#Expert Stock Research

[todayisafridaynight]

Googling things can be fun(/s/hjk) though. You can be like "I have mood swings" and then it's like "you'll probably die of lupus" or some nonsense lmao

NO EXACTLY it's why i can never google anything because then i'm gonna look up several other things after the first thing and go down a rabbit hole all because i wanted to confirm like did people ACTUALLY say soji okita was handsome or were those lies and now im fuckin readin some goddamn bullshit on tuberculosis

[gremlingottoosilly]

What do u think of reader who was nice to König before the monster uprising? You think König will be extremely obsessed with them?

I can imagine the reader being a medic or a researcher in this scenario - maybe even a monster psychology expert, someone who believes that all monsters should be treated equally and that humans should strive for normalcy instead of discrimination. Your beliefs didn't save you from initially being set up as a pet in this newly build monster society - but you did had some familiar faces making sure you're not treated like the rest of the human scum.

You're a sunshine on the researching base, adorable little nurse or silly and clumsy assistant - you are not treated like breeding stock for the human pets, you're not sold off to someone who would use you as an incubator and, all things considered, you have a nice warm cell, food on the table and work under strick surveillance. You never knew why you got so lucky until a well over a few months in captivity, when you were suddenly called to the higher ranks. Stepping into the colonel's office, you never knew this would be the last time you saw the outside world for a long, long time.

Konig...adored you. Watched over you ever since he was a simple chained monster for the military, back in the days where he was used to beg for your affection - you barely remember him, being another twisted face in the crowd, but he would never forget your soft touch and gentle words. He is disappointed he wasn't as special to you as you were to him...but he can work with this. You don't have any choice except to beg for his affection now, and you will have to act like his pretty little wife if you want him to continue being so loving.

You have this weird position with his recruits, too - many of them remember how kind you were before everything happened, so they won't exactly bully you. If anything, they feel bad about you being pawned over to a man like Konig - but it won't really help you, to be quite honest. They are vigilant about letting you go anywhere besides colonel's quarters, but at least they are willing to bring you snacks and some desserts.

[probablyasocialecologist]

An increasing number of Silicon Valley investors and Wall Street analysts are starting to ring the alarm bells over the countless billions of dollars being invested in AI, an overconfidence they warn could result in a massive bubble. As the Washington Post reports, investment bankers are singing a dramatically different tune than last year, a period marked by tremendous hype surrounding AI, and are instead starting to become wary of Big Tech's ability to actually turn the tech into a profitable business. "Despite its expensive price tag, the technology is nowhere near where it needs to be in order to be useful," Goldman Sach's most senior stock analyst Jim Covello wrote in a report last month. "Overbuilding things the world doesn’t have use for, or is not ready for, typically ends badly."

[...]

According to Barclays analysts, investors are expected to pour $60 billion a year into developing AI models, enough to develop 12,000 products roughly the size of OpenAI's ChatGPT. But whether the world needs 12,000 ChatGPT chatbots remains dubious at best. "We do expect lots of new services... but probably not 12,000 of them," Barclays analysts wrote in a note, as quoted by the WaPo. "We sense that Wall Street is growing increasingly skeptical." For quite some time now, experts have voiced concerns over a growing AI bubble, comparing it to the dot-com crisis of the late 1990s. "Capital continues to pour into the AI sector with very little attention being paid to company fundamentals," tech stock analyst Richard Windsor wrote in a March research note, "in a sure sign that when the music stops there will not be many chairs available." "This is precisely what happened with the Internet in 1999, autonomous driving in 2017, and now generative AI in 2024," he added.

27 July 2024

[reasonsforhope]

"Around the world, mangrove forests have undergone a decades-long decline that is just now slowing to a halt.

In Pakistan, by contrast, mangroves expanded nearly threefold between 1986 and 2020, according to a 2022 analysis of satellite data.

Experts attribute this success to massive mangrove planting and conservation, as well as concerted community engagement.

Many in Pakistan are looking to mangroves to bolster precious fish stocks and defend against the mounting effects of climate change — even as threats to mangroves, such as wood harvesting and camel grazing, continue with no end in sight."

"His sandaled feet drenched in black mud, Rashid Rasheed points to one of the mangrove nurseries he’s been looking after for the past few years. With wooden walls topped by green netting, a dozen nurseries shelter thousands of saplings.

Rasheed, a researcher and nursery expert with the government of Balochistan province in Pakistan, has been leading a drive to establish nurseries in the coastal town of Dam. The goal is to expand and enhance the town’s scattered patches of natural mangrove forest, which have shriveled due to human activities.

“These nurseries have 50,000 saplings that are ready to be transported to the creeks for planting” Rasheed tells Mongabay.

Rasheed’s work is part of a five-year project initiated in 2019 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ South China Sea Institute of Oceanography that has planted mangroves on 16 hectares (40 acres) at Dam, and at other sites in Balochistan and neighboring Sindh province.

It’s one of many projects aiming to restore Pakistan’s mangroves. These semiaquatic trees offer a host of benefits, such as protecting coasts against storms and rising sea levels, providing habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife, sequestering carbon better than most other ecosystems on Earth, and sustaining the livelihoods of some 120 million people globally, according to the IUCN.

Around the world, mangrove forests have undergone a decades-long decline that’s just now slowing to a halt. But Pakistan bucks this trend. The country’s mangroves expanded from 48,331 hectares in 1986 to 143,930 hectares in 2020 (119,430 to 355,659 acres), a nearly threefold increase, according to a 2022 analysis of satellite data. “It is because of the constant endeavor by government and NGOs,” the analysis states, citing restoration, research, and awareness-raising campaigns “now being religiously carried out to conserve and regrow mangroves” by local, national and foreign bodies. Fishing communities, who depend on mangroves for fuel, shelter and as fish nurseries, are often key to the success of Pakistan’s mangrove restoration, providing the labor for planting and protection."

-via Mongabay, February 5, 2024

[anipgarden]

Adding To or Starting a Garden

AKA, the beginning of the Plants-Related section of this series.

This is my third post in a series I’ll be making on how to increase biodiversity on a budget! I’m not an expert--just an enthusiast--but I hope something you find here helps! 

Got an area of lawn you’d like to convert to a wildlife haven? An area you can stick some hanging baskets in? Want to know how your garden of tomatoes and zucchinis is already putting in a lot of work? This is the section for you!

It would be dumb of me to not acknowledge that the act of gardening can come with a lot of costs. Buying seeds, buying plants, buying soil, raised bed materials, mulch, etc. … it can all get a bit daunting, let’s be honest! But there’s quite a few ways to get seeds and plants for free or extremely cheap, which I’ll be addressing in this section! The next section will be all about addressing the other Costs in gardening and how to mitigate or eliminate them entirely.

Also, do keep in mind; there’s no need to try and convert a whole area from lawn to garden or unused to garden at once. In fact, it could actually be extremely beneficial to do it a little at a time--maybe four or five square feet to start out.

Front Lawn (or Managing Principles)

If you live in a place where you’re required to have a grass turf lawn (HOA’s come to mind…), try replacing it with native grasses instead! You could even possibly use a low-growing ground cover plant like clover to a similar effect! Reseeding/replacing an entire lawn can be a big upfront cost, but even just letting the lawn be a little messy and tall helps. If the lawn gets patchy, leave the bare spots for a little while and something different will likely pop up! Pioneer species will fill the gaps and provide benefits to other plants around them, support animals, and more! If you want to take the guesswork out of it, you could always research what the pioneer species are in your area and plant the ones you like most. 

Obtaining Seeds for Cheap or Free

The cheapest way to start a garden is by far via seeds. However, seeds can be a bit complicated to grow, and some sources make them… way overpriced. Fortunately there are ways to get seeds for little to no cost! 

Some places sell seeds for as low as a dollar, 50 cents, or 25 cents! The packets may not have a lot of seeds, but it’s definitely a good start for a low budget! I’ve personally bought cheap seed packets at Walmart--the Ferry-Morse and Burpee brands are not what we’re looking for here. Typically the cheaper ones I’ve found are American Seed (which is owned by Green Garden Products, which also owns Ferry-Morse, Livingston Seed, McKenzie Seed, and Seeds of Change. Do with that information what you will), but they’re rarely stocked near the Ferry-Morse ones in the Formal Gardening Section. I’ve most often found them on end caps near the gardening section, so you may have to weave through a few aisles to find them, but once you do there’s an array of flower and vegetable seeds to select from! Alternatively, I’ve found seeds at Dollar Tree sold 2 or 4 for a dollar in Spring as part of their seasonal product; however, when they’re out of stock, they’re typically out of stock for the year. Try to check them out early in the year!

