#but talking fertility not bullets etc etc

[nomilkinmyteaplease]

Tobias Menzies in Made in Oslo.

[maternity-morningstar]

Angel, the reason why I mentioned phantom pregnancy is because it's something that some women, or in this case, men in hell, would become pregnant, but they wouldn't notice due to lacking any of the symptoms that would be tied to pregnancy. Some signs of pregnancy would show, but it would usually be the lack of periods. But other signs such as morning sickness, mood swings, etc would not be shown.

I'm not really a professional on this but I have heard of these kinds of pregnancy stories before.

The next day, Lucifer and Angel find themselves in the waiting room of their usual doctor’s office, both feeling an odd mix of anxiety and dread. The sterile smell of the clinic and the faint hum of medical equipment only amplify their nerves.

Lucifer: *fidgeting in his chair* You know, Angel, I really don’t like this. I’d rather be anywhere but here.

Angel: *rolling his eyes, arms crossed* Yeah, tell me about it. I just wanna get this over with. The idea of popping out another kid this soon? *shudders* Nah, man.

The nurse eventually calls their names, and they’re led to the examination room. After some routine tests and awkward small talk with the doctor, they’re left alone for a few moments, both anxiously waiting for the results.

Lucifer: *glancing over at Angel* So... what are you thinking? Still freaking out?

Angel: *shrugging, tapping his foot nervously* Eh, I dunno. I just... I don’t feel pregnant, you know? Like, with Vanilla, I just knew. Something was off from the start. This time, it feels... different.

Lucifer: *nods* Yeah, I get that. But still, if you are... we’ll figure it out. Like I said.

Just then, the doctor comes back into the room, holding a chart and an ultrasound image.

Doctor: Well, gentlemen, I’ve got your results. Let’s start with Lucifer.

Lucifer tenses up slightly as the doctor places the ultrasound image on the screen. The room fills with the rhythmic whoosh-whoosh of a fetal heartbeat. The sight of it makes Lucifer’s breath hitch.

Doctor: *pointing at the screen* Congratulations, Lucifer. You’re pregnant. And, based on the measurements, you’re actually around 19 to 20 weeks along.

Lucifer: *wide-eyed, blinking in disbelief* Wait, what?! How the hell did I not notice?

Doctor: It happens. The signs can be easy to miss. But there’s your baby, right there.

Lucifer stares at the screen, a mixture of shock and awe crossing his face. Angel, however, is leaning forward, equally stunned.

Angel: *teasingly* Man, you’ve been baking another bun this whole time and didn’t even know? How many kids are you planning on having, Luce?

Lucifer: *deadpan* Clearly more than I thought.

The doctor gives them a moment to absorb the news before turning to Angel.

Doctor: As for you, Angel... it looks like you’re not actually pregnant. Sometimes, false positives happen, especially when stress or other factors are involved.

Angel’s eyes widen, and he lets out a long sigh of relief, practically sinking into his chair.

Angel: *grinning* Oh, thank God! I mean, no offense, Luce, but I wasn’t ready for round two of pregnancy just yet. False positive, huh? Figures.

Lucifer: *smirking* Guess you dodged that bullet. Lucky you.

Angel: *laughing* Yeah, I’ll leave the baby-making to you for now, Mr. Fertile.

Lucifer groans, rubbing his temples, still processing the fact that he’s so far along without even realizing it.

Lucifer: *grumbling* Great. More diapers.

Angel: *teasingly* Just think, though... you’re gonna have seven kids, Luce. Lucky number seven.

Lucifer: *sarcastic* Yeah, ‘lucky’... right. This is just the beginning, isn’t it?

Angel: *playfully patting him on the back* You’ll manage. We always do.

[sluttypatrickstar]

i have suffered. i have received unspeakable brain trauma. i have read sentences that i simply cannot unread. that's right, it's time for my chaotic review of verity by colleen hoover!

now i wrote an actual, proper review of this book that used paragraphs and real grammar, but this is tumblr. you're getting the bullet points, you're getting the sweary words, you're getting the dissolution of my sanity.

there's a lot of graphic and disturbing content in this book, so if you're bothered by that kind of thing, it might be best not to read.

the plot:

so our narrator, lowen ashleiggghghghg, is hired by this guy jeremy crawford to finish his wife verity's thriller book series bcus verity was in a car accident and is now profoundly disabled (can't move, can't talk, needs regular care, etc.)

she needs verity's notes and somehow ends up living in verity's house so she can spend literally all day going through verity's office. the only believable part of this is that a writer could be so disorganised that you'd need full days to try and go through all of their stuff

for some context, jeremy is apparently brooding (though i see like, 0 evidence of this) over his wife's accident as well as the deaths of his twin daughters chastin and harper

in verity's office, lowen finds a manuscript that looks like it's verity's autobiography

verity's autobiography starts as overly detailed jeremy smut and oh my fucking god i mean overly detailed i wish i could GOUGE my fucking EYES out this is just BAD PORN this book is like 90% porn 10% no-plot

anyway as this autobiography goes on, lowen is like. holy shit. verity is cuckoo bananas. she is OBSESSED with jeremy. she does that patrick star thing of "what do you when i'm at work all day?" "wait for you to get back :(". she wants to be jezza's ONLY focus and resents her daughters for taking his focus away

like, she tries to plan out her pregnancy so that she'll gain as little weight as possible, but then she finds out they're twins and she's like omg im RUINED and tries to miscarry and abort them

after they're born, she has a premonition of her daughter harper killing her other daughter, chastin (the only daughter she likes, verity fucking hates her kids but randomly starts loving chastin). chastin does in fact die of anaphylactic shock when she's around 8 and verity blames harper

jeremy won't fuck verity because he's so sad about his daughter's death, and verity is not having this, but through some twisted logic she's like maybe he'll be all out of grief if another daughter dies! so she kills harper and stages it as a canoe accident

back to lowen, she's reading this autobiography at an absolute snail's pace (like 1 short chapter a day) while also living with Hot Dad Jeremy (she's into him, especially after reading all that Jeremy Porn), this is most of the book tbh . a series of weird things happen that convince her that verity is faking her disability

lowen is also 100% convinced that verity is PURE FUCKING EVIL from this autobiography

fast forward, jeremy and lowen hook up (surprised pikachu face)

and yes, verity was faking being disabled, where is her OSCAR for that METHOD ACTING that fooled the HOSPITAL the NURSES for MONTHS!!! she didnt even flinch when lowen tried to startle her by literally throwing something across the room. daniel day-lewis is SHAKING

lowen shows jeremy the autobiography and jeremy starts choking verity

lowen is like, stop! they'll know u did it! think of ur son, he'll be fatherless!

actually you should kill him by making her puke instead so they'll think she just aspirated on her own vomit ;)

so jeremy does that instead because that's totally the most sensible option to do in this particular scenario

7 month timeskip and all is great because EVIL verity is DEAD and now lowen and jeremy can be together forever and they even have a new baby on the way bcus jeremy came inside her no condom and apparently every woman in this book is insanely fertile and gets pregnant on the first try

TWIST TIME!!!

they go back to verity and jeremy's house to finish clearing out their stuff

but... lowen finds a note in verity's room...

verity claims that the autobiography was just a writing example to help her write from an antagonistic perspective (her thriller series is notably written from the villain's POV)

jeremy found the autobiography and tried to choke verity to death, but when that failed, he set up her car accident, after which verity decided she had to fake being disabled so she could run away with their living son crew and eventually explain everything

but this plan is an F bcus shes fuckin dead now isnt she

so much effort and for WHAT

the book leaves us with the fucking stupid dry ass cliché question of: WHICH WAS THE REAL VERITY? WHAT WERE THE LIES? WAS THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY REAL OR NOT? and actually i dont give a flying fuck i was just glad to be done

my thoughts

the characters in the book make the most ridiculous and nonsensical decisions and trust me i can say that for sure bcus i have never made a good decision in my life

in the opening chapters, lowen witnesses a car accident & is splattered with blood on the way to her publisher meeting

she encounters jeremy (tho she doesnt know who he is yet) and he takes her to the men's bathroom of a coffee shop to get cleaned up

lowen tAKES HER SHIRT OFF IN FRONT OF THIS ABSOLUTE STRANGER

i am trying to ignore this red flag maybe shes just confident

jeremy proceeds to lock the door to the men's bathroom so that no one else can come in, and lowen finds this comforting! how chivalrous of mr sexy man jeremy!

