#Unfortunately I am forced to take drastic measures to be functional :/

[thateclecticbitch]

I really should buy myself some meal replacement shakes

[aita-blorbos]

Aita for maybe sort of killing a lot of people to escape an oppresive society?

I (30s M) live in a society that enforces toxic positivity via the use of mind altering drugs. These drugs not only force happiness, but they fog your memories. Until recently, I was a functioning member of this society. Those who don't (or more often physically can't) conform within this society are ostracised and thrown out into the ruins of the old towns.

While at work, I saw an old picture of me and my older brother, and my memory of him began to return. This caused me to stop taking the drugs that this society enforces. I'm now on a missoon to escape this society in hopes of finding my brother, who was forced to leave many years ago against his will.

However, I've unfortunately had to resort to some very drastic measures to allow myself to continue my quest, which includes the murder of many individuals. I'm not proud of what I've done, but I believe that it was necessary to ensure I could escape this society. Most of the people I've killed I killed out of self-defense or necessity. Those who don't succumb to the demands of the society are viciously attacked by those who do, and even those who can't.

I never wanted to hurt anyone, but I'm not sure there was much else I could do. I've managed to escape now, and I am still searching for my brother. However, the guilt is eating at me, was I ta?

[pearl484-blog]

Replay Lore Notes Compliation

Below is a compilation of all current lore notes found in comments in Replay or at the bottom of Replay related material.  ========================== Main Story: ========================== Chapter 1: Names and titles of magical creatures hold magic, and some magical creatures, such as Kwamis or akumas, will take offense to being referred to a magical by an incorrect name or title. For akumas, the most disrespectful of the wrong names is their former name before they were transformed. Because they have drastic physical and magical alterations when they transform, magically speaking, an akuma is an entirely seperate person from who they were before, albeit one who remembers their previous life.

The ability of a Butterfly to give someone a new identity is profoundly useful in allowing their akumas to pass barriers, both real and percieved, that would stop their host's previous identity and can soothe creatures who have lost their own sense of identity. Their extremely altered magical core also provides any akuma's hosts some measure of protection after their service, allowing them to hide from anything that can track a person's magic. --------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: Miraculouses are no longer without a cost. Miraculouses now have both a physical and mental toll. For example, wielding a Miraculous will cause problems such as sleep deprivation to appear faster and strike harder. Since Miraculous are not considered "cursed" artifacts, the price is low, but it differs depending on the compatibility between the wielder and the Miraculous. It is also multiplied when wearing dormant Miraculouses and exponentially increased when fused.

Abusing fused Miraculous now has the consequences implied in Miracle Queen (IE. Chat's complaint that they could die or go crazy), and Marinette and Adrien cannot pull all-nighters like their peers, a fact implied by the Season 2 finale, Star Train, and several other canon episodes. Most teens could pull it off, albeit not at the frequency they do, but in canon, they could not. Unfortunately, this does mean the Hawkmoth could not wield all the Miraculous at once or he'd swiftly die from having his life force sucked out faster than he can say MWAHAHAHA, but it's a sacrifice that I am willing to make, especially since that move DID contridict Kwamibuster and Miracle Queen. --------------------------------------------- Chapter 3: (Warning: Body Horror) When someone begins to suffer from magical instability, there is nothing physically wrong with them. Their lungs still pull air in and out, their heart still beats, and everything, but there is a certain SOMETHING missing from their bodies that will cause their organs to have short bouts where they doesn't function as effeciently, which become longer and longer and more and more serious as the body slowly stops being able to perform vital functions, and the organs slowly start to fail due to this ineffciency. Eventually, the afflicted falls into a coma where there is nothing medically wrong, but they cannot wake up and most of their organs do not function as they should despite having no medical cause for doing so. ---------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:

Sentimonsters (Ninguardian, Archie, and Chronodragon): Ninguardian: Born out of a desire to get the Grimoire and complete the mission at any cost, Ninguardian is a living bundle of cloth that can take the shape of a ninja or settle down into a crumpled pile of fabric. It's mouth is a diagonal slit in it's "chest" that is only accessible in it's human form. It's lightweight form allows it swift, quiet, and nimble movements with an extreme amount of flexibility, but it is easily thrown or buffeted by elements around it. Because it is sired by it's Peacock, it has the ability to sense the Grimoire it is seeking within a limited range.