Otherwise, other seed companies like Urban Farmer or Botanical Interests will often have semi-frequent sales in spring and fall, when people are stocking up on seeds--joining their email lists can help you be the first to know when a good sale is going on!

Some foods from grocery stores will provide seeds that you can use in the garden as well. I’ve had the most luck with store-bought bagged beans, peppers, and tomatoes. Some people have had luck with watermelons, apples, citrus, squash, and more. Do keep in mind that you likely won’t get the same variety of fruit/vegetable as the one you bought--the resulting plant may look different and taste different.

Give it a shot! Pick some beans you like--if they don't grow well, at least you can eat the rest!

If you live in the US, food-producing live plants, bare roots, and seeds can often be purchased with SNAP benefits. But what does growing fruits, veggies, and herbs have to do with boosting biodiversity? While food crops aren’t typically native, they still provide valuable shelter for native insects. Some plants even have intricate relationships with native fauna--like the squash bee, a solitary bee which exclusively pollinates cucurbits like pumpkins, squash, and zucchini. And we get to benefit more directly as well! If you’re planting a diverse range of foods in your garden (as opposed to the swaths of single-plant farms that typically produce what’s sent to grocery stores), you’re supporting high levels of biodiversity by providing a variety of plants for creatures to live and hunt around.

Most of the time, when we think of boosting biodiversity with a garden, we think of a colorful flower garden teeming with pollinator species. However, if we’re striving to use native species, it can be a bit difficult to find some species in stores. I can say from experience that trying to find any wildflower seeds other than butterfly weed, purple coneflowers, and black-eyed-susans is… challenging, if you limit yourself to stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s. You might occasionally get lucky with an ACE Hardware or a local nursery, but even then sometimes it can be hard to track down who in your area is selling what--let alone if you live in an area where no one really is selling native plants or their seeds. Not to mention, even once you find a local or online store selling the seeds you want, they can sometimes cost a pretty penny. So what do you do?

If you have the option to, consider gathering native seeds yourself! Get good at identifying the native flora and fauna--or at least, a few target plants and their lookalikes--and get ready to go! Learn where they tend to grow, when they’ll be seeding, etc. Try to identify the plant before it goes to seed (for most plants, it's easiest to identify when flowering), then check back regularly to gather seeds. Typically, if I want to learn how to collect seed from a specific plant, I just search it on Google or YouTube--oftentimes, I'm lead to the GrowItBuildIt Youtube page, so it may be a helpful resource for you as well! Of course, make sure to leave plenty of seed behind so the wild population can repopulate, and seed can feed other creatures in the area. A good rule of thumb is to take no more than 1/3rd of what's available.

Buying seed in bulk is an option if you can afford the upfront cost. Try teaming up with a few friends to buy some bulk seeds and split them amongst yourselves--you’ll get tons of seed! Prairie Moon is a popular site that'll sell seeds by the pound if you can afford the price--though they're in the US, and I believe they focus on Midwest and East Coast natives.

If you want to cheat the system, don’t buy bulk sunflower seeds--buy bags of sunflower seeds being sold as birdseed. They’re typically all black oil sunflower seeds, but they’ll sprout, and they’re fairly cheap for the amount you get!

However, beware generic wildflower seed mixes! Many brands like to sell wildflower seed mixes in big box stores like Home Depot, Target, or even Dollar Tree, but they’ll often include flowers that aren’t native or possibly even invasive in your region! Before you make any purchases, double check to make sure the contained seeds won’t do more harm than good! A quality source of native seeds will provide English and Latin names for all seeds included, and will be native to the region or at least non-invasive. 

See this? I don't trust this.

There’s a good handful of programs online that’ll send you free seeds if you’re planning to start a native habitat project! Poke around online and see what you can find; you might get lucky! The best time to start looking for these is fall and winter, I find--by early spring, many of them are either done or beginning to wind down... though some also start up in spring. Ultimately--just check regularly! You never know what you can find!

Other Ways to Get Plants

Don’t want to start from seed? That’s fair! You can try cuttings! Just be sure not to take too much of the plant while you do so. Make sure you’ve gotten a few leaf nodes on your cutting, and cut any flowers you may have gotten. Make sure to leave some blooms and foliage on the original plant for the creatures in the current habitat--you don’t want to destroy one habitat to make another in your garden. There’s tons of methods of rooting cuttings, many of which have different efficacy rates for different plants, but that’s a topic for another post.

If you find seedlings growing in a place where they won’t be able to sustain themselves long-term, or are in danger of being destroyed, consider relocating them! You may be able to gently dig up and transplant the seedling to your garden. Don’t do this if they’re in a place where they can easily survive--ideally, you’ll be taking plants from sidewalk cracks, heavily maintained public gardens, roadsides, etc. Do be careful while doing this--ensure your safety first!  

You’re totally allowed to join gardening communities like clubs, facebook groups, and more before you’ve even put a trowel to the dirt. These are great places to learn information and advice! Many gardeners are more than happy to help out a new gardener, and will eagerly provide seeds, cuttings, or even baby plants! Talk to some people about your gardening journey and what you’re hoping to do, and you just might find some kindred spirits--or at least get more people interested in the topic! 

Seed and plant giveaways and trades happen all the time in gardening clubs, as well as online! Just poke around and see what you can find! Some are explicitly trades, meaning you’re expected to send something in return, but once you get your feet on the ground with some plant knowledge you’ll be stellar! You may be able to explain you’re just starting out, and someone may send you seeds without expecting a trade, but I’d suggest trying giveaways first. 

Poke around online and see if there’s a local chapter of your state’s native plant society. From there, you’ll likely be able to find a calendar of events--many of them will host plant sales in the spring, with a bunch of native plant seedlings ripe for the pickings if you can make it out and have some money to spare! Fair warning, though, you’ll want to get there early if you can. If they say they’re starting at 10, try to get there by 9:45. Year after year, there’s always record turnout, and they sell out of plants faster than ever. Just trust me on this. I’ve been let down; hopefully you won’t have to be.

Some libraries are beginning to host seed libraries! Check around and see if your library has one! Ideally, the system works best if you also have seeds to contribute in return, but if you’re just starting out I’m sure they won’t mind you taking some seeds! Just consider saving some seeds to contribute in the future and pay it forward. If your library doesn’t have a seed library? Consider asking if they’d be willing to start one! Community interest is a great way to get the ball rolling on projects like these, but they’ll only know the community is interested if the community tells them they’re interested!

Volunteer to Garden for/with Someone Else

Maybe someone in your area wants to garden, but is struggling to find the time/energy. Many elderly people who used to garden simply can’t anymore but still would like a garden. Other people may love to have a helping hand in their garden. You might even find a few people in your area interested in renting and sharing a community garden plot with others, so they don't have to handle it all on their own! They may be interested in increasing biodiversity right now, or may be willing to if it’s brought up to them. You might be just the kind of person someone needs! Since it won't be your garden, you’ll likely need a bit of permission and collaboration to get anything in particular going, but it’s worth a shot and a way to maybe even make friends! 

Again, your mileage may vary with some of these. You may not know where there's a bunch of wildflowers growing in your area, or maybe your local library doesn't have a free seed library. That's okay! Do what you're able to, find what you can find, get what you can get! And there's never any shame with starting small--in fact, starting small can make the project easier to manage and expand when you're able!

That's the end of this post! My next post is gonna be about ways to start growing plants cheaply--low cost seed starting set ups, essentially. There's a lot of good options, many of which I've used myself even! Until then, I hope this advice is helpful! Feel free to reply with any questions, success stories, or anything you think I may have forgotten to add in!

[redflagshipwriter]

Cupid is Wanted for Questioning Chapter 4

Masterpost

Their strange bonding episode hung in a waiting breath. Father came by to confirm that they were alive, not laid low by their falsified digestive ailment.

“We are alive,” Damian said from the squashy chair, trying to verbally push the meddler out the door to his bleak office job. “We shall survive.”

