#Lakes Family Mediation

[thebisexualdogdad]

Summer road trip with the batfam (batfam x GN!reader)

● so Bruce rented an RV for the batfam to go on a three month coast to coast road trip

● no crime fighting, just family time

● with you, Bruce, Dick, Jason, Tim, Damian, Barbara, Duke, Cass, Stephanie and of course Haley and Ace it was a bit of a tight squeeze

● Alfred was back at home taking a much needed work free staycation

● Kate was also invited but she refused to be stuck in an RV with ten other people all summer, she and Alfred are happy having breakfast together once a week

● Bruce drives the entire time with Damian as his navigator

● mostly because Damian and Jason would kill each other if they weren't separated

● Jason has purposely instigated fights with Damian by eating his snacks clearly labeled 'Damian' on them

● and sometimes Jason gets accused when it was actually Cass who took Damians snacks

● Barbara has every kind of first aid or bug repellent you can think of

● you stop to go kayaking and she pulls six different kinds of sunscreen out of her bag

● Cass is the one delegated to documenting the trip

● and she takes her job very seriously

● she never not has her camera in her hands either taking pictures or videos

● Stephanie "no Cass we do not need photos of the gas station bathroom"

● and she has photos of everyone sleeping in weird positions on the rv

● and a video of Jason snoring to prove to him that he does in fact snore

● you all take turns on where you guys sleep

● there's one queen sized bed in the back that fits three and the two couches turn into a bed that fits another three and the rest are in sleeping bags on the floor

● Ace and Haley however always sleep cuddling someone in the nice comfy queen bed

● Tim has researched every single place you guys are stopping at

● Bruce thought it would be fun to just wing it and see what happens

● but Tim would not let that happen, he has the entire trip planned out down to what towns you would need to stop in for gas

● places everyone requested to go that Tim denied

● Bruce: the world's biggest ball of yarn because it's a classic road trip must see

● Dick: the corn palace

● Jason: vegas

● Damian: probably like a sword museum in the middle of nowhere that he somehow knows has an authentic ancient sword the museum thinks is a replica

● Barbara: the mothman museum

● Stephanie: Roswell

● Duke: the first taco bell

● Cass: dinosaur world

● you do stop at multiple national parks

● going hiking and swimming in little lakes with their own waterfalls

● Jason tries to sneak a snake he finds back onto the RV

● Duke "Oh no, absolutely not, get that thing out of here"

● Damian "you afraid of a little old snake Thomas?"

● Duke "that thing is not little, it is a deadly creature and I do not want it anywhere near me!"

● the RV breaks down outside a town in Wyoming with no cell service

● you all argue about who has to walk the five miles into town to get help

● Bruce and Dick are the two that end up having to do it

● when they return Damian has Tim in a headlock and Cass is taking video of it

● the random guy with the tow truck they brought back "uhh are they okay"

● Bruce "Oh yeah this is normal for them"

● you and Stephanie ended up breaking the no crime fighting rule when you went into a convenience store for more snacks and walked right into a robbery in action

● you two kicked their asses with ease, tied them up for the cops and bought your snacks like nothing happened

● Barbara back at the RV "Y/N is that blood on your face?"

● "nope don't worry about it!"

● Dick brings lots of board games to play while on the road

● Tim and Damian go way too hard trying to win which you have to play mediator for before they try to throw each other out the moving RV

● Jason still loses even though he cheats

● and Stephanie pretends not to know the rules just to mess with Tim and Damian

● you also stop at a bunch of campgrounds, telling ghost stories and having s'mores around a fire

● Barbara "has anyone seen Jason?"

● Dick "I'm pretty sure he said something about being excited to finally cross off peeing in the woods off his bucket list"

● Duke "he has the weirdest bucket list"

● a lot of you are big readers so there's books packed everywhere

● Duke "ooh we should have a book club"

● Jason "absolutely not you're lucky I even participate in Grayson's lame board games"

● Damian "for once I actually agree with Todd"

● you guys finally make it to the west coast and you all stumble out of the RV

● Tim "thank God this trip is finally over"

● Bruce "Tim we are only half way, we still have another month of driving back to Gotham"

● Stephanie "I should have stayed home with Alfred"

[whencyclopedia]

The Bear Man

The Bear Man is a Pawnee legend exemplifying the Native American understanding of the natural world and serving as an origin tale for the Bear Dance, which was performed to awaken the bears in spring from their winter hibernation and also to celebrate the season of choosing a mate. The Bear Dance is still performed by the Pawnee today.

The bear holds special significance for the Pawnee, as well as other Native American nations including the Ute, as a powerful animal and one of the Nahu'rac – the creatures who serve Ti-ra'wa ("Father Above"), as messengers and mediators – and who are considered brothers by various indigenous peoples. According to scholar Bobby Lake-Thom:

The Bear is always a good sign and a special power. He represents wisdom, insight, introspection, protection, and healing. If you see a Bear while hiking in the woods or along the river, then you know that a very sacred place is nearby. (78)

In The Bear Man, a father, concerned for his son, makes friends with a bear cub in hopes that the Nahu'rac will remember his kindness and look after his boy. Later in life, the Nahu'rac bears remember this kindness and repay it by bringing the boy back to life after he is killed in battle and teaching him their spiritual "medicine" (powers). The story shares similarities with other famous Pawnee tales including A Story of Faith and The Boy Who Was Sacrificed, which also feature the supernatural entities of the Nahu'rac.

The Bear Dance

In Native American belief, generally speaking, there is no spiritual difference between a human being, a plant, a tree, an animal, or a rock, as all things are imbued by the Creator with the same resonant energy. Humans are in no way superior to the natural world but are expected to act as stewards and care for their environment as they would for their own family and community. The Bear Dance grew out of this understanding as the dancers, as they perform wearing the bear hides which have been gifted to them by their bear relatives, become those bears and offer to others bear wisdom, healing, and power. Scholar Larry J. Zimmerman writes:

For Native North Americans, the boundaries between the world of the spirits and the world of living people were not clearly defined: a third "in-between" world of transition separated them. Every entity to some degree inhabited all three of these worlds. If a human carried out the appropriate rituals, he or she could be transformed into a being from one of the other two worlds.

Such transformations often duplicated events of the "beginning time" when the world came to be as it is through the agency of culture heroes and tricksters. On ceremonial occasions, an individual might assume the appearance of such a figure and be thought, literally, to become that being. When a holy man put on a yellow bear hide, for his audience he actually was the bear. (126)

The Bear Dance was (and is) always performed in the spring, waking the bears from their hibernation, and signaling the time for young men and women to choose mates. Among the Ute and Pawnee, the traditional roles of festivals are reversed at this time as men, instead of women, prepare the area for the dance, and women, instead of men, initiate the dance to find a suitable mate. The Bear Dance may last ten days to two weeks and honor the spirit of the bears as much as that of the community and the natural world at large.

Continue reading...

[thealtoduck]

New PJO OC: Hector Bird

Name: Hector Bird

Gender: Male

Home:

Garden of the Hesperides, San Fransisco, California, U.S.A (Born)

Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.A (Raised)

Camp Half-Blood, Long Island, New York, U.S.A (during summers)

Species: Half-Blood

Godly Parent: Erytheia (One of the Hesperides, Nymphs of Sunset and Evening)

Other Family:

Johnathan Bird (Father)

Zoë Nightshade and the other Hesperides (Aunts)

Atlas (Grandfather)

Love Interest: Leo Valdez

Fatal Flaw: Bitterness

——

Physical Description: He’s very handsome and has the regal and beautiful facial features inherited from his mother. His eyes are honey brown as if one could see the sunset in his eyes. His hair is dark and silky. His skin is tanned and has a soft sunny shimmer to it. His build is slim but athletic from his training at Camp Half-Blood. He also has a piercing in his belly button in silver with a pear shaped gem.

Personality: Hector is a bit reserved at first glance, seeming quite unapproachable and someone you just admire from a far, like a piece of art. But once you get to know him, you’d learn he’s pretty nice and kindhearted. He’s very loyal and devoted to his friends.

He usually acts as the mediator, when there’s an argument between his friends, usually keeping things from getting out of hand.