WHAT THE FUCK LOWEN? HOW IS THIS COMFORTING? I'D BE FUCKING. I'D BE PANICKING SO BAD I'D BE OUT THE DOOR

later in the book we find out that lowen has a chronic sleepwalking problem and can even open inside locks when she's sleepwalking

she broke her wrist sleepwalking when she was a kid so it's not really safe for her to be able to get out and about while sleepwalking

jeremy offers to install a lock on the outside of lowen's bedroom door, so that she can't leave her bedroom without him opening the outside lock for her

instead of finding this FUCKING TERRIFYING

she's Thrilled by his generosity! wow! isn;t jeremy so kind and thoughtful?

lowen! LOWEN!!! GIRL!!!!!!!!!

lucky for her jeremy is apparently a nice guy so jeremy's fucking weird actions are glossed over and theyre so nice arent they... haha...

dude i wanna know what the fuck jeremy has that women are literally OBSESSED with him. hes so bland. he has no personality. he's a cardboard cutout of a man but apparently he has good dick idk

lowen is so besotted with jeremy that she doesnt think it's bad that he tried to kill his wife twice and then succeeded on the third try

no! it's actually so sweet because it proves how much of a dedicated father he is! he thinks verity killed harper so by killing her he's just being such a good and protective dad haha! murder is okay

there was also just way too much sex in this book like i said it before but truly i cannot encapsulate how much of this book was sex. and in case u were wondering about the quality of the sex, 50 shades author EL james is in the acknowledgements of this book.

how are people giving this book 5 stars? it's fucking. it's laughably bad. the plot is so stupid. the characters are boring. no-one makes a single good decision. jeremy is white bread. it's like, really really bad. i really need to know if the straights giving this book 5 stars need help, therapy, or jesus. if u do, please blink SOS in morse code, i will come and get u.

everyone who has a superiority complex because they've never read a single CoHo book is correct . u guys are doing great

[positivelyqueer]

[Image description: black text on a white background from different sources. Text reads: "But I say: Keep bleeding. Just write towards something beyond blood." Leslie Jamison, The Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain. "Dear Antigone, I take it as the task of the translator to forbid that you should ever lose your screams," Anne Carson, The Task of the Translator of Antigone. "I've got this double-edged shame and indignation about my bodily ills and ailments - jaw, punched nose, fast heat, broken foot etc etc etc. On the one hand, I'm like, Why does this shit happen to me? And on the other hand, I'm like, Why am I talking about this so much?" I guess I'm talking about it because it happened." Leslie Jamison, The Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain. "What's fertile in a wound? Why dwell in one? Wounds promise authenticity and profundity, beauty and singularity, desirability. They summon sympathy. They bleed enough light to write by. They yield scars full of stories and sights that become rallying cries." Leslie Jamison, The Grand Unified Theory of Female Pain. "You remember too much, my mother said to me recently. Why hold onto all that? And I said, Where can I put it down?" Anne Carson, The Glass Essay. "I don't let anyone touch me," I finally said. "Why not?" Because I could still see a woman in a red bathrobe crawling in the street. A woman on a roof in the wind, mute and strange. Women with pills, with knives, women dyeing their hair. Women painting doorknobs with poison for love, making dinners too large to eat, firing into a child's room at close range. It was a play and I know how it ended, I didn't want to audition for any of the roles. It was no game, no casual thrill. It was three-bullet Russian roulette." Janet Fitch, White Oleander. "The world is not big enough to support them... I loved that ending and I loved the imagery. After all they went through, I didn't want anybody to be able to touch them." Callie Khouri on Thelma and Louise. "A woman must continually watch herself. She is almost continually accompanied by her own image of herself. Whist she is walking across a room of whilst she is weeping at the death of her father, she can scarcely avoid envisaging herself walking or weeping. From earliest childhood she has been taught and persuaded to survey herself continually." John Berger, Ways of Seeing. "Sometimes she narrates her actions inside her head in third-person. Does that make her a writer or a woman?" Kate Zambreno, Green Girl." /end ID]

“I guess I’m talking about it because it happened.” (Some thoughts on women & wounded-ness & writing)

[creepypastalover97]

We’ll time for another creepypasta au headcannon.

Today’s headcannon is going to be about homicidial liu.

Now, on with the headcannon.

. Liu is 23 years old

. Liu has multiple personality disorder. Sully is Liu’s Protector alter.

. Liu and Sully argue a lot (because Sully is a massive douchebag most of the time) but they really do love each other. Liu considers Sully a better brother than Jeff ever was.

. The better behaved of his brother. He has better posture and speaks proper, standard english, only using slang or such when hes more comfortable with people. He dresses somewhat formally, wearing blouses, dress pants etc. etc.

. He’s fertile twins with Jeff! He’s older by 5 minutes and is constantly rubbing it in Jeff’s face >_> jeff is annoyed XD

. Since he doesn’t remember what Sully does he makes him write everything he does down in their journal. Sully usually complies…unless he does something he knows Liu wouldn’t approve of.

. After he escaped from the hospital, many people presumed him to be dead, and even put up a gravestone for him, in an old cemetery. Due to this jeff thought he had successfully killed off his family for many years to provent them from seeing what he was becoming to avoid causing them any pain. Only for Circe ( who had been kidnapped)to show up with his not so dead brother after being rescued from zalgo, liu who had been forced to work for zalgo the past 8 years

jeff: *thinks he killed liu*

liu: *somehow alive*

jeff: how are you not dead-

liu: there are two types of people

. Jeff calls Sully a parasite, Sully calls Jeff a mistake

. Liu is short for Louis, but he uses Liu as his given name

. The scarf he wears was given to him by his mother as a birthday present, three years before their family moved away.

. Liu wears a rosary around his neck that was given to him by his late grandmother.

. Sully developed when Liu was in jail, for taking blame for his brother. He was there wrongfully even if he did put himself there. Everyone else there did belong, unlike him. So after a few months of being in juvy, his alter, Sully, developed

. Liu likes spicy foods. He’s if something isn’t spicy enough he’ll pull a bottle of hot sauce out of thin air. It’s a little spooky how he just pulls this bottle out of his ass.

. Liu has taken up knitting in his spare time. He often donates his creations to those in need. His favorite thing to knit is sweaters. He also doesn’t mind knitting scarves.

. He’s actually okay with Ben, because he likes how much he gets on his brother’s nerves.

. He can’t drink coffee. It’s like the bitterness of the drink is magnified 10 times to him, and the aftertaste is horrible. He doesn’t even get any energy from the caffeine, so he stays away from it.

. Sometimes the others steal his scarves in Winter, because almost none of them have their own. He doesn’t mind all that much.

. He kicks ass at games where you need to think quickly like 60 Seconds or games where you need to think ahead like Plague Inc. and Bio Inc.

. Liu plays violin. He plays all genres of music on it that are possible

. Liu also gets along well with Masky since Tim also knows what it’s like to have a violent alter ego even though he doesn’t have one anymore.

. He’s bi as fuck

. Knives? Screw that. That’s so 2014. He’s got a fucking gun. Not like a pistol, I’m talking like those hunting guns. Don’t ask where he got it from, even he doesn’t have an explanation for that. Let’s see Jeff try to stab something when he’s got a bullet right between the eyes.

. Liu often visits their parents grave, but he normally doesn’t have anything to say. He mostly just reminisces about old times.

. He has a rock collection. He believes if he polishes them on Thursdays that nothing bad will happen to him. So far, it’s worked. (He’s like Lilo giving the sandwiches to the fish in Lilo and Stitch, he does it to keep himself safe.)

. He reads a lot of books like the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series (PJ being his favourite).

. he doesn’t sing. That doesn’t mean he can’t, though. He actually has a very good voice, but is extremely shy about it, and only sings when he thinks he’s alone. The key word there is thinks.

. He actually gets along with EJ a lot. Tho he’s completely oblivious to EJ’s crush on him. It’s kinda funny.

. He's AMAZING at painting. Especially water colors

. Lui has his ears pierced

. he picks up dogs a lot and fosters them. He currently has 11 of them.

. Sully is rambunctious and rowdy. When he’s in the limelight, he definitely has your attention. He will throw hands with ANYBODY. Your grandma, little kids, and sometimes even law enforcement themselves. Please fight this man he wants to make you cry.

. Liu or Sully doesn’t like Jeff. if kept in punching and/or kicking distance he will deck him. Sully is hellbent on killing Jeff, and Liu’s at a point where he thinks it might be for the best. Tho the pastas have been try to get them to resolve their issues.

Circe : Where did Jeff go yesterday?

BEN: Liu decided they should see a therapist. Together.

Circe : Really? How did it go?

BEN: The therapist is now seeing a therapist so…

. Sullys normally pretty tame other than sexual comments and overall he’s kinda rude (and with Jeff)

BEN: I mean, I’ve had a bad haircut I regret.

Sully: Is it the one you have now?

BEN: …No?

Sully: Oh. It should be.

. Sully is liable to blow up at any point. The smallest thing will set him off. Snarky remarks and very sarcastic. His go to is a headbutt. And you will receive no warning. The headbutt is the warning that your pissing him off

. Sully regularly steals things. Even though Liu owns a motorcycle, Sully has stolen a Charger, crashed it and fled the scene.

. Liu is actually really good friends with Jane. The originally bonded over the fact that they hated Jeff and they don’t necessarily want to be killers. Jane is also the only pasta that Sully can tolerate, being that he also hates Jeff.

. He also doesn’t mind hanging around BP (bloody painter) and if he’s in a chatty mood then you could find him around Ben

. He absolutely loves sour patch kids

. Liu is the literally definition of crackhead and horny energy.

Circe : Why are you like this?

Sully: I used too much “no more tears” shampoo as I kid and I haven’t felt the same since.

. Liu’s room is overly stuffed with plants that he’s named at this point. One time sully killed one, and replaced it with a fake one. Liu cried when he found out he was watering plastic.

. Liu spends 80% of his time in his room laying on the floor listening to shitty ‘true’ crime podcast.

. Liu runs solely on monster energy drinks, and chocolate.

. He actively listens to machine girl and sewerslvt

. Liu can (flawlessly) do a Fortnite dance

. Has been bitten by Jeff WAY TOO MANY FUCKING TIMES!!

. Jeff and liu are ALWAYS mocking each other

Liu: give it back!!!!!

Jeff: gIvE iT BaCK

Liu: stop copying me!!!

Jeff: StOp CoPyInG ME!!!

Liu: SHUT UP!!!

Jeff: sHuT uP!!!!

. Liu is actually taller than jeff and jeff HATES it

. Liu calls jeff a minion just to piss him off

. His brother is actually really protective (and lowkeys gets jealous) of liu when he likes someone. And if possible, he'll try his best for liu to lose interest

Liu: jane is really beautiful!

