#before even knowing the mechanics I demanded to play Insects

[dare-to-dm]

One thing people need to understand about me is that I am always role-playing. Even and especially when I'm playing board games where that's not the point. So to me, games where the mechanics have literally nothing to do with the framing device are kind of absurd.

[dollarstoreghostie]

I hear your ‘166 who is an enigma and unlike either of her parents in personality,’ and I disagree wholeheartedly!

Meri is her own person, of course, so you can’t attribute her personality to her parents alone.

HOWEVER, if I was to draw a comparison with anyone it’s Clef, but not the Clef the Foundation knows.

No, that Clef, our Clef, is the result of poor coping mechanisms, abuse, self-hatred, nihilism, an ego the size of Manhattan and a myriad of other problems I can’t begin to scratch with this post. I’m talking the Clef from before the Montauk House, the Clef before he met Lily or went down that dark path.

The bold Clef, the one that would stomp off into the woods as a boy with nothing on his mind other than discovering and adventuring. The one who would bring back insects and bugs and insist on letting them spend the night in a jar while he played with them and watched what they did. The one who was fiercely loyal to his friends, even the ones that would go on to hurt him, because he wouldn’t and couldn’t stand for anyone trying to sway his opinions when he made his mind up that he’d like them. The curious Clef who questioned everything and demanded, not asked, to know how the world worked, how the birds would fly, why things would fall when we dropped them, anything and everything.

That Clef. He is who Meri resembles most in her personality, minus the politeness and manners she adopted through the Catholic Church’s strict ideas of what women should behave like.

Clef is in massive denial about this all though. He does not, can not, will not believe that there is anything from him in Meri, not as a negative but rather a positive, see Clef has a piss poor self image that would make me seem like the pinnacle of self-love, so his denial that his daughter is anything like him is more of a twisted compliment, it’s his way of saying she isn’t ruined, isn’t broken, isn’t a monster and also a low key way of putting himself down. But again, that’s a post for another day! Haha

At the end of the day though, regardless of Clef’s perception on the situation, Meri is his daughter, they have more in common than you’d think though Clef, for his part, has changed so much that those traits they share are buried far far beneath the surface.

[siennahrobek]

Future Past

“Your father was my best friend.”

Hearing about his father was something Luke always wanted to know, no matter what it was or what time of day it occurred. Ben always had the best stories about the young Jedi knight; a phenomenal pilot who fought fiercely for those he loved. There was the longest time where all Luke wanted was the chance to meet him, to know him like Ben had.

Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru didn’t talk about Anakin Skywalker, aside from the brief he was a space freighter pilot, and he was dead. They were always so cautious when he asked about him and got even more worried when Luke showed signs of wanting to be a pilot. It had made the hand carved wooden gifts of ships that were left on his grandmother’s grave even more special. Like there was silent support from them but not wanting to make it clear because of their feelings when it came to his father. It had taken quite some time before Luke had realized that neither Uncle Owen or Aunt Beru were the ones making and giving them. It had taken even longer for him to realize it had been Ben.

When Ben had taken him in, it had not been long for him to confess that he knew Luke’s father. Not just knew him, was friends with him. Luke learned so much from Ben’s stories and more often than not, Ben was absolutely calm and willing to share them. His father hadn’t been a simple space freighter pilot but actually a General in the Clone Wars and a crazy good pilot.

Luke wasn’t too bad himself, if he was being honest.

He craved more and more, and Ben had never run out of stories to share. It was like he and Luke’s father had spent a lifetime on adventures and soon, Luke even asked about any adventures he had that didn’t include Anakin Skywalker, ones stretching as far back as to Ben’s childhood, when he was Luke’s age and more. Because it wasn’t long before he loved Ben too. He felt connected to him immediately, drawn by some unnamed feeling that made him feel safe and warm and right. They just clicked together.

Ben told Luke about the Jedi Order, an entire culture like him – with the Force, as Luke learned the named feeling was – that defended and helped people the best they could. Always happy to talk about it, Luke never had a lack of questions to ask or Ben a lack of stories to tell. It made Luke dream about it, not just his father, but the Jedi and the Order as well. Thousands of people with lightsabers and abilities like his, connecting with one another and others, striving to make the galaxy a better place. A huge, beautiful Temple where they all lived and played and worked. Boundless knowledge and a thousand waterfalls. Luke would dream about it so hard, as if he did it enough, he would get that chance.

And Ben could get that back.

It didn’t work but that didn’t stop Luke from trying.

Their longest conversation about Ben’s past, with the Jedi and with his father, had been on a ship they had gotten a hold of while in hyperspace. It was one of the real small ones where there was little room to do anything but read and talk. Luke, young and eager, had curled up into Ben’s side with the older man’s cloak wrapped around his form and asked question after question. Ben nearly always had answers.

“And then I told him, good job,” Ben continued, his hand waving for emphasis. Luke giggled. Even being as young as he was, had quickly learned a lot of Ben’s wits. He knew his tones and expressions and he loved learning about them. Ben was the constant in his life. No matter where they were or what was happening, Ben was there to keep Luke safe and warm and happy as he could. And Luke learned him in return.

“You didn’t mean it,” he cackled, finding that hilarious. “You were sarcastic.”

Ben just smiled warmly down at him. “Ah yes, a bit of a flaw of mine, I suppose. As I have been told. His care and determination may have been commendable, but he also nearly got his charge and himself killed. We were chained to the poles when the Geonosians – they are a bit like giant insects –,” Luke squealed in delight as Ben continued, describing the physical attributes of his former captors. “They had released these three large beasts, starving and angry, to kill us.”

“They were hungry?”

“Yes Luke. It wasn’t their fault. The Geonosians had not given them any food and they were desperate. They wanted to survive,” Ben explained gently.

“Did they?”

“Sadly, no, beacon,” Ben murmured. Luke tucked in closer.

“That’s sad,” he murmured. “Did they hurt a lot?”

“They were taken care of, quickly, youngling. They felt little pain,” Ben assured. Whether it was true or not, it was to spare Luke pain. “The young Senator had freed herself and soon after, so did Anakin and I. There was a brief battle with the animals, your father had even calmed one enough to assist us. And then, Master Windu came with two hundred other jedi.”

Luke’s eyes widened. “Two hundred?” he questioned, disbelievingly.

“Two hundred,” he repeated. “They were all very brave.”

“Two hundred,” Luke echoed. “That is so many! I wish I could have seen them.” He wished he could have met them. Talked with them. Bonded with them. Ben’s eyes softened, as he ran a hand through Luke’s blonde hair, his voice lowering and his grief, although muted with shields, palpable within the force.

“I wish that too, dear one. More than you know.”

Present Past

Anakin couldn't stop staring at the teenager who wouldn't leave Obi-Wan's body and the growing irritation in the pit of his stomach just got worse. He was just ready to tackle this person and get to his former master’s side. What right did this child have, taking him away? Anakin was his padawan, former or not, and that would never change.

They had all gotten to the gunship without any setbacks. The troopers hadn't been able to salvage anything more than Obi-Wan's droid, R4, from the crashed ship, although were a little surprised with the extra addition of the boy. There was nothing in the desert to suggest where he had come from. No one had any real idea how this had happened or who this person really was. The name Luke meant little to nothing to Anakin or any of the others in their little entourage.

The boy was still tense around them, although Luke seemed vaguely calm around Rex - but only Rex - and they had all gotten into the gunship Anakin and the others had come in on. He had settled into the corner of the ship, carefully keeping Obi-Wan next to him. The older man had yet to make a move or give any indication that he would awake but Luke just adjusted the robes and brushed the light bangs from his face, giving frequent glances, eyes furrowed as he appeared as if he was studying Obi-Wan’s face.

Luke wasn't much younger than Anakin, perhaps a few years. Still a teenager but an older one. His hair was a sandy blonde, sweeping like bangs across his forehead. He was dressed in simple robes similar to most of those in the galaxy, although his were a little lighter, including the Jedi, with sand-covered boots. He didn’t even seem to mind the sand that much, not even bothering to wipe some of it off. Anakin did, however, constantly trying to work through the grains out of his mechanical hand and dusting off his clothes.

As they got settled into the ship, another trooper, who had previously stayed behind, tried to approach but Luke just glared fiercely, clutching Obi-Wan’s lightsaber. The trooper backed a step, out of the way of the blade that would surely pop up if Luke pressed just a tad more on the ignition.

"He's a medic, Luke," Rex murmured, assuring. It did little to dissuade the boy, but he didn’t ignite the blade so perhaps it could be counted as a win.

"What is your name?" Luke asked, eyeing the trooper.

"Lakeside, sir," the trooper responded.

Luke paused but it seemed to be the wrong answer. "My apologies, Lakeside, but I think it would be best to wait."

"Wait?" Anakin hissed, stepping forth. Everyone eyed him warily. They knew one wrong move could prove fatal for any one of them, including Obi-Wan. “He is bleeding, he can’t wait!”

Luke just ignored him and turned towards the two men at the front which just made Anakin bristle even further with anger. Ahsoka put a hand on his arm in attempt to calm him. It didn’t work very well. "Pilot, where are we heading?"

"General Skywalker's star ship, the Resolute," the co-pilot answered.

Luke’s mouth twitched. "Is the ship Negotiator, here?"

"No, sir."

The boy hummed and looked away, back towards Obi-Wan. He thought about this for a moment. "Fine. Is Medic Kix on the ship?"

Anakin blinked at him, blankly. How did this boy know all of this? How did he know Kix? How did he know Obi-Wan? Where did he come from? What did he want? A million questions were screaming and running around in Anakin’s head, making everything hurt.

The co-pilot answered for him. "Yes sir."

"We would appreciate his assistance then when we board," Luke nodded with his request. He didn't seem too pleased with the lack of Obi-Wan's ship, but Anakin was more concerned that he knew about specific ships and specific soldiers.

"Who are you?" Anakin demanded, stepping forward again. Luke's response was to get in front of Obi-Wan, protectively covering him with his own, a bit smaller, body. "How do you know my trooper's name? How do you know Obi-Wan?" he demanded. His hands had curled into fists, and he gripped them so hard his mech hand had actually creaked. The ship was into the air now, with the outer doors locking. The area became dark before the dim lights flickered on overhead.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Luke snorted but he sounded rather amused. That just infuriated Anakin more.

“On what?”

“Anything.”

Anakin’s lip curled and he nearly drew blood. “Look, kid. I don’t have a lot of patience right now. You are holding my master hostage, you came out of nowhere acting like you knowhim, and I really, really need some answers if you want to stick around.”

Luke stared at him, as if sizing him up for a challenge. “I warned that you wouldn’t believe me, but I will tell you some things anyways,” he sighed. “I suppose the Jedi are still around, the clones are still serving with them, and the Republic isn’t yet in shambles?”

There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at him, confused and surprised. “What do you mean? The Jedi and clones are fighting in a war together for the Republic,” it was Ahsoka who answered this time. She had been able to get a little closer to Luke, but he didn’t let even her get too close to Obi-Wan.

“Unless this is a really, really crazy hallucination, which actually might be possible considering where Ben and I were not a moment ago,” Luke started. “The only other option is that we have somehow went back in time. Me, physically, because if this is still the Clone Wars, then I haven’t been born yet and Ben…Ben must have gone back to his body of this time since he looks…younger now,” Luke explained with a shrug.

“Time travel?” Captain Rex asked, skeptically.

Luke nodded. “Yeup. It kinda happened to Ben’s colleague, Fulcrum, although I think that was different. She had been plucked from a moment in time forward from a Temple by someone else. Ben and I were in a warm, glowing cave. I blinked and then I saw you all,” he added with a shrug. “But like I said, it could also very possibly be a hallucination too. I had been in the middle of a sandstorm beforehand.”

“This is ridiculous,” Anakin replied, flatly, shaking his head. Grains of sand had fallen from his hair. “There is no such thing as time travel. You are playing us, and I don’t know what you want but you aren’t getting it. So, you are going to give me back Obi-Wan and-.”

“You really think I am playing you?” Luke asked, interrupting with a lip curled in incredulity. “I literally agreed to go to your star destroyer ship, which, I imagine, would be filled with troops. I wouldn’t have stood a chance if I were playing you,” he snorted and rolled his eyes. “Ugh, Ben’s stories were always so good, he never made it seem like you were dense.”

“His stories?” Ahsoka asked, curiously. “Who is Ben?”

“Ben,” Luke gestured to Obi-Wan. “He had to change his name when we went into hiding because well, he’s kinda famous. But he would tell me tons of stories about the Jedi, before and during the war.”

“Did we win?” Rex asked although hesitantly. He was taking this a lot better than other probably would have.

Luke looked up to him, uncertainly. “I suppose that largely depends on one’s point of view.”

Anakin narrowed his eyes. That sounded more like something Obi-Wan would say. He had always tried to explain things from different points of view. The knight had rarely thought it mattered. “Are you going to tell us? Or just keep playing these games?”

The boy shrugged and took a breath. “I think Ben would be able to explain it better. I don’t know a whole ton about the end of the war, as I was just a baby when it was over.”

“We are about to dock, sirs,” the co-pilot called back. Luke clutched Obi-Wan tighter as the rest of them took hold of the varying hand holds within the ship. The landing was a bit clunky, nearly knocking a few of them off balance, but the doors opened and artificial light from the docking bay on Anakin’s ship shone through brightly.

“Tell Kix he has a patient and to get the medical bay ready,” Anakin ordered a nearby trooper. The clone nodded and ran off quickly. Rex slowly approached Luke and helped him up, taking a lot of Obi-Wan’s weight, making sure to telegraph his movements. The less jumpy the teenager was, the better. “Let’s get to the medical bay,” Anakin told them, obviously peeved, which made the soldiers around him scatter as best they could. No one liked being around an angry or irritated Skywalker. “The sooner we get Obi-Wan some help, the sooner he wakes up and the sooner I can get answers on you,” he pointed at Luke, deliberately. “You better hope he knows who you are.”

Luke hoped that too. He didn’t want to be alone.

[bahinscute]

American McGee’s Alice

I’d be underselling it if I said the visage of a morose, brunette Alice Liddel stained in blood and wielding a knife wasn’t something of a creature comfort for me. It brings me back to a time of unabashed edge and calling yourself -*twisted*- on MySpace. I never played either of American McGee’s Alice games when I was younger, but Madness Returns always intrigued me. A 3D platformer that seemed to conform to my every niche. It wasn’t until last year when I actually picked it up; and with it, the first game.

 I don’t want to dwell too much in the history of the game, much less it’s titular auteur. I’ve watched a few reviews of the series in preparation and, much to my interest, many of them go into lengthy detail into the admittedly tragic life of American McGee. His mother was criminally neglectful in his early life, and in his later life he would come to bare the kidnapping and certain death of his sister, along with the cruel taunting that ensued by what we only can assume was his sister’s captor. It’s no wonder then, that the very first game he helmed featured such dark themes. Themes of survivor’s guilt and the utter destruction and reconstruction of a mind proceeding tragedy.

 Here’s the short of it. The game takes place after Lewis Carroll’s novels and functions as a sequel more or less. Sound familiar? That’s the premise of Tim Burton’s live-action adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, but this time with a much less confusing execution. There’s no arranged marriages or trading companies for Alice to inherit. Instead, she’s been institutionalised in the wake of a house-fire of which she was the only survivor. This entire premise is exposited during the intro cinematic, so if you weren’t paying attention then too bad. These events are barely revisited again. This might sound like a critique on my part, but I appreciate this threadbare style of storytelling. The rest of what you need to know is laid out for you subtly, it paints a story for you through the subtext of the environment. Yes, you’re in a weird school, then a garden where even the ants tower over you, then a smothering claustrophobic cave filled with water. These seem innocuous enough (with maybe the exception of the Skool) but keep in mind, these events take place inside the players mind!!