He might only be a child of a nymph but don’t let that fool you, he fights viciously as if he was a son of a war god. It’s assumed it’s a trait passed down from Atlas, his divine grandfather.

He can come off as a bit touchy and a little difficult when he’s feeling disrespected. Especially when written off as ”just the son of a nymph” or something like it. And when he actually gets mad… you better run.

He however does his best to always hold his head high, staying regal and polished in his composure.

——

Skills and Abilities:

Average Half-Blood Abilities: Enchanced Strength, Speed, Durability, etc…

Hypnotic-Singing: Like the Hesperides, his singing can put the hearer into a light trance.

Dance: He’s a trained dancer in commercial Jazz.

Weapons:

Meteor Hammer

Bozdogan Mace

——

Other facts:

Zoë was the one who led him to camp after the two met in a strange twist of fate. Hector was only 11 years old and didn’t know his godly parent at the time and didn’t know he was related to her but Zoë could tell just looking at him that he was the son of one of her sisters. Despite her dislike of men and heroes she knew she needed to make sure he got to camp safely.

He views Percy somewhat like an older brother. The two got to know each other during their first summer in camp where they both were put in the Hermes Cabin at first.

He’s friends with a lot of nymphs in the forest and lake at Camp Half-Blood.

——

Mini Playlist:

——

[anchor-ice]

ok since the overall response was positive i'm gonna tell you a bit about this project!

this is a series of jokey mini-comics detailing the (after) lives of a band of ghosts who are stuck in an abandoned summer camp near omsk location pending in 2005. this is basically bbc ghosts but russian and with more gore.

katya is the only one who's alive! she's 15 and started seing ghosts after her shitty boyfriend crashed his bike with her in the back seat. she's trying to help the ghosts mediate their relationships with eachother and the world, and they're helping her with homework (sometimes) or being general nuisances (more often).

the pilot died in 1944 when his plane crashed while he was test-flying it. he was wounded in the frontlines and sent home to recover, but decided to help out in the poiloting school in the meantime. the guy on whose watch the plane crashed was shot for sabotage afterwards, and his ghost in turn is pretty resentful about that, because it was just the lack of funds and old equipment going out. plot: katya helping them meet and make peace with eachothers deaths. the pilot had a daughter himself and thus is feeling very paternal towards katya. most organised and helpful of the ghosts. died with one broken cigarette whick they all now share and an officers notepad with his papers and maps, where he sketches from time to time (it all disappears after he stops concentrating 😔) has ideological beef with the suit and ex-beef with the sailor (they are besties now).

the sailor died in 1921 during the kronstadt rebellion and was very surprised when he woke up near omsk. he had a precious cigar case that was lost a year before his death, and in the chaos of th civil war found itself in a magpie's nest in the woods near omsk. his soul is tied to this case, and he spends a lot of time trying to get to the case and taunting the magpie family (unsuccessfully). has a tin of cocaine, 4 machine gun belts, no machine gun and an attitude. loves asking katya to marry him and run away to saint-petersburg together. plot: katya finally getting him his cig case back. obsessed with space and in love with yuri gagarin, wants to find and meet his ghost

the suit died in 1997 during a buisness deal gone wrong, shot and buried on the abandoned camp territory, is still a bit pissed about that. is disgusted by the starry-eyed belief in the happines of all mankind the pilot and the sailor exibit and in general is tormented by the fact tht he will have to spend his afterlife in a summer camp surrounded by these people. loves to come harass the monk living in the lake nearby to get some sort of ideological closure and figure out how afterlife works. plot: getting katya the money to move to another sity when she goes to uni

the bomber died in 1896. tried to sicide bomb a govt official but was discovered and sentenced to death, later pardoned bc of Nicholas 2 acending to the throne, sentence switched to siberian exile for 25 years with no rights to return. killed herself out of boredom and despair. gets along well with the sailor (he is slightly intimidated by her), would really like to talk to the monk but he doesn't answer to anyone. plot: idk so far 😔

the bear victims - a lego of bear victim parts. that's it. a comedic side character.

the monk died alone on an island in the lake in ????, the island was later blown up to increase the water capacity flowing from the lake to a water reservoir. doesn't talk to any of the other characters bc of his seraphimic schema and vow of silence & solitude. slowly warming to the idea of breaking his vow and trying to help the other ghosts move on, because if god's not letting him go, that must be for a reason, right? plot: speaking to katya

[thestarstoasun]

In another life, where demigods could use technology or even just a life where they are found family, the Apollo cabin would have sibling video game rivalry. There would be so many fights over video games. Specifically, Mario Party & Michael Yew starts 9/10 of them.

Lee Fletcher refuses to play & watches the chaos.

Will Solace tries his best to mediate.

Kayla Knowles is throwing insults before the game even starts.

Austin Lake is recording the entire thing while passively instigating.

[branwendaughterofllyr]

I waited almost half a year, and it was worth every second! This chapter is amazing! I want to kidnap you and make you write this all the time! Not kidding!

Right from the start, there’s a prophecy, and it seems likely that the main character is Oldgon. At first, I thought it was Aemond, but Helaena’s dream is about the sea, not a lake, and it doesn’t match Lucerys either. The mention of ‘blood-colored coral’ reminded me of Oldgon’s red symbolism—is he going to die at Storm’s End? I’m looking forward to it (sorry, Oldgon). Helaena instinctively knows the Red Spring has come, and Little Aegon’s dream is heartbreaking. Crush that cheese now, Aegon. Does he have a touch of prophecy like his sister? As a Helaegon shipper, I’m delighted (though in the story, they feel more like close siblings than lovers. Alicent probably sensed this too, which is why she opposed their marriage. She may have preferred that ridiculous idea of marrying Oldgon because of this).

Both Alicent and Alyssa endure painful separations; it seems the Red Spring has already arrived for them, with blood flowing in many ways. When Helaena sees her second blood, her nightmare will come true. Yes, that’s what I wanted from Blood and Cheese in the show! A nightmare!

The tansy story reflects a hidden disdain for Rhaenyra and shows her crumbling. Please, stop sharing things no one wants to know, Rhaenyra. The way you write her reminds me of a young version of Milly’s portrayal. I love Emma D’Arcy, but their version is a bit too gloomy. I can imagine Rhaenyra crying in front of Alyssa in their version.

Our goth girl, Alyssa, has a solid grasp of medieval politics. Yes, the necessary performance! Jace seems to miss the point, and Aemond is just jealous of Jace, yet these boys need to understand the importance of this play-acting more than anyone. You believe Sara Snow is real, right? Little Aegon is tired of this performance, and honestly, I can’t blame him. Poor kid.

Helaena’s necklace! The necklace! Fuck you, Viserys! Fuck you, Condal!

Alyssa could’ve been a septa; it would’ve been the most educational path for a medieval woman, though a very Andal-ish path. (Yes, I’m mocking Daemon here. The frustrating thing about him is his unresolved feelings for Elinor. Is it that hard to apologize and pay your respects? Yeah, that’s just who he is.)

Daemon, the highlight of this chapter, is truly impressive. I don’t mean to compare, but in some fics, he’s either a baby-eating monster or a Harlequin romance hero with too much charm. You captured the Daemon I know: a proud, violent, immature man who both loves and despises his kin. Laena, by his side, is the cheerful, relaxed mediator who softens situations (though her Targaryen nature shows in her talk with Alyssa—let’s be honest, who else but a Targaryen would marry Daemon?). I’m not a Daemon fan, but if Matt Smith could play your version, I’d die happy. He truly embodies the Rogue Prince.

I don’t want to take Viserys’s side, but Oldgon is acting like a child. I understand his unresolved trauma and anger (the heir for a day crossed a line), but claiming not to be part of the Dance while making enemies? What a fool.

Alicent… It’s heartbreaking to watch her. She does everything to protect her children, yet loses them because of it. She sends Daeron away for safety, leads Aegon and Helaena to an unhappy life(Dreamfyre omg) and is alienated (Little Aegon, don’t feel too bad; this crazy family is all miserable). And Aemond has always been distant from her (even if he’d hate to admit it—typical Andals aren’t like you, you dragonist). That leaves Oldgon and Alyssa (Did I forget Viserys? Haha). Oldgon is lost in love like a true Targaryen, and Alyssa is drowning in her own gloom and frustration. Alicent really needs a friend. Her empathy for the young girl in the scene with Alyssa was touching. Alicent was an unhappy girl, but she’s a good adult, doing her best.