Archie: Born out of duty to Paris, love of Paris and its citizens, and a complete and utter hatred of akumas, Archie is a cat with unusual features, such as golden eyes, stripes on its chest, and hands for feet. It's small size allows for increased speed and agility while it's hands allow for excellent grip strength. Unfortunately, much like it's predecessor, Ninguardian, it's small size and light weight allow it to be easily thrown in battle. Because it is sired by it's Peacock for the express purpose of defeating a Butterfly, it possesses immunity to akumas.

Chronodragon: Born out of desperation to not lose to that freaking Bunnyx, Chronodragon is a large Eastern dragon adorned with several clocks across its body. It's large, serpentine body allows it to move quickily in water and deliver powerful flows of force to it's enemies, while it's teeth and excellent fine motor control make it a formidable foe on land. Unfortunately, it's large size and heavy weight make it unable to fly and while leaps are possible, they are difficult and often cause catastrophic damage to anyone it is near. Because it is sired by it's Peacock, Kukko, it retains Kukko's natural ability to hold time and use it to it's advantage and has been granted a large amount of time by Kukko to serve as a failsafe against Bunnyx.

Note: Although Kukko and Future!Adrien are different versions of each other, magically speaking, an akuma is different from its host. So yes, Chronodragon and Future!Adrien's akumas (Ninguardian and Archie) can exist at the same time since they are created by different Peacocks, but Ninguardian and Archie cannot co-exist as they both share the same Peacock.

This is a built in safety feature that prevents people from being punished for an reckless actions taken while being an akuma (while also stopping them from being too reckless with it as an akuma), and also prevents normal mages who do not have near limitless reserves from accidentally killing themselves by bleeding themselves dry creating a sentimonster.

Theoretically, if Adrien were to develop an entirely new 2nd akuma form, it could be magically different from Kukko and future!Adrien, depending on the level of difference. If Season 4!Adrien becomes Ephermal or Chat Blanc and got either of them hands on it, they could use it to create a new monster, but if Replay (Kukko's original form) becomes Replay 2.0 or Reset or an akuma that's too similiar, it wouldn't work. Likewise, if Season4!Adrien tried to fuse two Miraculous to get extra juice, it wouldn't alter his magic enough to do it. It probably won't be brought up in the main story again, but my Beta and I had a blast talking about it. ---------------------------------------------- Chapter 5: In order to balance out Marinette and Adrien, I have given the two of them innate abilities that are independent of the Miraculous, although they can be influenced by them over time. These are not concious abilities, and they are designed to more strongly reflect the yin/yang theme.

Marinette has the Jinx ability, which manifests itself as bad luck in the area around her when her emotions become too chaotic. Certain emotions may trigger this effect more than others. This is inspired by her chain of disasters in Origins and the disaster that was Animaestro. She also has bad luck with doors in the New York special whenever she is anxious near Adrien. On a rewatch of Season 1, she also trips more when anxious.

Her secondary ability is short range teleporting, although it typically only manifests while she is anxious. This is a reference towards her ability to move in animesque ways in the cartoon when anxious or nervous. I find it endlessly amusing, and so it shall be kept.

Adrien has the Balance ability, which allows him to stay balanced as long as he is not startled or tripped by another person. This is inspired by his ability to stack improbably high stacks of objects in improbable ways by THROWING THEM, as seen in Kuro Neko, and his ability to fence on a freakin' rail in Ephemeral. However, during a rewatch, Chat also demonstrates this ability by being able to accuartely wedge a car by throwing his staff so that it saves Alya in Origins. This was a skill developed at a young age. Because of this, when Adrien does not have magical reserves or cannot use magic, he becomes easily unbalanced and wobbly.

His secondary ability is a bit less dramatic and allows him to quickly understand others and learn languages with much greater ease than normal. Why? Judging from the Shanghai Special, his Mandarin is impressive enough to have a casual conversation with a native, despite not regularly interacting with a Mandarin community and being in France. He also mentions having a knack for languages in Robustus and that is all the excuse I need. Plus, I needed him to balance with Marinette. -------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 6: In this series, Adrien and Felix are NOT senti-monsters, and are human. The Graham de Vanily and Agreste families' histories will likely be much different because I will not be using Season 5 to base the family off, and they have a different backstory here.