Jeff: she's gay

Liu: well.... EJ is kinda hot!

Jeff: if by hot you mean having 3 tounges down your throat then, yeah.

Overall liu has issues to work out. But hopefully things will get better

Well I hope you all enjoyed my headcannons. Ok, bye 👋🏻

P.s. not everything is canon, so don’t hate. If you do, take it somewhere else. Thank you

P.s.s. Go check out Circe’s origin story on archive of our own. It’s called rabbits are not what they seem.

[blorbocedes]

c/l is actually c*rlando i'm so sorry 😭 c-lestappen will get his day to shine but this was the vision that seized me at 5am this morning! this ask will be focused on insight into lando backstory and context bc there is a 7k doc that i can’t simplifying into one ask

main event of the fic is the terrible dreaded therapy appointment, because lando is nearing the horrible event horizon of having a fully developed prefrontal cortext and in a/b/o verse this means that he will be past the best before date (ideal shelf life of omega is five years) and will be aging at the speed of light into being a barren spinster or whatever!! 

theres also a pressing deadline thing hanging in the background where its like. landos next heat is fast approaching! its also his last ditch insane omega fertility gambit before he hits 25 and gets his frontal lobe cortexified or whatever horrible degenerative thing that happens to omegas after they turn 25! this is all Science Backed™ bc everyone is like ofc ofc… omega body understands this is the point of no return! this is the last resort before it defaults into like beta levels of fertility when he turns 25

so sorry about the incoming bullet point dump this is only 1/3 of the actual general ideas if it helps.

his family is reasonably okay and progressive! he has older sister/s that can inherit family stuff etc everyone thought he was going to be an overly sensitive beta or one of those modern alphas bc its the 21st century! alphas can be like this if they want! 

and then he presents as an omega and it is this awful lifechanging event bc male omegas aren’t rare but they are a much smaller part of the population and usually get sent to finishing school or something or have marriages arranged for them as soon as they present

so his family freak out bc everyone knows that you have to be careful and raise omegas The Right Way or else u will ruin their lives and give them lifelong emotional  maladjustment bc u didn’t follow correct protocol… still reasonably progressive but lando has to be the exception! having a male omega in your family is also a sign of great prestige and good marriage opportunities, upward social mobility even! 

unfortunately lando is a scrawny with a delicate constitution (get those needles and tests away from him! he hates your omega prep boarding school food and the rooms all smell disgustingly floral and he wants to throw up bc he has a sensitive nose too :( or go home but he can’t) even before he presents, and presenting does not magically make him into a hot commodity appearance and personality wise. 

it probably actually makes him worse bc now all of a sudden he’s not the youngest and only son who is a little spoilt but indulged and doted on bc its not the 18th c anymore we’re modern now we don’t have to force our only son into having to be Aggressive and Authoritative in case it means that he presents as a BETA (follower type disgusting not fit to be heir) or worse an omega bc then we won’t have a man to carry on our name :( 

everyone assumed he would be a beta probably or even just a kind of weird alpha (bc we’re modern now! alphas can be emotionally sensitive and in touch with their feelings… lando is just maybe ultramodern. breaking down all stereotypes and barriers by absolutely refusing to eat fish or take part in the fishing part of family fishing trips. his parents are fine with this bc his sisters can inherit business and enjoy fishing ❤ 

lando gets to enjoy having reasonably progressive family in a beautiful modern age except SURPRISE! he presents as an omega and all of sudden he is this Exception to all their progressive talk and raising… most awful miserable experience of his life

even worse than all the tests and boarding schools bc he got used to them… this was the Big Betrayal… the Lifelong Heartbreak… the End Of His Life….. 

the actual Bad Therapy Event bullet points: 

they have separate therapy appointments! same day though. carlos gets to sit quietly in the waiting room and feel like the worst person alive because he goes first and he needs a little more time to marinate in those bad vibes, while obv lando should be immediately thrust out of distressing omega experience 109282931 and back into real world w/out any waiting room time to think or process. 

the lando talk is much more EVIL AND EMOTIONALLY MANIPULATIVE bc its clear that he is a bundle of emotionally vulnerable nerves abt this and desperately afraid that carlos will wake up from his mildly progressive loving mentality and realise that lando is getting older (he not he’s literally like 24) and still hasn’t grown out of it his stupid mental bullshit abt what being an omega means to him 

therapist basically just rips into him and destroys him thru the power of emotional manipulation and straight up gaslighting abt himself and his relationship

ive used up all my fake therapy appt w/ bad therapist ideas on carlos (had a rlly great time but lando is slightly more interesting to me lmk if u want expansion on the carlos therapy experience, but if u want to imagine the destructive bad things said to him pls do no brainpower for me rn)

he leaves absolutely shattered, much more quiet and withdrawn. also more obedient but only in that he doesn’t really disagree or protest or say much as they get ready to leave and also just sits their quietly on the journey home. 

carlos has no idea what they’ve said, only that before lando comes out, the therapist exits the room without him, closes the door behind them and asks to speak to him for a few seconds

(lando inside the room is absolutely marinating in how bad and awful he is and how carlos will probably LEAVE HIM for a good omega as soon as he hears what the therapist has to say. he has to be normal and good and maybe they’ll love him enough to fix him bc no one else is going to be as patient and as careful as carlos :( he’ll have to go to a convent until he dies bc he is such a failure

they tell him about how lando broke down and got vulnerable and they talked about some of the deep insecurities that have haunted him his whole life that he was never able to fully express. 

that he loves carlos but that carlos doesn’t push him enough, that carlos needs to push him to express what he wants and ask for stuff MORE (and this is pretty normal to carlos! lando is a finicky little weirdo who is as happy as he can get when he’s the one saying stuff and carlos is listening and things are under control and safe… he should’ve realized that this extended to other more dynamic stuff too) 

also that everything they told him was verified and backed up by what lando said today but they can’t tell him the specifics bc it is private therapy stuff. they’re only telling him these general things bc lando is okay with them saying this stuff bc he’s not ready to tell carlos it yet, and they can work together on it now! 

lando’s never going to contradict this bc they will be in the car and carlos will try to Authoritatively Ask them abt whether the therapist was right (bc he wants to check in! lando’s been so anxious and quiet looking the whole time) but it rlly just comes out as kind of concerned and gentle bc he’s not ready to go around ordering his omega to tell him whats wrong! he’s still carlos! and lando is so afraid, he doesn’t want to hear what the therapist told carlos abt him but he just nods and says that he’s fine that he wants them to be fine more than anything 

carlos wants to reassure him so he says some platitudes like that the therapist knows how hard lando is trying and how good they are together and that he is glad he knows more about how to help lando now because what he wants more than anything is for lando to be fine 

(carlos internally: i can’t let lando know that it is ALL MY FAULT bc when the alpha authority of ur life is useless and a failure it means no structure means emotional maladjustment at the age of 24 it means bad stuff. but i also need him to know that there is nothing wrong w him except that there is! but i want him to be okay and better) 

unfortunately this only compounds to lando’s internal distress hellscape! bc now carlos is acting like he’s the one at fault and accomdating lando’s stupid sensitivity when lando hsould be the one accomaddating him more… the therapist is right their relationship is unbalanced. lando has been so selfish, wasting carlos’ prime being father of children years :(

oh carlando!!!!! ofc! that makes more sense.

op you were not kidding about the world building 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 there is SO MUCH going on here... you also like introduced carlos with no preamble so I didn't know his relationship to lando (whether he's a boyfriend or #mate #husband) and I was like wait what mr krabs in bondage looking shook meme

it's very rich lore heavy perfectly calibrated to hurt lando which I love <3 I also laughed at the idea of ?? fishing being so important to the norris' that they're giving away their inheritance to their daughter who loves fishing..... ok slay girlboss...

so basically this world is divided into Leonardo Di Caprios and his girlfriends and once they turn 25 they're discarded I see I see...

now WHY is the therapist being evil apart from being evil..... like do they have a stake in maintaining in traditionalism alpha/omega roles and Lando and Carlos have a pretty non traditional, almost equal in terms of power hierarchy relationship which is a no no to the status quo? actually why are they going to therapy in the first place...? cause Lando's 24 and not barefoot and pregnant?

i think since carlos is a more traditionally well adjusted (although consciously gentler) alpha compared to Lando's whole . Issues being an omega and all, it's easier to manipulate carlos like look. your omega needs You to step up and Provide which means you have to be the support system, and that might mean making some tough decisions like being more authoritative with lando. because he Needs it! or else you're a bad alpha boyfriend mate husband!!!

poor Landito being ripped apart emotionally...... what does He want.... what's his whole deal.... I'm so curious

thank you for sharing wow!!! I hope you're writing this I'd love to read it!!! It's such a fleshed out universe

[rmnamjoons]

namjoon’s horniest/most dominant moments 👍

note: nothing from before he was 18 is included

expensive girl - “take it off now, girl / i can help you slide those panties off / take it off now, girl / imma beat that pussy like you never ever felt before” + the fact that he uploaded this song on valentine’s day (2013). a true Romantic i see

trouble - “today i think i’ll have to punish you” + “don’t flirt around other people, you’re mine” + singing about liking his partner in black stockings, their panty line, their cleavage, etc. Romance

monster - “you’ll get totally drenched, so bring another pair of panties”

on the tv show problematic men - when he said that he’d “received vicarious satisfaction” from a book, later discovered by the public to feature many extremely graphic and descriptive sex scenes, including three ways. he admitted on national television to jacking off to an erotic novel

yaman interview - on that same theme: the interview where he admitted to and talked about watching porn

prometheus - he was in a song with six other rappers, each of them representing one of the seven deadly sins, and namjoon was lust and he said that his sexual partner says “oppa, i like it, hit me harder”

attack on bangtan - live: when they formed a little line and were all bouncing and jumping up and down together, but our joonie was doing something very incheresting with his hips/pelvis while jumping:

fun boys - “i’ll bite you til i see blood”

on the tv show problematic men - when he admitted that when he was younger he got very jealous in romantic relationships

primary - “cuz your lips and your thighs and your everything fine / you look good with me, i want your everything mine”

every live performance ever of baepsae but especially when they were in saudi arabia and said they were gonna tone down the suggestive dances and not only did he do it anyway but he made that face while doing his thrust part:

cypher pt 1 - called himself the listener’s “daddy” (in korean)

