicious pace, and he’s desperate enough to even meet Somnus’ thrusts by rocking his own hips in conjunction. 

It’s not long until Somnus gives out, and Noctis thinks he blanks out for a moment when all he sees is white, when that same exhilaration runs through his nerves and spine and taps into something deeper than a great orgasm ever could. 

Their first time together, Noctis was stuck between fear and wonder when he came to the realization that his magic, as faint as it is ever since it had been culled by that Marilith attack, was reaching out toward Somnus’ own and that — yeah. That’s kinda weird.

He’s had sex with others before, men and women alike, some ending poorly and others fan-fucking-tastic. But that whole magic thing? Still virgin territory. The side-effects of fucking another Caelum, he now knows. He still hasn’t hashed out the details of it, though Somnus is becoming ever the wiser about it, who first chalked it up to the benefit of fucking a so-called Messenger but now has his own suspicions. A matter of time before the ruse is up and Noctis has to come clean about it all like, “Hey! I’m actually from the future and your great-times-a-hundred-somethin’-grandson. The future’s shit, by the way, cause Bahamut and all of you are dumbasses!”

But for now, Somnus cleans them up with nary a fuss about dirtying his dainty royal hands as he wipes them both down with a wet cloth, which is surprisingly soft and fluffy for their time period. Sure, he could be a dick and a half when it came to his personality, but Noctis likes to think of him as a prissy cat that actually loves cuddles and attention. Especially when Somnus drapes an arm around him and practically buries his face into the crook of Noctis’ neck, breathing in their combined scents of each other and their aftermath. 

Noctis gently rakes his fingers through the man’s scalp and stares at the ceiling of the canopy bed, wondering how exactly his new ‘future’ will play out. He doesn’t know if or when Umbra will return to take him to the present — he turns his head at every faint bark he hears, and Somnus teases him for it relentlessly — and he damn well doesn’t know if anything he does here will change the timeline anyway. But he likes to believe and hope that he can do at least something, anything to lessen the blows of tragedy when they come. 

“You’re thinking again,” Somnus sighs, though his tone is less out of irritation and more of concern. Noctis has figured out how to read these tiny differences, like how those brows like to just slightly crease when worried or how he sets his jaw when angered. His eyebrows are lowered, barely, as his gaze searches for the cracks of truth hidden beneath Noctis’ true face. Too bad he won’t be getting them, not now. “After such a rousing time, even.”

“Messenger problems.” Noctis turns his head to return the gaze, but less inquisitive and more secretive. 

“Then tell me, dear night.”

Noctis feels something funky in his chest. Which he’s quick to ignore because he definitely does not want to admit what it is. He lightly taps his forehead against Somnus’ own, craning his neck slightly to meet each other, and does his damned hardest to look at him with as much feigned honesty as he can muster. It’s gotten easier lately, to lie and twist half-truths, but not without effort. 

“One day. When you’re ready.” 

‘When I’m ready, ’ he means instead. He wants to trust Somnus, but he won’t be ready for the backlash if the worst case scenario happens. 

Somnus stares back, lips working themselves into a retort and Noctis expects an argument or a demand to know now. It wouldn’t be the first they clashed with words, Somnus standing on his pedestal and believing his birthright and lineage granted him the secret musings of the gods with Noctis standing just as stalwart and refusing to budge. But tonight instead, he harrumphs and concedes to their middle ground, closing his eyes and burying his face further into the crease between Noctis and the pillows to murmur, “It best be soon, Noctis. I am not known for my patience, unlike my long-suffering brother.”  

Noctis only manages a hum, pushing back the anxieties and what-if’s should that time come. When it comes, he corrects. He knows it’s inevitable, that the truth will rear its head one way or another. But it’s up to him on how it’ll all play out and if the results will end up in fortune or disaster. 

Right now, though, he’s exhausted — the good kind, not the fatigue that makes his bones ache and his muscles quiver — and Somnus is true to his name, pulling Noctis into sleep with his warmth and soft breath ghosting across skin. He’ll put more thought into it in the morning, come up with a more serious plan rather than half-ass snippets. Sooner rather than later, because Noctis isn’t known for his patience either.

“Goodnight,” Somnus manages through the lethargy in his voice.

“Good… sleep.” Noctis glances down in hopes of catching a reaction to his pun.

And he does, when Somnus opens his eyes for just a moment to make sure the other catches his definite eye roll. Noctis smiles at that, and he takes that image with him into his dreams.

[romanticsuspense]

Man of Worth

By the time the end credits started rolling on ‘Man of Worth’ I had the biggest, most idiotic grin on my face.  Then I shut the TV off, turned to my dog, who was the only one in the room at the time, and said to him “People are going to hate this episode. But, I loved it.”  Which kind of perfectly encapsulates my entire Outlander viewing experience this season.  

I didn’t intend to write a separate review for this episode; my original plan was to mention it briefly in my Season 4 review.  But, as I started writing, I had a couple of revelations, and it became too long to not be a separate post.  So, here it is, my thoughts on ‘Man of Worth.’

“I’ve chosen this.”

Ian giving himself up to the Mohawk was one of my favorite scenes of this episode.  I loved seeing the look of triumph and excitement on his face when he makes it through the gauntlet.  I’m proud of him for making this choice.  I don’t have much else to say about that scene, except it was really wonderful and emotional and I’m going to miss John Bell’s Young Ian, and of course Rollo.

I am currently reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes, and it’s making me really curious about how they’re going to write Ian into future episodes.  I think it would be really cool to do an Ian-centric episode as the penultimate episode of Season 5.  The episode could cover his entire time with the Mohawk, and end with him walking up to Fraser’s Ridge.  Then the finale opener would be a big Ian reunion.  I don’t remember enough about the timeline of The Fiery Cross to know if that would even work, but I’m pretty sure he returns very close to the end of the book?  Anyway, that’ just a thought I had.  I would definitely watch an entire hour of television starring John Bell.

“You’ve a fine, braw lad.”

In case you haven’t read the book, in Drums of Autumn, Jamie and Claire make it back to North Carolina in time for the birth.  The chapter is told in Claire’s point of view.  As such, the focus of the scene is on Jamie and Claire becoming grandparents.  Gabaldon also uses the birth as a way for Jamie and Brianna to reconnect after the Rogergate debacle.  Brianna demands that Jamie stay in the room with her, and they bond through this shared experience.  The birth is great the way it’s written in the book.  But I, personally, didn’t care much if this was a scene that got changed.  So, going into the episode, I didn’t have very strong feelings about who I believed should be there or not.  I was curious about it, and I hoped that Roger would be there, but I wasn’t going to be disappointed if he wasn’t.  

Once word got out that there was going to be a change to the birth (it was hinted that it was timing related), speculation began as to who, exactly, would be present while Brianna gave birth to her boy.  Would Roger be there?  Or maybe Claire rides ahead and Jamie misses the birth?  Then we all picked apart the 30 second teaser trying to figure out who an un-pregnant Brianna was running to, and whether or not you could tell if Brianna was still pregnant in the short clip of her talking to Claire on the bed.  How would it all play out?  What changes would they make?

When the close-up of Brianna’s pained face showed up on screen, all that speculation just flew out the window for me.  I wasn’t thinking about Jamie or Claire, or even Roger.  I was thinking, “Holy crap, this woman is giving birth without any pain meds!”  and then “Aw, how sweet for Phaedre, Lizzie and Jocasta to all be in the room with her!”  and then “Holy crap, Brianna is a mother...a MOTHER!”  I wasn’t distracted by thoughts of who should or shouldn’t be there.  I was caught up in Sophie Skelton’s beautiful acting, and enjoying seeing this woman who has already been through so much, go through yet another life-changing moment.  I saw a young woman become a mother.  I saw the three women who have supported her and shown her great kindness during her pregnancy, by her side.  I saw a mother’s joy holding her son for the first time.  Yes, the way Gabaldon wrote the birth in the book is beautiful.  But, the show writers have done something beautiful as well by shifting the focus back onto Brianna and her newborn son.

Part of Brianna’s journey this season has been learning that she can be independent, strong and capable, while still leaning on and opening up to those around her.  Brianna has spent the majority of her pregnancy in a strange place, in a strange time, surrounded by strange people.  But, she eventually opens up to a relationship with Jocasta.  She forgives Lizzie.  And she grows close to Phaedre, Murtagh and Lord John.  I really loved seeing Brianna go through this mostly by herself, with the help of her new friends and family.  It’s just another example of Brianna adapting to her circumstances and soldiering on.  I’m not mourning the fact that Jamie and Claire weren’t there.  There will be plenty of Fraser Family bonding in Season 5.

[Side Note: While I didn’t mind Jamie not being there for the birth, I will acknowledge that I found it very strange that Jamie hasn’t held a baby at all this season.  He didn’t hold Germain.  He didn’t hold Brianna’s boy.  I wonder if that was directors’ choices that in the moment didn’t feel very significant?  I don’t know.  I’m not mad about it.  But I do think it’s weird.]

Another great example of Brianna’s character growth is the scene where Jamie, Claire, Murtagh and Jocasta are waiting for her to come down to dinner, and she finally arrives, giving them a small smile as she sits down, in between her father and mother.  That’s not Brianna “getting over” Roger.  She’s still heartbroken.  That’s Brianna soldiering on.  That’s Brianna reaching out to her family in a time of need.  That’s Brianna knowing that she can handle whatever life throws at her next.  She may be heartbroken, but there’s dinner to be had with her family.  

"I need time.”

One of my three wishes for the final episodes of this season was that Roger would come straight back to Brianna with Jamie and Claire.  When I read Drums of Autumn, I never understood why he didn’t just run back to Brianna as soon as he could.  I felt this was out of character and figured Diana only wrote it this way to prolong their separation for the drama.  Why would he hesitate?  What on earth was he thinking?  I just didn’t get it.  But, one of the great things about this show is that it’s a visual medium, which means I pick up on things that I don’t necessarily catch in the books.  Roger’s motivations finally clicked for me when I noticed parallels between Claire, Roger and Jamie’s conversation in this episode and Brianna and Claire’s abortion conversation in ‘The Deep Heart’s Core.’