“I think we can pull through one day in your well-stocked mansion,” Brown concurred nasally, from her tactical posting underneath a cushion. The device muffled her voice. She dug her arm out to point with her long fingers at the side table which Alfred had already stocked with beverages and nutritious rations.

Father touched the doorframe and his brow furrowed. “Alfred has appointments to keep. You’ll be alone for hours. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay home?”

Brown pulled the pillow down just enough to reveal her eyes. “You let the two of us fight crime together,” she pointed out.

His lips twitched. “You didn’t have a cold then,” Father protested, but his mood seemed a little lighter. He took his phone out. “Call or message me anytime, okay? If you need anything at all or if your condition worsens. I’ll keep the volume on.”

Damian snorted. “Good day,” he said firmly. He narrowed his eyes in an attempt to convey that he was prepared to get up and physically push Father from the house if necessary. 

Father left.

An hour later, Pennyworth left as well on his worthy and unknown pursuits. As soon as the dust had settled from his departure down the gravel driveway, the two detectives were on the move.

Several minutes later, they were in the room with the ancient viewing device. Brown had clearly done her research. She expertly operated the device. Damian hung back and allowed her to be the leading expert on old person activities, as she was significantly more advanced in age and deserved his respect on that count. She did something arcane that made the device spin rapidly inside the driver, black tape whirring from one side of the VHS to the other.

“You have ancient wisdom,” Damian complimented her.

She side eyed him. “Thanks, D.” 

He scowled at her from underneath his plush blanket cape. There was no call for such rudeness. 

Unfortunately it was impossible to perform a binary search with the device, as they didn’t know what would show on screen at all. Therefore, they started by finding the footage of Damian’s encounter.

Damian held his breath as the villain came into focus. He bobbed and weaved through the crowded cafeteria, ostentatious and dramatic in his movements. It was, perhaps, playful? He seemed to be dancing. No one looked at him. Upon more than one occasion, Damian would swear on his mother’s honor that the fool had jangled through another person. Density shifting, perhaps?

“That guy?” Brown pointed at the potential villain himself.

Excellent!

“Can he be seen by anyone on footage, or is there something about your perception that aligns with mine?” Damian burst out. “We must make a copy and show it to another person to gather information.”

“Roger that, baby Boss.” Brown snapped a photo of the screen. 

“I do not command infants,” Damian corrected her. “And this is no cherub to be controlled by any charm you or I might possess.” He scowled at the screen, lost in thought. The cupid shot their foolish arrow, smirked, and disappeared. 

“I can’t believe Jason didn’t notice that,” Brown muttered. “That’s so far up his alley. If anyone should have run after Cupid shooting bullets or asking for a boo, it would be him.”

Damian opened his mouth to correct her that the mall was very far indeed away from the alleys of Crime, but realized in time that this was perhaps some jest or metaphor. He shut his mouth to hide his ignorance. 

“Wait.” Brown scrambled for the remote.

He went tense. “What is it?” Damian demanded. He stood up. His blanket fell down.

“Rewinding- look.” Brown stopped the video and jabbed the screen with a finger. “This kid, red sweatshirt.”

Damian squinted. The child was alone, dirty, and in the middle of stealing a wallet from a uniformed police officer when Brown had paused the video. “I do not think it is advisable to pursue him, but if you are insistent then we can go to his home and give him a very stern lecture about target selection. If he has one.” 

“No, no.” Brown waved that off. “I think he knows what he’s doing. What I want you to see is this.” She restarted the video. Damian watched as the urchin slipped the wallet into his pants pocket, turned, and visibly startled before whirling around to look at the crowd again, looking stressed. 

Damian furrowed his eyebrows. Why? Why had he jumped, he was only facing a shop window–

“He saw the villain’s reflection!” 

“That’s it!” Brown crowed along with him. “Yes!” She pumped the air. “He sees Cupid’s reflection after you point him out. Cupid is invisible to you, but just look.” She traced the urchin’s sightlines. “He can clearly see something, he is watching what would have been Cupid’s expected path through the crowd.”

“You do not receive enough credit for your wiles,” Damian complimented Brown. Her eyes glittered with victory, pleased by his approval. “This means that I am not the only witness.” Damian clenched his fist. Vindication. “Is there a way to identify this person and track them down for an interview without opening our investigation to other parties?”

Brown sucked in air through her teeth. “If we put the still into the Batcomputer, someone else will catch it the next time they’re bored and going through the recent files. Bruce, Tim, maybe Dick. So that’s out. I know there’s privacy workarounds, but I definitely don’t know them…” She grimaced. Her tone turned a little hopeless and morose. “Neither one of us has a personal system we can access, unless there’s something you have access to…?”

She trailed off.

Damian hid a wince. She was covertly referring to his mother. “No,” he lied. If Mother realized that he was investigating on his own, she may retain the information to use in her battle of wills and wits with Father and share it at a personally opportune time. “So we require assistance from one of the more established figures.”

Grim indeed.

Resources outside of Gotham would hardly be helpful. 

Every option was terrible.

Todd was extremely trickable and would not tattle on them, but he also would not notice a woman being shot with love in front of his addlepated face, so there was no purpose in asking for his assistance. 

Richard could achieve it, but he would shoulder his way into the investigation. 

Pennyworth was an expert with the surveillance systems and could surely hide their work from Father, but his time was too valuable to use on tracking a mythological demon such as Cupid. 

Cain and Thomas did not possess any more Batcomputer proficiency or resources than Brown and Damian had.

Father was unthinkable, he was extremely bothersome and blundering and smothering.

Damian sunk to the bottom of a lake of despair. He forced himself to the surface long enough to make his most important stance clear:

“Drake is obviously the last resort among last resorts.”

“Oh, for sure,” Brown agreed, fire in her eyes. “He got Santa. He doesn’t get Cupid.”

“We may have to…” Damian fought the urge to make a face of disgust. “Go to the top, as it were.”

“You might have to fly with the other birds,” Brown said. Her tone said that she was sympathetic. Her demeanor revealed the lie: she was amused by his turmoil. Wretch. “Barbara will do that for me, but it’ll make it one of her operations. Can your ego handle that?”

Damian bristled. “I had defeated the weakness of egotism as a toddler,” he spat. Honestly. “I can work with anyone, no matter how loathsome or quarrelsome.”

Brown squinted at him. “...You mean as a hypothetical, because Barbara is an absolute delight.”

He gritted his teeth. “A guiding light to all who know her,” Damian lied, because he understood the ghastly necessity of diplomacy. 

“You’re going to wear down your molars doing that,” Brown informed him. “Alright. I’ll tell her that you want to fall at her feet in supplication.” At his appalled expression she shrugged and put her hands up. “She has done all the free favors for me that I’m going to get! We don’t have anything that she wants, and we definitely don’t want her ire.”

“That is correct,” Damian agreed. He was already so weary. He felt as though he might legitimately have been struck low by a physical illness. The concept of lowering himself to request benevolence from the witch in her electric tower made his stomach twist with nausea. Would she once again attempt to ruffle his hair? He may yet weep. “Very well.” Damian took a deep breath. “We will fall upon her mercy.”

[emswritingsstuff]

Blood Root (Daryl Dixon x Reader)

summary: bonding with daryl over your cooking

note: another @caseylicious request!! this quite a while in the making and i hope you enjoy, even if it did take forever!! also highkey recommend MF DOOMs special herbs albums because i listened to them on loop while writing this

WC: 3.7k

--

Since the start of the camp at the Quarry, you had the job of cooking and making food to go around. You volunteered to do it and loved it, not to mention it made things feel somewhat normal. But, with supplies running low and resources scarce, it got hard to make things for everyone. 

It seemed meat was always in stock; thanks to the Dixons’ hunting and the Harrisons’ fishing, you never really had to worry about losing that. But spices and herbs were difficult to come by, with only a few of you knowing how to identify herbs. Not to mention, spices aren’t a priority when it comes to necessity runs. It was disheartening you had to admit. All you wanted to do was make appetizing food, or at least something better than cooked, unseasoned rabbit. 

Doing research on herbs and plants before the fall through books and such, you knew how to pick out edible plants, including fungus like mushrooms too. With that came the knowledge of harvesting and cooking, which was your favorite part no doubt. But going out into the woods was a difficult task, not because of the potential danger but because you were always needed elsewhere on camp. 