Our goth girl is getting darker. Contrary to my first impression, Aemond and Alyssa seem to be forming quite a dark goth couple (I initially imagined her personality would be more like Laena’s). Alyssa is smart, understands the storm at the core of this, but doesn’t have the power to stop the game. She sees the unfair system, marriage expectations for women, and knows the future Dance ahead, but she’s helpless. Little Aegon, though not as perceptive as her, also feels this powerless dread. Watching these teenage kids try to deal with their helpless fear, Aegon’s rebellion and Alyssa’s melancholy, is so sad—no one understands them. She’s a bit like Elisabeth in the musical (I’m not sure if they perform it in your country, since I know you’re living in the US). Even if you race beyond the horizon, there’s no freedom; society haunts you like a ghost. Jaehaerys recognized this and could use it (and did so to his Targaryen children with no freedom). Sadly, Alyssa isn’t in his position. She can’t even control her father’s marriage. Oldgon, you idiot! (I don’t hate him; he’s just a typical man, as you said).

What Aemond did to Alyssa surprised me; I read it as jealousy. This poor boy seems quite taken with the goth girl, while she’s deciding whether to join the Vale war. Good luck, Aemond. And to be honest, Alyssa doesn’t seem good for your mental health. The same goes for you, Laena. Your brother and his wife probably aren’t going to be any good for your life. Don’t help them…

My overall thought is this: You must have gone through a lot writing this chapter. Capturing the calm before the storm (Driftmark) is tough, especially with so many unhappy Targaryens involved. But you’ve done a brilliant job. You’ve shown that the Dance wasn’t a one-night accident, that all our fools were playing their parts long before. Now I’m waiting for the impending storm! (Not trying to rush you—I know you’re in a busy season, and you need mental recovery. But if next chapter delays due to you, Donald T, watch out!)

I literally screamed a little out loud when I saw this come into my inbox this morning.

I had immense about of fun writing the prophecy for this chapter! I decided a while ago to embrace George's idea of dragon dreams, which are rife with strange imagery and are actual dreams, and I was heavily inspired by The Tempest when I wrote up this one.

Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made; Those are pearls that were his eyes: Nothing of him that doth fade, But doth suffer a sea-change Into something rich and strange. Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:                                              Ding-dong. Hark! now I hear them,—ding-dong, bell.

This is probably one of my favourite bits of descriptive writing of all time, and I had to give it a homage!

Is the prophecy about Oldgon? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My lips are sealed, but I think we should all add this to the conspiracy board! I am going to level with y’all, Aeg II’s dream was not intended to be a work of prophecy at all, it’s based on a weird dream I had once, unrelated to B&C, lol. And yeah, I think Helaegon works best for me as a tragic brother-sister pait that should be teasing each other and sending each other silly christmas cards, but instead they are forced into a sexual relationship that makes them utterly miserable. And on the Helaena-Oldgon match (blegh, I felt so gross writing that up), I will say that I am actually playing the unreliable historicity of F&B. Remember, Alicent has never proposed such a thing on screen (the page?). I also purposefully reused almost the exact same language that F&B used to described Daemon and Rhaenyra's relationship when she was a young girl, which was- well, the Targaryens are constantly blurring family lines and one uncle's doting is another's grooming. (anyone spot the jade tiara?)

And poor Alicent and Alyssa, neither of them are having a good time. Helaena was right, spring is not going to be what Alyssa hoped at all. It's just blood, all the way down.

I actually thought a lot about how I wanted to deal with the birth of Joffrey. In the book, he came along right after Lucerys, but in the show, there was a pretty massive gap between the two. Considering the bad luck of Rhaenyra's mother and both of her grandmother's in childbirth, particularly Alyssa T on her third go after surviving two succesful pregancies, I imagined Rhaenyra as being leery of giving birth. As such, she was using the best form of birth control she could, moon tea. But moon tea and other herbal remedies are unreliable, pronce to over or underdosing and their side effects can be dangerous and even deadly. Both tansy and pennyroyal overdosing can result in liver failure, and the jaundice Rhaenyra was experiencing was a warning sign of that happening to her. Hence why she stopped using it for a while, and ended up with an oops baby. Fun fact, desserts, mainly puddings, were flavoured with tansy during the medieval and Elizabethan period leading to many people mildly poisoning themselves with the herbs. A young girl like Alyssa would have been familiar with tansy as a culinary herb rather than a abortificent, and also why Rhaenyra would be able to obtain the ingredients of moon tea fairly easily. The judgement Rhaenyra would face for using moon tea is not something I agree with, but it would be viewed negatively in world and associated with sex workers and adultery, and Alyssa would have been exposed to the misogynstic prejudice surronding such things. I do plan in later chapters to delve more into these sort of things, since I think moon tea is often used as a get out of pregnancy free card in fics, when it does have its dangers and risks. (I want to spoil my plans, but all I'll say is that Septa Alla is involved in such things as herblore and midwifery)

I think of Alyssa as a fairly astute child, and Oldgon is of the opinion that every day is “take your daughter to work” day if you are brave enough, so she’s really been immersed in the business of court politics for years now. And she takes pleasure in the game of it at this point, and the "rules" that are part of it. This mainly goes over Aemond and Jace's heads at this time, but Jace is teachable! He can learn! He grows up into a fairly politically astute young man! And lil Aegon is already so over it all, he'd rather dress in motley at this point.

I am SOOOOO glad someone noticed the necklace, I was literally googling what it looked like as I was writing this chapter, and I was like... oh? Wonder if I can add backstory to that!

Alyssa actually could have enjoyed septahood if she realized the relative independence and freedom of learning it could bring her, but all the septas she knows are non-controversial ones who very much toe the line, like Septa Victaria. And Septa Victaria is pretty damn boring. (Again, I don't want to spoil, but Septa Alla and her cohort offellow septas will be appearing later in the story, and they are heavily inspired by the likes of Hildegarde von Bingen and St. Radegund and other highly educated women who used relgious life as an escape from marriage and motherhood. Of course, some of them end tragically anyway, like Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz.) And also Oldgon doesn't Alyssa to move into a motherhouse and take a vow of silence and never talk to him again (Always the worst case scenario with this man).

I also will say that Daemon has his own thoughts on Elinor, and they will be mentioned in the future, but actually? He was not so nearly as hostile to her as Alicent. I headcanon a lot of Daemon's beef with Alicent as the result of her being Otto's daughter, and Elinor had nothing to do with any of that, lol.

I agonized so much over Daemon, because I know so many people were eagerly anticipating him. I really hope he lived up to all the hype. Even though he's far from my favourite, he can come across as deeply charming when he wants to, and deeply unsettling when he wants to set people off-kilter. I joke about Laena being his manic pixie dream girl, but she genuinely did seem to match his energy in a way that was more positive for Daemon, and I felt pretty sad for her character that the show chose to cut it all out and make it clear she was his second choice and she knew it.

And Daemon's appearance definately made Oldgon regress quite a bit, into the quiet little boy he used to be. Older brothers can do it you, and you it's bad with Viserys is rightfully scolding you for acting like a little baby.

And Alicent to be is such a lonely figure, especially during this time of her life. It's a loneliness that can't be fixed by simple company, bc she is surrounded by be her children and other women her age, but she cannot truly be herself or confide any of them. Really, sending Daeron off to foster is for the best, both politically and for Daeron's development, but that's cold comfort when her baby is on the opposite of the continent. I think Alicent, especially in my fic, is defined as an outsider in the midst of the Targaryens, and she is constantly reminded of that by even her own children who have their father's colouring and are riding dragons. Even Aemond, who I personally headcanon her being indulgent towards because he was " said to be half the size of his elder brother, but twice as fierce," which I decided to take as him possibly being premature, and a small, fragile baby that she coddled and let get away with much more than her first son, Aegon. Even Oldgon, who is very well-meaning and genuinely fond of her, is busy in his own life and he's never quite been able to grasp her struggled. I think she recognizes a bit of her own unhappy childhood in Alyssa, and she tries her best to be an example and a comfort at once.