Now, to be clear, I’m not saying that Brianna’s abortion decision is equivalently difficult to Roger’s decision.  I’m just saying that they are asking themselves the same question: “Can I raise a baby that may be the child of a rapist?”  And the two conversations which raise that very question definitely had some parallels. 

“I know this is an impossible decision.” || “I know this is a huge decision, Roger.”

In ‘The Deep Heart’s Core,’ Claire “walks Brianna through the surgical steps of ending her pregnancy, never once mentioning herself as a grandmother or her own wishes. Her selflessness and willingness to put Bree’s choice above her own reservations tugged at my heart. […] Claire is just as detailed and careful in her description of her other option: traveling back before the baby is born and still in her body, lest it be torn from her in the passage through. When both options are presented, she expresses sympathy and holds her peace.” (source: TV Kills Time)

Claire approaches the conversation with Roger in much the same way.  Carefully and slowly giving him all the information he needs to ultimately make a decision.  First, she tells him that Brianna was raped.  Then she tells him that Brianna is pregnant.  And then finally that he may not be the father.  Claire remains objective, and doesn’t pass judgement on Roger for what happened with Brianna, even though she obviously feels sympathetic—it’s written all over her face.  Claire could, as Brianna’s mother, demand that Roger come back with them straight away. She could force a decision out of him, much like Jamie is trying to do.  But, Claire remains neutral.  You can see every time Jamie jumps in, that Roger reacts by turning back to Claire.  Claire is the safe zone.  She wants Roger, much like Brianna, to know all of his options and make an informed decision, and she doesn’t want to influence that decision. She knows that if she pushes him to choose before he’s ready, that he wouldn’t be making the decision on his own, and she knows it’s not her decision, or Jamie’s, to make.  While Jamie pushes for Roger to decide quickly: “Make up your mind.”  Claire understands that Roger needs time to think: “Well, if you need time, then you should take it.  Because this is our daughter.  So, you’d better be sure.”  Roger replies, “I know.” 

So, Roger is presented with the same conundrum that Brianna faced: “Can I raise a baby that may be the child of a rapist?”  Where does his hesitancy come from?

We know Roger loves Brianna.  Roger has given us no reason to doubt his love for her.  When Jamie says that he mistook Roger for the man who raped Brianna, Roger replies, “How could you think such a thing?  I love her!” With zero hesitancy, he says he’ll take her home, back to their own time. 

Then Claire tells him that Brianna is pregnant and glee flashes across his face.  When Jamie points out that Brianna has to stay, but Roger doesn’t, Roger says, again with zero hesitancy: “What, you think I’d leave her?  We’re handfast, She’s my wife.  And now she’s carrying my child.”

It’s only when Claire gently reminds him that he may not be the father that Roger begins to unravel.  “Bonnet.”  Bloody fucking Bonnet.  This is when he says “It’s all too much.”  This is when he hesitates.

So, it’s not a question of whether or not Roger loves Brianna or whether or not he wants to be with Brianna, like I originally thought.  In fact, he loves Brianna so much, that he knows he has to do right by her and give this decision due diligence.  It would be unfair to Brianna, if he were to go back to her with any doubts in his mind whatsoever about how he feels about the baby. Brianna understands that this is a decision he will have to make, because she had to make the same choice—that’s why she tells Claire to tell him everything—“Brianna wanted you to know so you would have the choice.”  

Roger and Brianna both wrestled with the question “Can I raise a child that may be Bonnet’s?”  They both took the time they needed to process it, alone.  And they both came to the same resolution—to accept and love the child regardless of its paternity.

Brianna: “I’m keeping it.  [...] If there’s even the slightest chance it’s his, then I’m gonna keep it.  And not just for him, but for me, too.  And if it’s not his, then I’ll love it anyway.  I know I will.”

Roger: “Take me to see my son.”  

I know there are still going to be many people who don’t like Roger for his hesitancy here and will use it as yet another reason to hate him.  But, I don’t fault him for it, and I’ve made peace with this part of the story.  He takes the time to make a difficult decision.  He doesn’t put the burden or the emotional labor of that choice on Brianna, which he would have done if he hadn’t taken the time to make the decision on his own, before returning to her.  That would be entirely unfair to Brianna, and he knows it.  When he returns, he wants to be able to promise her that he will be, in every way that matters, the baby’s father.  There’s a quote in the book from Brianna that didn’t make it into the show, but when Roger proposes she tells him, “If I make a vow like that, I’ll keep it, no matter what it costs me!”  Both Roger and Brianna hold vows and promises sacred.  When Roger returns and claims the baby as his own son, he is making a vow that he intends to keep, no matter what it costs him.  

Apparently there was debate in the writer’s room about whether to include Roger taking the time to think.  But, ultimately they decided to include it because: “We have story in the future that we have to think about, so when we��re dealing with a moment now, we have to think about what’s going to happen down the road.”

Hearing this gives me hope that the writers will explore the “love or obligation” motif from the end of Drums of Autumn in Season 5. There’s still quite a bit of story from Drums that didn’t make it into the finale.  Including a couple of really great conversations between Roger and Bree, and my all-time favorite Outlander quote, delivered by Roger to Bree.  None of these conversations would have made sense if Roger had come back immediately.  So, keeping Roger’s “thinking time” in this episode sets up the “love or obligation” motif quite nicely for next season.  

I can’t move onto another scene without singing the praises of Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, and Richard Rankin.  This scene was so wonderfully acted by all parties and these were some really interesting character dynamics.  Roger and Claire automatically share a trust, and easily fall back into a familiarity, even though they haven’t seen each other for, what, 2 years?  But, this is the first time we’re seeing Jamie and Roger interacting.  I know Claire wasn’t too impressed by their brawl, but I loved it.  I’m glad Roger finally got a chance to throw a few punches, considering it wasn’t a fair fight the first time.  I can’t wait to see more of them together next season.  

“You’re Here.” “I’m Here.”

In the book, when Roger returns, there isn’t a sweeping romantic reunion between Roger and Brianna.  He simply walks into the cabin, sees the bairn in Brianna’s arms, cuts the palm of his hand to draw blood, and…“Roger knelt in front of her, and reaching out, pushed the shawl aside and smeared a broad red cross upon the downy curve of the baby’s forehead. ‘You are blood of my blood,’ he said softly, ‘and bone of my bone. I claim thee as my son before all men, from this day forever.’” 

It’s a quiet, yet profound moment in the book and I love it.  But, there’s a part of me that always longed for something a little bigger between Brianna and Roger, not just Roger and the baby.  A hug, a kiss.  Something.  I know that it’s important for Roger to make it clear right away that he intends to be the child’s father. I understand that they haven’t seen each other in nearly a year, and there’s going to be some shyness.  But both of them also spent those months apart taking solace in memories of their night together in Wilmington.  I just wanted something more between Roger and Brianna when they were reunited.  

Well, I got more in this episode.  I fucking loved their reunion in the show.  I think I’ve already posted, like, thirty edits from that scene.  It was romantic and lovely and grand.  Yet also intimate, and a great callback to their reunion hug in ‘Wilmington.’  And even though we didn’t get the blood vow in this episode, or even Roger holding the baby, his line “Take me to see my son” succinctly says everything that needs to be said in that moment.  I’m still hoping that they’ll include the blood vow in Season 5.  But, whether they include the blood vow or not, one thing I’m certain of is that we’ll get to see Roger as a father in Season 5.  And that’s something to be excited about.  

This scene was pure perfection, and the perfect ending to the season.  

[obserfdom]

Taylor Swift, A Real Person Inside Celebrity Attire

I wanna have a break for awhile in speculating about Taylor Swift' sexuality/relationship and dedicate this writing solely focusing on her as a person.

Honestly, I've never a big fans of her. Nor to any other celebrities out there. I am always a casual listener to any music. And very seldom I attentively scrutinizing song lyrics. But falling to Kaylors fandom inevitably forced me to dig more about Taylor Swift. I was very much surprise knowing how popular she is, or how successful she is building up an empire of 'devotees'. She is a queen in almost every sense.

But only through knowing how relatable her character is to ourselves as a non celebrity that truly inspiring and gradually takes me to grow a soft-tenderness feeling toward her. And like a teen swiftie, I can't help to echo their praise: "I love you, Taylor Swift!"

Here, I am just going to copy a relatable normal human being version of Taylor's story from many sources - mostly from people with direct interaction with her, the 'normal' people. If one still deducting flaws out of her personality, after reading these kind of testimonials - well it would speak a lot about who the person is rather than being about Taylor Swift.

***

From Rolling Stone:

We’ve been talking for a while when a boat rows up carrying three teenagers – two girls and a guy. “Oh, my God!” says one of the girls. “Today is my birthday! Can I please take a picture with you?” Swift laughs. “You can, but I don’t know how you’re going to. You’re on a boat, buddy!”

“I’ll get off!” the girl says. “I’ll find a way.” Swift and her bodyguard reach out and help her into the pavilion. “You’re going to make me cry!” she says.

“Is it really your birthday?” Swift asks.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen,” the girl says.

“Oh, that’s a good year.”

“I know. I’m excited.”

The girl says she lives on Long Island. She and her friends took the train in for the day. “That’s cute,” Swift says. “Are you going to dinner somewhere?”

The girl scrunches up her face. “We were going to . . . Chipotle?”

Swift smiles. She goes to her purse and pulls out a wad of cash – $90, to be exact. “Here,” she says. “Go somewhere nice.”

“Oh, my God,” the girl says. “Thank you!” She climbs back in the boat, and she and her friends paddle off.