 Apparently, the manual which shipped with the game included a journal of Alice’s Ward as he tried his best to treat her mental state. I didn’t read this, partly because I don’t actually own the manual, but mostly because I think this is bullshit. Everything you need to know about Alice’s emotional journey is within the game itself, and a “real world” account only exists to muddle the game’s themes.

You could draw parallels to the player’s conquering of the game, the stages and the enemies, as Alice conquering her own trauma and retaking control of her own mind. Your arsenal grows as Alice discovers more tools with which to resolve the blame she assigns herself. Obviously this is all conjecture, what sort of game would it be without enemies and weapons and etc., but that’s art for you. It’s not entirely unfounded, of course. The Jabberwock fight is markedly a poignant fight for Alice, and the themes are much more opaque. The Jabberwock openly mocks Alice for letting her family die in a fire, and its death certainly represents a forgiveness she allows herself. It’s no mistake that this fight takes place in the Land of Fire and Brimstone. This is a running theme in American McGee’s Alice series, of bosses representing some part of Alice’s struggle. The Mad Hatter owns an asylum and dedicates his life to hurting his infirms. The Red Queen represents a fear of the real world and a complacency in fantasy. She urges Alice to stay where she is, doomed to face the consequences of losing herself to her own escapism. The Queen’s face peels back to reveal to Alice who she’s really speaking to, herself. And that’s an interesting thing to keep in mind in a story like this, essentially every dialogue Alice has is in fact a monologue.

 If there’s one thing I’ve always admired in these late 90s-2000 PC games, it’s the amazing moods they always manage to create. They suck me in like one of those sucky things in a pool would suck at your leg. Most dev teams couldn’t or wouldn’t hire some writer to hi-jack their video game, so to compensate artists could inject the project with an incredible atmosphere you’d be hard pressed to find in any modern game. This game manages both and passes with flying colours.

The dialogue and tone, beyond the edge and grit, is unrelentingly Wonderland, short just of the copious Oxford educated maths jokes. Alice speaks with a sophisticated wit and approaches her own strange world with a seemingly innocent curiosity. Despite her broken psyche in the waking world, she’s comfortable in her fantasy, no matter how depraved it’s gotten. I’m sure I’m not the only one who can relate with this idea.

The majority of the locales are viciously memorable. The source material demands imagination and the game, with the exception of a few stages, certainly delivers. The first real location is the Skool, looking like a miniature from the set of Nightmare Before Christmas. The floorboards giving way to a hypnotizing infinite, where titanic stacks of books threaten to topple over and phantoms infiltrate the walls. The battlefield beneath the grass where insect troopers threaten Alice with bayoneted rifles, and the only refuge from the battle is down below the earth, in the treacherous ice caves. The Hatter’s Domain with it’s daunting amount of mirrors and ticking clocks, where enemies can be waiting around each corner, behind each wall. The Pale Realm, with it’s perplexing geometry and chequered stylings, where Alice must traverse as a Rook, Knight or Bishop. It’s just all so endearing.

The gameplay might be the one aspect of the game I’m still not entirely sold on. Unlike their first-person counterparts, third-person games developed on the id-Tech engine have aged like bread. See also: Heretic 2. The game requires a lock-on mechanic for you to ever hope to hit your attacks and it features a jumping reticle of all thing. Stand close enough to a platform and you’ll see a spinning imprint of Alice’s boots projected onto it. They seem like very rudamentary solutions to issues that console devs strived in solving. This game was released four years after Crash Bandicoot and Mario 64, and two years after Banjo Kazooie and Sonic Adventure. Even for its time, the gameplay was awkward.

 Alice in Wonderland is one of those rare stories whose mythos inspires creators more directly than even what you might consider the most influential of art. Storytellers make allusions to Carroll’s work as much as they might Greek legend, which is a monumental claim to fame. The Jabberwock is referenced in the same tone as Hercules’ Hydra, the White Rabbit which leads Alice down it’s spiraling gateway has been used to symbolise psychedelics, More recently, Arkane’s Prey has borrowed an Alice title for it’s iconic in-universe Looking-Glass technology. McGee has made his very own impact in this legacy, instilling a grit and twistedness to the world which can still be seen today. I doubt that Tim Burton would have wound up directing a Wonderland movie without American McGee’s input.

I do hope McGee gets another shot at game direction. He’s a talented level designer, his life has been harsh and his Alice series holds a special, extremely biased place in my heart. That said, maybe he could give the series a break, maybe work on that Oz idea he had. Madness Returns left a bittersweet taste in my mouth, and his track record of video game direction slants slightly more to bad than good. I mean, google Bad Day LA.

[lilacivories]

welcome to the family

characters: Reid, Morgan, Garcia, Hotchner

pairing(s): none

summary: Reid admittedly doesn’t have much experience with different forms of affection outside of the world of theoretics and academia, and the BAU team helps to introduce him to the real thing

word count: 1686

a/n: I wrote this for @ticklishraspberries after she let me essentially live tweet the first season of criminal minds in her messages <333

It wasn’t odd, Reid realized almost immediately, to find his teammates in affectionate positions around the office. Not only was it his job to observe this type of behavior and take them into consideration, but nobody attempted to hide it. Any unspoken societal rule that existed about these things were either ignored or thrown out the window.

It was shoulder massages at their desks and gentle, barely-there pats on the back while passing each other by in the hallways. It was Hotch letting someone take a nap on the couch in his office and covering them with a blanket he had for the occasion, or JJ allowing Elle to rest her head on her shoulder on a long plane ride back to Virginia. It was something Reid had never expected from FBI agents: Tenderness.

And then there were the more playful days, which became more and more frequent with each case the team worked on together. At first, Reid wasn’t quite sure what type of game they were playing, all of them flinching away from each other, until he was witnessed it first-hand.

It happened rather quickly, with Reid’s only warning being a wink his way from Garcia as she snuck up behind Morgan.

“Hey!” he cried when her fingers found his sides; with his reflexes, there was only a split second delay before he had swiveled around and snatched up her devious hands, his smirk matching hers.

“I knew you were ticklish,” she said, simper sweet as acid. “I’m gonna get you so good once I can keep you from squirming around.”

“I’d like to see you try, baby girl,” Morgan countered, not flustered in the least.

“It actually isn’t his fault,” Reid piped up, stirring his coffee. “Scientists have found that it’s the hypothalamus comes into play when you're being tickled, which coordinates your autonomic nervous system– essentially, it’s a fight-or-flight response. Some evolutionary researchers even think that laughing when you're being tickled is a defense mechanism.”

“Thank you for the lesson, wunderkind,” Garcia joked. She gave him a kind pat on the shoulder as she walked away. Reid appreciated the gesture, however brief, and glanced behind just in time to see her giving Morgan a silent, playful glare.

These forms of affection seemed to be doled out in some form of never-ending prank war, where attacks would happen at random. Even more strangely, the tickling wasn’t undesirable– Reid was more than 95% sure that it was enjoyed by everyone involved. Not one person’s body language indicated that they wanted it to stop, besides the instinctual curling away from the touch.

“That’s gargalesis,” he informed JJ after Elle jabbed her in the ribs and she was left rubbing the area. “It’s a specific type of tickling sensation. Knismesis refers to a light tickling, often used as a defense mechanism against insects. It usually causes an itching sensation and not laughter. Gargalesis, however, is laughter-provoking, usually caused by a harder pressure to the skin.”

JJ chuckled. “Very interesting, Spence, but I think I prefer the real thing.”

None of this specific type of affection was actually shown towards Reid until they were on their way to Montana on a case, everyone taking the time to spread out and relax on the plane as they went over the details.

“Your posture doesn’t have to be perfect all the time, you know,” Morgan teased Reid as he sat next to him. “We have a couple of hours before we actually get to the crime scene.”

Reid frowned and rolled his shoulders; they were a bit stiff, but he didn’t deem it too important, so he merely winced at a small pain here and there before returning to the case file. “Keeping good posture actually prevents fatigue, because the muscles are being used more efficiently. This allows the body to use less energy, as well as– ah!”

It was only a quick jab to his side, but it was enough to derail his train of information. Reid looked down at his own body, which had flinched away, then back up at Morgan. “What was that?”

Morgan was laughing, however. “Oh, Garcia owes me so much money!” he whooped. “I knew it!”

“Knew what?” Reid demanded.

“That you’re ticklish!” Morgan said. “She was so sure you weren’t. Lucky for me, she was wrong. Which means I get to rake in fifty dollars.” His demeanor changed, eyes narrowing and grin only growing. “And now, I have a great way to relax all those rigid muscles of yours!”

An unexpected squeal escaped Reid’s mouth when Morgan started to squeeze at his sides, followed by bright, uncharacteristic giggles.

“No, no, no!” Reid cried, squirming almost frantically, but Morgan had him trapped, pulling him against his chest, strong arms wrapping around his waist.

Red could feel his ears heating up; he hadn’t expected to be so self-conscious about his laugh. It was high and bright and unfettered, and, moreover, completely ridiculous. He just couldn’t control himself.

He could feel his attacker chuckling along with him. “Consider this as making up for lost time, giggle boy,” he teased. Reid wanted to protest against the new nickname, but Morgan had migrated to his lower ribs, and his giggles upgraded to desperate cackles.

“M-Morgan!” he shrieked as they both discovered just how ticklish every inch of his ribs were. It wasn’t long until Morgan was at the very top, digging just right into the spot below his underarms. “Not there, not there!”

“Rookie mistake,” Hotch warned too late, never looking up from the case file. “You’ve just given your attacker vital information on a weak spot, and now he has a perfect way of incapacitating you. Do you have a plan for escape?”

Each and every word only worsened Reid’s predicament, especially when one of Morgan’s hands began to claw at his stomach, the other still working diligently to tease the hypersensitive spaces between his ribs. Reid doubled over, hair a mess, but was back to pressing against Morgan’s chest in a futile attempt to get away from the fingers suddenly sneaking underneath his shirt and skittering around his belly button.

“I’ll take that as a ‘no’,” Elle said after Reid let out a loud, helpless snort.

“Pl– please! Pleahease!” Reid exclaimed; his ears were red and his cheeks were catching up. He had no clue what he was pleading for, but that certainly didn’t stop him.

“Begging makes the attacker feel more in control,” Morgan said, and Reid wanted to kick him for how coolly he spoke. “It lets them know that you’re entirely at their mercy. You’re just adding fuel to the fire at this point, kid.”

He couldn’t even speak anymore, which Reid hadn’t anticipated– all he could do was shake his head and push at Morgan’s hands until his friend finally got the picture and backed off.

Reid slumped in his hold, panting and giggling. “Looks like someone finally got him to relax,” he heard JJ remark.

“Better than a massage,” Morgan joked. Then, to Spencer: “I didn’t kill you too bad, did I?”

Spencer shook his head, though his breathing still had yet to even out.

“Good, because I am definitely telling Garcia all about this.” Morgan patted his on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, kid.”

Spencer didn’t speak again until he and Morgan were alone, driving to one of the victim’s houses. Imposing pine trees lined the old road on either side, split up only by flat lengths of grass where nothing else had grown.

“What are you thinking?” Morgan asked, hating the quiet.

“Hm? Oh,” Reid cleared his throat. “Uh, I think the unsub definitely wants an audience. He’s most likely–”

“I don’t mean about the case,” Morgan clarified. “I asked what you’re thinking. It’s usually pretty hard to keep you quiet, so I figured it’s something you can’t quite wrap your head around. And you can always do that with a case.”

Reid shifted in his seat, a light flush rising on his cheekbones at being called out. “I just– I was–” He pushed his hair back nervously. “A-about the plane.”

Morgan glanced at him. “The plane itself or something that happened on the plane?”

“You...tickled me.”

“Oh. I won’t do it again, if you’d prefer. It’s just something the rest of us kind of do.”

This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because Reid’s cheeks darkened and he only stammered worse. “No, n-no, I mean– well, I mean–” He composed himself enough to admit, “No one’s ever done that to me before.”

Morgan barked out a laugh. “You’re kidding!” he accused, before actually turning to see how apprehensive his colleague was. It hadn’t occurred to him how foreign– or how important– this type of affection might be to the kid.

“Is it weird if I liked it?” Reid suddenly asked.

“Do you think the rest of us do it all the time because we don’t like it?” Morgan countered; he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, look, of course it isn’t weird. That’s what being part of the family means.”

Reid nodded, still embarrassed, though Morgan could see a small, pleased smile tugging on the corners of his mouth. “Alright,” he conceded.

“Nuh-uh,” Morgan said. “You gotta smile for me now, those are the rules.” He fluttered his fingers over the kid’s ear, smiling when he giggled and snorted.

“Okay, okay!” Reid squealed. “Keep your eyes on the road!”

Morgan stopped and did so, not wanting to send them off the road while trying to cheer Reid up. “Just remember, I’ll wreck your shit as often as I need to if you keep it up with those stiff, skinny shoulders.”

“Actually, ten to fifteen minutes of laughing burns 10 to 40 extra calories a day, which could add up to one to four pounds in a year,” Reid corrected. “Which probably wouldn’t help with the whole ‘skinny shoulders’ thing.”

“You just wait for the flight back,” Morgan threatened. “You’re so getting it.”

If he saw how big Reid’s smile grew at that, he didn’t say anything. He was glad to just see the kid happy.

[whumperstorm]

The post got five likes so here we go, (fair warning it just stops abruptly but yeah)

Another completed mission, another planet freed from Galran influence. It had been one of the longer, more demanding battles Voltron was forced to fight, and was one that lead to the paladins calling for reinforcements. Commander Matthew Holt happened to be the reinforcements and with the help of his rebels the Galra fleet was quickly overpowered and forced to retreat. Then after a few hours of recovery and formalities between the leaders of the planet Riko’v and the Paladins, a celebration was in order.

It turned out that Riko’v was one of the most beautiful planets Matt had ever seen. The Riko’vians, a dragonfly-like people, were expert landscapers and their cities were covered in beautiful flora. It lined their rivers (which were their form of transportation), grew out from their buildings, and in some cases were their buildings, as dozens of trees were artistically woven to create walls and archways. The governess of one such city owned a garden Martt imagined as the size of an earth football stadium and this is where she invited the leaders of the coalition to celebrate Riko’vs independence.

Matt was in awe at the incredible amount of flowers and lights and fountains covering the garden from corner to corner. In the center there was a great open area of violet grass where people danced to enchanting music played by Riko’vian musicians on a mossy stone stage behind them. The dance floor was bordered by a small stream littered with water lilies and what reminded Matt of fireflies except with closer inspection they were plant spores instead of insects. There were two bridges woven together from streamside trees that allowed the party-goers to cross the stream and leave the dance floor. Across from one bridge was an area filled with tables and chairs, where Matt found himself sitting.

The tables seem to be the only thing there made from wood that had been purposely cut and reshaped for furniture. The chairs however, were huge pink flowers woven and deliberately shaped. As delicate as they looked they held Matt’s weight as he sat, as they were not simply flowers but were covered and preserved in glass. The whole place truly was incredible.

Matt was pulled from his thoughts by the voice of Lance, walking up to him with an arm linked with Keith’s. “There you are!” He called cheerfully. “Shiro was looking for you.”