Finding herbs was tough in general, a lot of them blending in with the other plants in the woods. Luckily, mushrooms came easy with how they stuck out like sore thumbs against the green grass and dark trees. The trick was knowing what was edible and what was toxic. Everyone was always skeptical about the mushrooms, not wanting to run the risk of getting sick. Thankfully, Shane could vouch for you. You couldn’t help but feel a little bitter that no one took your word for it. But you couldn’t dwell. 

And now you’re here, stressing about the low stock of your cooking supplies and ingredients. A lot of the group was out on a run, meaning you had to pick up the slack when you weren’t cooking. Ultimately meaning you couldn’t go out and look for ingredients yourself, which upset you even more. Sitting with the thoughts racing in your head, making attempts to think of a way to get the things you needed. 

An idea soon struck, and it was honestly a shot in the dark. But it could never hurt to at least ask. 

Daryl Dixon was an expert in those woods, and thankfully the mushrooms you needed were located there. The shaggy mane mushrooms ironically sprout on game land trails, and the oyster mushrooms on fallen trees. It was almost perfect, but the hard part was getting Daryl on board. 

The Dixon’s were loners, and it was respected for the most part. They both had tempers, Daryl being more explosive than Merle. Merle had his moments too, but he was more condescending and somehow irrational than his brother. It was common for everyone to avoid them so as to not piss them off and risk an explosion. And maybe you were risking getting a bad reaction from the younger Dixon, but you couldn’t care at that moment. Desperate to restock the makeshift inventory you had, you would try anything. 

Scanning over the camp to find Daryl, you managed to spot him talking to Shane about the hunt he was about to go on. Bingo. 

When the conversation ended between them, you bolted over to Daryl. Projecting a loud “Hey,” in which he didn’t hesitate to turn around and look at you. Catching up with him, you stopped and caught your breath before cutting to the chase. “I wanted to ask if you could grab some mushrooms while on your hunt? If you see them of course.” Handing him a piece of paper, it had attempted drawings the mushrooms you needed as well as small important details to pick them out. Getting nervous, you attempted to explain yourself, “I would go out myself but with a bunch of people out, Shane has me running around this place like crazy.” What you said was followed by a nervous laugh, watching Daryl as he gave an intense side-eye to Shane. 

Taking the paper from your hands, he looked over it and nodded, “I’ll see wha’ I can get.” Nodding back you handed him a small container, “In case you find them.” Taking the container he offered you a respectful nod before walking off and disappearing the blur of the woods. 

The days dragged on while he was gone, getting antsy to see if he found anything out there. So many bland meals have come and gone, feeling helpless and upset with yourself you couldn’t do better for the group. Amongst all the thoughts, part of you had to wonder if Daryl had even done what you asked in the first place. What if he just said he would get you off his back? What if he actually didn’t find anything? All you could do was wait and dwell on those intrusive “what if” thoughts. 

Right as you started to get lost in your brain, the archer emerged from the woods, a bunch of squirrels roped around his body. Trying to focus on cleaning from that night's dinner, all you did was hope he would make his round toward you. And luckily he did, as soon as you looked back to spot him, he was coming toward you with his bag. 

Glancing at him, you muttered a fast greeting before he placed his bag on the ground and reached into it. “Found the shrooms, got some herbs too. Remember ya talkin’ to Carol about ‘em.” Daryl handed you the container full of the mushrooms and well as a dry rag that held the herbs. Your mouth was agape, in shock he did this for you. Blinking rapidly, you mustered out a speedy “thank you.” Maybe you didn’t show it, but you were ecstatic. 

Dinner the following day was much better than you anticipated. It made you feel like yourself again, the food wasn’t five star quality but you did it. You made it, and the compliments from the group added to your radiant joy. There was one thing that damped your spirits though.

And that was Daryl not coming to dinner. Him and Merle never ate with the rest of the group, usually just grabbing food and leaving, tonight was different. He didn’t come over at all. With Merle being out with the run group, he was all alone. Peeking over at him, Daryl just sat at his spot working on something you couldn’t really see. Unsure if he ate something, you made the choice to prepare a small portion of what you made for the group for him. 

Considering he was nice enough to go out and help find the ingredients, he deserved to try some. And you were going to make it happen. Approaching his space, you stood there for a minute, unsure if you should disturb him or not. It didn’t take Daryl long to notice your presence, stopping what he was doing to look up at you. No words were spoken, just simply handing him the bowl. And he ended up taking it, investigating what exactly was in there. 

Taking in a breath, you finally spoke, “You didn’t come to dinner, didn’t know if you ate or not.” Crossing your arms, you watched as Daryl nodded along and took a quick bite. “Good, it's good.” Daryl's words surprised you, even if they were muffled by the food in his mouth. “Oh, thanks.” Pausing for a minute, you continued to sneak glances while he ate. “Want more?” And by the time you asked, he was a few more bites in, perking up at the question. “Got more?” Nodding, you grabbed the bowl from him and took it to grab him more food. 

As you walked away you smiled fondly to yourself, absolutely thrilled you made the most stubborn person in the group at least a little bit happy. He may not have had a ‘happy’ expression, but you could feel the energy off of him. 

And from that point on, the relationship you had with Daryl bloomed into something more. A sort of friendship, but you weren’t entirely sure if he would’ve agreed with that. 

Nonetheless, since that day at the Quarry, you had grown accustomed to talking to Daryl about random recipes you had made in the past. Or showed him beat-up cookbooks you’d found. Just going on and on about what you could do if you had the ingredients. 

And like clockwork, Daryl magically found an ingredient or two that you talked about on a run. It would always make your day, knowing he was thinking of you and about what you talked about while out there. And without a doubt the dinners were always better. 

Hence, the dinner routine started. Daryl always got to try what you made first, your way of showing gratitude to him. He’d always take what you handed him, sometimes begrudgingly. To him, it felt like you were sort of “babying” him. Also known as, feeding him decent food. 

He tried to act all stubborn and tough, but all the walls came down the minute he tried what you made. More times than not, he would be right over as soon as the group started eating. 

After arriving at the prison, soon came the new opportunities with an almost gated off “community” you all had created. The change was good. Even if it was stressful to get used to at first. As the days went on, the more and more improvements you had made. And the more people that joined. One of the improvements was livestock and gardens. With the help of Hershel and Rick, maintaining both of them was easy and rewarding. 

Meals got better too, suddenly having so much more food and ingredients at your disposal to mess around with. And with that, came Daryl too. 

The so-called dinner routine that had been created between the two of you blossomed to something more than you letting him try the food. Once everybody’s routines got solidified, so did the time for meals. With that came Daryl always somehow being around and getting first plate was given out. 

It was adorable, you had to admit that. Daryl would never outright say it was because he enjoyed your cooking. But all of the signs were there, not to mention he’d try and play it cool every time he stuck around while you cooked. The nonchalant act he was putting out didn’t work on you at all. Not even for a single second. 

“You can just say you like my cooking, you don’t have to race for first plate everyday to show it.” Shooting him a cocky look, he just scoffed in response. “Not tha’. Jus’ got nothin’ better to do,” as you worked you sneaked fast glances at him, a smirk just on your face. 

“Really? Everyday, you have nothing better to do?” Daryl just gave you a “Please shut up” look, which caused you to eventually drop the subject. But an indescribable joy filled your heart every time you saw him waiting, even if he was so stubborn about it.

As the weeks went past, the relationship you had with Daryl grew. It sprouted into something so much more than what you would have ever thought. Amidst all the times he’s helped find ingredients or hang around you while you worked, a new feeling ignited in your chest.  You liked him, and it was a feeling you really couldn’t deny any longer. 

So, you did something about it. A feeling within you told you he felt the same, but the man was so hard to read that you were unsure. And With all the confidence you could muster, you asked him out before dinner one day. A ping of nervousness was there, thinking you misread the signs he was giving. Thankfully thought, you were right. The relationship the both of you had basically remained the same, but with more touches and kissing now. It made you happy, and it made him happy.  

Somehow within all the moments of disappointment and sorrow, you finally had something amazing. Something you never thought you would be able to have.