Note:

$90 may not be a big number for a celeb like Taylor Swift with an estimated worth around 360 million USD. However, that was probably the only cash she had in hand - and Taylor gave it all to the teen girl she barely knew only cause she probably felt that she could contribute to boost this girl's happiness by adding the teen with more fund to spend on her birthday.

This was not only sweet but it genuinely a very grandeur kindnest.

***

"Is Taylor Swift actually a nice person?" - a question made in Quora:

Anonymous answered it, in May 21th 2018

This post has been a long time coming. I am answering this question anonymously for a number of reasons: 1) I do not wish to inadvertently become tabloid fodder; 2) I do not wish to capitalize on Taylor; 3) I enjoy my relatively normal life; and 4) I believe the anonymity is well-deserved on Taylor’s part. Although Taylor may be able to determine who is writing this, I do not believe such information to be of use to the public. I am sure, if she wished, she could write me a letter and reconnect at anytime. That is her choice to make.

Before Taylor hit it big, Taylor and I spent months emailing back and forth on MySpace. We were the same age with similar tastes in music, similar viewpoints on life, and similar, sarcastic senses of humor. We were both trying to make it in music and grow a fan base. We confided in each other. We trusted each other. We had an ongoing, supportive relationship that helped both of us when we sometimes felt there was nowhere else to turn. Few knew of my coversations with her - but some of Taylor’s closest friends did know they were taking place (they called me “the guy on MySpace,” as it is my understanding Taylor did not tell them my name).

The two of us, still in our teens and miles apart, began writing to each other in short messages at first. We would discuss music, school, and random jokes we would make upon the fly. As time went on, the messages (and their topics) went from short and complimentary to in-depth and personal. We would write messages to one another that, if printed, would be multiple pages long. Looking back, these were the messages of two teenagers trying to find themselves and, in the process, found a friend in one another. We never had expectations, just a supportive friendship with a member of the opposite sex we could not seem to find offline. Although our situations and backgrounds were very different, our similarities closed any gap between us.

During our time messaging, Taylor had hit a rough patch in her life. That may be easy to balk at if you see Taylor as a flawless celebrity rather than the caring and thoughtful person that she is - but the struggle she was experiencing at the time was very real and had its toll on her, a teen trying to find her place. I would do my best to encourage her from a distance and support her as the situation unfolded. Taylor did the same for me. The mutual respect and maturity shared with one another was like nothing else I had experienced. As for Taylor, I believe she felt the same.

Then, something happened. I began to emotionally struggle with the loss of a grandparent who had passed in 2002. As a young person, I had buried the pain for years and did not know how to cope. I had little in terms of a support mechanism in my “real” life. But things were just beginning in Taylor’s career. I thought that my burdens would weigh Taylor down. So, rather than turn to Taylor for support or tell her what happened, I did the only thing sixteen year old me knew how to do… I closed myself off, shut down my MySpace page… and tried to grapple with the experience on my own. To this day, I feel guilty about having left her out in the dark. But I still believe I did the right thing. Taylor had a dream we both shared and it was becoming a reality. I was not about to stand in the way by making her worry about her friend. She was too kind and sweet to me. Strapping her with that type of burden would have been unjustifiable. As fast as I had entered it, I was out of Taylor’s life. If she saw me today, it is unlikely she would recognize me as that guy who was playing country songs. That is not the path my life took.

Fast forward to today and I am a highly educated person who has been able to carve my own path in this world. By any measure, I have been successful for my age. If Taylor were not a celebrity, I believe her story would be much the same.

What you see and hear about Taylor does not scratch the surface or come near the reality. The claims about her doing things for publicity, being an uncaring person, or using others are nowhere near an accurate description of the person I grew to know. Taylor is a kind, caring, compassionate person who wants nothing more than to love and be loved. Her acts of charity are not acts of publicity, they are acts of character. She has earned and deserves her career. Knowing her as I did, I cannot help but believe she often longs for normalcy, anonymity, and questions what it would be like if she were simply Taylor to this day - not the celebrity, but another person who lived life without being subjected to the critiques, comments, and ridicule.

I knew Taylor for Taylor, she was wonderful. In the unlikely event she reads this, I apologize for not writing back and hope she understands why I made that decision. I kicked myself for years - not because of the fame she found, but because of the friend I loss.

Taylor, I am proud of how far you have made it in this world.

Note:

Me and approximately 8.3k Quora-ers agreed that this guys story is genuine.

***

Steve Parr - a quora-er, answered this (from the same Quora page):

I’ve met Taylor Swift twice, both while I was working for Taylor Guitars.

The first time was at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. She was there with her father who BEGGED Bob Taylor to let her play on our performance stage. I think she was about 15 at the time. She was nervous and her songs weren’t great, but she was beaming and very appreciative of the time given her.

The second time was when she held her album release party for Fearless (2008) at the Taylor factory in El Cajon, CA. There was a nationwide contest where two people were flown from each state to San Diego to attend the party, get a meet & greet and attend a private concert for a total of about 250 people. I was heavily involved in photography, so the production company hired me to shoot the meet & greet and the concert.

When she arrived at our factory for that event, she came in through the back of our shipping warehouse. As she walked through, she greeted everyone, giving them a long, solid hug while saying “hello”. Now, some of these guys were hardcore warehouse types who were dirty and sweaty. That didn’t matter to Swift. She didn’t have to do what she did, but she did it. I thought that spoke highly of her character.

So, yeah, she’s really a nice person…

Note:

If you familiar with Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman, you probably remember the first few pages about "bus driver" story. This guy spread the joy with his inert kindnest. He was the example of emotional intelligence that Goleman referred to.

Reading the above testimony remind me of the bus driver. If you think Taylor Swift doesn't atleast possess a lil of EI, then I think you need to re-think about how you view the world - and start to trust humanity act of kindnest again.

***

Final thought:

Really I could copy paste dozen of testimonials out there about Taylor Swift. Esp from fans who lucky enough to meet her in person during secret sessions. They are not only being loyal to Taylor because they led by 'blindness' by Taylor's charm - but more because I could see that Taylor had touched their heart with her genuinely nice behaviours. Treating her fans as in the highest value, is one of Taylor's rare quality as human being.

Not to mention, Taylor has been involved in many charitably acts through out the years - a very good role model not only to youth but to all of us in general. I could say that her parents have raised her well and influenced her to continue being grounded.

Oh yes, I am fully aware that Taylor Swift is mere human with all the flaws and far from perfection - and I have no doubt that she awares of it too - nevertheless, if one lacking in appreciation toward others and only focus in finding every lil dirts, as haters would be, well that speaks more about them compare to the object of their rants. That just like one unconsciously noticed their own version of 'elephant in the room', but rather than face it - they cowardly projecting it to other. And public figure, esp a sweet lollipop like Taylor, sadly always an easy target achery.

Xxx

[hollenka99]

A Growing Family

Summary: In the aftermath of the war, Jameson is still struggling. Not only that but there is more bad news on Siobhan's side of the family. So he focuses on his family and attempts to be happy with what he's got. As such, the Jackson family grows by four new members.

February 23, 1919 Dear Mother,

I hope 1919 has been treating you well thus far. Siobhan and I have some news.

Our fourth child should arrive sometime in the fall, likely September or early October. I am secretly hoping for another daughter. Not only to achieve an oddly satisfying symmetry. This child will be less than 18 months younger than Sophia. I do enjoy entertaining the idea of the two girls sharing a close sisterhood due to the short gap between their ages.

Do not be mistaken, a son would be equally welcome. After all, I gain more experience with raising boys with every day that passes. Despite their difficult beginnings, Anthony and Ollie are rather good friends now. It was Anthony, after all, who dubbed his little brother 'Ollie' in the first place.

Speaking of Oliver, I caught him playing around with his mother's piano the other day. When I asked him what he was doing, he told me Anthony was only better at playing the instrument because he was bigger. He insists he'll be bigger than Anthony one day. When that happens, he'll be the one who is better at playing piano. It does make me laugh how a child's logic works.

Yours. Jameson

April 30, 1919 Dear Mother,

Now that we have celebrated Sophia's first year of life, I feel I may be able to relax slightly. She's certainly not invulnerable but she's more so than last April. She's still not able to stand independently but I have been assured that this developmental delay is common in children who were born prematurely. For us, we see no need for her to be rushed. After all, a crawling child is easier to grab before they do themselves harm as opposed to one who can run.

Anthony enjoyed his time on set last year so I'm planning to work out how to incorporate a first grader into one of our movies. Four years have passed since he made a cameo appearance in The Puppet Man. I've asked Ollie if he's interested but he declined the offer. I suppose you can't win them all.

I am working on a second project as of right now, not related to the pictures. You should be able to see the results later this year.

Yours, Jameson

June 27, 1919 Dear all,

Those Europeans scare me. They all must be mad. I thought the war ended in November. Yet here we are in June, with the Allies threatening to resume the conflict if Germany don't sign that peace treaty in Versailles. I was under the impression it was all a formality to officially document peace. They can't just order their men to return to the trenches after all this time, can they? People have been spending these past seven months attempting to rebuild their lives.

I don't know what conditions Germany is agreeing to. However, I do know the terms should be reasonable. They may be forced to play the scapegoat but placing the blame too harshly could trigger a resentment amongst the German people. God knows how dangerous that could be if taken advantage of.

This League of Nations that Wilson proposed could work. If a number of countries allied themselves together, it might prevent another Great War. Although, it hasn't escaped my notice that it was close alliances that caused the domino effect during the July Crisis of 1914. I suppose all we can do is have faith the politicians know what is best for their respective countries and for the world in general.

Yours, Jameson

August 2, 1919 Dear Jameson,

You have to stop doing this. By all means, use writing as a creative outlet. I don't mind you attempting to work through all of this mess. That said, I wish you would be sensible. If you're going to write an anthology full of anti-war poems, keep it to yourself. At least you had the sense to publish them under an alias.