싸이하누월 - the infamous “and i’m sexy, like a porn star”

intro skool luv affair - live - how he constantly did a spanking motion while rapping intro skool luv affair in this specific performance and his voice was WAY more rough and growly than usual (video)

when they were at an award show and namjoon was standing at the back and he just looks at the camera and does This:

dionysus - the thyrsus he waves around in dionysus gets its own bullet point because a thyrsus is an ancient greek symbol of fertility. it’s literally a giant dildo y’all wake up

AHL - when they were filming that music video in LA and their only instructions were to flirt with the actresses they’d hired to be in the video, and all the other boys were so awkward and could barely even look at them without blushing, but namjoon was like:

and lastly, the fact that half his selfies look like this:

bonus!

this barely counts BUT hear me out

namjoon is a virgo with sag moon and scorpio rising, AND he is scorpio dominant, including scorpio venus (being something dominant = you have a lot of it [more than 5] in your chart). scorpio is strongly associated with sex, sensuality, and emotional intensity, so him being scorpio dominant including scorpio venus (venus rules sensuality/emotional intimacy/love) is...........

typically, someone with scorpio venus would be very loyal, sensual, protective, and passionate, though also potentially jealous and possessive, and would view sex as being closely intertwined with love. a possessive and emotional lover who would see you as His

he also has cancer mars in his 8th house. mars (the planet of sex) in the 8th house (the house of sex) can mean an intense, overactive sex drive (this on top of him being scorpio venus and scorpio dominant!) and cancer is associated with skin/touching, so him being cancer mars in his 8th house = during sex he’s very physical, possessive, touchy-feely, and potentially into marking his partner’s skin

all of this is on top of him being a virgo (virgos love structure and rules) could suggest he is someone who enjoys implementing rules and structure in sex, like elements of bdsm, control, discipline/reward, or even a daddy kink, while a cancer mars could also have him wanting to be in a caregiver role as well during sex (also along the same lines as a potential daddy kink)

one more bonus from his chart: he's scorpio pluto in his 12th house, which has “a raw, aggressive, and obsessive part of the human sexuality.” when i read multiple interpretations of scorpio pluto in the 12th house, they all said that a person with this placement would be into more taboo and intense aspects of sex and intimacy. basically he’s a freak

all together, he's very intense sexually and is someone who views sex as being emotional and very important to love and a relationship and, as one person put it when interpreting his chart: “he needs complete devotion, trust, and submission from his partner”

i wrote this and then reread the list of his horny moments again and Whew

[wearesorcerer]

DIO’s Hired Assassins Ranked

I’ve been rewatching JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders lately because it finally came to Netflix and thus I could get my old DM to watch it (for the sake of memes). I haven’t watched it since it came out and remembered having something against it, but I couldn’t remember what exactly; my fondness has only grown thanks to how memetic it is.

The answer: it’s too long and the villains aren’t especially memorable, DIO aside.

After I got to Alessi, I decided I wanted to rank them (specifically to put him as dead last, though I ended up not doing that). I was originally going to put this on my personal blog, but realized that I’m evaluating a bunch of weird spells, so it’s here.

IMHO, Stands split pretty well between Monk (fighting spirit, etc.) and some sort of caster (so many of them are just flat-out spells). The majority of the villains are the latter type, so I figured this would work here.

I’m going to skip anyone on Team Joestar and DIO because that’s just unfair.

Murder Stands

Before I get underway, I want to introduce a term I’ll be using again and again: “Murder Stand.” This is a Stand which has no ability beyond hurting/killing people. I take off points for this because even Punch Ghosts like Star Platinum have other utility.

Unranked: Thoth (Boingo) -- Precognitive Manga

Thoth is all potential and little application -- mostly because the Oingo Boingo brothers are comic relief villains. Thoth’s ability is to predict what will happen to the reader (who doesn’t necessarily have to be the Stand user) in the next few minutes, but without enough context for it to get used reliably. Indeed, every character who uses it ends up hurt. Since it’s an item, it’s possible that someone could steal it from Boingo permanently. That said, the possibilities with this Stand are immense, so it should be far more powerful than presented.

25 - Sun (Arabia Fats): A miniature sun with a suite of solar powers.

Illuminates a large area as though it were noon. (Sun sits at approximately 100 meters in the air and has a very wide area of effect.)

Raises the ambient temperature in that area to intolerable levels

Can fire highly accurate energy blasts at anything in the area

This Stand appears in a single episode (not quite a BLAM episode: it fits contextually, but it’s never discussed beforehand or afterward) and the only dialogue we get comes from Team Joestar, so we don’t know what the Stand’s actual parameters are. We do know that its use range is largely taken up by how high it sits in the sky and that it affects everything in its area of effect indiscriminately because Arabia Fats is present and has to take precautions against it. This makes the Murder Stand aspect of this suspect: there just aren’t many situations where you need (or would even want) to kill on that scale. Since we don’t know if Arabia Fats can control the light or heat his Stand produces (beyond firing lasers), any further utility is also suspect.

24 - Emperor (Hol Horse): magic missile in the form of a gun with a homing bullet.

Don’t get me wrong, having magic missile at-will is a great thing, but this isn’t an unerring missile (as in D&D) but a homing missile (as in most incarnations of the spell I’ve found elsewhere). It can miss. It’s also a 1st-level spell and there are far more powerful effects on this list. (No idea why this is called “Emperor.”)

23 - Deep Blue Moon (Imposter Captain Teneil): punch ghost fishfolk with various underwater abilities.

This Stand is powerful only if encountered in the water. It’s more powerful than the Emperor and has slightly more utility, but not by much. (Not terribly lunar beyond the association with water.)

22 - Khnum (Oingo): alter self (or possibly disguise self as a Transmutation).

Oingo only ever uses this on his face and hair, but supposedly he can use this on the rest of his body, altering height, weight, and possibly clothing in the process. This has more utility than any of the above, but Oingo’s an idiot (comic relief villain) and there’s another Stand that can do this and more. (”Khnum” because Oingo rearranges his face as though it were clay.)

21 - Tower of Gray (Gray Fly): stag beetle with super speed and xenomorph bite. Mainly used to cause airplane disasters and similar.

The range on this stand is fairly short (the user has to be on the plane he’s trying to crash, for one), but longer than most punch ghosts while still remaining potent. It’s small enough to escape some attention and fast enough to give Star Platinum problems. (”Tower” because it’s used for mass murder via disasters.)

20 - Set(han) (Alessi): user’s shadow animates, de-aging the bodies (and gradually minds) of opponents it comes in contact with; can wield any object the user holds.

By range, this would be a Punch Ghost, but it doesn’t have the other stats for it. Its special ability is rather powerful, but it puts Alessi in difficult situations (he’d be a suspect in any missing person cases seeking his victims); it doesn’t have to be used to murder people, but it’s of limited-enough utility that it may as well be used that way. Finally, the entire arc screams “pedo,” so it doesn’t deserve a high rank even if it had more power. (”Set” doesn’t really fit, but I think they picked it because it’s an approximation of an inimical/evil entity. Not sure why it’s rendered as “Sethan” in English sources: that’s an uncommon transliteration [not related to many inscriptions] and the Japanese rendering is “Seto- 神” [Set-god].)

19 - Ebony Devil (Devo): Chucky. Stand activates after the user is injured, then possesses an object (generally a doll) to seek out vengeance. Stand’s power amplified by user’s hatred of the target.

This is the first truly remote Stand on the list, which is its main perk. Generally speaking, long-range Stands lack power, so having an ability that amplifies power is really handy. However, the fact that it basically requires that the user gets severely injured to work is a deal-breaker. The seeming need to have a doll present to use is also a drawback, but it’s not clear how far the user can be from the Stand, so maybe that’s not that big of a deal. (As for Devil, it works. I guess. I mean, that card has a lot of meanings.)

18 - Wheel of Fortune (ZZ): Stand attaches to a car, manipulating its attributes and making it far deadlier than usual.

From what the episode implied, the user has to be driving the Stand for it to work, which could be an issue. It’s not entirely a Murder Stand (it provides off-road capabilities -- and even vertical surface scaling), so there’s quite a bit of bonus there. (This really should be The Chariot [Silver Chariot doesn’t fit that card anyway].)

17 - Strength (Forever the Orangutan): Stand attaches to a small boat and turns it into a giant tanker. Like Wheel of Fortune, can manipulate any part of the ship. Unlike Wheel of Fortune, can merge/phase the user through its parts.

You’d think I’d rank this lower because it’s water-based, but since it can work on a lifeboat and Forever is an Orangutan, there’s no reason why Forever couldn’t carry a boat around (sneakily), activate the Stand, and then go to town in a town. It’s big, it’s lethal, and it’s easy for the user to hide while killing people. Its just a little too specific to get much use. And, well, you’ve got the user. (”Strength” because of the user.)