That being said, although Adrien has very strong magic, because his magic likes to present itself in subtle ways, it was assumed by both the Graham de Vanilys and the Agrestes that he has little to no natural magic. It was a source of lot of tension between the family because the Graham de Vanilys assumed it was due to Gabriel Agreste's "inferior" bloodline. The Agrestes were offended by this notion. For obvious reasons. ---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 7:  Rabbits see the timeline as one continous line, with a chain of cause and effects. This timeline is simply the timeline that is MOST likely, but not set in stone. If a timeline is changed due to an unforeseen event, the Rabbit will know and have a general awareness of when and where the anomly happened, and can look backward from any point in the timeline they’re on to see what caused it and what happened. 

Usually, these things are too minor to get involved with, but on occasion, Rabbits will notice an abberation so dangerous as to be a threat and hunt it down, especially when it threatens their existence. Rabbits are especially effective when fighting against time abberations, including other Rabbits. Woe betide to the Rabbit who gets too “uppity”, for any time abberations can be “reset” to the normal effects of time, completely unaware of their previous life without it.

================================= Side Stories ================================= Akuma Logic: Ignoring logic about a power structure because of an akuma is not mind control and will not erase your memories. It's more akin to a glamour in that it subtly encourages your brain to not think about how it doesn't make sense. ================================= Lessons From a Peacock Veteran: ================================= Chapter 1: Plagg loves attention, but he doesn't love admitting it. ---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 2: The Adriens do not like to read articles about times they are mind controlled. It creeps them out. ---------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 3:  By default, when an akuma creates a copy of a Lucky Charm, they get a sword. Senti-monsters are more flexible with their summoning of weapons (albeit more random), but may still pull out the Impractically Lethal Sword as well or the Impractically Lethal Gun. ----------------------------------------------------------- Chapter 4:  Rejecting a Miraculous removes the protections its magic may have placed on you. An example being a Butterfly's immunity to akumas, while bonded with the Butterfly, a butterfly can safely hold/carry/and interact with an akuma without fearing being overwhelmed by its magic. After the Butterfly is renounced or rejected though, this safety precaution is removed. ================================== Not a Vampire, But Clearly a Monster Miraculous wielders have an aversion to eating the animals they were based on. The more integral their other self is to their identity or the more magical they are, the stronger this aversion will become. Eating it can make the wielder sick and/or weaken them.

In France, the only 5 Miraculous that should be regularly affected by this limitation are the Rabbit, Goat, Pig, Rooster, and Ox. Since these Miraculous are sometimes story breaking, infrequently used, and help me give these critters a better balance, I'm not shedding too many tears. This is based off Cu Chulainn's geas to not eat dogs, which caused him to get very sick before battle, along with stories of mythological creatures getting upset with improper sacrifices. ----------------------------------------------------------- Bring Back What Once was Mine Marianne is a WWII spy on the side of the French. Master Fu took up the mantle of the Jade Turtle shortly after leaving her and seeing how bad things had gotten. During this time, he didn't had the guts to come back to her and face the possibility that she was dead, fell in love with someone else, or had been the victim of war atrocities. Eventually, he worked the nerve back up to go back to Paris, but never managed to confirm or deny his fears and anxieties until he thought he was dying in Backwarder. ----------------------------------------------------------- The Worst Influence of Your Life Because Butterflies can operate without akumas, but akumas need a Butterfly to stay sane, most akumas will instinctively value their Butterfly's life over their own.

[sherristockman]