I'll admit it took me a few minutes to understand your pseudonym. Laurence Wilson is quite a clever disguise. I suppose you chose it so nobody outside of our family would recognise you. I tried to explain it to Mother but she argues you should have used Silas instead. It makes sense, masquerading with the name of our other grandfather, but I'm sure it wouldn't have quite fit with what you were going for.

I worry about you, Jameson. My biggest concern, other than you ruining your reputation, is that this is still an issue. October will be here soon and with it, the second anniversary of Harvey's death. You must let go, if not for your sake then for your family's. You both made mistakes that you weren't able to rectify. Sometimes that is the cruel way the world works. The two of you simply drew the short straw.

We all miss Harvey dearly. It is not only you who wishes he were still here. I hope you understand we were all affected. As for your irrational decisions, you cannot keep doing this to us. You know how much of a worrier Mother is.

Yours, Mabel

August 15, 1919 Dear Mabel,

This has never been about who misses him more or can grieve the hardest. Please don't speak as though I have turned bereavement into a competition. I never made just the one mistake. I made several major ones that lead to countless smaller actions I regret.

I was so close to resolving the feud between us. I received his final letter and set down to write my reply. I remember still writing when Pearl and Clifford came to share the contents of Mother's letter. It frustrates me to no end that he was able to apologise but he would never see my apology.

It wasn't only Harvey I wronged. I ruined my friendship with the person closest to me outside of our family. There were times when I felt closer to David than my own brothers. If it were not for Clifford and Harvey, I would have made him my best man without a second thought. I had hoped he would have chosen me to perform that duty when the time came for him to marry, seeing as he was brotherless. That shall never happen now. His son will have to be raised on mere stories passed down from his mother and grandparents.

All of this is because I am a fierce pacifist. Why has not wanting the world to descend into bloodshed and violence cost me so much? Answer me that, Mabel. I didn't want either of them to contribute to the fighting, especially as they would be risking their lives by getting involved. I went about it the wrong way, I know that. I expected it of Harvey but certainly couldn't foresee David choosing to enlist. I don't know to whom I was harsher. My hand moved before my head could contemplate the repercussions. You have no idea how cautious I am when writing to my loved ones nowadays. Placing letters in envelopes fills me with paranoia. I may read through this letter when it is done and decide it will never be sent.

I can never forgive myself. Never. During the Advent of 1914, I went to confession as I tend to do in preparation for Christmas. When I leave, I usually feel freer. I'm sure you understand what I mean. By admitting your faults to God and saying a prayer or two, you are supposedly cleansed until the next time you commit a sin. Yet, in 1914, I failed to have that sense of peace within me. At the time, I assumed it was because I still held on to resentment and was somewhat privately wrathful. The Advent following Harvey's death, once more I asked to be forgiven. And, once more, I felt as if it failed to be effective. This whole process feels more like a formality to satisfy those around me than something that benefits my soul.

I believe that upon my death, hopefully decades from now, I will finally be able to speak to Harvey and David, face to face as we should have done years ago. Maybe then I can make peace with all of this. Until then, I can't do much except for take each day as it comes.

Yours, Jameson

Henry Robert Jackson Male September 15, 1919 Los Angeles Siobhan O'Hara Jameson Jackson

September 15, 1919 Dear all,

Our third son, whom we have named Henry, arrived in the early hours of this morning. Needless to say, his entrance into the world was far less stressful than his sister's. He is still technically early too but what is one day in the general scheme of things?

The boys are very pleased to have another brother. Anthony is bound to be telling his friends at elementary school tomorrow. Oliver has been fussing over our latest addition. As for Sophia, I feel she is a little too young to particularly care about the new baby the same way her brothers do. That doesn't stop her from checking in on Henry every so often with curiosity.

The most humourous reaction to the baby is courtesy of Lyra. She has found herself hovering around Siobhan all day so she can get a good whiff of Henry. Siobhan cannot take a step in any direction without being cautious of the Dalmatian who is potentially under the feet.

Yours, Jameson

October 1, 1919 Dear Jameson,

Two sons, a daughter then another son? I dare say you're copying me.

Congratulations on the birth of your fourth child, Jem. Give Siobhan my love too. You know, it's a shame we live so far apart. Arthur and Henry could have grown up good friends, given there is only three months between them. That's not to say they can't be playmates whenever you visit us.

Yours, Mabel

February 9, 1920 Dear Mother,

Yesterday, the three of us drank together to commemorate what should have been Harvey's 40th birthday. We talked about him freely. After a while, I felt comfortable enough to join without restricting myself. I even laughed once more at the story of him introducing Edith to us. Pearl still swears she didn't intend to immediately spill wine on her at the table. The whole session has made me thoughtful though. This could potentially be the first time since before the war that I've be able to reflect on my memories of Harvey fondly. Since then, those memories seemed too bitter to remember.

Perhaps this is what I have been lacking, a chance to speak without fear of being misunderstood. I knew Clifford and Pearl were willing to listen. I've known this entire time but, in a strange way, I have failed to internalise that information. I have subjected myself to dealing with everything alone. I am a fool for doing so. I have spent the majority of the past decade being a halfwit.

At the end of December, I promised myself I'd endeavour to have a fresh start this decade. At the time, I wasn't completely sure how I would go about that goal. Other than being more cautious about the what I write, of course. I'm glad it only took me 5 weeks to receive this epiphany. It certainly saved me some time.

Tell Edith and the girls that I say hello, Jameson

May 22, 1920 Dear Jameson,

Forgive me if I'm intruding on matters that you want to remain private but I am worried about your wife. She didn't seem herself at the reception last week. I could sense something was wrong when you visited for Christmas too. At the time, I assumed there had been some dispute between you so I didn't interfere. I am guessing it is the same issue bothering her as five months ago.

Is she alright? I hope whatever it is can be resolved soon.

Wishing your family well, Your mother

June 3, 1920 Dear Mother,

It is a family matter that is worrying her. Do you recall me telling you about Huntington's Chorea when we announced her pregnancy with Anthony? The disease has made itself known in our generation. Her brother has begun to exhibit symptoms. At the moment, it is mainly mood swings and clumsiness. It will only get worse from here on in.

As to be expected, this development has greatly affected Siobhan. Not only is her brother sick, she may be next. It may be fairly likely that by 1930, she could be inflicted with Huntington's Chorea as well. This reality is weighing heavily on all of us. We had desperately hoped we could go without this worry.

Of course, Michael being affected is not proof in itself Siobhan will suffer the same fate. It simply brings the matter close to home again. With the topic so relevant once more, the two of us have spoken and mutually agreed Henry will be our last. We knew having children was akin to playing Russian roulette, long before we entertained the idea of starting a family. If the disease runs through Siobhan and her line, we could have subjected four individuals to potentially inheriting the condition and watching their mother suffer through it.

We both secretly wish we could have given Sophia a little sister. Neither of us admit it, as doing so would be actively insulting to our three sons. We have four loving children. We must learn to admire what we already have.

Yours, Jameson

August 19, 1920 Dear all,

Yesterday brought good prospects to Sophia's future, even if she won't feel its effects until she is 18. They have ratified the 19th Amendment so voters cannot be denied their right on the basis of their sex. Which means, come 1936, she will be able to cast her first vote. Thinking about it, I believe an election is due that year. So there, she will turn 18 at the end of that April and some six months later she can choose which man she trusts more to avoid leading the USA astray.

Technically, women of California gained their right to vote around the same time we moved here. In the very least, I understand that to be true. Unless she moves to another state as an adult, it is the Californian regulations she must pay attention to. Despite being of Irish and Canadian descent, she is still a citizen of the United States of America thanks to jus soli.

Britain and Ireland have only granted partial voting rights to their women. I am told that only those who are over 30 years of age are eligible. I suppose there is more work to be done across the water. While Siobhan has never been the type to tie herself to railings or starve herself in protest, she has been eagerly supportive of the cause.

What are the laws in Canada now? Having lived in America for so long, I realise I've found myself somewhat out of the loop.

Yours, Jameson

September 3, 1920 Dear Jameson,

It's a good thing the world is progressing like this. Judith and Sophia won't have to worry about not having their voices heard. It's exciting to think how differently they will stand among their male peers as they grow up compared to our generation. Honestly, I'm surprised it has taken this long for politicians to realise that they were restricting half the potential voters.

Here in New Brunswick, we were granted the right to vote last year. We still can't run for office but neither myself nor Mother are particularly affected by that. Several provinces preceded us in legislation changes. I think Quebec is yet to catch up with all this.

As for the British Isles, let's hope they lower the age limit soon so that women will have to be 21 like men to vote. The women have really made their case. If they're not throwing themselves in front of the King's horse, they're starving themselves to the point the government introduces a law to stop them.

Yours, Mabel

September 26, 1920 Dear Mother,

I have been debating whether to join you next month for Thanksgiving. When Anthony and Oliver were younger, I wasn't so worried about leaving California. Now that Anthony is in third grade and Ollie will begin Kindergarten next year, bringing them to Canada is proving trickier. In the coming years, when Sophia and Henry become old enough to be sent to school, visiting Saint John will be even more difficult.

The third Monday of October will fall on the 18th this year. Of course, Oliver's 5th birthday is that Thursday. My intention is to stay a little longer than I normally would so you can celebrate it with us. However, in doing so, I would be keeping Anthony from his classes for up to two weeks. You can tell why Siobhan and I are of two minds about Thanksgiving. You could always come in November so we could celebrate it the same time as the Americans. That said, papers are always a hassle and November here is as warm as summer for you. A warm Thanksgiving has never felt right to me.

I will certainly be there at the end of February for your 70th birthday. There is no way I would miss such a special celebration. You'd better be prepared because all of us are coming. You'll have find the space for six adults and five children. We're not trying to cause tedium, I swear.