16 - Death 13 (Mannish Boy): nightmare; clownish grim reaper kills people in their dreams Freddy Krueger-style. Upon waking, targets who manage to survive do not remember what happened in their dreams without taking extra precautions while asleep. Stand users cannot use their Stands if the Stand was inactive prior to the dream.

If you want to get away with murder some of the time, this might work. Most of the Stand’s abilities are designed for the user to escape attention, but there are two major problems. First, anyone killed in the dream manifests the injuries they receive on their waking bodies, which tend to be gruesome. Second, it’s an incredibly short-range Stand without much developmental potential. If Mannish Boy were to avoid using it much, he could survive to adulthood, but his presence at the scenes of his murders would eventually be his undoing.

15 - Bastet (Mariah): Stand creates an electrical outlet that shocks targets who get too close, thereby magnetizing them. This magnetism grows in strength over time, eventually leading to death from dangerous metal objects impaling or crushing the target. Can affect multiple targets simultaneously.

It’s not entirely clear how close Mariah has to be for this to work, but it’s farther than Death 13. Since the conditions for this Murder Stand are easier to meet, it’s slightly better. There might be added utility to the magnetism, but that’s dubious. Still, the range is close enough that it should be easy to catch Mariah in the act and the Schmuck Bait gimmick is too silly. It’s also unclear if non-Stand users can see it, so it might have less utility than Death 13, but I’m assuming as the sort of Stand it is that they can. (Bastet = cat = curiosity killed the cat.)

14 - Empress (Nena): parasitic growth latches onto target, growing and attacking them until finally killing them.

I strongly suspect that there’s more that someone could do with this Stand than simply killing people (or getting them into trouble), but we don’t see that at all during this episode. Since it’s a physical Stand, even though it’s not technically alive, it’s easier to attack than most Stands and thus remains a liability to its user. (The whole episode has a lot of father-child talk, referring to the fact that the Empress has much to do with fertility and pregnancy.)

13 - Geb (N’Doul): water elemental with incredible range.

In 3.x terms, this isn’t even summon nature’s ally II, which is the earliest available summon that can summon a Water Elemental. The reason is that the smallest elementals in the core rules are all Small and this one is Tiny. It makes up for its size by being deadlier than usual (it might have vorpal attacks, but then again it is JoJo, so it’s hard to say), but it’s not considered a powerful Stand (Destructive Power is C). Its fairly fast, but its main strength is its range: N’Doul was able to command it at a distance of four kilometers (2.5 miles) when attacking Team Joestar, which is insane. (Despite being a water elemental, it’s named after the Egyptian god of the Earth because N’Doul, a blind Stand user, uses Tremorsense.)

12 - Lovers (Steely Dan): microscopic Stand can invade people’s bodies, transmitting and amplifying its user’s pain to them.

This Stand has fantastic potential that’s left unanswered: how much damage can it cause on its own? The episode revolves around Lovers planting spores of DIO’s flesh buds inside brains, leading to death, but given its size and ability to manipulate brain cells, one would think that this thing could cause heart attacks, strokes, severe brain damage, and various other major (or minor) conditions. The range on it and the sorts of deaths it might be able to cause would make it much better at assassination than Death 13 or Bastet. However, it’s not clear what the limits of this Stand’s powers are. I’ve ranked it here for potential, but it might be unable to do all of that. (No, the name doesn’t really fit here, either.)

11 - Tenore Sax (Kenny G.): mirage arcana.

We don’t see this Stand (at all), only its effects, and Kenny G gets killed very quickly (no fight), so who knows? That said, mirage arcana is a fairly high level spell, hence the ranking.

10 - Anubis (various): intelligent sword which provides its wielder with exceptional speed and skill; can phase through matter selectively and learn enemy techniques.

Anubis is pretty standard as far as evil weapons possessing people go, save that it also learns any attack used against it the first time it sees it and afterward can perfectly counter that ability. This makes it a difficult foe to defeat in general; the fact that it can choose to ignore any matter it chooses (though apparently not Stands) is just icing on that cake. However, as it is attached to a sword, it is susceptible to anything that would damage or destroy its “body.”

9 - Yellow Temperance (Rubber Soul): ooze. Invulnerable to damage, devours anything it touches as it wishes. Can coat user to grant imperviousness and disguises (as disguise self).

As Khnum, but also a perfect defense and a fantastic offense. Its main issues are that it requires sustenance, it has limited range, and the trick to defeating it is to separate it from its user and then attack the user directly, which is easier than attacking a Stand in general anyway. (I guess having a defense is temperate, right?)

8 - High Priestess (Midler): imp-like Stand can merge with minerals, growing in size the closer it gets to its user.

Vulnerable to Star Platinum, but otherwise this is an incredibly useful Stand: it’s both a reconnaissance Stand and a Punch Ghost Elemental. As a long-range Stand that can merge with any mineral, any deaths it causes would be difficult to pin on the user (they could all be accidents and the user wouldn’t be suspect). (The only similarity to the High Priestess is in gender.)

7 - Horus (Pet Shop): cryokinesis.

Pet Shop demonstrates a variety of techniques with this Stand (similar to how Abdul has many uses for Magician’s Red), so it may as well be “any spell with the [Cold] descriptor.” (It’s “Horus” because the user is a falcon.)

6 - Hanged Man (J. Geil): light-based Stand attacks from reflections.

It was utterly implausible how they defeated this one, given that it’s able to move at the speed of light from one reflection to another. Mainly a Murder Stand, but plausibly a reconnaissance one, as well. (Not sure how this is the Hanged Man. I guess because it’s limited in where it can go.)

5 - Judgment (Cameo): “Grants wishes” (uses an improved form of fabricate to create perfect copies of whatever its targets wants [down to memories and bits of personality for people] out of clay, but subverts the wishes)

There’s a lot of potential here, with the main limit being the durability of the materials used. That said, one wonders if there are other limits to its ability. Could it fabricate a functional death ray or a supercomputer? (Personally, I think this should have been Khnum, given that Khnum is a potter. It’s probably “Judgment” [as in “Last Judgment”] because Polnareff wishes for his sister to be resurrected.)

4 - Osiris (Daniel J. D’Arby [the Elder]): Steals the souls of those who admit defeat, storing them as coins/poker chips.

Soul bind (a 9th-level spell) as a spell-like ability (so no focus component - ordinarily an expensive gem), used by a professional gambler (so someone with an incredibly high Bluff/Deception). Yeah, it’s a Murder Stand, but it’s one that’s going to make the user very wealthy. (Osiris as lord of the underworld, so souls.)

3 - Atum (Terrence D. D’Arby [the Younger]): Steals the souls of those who admit defeat, storing them in dolls; can read an opponent’s soul (mind), answering yes or no questions.

As Osiris, but also with a faster-acting (but limited) form of detect thoughts. There’s so much potential here, it’s almost terrifying. (Atum doesn’t really fit here. Anubis might, but Anubis wasn’t part of the actual Ennead anyway.)

2 - Justice (Enya the Hag): air elemental manifests as city-spanning fog (as control weather rather than fog cloud), providing mirage arcana and veil to anything and anyone in the area (but selectively); can control bodies (living or deceased) through its tendrils entering wounds; gaseous, so impervious to damage.

As Tenore Sax, but it does way more. Its animate dead-style ability provides total control over corpses in the area without actually being necromancy (it’s actually control body, but seems to work on any type of body so long as it has been wounded). The only thing it lacks is the ability to attack, despite having claws. Still, when you have several spells as spell-like abilities usable over a vast area without the standard limitations those spells ordinarily have and one of those gives you minions, it’s not like you need to be able to attack. In theory, this should have been one of the most powerful Stands in the entire series; the only way Team Joestar defeated it was through shenanigans which made no sense (Star Platinum inhaling the Stand, causing Enya to black out -- because Stands have lungs). (”Justice” because Enya uses it for revenge.)

1 - Cream (Vanilla Ice): Stand’s mouth is a portal to a dimension of darkness. Anything the Stand swallows is destroyed by portal cut (as disintegrate). The Stand can swallow itself and its user without harm, removing them from this reality (as etherealness) and disintegrating anything else which comes in contact with it (as an orb of annihilation).

Invisible. Almost undetectable. Intangible. Wholly destructive. The invisibility comes with the drawback of having to be careful while moving if wanting to go entirely undetected, but that’s not a major drawback. While ethereal, the user doesn’t seem to be able to see where it’s going, though this is inconsistent.

[rothjuje]

I wrote a post last week and deleted it instead of posting. Nothing seems “important” enough to write about I guess.

Fence install was Friday and it is lovely to have a yard again. Such a stress relief. Now that the fence is up, we can put in garden beds and sod and a pergola. I am really excited but also would just kind of like a break from constantly working on house stuff.

Hardwood floors are ordered (beautiful) and the installers are booked (hassle). Apparently, Home Depot is more expensive for being actually not that great quality wise. They were going to charge us DOUBLE what the top installers in our area were going to charge. Ridiculous.

We’re going to stain our brick fireplace classic red (the bricks are currently pink and Justin can’t stand it). And we’re going to paint the walls. And rip out the master shower. And sand/paint the kitchen cabinets and install hardware. Justin wants to do 800 other things to the house (get granite counter tops, replace windows, run electrical to the shed and backyard trees, replace flooring in closets etc) and I’m like oh my goshhh will this ever end?

Poppy is getting fixed next week and I’m dreading it. @chickhens (previously @helenofstory) had her kitty done last week (our kitties are sisters) and the internal stitches ripped and Poppy is so high energy and dread dread dread.