Yes, Aemond and Alyssa are giving off very dark vibes even at their tender ages, and while I do enjoy Laena immensely, I decided to take more cues from Alys Rivers, Aemond's canon lover. And also, I love a witchy woman, I cannot lie. She is being slowly crushed under the rules and expectations of her society, especially in regards to how her gender limits her, but she can't do anything about it, and is doing her best to wiggle around it in small ways, and learn to manage within the confines. I actually really like the musical Elisabeth! I've never seen in it person, but I'm big into musical theater, and I've seen several of the taped peformances. I'm partial to the Hungarian costuming for Der Tod, lol. Kitsch is probably my favorite song, it is a bop! I am thrilled by the comparison, even though it’s not something I had in mind while writing! The morbid self-obsession combined with moments of an outgoing personality! I love the comparison! I think it really suits Alyssa!

I think Aemond has a lot of feelings bound up in his relationship with Alyssa that he’s not mature enough to understand or deal with, and there jealousy was definitely involved his “prank.” I think even as a child, there’s a sort of callousness to both book and show Aemond. Like, it takes a special kind of nasty to tell another kid you hope they die screaming like their father. I think it's safe to extrapolate that Aemond struggles with empathy to a certain degree, and he was perhaps genuinely a little startled Alyssa was so frightened, because he didn't find it particular scary himself. (and also he was a tad mad at her. He's not a very nice child, is he, lol)

Someone free Laena! She's too good for her mess! She needs to be sipping pina coladas in Pentos right now, not trying to fix Laenor and Rhaenyra's problems!

I am so glad to have this chapter done, and it was an important one, but I am sooooo ready to move onto the Red Spring, the Fire at Harrenhal, and Driftmark. The next two chapters are going to be back to back Aegon PoV covering those events, and I really don't want to a canon rehash, so I need to think about all the changes I want to make. To tell the truth, some of the dialogue from Driftmark is some of the earliest stuff I have written, and I need to update it to fit the changes in the story and also because I do think my writing has improved since then! (this chapter was meant to feature Otto as well, but it just wasn't working, so I cut all his scenes and had Gwayne come get Daeron instead. The next chapters will have us seeing more of Daemon, Larys, Corlys, and Rhaenys! (I love Rhaenys, I'm so glad to be writing her again)

[mdzs-owns-my-ass-i-guess]

No bitches?

@cullen-blue23 🧟💖⚡️ was another one I thought of (“Jiang Cheng discovering the resident Fierce Corpse has a more successful love life than he does” was a joke I made to a friend a while back and it got a few laughs)

Had way too much fun writing this, I was laughing so hard. This is crack, don't start discourse on me.

Anyways, Wen Ning fucks. And he does it well. That's why he has so many return customers.

Jiang Cheng doesn't mind being single. He doesn't, really - he's made peace with it, he doesn't need anyone, he has things to do and a partner isn't one of them.

He has a sect to run, he has to help Jin Ling settle into his new leadership role, he has night hunts to go to and work to bitch about. So, he's very busy. Much too busy - in fact, even if he did want a relationship, which he does not, he would probably not even have time for even the most basic forms of intimacy. It's a blessing he got blacklisted, the last thing he needs is matchmakers pestering him.

So this isn't about him being jealous. It's about him being entirely fucking scandalized that the entirety of Lotus Pier thirsts after the Ghost General. You know, Wen Ning. Wen Ning. Wen, as in the Wen that attacked and killed their families 15-something years ago.

Nobody in this damn sect has any dignity.

Jiang Cheng is busy, as we've already established, and he has tasks to delegate to certain disciples. Regular sect leader stuff, right? Except that the universe fucking hates him and it's become a regular occurrence for his disciples to take "sick days" whenever there is word of the Ghost General being in the area.

Apparently, the incidence of "broken backs" and "unable to walk" has increased in the Jiang sect. Now Jiang Cheng may not be all too versed into this whole medicine thing, but he knows that's not an epidemic.

God, he can't even try to kill Wen Ning about it. The Lan sect's basically adopted him, and the last thing Jiang Cheng wants is to deal with them too - so all he can do is, I guess, let the Ghost General run through his entire sect.

And the worst part is, they like it. Jiang Cheng has to make an active effort not to hear about what exactly Wen Ning can do and he genuinely would rather die than ever find out. He doesn't want to know, he doesn't need to know, and he's going to qi deviate if he has to order new bedframes for his disciples ever again. Whatever the hell Wen Ning does to them, he can do it on the goddamn floor, where he won't break anything.

How the hell are dead people so fucking horny?

Actually, don't answer that.

Problem is, Jiang Cheng has started to sort of accept this. He's already had to swallow the fact that his golden core isn't his, there's very few things worse than that.

So you can imagine the kind of thing Jiang Cheng walked into his head disciple and Wen Ning doing in the Lotus Lake for him to write an official letter - stamped and everything - to the Lan sect, specifically addressed to Hanguang-Jun's honorable spouse.

Wei Wuxian,

I don't know and neither do I care to find out what the hell is causing your horn dog of a fierce corpse to come to my place and defile all my disciples, but by God if you don't do something about it, I'm going to cause a diplomatic incident that not even the fucking Lan sect will be able to mediate it.

Sect Leader Jiang Wanyin.

Three days letter, a very elegant reply in perfect calligraphy - Lan Wangji, for sure - reaches the Lotus Pier.

Jiang Wanyin,

No bitches?

Hanguang-Jun, Lan Wangji.

[legacieswcrp]

LORE DROP: THE PATRON OF TRAVEL AND DEATH

StormClan is a Clan descended from all five lake Clans, as well as some of their many non-Clan neighbors. While the names of those first warriors who chose to leave their homes by the lake are lost to the whims of history and the strain of travel, StormClan still teaches and remembers the tale of a band of brave and righteous cats who, amidst a dire crisis, banded together across borders and put their principles and their legacies before the fraught politics of their time. The travelers saw many places together, loved, lost, and in time founded a Clan of their own over the course of their long journey. They named it for the way a rolling storm evokes the names of all five of their old Clans - the rumble of thunder; the shadow of heavy clouds; the howling winds; the rains which draw rivers past their banks; their domination of the very sky.

And like its namesake, StormClan traveled, even after establishing itself as a Clan, until the day a prophecy called them north - to Tallrock. Petalstar was the cat who led them there, and now he is worshiped as the patron of travel and sometimes death, a spirit whose blessings guide one safely to their journey's end.

In Petalpelt's time, an ending to StormClan's travels was desperately needed, despite the unrest this idea stirred among the ranks. The Clan had grown tremendously since its founding, both in number and in its capabilities - advancements in medicine and technology meant StormClan cats were living longer, growing older, having and raising more kits. To force these cats and their kin to choose between risking their lives for their Clan and leaving their families and friends for good was no choice at all, fundamentally opposed to StormClan's central ideal that no cat should suffer alone.

A dying elder imparted a prophecy to the Clan in this uncertain time: In mountain and meadow, the storm will fall.

Fear surged through the Clan like lightning; the consensus was that settling would destroy the Clan. So their journey continued, and StormClan began to fracture along the way. Petalpelt's appointment as a deputy was with this strain in mind, a gentle deputy to guide and comfort a troubled Clan. He was an excellent mediator, albeit a bit passive. His work continued into his leadership, his life a relentless slog through departing after departing as StormClan's travails seemed to only intensify the longer they continued to wander.

By the time that Tallrock was visible in the distance, StormClan was desperate for a reprieve. Petalstar, acting on a sliver of hope and curiosity, guided his Clan to the mountain where, sure enough, they found meadows and moors coloring the landscape all around it. And, more importantly, they found the Fallen. The last part of the prophecy clicked into place in Petalstar's mind; this was where StormClan was meant to be, peacefully collaborating with the Fallen in the Tallrock territories, learning to live as they did. So StormClan fell, in a way, and recovered with the help of the Fallen.