Yours, Jameson

March 6, 1921 Dear Jameson,

It was such a pleasure to have you back home for my birthday. I particularly love the necklace you bought me. However, by a large margin, my favourite treat was to see your children again. They are all growing so quickly. When Anthony was telling me about 'Peter Pan and Wendy', I nearly had to remind myself that he is already eight years old and literate. What did you do to the boy who was struggling through written words the last time I saw him?

It was especially sweet to watch Sophia and Henry discover snow and frost. I have never seen a child so confused by it. You can assure them I believe their attempt to help their big brothers build a snowman was commendable. I have never met a snowman with such low arms though. I suppose they were unable to reach the torso.

I think you made the right decision by keeping the little ones inside during the snowball fight. Being so small, they would have probably received an accidental snowball to the face in the heat of the moment. These things happen. You fell victim to it a number of times when you were their age.

It is a shame they aren't able to experience winter the same way you did. Maybe we could compromise and agree you will travel to Saint John every Christmas? Either way, thank you for visiting me and I hope you had a smooth journey back to Los Angeles.

Missing you already, Your mother

May 3, 1921 Dear all,

Clifford presented me with a script earlier this week. He wrote the whole thing himself. It's a decent story but he's assigned me the task of improving it. I'll admit, he needs to work on visualising stage directions and how characters will move about the setting. The screenplay has a disproportional quantity of dialogue compared to the action. If we can find a better balance, this will be his first production as the writer. I'm looking forward to discovering how the public enjoys the picture.

My biggest concern is the subject matter. This was clearly inspired by the situation with his children. I know, after spending so long negotiating with Elizabeth to receive them, he feels their letters to him are merely a formality. Lord knows he can't picture Clara as any older than two years old. He's only met Daniel the once, immediately after his birth.

He was so happy last August to be given a second chance with Louise. He deserves the opportunity to prove himself now that he doesn't act so frivolously. I remember how ecstatic he was to receive his first correspondence from Clara herself, as illegible as her childish scrawl was.

Things will be different with Louise. He's not going to be some distant figure like he is to her half-siblings. Even so, he makes a good uncle to his nephews and Sophia.

Yours, Jameson

May 17, 1921 Dear Jameson,

It's good that he wants to branch out. Just be careful. You never know, he may surpass you in the future if you teach him your methods too thoroughly.

Why don't the two of you visit New York again? It could be a nostalgic vacation for the two of you. Not only that, you can bring your children and show them the city. Wouldn't it be nice to show them sentimental places from your time there? Children enjoy learning how their parents' relationship came to be.

Yours, Your mother

May 30, 1921 Dear Mother,

Ah yes, Lady Liberty. It has been a while since I saw her. However, it is slightly absurd to suggest we should go to New York just because his children are there. I will probably take my children to see how the city has changed one day but not to sneak around like some ne'er-do-well.

Yours, Jameson

September 3, 1921 Dear Mother,

This week, Oliver began Kindergarten. Obviously, this is an important moment for him. No-one was more excited to see him attend Selma Avenue than Anthony. I have heard from Ollie himself that his brother keeps him company during recess. While Siobhan and I agree this is a caring gesture, we have privately suggested to Anthony that it may be beneficial to leave his little brother to make friends on his own. As soon as we were done speaking to him, he nodded and promptly went to explain to Oliver he'd be left to deal with the school yard alone. Ollie looked so crestfallen to learn the first week was a trial period. I will never understand my eldest son or his ability to turn on a dime.

However, the beginning of the academic year is not the true reason I am writing. Siobhan is nearly four months along. I have tried to dissuade her from a fifth pregnancy. I eventually didn't have the heart to argue with her. I have always wanted to grant our children a better start than either of us got. She simply wants to give Sophia the sister she never received in her youth. After all our discussions concluding with a decision to leave our family at four children, my will should have been sturdier. If this child is a girl, my resolve will be stronger should she ask again.

In any case, I am happy. I don't wish to be misconstrued. This was as much of my choice as it was hers. Plus, I have always loved seeing how the children interact with their siblings. Our home is a lively one and I am enjoying it being so. It's the kind of household I was accustomed to in Saint John.

Yours, Jameson

February 19, 1922 Dear all,

Did you hear about William Desmond Taylor's murder at the start of the month? It's a terrible thing. I hope they find whoever shot him quickly. Although I never met the man, I did admire his work. Cliff, Pearl and I were discussing him after the news of his death broke. He was a good director from what I've seen.

His final resting place not far from where we live. I decided to pay him a visit. I wanted to tip my hat to him, so to speak. It's Clifford who wants to pay his respects, in my opinion. He is Jackson Trinity's main director, after all. I think he may have taken slight inspiration from Taylor at times.

Yours, Jameson

Theodore Stanley Jackson Male March 2, 1922 Los Angeles Siobhan O'Hara Jameson Jackson

May 24, 1922 Dear all,

The Veterans of Foreign Wars have been selling poppies in the lead up to Memorial Day next Monday. I took the liberty of purchasing a few for you in case you would like to find comfort in them. Or you can leave them be until November, if that suits you.

All the best, Jameson

June 6, 1922 Dear Jameson,

Thank you for thinking of us. Your gesture was greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, you are a little late to this poppy scheme. They began doing the same thing here in Canada last November.

I've returned some of them so you can have some spares. I know how easily young children tend to misplace or lose things. I'm glad you chose to buy some of those poppies. I did not think you would do something meant to support those who fought.

With love, Mabel

August 7, 1922 Dear all,

It is hard to believe that a full decade has passed since I became a father. Hints of regret for missing Anthony's birth do still appear each year. Although, by now, it is so inconsequential. Why fret about one when I've managed to be around for the subsequent four? If he ever becomes upset by it, I can always blame his Aunt Pearl for not running fast enough to fetch me. Not only that, he is at fault too. I could have made it if he weren't so eager to meet us. Still, as I stated before, it's become trivial over the years.

We bought him 'The Story of Doctor Dolittle' and its sequel 'The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle' by Hugh Lofting for his birthday. It's about a doctor who can converse with animals and prefers their company to that of human patients. He has begun reading the first book in our sitting room. I suspect he is trying to get through as many pages as possible before Siobhan finishes preparing the cake. Ollie supposedly left the house to play with Lyra in our front yard. It is very peculiar that Lyra is lying on my bed while Anthony's new bicycle has mysteriously vanished from the hallway. I will be sure to discuss the strange happenings with him, whenever he chooses to return. Do you think I should deny him a slice? At least Sophia and Henry are entertaining themselves quietly inside which makes a change for once.

I am being called for cake so I will end my letter here. It is a jelly roll with strawberry jam so I am looking forward to taking a bite.

Yours, Jameson

November 3, 1922 Dear Mother,

Sophia does not act the way you would expect a little girl should. She enjoys straying from us, usually taking Henry with her, to explore her surroundings. All children accumulate dirty laundry but she may be eligible to set a record. She is hardly rolling in the dirt like some feral creature but, without fail, she will always return to us with some dirt on her person. It doesn't matter if it is soil on her hands or grass stains on her tights. I blame the fact she has nothing but brothers. They indirectly encourage her to play rough by doing so themselves. What's worse is that Henry follows her lead. If she were able to climb partway up a tree, he would surely imitate her. One of these days, one or both of them will harm themselves. It is tiring attempting to keep up with the duo.

What I can see in Sophia is that she finds great joy in using her hands to create. At her age, she does not possess the right amount of dexterity to be presented with the opportunities to truly show this off. She may be slightly too young to be introduced to sewing or knitting. Although, she does show interest in it. Perhaps in a year or two I could leave her in Pearl's care so she could be taught. Unlike Pearl, I may have lost some of my abilities thanks to neglecting the activity.

It is odd that she has little interest in playing an instrument, even a piano. In no way am I expecting every child of ours to be virtuosos simply because of their mother. Besides, Oliver has enough enthusiasm for the five of them. I only feel that it would be a worthy pastime while she grows enough to explore other hobbies.

On a completely unrelated note, have you ever tasted a cake with a pumpkin filling? No, I hadn't either. That is until my birthday on Tuesday. Seeing as I was to become 35 years old and my birthday happens to fall on Halloween, Siobhan thought it would be a clever idea to do something special this year. If pumpkin is an acquired taste, it is not one I have acquired. Not that I would ever admit that to her. She put so much effort to please me that I could never break her heart her like that.

I can never escape pumpkins whenever my birthday approaches. The children love preparing several of the fruit to leave outside our home on the 31st. Oliver even asked to receive one for his birthday two weeks ago. I had to remind him that it would be thoroughly rotted by the time the holiday arrived 10 days later. Maybe I should film a short based on carving pumpkins one October. It would have to be a short. If any man can create a decent script for a full length feature inspired solely on carving pumpkins, I'd like to meet him.

Yours, Jameson

January 18, 1923 Dear all,

Germany's economy appears to be worthy of living among the trash. Their prices are so inflated that I wouldn't be surprised if a loaf of bread cost me millions of marks. Didn't they attempt to fix their financial troubles by simply printing the money at one point?

See, I can't understand why Germany were made the scapegoats. They came to the aid of their allies the same way the British Empire and United States helped ours. If any country should be blamed, it should be Serbia for the assassination and Austria-Hungary for declaring war on them in response. I suppose it could be easier to point fingers at the country who have been at the forefront of Prussia for centuries. Of course, despite the books I've read on the subject, I could be talking nonsense. They do say you should never discuss politics in polite conversation.

I also hear they are growing increasingly anti-Semitic. You're likely to find that sentiment anywhere you go. However, it is unnerving to hear they are naming scapegoats within their own country. Anti-Semitism amongst Christians has always confused me. Yes, the Jews chose to persecute Jesus. Was that not the whole point? I wouldn't say the population of Jerusalem were possessed. A higher power possessing you, now that is a scary notion. No, influenced is a better term. The Jews were influenced to play their part in a plan that had been centuries, no millennia, in the making. For Christ's sake, Mary herself was Jewish. You don't see anyone condemning her, do you?