The kid and kitty and chickens and dogs and bunny and fish are all happy. I sing old McDonald with just our pets (the fish go “blub blub”) and it always reinforces the fact we have a mini zoo going on. Justin is busy/happy with work, he travels to Turkey soon. His new job does actually entail more travel, blah.

I haven’t started the real estate stuff yet. I’m just so drained with the house stuff and hormones. And, truth be told, I’m not even done unpacking yet. Getting rid of the previous owner’s shit has been such a fucking chore. It ate a month of my life. Have I talked about how he was a survivalist? Among the stuff we had to beg people to take was four 55 gallon fuel cans. Just so much random, unnecessary stuff. We are also still finding random bullets. The guy had 30 guns and a ridiculous amount of ammo. And just random shit. Some of it literal, he had a garbage can full of rabbit shit (“the best damn fertilizer” apparently) that we had to beg someone to take.

There’s just so. Much. Stuff. To. Do.

[ivfcenterinindore]

How To Make IVF Successful The First Time?

IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is the modern procedure that is used by many couples who are having trouble conceiving. It involves using your own eggs and your partner’s sperm to create embryos outside of the body before transferring them back into the uterus to increase chances of pregnancy, often through ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection).

The IVF procedure can be costly and stressful, which is why it’s important to do all you can to increase your chances of success from the beginning, including knowing how to choose an IVF center that gives you the best chance at conception.

1) Decide on Your Own Treatment Protocol

There are some standard protocols for treatment, but you and your doctor will ultimately decide what works best for you. If your first few attempts don’t work, don’t give up. You may need to try a few different treatment protocols before conceiving a baby through IVF. Be sure to talk with your doctor about all of your options so that you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.

2) Work with a Reputable IVF Center

When looking for an in vitro fertilization (IVF) center, you want to find a reputable clinic with a high success rate and good reviews. You should research several IVF center in Indore to find one that is best suited to your needs and wants. Make sure all of your questions are answered fully and clearly so there are no surprises later on. Consider choosing a center that provides full medical services as well as financing opportunities if you need help affording treatment.

3) Focus on What You Can Control

IVF success rates depend on many factors, including egg quantity and quality. That said, you can control a few variables that can significantly improve your odds of conceiving during your first try at in vitro fertilization (IVF). One such variable is age: The older a woman is when she tries to conceive via IVF, the greater her chances are of having her pregnancy end in miscarriage.

4) Consider Getting Fertility Drugs

Some fertility drugs may help boost your chances of getting pregnant, but they can also raise your risk of complications. Talk to your doctor about what’s right for you. If you decide to take fertility drugs, be sure that you get tested before and during treatment so that if you do get pregnant, there’s no danger to your health or that of your baby.

5) Go Beyond Medications

When preparing to do IVF (in vitro fertilization), you may assume that your best option is to schedule an appointment at an IVF center in Indore and get started on medications immediately. While it’s true that medications are often an important part of any fertility treatment, there are many other factors which can have a significant impact on your success like proper diet, meditation, etc.

Final Thoughts:

Although fertility treatments have advanced rapidly over recent years, there’s still no magic bullet when it comes to making IVF successful. If you’re thinking about trying it out, it’s a good idea to visit a fertility clinic in Indore who has experience dealing with fertility issues. Don’t give up hope just yet!

[desperate-entwives]

an example of folklore from the transitional period

memori week day four: angst

There's significant lore surrounding the original settlers in the fourth era, but the story of the man in the woods has produced a particular sense of cultural interest.

Considering the largely oral tradition of the beginning of this era, it's hard to separate fact from fiction. In some stories, the man in question comes from the second-era station that spent a century in orbit, and this idea appears more consistently than the other proposed origins (that he came from the secured colony in Mt. Regal, then referred to as Mount Weather; that he was one of the prisoners in  cryogenic freeze on the Egilius, etc). In any case, it is certain that he didn’t come from any of the third-era tribes.

The story really belongs to two people; perhaps it belongs even more to the woman, even if the details of her shorter life are less well-known. It seems agreed-upon that she hailed from the tribes that evolved on the radiation-soaked planet during the third era; in many variations, she has a mutated hand. In some, she is missing a hand entirely.

Widely-rumored to be the era’s first marriage, their joining was considered to be of particular significance because it represented the merging of two cultures in a time when cultural interaction was tense. Their time together was relatively brief; all variations of their story conclude with their building a house in the woods near what is now East Polis sometime shortly after the start of the fourth era. You may recall that the beginning of that era involved an intense wave of tribalism– partly as a remnant from the groups that had evolved during the past century, partly due to conflict over the only fertile area of land in North America.

The woman passed away in childbirth shortly after the beginning of the half-century of peace. The man, it is rumored, stayed in the woods, refusing to partake in the development of the newly peaceful society and leaving his daughter to be raised by former companions due to the painful association of her presence. But he appeared again when tensions between groups recurred, breaking the decades of calm.

After the fifty years of peace, conflicts were reignited by the assassination of Chancellor Griffin, widely-believed to have been conducted by a descendant of the genetically-modified warriors from the Egilius. The man, though elderly at this point, is said to have fought in the ensuing battles due to loyalty to the late Griffin’s husband, the figure who most likely raised the man’s daughter.

The most widely-known part of this story occurs in the midst of the third battle of this particular conflict; historical tradition recounts that, as the man was under fire, a strange, invisible shield manifested between his body and the oncoming bullets, halting them before he could be killed. Shield technology had not yet been developed at that point in history; onlookers resorted to assumptions of supernatural interference. It is said that the bullets wavered, clenched in an invisible fist.

After this event, the man moved back into the house in the woods. He was visited by his estranged daughter in the years to come who often claimed that he spent much of his old age walking between the house and a nearby cave, talking to no one. It is likely that these conversations were the result of dementia, but in the stories that have been handed down, his daughter seems to have heard her mother’s name more than once.  

His death was enviable compared to many of his contemporaries; gentle, due to old age and slow sickness. There are no versions of the story in which he dies alone. In some of them, he is with the aforementioned husband of Griffin; in some, he is with his daughter.

Notably, in the most well-known variation of the story, he passes away with his hand stretched out– as though responding to someone asking him to follow.

[mikkeneko]

Copied this post from Facebook, original source here.

I want to share, particularly because of the way he explains things. As a veteran and a gun owner, he knows much more about guns than I do. Hopefully his arguments and information can help any of my friends trying to sway people on gun control laws.

“Completely agree with the sentiment here, Mom. However, in order to make educated arguments for gun control, it's important to actually know what you're proposing and use the right language. Otherwise, you'll just get completely shut down as "not knowing anything about guns" to people you're trying to convince. And if you don't know anything about guns, you can't really advocate for responsible gun policy.

AR15s are not the problem alone. Yes, it's the most popular military-style rifle, and it is designed to kill people effectively. But banning one model of weapon will just make people switch to other, equally effective killing machines. If you banned the Toyota Camry, would people stop buying midsize sedans? No, you'd just end up with more Honda Accords on the road. If you want to fix the problem, you have to ban all semi-automatic rifles. Semi-automatic means the weapon is loaded with a magazine (or belt in some cases) with multiple rounds; and for every trigger squeeze, one bullet is discharged. There is no real need for these weapons in civilian use. They aren't necessary for hunting, where the point is to kill the animal with one shot. It is only useful for killing a lot of things in a short amount of time or having fun at a gun range. I think our children's lives are more important than a fraction of the population's fun shooting a bunch of rounds quickly at a range. They'll cope.

Handguns are far more responsible for gun deaths in America than semi-auto rifles. You mentioned the kid who brought a gun to school as only having a "handgun, not a semi-automatic." Well, almost all handguns are semi-automatic. They have magazines and one bullet per trigger squeeze. Though most handgun rounds aren't as deadly as rifle rounds, it's inconsequential at short range. And handguns are far easier to conceal than a rifle. With the exception of maybe revolvers (which have 5-6 round max before reloading), I believe handguns should be outlawed. The Virginia Tech massacre, the most deadly school shooting in American history, was accomplished with handguns only. Don't underestimate their lethality. I think military style rifles only account for about 2% of gun deaths each year. If you want to solve the problem, semi-auto handguns have to go, as well.

If we really want to make a difference in gun deaths, we need to do WAY more than universal background checks and better mental health screening. Banning all semi-automatic weapons would make that difference. Keeping shotguns, revolvers, and bolt-action rifles legal accomplish all the typical, common uses of guns. (Bolt-action rifles are typical hunting rifles that you have to reload between shots.) With these types of firearms legal, you can still hunt, defend your home, and compete in sport shooting.

Combine the following with the semi-auto ban.

Government buy-back program of all semi-automatic weapons. Once a grace period for turn-ins ends, possession will be a felony without a special (and rare) license for Federally approved dealers and collectors.

Gun licenses for all who want to continue to own approved firearms. Licenses will be granted by completing a comprehensive background check, psych evaluation, safety training, marksmanship training, and meeting strict storage requirements. Storage requirements would include safes, weapons unloaded, with ammo stored separately. Licenses expire after a certain number of years and all the requirements must be completed again for license renewal. 

Registration of all firearms.

Insurance for all firearms. If your gun is used in a crime or if there's a accident with your gun, your insurance company is liable for damages. Let the insurance market set rates based on their analysis of risk. Then, people can decide if it's financially worth it to own a gun. 

Finally, here's your counterarguments for the most common pro-gun arguments:

Pro-gun argument - assault weapons aren't an actual thing. Banning them won't make a difference.