But like all good things come, they also go. For once you wished everyone would stay the same, thankful for the change you had. but now the prison was gone, and now you all were on the road. After being separated and being held at Terminus, everyone had changed. In one way or another. 

To you, Daryl’s was the most notable, especially after Beth. He was always stubborn, but it wasn’t like him to be so closed off and quiet. The going off by himself worried you as well, but he never wanted you to go with him. Not wanting you to see him in such a way. 

Just as everything seemed to get worse, a man named Aaron came along. Speaking of a community called “Alexandria”. It sounded too good to be true and no one believed it was true. 

No amount of pictures or “brochures” could convince the group otherwise. But Aaron was a man of his word it seemed, ultimately taking you to Alexandria to show you the real thing. 

It was a dream, you swore you had to be imagining the whole thing. Sure you had running water in the prison, and you had other “normal” things. But electricity and hot water was something you never thought could be possible again. And here it was. 

After the interviews, all of you were accepted. Getting jobs or “earning your keep” as they say. Even getting offered a home, which Aaron was kind enough to show you to.

Finally stepping into the new home, it felt even more unreal. Looking around you weren’t sure how to exactly feel about it. Aaron bashfully followed you in, Daryl sicking outside with his crossbow. Aaron slowly inched his way to be up beside you. Looking at him you gestured toward the kitchen. “You weren’t shitting us right? All of this works?” as you spoke you pointed at the oven and stove. Aaron laughed as he crossed his arms, “Take a look for yourself.”  Raising an eyebrow, you did what he said. And to your surprise, it did work. 

“Holy shit?” Aaron laughed at your amazed tone, causing you to laugh with him. “This whole place is for you and Daryl, if he ever comes inside that is,” peeking at Daryl outside you could barely see the top of his head as he sat on the deck. Shaking your head, you muttered a quick thank you before following Aaron outside. 

“There's a welcome party at Deanna’s tonight, all of you are invited. If you want to go,” looking at Daryl, you could see in his face that it was a hard ‘no’ from him. “Think we’ll just stay in, adjust to everything you know,” Aaron nodded in agreement. “I understand, but Daryl,” his head shot up as Aaron addressed him directly. “Stop over at my house at some point, have something to ask and show you,” you could see Daryl’s blank stare as Aaron spoke to him. And as if on cue, Aaron quickly made his leave, waving a goodbye before walking off to his home. 

Walking over to Daryl, you made your place right beside him. Sitting there in silence, you rested your head on his shoulder causing him to wrap an arm around you and pause working. Bringing your hand up, you captured his hand in yours. 

“I know this isn’t what you want, but I think this could be good,” you whispered quietly, causing Daryl to let out a breath. “Judith needs a roof, so does everyone else,” he couldn’t even look at you, almost ashamed. “What about you?” shaking his head, he finally looked at you. “Don’ know,” wrapping your arms around him, you let him bury his face in your neck. Letting your hand play with his hair, you began to speak again. “You should go in the house, get cleaned up. I’ll run to the pantry and I’ll make us dinner,” he grunted quietly but obliged. Placing a kiss on your head and letting himself into the home. Waiting a few minutes, you eventually got up and made your way to the pantry. 

Walking through the streets of Alexandria, it felt peaceful, like nothing can hurt you anymore. It felt silly to think such things, but maybe this place was the safe shelter you’d always strived to have. This was your fresh start. 

Once grabbing everything you needed for your dinner, without any delay you made your way back to the house. Ready to relax after days on the road. 

Entering the home the sound of running water filled your ears, signaling Daryl was in there. Smiling fondly to yourself you walked to the kitchen, ready to start dinner. Just deciding to make plain spaghetti, it was easy and something you haven’t had since the fall. Plus it was romantic in a way, or at least it was considered that in your opinion. 

Cooking up the sauce and meat, you let them simmer together while you start the noodles. Putting on the pot and letting the water boil, and while waiting you lifted yourself up on the counter and sat there. 

Sitting there for a few minutes, Daryl emerged from the hall. His hair was still wet, but he was cleaner and had a fresh set of clothes on. A gleeful smile painted your face as he walked toward you, standing still beside you. 

“Whatcha makin’” his gruff voice broke the silence, him shyly looking up at you. “Just some spaghetti, change of pace from stew and jerky,” you laughed as you spoke, even getting a chuckle out of him. Reaching your hand over to his hair, you ran your fingers through it. “How are you feeling?” 

You could see Daryl biting the inside of his cheek before responding, “Fine, don’ worry 'bout me.” Not wanting to start a bigger conversation he didn’t want to have, you dropped it. Much to your own dismay though.  

As if saved by the bell, the water had started boiling. Hopping off the counter, you placed the pasta in the pot and letting it cook. Daryl remained in his place, watching you work. 

After about a few minutes, you fished out a noodle and rinsed it off so it was cold. Putting it in your hand, he looked at you confused. “Wanna try it? See if it's done?” still holding the noodle, he went to grab it and swiftly ate it. He looked unsure and all you could do was giggle at his demeanor, “Never taste tested a noodle?” Shaking his head with a “no” your face subtly dropped, but you didn't let it ruin the moment. 

“You know, if you throw it at the wall and it sticks. Means it’s done,” getting out another noodle and washing it off, he took it from your hands. Raising his eyebrow looking at you, he threw it at the nearest wall. 

“They’re done,” he pointed at the noodle stuck on the wall. Giggling softly, you made quick work of straining the noodles and mixing them with the sauce. You took the pan with the spaghetti and set it on the table, towel under it so as to not burn the table. Daryl took it upon himself to set the table with plates and silverware, before you could even think about it. 

Both of you sat down at the table across from each other, sitting there for a moment you gestured for Daryl to take his portion first. “Shouldn’t ya? Ya made it,” pointing at him, you quickly shut him up. “That’s exactly why you get the first plate. Now, eat,” Daryl put his hands up in a surrendering motion before making his plate. As soon as he was done you got yours, prompting you to both start enjoying your dinner. 

It was silent, almost a little too silent for you. Daryl’s expression was one that signaled to you that he was thinking about something. Staring at your plate, you waited for Daryl to finish eating before you asked anything. It definitely looked like something was wrong or at least bothering him. And you were tired of waiting. 

By the time he was finished eating, he had noticed you staring. His hand waving in front of your head caused you to look at him, a questioning look on his face. You took a deep breath, preparing yourself to speak.

“Daryl, tell me what's on your mind,” instantly freezing, he looked down at the cloth napkin on his legs. Obviously debating with himself on what he should say. “Jus’, thinkin’ about us,” setting down your fork, you took your hand in his. “What about us?” 

Daryl cleared his throat, stalling, still looking down. “No one’s ever done anythin’ like this for me before. Don’ know wha’ I did to deserve it,” his voice was quiet. Looking at him softly, your thumb rubbed his hand, drawing soft shapes into it. Staying quiet, he continued to speak. Just opening up to you at that moment. 

“When mom died, Merle took over cookin’. It was never like this, it’s why I liked ya so much back then.” Looking at his face, the tears in his eyes were obvious. The memories from his childhood were painful, it was a known fact between the both of you. It was rare for him to be so open like this. But it meant he felt safe. 

Bringing up the hand you weren’t holding, he wiped off his face. Sniffling in the process, he apologized for how he was acting, almost ashamed. Reassuring him it was fine, you stood up and hugged him from behind. Planting a soft kiss on his head, and after staying like that for a minute, the both of you separated. 

As you walked away you rubbed his back, picking up the dirty dishes in the process. He was quick to follow you, wanting to help with the cleanup. You almost protested, wanting to tell him you could do it, but he was already washing the dishes. As you watched him, the thought of the change in him creeped into your mind. You knew you might never fully know what was going on with him, and that was his choice, but today was a step forward. And you were thankful for that. 

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

By Jessica Rendall

Pfizer's and Moderna's formulas have been the go-to on pharmacy shelves, but Novavax remains an important option.

We're on the cusp of the fall season, which means respiratory viruses like flu, RSV and COVID are expected to keep spreading as weather cools and more people gather indoors.

Luckily, we've got vaccines in stock to help prevent respiratory viruses from turning into severe illnesses. In addition to flu vaccines for the general public and RSV vaccines for older adults and pregnant people, new COVID vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Novavax are available this season to reduce the risk of hospitalization.