“Really? Where is he?”

“He’s over by the bar.” Keith pointed behind him.

“Thanks,” Matt said, standing to leave.

The “bar” they mentioned, happened to be a large gazebo with stools set up around it and a green-skinned Riko’vian in the center making custom drinks with an enthusiasm Matt didn’t know a bartender was capable of. Shiro was sat on the far right side, talking with another Riko’vian. This one with pink shades and deep blue antenna. Matt plopped himself down beside him.

“You had better not be flirting with the natives, starshine.”

Shiro jumped slightly, then turned to him with a look of irritation “Matt you know better than anyone that I’m about as straight as a cooked noodle.”

Before Matt could snip back, the Riko’vian, who was indeed a girl, chuckled. “Oh we were not flirting, I was simply thanking the Black Paladin. He saved my family from the battle’s crossfire. However I understand you and your rebels are to thank for our victory today, so…” She stood up and took Matt’s hand in her own. “Thank you, commander. If not for you, my family may have…” She shook her head. “No, they are safe thanks to you. That’s all that matters. I am in your debt.”

Matt felt warmth spreading over his face at the girl’s sincerity and soft touch and he sputtered out a simple, “O-of course.”

The girl didn't seem to notice or care, however, and released his hand with a smile. “I’ll take my leave now, thank you both again.”

Matt watched her go, before a nudge to the shoulder had him turning back to Shiro.

“Very smooth.”

“Shut up. She was cute and I’m weak.”

Shiro just laughed softly and waved over the bartender. “So I was thinking we could have a drink together, I haven’t seen much of you recently.”

“I’d love that.” Matt responded, as the older man ordered. He looked back towards the party and caught sight of the other paladins enjoying themselves. Pidge and Hunk were talking with a gardener in one corner, no doubt about the mechanics of growing the incredible Riko’vian plant structures. Lance and Keith were hip to hip on the dance floor, the party lights splashing them with the softest colors. It made Matt smile.

“They grow up so fast…” He sighed.

Shiro blinked at him. “What?”

“Our children!” Matt pointed. “Look at them. All muscly and stuff.” Shiro followed Matt’s gaze to the dance floor where the blue paladin spun Keith around like a doll, but they both were grinning like children.

Shiro chuckled. “You’re so weird.”

“Yeah? like you’ve never thought of yourself as “Space Dad”. I know Lance calls you that.”

“Lance no. I’m only 26...” He muttered.

“So? It’s figurative. We’re the space dads, Alurra is space mom, Coran is space Uncle, and they’re all our space kids!”

Shiro just sighed, a fond smile on his lips. “Whatever you say.”

The bartender then handed them both colorful drinks. Matt held his up to his nose. It smelled vaguely like pineapple but with a hint of spice and mint. It’s peach color shimmered in the party lights as Matt stirred it with his wrist.

Shiro raised his drink. “Well, to our little space family, then.”

“To our space family.”

The boys sat at the bar for a while, sipping their drinks and chatting. Matt thought his drink was quite pleasant, almost like a margarita with an extra minty tang. However, there was a bitter after taste that he could have done without. A side effect of drinking alien booze he supposed.

After a while Matt was itching to move. He glanced at the dance floor, which had cleared a bit as a few party goers were heading home for the night. Matt grabbed Shiro’s hand and tugged softly. “Takashi, let’s go dance!!”

Shiro looked at him in surprise but moved to stand up. “Really? Alright.”

“Yeah! When’s the last time we’ve danced together?” He responded, pulling Shiro along.

***

The two of them reached a spot in the field where they had room to move and began to jump and twist to the beat. Shiro, for being such a beautiful, perfect man, did not know how to dance for the life of him. Matt loved it anyway. He wanted nothing more than to dance the night away with his lover by his side. They danced separately, simply enjoying each others’ presence and the thrill of the music. Matt felt warm all over and the lights around him seemed to be spinning and twisting around them. It was thrilling. After a few songs went by, Matt glanced up at Shiro’s face and saw such pure joy on his face that his heart skipped a beat and the next thing he knew he was grabbing his boyfriend’s arms and spinning him around like Lance had done with Keith.

Unfortunately they didn’t even make it three turns before Matt had to let go and grab onto Shiro’s shoulder for support while his head stopped spinning.

“Oh jeez,” Matt huffed, closing his eyes for a moment. “Lance made it look so easy.”

Shiro reach down to support under his arm. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m just dizzy. I’ll be fine.” After a few deep breaths, Matt dared to open his eyes revealing Shiro’s worried face. He realized the lights from before weren't the only things spinning now. Everything from a foot or so in front of him was tipping dangerously and he swallowed around a wave of nausea. “Oh fuck..”

“Let’s go sit down.” Shiro began to help him out of the crowd.

“No, Shiro I’m fine, really…” Matt protested softly as he was led away from the party. His shaky limbs gave him away however, and he was struggling to walk in a straight line. “I wanna dance…” He whined.

“Matt, you’re drunk sweetheart.” Shiro responded softly, as he helped the boy sit on one of the benches on the outskirts of the garden.

“No I…” Matt trailed off. That couldn’t be right. The only drink he’d had that night was the one with Shiro. Hardly enough to get him more than tipsy. Also, he didn’t feel drunk. He’d been drunk before. This felt distinctly wrong but he couldn’t place why. He opened his mouth to say as much to Shiro, but was interrupted by another wave of nausea, this time he doubled over and let out a wet burp into the grass below him.

“Oh no, ok…” Shiro sighed. “Let’s get you back to the castle actually. I don’t think Riko’vian drinks agree with you.”

Matt shot him a You think?? glare, but didn’t respond. He just allowed the black paladin to lead him out the gate and towards the castle, which was parked a little ways behind the governess's estate.

The pair only made it to the edge of the garden’s outer wall before shiro slowed his steps to a halt. The castle was still about a hundred yards away and Matt glanced up at his partner in confusion.

Shiro had one hand around Matt’s waist to support him, while his other was braced against the brick wall on his left. His face had gone pale and a few drops of sweat were beginning to drip down his forehead.

“Shiro…?” Matt said softly.

“I’m ah, not feeling so great now either, actually.”

There was a moment of silence between them, the two of them processing exactly what that meant. They could both have ended up sick from the drink, but Matt swore he saw Lance sipping his own earlier and last Matt saw he was still living it up on the dance floor. No, these symptoms were too precise, to well timed, and as Matt’s legs gave out and Shiro tipped sideways to catched his weight, the two exchanged a knowing, fearful look.

They’d been drugged.

Shiro Immediately reached for his com, but with a cold dread he remembered that they were not in their armor. There wasn’t anyone else outside the garden to call to either. They were alone.

“Matt.” He started, looking over at his partner. “We need to get back to the others. Now.”

Matt’s only response was a flutter of his eyelids and a small groan. The drugs, or poison Shiro thought with a panic, was already deep in his system and he was losing consciousness fast. Shiro felt his own thoughts becoming foggy as well, the longer they stood there.

Shit shit shit.

Shiro pushed off from the wall, determined to get them to castle before it was too late, however he was quickly overcome by vertigo and he lost his balance, sending them both toppling to the ground. Matt groaned beside him and Shiro fought to get his bearings before they both passed out.

He tried to push back off the ground, but darkness was starting to creep into the edges of his vision. His limbs felt like lead and wouldn’t respond to his commands. With a rising panic Shiro realized they weren't going anywhere soon. With his last few moments of wakefulness he called out desperately to the Black Lion, but received no answer but the muffled sound of the party and the crunch of approaching footsteps on the gravel.

***

His arms ached. So did his head. In fact it felt to Shiro like he’d been hit by a bus. With a groan he peeled his eyelids apart, expecting to see the ceiling of his castle bedroom through the dark of his eyelashes, but instead was met with a deep violet, mostly empty room. Purple... Why did that color cause his heart to spike in fear? He was too groggy to remember. As his vision focused he noticed a blurry figure standing against the opposite wall. No, hanging from the wall, their arms locked above their head and bare toes just brushing the floor. It was Matt.

Shiro’s eyes snapped open. His first instinct was to get to his partner, but he quickly discovered the cause of his cramped arms. His wrists were locked above him, same as Matt’s, and all his weight was being held by the manacles. The two of them were dressed in Galran prisoner uniforms and Shiro let out a shaky laugh. They had been drugged and captured. Of course they had. The black paladin twisted his head up to look at his prosthetic and his heart sank when he saw a power canceling clamp attached just above the elbow. No help there. They were stuck.

A small moan drifted from the other side of the cell and Shiro saw Matt’s figure shift.

“Matt! Thank goodness, you’re ok.” He sighed.

Matt’s head turned side to side, taking in his surroundings. He wore what looked like a light purple visor, stretching across his eyes and over his ears. The boy pulled weakly at his wrists and when they didn't budge, Shiro saw the boy’s breath start to quicken in panic. “Oh god…” He groaned.

“Matt,” Shiro called again, “It’s ok, I’m here. We’re ok.”

“S-shiro?”

“Yeah sunshine, it’s me.”

“Shiro? Pidge?” Matt continued, still straining against his bonds. “Hello?”

“Matt? I’m right here, look at me.”

The burnet continued calling out, giving no indication he had heard his boyfriend speak. That’s when Shiro realized what was going on.

“He can’t hear you.” A voice cut through Shiro’s thoughts and he snapped his head around to the cell door which was now opening to reveal a high ranking galra general, flanked by two sentries. “But by all means, continue to call to him.”

“Fuck…” Matt whimpered. Making Shiro turn again. “Is anyone there? I can’t.. Dammit, I can’t see!”

“What the hell is this.” Shiro growled. He swallowed his growing panic, whatever was about to happen to them he needed to stay strong for Matt.

“Isn't it obvious?” The Galra gestured around. “It’s a prison cell.”

“Don’t patronize me.” Shiro snapped. “What are you planning to do with us?”

“Do with you? Oh I’m going to torture you of course. You see I have some questions that need answered, and it’s not every day we get our hands on a Paladin of Voltron.”

Shiro swallowed his panic and forced out a response. His voice came out a lot tougher than he felt. “I’ve been through this before.” Shiro growled. “You won’t get anything out of me.”

“No, I suppose not. You’re far too stubborn I’ve heard.” The Galra sighed. “Physical torture is overrated anyway.” He paused, before shooting Shiro the most sickening grin. “But what about emotional?” He turned away, walking to the other side of the cell. Walking towards…

Shiro’s blood ran cold. No. Not Matt…

“You know, we originally only planned on capturing you,” The galra all but purred. “However, when you ordered a second drink for your… sunshine, it only made sense to drug you both. So really it’s your fault that he’s here.”

One of the sentries handed the Galra a long, serrated dagger as he examined the terrified burnet. “He can’t hear or see a single thing. He has no idea what’s about to happen.” He smiled, trailing the knife over Matt’s body, not quite touching, not yet. “You may not be inclined to talk when the pain is yours, but I wonder how long you’ll last if we make him bleed…”

No no no no N O

without warning, he plunged the knife deep into Matt’s shoulder.

Matt screamed.

[thefreckledone]

Satori (Between the Lines) - Part 2

[Chapter 1]

Sakura willingly goes along with Ibiki, allowing him to tug her along through the Intelligence Division with Inoichi on their tails. She hasn’t been to this section of the Intelligence Division before, these upper floors that have actual windows in their walls. Sakura looks around avidly, basking in the natural light even as Ibiki pulls her toward the end of the hall. There are no people walking around these halls, though Sakura notes that the rooms that line the hall are marked with a simple, beautiful sign:

Archives.

Her eyes round and her hands twitch with the desire to get a hold of the documents within and crack open their secrets.

Her pace slows and Ibiki glances down at her. He catches the focus of her attention and chuckles, a low, rasping sound that emerges from his chest with an almost rusty quality. Sakura privately wonders how many years it’s been since he’s laughed at something so simple, something not involved with T&I. From the look on Inoichi’s face, it may have been before she was born.

“There’ll be time for that later,” Ibiki says gruffly, releasing her arm and, with only the briefest of hesitations, ruffling her hair. “Right now, however, I need to make introductions.”

“Why are we here?” Inoichi demands. “Sakura-kun is here on an Academy class assignment,” he continues, stressing Sakura’s current rank and standing within Konoha. As an Academy student, she is not yet anyone by shinobi standards. “Whatever you’re plotting needs to stop.”

Ibiki crosses his arms, scowling at Inoichi. Somehow, it is less terrifying than his laugh. “She’s got skill; all the more so for being a mere Academy student. Let’s let our Strategist decide whether or not she can be useful elsewhere. Besides, the Academy’s lessons have been subpar and lacking in recent years; I’m sure she needs herself a challenge.”

Inoichi frowns, turning red as he glances between the disparate duo, but he bites his tongue. Instead, he gives Ibiki a stern look before stepping to the side.

Ibiki strides forward, slamming a hand on the door before sailing through, not giving the occupant a chance to respond. Sakura meekly steps in behind him, taking a moment to assess the room. It is more spacious than the room that she’s been working in, but it is filled from floor to ceiling with all sorts of papers: dusty tomes, huge scrolls, and loose leaf paper. Her eyes go wide as she reads some of the titles, realizing that some of them are more advanced texts on cryptography.

Her fingers itch to get a hold of them.

A drawn out sigh interrupts her daydreaming and Sakura snaps to attention guiltily. She looks to the sole occupant of the room, nearly obscured by the documents on his desk. He is dark haired and scarred, with the signature small pupils of the Nara clan.

Nara Shikaku, the Jonin Commander of Konohagakure.

Sakura swallows, mouth and throat suddenly dry. She knows she has to be in major trouble to be brought before the Jonin Commander. Will she be expelled? Kicked out of Konoha? Her thoughts whirl as she remembers whispers from the marketplace. Tortured?

Without conscious thought, Sakura shrinks back against Ibiki’s leg, trying to hide in his shadow. He glances down at her, eyes going distant as he remembers another who once stood in her shoes. He gruffly shakes the errant sentiment away, placing a hand on Sakura’s shoulder and shoving her out in front of him.

Shikaku glances among the three of them, taking in the terror on Sakura’s face, the resignation on Inoichi’s, before finally settling on Ibiki. “Why did you bring an Academy student into my office?”

Ibiki cackles.

Cackles.

From the way Shikaku pales, Sakura gets the feeling it isn’t a normal occurrence, at least outside of the interrogation room.

Ibiki places both hands on Sakura’s shoulders. “This here is a new protege for you!”

A few things happen at the same time:

Inoichi exclaims something, probably along the lines of, “Absolutely not! She’s a child!”

Shikaku’s gaze transfers to Sakura and she receives the full brunt of his attention and scrutiny. His eyes are keen and Sakura remembers why, in a village full of Hyuga, Uchiha, and Aburame, the Nara are still considered the most intelligent clan.

Ibiki���s hands tighten on Sakura’s shoulders, almost to the point of pain, but it reminds Sakura of the confidence in his voice as he introduced her as a new protege. Ibiki doesn’t even know her full name, yet he has confidence in her.

Maybe, maybe she can confidence in herself as well.

She straightens beneath Shikaku’s gaze, meeting his eyes head on.

His brow quirks slightly, but he gives her a smile that relaxes the lines and scars of his face. He has a kind, tranquil look about him.

Sakura thinks that she may like him.

“Ibiki, you so rarely take an interest in anything outside the interrogation room,” Shikaku says, voice dry. “What games are you playing today?”