Under Petalstar, life was good for StormClan. It was a time of learning and innovation, with cats from both groups moving freely together throughout the Tallrock territories; StormClan cats who needed it could always find a home with the Fallen, the Fallen with StormClan. The peace, however, was not to last. As StormClan became comfortable with its new lifestyle and more confident as inhabitants of Tallrock, some cats' anxieties about the Fallen and their unfamiliar traditions hardened into distrust and hate. When the first half-Clan litter was born and their Fallen Ba insisted that they be raised by their kindred across the border, these whispered tensions exploded into the forefront of Clan politics. After the kits and their parents moved to kindred territory, there were schemes and secret meetings, and a plot was enacted. A warrior orchestrated a false abduction, stealing full-blooded StormClan kittens from their nest and framing the Fallen for the act.

It didn't work. Petalstar dishonored the culprit with the name Adder once they were caught and the kittens safely returned, and he gave them an impossible choice of their own as punishment: stay in StormClan and live the rest of their days as a prisoner or live in exile - suffer alone. Adder chose the latter.

In some ways, however, Adder's actions - the actions of their co-conspirators, the interests of their ideology, for Adder was only a symptom of StormClan's festering hate - worked exactly as they were meant to. Distrust took StormClan like a plague, as warriors found themselves doubting everyone, their neighbors, their Clanmates. The Clan was a powder keg ready to blow, and it was only a matter of time until another extreme act - the disappearance of the half-Clan kittens - ignited it. StormClan warriors escalated with the Fallen, and the Tallrock territories descended into war.

This is what tarnished Petalstar's legacy and imparted to him the domain of death. He was a leader who had spent his entire life working for peace; he was not prepared to protect his Clan through conflict at this scale. While he agonized and deliberated over the least costly choices for both sides, cats suffered and died. More combat patrols meant fewer hunting and gathering patrols, and as StormClan's numbers dropped, the survivors began to starve, including Petalstar himself. By the end of his life, most of the Clan - Rimestar most of all - believed that he had fulfilled the prophecy of his youth by leading his Clan into the grave.

Posthumously, Petalstar is a more sympathetic character in StormClan's stories. He was an excellent navigator, and for as gruesome as the war with the Fallen became, he did guide them to their current home. Plenty of cats in more recent generations agree that the cost of the Tallrock war was not entirely Petalstar's fault, though his association with death as a patron persists all the same. Today most cats will pray for his gentle deliverance in times of hardship, for his guidance on long journeys, and for a kinder end when death looms. Many believe that he personally guides the sick and hungry to StarClan when it's their time, either as an atonement for his mistake or as a comrade to those facing the same departure that he did. He, too, is why StormClan cats will place flower blooms or scatter petals over their dead before burial, to guide the departed into his embrace.

[maigeiko]

Kamisuwa Onsen, collected random infos

Back in March, a reader of this blog asked for a blog entry in the vein of previous "the look of..." features, but for Kamisuwa Onsen 上諏訪温泉. Sadly, there isn't much visual material available and the basic look of the 3 or less remaining Geisha boils down to: Yohatsu, Homongi, light-coloured Obiage, Otaiko Musubi, or the formal look: Tsubushi Shimada, Kurotomesode, red Obiage, Otaiko Musubi. So here, I present some collected random infos you might find interesting.

Kamisuwa Geisha, Setsubun 2014

Dances Kappore かっぽれ Takeda bushi 武田節 Kiso bushi 木曽節 Kohan bushi 湖畔節 Ina bushi 伊奈節 Shôchikubai 松竹梅 (performed in the new year season) Tsurukame 鶴亀 (performed at wedding receptions and birthdays) O-Suwa Takashi お諏訪節 Sukêto bushi スケート節 (Ice skating on lake Suwa) Kirigamine kouta 霧ヶ峰小唄 (ice skating) Onhashira kouta 御柱小唄 Suwa ondo 諏訪音頭 (about the beauty of Suwa throughout the seasons) Okaya kouta 岡谷小唄 (about the Okaya silk industry) Numbers 1930's ("early Showa period"): 200 Geisha in Kamisuwa 1958: 80 1960's: 300 2006: 3 History The first Hanamachi on lake Suwa developed in Nawatemachi 縄手町/畷町 in 1903 (renamed to Otemachi 大手町 in 1909). In the following years, a few Ryotei were established. In 1920, the area of Otemachi 1 and 2 chôme was designated as area for Geisha, so Okiya and Ryotei of the neighbouring Izumichô area 和泉町 were moved there. In the early Showa period (1920's/30's), Okiya that were formerly located in Hamamachi also moved to Otemachi. Kamisuwa had two kenban: Ote kenban 大手見番 and Koyanagi kenban 湖柳見番. In Shimosuwa 下諏訪, it seems kenban had no specific names. In Okaya 岡谷, there used to be another Koyanagi kenban 小柳見番 in the Honmachi area. In Chino 茅野, there were Miyagawa kenban 宮川見番 (current Miyagawacho area), and Eimei kenban 永明見番 (current Nakacho area). Before the around 1969/70, Geisha of these respective cities did not work in other cities. But with the decline of Geisha numbers, the Hanamachi in Okaya, Shimosuwa and Chino were no longer able to meet the demands of their customers, so it was allowed for Geisha from Kamisuwa to pad those numbers.

Chiyomaru 千代丸 in "Showa Meigiren", 1988 Daily life Geisha usually practiced their respective arts (such as Narimono, Nagauta, Kouta, dance) until 15:00, afterwards they went to the beauty parlour to get their hair done, put on makeup and change into work clothes. Ozashiki usually lasted for two hours. Style In the year 1935, Geisha still wore their natural hair instead of wigs, and their hairstyle changed, depending on rank and age. Hangyoku wore Momoware 桃割れ and Oshidori おしどり. Geisha under 26 years wore Yuiwata 結い綿 or Taka shimada 高島田, no info on Geisha between 26 and 30, Geisha aged 31 and above wore Geiko yui 芸こ結い, tsubushi (shimada?) つぶし, icho gaeshi 銀杏返, and yokai maki 夜会まき. Around 1955, most Geisha wore short hair or western updos on a daily base and used Nihongami wigs for work. Becoming Geiko Three mediators who acted as go-between of Okiya and families/volunteers worked in Kamisuwa. According to Manchiyo, who worked from 1930 to 44 in Otemachi, the daughters of poor farmers and travelling entertainers were sold to the Okiya for 15 yen. When the parents met with the Okiya, the length of the girl's service was decided. After becoming employed by the Okiya, the girls were doing "odd jobs", while taking lessons in Hanayagi-ryu dance, Shamisen and other arts. It's like Shikomi in Kyoto, although no specific term is named. When a Hangyoku was ready to become a Geisha, she had to prove her skills in dance or shamisen to a council of dance/shamisen teacher, Okiya owner, senior Geisha, head of the Geisha association and a member of the Kenban. The Okiya spent around 30 yen for an Erikae, while the Geisha had to take a loan of 150-200 yen. If her parents were to borrow money during her time before becoming independent, it was added to her loan. If parents continued to ask for money and the Geisha's debt became too large, they often became prostitutes in order to pay off their debts. Around 2 years after becoming Geisha, they became "Goshugi tori" ご祝儀取り - they receive some of the money from the Gyokudai, but tips were entirely for them to keep. The next level was called "share" 分け, when 40% of all earnings were her own. When becoming independent from their Okiya, they paid fees for food and being registered at the place. Most Geisha also had a patron after becoming independent, which also lead to most of them retiring before the age of 30. @gardengeisha yes, this is about Kamisuwa Onsen located in Suwa-gun in Nagano prefecture!