Counterargument - none. This is true. Classifying a gun as an "assault weapon" is something people who know nothing about guns do. Having a bayonet stud (a place to mount a bayonet) used to be one way to classify a gun as an assault weapon. Last I checked, we don't have a bayonet problem in this country. Talk about banning semi-auto guns instead of made-up things like "assault weapons."

Pro-gun argument - 2nd Amendment guarantees my right to bear arms!

Counterargument - sure, it does, but there can be limitations. And in case anyone needs a history lesson, the individual right to bear arms has only existed since 2008. From the adoption of the Constitution until the DC v. Heller decision in 2008, the 2nd Amendment had never been interpreted to mean private citizens have a right to own guns. (Thanks, Scalia.) But that decision is now the law of the land and precedent for future court decisions. Nevertheless, even in Scalia's majority opinion, he asserts that there are limitations to the 2nd Amendment. Weapons allowed should be those in common use at the time. And limitations should be made on "dangerous and unusual" weapons, per previous precedent in United States v. Miller. I argue that semi-auto firearms should now be considered "dangerous and unusual," given their lethality. 

Pro-gun argument - if law-abiding citizens get rid of their guns, criminals won't follow the law, and we'll be in more danger. 

Counterargument - this is an argument against having laws. Since criminals don't follow the law, there should be no limits on anything. Also, when we do outlaw things, it can work. Purchases of large quantities of ammonium nitrate fertilizer was restricted after the Oklahoma City bombing, and there hasn't been a similar bombing since. We outlawed fully automatic weapons, grenades, rocket launchers, etc. in the 20th century, and what has happened? We don't see violence with those types of weapons. Most weapons used to commit crimes are purchased lawfully. If we change the laws, it will work to reduce gun deaths.

Pro-gun argument - if we ban guns, people will just use knives or baseball bats

Counterargument - there are plenty of incidents around the world of mass stabbings or clubbings, etc. Show me one that is as lethal as a mass shooting. 

Pro-gun argument - we need armed security guards in every school

Counterargument - do you trust the security guard won't become a mass shooter? The Texas church shooter was an Air Force veteran. The Pulse nightclub shooter was a security guard. Further, it's relatively easy to get the drop on a security guard. Shoot him first when he's not expecting, then keep going. That's what the Pulse nightclub shooter did. It's not difficult if you draw first. Columbine had armed security, too. Adding more guns to schools adds more risk, it doesn't reduce it. 

Pro-gun argument - it's a mental health issue, not a gun issue *or* guns don't kill people, people kill people

Counterargument - The United States has the same rates of mental illness as other developed Western countries, but we're the only ones with this type of violence. The mentally ill are actually less likely to commit crime than those who aren't mentally ill, which many find surprising. Also, those who are mentally ill are more likely to become the victim of a crime than those who don't have mental illness. It's a common refrain to hear "anyone who would do that must be crazy." That's not true. Being a murderer doesn't actually mean you are mentally ill, which is why you hardly ever see successful insanity defenses in trials. And if "people kill people," then we really should stop giving all these people guns, right? We don't allow private F-22s or nuclear weapons, do we? Why? Because people would use them to kill other people. People use people-killing machines to kill people. Go figure. 

Pro-gun argument - We, as a society, have turned our backs on God. This is why crime is getting worse. We need God/Jesus to heal people's hearts, not get rid of law-abiding citizens' guns.

Counterargument - Crime has actually decreased overall in recent decades. Things are getting better, not worse. Murder rates and violent crime overall have trended down as we've advanced as a society. Mass shootings have remained steady, though, because angry people have easy access to guns. 

Pro-gun argument - we need guns to fight against the government in case it becomes tyrannical. 

Counterargument - I doubt semi-automatic weapons will defeat a tyrannical government with fighter jets, bombers, tanks, artillery, drones, advanced cyber capabilities, and nuclear weapons. 

Pro-gun argument - gun registrations will make it easier for the government to disarm us

Counterargument - The registration is necessary to keep track of deadly weapons in case they are used in a crime, or in case a law-abiding citizen commits a crime that revokes their right to guns. There's over 300 million privately owned guns in America. If the government wanted to take everyone's guns, they'd do it the same way they would if there wasn't a registry: by going door to door and searching everyone. 

I truly believe we need to do far more than anything advocated by most mainstream gun control organizations like Everytown and Moms Demand Action. We need to follow the lead of countries like the UK, Australia, and Canada. They've figured it out. Why can't we?”

[quakerjoe]

Facebook post made by Callista Kline on February 16, 2018 at 6:05 pm

My brother’s response to my mom’s email about the recent shooting. I want to share, particularly because of the way he explains things. As a veteran and a gun owner, he knows much more about guns than I do. Hopefully his arguments and information can help any of my friends trying to sway people on gun control laws.

“Completely agree with the sentiment here, Mom. However, in order to make educated arguments for gun control, it’s important to actually know what you’re proposing and use the right language. Otherwise, you’ll just get completely shut down as “not knowing anything about guns” to people you’re trying to convince. And if you don’t know anything about guns, you can’t really advocate for responsible gun policy.

AR15s are not the problem alone. Yes, it’s the most popular military-style rifle, and it is designed to kill people effectively. But banning one model of weapon will just make people switch to other, equally effective killing machines. If you banned the Toyota Camry, would people stop buying midsize sedans? No, you’d just end up with more Honda Accords on the road. If you want to fix the problem, you have to ban all semi-automatic rifles. Semi-automatic means the weapon is loaded with a magazine (or belt in some cases) with multiple rounds; and for every trigger squeeze, one bullet is discharged. There is no real need for these weapons in civilian use. They aren’t necessary for hunting, where the point is to kill the animal with one shot. It is only useful for killing a lot of things in a short amount of time or having fun at a gun range. I think our children’s lives are more important than a fraction of the population’s fun shooting a bunch of rounds quickly at a range. They’ll cope.

Handguns are far more responsible for gun deaths in America than semi-auto rifles. You mentioned the kid who brought a gun to school as only having a “handgun, not a semi-automatic.” Well, almost all handguns are semi-automatic. They have magazines and one bullet per trigger squeeze. Though most handgun rounds aren’t as deadly as rifle rounds, it’s inconsequential at short range. And handguns are far easier to conceal than a rifle. With the exception of maybe revolvers (which have 5-6 rounds max before reloading), I believe handguns should be outlawed. The Virginia Tech massacre, the most deadly school shooting in American history, was accomplished with handguns only. Don’t underestimate their lethality. I think military-style rifles only account for about 2% of gun deaths each year. If you want to solve the problem, semi-auto handguns have to go, as well.

If we really want to make a difference in gun deaths, we have to do WAY more than universal background checks and better mental health screening. Banning all semi-automatic weapons would make that difference. Keeping shotguns, revolvers, and bolt-action rifles legal accomplish all the typical, common uses of guns. (Bolt-action rifles are typical hunting rifles that you have to reload between shots.) With these types of firearms legal, you can still hunt, defend your home, and compete in sport shooting.

Combine the following with the semi-auto ban.

1.       Government buy back program of all semi-automatic weapons. Once a grace period for turn-ins ends, possession will be a felony without a special (and rare) license for Federally approved dealers and collectors.

2.       Gun licenses for all who want to continue to own approved firearms. Licenses will be granted by completing a comprehensive background check, psych evaluation, safety training, marksmanship training, and meeting strict storage requirements.

3.       Storage requirements would include safes, weapons unloaded, with ammo stored separately. Licenses expire after a certain number of years and all the requirements must be completed again for license renewal.

4.       Registration of all firearms.

5.       Insurance for all firearms. If your gun is used in a crime or if there’s a accident with your gun, your insurance company is liable for damages. Let the insurance market set rates based on their analysis of risk. Then, people can decide if it’s financially worth it to own a gun.

Finally, here’s your counterarguments for the most common pro-gun arguments:

A.      Pro-gun argument – assault weapons aren’t an actual thing. Banning them won’t make a difference. Counterargument – none. This is true. Classifying a gun as an “assault weapon” is something people who know nothing about guns do. Having a bayonet stud (a place to mount a bayonet) used to be one way to classify a gun as an assault weapon. Last I checked, we don’t have a bayonet problem in this country. Talk about banning semi-auto guns instead of made up things like “assault weapons.”

B.      Pro-gun argument – 2nd Amendment guarantees my right to bear arms! Counterargument – sure, it does, but there can be limitations. And in case anyone needs a history lesson, the individual right to bear arms has only existed since 2008. From the adoption of the Constitution until the DC v. Heller decision in 2008, the 2nd Amendment had never been interpreted to mean private citizens have a right to own guns. (Thanks, Scalia.) But that decision is now the law of the land and precedent for future court decisions. Nevertheless, even in Scalia’s majority opinion, he asserts that there are limits to the 2nd Amendment. Weapons allowed should be those in common use at the time. And limitations should be made on “dangerous and unusual” weapons, per previous precedent in United States v. Miller. I argue that semi-auto firearms should now be considered “dangerous and unusual,” given their lethality.

C.      Pro-gun argument – if law-abiding citizens get rid of their guns, criminals won’t follow the law, and we’ll be in more danger. Counterargument – this is an argument against having laws. Since criminals don’t follow the law, there should be no limits on anything. Also, when we do outlaw things, it can work. Purchases of large quantities of ammonium nitrate fertilizer was restricted after the Oklahoma City bombing, and there hasn’t been a similar bombing since. We outlawed fully automatic weapons, grenades, rocket launchers, etc. in the 20th century, and what has happened? We don’t see violence with those types of weapons. Most weapons used to commit crimes are purchased lawfully. If we change the laws, it will work to reduce gun deaths.