“No games,” Ibiki replies. “She’s here on a field experience assignment from the Academy. She sorts the coded documents by recipient.” He strides forward, placing the document from Fox in Shikaku’s hands. “I needed a document pulled that hadn’t been sorted yet. She’s competent enough at code to know at least some of their content. She pulled this for me when I came in asking for it from Inoichi.”

Sakura sees the way interest lights Shikaku’s eyes. He turns to Inoichi. “Is this true?”

Inoichi hesitates for a moment before nodding. “Sakura-kun has been teaching herself ciphers in her free time it seems.”

Shikaku hums, glancing down at the document for a few long moments before lifting his gaze to Sakura. “So I see.”

He leaves it at that and Sakura resists the urge to fidget beneath his penetrating eyes.

“Is that it?” Ibiki demands after a few moments of silence go by.

“Not quite,” Shikaku says, a slow smile curling up his lips. “Sakura-san, tomorrow when you report for your assignment, come here to my office. I’ll have work for you.”

Sakura’s never experienced the peculiar intertwining of dread and excitement before, not until this moment.

She thinks she may like it.

And that it is a sensation she’ll need to get used to. She’s certain she will be feeling it quite frequently moving forward.

“Yes Nara-san,” Sakura says, bowing slightly before she is hurried out the door by a shell-shocked Inoichi and a giggling—giggling—Ibiki.

Just wait until she tells Ino!

“Lift your elbow,” Ino instructs, circling Sakura. “Almost got it—” Ino grabs Sakura’s arm, adjusting it to her standards. “Perfect. Now, hold that position.”

Sakura does as Ino says, though she cannot help asking, “Don’t I need to be holding a kunai?”

“Not yet,” Ino replies. “Genma-senpai says you have to master the forms first. Hold that position.”

Sakura hums in agreement, afraid to nod and break form. Her arm feels awkward to be held at this angle, away from her body. She still doesn’t feel at home in her body. Sakura wonders if it is because she’s so used to hunching over and curling inward. She rarely stands with her shoulders put back or sits with her legs spread wide. She’s spent years trying to make herself smaller and less noticeable; it’s hard to unlearn old habits. But to be a shinobi…to have the confidence needed to push through…learning new habits is necessary.

“It reminds me a bit of what Nara-san is teaching me,” Sakura says, holding the form to the best of her ability.

“Shikaku-oji?” Ino says, tapping Sakura’s arm to get her to raise it again. “What about codes is similar to weapons?”

“Well, they aren’t that similar, but Nara-san and Shiranui-san’s approaches are,” Sakura replies. “Nara-san isn’t letting me decipher any codes right now. Currently, he’s having me read about the history of codes among the different nations. I’ve been learning all about the syntax of multiple languages so that I can understand how codes are created. If I can master these skills, cipher cracking will become simpler. I’ll understand the actual mechanics behind the process.”

“That’s almost exactly what Genma-senpai said!” Ino exclaims. She assesses Sakura’s posture for a moment, nods, and turns a handstand, holding herself up with her legs pressed together. “It’s wise advice, but it’s kind of boring, honestly.”

Sakura wrinkles her nose, thinking of the dry writing she’s been pouring over for the past few weeks. Her arm throbs, reminding her of the tense posture she’s been holding. “It can be. Nara-san says it builds character.”

Ino is silent for a long moment. “You’ve held the position long enough now, Sakura.” Sakura drops her arm, rubbing it absently. Ino looks up at her from her handstand and grins. “There are ways to practice and learn while having fun. Wanna race on our hands to that tree and back?”

Sakura rolls into a handstand of her own. “You’re on!”

“This one is honeysuckle,” Sakura says, pride filling her voice as she identifies the orange flowers on the bush. She reaches forward, gently plucking the flower from the stem. “Ino says that in the language of flowers it signifies happiness and devoted affection.”

Torune hums, kneeling down at her side. “The moths like to pollinate these flowers after dusk. During the day, they tend to be dominated by hummingbirds.” Sakura sees his smile peek out from behind his high collar as the near constant buzz beneath his skin kicks up a notch. “The Aburame insects have their choice of any flower they want.”

“Oh yeah?” Sakura asks, turning the pistil and petals toward Torune, placing the bottom end of the flower up by her lips. “So can I.”

She closes her teeth around the flower, sucking on the receptacle. Sakura taste the sweetness of the honeysuckle and grins around it. The smile widens at Torune’s wide-eyed stare as she picks another and offers it his way.

“Ino may know the language of flowers and you may know which insects like each one, but I know a couple of secrets myself,” Sakura says.

Before becoming friends with Ino, Sakura was a loner, an observer. She listened to the stories of others, in the Haruno shop, and in the streets as well. She also spent time alone in the forests of Konoha. Not outside the walls and certainly not the Forty-Fourth Training Ground, but she knew her way about the copses of Konoha. She even explored a bit into the Nara Forest, not far by any means, but still enough to feel confident navigating through parts of it.

Right now, however, Sakura and Torune are on Aburame property, exploring the sprawling estates full of untouched wildlife. Sakura enjoys the tranquility, the quiet song of life that thrums all around them. It’s an uncultured paradise and Sakura loves every inch of it.

Torune takes the flower from Sakura, copying her motions tentatively. He pauses, glancing over at her. “It’s sweet.”

Sakura giggles at the wonder in his tone. “Of course it is. Don’t your insects let you know how they like their meal?”

Torune sits silently for so long that Sakura begins to worry that she’s crossed some unknown boundary. Finally he says, fists clenched tightly, “They don’t consume pollen.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize,” Sakura says, reaching out and taking one of his gloved hands in both of hers. She runs her hands over his fist, patiently waiting for it to relax beneath her touch. When it finally does, Sakura laces their fingers together. “What do they eat?”

“They’re different than the usual Aburame insects. They aren’t kikaichū,” Torune says, gaze down and focused on their joined hands.

Sakura, sensing his rising tension, places her free hand on his knee. “I’d guessed that they were different,” she says softly. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I want to,” he replies, tightening his hold on her hand. “Friends share secrets, don’t they?”

“They do,” Sakura says. “But that’s sharing secrets, choosing to tell those secrets when you feel comfortable. Friends do not force friends to tell secrets.”

“Okay,” Torune says, breath rattling out of his chest as he exhales. The buzz beneath his skin has reached a point where Sakura can feel the vibrations in his hand and knee. “I want to share this with you though. I just haven’t done this before. Some of my relatives are…intimidated by them, by me.”

Sakura swallows at that; the Aburame are known for being apathetic in the face of even the most dire circumstances. For them to fear Torune, a child…

Still…

“Torune, you are my friend,” Sakura says, her headband suddenly weighty beneath her words and promise. Ino has taught her the meaning of friendship and Sakura suddenly realizes the duty she owes her friends. “I will not turn away from you, whatever you tell me.”

Torune nods shakily, reaching out with his other hand and grabbing hers from his knee. They sit like this, facing each other, surrounded by the fresh, sweet scent of honeysuckles and the constant thrum beneath his skin.

“I carry the rinkaichū, like my father and mother before me,” Torune says, head bent in fear. “Both my father and mother are gone; so I am the last and only host. The rinkaichū are different than the kikaichū; they feed on living flesh, not chakra. With a mere touch, I may infect and kill someone.”

Torune goes to release her hands, but Sakura grips them tightly.

“So?” Sakura asks, keeping their fingers intertwined. “That’s a useful variation to the Aburame kekkei genkai. I know it will come in handy out in the field.”

“Aren’t you scared of me?” Torune asks, body buzzing with agitation. “Why aren’t you angry? I’ve touched you—I’m still touching you—and I didn’t tell you. I’ve endangered you because I’m selfish.”

“I’m not afraid, Torune,” Sakura says. “You aren’t a scary person. Even if others say you lack control, I know the truth. You can control yourself, when it counts. I trust you with my life.”

Torune stays quiet so Sakura does too, waiting until he is ready. She’s said what she needed to say. Besides, she thinks something of what she said got through since he is no longer struggling to escape her touch. She notes idly that the sun is beginning to set over them.

Finally, in the barest of whispers, Torune says, “Really? Do you mean that?”

“I do,” Sakura replies, making her voice as firm as she can, imitating the way Ibiki and Shikaku speak. When they talk, people listen intently. “You know, I think it’s amazing that you alone are capable of carrying on your parents’ legacy. It’s almost like they’re still standing with you.”

Torune sniffles and, when he draws one hand away, Sakura lets him, keeping her gaze averted out of consideration as he removes his goggles. She rustles in her pocket, withdrawing her weapon cleaning cloth. It’s a coarse cloth, certainly not suited to touching skin, but it is clean and unmarked by the usual stains of oil. She passes it to him and accepts his quiet thanks.

“I didn’t think of it like that,” Torune says eventually, voice hoarse and still sniffling a bit.

Sakura hums, looking up at him. He looks mostly put together, though Sakura cannot see his red-rimmed eyes behind the goggles. She leans in, drawing him into a hug. As she embraces him for a long time, smiling as he melts into the hug, she nestles her chin onto his shoulder and looks beyond.

The dusty wings of moths beat as they descend upon the honeysuckles, drawing free their pollen. Sakura smiles and closes her eyes, knowing that, regardless of what happens from here, her bond with Torune is firmly forged.

She won’t be shaken from her friends. Not now, not ever.

“You seem pensive.”

Sakura looks up from the dusty tome, startled by the interruption. Her thoughtful frown turns sheepish as she meets Shikaku’s piercing gaze.

“Sorry,” she says, ducking her head. “I suppose my thoughts wandered.”

“Where to?” he asks, folding his hands on his desk.

“It’s foolish,” she demurs.

“Tell me anyway.”

Sakura takes a deep breath, keeping her eyes focused on a point beyond Shikaku’s forehead. She cannot look into the banked fires, his eyes like hot coals. Calm and settled, for the moment, but easily stoked into a blazing crescendo of flames.

“I’ve enjoyed the reading you’ve assigned, truly,” she begins, not wanting to appear in any way ungrateful. “It has vastly improved my knowledge of cryptography. However, what these books describe is so different from the ciphers used in the missives that go through the Intelligence Division. I’ve checked.”

Shikaku hums, expression unreadable. “What do you mean by ‘different?’”

“They are…simple by comparison,” Sakura admits, wondering if she’s in trouble here. “They use transposition ciphers or substitution ciphers. None of them use any of the languages you’re teaching me or even the literary stylings found in this book.” She holds up the book entitled Embedded Poetry and Stories: An Analysis. “I do not mean to be pert and I doubt it is my place, but is it safe? If someone like me can decrypt the codes, what does that mean for Konoha?”

In the silence that ensues, Sakura works up the courage to look Shikaku in the eye. She does, surprised to see the shock writ upon his features.

“Sir?” she ventures, hesitant.

Shikaku’s shoulders begin to shake as peals of laughter burst forth. Sakura feels the flush creep up her neck, around her ears, and fill her cheeks, as a mixture of embarrassment and confusion settles into the pit of her gut.

“I’m not laughing at you,” he says between chuckles. “It’s just…I am unused to such astute observations coming from the mouth of a six year old. At least, regarding these matters. If Shikamaru applied himself…” He trails off for a moment before shaking his head. “But I digress. Sakura, you are right. The codes Konoha currently employs among its elite shinobi are simple. The current opinion is that, should a missive be intercepted, the ciphers are good enough to keep prying eyes out.” He rolls his eyes, indicating his opinion on the issue. “They think the Konoha dialect is enough to confuse enemy code breakers, nervemind the fact that there are always spies within the village and we have our fair share of traitors. Just as you know the Iwa dialect from the texts you’ve read, so to do other nations know ours. We aren’t particularly unique.”

“So why don’t they care to change?” Sakura asks, flabbergasted and horrified.

To think that enemies could so easily decipher sensitive village information…

“Who can say? The Councils and other officials are still war-minded; most of them suffered through two of the three Shinobi World Wars and countless other skirmishes. They aren’t acclimated to peace time and focus solely on our military strength. They believe that sending missives with Summons will keep them safe, but there’s always a risk at hand. Konoha’s officials do not care to ‘waste time’ on ‘exercises of futile intelligence.’” He seems to be quoting specifically from words told to him in the past. “They forget that such exercises are the primary information source in both war and peace time. In fact, this type of espionage can either cause or prevent war.”

“Cause or prevent war?” Sakura repeats, astonished.

What Shikaku does, what she’s doing, can have that monumental an impact?

Shikaku smiles and it is a bitter thing. “The Councils scoff, but wars have been started for less than a deciphered letter. It’s also possible that, should our codes be broken, forgeries take their place and throw the upper echelons of Konoha’s elite into disarray.”

Sakura blinks, more than a little shell-shocked.

“Some of the higher officials, the true war dogs who were in the thick of it, use more complicated ciphers. Hokage-sama, Shimura-san, and so on. I’ll let you take a look at some of them sometime. You’ll be able to see that, with those they’ve personally had a hand in creating, bits of their personality are imbued into the codes. Still, they don’t bother to keep up with the current literature on cryptography. Language is fluid and constantly changing. So too is cryptography. I’m having you read these histories so that one day you can create ciphers of your own.” Shikaku grins, scars stretching in his happiness. “You’ve shown more than just a penchant for it; you have a true gift. I look forward to the codes you yourself create. I know they’ll be magnificent.”

Sakura doesn’t speak, thunderstruck by all the possibilities that seem to have opened up before her. Her very own code…She never realized that she could make any herself, rather than borrowing from the work of others. To make—to create—codes all her own, with her own signature, own brand…Well, the possibilities seem endless.

Shikaku smirks at her over-wide eyes. “Your eyes are growing larger than your stomach; don’t get greedy. Pace yourself, we have time enough.”

Sakura nods, returning to her reading with a new fervor and fresh perspective. She wants—needs—to learn everything there is about cryptography.

“That’s ten,” Ino says, tone unreadable.

“Did I…did I do alright?” Sakura asks, almost fearful of the answer.

“Why don’t you see for yourself?” Ino says.

Sakura reaches up, removing the kerchief from her eyes. Before her, forty yards away, are the ten targets. Each of her kunai struck their mark. Sakura claps in excitement, prancing forward to examine the targets more closely. She managed to nail the very center of the target on four of the targets, the other six hit within the two next smallest circles.

“Ino!” she exclaims, turning back to her friend.

Ino cannot contain her own exhilaration. “You did it!”

“We did it,” Sakura corrects, the force of her smile almost hurting her cheeks. She looks across the field at her friend and bows. “Thank you, Ino-sensei.”

Sakura yelps as, still bowed over, a weight hits her in the side, knocking her over. Sakura tumbles to the ground, entangled in Ino’s limbs. They look at each other for a long moment, stunned breathless by the unexpected fall. Then, and Sakura cannot say who exactly starts, they begin to snicker. Snickers evolve into giggles which turn to guffaws and finally become outright cackling. They lay on the ground against each other, content as the laughter dies off.

“I’m trying to imagine Mizuki-sensei’s face during the quarter’s final,” Ino says.

“Mizuki-sensei’s? What about Iruka-sensei’s?” Sakura sits up, pulling a face at Ino that sets off their fit once more. “Sasuke-san won’t be pleased.”

“Why’s that?” Ino asks, propping herself up on her elbows to look over at Sakura.

“You’re better with weapons than he is,” Sakura says. “He might even challenge you to a spar.”

Ino huffs, though a slight flush rises to her cheeks. “Let him try. Tou-chan’s been teaching me secret clan techniques and spar moves. Sasuke-san can’t even activate his kekkei genkai yet. I can beat any of the boys in our class.”

“You’ll beat him,” Sakura says, confident. “You can beat any of them.”