Sources: https://www.saginoyu.com/blog/10090 (2014) 地方花柳界における〈芸〉と〈色〉諏訪湖沿岸 地域の事例 (2015) 花街文化伝える学校が開校／長野・上諏訪温泉 (2008) はなあかり: 昭和名妓連 (1988)

[kissimor]

My Hellaverse ocs and sona

Sinforosa

The most popular and woman in hell Sinforosa born Sasha she died in 2020 from Desert Rose poisoning she has zero memory of the days of her death and reason why she was killed but in life she was a college student and reasoning musician but was killed by deranged fan who buried her body in rose garden, in hell she made a deal with the Vees she is both a famous pop star and pornstar she is kind and sweet and sickeningly nice but is extremely vain and has a huge fear of being seen ugly by anyone and her stage persona is very different from actually persona being sexy femme fatale dominatrix she talks differently on and off the stage, off stage she talks very sweet and sugary while on stage she talks in a sultry and sexy way and is well known for her love of sweets and anime (also her style of singing would sound differently on and off stage on stage she sings like a typical sexy pop star while off stage she sings like a Japanese idol) she is pansexual

Webster

This is Webster he is a former member of Angel dust’s crime family who left the crime family after falling in love with Sinforosa in life he was member of angel dust’s crime family and was a close friend of Angel and Molly in life he died by gunshot in the back in the 1940’s he is a joyful and very enthusiastic but he can be anxious and he is very confident but gets embarrassed by Sinforosa’s flirts as well heartless towards his enemies guy he traces of a Italian accent and likes to collect firearms and practice his sniper skills he is straight

Melly

Melly a poor moth demon who literally was rigged by the system in life she was hospitalized for most of her life and had only a few friends which are Sasha(Sinforosa) and Ken(Kitsu) she died on hospital bed from asthma in 2021 she is calm and collected but has a lot of depression and is very lazy she talks she likes to sew and make clothes and actually wanted to be a tailor she also likes to listen to mediation music in her free time her voice sounds kinda gruff due to her breathing mask she is heteroromantic asexual

Kitsu

Kitsu is a lovable and very likable fox demon he was computer science and engineering student and died in fire in his dorm in 2017 he is childhood friends with Sinforosa and Melly and he is a nice supportive guy who is completely against conflict he barely has any negatives beside he is very kinky compared to other bell citizens and does have a timid streak he likes to play video games and watch videos on his phone his a bit of a mix of a japanese and Canadian accent he is gay he used to date Dante when he was new to hell but is now dating Lex

Q.J.

Q.J. Or Quincy Jane This chick is Velvette’s older twin sister and was her biggest supporter in life and her rising in hell but was sexually assaulted and by Valentino she died in the early 2000’s her cause of death was a red room which is basically is people get put through torture and murder and the process was recording and posted on the dark web so yeah a lot of trauma she generally feel like her sister abandoned her but buried it deep down until the incident with Val causing her to breakdown and runaway her personality is Spunky and Sassy Girlboss like her except she is more wiser and more maternal girlboss but she has her negatives are basically she had a lot PTSD and Bottles up her feelings until they burst and boil she likes to watch romcoms and generally is a old romantic and has British accent like Velvette and a similar voice but has a more maternal tone she is Bisexual

Dante

Dante is well trained bodyguard and hitman and Kitsu’s Ex and is Sinforosa’s Bodyguard and he is stoic and quiet and has a huge fucking temper which makes sense for him being a wrath ring citizen he likes to box and lift weights he has a southern accent and deep intimidating voice and is Bisexual

Gidget

Next is Gidget she is in life she was a office worker from the late 1970’s she died from throwing herself into a lake and drowning she is loyal Christian and very religious and is a Loyal and super intelligent person but suffers from self-loathing due to her not knowing why she is in hell and thinks she failed as a Christian she has a valley girl accent she likes to cook and help out when she can and is lesbian

Lex

Lex this guy used to work for Vox better later quit to do his own thing in life he was a Art student who died of a overdose in the late 2005’s and is a well laid-back, comedic, a huge art buff and very eccentric his negatives are extremely self-doubting and has extremely bad anxiety issues he likes to paint, hangout with Kitsu, he loves anime and partying he is pansexual

[lietpolski]

i'd love to hear more about your yugotalia ocs, especially the ones you haven't talked about before! ps: i looove your characterisations of serbia and slovenia, i haven't seen anyone in the fandom capture our ✨Vibe ✨ so well :) sending love from slovenia!!

aaaa first of all thank you soso much!!! it makes me so happy to see someone from slovenia liking how i portray him!! :DD he's my favourite

and i super agree with u on serbia!!! i think he can be grumpy but even then he's the kinda guy to joke about it :,) i see him more as the opposite, struggling to be serious or genuine with his thoughts & emotions!! we have p much the same view of serbs here in greece, the loud & fun little brothers up north and all that, so i wanted to give him that sort of feel :)

i should add that!! ok so i came up with serbia, slovenia & montenegro before having seen any yugotalia content (which is wild because serbia + slovenia are quite similar to the popular fanon!!) but the rest i made after becoming more familiar with yugotalia, so my other ocs are mostly revised versions of those!! a few thoughts on the lot of them:

macedonia - i see her as a sweet person who's also a bit stubborn and clumsy. like, a plain sort of girl (in a good, cozy way if that makes sense!) who likes to just chill in nature! i also see her as the sort of mediator, "can't we all just get along?" pacifist type. she'd rather bake bread for church or go on a walk by the lake than sit there and argue (a rare trait among the rest of these guys haha) she's closest to serbia and has a kinda complicated relationship with bulgaria who i see as a brother to her (in the weird hetalia way which doesn't really reflect healthy human family dynamics)

croatia - a new fave of mine, although i find him THE hardest to portray :,) i think the heavy austrohungarian influence for the grand majority of his life is so interesting!! it might have made him a biiiit... not stuck-up, in the way slovenia can seem at first, but if he doesn't know you well he might default to being polite and impersonal. but once he's comfortable with you i think he's a really fun guy! sporty, loves swimming and good food, he's hard-working but not serious! i think his relationship with slovenia would be really interesting too, because there have been a lot of recent arguments between the two, but slovenians online always seem to call croatians their best friends. he's a bit hard to get close to unless you've known him for a long time too

bosnia & herzegovina - to be honest i still don't know what to do with bosnia :,) not even sure if i think of them as having two representatives for each half (third?) haha, i think it's a cool idea but tbh i don't know as much about bosnia! i think them being the one dude in the balkans who doesn't think sadık is that bad, actually, is fun! and i think of them as a bit less outgoing than serbia & croatia but other than that i just default to the yugotalia versions for now! although for some reason smth about bosnia is giving woman swag to me i could see them as a girl

kosovo - not too many hcs here that arent obvious, but i think it's fun if kosovo is physically the same age as irl kosovo, so 15. does it make sense with the hetalia canon.... no. is it fun to have this irritable balkan teen boy character? yes and i love him :)

thanks for letting me ramble for so long, my hair is almost done bleaching by now :ρ

[whencyclopedia]

The Bear Man

The Bear Man is a Pawnee legend exemplifying the Native American understanding of the natural world and serving as an origin tale for the Bear Dance, which was performed to awaken the bears in spring from their winter hibernation and also to celebrate the season of choosing a mate. The Bear Dance is still performed by the Pawnee today.

The bear holds special significance for the Pawnee, as well as other Native American nations including the Ute, as a powerful animal and one of the Nahu'rac – the creatures who serve Ti-ra'wa ("Father Above"), as messengers and mediators – and who are considered brothers by various indigenous peoples. According to scholar Bobby Lake-Thom:

The Bear is always a good sign and a special power. He represents wisdom, insight, introspection, protection, and healing. If you see a Bear while hiking in the woods or along the river, then you know that a very sacred place is nearby. (78)

In The Bear Man, a father, concerned for his son, makes friends with a bear cub in hopes that the Nahu'rac will remember his kindness and look after his boy. Later in life, the Nahu'rac bears remember this kindness and repay it by bringing the boy back to life after he is killed in battle and teaching him their spiritual "medicine" (powers). The story shares similarities with other famous Pawnee tales including A Story of Faith and The Boy Who Was Sacrificed, which also feature the supernatural entities of the Nahu'rac.

The Bear Dance

In Native American belief, generally speaking, there is no spiritual difference between a human being, a plant, a tree, an animal, or a rock, as all things are imbued by the Creator with the same resonant energy. Humans are in no way superior to the natural world but are expected to act as stewards and care for their environment as they would for their own family and community. The Bear Dance grew out of this understanding as the dancers, as they perform wearing the bear hides which have been gifted to them by their bear relatives, become those bears and offer to others bear wisdom, healing, and power. Scholar Larry J. Zimmerman writes:

For Native North Americans, the boundaries between the world of the spirits and the world of living people were not clearly defined: a third "in-between" world of transition separated them. Every entity to some degree inhabited all three of these worlds. If a human carried out the appropriate rituals, he or she could be transformed into a being from one of the other two worlds.