This means adults have a choice in which COVID vaccine they receive: an mRNA vaccine by Moderna or Pfizer, or Novavax, a protein-based vaccine that targets the virus in a more "traditional" way. All three have been authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration. While Moderna and Pfizer have been widely used over the last few years, the Novavax vaccine is building up a bit of a following.

Novavax, a protein-based vaccine, is an option for those who don't want or can't take an mRNA vaccine. Novavax may also be appealing to those wanting to experiment with the "mix-and-match" approach to COVID boosters as a way to potentially strengthen the immune response.

"Even though mRNA vaccines dominate the market for COVID vaccines, it remains important to have multiple different types of technologies against various pathogens because each may have specific use cases," Dr. Amesh Adalja, an infectious disease expert and senior scholar with Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said in an email.

Here's everything we know about Novavax this year.

How is Novavax different from Pfizer and Moderna? Novavax is a protein-based vaccine, which people have associated with a "traditional" approach to vaccination. This is compared with mRNA technology, which does not use dead or weakened virus as an ingredient in the vaccine but instead uses genetic code to instruct the recipient's immune system to respond.

However, Adalja said that calling Novavax traditional may be a "misnomer" because it brings its own innovation to the table. Novavax uses an insect virus that has been genetically engineered to express spike proteins, Adalja explained, which are then incorporated into the vaccine.

"The vaccine itself is coupled with an immune system booster, called an adjuvant, which increases its immunity," he said, referencing a component existing vaccines have also incorporated.

This year, there are also slight differences between Novavax and Pfizer and Moderna's updated vaccines. Both mRNA vaccines have been tweaked to target the KP.2 strain of COVID-19, which is a slightly more recent version of the virus than what Novavax targets, which is KP.2's "parent" JN.1. While the FDA ultimately decided KP.2 was preferred in vaccines, all of them are expected to help protect against severe disease and death.

Who should get Novavax? Does Novavax have different side effects? Novavax was authorized by the FDA for use in adults and children 12 and older, so younger kids can't get this vaccine. But for most adults, which COVID vaccine you should choose depends on your preference and what your neighborhood pharmacy has in stock.

People may opt for Novavax for different reasons, though. For people who do not want to take an mRNA vaccine, having a protein-based vaccine like Novavax available means they can still be vaccinated for the fall and winter season.

Other people may be interested in Novavax for its use in the "mix-and-match" approach to boosting, which in the past has been associated with a strong immune response.

There is some early research that suggests Novavax may have fewer short-term side effects, such as muscle fatigue and nausea, but "we can't say this for sure," Joshua Murdock, a pharmacist and pharmacy editor of GoodRx, said in an email.

"This isn't proven, and side effects do vary by person," Murdock said. He added the CDC doesn't recommend one vaccine over the other, even in people who are immunocompromised.

In general, mRNA vaccines have been found to be fairly "reactogenic" compared to other vaccines, Adalja said, noting that it also depends on the individual. But if someone had a bad experience with the mRNA vaccine, Adalja said, they "may fare better with the Novavax vaccine."

Some flu-like side effects can be expected post-vaccine, no matter which one you choose. This includes symptoms like headache, tiredness, a sore arm and even chills. Not experiencing symptoms doesn't mean your immune system isn't kicking in, but experiencing some side effects may signal that your immune system is responding to the jolt, so to speak.

In rare cases, myocarditis or heart inflammation problems have been associated with COVID vaccination, particularly in younger men and adolescents within the two weeks following vaccination. Research so far shows that Novavax, like mRNA vaccines, may also carry this rare side effect though.

Following high levels of COVID this summer in the US, more information will be needed to see how all vaccines and their freshly targeted formulas fare against the virus that's expected to continue to spread this fall and winter.

"There's no strong evidence that one vaccine is preferable to another in specific individuals, but that will be an important avenue to study for more precision-guided vaccine recommendations," Adalja said.

How to find a Novavax vaccine Novavax announced on Sept. 13 that doses of its vaccine will be available at the following pharmacies:

CVS Rite Aid Walgreens Costco Publix Sam's Club Kroger Meijer Other independent pharmacies or grocers

Novavax also has a vaccine finder on its website. To use it, type in your ZIP code in the small search box, and pharmacies nearby with the vaccine in stock will be displayed.

[pommedepersephone]

Managing Post Election: Basic Personal Preparedness

As a family who moves frequently, with a US government job that has us living overseas, I am used to being prepared for all contingencies. Given that many of us will be very vulnerable under the incoming administration, I am sharing my advice for getting prepared.

Make sure all your IDs are up to date.

This includes a copy of your social security card, birth certificate, and any licenses related to marriage. Don't have a driver’s license? Get your Real ID from the DMV. And if you don't have one, go get your passport, now.

For those who do not have US citizenship, the National Immigration Law Center has resources related to obtaining IDs, and much more.

Visit your medical provider.

Get a copy of your medical records, your prescriptions, etc. Make sure your vaccinations are up to date. If you use birth control consider stocking up - or switch to an IUD that does not require refills. If you have an IUD that should be replaced in the next four years, see if you can do so now.

Sadly, access to affordable sexual healthcare is nowhere near universal in the US as it is, and it is about to get worse. I will be looking for good resource lists on this very topic next.

Look at your finances.

If you don't have good record keeping in place, consider spending a bit of time to set that up. FEMA's Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) is a great place to start.

There is every chance that we are going to see increased market volatility, major changes in interest rates and tariffs, etc. If you are in any position to, pay down your debt as you can. If you have unavoidable major purchases pending, consider making them now.

What next?

Please note, this is in no way exhaustive, and I plan to do a few more of these posts for folks who might find them useful. I am not an expert, but I do have experience working in human services and I am a mean researcher. Leveraging our respective skills to support each other is how we survive and thrive.

[mybestyblogs]

SEBI Certified Research Analyst | Logicalnivesh

Ashutosh Bhardwaj, MBA in Finance, holds an experience of 10 years in the equity markets. He is a SEBI Certified Research Analyst and NCFM Technical Analyst.

[myblogsdotcom]

 SEBI Certified Research Analyst | Logicalnivesh

Ashutosh Bhardwaj, MBA in Finance, holds an experience of 10 years in the equity markets. He is a SEBI Certified Research Analyst and NCFM Technical Analyst.

[probablyasocialecologist]

One simple way to look at it is to take the rate of emissions reductions achieved in countries that have successfully decoupled, and see how long it would take for them to fully decarbonize. That’s essentially what Jefim Vogel and Jason Hickel — researchers at the University of Leeds and the Autonomous University of Barcelona, respectively — did in the Lancet Planetary Health study. They found that, if 11 high-income countries continued their achieved rates of emissions reduction, it would take them more than 220 years to cut emissions by 95 percent — far longer than the net-zero-by-2050 timeline called for by climate experts. “The decoupling rates achieved in high-income countries are inadequate for meeting the climate and equity commitments of the Paris Agreement and cannot legitimately be considered green,” the authors wrote. In an interview with Grist, Vogel likened optimism around gradual decoupling to saying, “Don’t worry, we’re slowing down,” while the Titanic races toward an iceberg.

[...]

“Absolute decoupling is not sufficient to avoid consuming the remaining CO2 emission budget under the global warming limit of 1.5 degrees C or 2 degrees C and to avoid climate breakdown,” concluded the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its most recent assessment. Instead of making growth greener, some economists call for a whole new economic paradigm to address converging social and ecological crises. They call it “post-growth,” referring to a reorientation away from GDP growth and toward other metrics, like human well-being and ecological sustainability. Essentially, they want to prioritize people and the planet and not care so much what the stock market is doing. This would more or less free countries from the decoupling dilemma, since it eliminates the growth imperative altogether. Raworth, the professor at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, calls her version of the post-growth agenda “doughnut economics.” In this visual model, the inner ring of the doughnut represents the minimum amount of economic activity needed to satisfy  basic needs like access to food, water, and shelter. The outer ring signifies the upper limits of natural resource use that the Earth can sustain. The goal, she argues, is for economies to exist between the inner and outer rings of the doughnut, maintaining adequate living standards without surpassing planetary limits.  “Our economies need to bring us into the doughnut,” Raworth told Grist. “Whether GDP grows needs to be a secondary concern.”  Vogel and Hickel go a little further. They call for a planned, deliberate reduction of carbon- or energy-intensive production and consumption in high-income countries, a concept known as “degrowth.” The rationale is that much of the energy and resources used in high-income countries goes toward carbon-intensive products that don’t contribute to human welfare, like industrial meat and dairy, fast fashion, weapons, and private jets. Tamping down this “less necessary” consumption could slash greenhouse gas emissions, while lower energy demand could make it more feasible to build and maintain enough energy infrastructure. Some research suggests that reducing energy demand could limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C without relying on unproven technologies to draw carbon out of the atmosphere.