They fall into a satisfied silence, just basking in Sakura’s victory and each other’s presence.

Because they are propped up against one another, Sakura can feel Ino’s muscles suddenly tense. “What is it?” Sakura asks.

“Speaking of displeased boys reminded me of something,” Ino says. “We had an Ino-Shika-Cho barbecue last week. I hung out with Shikamaru and Choji the whole time. Shikamaru seemed a bit off. He kept asking me questions about you.”

“About me?”

“Apparently Shikaku-oji has mentioned you a couple times at home. Since Shikamaru’s so upset, I’m guessing he gave you praise.”

“Shikamaru’s upset?” Sakura asks, sitting up straight after fighting back feelings of pride. She enjoys being praised for her skill.

“Don’t worry about it, Sakura,” Ino says, pulling on Sakura’s hand until she reclines once more. “Shikamaru just really admires his father, though he’d never admit it. He’s just jealous that Shikaku-oji has noticed one of his peers.”

“What should I do?” Sakura says, picking at her fingernails. She hates the thought that someone is angry with her; the people pleaser in her demanding that she fix the issue.

Ino flaps a hand. “Don’t worry about it; Shikamaru will either get over it or confront you.”

“Confront me?”

“Calm down,” Ino says. “This is Shikamaru we’re talking about. He’s pretty lazy and he knows you’re my best friend. He won’t do anything terrible; he knows I’ll make him regret it.”

Sakura smiles, grabbing Ino’s hand. “Thank you, Ino, for always protecting me.”

“Of course!” Ino replies, squeezing Sakura’s hand in turn. “I always have your back.”

They stay like that for a while, time seeming to stand still aside from the movement of the sun and clouds in the sky. Finally, Ino stands with a sigh, patting down her clothes and collecting her gear.

“I have to go home for dinner,” she admits, looking put out. “Tou-chan is cooking tonight and I don’t want to miss it.”

“I’m sure it will be good!” Sakura replies, trying not to think of her own home, empty right now as her parents travel through Iron. They’re establishing ties with the samurai that reside there, hoping to attain firsthand access to Iron exports. It is an arduous and lengthy process, but Sakura knows better than to complain. She glances at the targets, pushing aside the thought of withdrawing leftovers from the fridge that her aunt left her. “I think I’ll stay here a bit longer and continue to practice.”

Ino gives her a hug and they exchange farewells, Sakura watching as Ino moves away.

Once Ino is no longer in sight, Sakura sets about practicing once more. She withdraws her kunai from the target, deciding to work with her shuriken instead.

“You don’t need her.”

Sakura jumps, turning with kunai ready in hand.

“Torune?” Sakura asks, confusion giving her pause. “What are you doing here?”

He glances at her for a moment, before returning his attention to his feet. She cannot really see much of his expression, obscured as it is by goggles and high collar, but she’s certain that he’s angry. She’s never seen him like this.

“The Yamanaka,” Torune bites out. “You don’t need her.”

Sakura cocks her head to the side for a moment, regarding him, before turning back to the task at hand. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I’ll watch your back,” Torune says. Sakura suddenly realizes that she can feel the way his entire body is vibrating with the force of the rinkaichū within him, even with the distance between them and her back to him. “I’m strong, I can protect you.”

“Ino is strong too,” Sakura replies, yanking hard on one of the kunai. It is firmly wedged into the wood and, though she’s proud of the force she put behind the throw, it is causing some trouble now. Ino is the top girl in their class in every area except academics, which Sakura herself dominates. “Plus, as a shinobi I need to be able to watch my own back.”

“Sakura!” he exclaims before cutting himself off in frustration.

“What’s really bothering you, Torune?” Sakura asks, abandoning the kunai to regard him fully. “You’ve never had any issues with Ino before.”

“Is she your best friend?” Torune blurts out.

“She’s my first friend,” Sakura says.

“That isn’t an answer.”

Sakura sighs, sitting down and crossing her legs. She pats the ground beside her, to indicate where he should sit. Torune obeys and Sakura begins plucking at the dandelions that grow around the base of the target.

“Ino is my precious person,” Sakura says, focusing on her hands. “She saved me from bullies and gave me this ribbon.” Sakura gestures to her head. “She’s bossy and likes to gossip and to get into my business and I love her with all my heart. When she’s sad, I want to cheer her up. When she’s injured, I want to heal her. When she’s happy, I want to make her even happier. I want to protect her and pay her back for all of the help she’s given me.”

“Oh,” Torune says, subdued. His buzzing has completely subsided.

“Torune, you are also my precious person,” she continues as she weaves the strands together. “You are quiet and you daydream and sometimes talking to you is hard because I don’t know what you feel about what I’m saying and I love you with all my heart. When you’re hurt, I want to hold your hand. When you’re frightened, I want to scare your fears away. When you’re fighting, I want to stand and protect your back. It makes me smile when I see you smile.”

Torune sniffles slightly, rubbing at his nose. “Really?”

“Really,” Sakura replies. She ties the ends of the stands to each other and nods to herself. Sakura lifts her creation in her hands and leans over, placing it on his head. “There. It won’t last as long as the ribbon, but…” She shrugs. “I’ll get you something that lasts later. This is a symbol of our bond. Dandelions mean long-lasting happiness, youthful joy, and wish fulfillment. My wish is this: that you and I will be friends forever.” Sakura grins at him. “So don’t worry about ‘best’ or anything like that. Both of you are my precious people.”

Torune throws his arms around her, dragging her into a hug. It is awkward and slightly uncomfortable, but wholehearted and warm, just like Torune is. “You’re my precious person too,” he says against her ear. “Thank you for being my friend, Sakura.”

Sakura opens her mouth to reply, but her stomach beats her to it, growling loudly. She flushes, drawing away from Torune. “Sorry about that. I guess I’m hungry.”

“Want to come to dinner with me? Oji-sama will cook.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?” Sakura asks. “I’d hate to impose.”

“It won’t!” Torune says, cutting her off. “Oji-sama always cooks too much. He’d be happy to have you.”

Sakura thinks back to her vacant and quiet home and realizes that there is no contest. “Of course, Torune, thank you for the invitation.”

[professordiggsy]

THE STORY OF THE RAVNICA GAME SO FAR, Part Three:

Krenko’s Way, Part the Third: In which things escalate quickly.

Having successfully navigated the network of sewer tunnels beneath the Undercity, the party arrives at a dead end. After some investigation by Lord A. and Lunan, it is evident that this tunnel--with a maintenance ladder going topside to Foundry Street--is almost certainly the drop point for the weapons crate. After Caaki pries open the maintenance hatch, the party decides to split, briefly: Lurea, Zofgil, and Lord Abe decide to stay below, and keep watch near the crate to ensure it's picked up; while the rest of the group goes topside to seek out leads and survey the area.

As the others climb up to street level, the three of them find hiding places in the shadows to hunker down and wait, keeping in contact through Zofgil's message spell. After about ten minutes of waiting, Lord A.--from his hiding place directly behind the crate--notices a strange mechanical insect crawling out from within the crate. Taking in Lord A's presence and the surrounding area, it opens its tiny wings and flies away, up the maintenance shaft towards Foundry Street...

Meanwhile, the other six adventurers get their bearings on street level, only to now find they are now five instead of six. Sabina is nowhere to be seen, having apparently melted into the nearby crowd. Though Lunan and Alric could hear a faint, melancholy squeaking receding into the distance, it was clear that Sabina's journey followed its own path, for now.

A few minutes later, Nex notices a strange insect flying up from the same sewer grate they had just exited. He tries to knock it out of the air with his sickle, but misses, prompting Lunan to leap forward and grab it with his bare hand. The bug, a mechanical construct of some kind, struggles to break free as the others discuss its presence. The group realizes it is not tailing them, but must be the signaling device Falish mentioned--and if it doesn't get to its destination and signal the drop is ready for pickup, they might lose their chance to locate Krenko without alerting him. With that in mind, Lunan releases the bug (to be specific---a Dimir spybug, modded by Falish for this purpose), which flies off to parts unknown.

The five of them decide to stake out the street corner near the sewer entrance. Alric patrols the block for signs of anything suspicious, while Caaki goes to a nearby newsstand to pick up some hot goss. The human running the stand seemsresistant to give up any details of local goblin gang activity, and even less convinced that the cyclops's interest in such topics is borne out of innocent curiosity. In an attempt to play it cool--or out of a genuine interest in the material--Caaki decides to purchase a pulp romance novel from the man (5cp). His choice? "The Feisty Farmhand", a steamy tale detailing the romance between a Gruul centaur and Selesnyan dryad. It makes for good reading as the group hunkers down to stake out the street corner.

After about a half hour's waiting, down in the sewers, Lurea notices something unusual--a section of tunnel wall slides open, revealing a hidden passage. Two goblins step into the tunnel, and are surprised to find strangers waiting with the cargo. Before they can get a clear answer from Zofgil or Lurea--or draw their weapons--Lord Abernathy jumps up to take command of the situation. In a "I demand to speak to the manager" befitting the truest of aristocrats, Lord Abernathy Hasterforth successfully convinces the goblins that the three of them were hired by Falish to guard the cargo, and to escort it safely to Krenko's hideout. The senior of the two goblins--suitably rattled and perplexed as only Joe Pesci in what was surely the most mediocre work of his film career could be (Moonwalker notwithstanding)--is willing to go with the first part of A's lie, but not the second. If the goblins bring the three adventurers to Krenko, he and his buddy would be in for a world of hurt. Lord A, taking a different tack, tries to convince the goblins that they want Krenko to hire them as mercenaries, and can escort them and the cargo as proof of their loyalty. The goblins again refuse the escort, but offer to send a scroll of Sending for them to set up a meeting once things have blown over. As this is happening, Zofgil sends a Message to the group topside, letting them know the drop is being made (and keeping them on standby in case things go south). Oriana takes this opportunity to convey this info to the others by way of a "drawful" game (drawing in the muddy street with a stick), prompting Lunan to blurt out, loudly, "There's two goblins down in the sewers!"

A few moments later the two goblins carry the weapons crate up to street level, and begin transporting it northward. Although Oriana is ready to dart the goblins at the first opportunity, she doesn't get the chance. A gang of six goblin street toughs, visibly armed and hostile, appear at the opposite corner of the block. Whether they were already nearby, alerted by the newspaper vendor, or heard Lunan shouting is unclear, but they're looking for trouble. The lead goblin spots Alric first, and tries to intimidate him into leaving the street (as he clearly doesn't look like a local). A tense standoff erupts into combat as Alric activates his holy warhammer. Daggers flash, darts and frost rays let fly, and the group makes short work of the thugs (although some ridiculously unplanned lightning strikes from Oriana certainly help), though not without their fair share of injuries. 

As the group cleans the wounds, and the street activity returns to its usual hum, a tall man in a silver cloak runs out from the crowd and goes to Lord Abernathy directly. He tells Lord A. that he brings a message from his brother, and a gift--in the form of a swift knee to the groin. Before anyone can come to Abe's defense, the messenger melts back into the crowd.  (Unbeknownst to the party at large, this was a staged attack meant to bolster Lord A’s cover story...)

As intriguing as this exchange is--to say nothing of the allegations that Lord A. was exiled from his family estate over accusations of murder--the party has little time to waste. Lurea has already moved ahead of the group, tailing the goblins with the crate. Nex and Zofgil pick up the trail, and they head north towards the docks.

The trail leads the party a short time later to a large abandoned warehouse. Once used by the Boros for armory storage, it is now unremarkable and in disrepair. The building has at least one goblin on partol around its perimeter--the newly formed Rakdos troupe (apparently dubbing themselves "Surprise!") goes to ply their trade and do what they do best--distraction. Though their antics are impressive, and it seems like they just might pull the guard away from his post, a small projectile inexplicably plinks off of the goblin's head (a ball bearing thrown secretly by Lurea), startling it and causing it to try to sound the alarm--and things escalate quickly from there.

Though the goblin is initially prevented from blowing the whistle--literally--on everyone, the sounds of a scuffle alert other nearby guards to the group's presence. While Caaki, Lunan, Oriana, Nex, and Zofgil deal with the two goblins to the north, Lurea scales the side of the building looking for a possible point of entry. Meanwhile, Lord A and Alric, holding defensive positions at the opening of the alley, are surprised by the two other goblins approaching their position. Through some clever traps, intimidation, persuasion (and some light immolation), Lord A. and Alric are able to nonlethally subdue the goblins, gaining two begrudging allies--or hostages--for the moment. 

As the goblins on the perimeter become less of a threat, Caaki, Zofgil and Lurea manage to damage the more fire-battered portions of the building to break open a few sizeable access points. The way cleared, Lunan darts into the dimly lit warehouse---but before he can find cover, two crossbow bolts from nearby snipers pierce his torso in an instant, and he falls...gravely wounded.

[cannabisprnewera]

What Are Terpenes?

A Cannabis Enthusiast’s Guide To Understanding Terpenes

what are cannabis terpenes

Here’s The Deal:

One of the most fun aspects of being a cannabis consumer or patient is the ability to smell the array of fragrances that the plant’s flowers produce. With scents ranging from fruity aromas to cheese-like smells, the cannabis plant can require the consumer to develop a level of familiarity and expertise with its unique makeup. So what exactly is behind these fragrances that trigger such connections? And what is it that makes them so unique?

You Had Me at Fragrance

You may have heard of terpenes or terpenoids, the chemical that gives cannabis its different types of scents. Terpenes are organic hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of plants. With the rise of the legal cannabis industry, the discussion around terpenes has recently heated up. We’re here to break down what these chemicals are, and exactly what they are doing to make your cannabis experience so unique.

What’s In a Name?

First, the words terpenes and terpenoids are often used interchangeably, although the meanings do vary. Terpenes are the naturally occurring combination of carbon and hydrogen, whereas terpenoids are terpenes that have been modified through a drying and curing process (chemical modification), altering the oxygen content of the compound.

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Trichomes and Terpenes, What you Need to Know

In cannabis, terpenes are made in the trichomes of the plant. Trichomes are the shiny, sticky, mushroom-shaped crystals that cover the leaves and buds. Trichomes on cannabis act as a defense mechanism in nature, protecting the plant from insects and animals through the production of fragrant terpenes that repel these dangers. As humans, we smell these terpenes and can make inferences about the strain and possibly physiological effects that the strain may have.

You may also enjoy this article: How CBD Oil’s Color, Clarity, And Extraction Affect Your Experience

Cannabis is an incredibly diverse plant regarding its biological makeup and potential benefits — and terpenes – are no exception. There are over 100 different identified terpenes in the cannabis plant, and while the differences can be subtle, much progress has been made in making classification of terpenes and their effects easy for patients and consumers to understand. Broadly, terpenes can be broken down into sweet, sour, spicy, or bitter — with each category further breaking down into more specific smells. These specific smells consist with certain strains, which in turn correlate to the effects of that plant. In fact, to help with this., many companies have produced terpene wheels to better help people understand this. More on that in a bit.

How Terpenes Affect your Mood

Here’s an example: A sour-smelling flower may have a strong lemon scent to it. Lemon scented strains are often correlated with strains like lemon skunk or lemon haze; these are zesty sativas that give the consumer a boost of energy and euphoria. With a better understanding of terpenes and how they relate to the scents that you are experiencing, you are able to come to certain conclusions about the plant in front of you by simply smelling it. This is powerful information for consumers, patients, and growers alike.

So what exactly are these terpenes?