Medical Mistakes Affect 1 in 5 People Dr. Mercola By Dr. Mercola Medical mistakes are made in the operating room, in the emergency room and in the doctor's office. And, unfortunately, the mistakes made by doctors, nurses and pharmaceutical companies still are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Statistics from a study originally published in 20001 have not changed in the 17 years since its publication. Authors in the Canadian Journal of Surgery believe medical errors represent a serious public health problem and a threat to patient safety.2 The definition of a medical error often rests on patient outcome, or rather if there was a negative outcome from a medication or procedure. Some research suggests 250,000 people die each year from medical errors and millions more who are harmed by drug-related mistakes.3 However, as frightening as the number of people dying from medical error is, some suggest it is only the tip of the iceberg.4 The purpose of understanding the numbers is not to scare you, but rather to help you understand how you can take control of your health even inside the health care system. Making informed choices and using proven tools to reduce your risk of illness by maintaining optimal health are strategies you may use to reduce your personal risk of injury at the hand of another. Some medical errors have resulted in drastic changes in the standards of medical care, but often only after tragedies and long years of work to change an ingrained system. For instance, in 1982, ABC highlighted cases of anesthesia mistakes that resulted in injury or death, but it wasn't until 1985 before a program of standardized anesthesia care and monitoring was put into place to avert those errors.5 As a general rule, one of your best ways of preventing unnecessary injury or death is to stay healthy and out of the hospital. This is why I am so passionate about sharing preventive health strategies with you, such as eating right, exercising, reducing stress and getting quality sleep. The exception is in cases of accidental trauma or surgical emergencies when modern medicine can be truly lifesaving. Survey Reveals 1 in 5 Patients Has Experienced a Medical Error In a nationwide survey of more than 2,500 people, researchers found that 1 in every 5 adults had been on the receiving end of a medical error and 1 in every 3 said someone whose care they were closely involved in had experienced a medical error.6 The results from this survey found most of the errors were involved with diagnosis of a medical condition and occurred in an outpatient setting. The press release begins:7 "The vast majority of Americans are having positive experiences with the health care system, but 21 percent of adults report having personally experienced a medical error, according to a new national survey released today by the IHI/NPSF Lucian Leape Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago." Other notable findings from this survey included: Almost half of the participants who discovered an error brought it to the attention of medical personnel or other staff Most believed that although the medical staff are predominantly responsible for safety, patients and families also have a role to play People identified on average seven different factors that played into the medical error While the survey does demonstrate a willingness to be involved in patient safety, it is also important to note the average rate of error was 21 percent in this sample size, and medical mistakes continue to rank as the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Dr. Tejal K. Gandhi, chief clinical and safety officer and president of the IHI/NPSF Lucian Leape Institute, commented on the results of the study: "The survey results show that Americans recognize that patient safety is a critically important, but complex, issue. The focus on diagnostic errors and the outpatient settings closely parallels other research in this area and confirms that health care improvers need to take a systems approach to safety that encompasses all settings of care, not just hospitals. I think one of the most valuable findings is the degree to which patients are willing, and expect, to be involved in their care. The fact that many people who experienced an error spoke up about it confirms that patients and families are vital to informing health care organizations about harm and how to prevent it in the future." What's Acceptable Human Error? Any time humans are involved in an equation, there is room for error. No human is error free. And, like most other human behaviors, the average rate of human error has also been picked apart, studied, analyzed and discussed. Human error rate tables confirm that the "human factor" is real and unavoidable. Human performance falters when tasks require great care, or are complicated and nonroutine, in much the same way medical care functions. However, in most human error rate tables, the highest percentage of error is 10 percent performing complicated, nonroutine tasks.8 Mechanical error rates outside of medical care average 0.5 percent to 1 percent.9 Researchers measured pharmacist error in a busy VA hospital where 1.9 million medications were dispensed over one year and found a 0.0048 percent error rate during the busiest shifts when verification of over 400 medications was done in one eight-hour shift.10 IHS Automotive, an auto industry research firm, reports there are nearly 253 million cars on U.S. roads.11 There are an estimated 5.8 million car accidents each year.12 Of those car accidents, 94 percent are caused by human error.13 If each car drove just once each day, accidents occurring as the result of human error in the 253 million cars is equal to 2.1 percent. Each of these statistics is a far cry from the 21 percent of patients in the U.S. health care system that experience medical errors. You May Be Shocked by These Medical Mistakes In many instances, medical error is preventable as it's often the result of human error. Patients and family members may help reduce these mistakes by staying vigilant when receiving medical care.14 • Getting the wrong treatment To give you medication, radiation, physical therapy or even surgery, medical staff are required to verify your identity. Most hospitals use identification bands with your name, birthdate and a unique barcode. Make sure this is checked before you receive any medication or treatment. • Waiting in the emergency room Hospitals and emergency rooms have a finite amount of space, so when they are full, you may be forced to wait for medical care. Most hospitals will prioritize patient care based on the extent of the trauma or urgency of the medical situation. Be sure the staff is aware of any changes to your