Long story short, I have yet another script idea brewing. Something along the lines of a man being able to conjure surplus amounts of money at will. Originally, I planned to make the protagonist's powers akin to that that of Midas but with dollar bills. I'm unsure what the end product will look like.

Yours, Jameson

April 25, 1923 Dear all,

We have added a couple of new members to our family. They are two Jack Russell Terriers, a brother and sister, whom we have named Woodrow and Holly.

No, we did not name one of our pets after the last President. We were inspired by the Hollywoodland sign they're constructing near our area. It's meant to draw potential homebuyers to this part of Los Angeles.

I have heard some advice that siblings should not be brought home together. It is related to their pack dynamics, one must be dominant no matter what. It can also negatively influence the way they interact with humans and other animals. However, I believe with the correct training, all this can be avoided.

The children adore them and Lyra seems to tolerate the puppies. With five children and three dogs, we appear to have made quite the family.

Yours, Jameson

[kariachi]

So, I’m working on the whers for my Detentionaire/Pern xover, and guess where my notes are going. This will be updated as time goes by and I add shit. Some of this is canon, some of this is fanon, some of it is my own shit, just, this is a mess

Biology

Sapient, nocturnal, pack-hunting omnivorous species of dragon

Come in five colors- gold, bronze, brown, blue, green

Golds & greens= egg-layers

Bronze, brown, & blue= sperm-producers

A sixth color- ‘White’- is also recognized, but extremely rare

The name was coined by the tendency for white hatchlings to be born extremely pale, but many darken as they age, eventually revealing themselves to be patchwork of the other colors

While all white whers have been determined to be intersex, it’s unknown what the relation is between the two.

Whites tend to be extremely small by wher standards and very slender, which adds to their rarity as they often are not strong enough to hatch without outside aid and even with it the strain and stress involved can negatively impact their health

Eyes change color with emotions

Blue- longing, interest, mischief, excitement

Green- tranquility, pleasure, delight, placidity

Red- anger, hunger, pain, aggression

Orange- suspicion, alarm, agitation

Purple- lust, excitement, stress

Yellow- anxiety, concern, fear

Grey- any combination of extreme negative emotions

Are capable of teleportation, able to move to any place they can picture

This act is called ‘Betweening’- after the place one goes when they do so, which is best translated into words as ‘the place between places’- and is also found in flits

Between- the earlier mentioned ‘location’- is described by wherhandlers as airless, devoid of light, and endlessly cold. As such those planning to travel Between are recommended to dress extremely warmly. Use of things like heatpacks has been tested and proven to be useless in the face of Between.

Breathing apparatus are not needed for trips Between, as the average travel time remains well within the ability for healthy humans to hold their breath at between 3 and 10 seconds.

Long distance travel leads to longer times Between, though 3 seconds is the shortest about of travel time according to all research

Whers have a natural tolerance to the cold of Between due to body temperature regulation methods that are still being researched.

Betweening can also, supposedly, be used for timetravel, though many whers refuse to do it as it is apparently incredibly dangerous

White Warm Sand Underfoot is recorded as having described ‘Timing’ as “too long, no map”, which many assume means it requires more time Between and that pinpointing locations is too difficult

Original interpretation of Warm Sand Underfoot’s explanation courtesy of Ajit Misra

Large and bulky creatures, whers feed primarily on megafauna including, at times, other dragons

The largest adult wher on record was gold Mountain’s Base Running Deep at 32 ft long, 8 ft tall and 2.4 tons

The smallest adult wher on record was white Tisk at 6 ft long, 2 ft tall, and just under 200 lbs

Like humans, whers are hardy creatures capable of surviving most things that get thrown at them

If infection doesn’t set in, blood loss doesn’t go crazy, and they get time to heal, the fucker is coming back

Have fantastic memories, especially for images, which is likely an adaptation allowing for safer Betweening

Whers are naturally telepathic, like all dragons, and only rarely vocalize. Instead communication comes in the form of feelings and images.

This has lead many to believe whers are unintelligent, but it has time and again been proven that they’re just as intelligent as any human, simply communicating in a different manner

Wher vocalizations include growling, bugling, lowing, barking, chirping, and hissing

Hatch about the size of small dogs and grow relatively quickly

Greens reach sexual maturity at about 8 years of age and full growth at about 10

Golds reach sexual maturity at about 16 years of age and full growth at about 20

Other colors reach maturity somewhere between the two, with blues maturing slightly more slowly than greens, bronzes maturing slightly faster than golds, and browns maturing in the center of the four

An average of 30% of wherlets do not live to full adulthood

While many are taken by predators, or lost to injury or illness, the majority die during Betweening training, as any form of teleportation is difficult and dangerous to master

Reproductive statistics vary between colors

Both greens and golds hold ‘runs’ when they’re in season, where suitors will chase them as a final show of fitness and skill before they make their choice

Greens, the smallest of the base colors, have mating runs once per year

On average they choose blue mates 48% of the time, brown 37%, and bronze 15%

They lay 1-3 eggs per run with a hatch rate of ~80%

Golds, the largest of the bast colors, run once every five years

On average they choose bronze mates 71% of the time, brown 22%, blue 7%

They lay 10-16 eggs per run with a hatch rate of ~86%

Whers can live for several centuries, though dying ‘young’ isn’t unheard of

Whers, like their flit cousins, are fully capably of forming deep psychic bonds to other sapient species

These are typically formed among pack, as the deep mental connections allows for heightened telepathy and an innate sense of each other’s emotional and physical states, especially useful when it comes to wherlet care

Bonds can be broken at any time, though this can have short or long-term consequences on mental health

Whers and flits have both been known to die of grief, suiciding when especially cherished bondeds die.

The same effect has been recorded in wherhandlers who outlive sole partners, though not in flit owners 

Packs

Upon reaching adulthood young whers may disperse to join or form packs outside of the one of their birth

Bronzes, browns, and blues will often disperse in brother-groups to join other packs

Golds will often leave with a contingent of her green sisters to start a new pack

Packs are formed of a senior ‘Queen’ gold, her green sisters, their collective harem, and their children

Pack hierarchy is as follows

The queen is head of the pack

Below her are the ‘sub-queens’, her gold daughters and nieces who are grown and haven’t split off

Greens and bronzes share a peculiar spot below the golds where depending on the situation (and which situations vary by pack) each outranks the other

In general, if it’s a military maneuver and none of the golds are running it, a bronze is probably in charge. If it’s a food-related matter odds are good a green is in charge

Browns and blues then make up the general rank and file, excepting any who may have been the queen’s latest mate, who are bumped up in position slightly as father of her latest clutch

Followed newly-joined browns, bronzes, and blues, along with wherlets

Golds, bronzes, and browns make up the bulk of a pack’s defense as the largest colors

Greens, blues, and browns make up the bulk of hunting and foraging teams due to their greater numbers and smaller size

Browns often take position as envoys between packs and between packs and human settlements

Packs can be found in most corners of the world, wher population expansion only kept in place via competition from humans and lack of appropriate food supplies

It’s believed the only reason whers and humans share control of the planet instead of the whers having taken over is the territoriality of golds

Only extremely rarely will a queen allow a gold that’s not her own daughter or niece to take up residence in her territory

Even among their own children and sisters golds will fight- on some occasions to the death- over suitors if two or more run at the same time and place

Greens don’t seem to have or trigger this instinct

The largest recorded pack was spread over a large part of the Horn of Africa in the 11-14th centuries

At it’s peak the pack, lead by gold Glistening Waterfall At Sunrise, numbered over 1200 strong and had six sub-queens

The pack held strong until her death at 403 years of age, at which point it split between her sub-queens

Culture

Wher culture flourishes on ‘oral’ traditions, histories and lessons passed from one generation to the next through stories told with telepathic images and shared emotions

Between their strong memories, long lifespans, and the noted staying power of oral histories, whers can keep knowledge going for ages

Every pack has their own stories, folktales, local histories, or even just chatter of things that happened to a great-grandparent  back in the olden days and one of the fastest ways to make friends in a pack in to bring some of your own to the table, no matter your species

There are many commonalities in wher folktales, but the most blatant is The First Wher, of whom most stories are told

The color of this figure changes from teller to teller, and details change like coats, so it’s assumed by many human researchers The First Wher is simply an archtype, a typical folklore hero to whom all great and important acts a suitable distance in the past are attributed to

Some popular stories include how The First Wher made the first peace with a human pack, how The First Wher dug the first den, how The First Wher became the first to bond with another species, how The First Wher hauled a whale from the sea, and how The First Wher drove off the false golds

To this day no human can make sense of the last historically, and the whers, if they know, refuse to say

Whers prefer to seal solid bonds (those between sisters/brother, those between adults) with blood

White whers are considered to be especially spiritual, and the only ones who could ever dream of Timing safely

Wher names, since their communication typically lack words, come in the form of experiences, sights, sounds, smells

Whers bonded to humans or who work closely with humans often will have two names a ‘true/proper’ wher name and a ‘human’ name, which often is taken from a place or person’s and ends in -sk for reasons nobody will say

Wher’s human names can and do change at will, often if one changes bonded humans or moves to a new territory

Both a biological and cultural matter, lower ranked colors typically rally behind a gold before anyone else. A non-wher bonded, preferred mate, and children will often take precedence, but lacking any involvement or risk to those a wher will fall into step behind a gold- preferably their own gold- before any non-wher or wher of lesser color in a conflict

Whers tend not to take issue with matters of sexuality and gender, having a strong ‘if it doesn’t cause problems for the rest of us, sure, do whatever’ view on the matter

The exception is so-called ‘chasing queens’. A gold who refuses to run or who only accepts gold or green suitors is considered, off, at best. They’re not likely to be chased out of the pack or anything, but there will be derision.