Common Terpenes You May Already Be Familiar With

common cannabis terpenes

Limonene

You may be more familiar with terpenes than you realize. Considering our lemon example above, do you know what terpene a lemon scent refers to? Limonene. Limonene is not only characteristic of citrus-smelling cannabis but it’s also the exact terpene found in lemons and other citrus fruit rinds, like oranges and limes, giving them that fruity smell. Among other products, limonene is commonly used as a fragrant additive in cosmetics and cleaning supplies.

Limonene is known for its powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties. It’s a natural insecticide on the cannabis plant and can even assist in treating toenail fungus in humans. Limonene is easily absorbed through inhalation and even improves absorption of other terpenes through the skin and body tissue, like mucous membranes and the digestive tract. Limonene is also known for its stress-relieving and mood-enhancing effects.

Pinene

Can you guess where pinene is commonly found? That’s right — pine trees. Pinene actually comes in two types: alpha, which smells like pine needles and is the most commonly found terpene in nature, and beta, which smells like rosemary, basil, dill, or parsley. Pinene is also found in conifer trees, citrus peels, and turpentine. Pinene is a powerful bronchodilator, which helps improve airflow to lungs, making it a good option for those struggling with asthma. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and local antiseptic and has been used by cultures around the world for its healing properties for thousands of years. Pinene easily crosses the blood-brain barrier improving memory and alertness. It’s even said that pinene counters memory loss associated with THC.

Myrcene

Commonly found in mangoes, hops, thyme, and lemongrass, myrcene is said to be one of the most abundant terpenes in cannabis. Myrcene is important because its presence determines whether a strain is indica or sativa. According to Steep Hill Labs, if a plant has more than 0.5% myrcene, it will produce indica-like effects. Anything less than 0.5% myrcene produces sativa-like effects. Myrcene is also known for its antibiotic, analgesic, and anti-mutagenic properties.

Linalool

Linalool is commonly found in lavender and its aroma is light and floral. Widely known for the ability to reduce stress, linalool is used as an anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and sedative. Linalool is also used to relieve seizure symptoms and provide relief to those suffering from psychosis.

cannabis terpene benefits

Custom Terpene Profiles

Research and information about terpenes are becoming increasingly available as interest in cannabis continues to grow. However, the average cannabis shopper can still be unaware of the effects that terpenes have on their cannabis experience. Furthermore, testing profiles showing cannabinoid and terpene content are not widely available to consumers. Companies are stepping in to remediate this by rebranding how we talk about terpenes.

Profile charts, like this table or this wheel, provide an easy, visual way for consumers and patients to understand which terpenes produce particular effects. Generally, terpenes can be associated with different strains or products. These visual aids can help educate curious consumers so that informed purchasing decisions can be made.

The Future of Cannabis is in Delivering a Consistent Feeling, Like This..

Recently, there has been an uptick in companies who discuss their products based on feelings. Some brands advertise solely based on their intended effects. You can now buy a vape pen labeled “relax” or “energy.” This is a game changer for a few reasons. Two customers may walk into a dispensary asking for something sativa. The first customer may ask for a sativa seeking to focus, while the other may ask for a sativa seeking higher levels of energy. Because varied terpene content within sativa strains will make certain products better for certain effects, the use of mood-based branding provides solutions for different types of customers.

Custom Terpene Profiles, Should I Care?

Custom terpene profiles can also be beneficial to patients seeking relief. Medical cannabis patients often suffer from several ailments at the same time, for example, nausea, pain, and stress. The severity and sensitivity of conditions vary among patients making individual, customized treatment essential. As more brands hit the market with custom terpene and cannabinoid profiles, patients are provided with increased treatment options, and in ways that we have not seen before. Because growing conditions and plant genetics determine terpene quality and content, growers are now able to make adjustments to the “how” and “what” they grow, in order to meet patient demand. This is a much faster and transparent process than waiting for a new pharmaceutical drug to hit the market.

Terpenes and Vaporizing

Because terpenes have different molecular structures, their boiling points vary. The temperature at which you vaporize becomes important for understanding what produces your desired effects. Some compounds require higher boiling points to turn into vapor, while others are ineffective at high temperatures. The same goes for cannabinoids.

Love Terpenes? Pick your Vaporizer Wisely, Here’s Why

The differences can also be quite wide. For example, THC’s boiling point is 315 F and Linalool’s boiling point is 388 F. There is a multitude of vaporizers on the market and temperature customization is becoming increasingly popular. Many devices now let you change the temperature directly on the device or through a smartphone app, providing cannabis consumers with options to consume at different temperatures.

Smoking anything isn’t ideal for your body — combustion creates smoke which contains by-products that are harsh on your lungs. Vaporizing is more gentle on the body, and more of the vapor content is made of the cannabinoids and terpenes that you seek. Cannabinoids begin to vaporize at 285 F and combustion begins at 392 F. Playing with different temperatures will help you find your sweet spot.

Non-Cannabis Terpenes and Concentrates

Another trend gaining popularity is the rise in products combining non-cannabis, isolated terpenes, and concentrates. A recent Brazilian study found that rats exposed to this combination were more likely to develop kidney problems than rats exposed to either substance on their own. Their research found that cannabis smoke degraded isolated beta-caryophyllene (another common terpene) into toxic chemicals known for consumption. The authors of the study went so far as to advise against mixing these compounds for humans.

More scientific research is necessary in order to better understand how terpenes affect the human body. Cannabis Science is still a relatively new field and there is so much more to be discovered. Until then, you can learn more by educating yourself on what research has been validated in order to better inform your consumption and purchasing decisions.

Your Most Important Takeaways about Terpenes

From what we know, the potential benefits from terpenes are promising. These organic, naturally occurring compounds not only enhance and inform your cannabis experience but also offer great medicinal benefits to patients. Terpenes have been used for thousands of years by cultures around the world for their healing properties and as cannabis science expands, the possibilities to help more people becomes increasingly exciting.

Bottom Line:

Terpene-based products are pushing the conversation about these compounds into the mainstream. Consumers are beginning to understand the correlation between terpenes and cannabinoids and their cannabis-consumption experience. The more sophisticated the consumer becomes, the more evolved the products on the shelves (and their marketing) will become.

As cannabis legalization marches forward, the market for products geared towards patients and consumers will rapidly expand. New companies and brands will jump in developing products to meet demand. Simultaneously, research will continue to move forward and more information regarding the benefits of the cannabis plant will come to light.

It’s up to consumers to better understand what they are looking for from their cannabis experience and from their products. By having open conversations with budtenders and asking brands for what they want, they open to door to new possibilities.

Further Reading:

Terpene Synthases from Cannabis Sativa

[topworldhistory]

Santa kidnapping children and murderous mice were par for the course in the Victorian-era Christmas card tradition.

In the 19th century, before festive Christmas cards became the norm, Victorians put a darkly humorous and twisted spin on their seasonal greetings. Some of the more popular subjects included anthropomorphic frogs, bloodthirsty snowmen and dead birds.

“May yours be a joyful Christmas,” reads one card from the late 1800s, along with an illustration of a dead robin. Another card shows an elderly couple laughing maniacally as they lean out a second-story window and dump water onto a group of carolers below. “Wishing you a jolly Christmas,” it says beneath the image.

Morality and a strict code of social conduct embodied the time period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837-1901), but the Victorians still had their fair share of questionable practices. They thought nothing of posing with the dead or robbing graves and selling the bodies. Their holiday customs evolved with just as much curiosity. Clowns, insects and even the Devil himself had a place in early holiday fanfare.

“In the 19th century, the iconography of Christmas had not been fully developed as it is now,” says Penne Restad, a lecturer in American history at the University of Texas in Austin and the author of Christmas in America.

Printing and Postage Reforms Trigger Christmas Card Tradition

The first Christmas card, circa 1843.

Christmas didn’t gain momentum until the mid-1800s. In 1843, the same year that English author Charles Dickens created A Christmas Carol, prominent English educator and society member, Sir Henry Cole, commissioned the first Christmas card. Even with an impressive print run of 1,000 cards (of which 21 exist today), full-fledged manufacturing remained only a sideline to the more established trade in playing cards, notepaper and envelopes, needle-box and linen labels and valentines, explains Samantha Bradbeer, archivist and historian for Hallmark Cards, Inc. It took several decades for the exchange of holiday greetings to catch on, both in England and the United States.

“Several factors coincided to produce a broad acceptance of greeting cards as a popular commodity,” says Bradbeer, including a higher literacy rate and new consumerism stemming from increasing levels of discretionary income. But postal reform and advances in printing technologies were the two factors that really pushed Christmas cards into the mainstream.

The Postage Act of 1839 helped regulate British postage rates and democratize mail delivery. A year later, with the passage of the Uniform Penny Post law, anyone in England could send something in the mail for just one penny. Then, in October 1870, right before the holiday season, the British government introduced the halfpenny, making mail service affordable for nearly all levels of society. Standardized rates and delivery soon followed in America.

At the same time, wood cuts and other cumbersome printing processes gave way to the mass production of images. The first mass printing of Christmas cards occurred in the 1860s. By 1870, when printing could be done for as little as a few pennies per dozen, hundreds of European card manufacturers were producing cards to sell at home and to the American public. German immigrant Louis Prang is credited with popularizing the Christmas card in the United States through his Boston lithography business.

Fringe Cards Featured Dark and Bizarre Imagery

19th-century Victorians put a dark and twisted spin on their seasonal greetings. Some of the more popular cover models included anthropomorphic frogs and insects.

View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article

As the popularity of Christmas cards grew, Victorians demanded more novelty. “By 1885, unique and even bizarre cards with silk fringe, glittered attachments and mechanical movements were popular, but the more common Christmas card motifs related to flora and fauna, seasonal vignettes and landscapes,” Bradbeer says.

Among the bizarre were a large collection of dark and outlandish designs. An army of black ants is shown attacking an army of red ants on one holiday greeting with the caption, “The compliments of the season,” printed on a tiny flag. Sullen and brooding children, random lobsters and Christmas pudding with human elements made frequent appearances on Christmas cards printed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

But why did Victorians exchange such eccentric holiday cards, and what do they mean?

“I think it’s important to understand that ‘festive’ cards as we know them now are very much a 20th-century phenomena,” says Katie Brown, assistant curator of social history at York Castle Museum. According to Brown, although some of the history is lost, designs were made to serve as conversation pieces as much as they were made to celebrate the season. Many Victorian Christmas cards became parlor art or people added them to their scrapbook collections.

Greeting cards, in general, are linked socially, economically and politically to the culture, period and place of their origin and use. “Sentiments and designs that may seem unusual today were often considered signs of good fortune, while others poked fun at superstitions,” says Bradbeer.

Folk customs influenced the design of many Victorian Christmas cards. In British folklore, for example, robins and wrens are considered sacred species. John Grossman, author of Christmas Curiosities: Old, Dark and Forgotten Christmas, writes that images of these dead birds on Christmas cards may have been “bound to elicit Victorian sympathy and may reference common stories of poor children freezing to death at Christmas.”

“I believe the cultural interest in fairies, secret places and strange creatures that developed, maybe beginning with seances, elves and so on, in the Victorian era may have something to do with some of the fantastical Christmas cards,” says Restad.

St. Nicholas Teams Up With the Devil

A German postcard reading "Gruss vom Krampus," meaning "Greetings from Krampus."

An English legend popular during the Victorian era said that St. Nicholas recruited the Devil to help with his deliveries. Together, they determined which children had been naughty or nice. The Devil, who appeared under various guises, kidnapped the disobedient kids and beat them with a stick. Santa is the creepy antihero on a variety of Victorian-era holiday cards, where he can be seen peeking through windows and spying on children. The Devil is disguised as Krampus on some, making off on sleds and in automobiles with the children deemed naughty.

READ MORE: Meet Krampus: The Christmas Devil Who Punishes the Naughty

Today, despite the rise of electronic communication and social media, billions of Christmas cards are bought and exchanged around the world each year. 

“As artifacts of popular culture revealing graphic, literary and social trends, they provide both visual pleasure and important historic information,” says Bradbeer, even when that information is symbolized by dead birds. 

from Stories - HISTORY https://ift.tt/2EpB2F2 December 16, 2019 at 09:38PM

[itsworn]

We Finish the Revival of a Nearly New 1969 Ford Ranchero GT After 29 Years of Storage

About a month ago, while we were strolling around the grounds of the old family compound, we touched on the topic of long-term storage. That’s what led us to the opening of a 40-foot shipping container. Locked in and forgotten, this time since 1989, Uncle Gary Bauman’s low-mileage 1969 Ranchero GT (12,155 miles to be exact) had languished long enough.

As long as proper steps are taken, a tight container can provide fairly safe storage. Somehow, however, this one’s roof had sprung a steady leak and the poor Ranchero sustained a series of summer-long steam baths. With its contents left unchecked, container No. 2 became the tomb of doom.

With the container doors opened for the first time in 29 years, the near-new/old Ranchero was loaded and hauled to Riverside, California’s Ed Martin Garage for a mechanical evaluation. Sure enough, time and conditions had affected the components we expected: cooling system, fuel system, brakes, and so on.

At the time of this typewriting, all mechanical issues have been tended to, as we witnessed in our Part 1 last month (July 2018). Now it’s time we turn our attention to the Ranchero’s cosmetic needs inside and out. For this phase we called in a second ringer, Ricky Pope of Soft Touch Auto Detailing, also in Riverside.

Pope is a bona fide detailing professional. His regular clientele includes the area’s new-car dealerships, but more and more lately he is in demand with the collector-car crowd. We had to wait for our appointment, but now it’s our turn. Pope’s mission is to restore and preserve the Ranchero’s original finish, brightwork and interior trim.

Based on his visual inspection, Pope estimates this to be a two-day job. Along the way we will see some familiar tools and household cleaning products used. At the same time we’ll embrace this opportunity to try out the latest in polishes, waxes, and cleaners from Mothers. Simply watching these procedures won’t make us professional detailers, but we can surely take a tip or two from Pope. Amongst his mix of tricks we might find something useful for our own detailing needs.

Now, of course, there’s still a less-technical side to this story. My favorite uncle hasn’t seen his near-new/old Ranchero GT since the last time he parked it, 29 years ago. He knows we got it out. He knows we’ve been working on it. We all know we can’t let it die again. There has been some discussion about a big auction somewhere, but maybe there is a happier ending in store. Very soon, when we drive it up Uncle Gary’s driveway, we shall see what shall be.

1 Just to give you an idea, here is what we have received from Mothers. Yes, it’s a lot. The job at hand will require a lot, but we certainly have everything we need. To further sweeten this presweetened deal, we’ve been loaned a brand-new Flex dual-action polisher.

2 On a complete detail job like ours, Pope likes to begin with interior brightwork and trim. For this story we focus mostly on the detailing of the Ranchero’s exterior, but before we start with that, look at this! After working late last night, Pope has our interior looking and smelling like new—and this could be another story.

3 Today we start with a dulled-down, dried-out factory finish. The horizontal surfaces are pretty far gone, and we know the paint is thin. On that note, let’s begin at the beginning with a needed bath.

4 In the mix with Pope’s new stockpile of Mothers products is a generous supply of Mothers-brand microfiber polishing cloths. These are washable and reusable, and a notch or two nicer than others we’ve worked with. The tags are a little scratchy but easily removable by design.

5 Inside the Mothers bucket is one of Mothers’ wash mitts. Made from microfiber chenille, they are very absorbent and very, very soft. At the bottom of the bucket, just out of view, is a grit guard. It’s a pretty common detailers’ tool and keeps the new mitt separated from settling sediment. Also in the bucket, we have mixed a batch of Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax.