medical condition while you're waiting. • Waking up during surgery If you receive an underdose of anesthesia, your brain may be "awake" even if you can't move your muscles. Unable to move or speak, you may still feel the surgery taking place. Express any concerns you have with your surgeon and anesthesiologist before surgery, including asking about options for local anesthesia in lieu of being put to sleep. • Surgical mistakes Surgeons may perform a procedure on the wrong body part, or leave a “souvenir” inside. Between 2005 and 2012, nearly 800 instruments were left inside patients after surgery, drastically increasing their risk for infection and necessitating a second surgery.15 This number doesn't include other potential objects, such as sponges or electrodes. Alert your surgeon and attendants you are aware of these issues, confirming with the surgeon the body part on which surgery is planned and asking them to be especially careful when counting instruments and sponges at the end of the surgery. • Fake doctors Not all medical mistakes are made by medical professionals. In some cases, con artists pretend to be doctors or therapists to scam you of your hard-earned money. They sell potions, braces or exercise programs advertised to make you healthier, faster, better or prevent surgery without the research or expertise to back up those claims. CNN gave the example of Sarafina Gerling, who wore a back brace advertised online by a man found guilty of insurance fraud. Gerling thought the brace would help her scoliosis, but it only made the condition worse. Iatrogenic Infections Result in Nearly 50,000 Deaths Each Year Iatrogenic (caused by a medical treatment, diagnostic procedure or physician) and hospital-acquired infections kill more people each year than diabetes. Each year 1.7 million are infected at the doctor's office or hospital and 99,000 die from health care-associated (HAI) infections.16 These infections affect up to 10 percent of all patients hospitalized each year and add an estimated $20 billion in additional health care costs. Also called nosocomial infections, the most commonly acquired in-hospital type of infection include infections in central line IV catheters, urinary tract infections from Foley catheters, surgical site infections and diarrheal illness from Clostridium difficile (C. diff). In many cases, these infections can be prevented using simple handwashing techniques required of hospital personnel when coming into contact with patients. Unfortunately, many of these infections are triggered by superbugs or bacteria that have become antibiotic-resistant. Inappropriate use of antibiotics and overuse have contributed to the development of antibiotic-resistant superbugs, but the largest source of exposure is actually through antibiotic use in your food. Nearly 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are given to livestock to reduce disease and make the animals grow bigger faster. Residue from antibiotics is then passed along to you in the meat and dairy products you eat. For example, at least 80 different antibiotics are currently allowed and may be detected in cow's milk. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)17 has concluded that as much as 22 percent of antibiotic-resistant illness in humans is linked to food. Death Certificates Hide the Real Numbers At this point, no one knows the real number of deaths that may be attributed to medical mistakes as most death certificates do not list the trigger. For example, Dr. Barbara Starfield, author of the Journal of the American Medical Association study that documented a staggering 225,000 deaths from medical mistakes in 2000, was herself a victim. Her husband, Dr. Neil Holtzman, attributed her death to an interaction between aspirin and Plavix, which was not mentioned on her death certificate.18 Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine believe these shortcomings in how vital statistics are recorded hinder research and keep the issue out of the public eye. They wrote an open letter to the CDC, calling for medical errors to become a recognizable and reportable cause of death.19 The data analysis showed the coding system used to categorize death certificate data doesn't capture information that may have led to unrecognized surgical complications, inappropriate medications, diagnostic errors or poor judgment. The inability to capture the full picture of medical errors may stunt research and public knowledge of a problem that continues to grow inside the health care system. The researchers have recommended a number of different strategies that increase transparency following an error and communication within the health care system and with reporting agencies, such as the CDC. These types of changes may help researchers evaluate the issues and find solutions to reduce patient injury and death. As long as providers and administrators don't acknowledge the severity of the problem, very few corrections are likely to be made. Dr. Martin Makary, professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, led the research and commented on the irony in the results, saying,20 “It boils down to people dying from the care that they receive rather than the disease for which they are seeking care." Staying Safe in the Hospital Download Interview Transcript In this interview with Dr. Andrew Saul, who has written a book on the issue of safeguarding your health while hospitalized, we discuss the importance of being your own advocate. Once you have walked through your doctor's office door or have been checked into a hospital, you are immediately at risk for becoming the recipient of medical mistakes. You and your family are the best safeguards against experiencing a medical error. This is particularly important for children and senior citizens. Anytime you are hospitalized, be sure you have a personal advocate present with you to ask questions and take notes. It helps reduce the likelihood of mistakes when someone can ask, "What is this medication? What is it for? Who is supposed to get it? What's the dose? Are there side effects?" Another step you may consider if someone you know is scheduled for surgery is to print out the World Health Organization surgical safety checklist.21 The checklist can be downloaded free of charge here. If a loved one is in the hospital, print it out and bring it with you, as this can help you protect your family member or friend from preventable errors in care. Needless to say, avoiding hospitalization is your safest bet. You may be able to reduce your risk of hospitalization by maintaining optimal health following specific strategies you'll find in my previous article, "Medical Errors: STILL the Third Leading Cause of Death."