A result of this is a tendency towards ‘virgin packs’ (though there’s debate towards changing the name)- packs comprised of chasing queens and whers of a similar mindset, which don’t expand as much through reproduction, but still tend to stay afloat for at least a few generations purely on taking in wanderers from other packs.

Whers & Humans

Relations between whers and humans have varied throughout history and geography

At times the two species live in harmony, even sharing overlapping territories- often in areas where human hunting and farming don’t impede on wher hunting and foraging grounds

At other times the two have been bitter enemies, vying for game and territory

Most human mythologies include stories of half-wher-half-human children

While this is, of course, impossible for about a million reasons, there are records of wher/human relationships

They’re generally found to be really odd on both sides

The megafauna populations of the world have not taken a big hit due to poaching and trophy hunting, mostly because that is the whers’ dinner and they are not having it

It’s a lot harder to drive something to near extinction when carnivores the size of rhinos with human intelligence are guarding them. Especially when they’re fine just killing you and everyone who smells like you 

Overall there’s been a lot less douche-fuckery in the world, as happens when anyone can go to the local pack of dragons and go “hey, give us a hand here”

Right now humans and whers have about equal control of the land on Earth and it looks like it’s gonna stay there for a while yet

The species have reached a sort’ve stalemate, and the world is in a pretty good place, so fingers crossed for no more wher-human wars for at least a few generations

Bondeds

Wher-human bonds have existed throughout time

There hasn’t yet been a pattern discovered for the sort’ve people whers tend to bond to

The exception is with bronzes, who tend to tie themselves to women

True bonds are rare with only 1 in ever 1000 whers having bonded to a human in their life

Bonded pairs fall into one of three categories

“Wild”- pairs living within a wherpack, outside of human territory, make up ~39% of pairs

Rural- pairs living within human territory in rural areas or on territorial borders, make up ~46% of pairs

Urban- pairs living within human territory in cities and towns, make up ~15% of pairs

Due to whers’ long lifespans, it’s not unusual for them to outlive human bondeds. Many of these whers either choose to continue living among their human pack without rebonding, or to rebond to one of their former bonded’s relatives

The phrase ‘wherloom’ has been coined for the latter

The whers tend to find it as amusing as the humans do

Truly we are not so different

[missimofficial]

TS4 Galaxy Legacy Challenge

Hello everyone, as promised, I present to you the new challenge I created. It’s based on ten of the galaxies within the universe with plenty of opportunity to mould it to something you will enjoy. I particularly like the tenth generation. I hope you enjoy it! I also have a PDF version of the rules. The hashtag is #galaxylegacychallenge Please tag me @missim-you-official-cc-finds or @missim-you-official so I can see.

PDF Download

The Idea

We all live in this beautiful world and it’s the same for the Sims, too. But what is beyond that beautiful night sky? Beyond the alien planet that many have claimed to have visited? Do you have a fascination with space and time? Inspired by the zodiac? This is the perfect challenge then!

The galaxies around the one within which we live are vast and glorious, but I haven’t got much knowledge about them. This is as much to learn about space as it is to have insanely fun Sims challenges. There will be ten heirs in total. There are numerous galaxies beyond those mentioned in this challenge, so you can expand your challenge if you wish.

CAS

Use the colours of the galaxies to set a colour scheme for each heir in CAS or use it more as a metaphorical approach for their traits, romantic interests or décor within their homes. It’s up to your own interpretation of how you see the galaxies.

Rules

For the sake of this challenge, I will be creating my own colour schemes, trait lists and ideal career paths, but you can edit them to your own hearts’ content.

Start your game with only a starter budget for your Sims.

No money cheats are allowed.

You may use MC Command Centre.

You can use custom content.

Spouses can be anyone, within reason or otherwise noted.

Play on a normal lifespan.

Elements like traits, colour schemes, ideal careers etc. are only a guide. You may edit them if you wish.

Name your characters whatever you wish.

Works best if your characters remain either alien or human rather than vampires. Optional.

If you undertake the challenge I would love to see it. Share your gameplay on tumblr under #galaxylegacychallenge so I can check it out. I will include my gameplay at @missim-you-official.

Inspired By

This challenge is one that has been stuck in my head for a while, but I never really got around to it because of study getting in the way. These are just some fun challenges I like that helped inspire me to work on my own challenge.

Star Signs Legacy (Zodiac) by Lifesimmerfan22.

Not So Berry Legacy by Lilsimsie.

Planet Legacy by Oxkenstead, Grnitefalls & Simbee.

Generations:

Generation One: Milky Way

Interesting Facts

We live here.

It contains more than 200 billion stars and capable of billions more.

It is a barred spiral type of galaxy.

It is 13.6 billion years old.

There is at least one supermassive black hole called Sagittarius A (which contains mass equivalent to 4.3 million suns) in the galactic centre, at a distance of 26,000 light years from Earth.

It grows by merging other galaxies, currently the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal and material from the Magellanic Clouds.

The diameter is 100,000 ly.

The distance is 0 ly (because we’re here).

Colours

Blue.

Violet.

White.

Silver.

Description

You grew up nurturing plants and learning how to garden with your grandmother, so you have a very familial-oriented perspective in life. You were a clingy toddler and now that you’ve grown up, you have a strong commitment to a work-life balance. You always wanted children and would love to have a set of twins someday. You’ve worked hard, and you can finally afford that starter home you’ve dreamed of.

Traits

Family oriented.

Ambitious.

Clumsy.

Aspiration

Super parent.

Career

Doctor.

Additional

Master parenting, cooking, handiness and gardening skills.

Have a successful marriage. (This doesn’t mean you have to stay with the first person you meet, either. Have 8 failed marriages before you meet “the one” if you want).

Develop a great relationship with your loved ones.

Master the doctor career.

Generation Two: LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud)

Interesting Facts

It is known as the Satellite Galaxy.

When the clouds of gas collapse and create new stars, they light up the gasses and result in beautiful displays of vibrant colour.

The diameter is 14,000 ly.

The distance is 158,000 ly.

It is the third-closest galaxy to the Milky Way.

Colours

Orange.

Purple.

Pink.

Description

Your mother/father/other taught you everything you know, and you grew up nurtured in the best way that your parents could. Now people are simply drawn to you, your fun-loving nature and love for all. You don’t want the same 9-5 work that your parents had, so you aspire to follow your creative nature. Your passion can be misconstrued as arrogance; however, people want to be around you regardless.

Traits

Self-assured.

Dance machine.

Flirty.

Aspiration

Soulmate.

Career

Painter/Entertainer. Optional.

Additional

Master painting, singing & musical instrument skills.

Find “the one” later in life.

Run a karaoke club.

Collect all the MySims trophies.

Complete the painter or entertainer careers.

Generation Three: Andromeda

Interesting Facts

The diameter is 220,000 ly.

The distance is 2,500,000 ly.

Andromeda and Milky Way will eventually clash in 5 billion years.

It is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way.

Contains a bulge of matter in the middle with a disk of gas, dust and stars with an immense halo.

It contains approximately a trillion stars as opposed to the half a billion in the Milky Way, though contains less dark matter, which makes it less massive.

Colours

Orange.

Red.

Gold.

Description

Taking after your parents, you grow up being a natural magnet for people around you, but you don’t like the level of commitment that comes with it. You’re a free spirit with a love for space and science, and you live a minimalist lifestyle, only having things you need. You’re close with your grandparents and collect elements to study at your home laboratory.

Traits

Flirty.

Non-committal.

Genius.

Aspiration

Serial Romantic.

Career

Scientist.

Additional

Complete the crystals, metals and elements collections.

Discover the alien planet Sixam.

Complete the scientist career path.

Complete the serial romantic aspiration.

Have a child with your second partner.

Generation Four: M82

Interesting Facts

It is 37,000 ly in diameter.

It is 11,500,000 ly in distance.

Also known as the Cigar Galaxy.

It is forming stars 10 times faster than normal galaxies.

It was originally believed to be an irregular galaxy but is a spiral galaxy side-on.

Eventually the gasses will no longer be plentiful and in tens of millions of years into the future, it will dwindle to a halt.

There is a mystery body of material within the centre that goes unknown as to what it actually is to this day.

Colours

Orange.

Aqua.

Red.

Magenta.

Description

You’re the life of the party, creative and bright. You love decorating in bright colours and dying your hair to whatever, depending on how you feel. Tattoos are a huge part of your life, with a fun experience or important meaning to you behind each one. You enjoy visiting festivals and live a life jumping from house to house, town to town.

Traits

Creative.

Active.

Self-assured.

Aspiration

Party animal.

Career

Painter.

Additional

Master painting and athletic skills.

Own a successful art store.

Decorate your child’s room with your artworks.

Complete the party animal aspiration.

Move house at least four times.

Generation Five: M101

Interesting Facts

It is 170,000 ly in diameter.

It is 20,870,000 ly in distance.

It is otherwise known as the Pinwheel Galaxy.

You can find it in the constellation Ursa Major in the Northern Hemisphere.

It is 70% larger than the Milky Way.

The light you see of it through a telescope has travelled for 21 million years, longer than human kind has existed.

There are at least 1 trillion stars within it.

Its total mass equates to 100 billion solar masses.

Colours

Cream.

White.

Silver.

Tan.

Description

You were born into a household of bright colours and patterns that your parents loved. Your consistent moving from town to town meant it was difficult to find friends, and you enjoy solitude above all else. You find it difficult to form romantic relationships especially, and now that you’ve moved out of home you want to settle into a stable home, career and be rid of the noisy colour palette. You still enjoy some pops of colour and love computer games.

Traits

Unflirty.

Loner.

Geek.

Aspiration

Computer whiz.

Career

Tech guru.