6 Being somewhat ambidextrous, Pope often uses both hands. Here, either form of microfiber is safe for our purposes. We know that later on we’ll be using an aggressive rubbing compound, so this time a fresh-mixed batch of this same slippery solution might suffice as a lubricant for clay.

7 Used in straight strokes and folded often as we go, this hunk of clay contours nicely to the uppermost shape of this quarter-panel. This is also a Mothers product, from our 200-gram California Gold clay kit. Used in conjunction with the Carnauba Wash & Wax, it’s gradually smoothing this gritty surface.

8 From the Mothers Speed line, this 2.0 clay is a good fit for the Ranchero’s flatter expanses. The business end that contacts the finish is easy to rinse by tread-like design. For a lubricant we have switched to Mothers Instant Detailer as the company recommends.

9 As the second day of the job wears on, it has becoming clear that we’ll need a third day if we’re going to bring these dead horizontal surfaces back to life. Although playing with clay can be fun, this has been hard work. On this particular job, it has been harder work than usual, but we’re gaining—and now it’s time for another bath.

10 The next step will involve Mothers Heavy Duty Rubbing Compound. The foam cutting pad is a Lake Country item. Lake Country offers a line of pads designed to match Mothers compounds and polishes. Compound application techniques vary from detailer to detailer. After a shake, here’s what Pope does.

11 Beginning slowly to avoid slinging compound, Pope takes the brand-new, borrowed Flex dual-action polisher for a test spin. For starters, he selected the No. 4 speed setting. This is a smooth-operating machine. He likes it, and we’ll see it used again as the job progresses.

12 For the toughest area of our horizontal surfaces, Pope pulls out his toughest buffer. This time-saving move is best left for the brave professional. Used improperly, an 8-inch foam cutting pad on a high-speed buffer could destroy this fragile original finish, but that won’t happen here.

13 For now, let’s take a break from paint-related chores. We’ve got some tire cleaners and metal polishes to play with. For the initial tire cleanup, the leading brand of dish soap does fine. The long-handled brush used here is a Mothers staple, and its reach is just right for wheelhouses.

14 Summertime in Riverside is hot. Summertime in container No. 2 is hot enough to melt the factory’s grease right out of tailgate latches and door latches as well. These jambs are a greasy mess. Despite the time and effort we gave it, dish soap just wouldn’t cut it.

15 Meanwhile, back on the bench we’ve had an ideal degreaser within reach the whole time. Also from Mothers Speed line, this all-purpose cleaner makes quick work of greasy goo. A small section of flexible abrasive pad is handy for the latch, but the painted jamb calls for microfiber cloth, rinse and dry.

16 As insect collections go, this one is well established. Bug corpses are baked into this grille’s porous finish. Even so, Mothers Speed Bug & Tar Remover is helpful in loosening them up. Here again, the long-handled, soft-enough brush easily contours to shape. Next, the grille area will receive a thorough rinse.

17 For the dripping-wet grille and other difficult-to-dry areas, Pope pulls out an invaluable detailer’s tool. This leaf blower is powered by a clean-running four-stroke engine and, like everything else used at Soft Touch, is California compliant.

18 As y’all may recall, we’re not exactly finished with the Ranchero’s original finish, so it’s “lather, rinse, repeat” with a fresh-mixed batch of Mothers California Gold Carnauba Wash & Wax. Then we towel-dry and blow-dry as necessary. The next step is Pope’s call.

19 For this job, Mothers supplied a bottle of Foam Pad Polish, but Pope skips that step. After washing, this light color shows no compound swirl marks, so he has gone straight to Mothers Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax. This could be considered a shortcut, but for this particular job, it’s appropriate.

20 As a time-saving move, Pope utilizes the Flex dual-action polisher outfitted with a brand-new Lake Country foam polishing pad. For those of us at home who might prefer to work in a more manual manner, Mothers Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax can be used by hand as well.

21 These circa-1969, original vinyl stripes could also use a little love. These areas are particularly fragile, so here Mothers Brazilian Carnauba Cleaner Wax is manually applied and manually buffed dry with small sections of the same Mothers microfiber cloth we have used throughout this job.

22 This remote mirror would be difficult to wax around. With a screwdriver and a few extra fingers, it’s detached and held out of the way for initial cleanup. Followed up with a pump-application of Mothers Speed Spray Wax, this problem spot is no problem at all.

23 The Ranchero’s only nonstock modification came right away, in 1969. After years of storage, these American Torq-Thrust originals are deserving of preserving. Pope applied Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish by hand, and then worked it into this wheel’s rim with a Mothers Power Ball Mini speed polisher chucked up in a variable-speed drill. Although manual labor would yield results, the Power Ball gets better results, faster. Pope is beyond pleased with his test-spin results. He’s stoked.

24 Earlier at the tire shop, I’d neglected to say “no dressing.” Mothers supplied tire dressing as well, but this time it’s me. I’m just not into dressings. We’ve already witnessed a vigorous brush-scouring with the leading brand dish soap. Now let’s try Mothers Back-to-Black Tire Renew as a finishing touch. Although this product is designed to be sprayed directly onto tires, Pope and I prefer a terrycloth applicator. Wiped on and followed with a dry section of terrycloth, this cleans deeper than dish soap while producing a likeable look with no additional dressing necessary.

25 This rear bumper is rusty. In the past we have leveled pitting with crinkly wads of foil. With glass cleaner as a lubricant, it worked fairly well. Some believe that trick works better with acid-laced cola, but Pope wouldn’t appreciate a sticky mess on his shiny shop floor. Let’s test a small area, dry, with Grade 0000 steel wool.

26 Steel wool surprised us. Still, this bumper’s rough and rusty condition will require an aggressive polish. Mothers Billet Metal Polish is aggressive. As a rule, even mild products should be tested first. Even so, here we go! Hand-buffed dry with a larger, cleaner cloth, this bumper is showroom-shiny.

27 Tired and sore at the end of our three-day detailing marathon, we have achieved success. Here the right combination of experience, manual labor, and Motherly love pay off. Uncle Gary’s near-new/old Ranchero GT is truly back in showroom shape.

The post We Finish the Revival of a Nearly New 1969 Ford Ranchero GT After 29 Years of Storage appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/finish-revival-nearly-new-1969-ford-ranchero-gt-29-years-storage/ via IFTTT

[flowing-paint]

Myth - part 2

This the second and last part of my Myth board game review. As promised last week I will give you more information regarding the game that may or may not help you decide if this game is right for you. Let’s go!

Modules

I briefly reported something about modules in the previous part but, what are they? How do you get and play them? Well, modules are short thematic stories that unravel according to a pre arranged sets of scenarios that are designed either to teach game basics, help in character development or challenge the more skilled heroes.

They basically represent the board gaming soul of Myth and they were conceived due to the sheer amount of claims Megacon Games received after releasing the 1.0 game. Board gamers were not too happy about the sandbox nature of the game and they demanded for more structured rules to help smoothing the learning curve. The result of this bottom-up pressure were the modules. They are small books of roughly 20 pages where tile setup, pictures goals and roles are fixed and, most important, arranged to be easily understood. For what  I can see they usually consist of three acts where battles get harder and harder as the heroes slowly approach the big boss for the final showdown. Rules-wise a module behaves the same as the open end game with the sole exception of icons on the tiles being ignored. Bosses and minion races are pre-defined in the story so you are not allowed to mix things up but this helps anyway to build up more climax for the story you are into and it’s basically a good thing. To wrap up the concept about modules, just remember they are the tool that will bring you experience close to other similar board games like Descent so, before starting to despair due to lack of rules or whatever, just dive into the free modules available on the site and start loving the game; start playing from the Stone of Life introductory walkthrough and you will be hooked in a couple hours.

If you want to try them, I list here the download links for all the modules freely available that I know of:

Stone of Life - (a part of Q4 Patch. It contains a learn to play companion book)

Rise of the revenant

Fury of the fireborne - (This is still in 1.1 format but still)

Character growth

When you play quests, modules or just explore for fun, your hero will end up gaining more and more power, getting stronger. This is a well established RPG concept. It usually boils down to exp points that you get and your hero picking up some new skill or magic. Together with the physical growth of your hero you usually end up with a bunch of treasures/weapons that monsters dropped. You find something like this built in the system that Myth uses to make characters grow, albeit there is not much of that. At least, with the lack of “skills” and “exp points” it doesn’t feel super-RPG. Just RPG-ish. Let me show why.

Let’s say you are playing a quest: one of the prizes for your success may be the possibility of deck “manipulation” where you go searching in the advanced cards and you add a new one from them to your deck. While this may feel as a good thing, the result is barely noticeable: it’s 1 possibility on 25? 26? to get your new card so, if you are not a lucky gamer (I am definitely not) your new shiny ability will always be on the bottom of the deck. And it’s only one anyway...

Another way to advance is earning titles by slaying a boss: these titles give you cool buffs that can really help in your quests but they come with a big downside: you can only equip one at a time! Per story! I don’t really get any plausible reason not to let you choose more of them. I mean, if killing a monster granted you enough wisdom or bravery or whatever, why isn’t that permanent? I don’t get it. And for what I have seen this far by playing the game, growth is probably the only aspect of Myth that I don’t completely like and would probably benefit of some more love from the creators. Progression indeed feels a little bit slow but I guess that’s done to stimulate you playing more open end stories that you create. Maybe. I don’t know.

Objects and treasures are however a totally different story. You get items when collecting treasure from killed monsters (3 deaths with a single attack equals one treasure) in the form of an item token you get to draw from a satchel. It may be either white, green or blue as the treasures get more rare and powerful. You start with a lot of white tokens (potions or gold) and few green items so the very first games should be used to harvest as many items as possible before moving to more challenging quests. The nice thing in this mechanism is that you get to modify your satchel as long as you keep completing quests or finishing modules meaning that you get to draw from a pool of progressively less white and more blue/green. This feels really good because you get to actually use some nice gear that adds buffs a new abilities to your attacks. I love how this mechanic affects the play even though I always end up sticking to my beloved stuff and sell all the rest for gold!

Myth journeyman

Just a couple of lines to describe the two expansions to Myth that are (somewhat) available to buy. I bought them but they are still not showing up in the mail thanks to eBay’s super-slow/super-expensive international shipping program… I thought I may put some pictures here but I guess it’s going to be matter for a future update post.

According to the information I was able to gather prior to buying, both expansion contain new mechanics like getting lost or getting on a boat to sail but most important, the ability to evolve your character. With the new expansions the Myth basic hero classes can choose between two paths, the light and the dark path each granting some special new ability and a bunch of new cards for the deck. Two expansions for two paths so… I guess if you want both possibilities you need to buy both (I did). Together with these new mechanics you also get new enemies, tiles etc. so they look nice value even if someone might think they’re slightly overpriced…

A look at the miniatures

The last aspect of the game I want to cover are the miniatures used in Myth. I can tell you that when I think to buy new stuff (either board games or wargames) 80% of the weight is put on how the miniatures look. Rule sets may not stand the test of time but good looking miniatures? They surely will and you can still use them with some of the free rules sets I already discussed about. Myth definitely has some cool miniatures up to a point that pulling the trigger was really easy.

They are not however what you expect as your standard fantasy miniatures. In fact, as you probably noticed, the artwork in the game is slightly off from what you usually see in fantasy: yes, the "factions" may be familiar with different names (grubbers are goblins, shamblers are undead, etc) but the look of the minis is totally original and totally awesome. They have that cartoonish look that I totally love. I mean, take a look the Shamblers I painted in a previous tutorial (here). Here is a crop of the last photo:

I happen to also have painted some of the insect critters (the Crawlers) that I was planning to use as another tutorial. Meanwhile, just have a sneak preview of a finished ranged Crawler.

They look so awesome and yet really easy to paint even for beginners. Surely, they may not be super detailed but they are dynamic sculpts with a cute fantasy look, what else do you want?

I am sorry I don’t have more painted ones to show but you can find plenty of examples if you do a Google images search so just go check them out.

Final thoughts

So, if you read past the whole review this is probably what you were waiting for. My wrap-up with some final thoughts. Myth 

Myth seems to be a highly polarizing game: a huge successful Kickstarter and a company that screws everything with a bad rules set all obviously followed by flame wars between haters and fanboys. Years have passed and Myth 2.0 new rule book was released together with two new expansions and still it seems hard to find an unbiased review of the game. This is why I tried to give you an objective description of what goes on in this game. It is definitely not a game for the casual gamer and don’t bring it to your friend’s house for the usual board game night (unless your friend is into this kind of games). The target is a more hard-core gamer as you have RPG elements, board game elements together mixed up with a strong tabletop wargaming flavor and this is clearly not going to work for everybody. But Myth is still a pretty fun game if you know how to enjoy it. Remember that it’s a sandbox style of game so you can just do whatever you want with it as long as the rules are respected. Fore example, take a bunch of grubbers and a bunch of Crawlers and unleash them against each other: there you have a small skirmish tabletop wargame. Add some terrain and you can have some pretty solid fun. Or you could just write a custom campaign and create your own monsters.... like you do in RPGs? I have a dungeon master book that would fit perfectly the atmosphere and I’m planning to couple to this game. You know... some day... So, randomize things, add your own stuff and fluff, put your brain at work and unleash your fantasy. Have fun! This is what games should be about and Myth can surely give you lots of fun. With tons of cool minis!

We are done with this but stay tuned or the tutorial that is about to come next Friday!

...game on!

[blueboxsteastroll]

My Web-free Nightma... Adventure

In the Beginning

Any journey into the unknown (especially of this sort) should have some basic foundation blocks:

1. It needs to be time specific. Just saying that you will start something from this point onward without providing any goal may be too easy to just drop. Honestly, knowing that this experience has an end helps in more demanding moments.

2. You need to establish a set of rules that will make the challenge beneficial without being too constricting. 

3. Decide a recovery technique when you go off the course. Basically, when you cave at any point, you need to make sure you have the healthy method of picking yourself up.  

In light of this I decided to start a 40 day challenge beginning with Ash Wednesday. As it is both a religious and a secular tradition for many people to give something up (or take something on) for Lent, I thought it might provide a good motivation and time scale to try something myself. I have noticed a certain reliance on internet (looking at you, Youtube), especially in the recent 12 months when my life has been chaotic, uninspiring, unrewarding and any other ‘uns’ you can come up with. So the decision was made to drop internet for Lent to see how my habits would shape without it and where the compulsion came from. Nah, to be honest I started because I thought it would be fun  and entertaining and to discover what else I am addicted to (surprisingly not computer games anymore) and to write this little note, but those two also emerged by the end of the path.

Now, let's clarify the rules. I have opted against moving to a cave in the middle of Siberia and living off snow and insects to escape the internet, so I needed an alternative. I wanted this to be a helpful challenge and not an annoying obstacle to conducting a normal life, so as you will see below there were some allowances.

The Rules:

The Web Fast follows the western version of Lent and includes one feast day per week. Traditionally it is a Sunday, but I went for Saturday as it was easier to manage. This exemption did not apply to Youtube. As I had the biggest problem with it, Youtube was off limits for the whole duration of Lent. [I broke the rule to listen to music at work in the last week]

I could use any apps that mimic what the phone does (calls and texts), so for example although Facebook was off limits, messenger was allowed.

I could use any app that uses internet but is not directly connecting you to it. So for example, I could update my PC games with new patches and download content.

E-mail app was active in case of an emergency, but I left replying to messages for Saturdays.