Such transformations often duplicated events of the "beginning time" when the world came to be as it is through the agency of culture heroes and tricksters. On ceremonial occasions, an individual might assume the appearance of such a figure and be thought, literally, to become that being. When a holy man put on a yellow bear hide, for his audience he actually was the bear. (126)

The Bear Dance was (and is) always performed in the spring, waking the bears from their hibernation, and signaling the time for young men and women to choose mates. Among the Ute and Pawnee, the traditional roles of festivals are reversed at this time as men, instead of women, prepare the area for the dance, and women, instead of men, initiate the dance to find a suitable mate. The Bear Dance may last ten days to two weeks and honor the spirit of the bears as much as that of the community and the natural world at large.

Continue reading...

[rizehomesource]

How to Handle Common Tenant Complaints in Residential Property Management

In Residential Property Management, tenant complaints are inevitable, but they can be efficiently managed with the right approach. By addressing complaints proactively, property managers maintain positive tenant relationships, protect property value, and ultimately increase tenant retention rates. For investors and property managers in Salt Lake City Property Management, handling tenant complaints effectively is crucial for a successful, smoothly-run property. Here’s a guide to managing some of the most common complaints in residential property settings.

Maintenance and Repairs

One of the most frequent tenant complaints involves maintenance and repairs. Tenants expect quick responses to issues like leaky faucets, broken appliances, or heating problems. Rize Property Management recommends implementing a streamlined maintenance request system that allows tenants to report issues easily. Rize’s team is dedicated to quick response times and ensuring repairs are handled by skilled professionals, which helps to prevent small issues from escalating into costly repairs.

Noise Complaints

Noise can be a common issue, especially in multi-family properties. To handle noise complaints, it's important to establish clear noise policies in the lease agreement and communicate them to tenants. When noise complaints arise, Salt Lake City Property Management experts advise managers to mediate between the parties calmly, encouraging respectful dialogue. Rize Property Management also emphasizes the importance of regular building inspections to ensure that tenants are adhering to community guidelines.

Disputes Among Tenants

Conflicts between tenants, such as disagreements over shared spaces, can impact the overall living environment. In such cases, effective Residential Property Management involves active listening and fair resolution. Rize’s approach includes mediating disputes impartially and setting clear guidelines for shared spaces to reduce friction among tenants. This proactive stance promotes a peaceful living environment and enhances tenant satisfaction.

Safety and Security Concerns

Tenants value a safe and secure living space. Complaints about security, such as poor lighting or lack of security cameras, should be addressed swiftly. Rize ensures that properties are well-lit, secured, and regularly inspected for potential hazards. This reassures tenants and reduces the likelihood of complaints related to safety.

Rent and Fees Disputes

Sometimes, tenants may have concerns regarding rent increases, fees, or payment schedules. Transparency and communication are key here. Rize Property Management provides tenants with clear information about rent policies, ensuring that any changes are communicated well in advance.

Addressing tenant complaints in a prompt, professional manner is essential for successful property management. Rize Property Management in Salt Lake City understands the importance of resolving tenant issues swiftly to maintain satisfaction and long-term occupancy. By taking a proactive approach to tenant concerns, property managers create a positive living experience and foster tenant loyalty.

For more information, visit the website: https://rizepropertymanagement.com/

[intothetlkverse]

Decided to challenge myself by drawing every single TLK character out there, up until this point in time, and post it here. You can see the finished project on my main account, though I figured to post it on my tumblr just show I could proudly show off my work and a few of my head canons.

Here are all the hippos across TLG/K:

First off we have the OG hippos Beshte(best-Afrikaans)  and his father Basi(bus). Of course you know these two, though lets talk a moment about the significance their species does in the Pirdelands and the Circle of Life. Hippos are important to the aquatic ecosystems they live in by helping maintain river channels, moving soil and modifying the underwater landscape, helping to create complex habitats that support numerous other species. We've seen this in how they create the hippo lanes, allowing easier access across areas for other animals. The pods are also the guardians of the water channels alongside the crocodiles. Though during dry seasons mean they get first priority due to their semi-aquatic lifestyles, hippos are also the ones who keep them safe and that everyone can use them, or protect them from those who would misuse them(i.e. taking more then their share during the dry season or mucking them up them for others. Basi has been leader of his herd for many years and is the primary representative for the hippos in the Savanah Summit, being head of the largest pod and being the best mediator with other animals. Beshte will eventually follow in his father's hoofsteps as leader once his time as being the Lion Guard's strongest is finished and will follow his father's example as a good leader. He also will act as a mentor for future Lion Guard members for generations to come.

Another leader of a hippo pod, though not as known or well-liked is Kiboko(hippo) from the 6NA story "Vulture Shock" and Lion King Short Stories "Trouble at the Lake". Unlike the more amiable and wise Basi, Kiboko is more stubborn and insensitive. He believes that the other animals expect too much of each other, especially the hippos, and neither appreciate or care about the ones taking care of their waterways. He's known for being more strict and rude, setting time limits for how long they stay at his watering hole and being bluntly honest about his opinions, sort of the hippo's Makuu to Basi's Pua. Still for what Kiboko lacks in tract he makes up for in loyalty to his family, friends, and homeland. He is willing to acknowledge his own behavior an actions if for the sake of helping out his family and is a force to be reckoned with if you mess with any of his loved ones, especially his daughter Shika. Over time he will mature and settle down, actually taking Basi's advice instead of constantly picking fights with him.

Next up we have a pair of sisters from, yet again for the fourth time in a  row, Operation Pridelands, hippo sisters Mimipo(moving-Yoruba) and  Sisipo(movement-Yoruba). During Scar's reign both Basi and Kiboko's pods migrated out of the Pridelands and both sisters ended up getting separated with the other pod, Mimipo in Basi's and Sisipo in Kiboko's. It was here Mimipo got pregnant, however between the journey and the toll Scar's reign had on her she ended up losing her calf. It was soon after when Basi came to her with his son Beshte, who had yet to be weaned, yet lost his mother Pwani due to the famine and an illness she had come across recently. Basi asked her to be Beshte's surrogate in the meanwhile and Mimipo agreed, soon coming to see Beshte as the child she never had and eventually becoming Basi's wife. While this was happening, Sisipo had found love with Kiboko and would eventually have Shika a few months later. Both sisters would reunite with each other when Kigali, Timon, and Pumbaa were sent out to retrieve animals after Scar's reign. and both are as close together as ever, even though they reside in different pods and watering holes.

Next up we have several calves from the pods. Starting off from the Lion Guard comic "A Remedy for Impatience" we have Baby hippo, aka Tunda(fruit). Tunda is Basi and Mimipo's son and Beshte's younger half-brother. A toddler, he's still learning about patience and his surroundings, such as when fruit is right to eat and how to deal with eating too much food. Beshte is a very patience and compassionate older brother though, helping get his brother the cure for eating too many unripe fruit and help cheer him up. Also in the comic, it seems he has Beshte's show colors while Beshte has a color more reminiscent of his father, so I decided to swap them out for Tunda here. He also has a mix of both parent's eyes.

Next on the sad hippo calf's list we have Oyo(rattle-Igbo), a baby hippo from "Runaway Hippo!". Since they had a picture of the hippo from IJCWTBK in the book, I based their design off that. From the Oasis, he meets Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa one day when they hear him crying in the jungle and find him trapped in vines and mud. After freeing him, he explains how he ran away due to accidently making his younger brother cry and ran away to avoid their parents' reaction, however ended up scared and trapped. The three eventually convince him to go back to his family after they take him back to the river and he can hear his family calling for him.

Last on the hippo calf list we have little Kiazi(potato). A mischievous and playful girl, she's the youngest of Basi's pod and the daughter of the Bellow Fellows' leader Baragumu.