Additional

Master video gaming, programming, logic and handiness skills.

Adopt two pets.

Master tech guru career.

Reach best friend status with one other non-related sim (do not count pets).

Generation Six: M104

Interesting Facts

It is otherwise known as the Sombrero Galaxy.

It has a white, bulbous core surrounded by thick dust lanes.

It is considered to have a black hole at the centre of the galaxy.

It has 10x more than the number of globular clusters than the Milky Way.

It is 50,000 ly in diameter.

It is 29,350,000 ly in distance.

Colours

White.

Black.

Navy.

Silver.

Tan.

Description

Like your parents, you enjoy muted colours and can’t quite shake the gloomy feeling around you from the solitude of your childhood. However, you enjoy the more expensive things in life and this leads you down a bumpy path. You think that parenthood is overrated and would rather hire people to do those menial tasks for you.

Traits

Gloomy.

Kleptomaniac.

Materialistic.

Aspiration

Fabulously Wealthy.

Career

Business/Criminal Optional.

Additional

Master the business or criminal career paths.

Master the fabulously wealthy aspiration.

If in the business career path, master logic and charisma skills.

If in the criminal career path, master mischief, programming and handiness skills.

Hire a nanny and/or butler full time when you reach a high enough income.

Generation Seven: M51

Interesting Facts

It is otherwise known as the Whirlpool Galaxy.

It is 60,000 ly in diameter.

It is 30,000,000 ly in distance.

It contains infrared light, hydrogen and a number of young and old stars.

Colours

Red.

Gold.

Blue.

Description

You were never very close with your parents but never lacked the finer things in life. You’re fascinated by smaller spaces and always wanted to live in a tiny house or apartment surrounded by books. You want to become a famous author and enjoy going to book club with your friends. Your childhood involved spending long hours with your imaginary friends, and now you want to share your stories with the world. Your nanny used to read you to sleep as a child, and you look forward to the day that you get signed by a major publishing house. You also enjoy writing to your friends and decorating your walls with photographs and postcards.

Traits

Creative.

Ambitious.

Perfectionist.

Aspiration

Bestselling author.

Career

Writer.

Additional

Master charisma, photography, wellness and writing skills.

Complete the postcard collection.

Complete the bestselling author aspiration.

Complete the writer career.

Move into a tiny house or apartment.

Generation Eight: NGC 1300

Interesting Facts

It is known as a barred spiral galaxy, where the arms do no spiral all the way into the centre but connect to two ends of a straight bar that contains a nucleus within the centre.

It is 110,000 ly in diameter.

It is 61,000,000 ly in distance.

Colours

Crimson.

Blue.

Silver.

Description

You were very close with your parents growing up and adopted the importance of caring for your wellbeing from them at a very young age. Like them, you have a raging imagination that they nurtured as you grew. They encouraged you to try many pursuits, your favourite being music. You want to embark on a journey as a musician, and you’re encouraged by the voices in your head. You often frequent karaoke nights and want to have an at-home music studio.

Traits

Creative.

Dance machine.

Insane.

Aspiration

Musical genius.

Career

Entertainer.

Additional

Master the wellness, singing, guitar, piano and DJ skills.

Master the musical genius aspiration.

Master the entertainer career.

Build an at-home music studio as you progress.

Start a karaoke club.

Marry a musician.

Generation Nine: Tadpole Galaxy

Interesting Facts

It is a disrupted barred spiral galaxy.

It is located within the constellation Draco.

It was disrupted by another galaxy 100 million years ago which created the tadpole-like shape.

The stars in Arp 188 are at least a million times bright and 10x hotter than our sun.

It is 280,000 ly in diameter including the tail.

It is 420,000,000 ly in distance.

Colours

Orange.

Gold.

Brown.

Description

You were close with both your parents and your grandparents as you grew up and you took inspiration from their dedication to their wellness. As a result, you dappled in gardening and creating beautiful spaces, but you have a quick to emotion response in life that often results in you being worked up. You combat part of this through caring for animals which led to the perfect career for you as a vet.

Traits

Hot-headed.

Cat-lover.

Dog-lover.

Aspiration

Freelance botanist.

Career

Vet.

Additional

Master the vet, pet training, gardening and wellness skills.

Care for your parents until they pass away.

Have 3 pets (doesn’t have to be all at once).

Run a successful vet clinic.

Collect all fish & frog types.

Have a garden.

Generation Ten: Hoag’s Object

Interesting Facts

It is a ring galaxy named after Arthur Hoag.

It is located within the constellation Serpens Caput.

It is unique and was mistaken for matter from dying, old stars.

It is 100,000 ly in diameter.

It is 600,000,000 ly in distance.

Colours

Blue.

Gold.

Description

You couldn’t imagine caring for others like how your parents do. You’re completely self-absorbed and you don’t care. You enjoy the meaner things in life and thrive off the considerable wealth you were handed from your deceased ancestors simply for existing. You’re a city slicker, with emphasis on the slick.

However, an issue with the botched paperwork from your deceased great-great-great-great grandparents in collaboration with the Landgrabs has come into the limelight and stripped you of all your wealth. Now it is your time to either make or break your way in life.

Traits

Snob.

Materialistic.

Mean.

Aspiration

Mansion baron.

Career

Any.

Additional

Lose all your wealth.

Start from homelessness.

Move to the city once you earn enough.

Aim to live in the most expensive apartment.

Master at least 4 skills and a career path.

[orbemnews]

4 Things to Know When Choosing a Travel Agent So, you’re thinking about traveling again? You’re not alone. The pandemic may not be over, but the expansion of vaccine eligibility in the United States — hiccups, delays and pauses aside — plus the news that the European Union will be opening up to vaccinated travelers is inspiring many to plan a real-deal summer vacation, or even take the leap on booking bucket-list adventures. Travel remains far from simple, however. The virus is finding new footholds around the world, leaving an ever-changing set of rules and restrictions in its wake (and all of this is compounded by a run on home rentals, rental cars and more). It’s a reality that’s inspired many D.I.Y.-inclined travelers to consider working with a travel agent, or travel adviser, for the first time, in the hopes of skipping the travel-planning stress and focusing on actually relaxing on vacation instead. Most travel advisers provide their services free of charge to clients(though some charge a booking fee, which can range from $25 to $100, depending on how complicated a trip you’re after) and instead make their money through commissions from hotels, tour operators, cruise lines, airlines and other travel companies. Finding the right adviser for you is “like finding a hairdresser,” said Erika Richter, the senior communications director of ASTA, the American Society of Travel Advisors. “You want someone who understands your personal style.” Ms. Richter, along with Misty Belles, the managing director of global public relations for Virtuoso, an international travel agency network specializing in luxury travel, shared their tips on how you can find an adviser who will understand you and your dream trip. Begin your search close to home Start by asking trusted friends and family members for recommendations. “The same holds true for any professional service in your life,” Ms. Belles said. “If you know someone who is working with a travel adviser and was pleased with the experience, that’s a great place to start.” If that’s a no-go (or if your friends and family, while beloved, don’t have the same travel style as you do), Ms. Richter strongly suggested seeking out local businesses where you live. “Supporting small businesses in our communities is more important than ever right now,” she said. ASTA has a directory that allows you to search for advisers close to you; a quick Google search will likely do the trick, too, Ms. Richter said. Think about where you want to go Another way to find a travel adviser is to seek one out based on a destination, or destinations, that he or she may specialize in. Are you interested in going to a specific Caribbean island nation? You’ll likely want to work with an adviser that has booked a number of trips in that country, and has connections and contacts there. Some advisers specialize in trips to Disney resort properties; others focus on cruises. If you’re interested in planning a trip outside of their purview, advisers can refer you to someone else within their network, or do the research heavy-duty research themselves. “Choosing someone who specializes in a destination is a good first foray into working with a travel adviser,” Ms. Belles said. “But when you work with the same adviser for a while, they become a specialist in you.” Consider their professional networks Speaking of what you want, it can be useful to understand the organization, or organizations, an adviser is associated with. Whether they work alone, with one partner in a small shop, or as part of a large agency, they are likely connected to a consortium, or a professional network, like Virtuoso, which is made up of more than 1,000 agencies in 50 countries around the world, or ASTA itself. “Obviously, I represent ASTA, but I do think it’s important to look at an adviser’s professional affiliations,” Ms. Richter said. Affiliations can serve as a vote of confidence that the adviser has been vetted; it also gives you a chance for recourse should you find yourself unhappy with your relationship (ASTA, for example, can handle consumer complaints and be a part of the resolution process). Some consortiums specialize in a certain type of travel — Virtuoso agencies focus on luxury travel, for example, while others might highlight adventure travel, or family trips and so on. An adviser’s affiliations also act as a conduit for one of their major selling points: traveler perks. “Ask them what sorts of benefits they get from their professional networks,” Ms. Richter said. “Upgrades, free breakfasts, late checkouts when available — who doesn’t want some of those freebies?” Make sure your adviser understands your travel style Do you like leisurely, slow trips? Packed itineraries filled with sightseeing and attractions? Do you like to travel alone, or are you planning multigenerational trips with children and grandparents? Ensuring that your adviser understands what you want — and maybe even establishing that they have a similar travel style themselves — can greatly help with building rapport (and allow them to plan an even better trip for you). Some important questions to ask: Do they charge a planning fee? What are some examples of trips that they’ve planned in the past? “Be really upfront about your budget for a trip, and be sure that that is something they can help you make the most of,” Ms. Richter said. Ms. Belles suggested asking the adviser how they personally like to travel, and some of their favorite destinations. “Interview them a little bit! You can see whether there are some similarities there,” she said. But make sure they’re asking you just as many questions. “If they’re not, that should be a red flag,” said Ms. Belles. “An adviser should be looking to get to the heart of what exactly you want as a traveler.” Source link Orbem News #Agent #Choosing #Travel