OK, I’m ready.

Ash Wednesday – the Mountains of Boredom

OH MY GOD! That was the longest and most boring evening I have ever experienced (overstatement but still). Your mind is so used to being entertained and not being bored that it completely freaks out.

I was too tired to read, too lazy to play games (when did this happen? I need motivation to play computer games now?) and not tired enough to go to bed at 6pm. From what I recall, I ended up calling every friend I normally chat to on the phone just to do something to make the time move faster. I swear ‘time’ is the most maddening and subjective thing in the Universe. 

I should point out that I live alone and have no friends living in the same town which means that if I want to have an eventful evening, I need to organize that myself. It's so much easier to just watch cat videos.

The Wonders of the Mind

I did not expect this one and I am not sure how I feel about it. I didn't realize that using social media mindlessly helped to numb the amount of thoughts I can have. My mind refused to freaking stop and would go from one topic to another. The culmination of this was my lying in bed on evening with my mind imagining what would happen if my family died making me extremely emotional, to then switching seamlessly to wondering when the last time I used Pivot tables in Excel was, and then moving on to space monkeys as in an army of monkeys in spacesuits (I seem to go to space monkeys a lot when I let my mind wonder).  

Naturally, this extended to my dreams. I had already have a major problem with my dreams being the weirdest combination of things. Well, at this point they became much more vivid. I could often use more senses (like the sense of touch and smell) in them, and could remember colours and the language spoken more often. The strangest one, which doesn't happen that often to me, was the fact I had semi-logical thoughts in the dreams. I am usually a spectator (like watching a film about myself) but here I was able to also evaluate what was happening and to make moral judgments in the dreams. For example, recently in a dream I was thinking of how British I had become because I was being terribly polite waiting in a queue (that should replace the current citizenship test) to use the breathalyzer at a police station after I was pulled over for carrying my car over an ocean without a driving licence. Or in another one I was wondering if it was morally acceptable to receive cookies from a co-worker who mistakenly thought my parents were killed in Voldemort's attack on New York (I am not even American). I never had this level of self-awareness before. It calmed down a little after a few days but is still on a higher level than before.

Going off the path

Oh, yeah. I messed up a few times. I failed to book tickets for the cinema one Saturday and had to do it during the week. What I had to do, however, was making a list of what exactly I needed to do to book the tickets, so that I do not waver towards any other websites. Yeah, I told you I had a problem so shut your mouth. After that, I started writing down what I needed to do each Saturday on a little 'to do' list. There were few other things like that. You live and learn. Well, most times… which brings me to:

Binge Watching

What a wanker your mind can be. Anyone who has ever been on a diet can concur. It will use any argument to get you back to the place you started from. Oh, it's just a three tier chocolate cake. It won't make much difference. It's not as bad as a committing homicide. Same happened here. I managed to not succumb to Youtube cravings for most part, as this rule was very clear from the start. BUT I allowed myself to use Netflix, because 'it's more like TV than internet'. Asshole! 

It was not as bad as using internet, but some of the benefits diminished because of it. I used to binge food as part of comfort eating in the past and how my body felt after those sessions (sluggish, sick, numb) is mirrored by how my brain feels after binge watching TV shows. In the end, you just want to consume as quickly as possible and you lose the enjoyment of it.

Depression

Apparently, killing time online was the only thing that kept me from emotional breakdown. I must say, over the past few months I have been rather curious as to why I was not more depressed about my life and wasn't crying myself to sleep, binging on chocolate or fulfilling any other of the usual stereotypes. Now I know.

When you are not numbing yourself with media (or any other addiction of choice), and have time to actually think it can force you into places you tried to escape from. That was not fun or exciting and as I was not expecting it, got me a little panicked. So kicking and screaming I had to find other ways of actually coping with life.

If you suspect you have a problem with controlling your usage of anything really, just be aware it may be a coping mechanism for something you will need to deal with.

The Web

I wonder if whoever came with this name for the internet realized how entrapping it will be. Freaky and evil.

What I did not miss

I am one of those people who will end up on that side of Youtube, where all the comments can be summarized in: ‘how did I get here?’, almost every time I venture in, so I definitely did not miss getting completely lost in the internet. I also realized that the amount of choice and content, as well as the availability of it gives me low level anxiety attack. I only found that out when I came back to using the whole spectrum. There is so much I could watch and do online that I almost feel like I am obliged to use it in its full capacity – something that is not achievable. I can’t take the pressure.

For a similar reason I did not miss Facebook, as the variety of information on my feed is making me feel a little sick. I can be outraged and upset by one article/post to then suddenly move on to a video of a hamster in a Captain America suit, to then be surprised by a photo of Jeff Goldblum. It's just an emotional roller-coaster and apparently I can live without it. What I do now is bulk read the feed when I know I am able to handle whatever it throws at me. And honestly, most things posted there I can live without. If one of my good friends gets married, is having a baby or has an accident, I really should be able to find out about it some other way than reading it online.

What I missed

The amount of choice and content and its availability. Hehe, I missed everything good and wonderful the internet can do. I missed the connection to random strangers it provides, and seeing how bizarrely creative people can be, and participating in fandoms, and being able to learn so many awesome things. Things that can be lost when most of my time online is spent on killing it.

The other thing I missed was music. I do not have many tracks on my laptop and I tend to listen to songs and soundtracks on Youtube. Radio was a bit of a consolation, but I truly missed being able to choose exactly what I wanted. I did break the fast a little bit as I allowed myself to listen to some calming tracks when at work in the last week.

Conclusions

It had its ups and downs. I love looking at the pile of books I read during the time, the entries in my journal and the puzzles I did. Silly and insignificant memories, but at least ones I can identify. Sometimes, all I can say is that I was on the internet but what I did there is a little bit fuzzy.

I think the biggest part of it all was being a little bit more clear about my choices. It is so east for me to just mindlessly wonder through the internet without realizing that I am giving up my time to do so. We all have limited resources and I think something like time should probably be used with intent. I mean I am still happy to waste it on let's play videos or looking up pictures of space monkeys, but it needs to be a conscious decision to do so rather than a habit blindly followed.

I bet you have seen a variation of this quote online: 'If you are saying yes to something, what are you saying no to?'. Because everything is a choice, an exchange and sometimes it is easy to forget that when the 'items' are abstract. So now, go forth and be mindful, and leave me be so that I can go back to binge-watching Lewis.

[cannabisprnewera]

What Are Terpenes?

A Cannabis Enthusiast’s Guide To Understanding Terpenes

what are cannabis terpenes

Here’s The Deal:

One of the most fun aspects of being a cannabis consumer or patient is the ability to smell the array of fragrances that the plant’s flowers produce. With scents ranging from fruity aromas to cheese-like smells, the cannabis plant can require the consumer to develop a level of familiarity and expertise with its unique makeup. So what exactly is behind these fragrances that trigger such connections? And what is it that makes them so unique?

You Had Me at Fragrance

You may have heard of terpenes or terpenoids, the chemical that gives cannabis its different types of scents. Terpenes are organic hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of plants. With the rise of the legal cannabis industry, the discussion around terpenes has recently heated up. We’re here to break down what these chemicals are, and exactly what they are doing to make your cannabis experience so unique.

What’s In a Name?

First, the words terpenes and terpenoids are often used interchangeably, although the meanings do vary. Terpenes are the naturally occurring combination of carbon and hydrogen, whereas terpenoids are terpenes that have been modified through a drying and curing process (chemical modification), altering the oxygen content of the compound.

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Trichomes and Terpenes, What you Need to Know

In cannabis, terpenes are made in the trichomes of the plant. Trichomes are the shiny, sticky, mushroom-shaped crystals that cover the leaves and buds. Trichomes on cannabis act as a defense mechanism in nature, protecting the plant from insects and animals through the production of fragrant terpenes that repel these dangers. As humans, we smell these terpenes and can make inferences about the strain and possibly physiological effects that the strain may have.

You may also enjoy this article: How CBD Oil’s Color, Clarity, And Extraction Affect Your Experience

Cannabis is an incredibly diverse plant regarding its biological makeup and potential benefits — and terpenes – are no exception. There are over 100 different identified terpenes in the cannabis plant, and while the differences can be subtle, much progress has been made in making classification of terpenes and their effects easy for patients and consumers to understand. Broadly, terpenes can be broken down into sweet, sour, spicy, or bitter — with each category further breaking down into more specific smells. These specific smells consist with certain strains, which in turn correlate to the effects of that plant. In fact, to help with this., many companies have produced terpene wheels to better help people understand this. More on that in a bit.

How Terpenes Affect your Mood

Here’s an example: A sour-smelling flower may have a strong lemon scent to it. Lemon scented strains are often correlated with strains like lemon skunk or lemon haze; these are zesty sativas that give the consumer a boost of energy and euphoria. With a better understanding of terpenes and how they relate to the scents that you are experiencing, you are able to come to certain conclusions about the plant in front of you by simply smelling it. This is powerful information for consumers, patients, and growers alike.

So what exactly are these terpenes?

Common Terpenes You May Already Be Familiar With

common cannabis terpenes

Limonene

You may be more familiar with terpenes than you realize. Considering our lemon example above, do you know what terpene a lemon scent refers to? Limonene. Limonene is not only characteristic of citrus-smelling cannabis but it’s also the exact terpene found in lemons and other citrus fruit rinds, like oranges and limes, giving them that fruity smell. Among other products, limonene is commonly used as a fragrant additive in cosmetics and cleaning supplies.

Limonene is known for its powerful antifungal and antibacterial properties. It’s a natural insecticide on the cannabis plant and can even assist in treating toenail fungus in humans. Limonene is easily absorbed through inhalation and even improves absorption of other terpenes through the skin and body tissue, like mucous membranes and the digestive tract. Limonene is also known for its stress-relieving and mood-enhancing effects.

Pinene

Can you guess where pinene is commonly found? That’s right — pine trees. Pinene actually comes in two types: alpha, which smells like pine needles and is the most commonly found terpene in nature, and beta, which smells like rosemary, basil, dill, or parsley. Pinene is also found in conifer trees, citrus peels, and turpentine. Pinene is a powerful bronchodilator, which helps improve airflow to lungs, making it a good option for those struggling with asthma. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and local antiseptic and has been used by cultures around the world for its healing properties for thousands of years. Pinene easily crosses the blood-brain barrier improving memory and alertness. It’s even said that pinene counters memory loss associated with THC.

Myrcene

Commonly found in mangoes, hops, thyme, and lemongrass, myrcene is said to be one of the most abundant terpenes in cannabis. Myrcene is important because its presence determines whether a strain is indica or sativa. According to Steep Hill Labs, if a plant has more than 0.5% myrcene, it will produce indica-like effects. Anything less than 0.5% myrcene produces sativa-like effects. Myrcene is also known for its antibiotic, analgesic, and anti-mutagenic properties.

Linalool

Linalool is commonly found in lavender and its aroma is light and floral. Widely known for the ability to reduce stress, linalool is used as an anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and sedative. Linalool is also used to relieve seizure symptoms and provide relief to those suffering from psychosis.

cannabis terpene benefits

Custom Terpene Profiles

Research and information about terpenes are becoming increasingly available as interest in cannabis continues to grow. However, the average cannabis shopper can still be unaware of the effects that terpenes have on their cannabis experience. Furthermore, testing profiles showing cannabinoid and terpene content are not widely available to consumers. Companies are stepping in to remediate this by rebranding how we talk about terpenes.

Profile charts, like this table or this wheel, provide an easy, visual way for consumers and patients to understand which terpenes produce particular effects. Generally, terpenes can be associated with different strains or products. These visual aids can help educate curious consumers so that informed purchasing decisions can be made.

The Future of Cannabis is in Delivering a Consistent Feeling, Like This..

Recently, there has been an uptick in companies who discuss their products based on feelings. Some brands advertise solely based on their intended effects. You can now buy a vape pen labeled “relax” or “energy.” This is a game changer for a few reasons. Two customers may walk into a dispensary asking for something sativa. The first customer may ask for a sativa seeking to focus, while the other may ask for a sativa seeking higher levels of energy. Because varied terpene content within sativa strains will make certain products better for certain effects, the use of mood-based branding provides solutions for different types of customers.

Custom Terpene Profiles, Should I Care?

Custom terpene profiles can also be beneficial to patients seeking relief. Medical cannabis patients often suffer from several ailments at the same time, for example, nausea, pain, and stress. The severity and sensitivity of conditions vary among patients making individual, customized treatment essential. As more brands hit the market with custom terpene and cannabinoid profiles, patients are provided with increased treatment options, and in ways that we have not seen before. Because growing conditions and plant genetics determine terpene quality and content, growers are now able to make adjustments to the “how” and “what” they grow, in order to meet patient demand. This is a much faster and transparent process than waiting for a new pharmaceutical drug to hit the market.

Terpenes and Vaporizing

Because terpenes have different molecular structures, their boiling points vary. The temperature at which you vaporize becomes important for understanding what produces your desired effects. Some compounds require higher boiling points to turn into vapor, while others are ineffective at high temperatures. The same goes for cannabinoids.

Love Terpenes? Pick your Vaporizer Wisely, Here’s Why

The differences can also be quite wide. For example, THC’s boiling point is 315 F and Linalool’s boiling point is 388 F. There is a multitude of vaporizers on the market and temperature customization is becoming increasingly popular. Many devices now let you change the temperature directly on the device or through a smartphone app, providing cannabis consumers with options to consume at different temperatures.

Smoking anything isn’t ideal for your body — combustion creates smoke which contains by-products that are harsh on your lungs. Vaporizing is more gentle on the body, and more of the vapor content is made of the cannabinoids and terpenes that you seek. Cannabinoids begin to vaporize at 285 F and combustion begins at 392 F. Playing with different temperatures will help you find your sweet spot.

Non-Cannabis Terpenes and Concentrates

Another trend gaining popularity is the rise in products combining non-cannabis, isolated terpenes, and concentrates. A recent Brazilian study found that rats exposed to this combination were more likely to develop kidney problems than rats exposed to either substance on their own. Their research found that cannabis smoke degraded isolated beta-caryophyllene (another common terpene) into toxic chemicals known for consumption. The authors of the study went so far as to advise against mixing these compounds for humans.

More scientific research is necessary in order to better understand how terpenes affect the human body. Cannabis Science is still a relatively new field and there is so much more to be discovered. Until then, you can learn more by educating yourself on what research has been validated in order to better inform your consumption and purchasing decisions.

Your Most Important Takeaways about Terpenes

From what we know, the potential benefits from terpenes are promising. These organic, naturally occurring compounds not only enhance and inform your cannabis experience but also offer great medicinal benefits to patients. Terpenes have been used for thousands of years by cultures around the world for their healing properties and as cannabis science expands, the possibilities to help more people becomes increasingly exciting.

Bottom Line:

Terpene-based products are pushing the conversation about these compounds into the mainstream. Consumers are beginning to understand the correlation between terpenes and cannabinoids and their cannabis-consumption experience. The more sophisticated the consumer becomes, the more evolved the products on the shelves (and their marketing) will become.

As cannabis legalization marches forward, the market for products geared towards patients and consumers will rapidly expand. New companies and brands will jump in developing products to meet demand. Simultaneously, research will continue to move forward and more information regarding the benefits of the cannabis plant will come to light.

It’s up to consumers to better understand what they are looking for from their cannabis experience and from their products. By having open conversations with budtenders and asking brands for what they want, they open to door to new possibilities.

Further Reading:

Terpene Synthases from Cannabis Sativa