[us3rnam3-r3dact3d]

i assume you'll be coming for blood (that makes two of us)

Chapter 3

Ao3 | 1.5k words | Sweetheart's POV

Sweet heart continues to spiral as Collins and Cam try to help. They just keep chasing their help away.

-

Fooliverse Sweetheart faces off with that first shade. They already know Milo, but things are a lot more complicated than they might have been, not least because of their own stubbornness and pride. Hopefully that pride won't get them killed. Hopefully.

TW: medical examination and discussions, vaguely depicted panic attack, reader intentionally triggering a character, conflict.

Your desk was waiting for you when you made it back to the office. Jet’s office was darkened, and only a handful of other investigators remained at their desks in the wide, open bullpen. It was late evening, bordering on much too late to be here. You sat down anyway and started working. 

By the time morning came round, you had far more information than you did at the start of the day before. For one, you had a rudimentary understanding of Swahili, and had managed to properly convey what you needed from your expert using a few online dictionaries and whatever Google Translate had to offer. He was a pleasant guy, if your translations were correct, and had affirmed that he would send a statement your way within the next few days with everything he knew about shades broken down into simple enough terms for the Department to work with. 

Your back ached and your stomach was still in knots, but you felt much better than you had the day before. Whatever affects the shade’s life-sucking-bullshit left its victims with wore off with time and rest. You added it to your notes, and sent a quick email to Collins to report your improved health. The sun had started to rise when you received a message back. 

Report to medical for field clearance. Don’t make me sick Jet on you. 

You sighed, scrubbing at your tired eyes. You knew it was pointless to resist. Collins would get you down there eventually, one way or another. It looked better for you if you went voluntarily. 

There was a whole floor to the medical department. Half of it was dedicated only to Dr. Collins’ medical research and the seminars he taught for D.A.M.N.. The other half made up the Department’s extensive infirmary, staffed by Dr. Collins’ loyal group of doctors and nurses. They were a vicious bunch, too smart for anybody’s good, and skilled beyond all reason in both mundane and magical healing. Collins expected nothing but exceptional skill from his staff, and he wouldn’t settle for anything less. 

By the time you arrived, night shift was trading for day. A few of Collins’ cronies eyed you suspiciously as you stepped off the elevator and they stepped on. You imagined that you probably looked just this side of insane, wearing yesterday’s clothes, your hair wild, your face slack with exhaustion. 

Collins was waiting for you in his low lit examination room. There was a small, plastic covered examination table, countertops and cabinets stocked with medical supplies, a bright red trash can marked for hazardous waste. Collins seemed to have some sort of restriction against fluorescent lights in the areas in which only he worked, since his office was lit in a similar, warm fashion. You imagined that it probably hurt his eyes. Milo’s lighting choices, or lack thereof, made sudden sense to you. 

Your gut twisted at the thought of him. Anger felt suspiciously like guilt these days.

“You look like shit.” Collins drawled as you entered. “Still.” 

“Bit better than yesterday.” You replied, sighing. “That flu is gone.”

“Flu.” Collins replied. His eyes were more gray than silver. “Right. Up on the table please.” 

You sat where you were told, and let Collins check your heart rate, your breathing, your temperature, throat, nose, and ears. For a healer, he seemed to rely on non-magical medicine, at least more than you’d seen from others. He sighed as he ticked off his little list. His eyes caught on the healed bite marks that scattered your neck and shoulders. He didn’t say anything. 

“You’re functioning.” He said. “Barely. Did you sleep last night?”

“Did you?”

“Vampire?” He replied, dryly. “Try again.” 

“Vampires do need to sleep.” You said. “Not as much as humans but…” 

“You’re avoiding my question.”

“I’m on a case.” You crossed your arms over your chest and went to stand. “Sometimes that takes precedence to things like sleep.” 

“And sometimes, when an investigator doesn’t get adequate rest they do stupid shit that gets them killed.” Collins snapped. He was done playing games with you. “I’ll bench you if I have to, Investigator. Go home and get some rest.” 

“I can handle this.” You seethed, your teeth clenched. You tried to maneuver around Collins, but he had you cornered. “Why can’t anybody just let me handle this?” 

Collins was quiet for a long breath. You’d revealed too much. He puffed out a curse and placed his hands on his hips. He looked so tired. 

“Listen to me.” He ordered. You twitched. You hated it when people gave you orders. “The Department doesn’t give anybody a fair shake. Much less people like you and I, who folks tend to underestimate.” You shook your head emphatically, wrapped your arms around your middle. You tried to squeeze that shake out of yourself by force. “The only way that anybody survives in this place is by asking for help when they need it.” 

“I don’t.” You hissed. Collins was pushing, just like Milo had. You felt yourself rearing back for an attack, reaching through your knowledge of Collins to find what would hurt, what would win . 

“ And you’ve got somebody feeding on you.” He ignored your outburst, too focused on his own outrage. His lip curled with disgust as he motioned at the pale, raised scars of Milo’s bite. “That can’t be helping. Not when you ignore injuries and push through shit like a damn bulldozer!” Maybe ?

“What, are you jealous?” You laughed. “Wanted to sink your own fangs in?” 

Bullseye. 

Collins reared back. He shot across the room faster than your eyes could track. He took on a horrible, haunted expression, his face pale and slack as he pressed himself against the wall, as far away from you as he could get. Collins wasn’t a small man, but he sure made himself so. It was almost as if he was afraid of you. Or almost as if he didn’t want you to be afraid of him. 

Whatever it was, he wasn’t blocking the door anymore. You moved fast, burst from the exam room and made for the elevator. Collins couldn’t chase you above ground. A voice called after you, shaking and full of grief. 

“You’re benched, Investigator!” Collins’ accent got stronger when he was spooked. “You won’t see the field until I say so!” 

The elevator doors slid closed on Collins’ pale, haunted face, peering out at you from his dim exam room. You breathed deeply, tried to still your shaking heart. 

Anger felt suspiciously like guilt. 

Cam’s call came half an hour later, as you were pulling into your apartment’s crowded parking garage. You cursed, fumbling with your phone as you backed into your tiny spot and answered more sharply than you had intended to. 

“What did you say to Dr. Collins?” Cam said, by way of greeting. 

“Jesus Christ.” You huffed. You pressed your forehead to your steering wheel and considered ramming your car into the building. Instead, you snagged your work bag and keys and started making the endless trek up four flights of stairs to your apartment. You were so tired. 

“I highly doubt it was that.” Cam sounded irate, something you’d never heard in his voice before. “He’s… disturbed. You triggered something deep for him. He won’t tell me what it is and won’t let me help.”

“I said what I needed to.” You felt that anger-guilt rising up in your throat like bile. Cam could hear the uncertainty in your voice. 

“If you keep going like this,” Cam’s voice got low, “you’re going to chase away everybody who wants to help you.”

“I don’t need help, Cam.” You didn’t even believe yourself anymore, not with the shake in your voice. Cam would see through you in an instant. 

“Apologize to him.” Cam snapped. “As soon as possible. And then tell me what I need to do to help you. You won’t scare me away.” 

“I can try.” 

“You could.” He sounded so far away. “I’ve faced worse things than you.” 

You hung up. There were a few things you could use against Cam, but you didn’t think any of them would gain you a thing. He was made of different stuff. Literally. 

Your hands shook as you opened your door, metal scraping on metal and setting your already shredded nerves alight. Your dropped bag, keys, and shoes just inside the door haphazardly, just conscious enough to make sure your deadbolt was in place before dragging yourself back into your bedroom. Your bed welcomed you stiffly as you disturbed the unkempt sheets. You groaned into the scratch of them, and longed distantly for Milo’s billion fucking thread count. 