From the comic "Slime Okay, You're Okay" we have the gorgeous, yet vain and selfish Herma/Ema(wait). Ema is overbearing and likes to have her way. She cares little for the needs of others and ignores any complaints about her behavior. This changed during the dry season when she was hogging a mud hole, irritating both her fellow hippos and other Pridelanders, especially when she chased them away. Eventually Zazu came up with the plan with the other hippos to make the mudhole bigger while also using a mouse to scare and teach Ema about sharing and treating others well. Since then Ema has become more humble and respectful. She spends most of her time by the mud pots, helping maintain them, instructing others how to properly use them, and also correcting those who decided to act as how she did when it comes to using them all for themselves.

Next up we have the Bellow Fellows from the TLG episode "Beware the Zimwi". In the middle we have leader of the singing group Baragumu(horn/trumpet) along with his brother Tambo(string) and fellow singer Ngoma(drum). First assembled by Beshte's mother Pawni during Scar's reign, using music as a way to bring peace and unity to a worsening world, the three eventually left with Basi's pod when Scar's reign became too much for them, though they still kept up the singing pod, even after Pwani passed after giving birth to her son, due to an illness. The Bellow Fellows have since become a notable singing group in the Pridelands, sometimes holding concerts for the pods and other Pridelanders, in the same vein as the Elephants' Concert or the The Royal Buffalo Wallow, with varying appreciation for the latter. Beshte is a member of this group and will participate in the concerts for many seasons to come.

Below them are three youngsters that we see in the "Return of the Roar" pilot episode who enjoy the homemade waterslide Beshte makes by pushing a boulder into the water. Beshte mentions his friend Kulu and her cousin in the episode "Eye of the Beholder", so I've decided to use that for two of these three hippos. Kulu/Kulukulu(Fischer's turaco) is Kiazi's older sister and Baragumu's daughter. She's and her cousins will eventually take on their father's places alongside Beshte as part of the Bellow Fellows, but for now she's content just living her life in Big Springs. Her cousin Wuru(built-Igbo) was also mentioned in the episode, having overheard some buffalo talking about something his sister saw earlier today when she was over in the canyon near Chakula Plains. He's a cheerful fellow with extremely good hearing skills, making him ideal as Beshte's future advisor and 'majordomo' of sorts. He is also a very rare twin with his brother Bahari(ocean/sea), who seems to have inherited a similar super sense, but with an exceptional range of voice, even more powerful then their father's.

Last on this list we have someone I've personally sunk a bit more interest and lore into, the hippo calf we see from "We Are One", Shika(grasp, hold on). She's Kiboko and Sisipo's daughter, thus Beshte's cousin, and in my TLG AU she replaces Beshte as the strongest on Kiara's Lion Guard. I debated actually adding her in since I've personalized her for my AU(which I will get back to soon), though considering she has been featured in other pieces of TLK media by the fan I figured I might as well. She's basically a giant cinnamon role, very cheerful, sweet, helpful, and emotional, always there to try and make someone's day, even if her size gets in the way. In both my AU and in the main timeline she acts as a farrier for birds and other animals in Big Springs and her father's territory, helping others bridge the water or take a relaxing, otherwise stressful trip across hippo-infested waters.

[atlasxthorne]

Name: Atlas Thorne

Faceclaim: Justin Hartley

Gender & Pronouns: cis male & he/him

Age: 45

Birthday: January 9th, 1979

Height: 6'2

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Occupation: Lead Behavioral Analyst for the Wilmington Police Department's Special Operations Division

Neighborhood: Masonboro

short facts

Born in Duluth, Minnesota during a blizzard on January 9th, 1979, with two much older brothers (15 and 12 years his senior).

His career path was influenced by losing his best friend to suicide, leading him to study psychology and eventually become one of the FBI's top crisis negotiators.

5 years back, after a tragic hostage situation where a young boy died, he left the FBI and relocated to Wilmington.

Lives with Jazz, a German Shepherd who failed police dog training for being too friendly, and decompresses through woodworking and playing jazz piano.

Found out he has a half younger brother a few months ago when his father came clean to him that he had fathered a son when his mother and father were taking a break. His half brother is Eddie Powers.

biography

Atlas Thorne never expected to end up in Wilmington, North Carolina, but life had its own plans. Born during a record-breaking blizzard in Duluth, Minnesota on January 9th, 1979, he spent his early years as the much younger sibling to two brothers, with an age gap that made him practically an only child. His oldest brother is 15 years older and the second one is 12 years older. Growing up with a prison guard father and a 911 dispatcher mother, Atlas learned early to read the room. His childhood was split between the family home and his grandmother's farm near Lake Superior, where he developed the patience that would later define his career. When his family moved to Minneapolis in '87, following his father's promotion, the young boy found his calling as the neighborhood's unofficial peacekeeper. His mediation skills took off at Southwest High School, where he crushed state debate competitions and worked at youth crisis hotlines. He was a star at hockey, but had to give it up after getting injured in junior year - but he still roots for the Minnesota Wild. Losing his best friend to suicide was a turning point in his career decisions. After graduating as salutatorian, Atlas pursued psychology at the University of Minnesota, working campus security to make ends meet. He followed this with a master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of St. Thomas, specializing in trauma and crisis intervention. His growing expertise in hostage negotiation and crisis management led him to the police academy in 2003. Over the next two decades, Thorne built an impressive career spanning both the FBI and local law enforcement. After five years as a police negotiator, his exceptional record caught the FBI's attention. He joined their Critical Incident Response Group in Quantico, where he spent eight years handling high-stakes negotiations across the country. During this time, he mastered multiple languages - Spanish, Hmong, and Russian - which proved invaluable in diverse communities. His reputation grew as one of the Bureau's top crisis negotiators. But those skills that made him great at work also made things tricky in his personal life. A bank robbery gone wrong eight years ago led to a hostage's death of a young boy. Atlas blamed himself for misreading the perpetrator's signals, and though this tragedy ultimately made him better at his job, it left emotional scars that influenced his decision to leave the FBI. Two years later, Atlas accepted a position as the lead behavioral analyst for the Wilmington Police Department's Special Operations Division. The move to North Carolina's coast provided a fresh start, though he couldn't leave behind his hyper-vigilant habits - like checking locks twice before bed and always sitting with his back to walls in restaurants. These days, Atlas lives alone in a minimalist apartment with his failed police dog candidate, Jazz - a German Shepherd too friendly for law enforcement work. He spends his free time crafting wooden furniture in his garage workshop and playing jazz piano to decompress. Despite his professional success in helping others navigate their worst moments, he still struggles with and maintaining close relationships. Atlas, who's always on call and has a weird schedule, surprisingly found peace in Wilmington. He continues to train other negotiators and anonymously volunteers at local crisis hotlines - quietly sends flowers each year to the family of the hostage he couldn't save.

[stu-dyingstudent]

Some ya book recs because why not?

the mediator series by meg cabot (teen girl can see ghosts and once moving to California she finds her room is haunted by one. Quick reads, lots of fun, and even some action if you like that)

Mara dyer trilogy by Michelle Hodkin (after a traumatic incident she can’t remember that kills her friends, Mara moves to Florida and starts at a new school. Things start getting really weird and her sanity is questioned)

second chance summer by Morgan matson (with her dad dying of cancer his last wish is to spend his last few months as a family in their lake house. Really sad, lots of family and friendship stuff)

Michigan vs the Boys by Carrie S Allen (girl has to join the boys hockey team after the girls team gets cut. She faces heavy bullying/hazing and it’s really heartfelt)

First & Then by Emma Mills (Devon’s younger cousin comes to live with her family and somehow joins the school’s football team. Now she’s forced to interact with some people she doesn’t really want to)

what happens next by Colleen J Clayton (after being raped on a school trip her life is completely thrown off the tracks. She befriends the school stoner and tries to move on with life. Pretty emotional)

the disappearance of Sloan Sullivan by Gia cribbs (sloan is in her last year under the witness protection program until things don’t go as planned. Interesting mystery)

stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri maniscalco (a girl interested in forensic science joins forces with her uncle’s annoying apprentice to solve murder cases)

my heart and other black holes by jasmine warga (two teens make a death pack. Lots of talk about suicide)

saving Francesca by Melina marchetta (a girl’s mother falls into depression and the family starts to break apart. She tries and keep going and makes new friends at school)

Anyway, hopefully at least something here sounds of interest!