You were calling him before you could think better of it. You listened to the monotone ringing, the drone drilling into your skull. His voice told you to leave a message. You nearly fell apart at the sound of it. You were silent for a very long time. 

“I’m such an asshole.” You sighed. You didn’t know if the message had timed out or not. You didn’t know if it mattered.

[physalian]

So, I’ve written posts utterly baffled by writers who think tackling the intimate nuances and complexities of minorities/ disabilities/ neurodivergences that they don’t have based on ego and research is just easy and no one will notice. But like… there aren’t rules for any of these demographics. All aces don’t think the same way, that’s why there’s like 20 different specific labels under the ace/demi umbrella.

But the reason I don’t think anyone can get by on research alone if this character’s quirk (for simplicity’s sake) is the whole plot and their defining feature is this: There is no ‘default’ person and the 50s-esque model citizen was a caricature. Odds are somebody isn’t “perfectly normal” just with one little outlier trait. We’re all different mixes and blends so saying “I’m gonna write a gay dude, I read this one blog by a gay dude and I’m an expert” is just. No.

This is also assuming that it’s realistic for your character to be absolutely certain about themselves and can diagnose or label themselves with medical accuracy. We’re all just vibin’, you know? Some might, and kudos to them, still wierd to so confidently write something you researched like cramming the night before a final.

Like, if you tell me you wrote an ace, and you yourself are straight or simply not ace and have no ace friends or relatives and just thought it would be cool, but your book is an intense deep-dive into asexuality, I’d bet very good money that it is not, in fact, a deep dive into asexuality, just your extrapolation based on a modicum of research and your own biases.

You’re missing out on so much personal context. I’m ace. Also, possibly aro? But also unofficially diagnosed as autistic and I can’t get a real diagnosis because reasons. And everyone is different so I don’t know where the boundary lies between “this is an autistic thing” and “this is an ace thing” and “this is an aro” thing. You, intrepid author, can’t expect to articulate that if a real person living with it can’t.

You can’t articulate it, because I can’t articulate it, and I’m probably contradicting myself all over the place in a giant game of mental Twister. Like. Romance sounds great, but I’m also fiercely independent and am too used to doing everything alone to actually picture being a healthy team and not having to carry it like groupwork in high school. That image just does not compute.

Or, romance sounds great, but I can’t love you the way you expect and odds are I’m not going to want to sleep with you… but I’ll watch your favorite TV show with you and I’ll buy you that box of candy that you probably forgot you mentioned wistfully wanting last week and I’ll make sure the fridge is stocked with your favorite snack and I’ll do the driving and I’ll text you memes and funny pictures and song recommendations to make you smile and I’ll do 100 other things desperately trying to make up for the guilt of both wanting you to find me attractive, but not actually finding you attractive, but it's actually finding the effort I make and the choices within my power that I want you to find attractive and not 'nice ass' or whatever, of wanting you around and wanting love, but not wanting sex and I guess if you cheat but it's "just sex" I have to deal because you've got "needs" and you're "normal" and I'm lucky to have you around without putting out. While simultaneously daydreaming about an imaginary person who doesn't expect those 100 other things done from guilt, but I got bills to pay and can't be selfish and, well, that person doesn't exist.

But sure, your ace is gutwrechingly realistic because they're an android or an alien and are incapable of a sex drive anyway and not human because, what? All humans have a sex drive, you donut. You just haven't met the right person yet.

No one is just one thing in isolation and otherwise “perfectly normal”. The arrogance and naivety it takes from so many writers who think this can’t be shocked when the negative feedback comes in. Write inclusively. Do not write the deeply personal struggles of a life you did not live, that someone reading your book can look at and think, wow, I can’t believe how wrong they got it. Do I expect to read a perfect copy of myself in someone else's ace charcater? No. Every ace is different, but there's the "ace" flag for a reason.

[minamaybe]

There’s a saying at the University of Vienna: No matter how bad your studies are going, at least you’re not working for the Department of Parafolklore, right?

The select few who do research the strange, the unknown, the monstrous. Laughing stock or no, there’s records to modernise (“Why is the only piece of technology we own a fax machine?”), local cryptids to research, and, oh yeah, someone’s gotta babysit the demon in the attic.

genre: modern fantasy, elements of horror, some romance sprinkled in for good luck

status: plotting, making intricate mind maps

main characters

Nita: After her life took an unexpected turn for the worst, all Nita wants is a calm, quiet office job. It doesn’t get much calmer than typing up old records for the Department of Parafolklore; or at least, that’s what she thinks. Soon, Nita’s knowledge of obscure folk legends and Middle High German will be needed, because someone - no, something - is trapped in the attic. And it is essential that it doesn’t get out.

Lukas: Since no one has seen the Head of the Department of Parafolklore in… hm, has it been five years already?, Lukas is the next best thing, considering he’s been there the longest. Earnest and ambitious, he is determined to raise the Department’s social standing and show the world that their research is valuable.

Kim: Her years of studying Marketing & Sales have left Kim with a broken-off engagement and the ability to make pretty Instagram reels. As the Department’s social media manager, she tries to make dusty books and antisocial hermits look cool.

Said: An expert in art history and disappointing his parents, Said analyses artwork depicting various local legends and cryptids. He gets a tattoo of every folk creature the Department can prove truly exists (so far, he’s got a Lindwurm, Perchten, and the Mothman. That last one doesn’t necessarily fall into Austrian territory, but he chose to trust the Americans on that one).

“Oscar”: Really, he doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. They treat him as if he’s going to unleash chaos on the world as soon as he gets out of the Department, and that’s just so unfair. He can unleash plenty of chaos from right up here in the attic, thank you very much.

here it is, a proper wip intro! if you stuck around until now, thank you so much!

i’ve been working on this idea for a while now, and the basic plan is to tell austrian folklore stories through this group of outcasts, who, each in their own way, figures out what the paranormal world means to them, and their place in it. also, i want to try something new with it, and write connected short stories instead of going for a classical novel structure. this is new for me, so if anyone has experience with that kind of writing they want to share, i’d be very interested to hear your process!!

thank you for reading, and i can’t wait to share more about this wip as it develops! <3

[paledoptera]

after COUNTLESS minutes of research i have devised the perfect pokemon team for shoplifting

first, jigglypuff.

an obvious pick for any criminal. busy store? boom, after one song all the security and any witnesses are knocked out. why don't any of the criminal teams use jigglypuffs?!?! second, gengar.

consider this.

gengar can "appear almost anywhere" GENGAR CAN TRAVEL THROUGH DIMENSIONS gengar can go to the back room and steal shit that hasn't even been STOCKED ON THE SHELVES YET i could send gengar in and it could LITERALLY appear ANYWHERE IN THE SHOP. it's like a teleporting chaos gremlin. this is only true if gengar has a corporeal form however, which i have found IS TRUE

gengar has SEVERAL physical moves like sucker punch and lick, which would mean it HAS to have a physical form and can indeed shoplift shit. OH AND GUESS WHAT TM GENGAR CAN LEARN

YEAH. PERFECT SHOPLIFTING BUDDY this isn't even considering the potential for fast-travel. if gengar can pick up stuff and bring it with them through their multidimensional travel, they are ALSO the PERFECT getaway driver. police running at me? GRAB ME GENGAR AND TELEPORT ME TO THE WOODS. the last two are two that i think would synergize very well. while gengar is my main shoplifter/getaway driver and jigglypuff is my distraction, greninja and meowscarada are respectively my demolitions expert and my backup

greninja is, first of all, a literal ninja. stealth is NO issue. second:

THEY CAN MAKE WATER SPLIT METAL. LET ME REPEAT. THEY CAN MAKE WATER. SPLIT METAL. iphone chained down? no problem!! greninja fucks that shit up. lockdown happens and walls come down? my PRESSURE WASHER FROG CAN FUCK THOSE METAL DOORS UP meowscarada is also a master of stealth, having reflective fur. AND GUESS WHAT

IT CAN MAKE FLOWER-SMOKE BOMBS. WHAT BETTER COMBINATION IS THERE THAN A SMOKE-BOMB THROWER AND A FUCKING NINJA???? in conclusion, if i was ever in the pokemon world every tesco, walmart and hungry jacks around the world would fear me. i would be the shadow of corporations. i would be UNTOUCHABLE and i would eat shoplifted marshmallows with my happy poke-gang in the woods every night