D.      Pro-gun argument – if we ban guns, people will just use knives or baseball bats Counterargument – there are plenty of incidents around the world of mass stabbings or clubbings, etc. Show me one that is as lethal as a mass shooting.

E.       Pro-gun argument – we need armed security guards in every school Counterargument – do you trust the security guard won’t become a mass shooter? The Texas church shooter was an Air Force veteran. The Pulse nightclub shooter was a security guard. Further, it’s relatively easy to get the drop on a security guard. Shoot him first when he’s not expecting, then keep going. That’s what the Pulse nightclub shooter did. It’s not difficult if you draw first. Columbine had armed security, too. Adding more guns to schools adds more risk, it doesn’t reduce it.

F.       Pro-gun argument – it’s a mental health issue, not a gun issue *or* guns don’t kill people, people kill people Counterargument – The United States has the same rates of mental illness as other developed Western countries, but we’re the only ones with this type of violence. The mentally ill are actually less likely to commit crime than those who aren’t mentally ill, which many find surprising. Also, those who are mentally ill are more likely to become the victim of a crime than those who don’t have mental illness. It’s a common refrain to hear “anyone who would do that must be crazy.” That’s not true. Being a murderer doesn’t actually mean you are mentally ill, which is why you hardly ever see successful insanity defenses in trials. And if “people kill people,” then we really should stop giving all these people guns, right? We don’t allow private F-22s or nuclear weapons, do we? Why? Because people would use them to kill other people. People use people-killing machines to kill people. Go figure.

G.      Pro-gun argument – We, as a society, have turned our backs on God. This is why crime is getting worse. We need God/Jesus to heal people’s hearts, not get rid of law-abiding citizens’ guns. Counterargument – Crime has actually decreased overall in recent decades. Things are getting better, not worse. Murder rates and violent crime overall have trended down as we’ve advanced as a society. Mass shootings have remained steady, though, because angry people have easy access to guns.

H.      Pro-gun argument – we need guns to fight against the government in case it becomes tyrannical. Counterargument – I doubt semi-automatic weapons will defeat a tyrannical government with fighter jets, bombers, tanks, artillery, drones, advanced cyber capabilities, and nuclear weapons.

I.         Pro-gun argument – gun registrations will make it easier for the government to disarm us Counterargument – The registration is necessary to keep track of deadly weapons in case they are used in a crime, or in case a law-abiding citizen commits a crime that revokes their right to guns. There’s over 300 million privately owned guns in America. If the government wanted to take everyone’s guns, they’d do it the same way they would if there wasn’t a registry: by going door to door and searching everyone.

I truly believe we need to do far more than anything advocated by most mainstream gun control organizations like Everytown and Moms Demand Action. We need to follow the lead of countries like the UK, Australia, and Canada. They’ve figured it out. Why can’t we?

[ladywithoutababy]

IVF Transfer #1: 41 weeks pregnant

Did you know you can be 10 months pregnant? How about 10 and a half? Because for first time babies, the average length of pregnancy is 41 weeks and 3 days. (We did not know this.)

Logically, I know how averages work, and that I should have been prepared to have my baby at 41 weeks and 3 days, or even later. Emotionally, I’ve been having a breakdown in slow motion since we passed our “due date” (absolute bs) a week ago.

Here’s what it’s like to be 41 weeks pregnant:

I’d always heard that people who go past their due date think the baby is never going to arrive, and didn’t understand why that would be your reaction. But now, as with so many fertility/pregnancy tropes, I get it. It’s not like a hyperbolic expression (”this baby’s never going to come out lol”) – I’ve literally been starting to fear that this is an indication that something is wrong, or that there never was a baby in there in the first place, and that after all this I won’t get to have a baby after all. I know this is irrational. I don’t know how to convince my brain that it’s irrational. I wonder if this is common for people who’ve gone through infertility. I feel totally insane.

I’m already two weeks into my maternity leave because I was terrified of not being ready in case the baby came early (ha). I'm anxious and bored because I can’t distract myself with work, and can’t stop thinking about the leave time that I’m “wasting”. Everyone keeps telling me it’s not a waste and I should enjoy this time and when the baby’s here I’ll wish I could go back in time to when I had nothing to do, but that’s like when you’re in college and grownups keep telling you to enjoy it because after college you have to be an adult – doesn’t really work in the moment, does it?

Speaking of everyone, a big hallmark of going past your due date is every person you’ve ever met texting you on a daily basis to ask incredulously if you’re still pregnant. I know they’re trying to help (and on some level, it does help my mental state to have people checking in), but it just adds to the feeling that there’s something wrong with me and that I owe everyone an explanation for why this is taking so long.

The pelvic pain. My god. I wish I had the words to describe this. Well, I guess it feels like a large baby head is resting on my pelvis at all times. It started as discomfort maybe a month ago and has progressed into constant pain. I can’t sit comfortably, especially for long periods of time. I can’t lay on my back because then my organs get crushed. Laying on my side feels ok but then is excruciating when I have to shift positions or sit up (because it moves all that weight right back on top of my poor pelvis). My pelvic bones now click when I sit up, apparently because ligaments are loosening and they’re just rattling around in there. I know, gross. I keep telling myself this is all part of my body getting ready – it’s a good thing if my ligaments are “loose” (ew) – but see bullet #1.

My fingers are swollen, like everyone said they would be, but they also hurt; I’m not sure if this is because I’m predisposed to arthritic joint pain or if this is a normal late pregnancy thing for everyone.

I’m so mad at my husband. Just all the time. He’s trying his best (and he’s been really an angel throughout this whole pregnancy), but there’s unfortunately not a whole lot he can do to make me more comfortable or less crazy, and I think we’re both just out of patience at this point. TEN MONTHS IS SUCH A LONG TIME. 

I’ve been going into the doctor weekly since 37 or 38 weeks, and at 39 weeks they started doing a weekly non-stress test (”NST”) where they make sure the baby’s heart rate accelerates when he moves, and an ultrasound to check his size and my amniotic fluid. I think normally you don’t start doing this until 40 or 41 weeks, but because I’m “advanced maternal age” (omg 35 so old 🙄) they started early. I have my 41 week appointment today, and will have to talk to them about scheduling an induction – they don’t like you to go past 42 weeks, especially if you’re over 35. Look ladies, I don’t like to go past 42 weeks either.

I had always thought of induction as a no-brainer, like an easy out once you get tired of being pregnant, but there really don’t seem to be any of those when it comes to fertility and pregnancy. Everything has risks, so you end up constantly weighing pros and cons and never knowing if you’re making the “right” decision. Apparently if you get induced, it can mean more pain, longer labor, higher risk of bleeding, higher risk of other interventions which each carry their own risks for you and the baby, etc etc. So, while the induction is tempting because it would give me a hard date to look forward to, I’m still hoping this baby decides to show up on his own.

Yes, there are also “natural” induction methods. (Wow, you can really tell how grouchy I am by how many quotes I use in a blog post, huh?) Most of them – eating dates, drinking raspberry leaf tea, acupuncture, suppositories – don’t seem to have any real evidence that they work. And the ones that do have some (low) rate of success are incredibly unappealing. Are you ready? They are:

A membrane sweep, where your doctor “separates the membrane that surrounds your baby from the lower part of your uterus down by your cervix“. It’s painful, can lead to non-constructive contractions that just make you uncomfortable and unable to sleep, can break your water in a way that requires emergency medical intervention, and doesn’t work the majority of the time.

Sex, which everyone recommends but then immediately follows up with the caveat that you probably don’t feel like having sex, and when they were pregnant they either couldn’t bring themselves to do it, or they did it and had a horrible time (everyone I know who’s managed to do it in their final weeks of pregnancy only did it once, which should give you an idea of how fun it is). Also, this doesn’t work the majority of the time.

Nipple stimulation. I swear to god, if one more person suggests this, I’m going to... I don’t know what. But I would really like people to stop suggesting it. First of all, stop talking about my nipples. Secondly, I can’t imagine anything less annoying right now than someone stimulating my nipples. Thirdly, this doesn’t work the majority of the time. Fourthly, when it does work, it’s after stimulating nipples for TWO HOURS PER DAY.

The whole thing is really kind of funny, isn’t it.

And that’s that. I’ve been pregnant forever. I’m not complaining. I still feel very grateful to be pregnant. But it’s weird how even at this point, the actual “baby” still seems hypothetical. I hope he becomes real soon.

[amarretto-cowboy]

Once again. Everything you said was wrong. You must live in an echo chamber.

It's a federal law to have at least one abortion clinic in every state.

George Tiller getting murdered a decade ago for late term abortion is the only example of what you're talking about.

No. Gun shows don't work like that. Gun shows need to follow the same state/federal laws laws of gun stores. Armour piercing bullets are federally banned from being sold.

If you sell a firearm illegally on the street and it's used in a crime, it's your ass since it will get traced back to you if you legally owned it.

As for requirements... I and just about every other person I know who support the 2nd amendment, would prefer if gun licenses worked more like drivers licenses as I care more about the person actually taking a safety course about firearms instead of simply having longer wait periods which is what everyone seem to keep proposing which does nothing.

The NRA has actually even suggested such

Wait... So you were a victim of a crime no less than 3 times in a state where guns are practically banned (but illegally owned firearms are everywhere that's how NJ is as well as California and Illinois) and you felt safer there than in a town where crime in virtually non-existent because a guy was open carrying?

That makes literally no sense. Are you terrified of people open carrying knives, driving trucks, have fertilizer, etc just because?

Ever think the reason why there was no crime in that town is actually because of open carry? How dumb does a criminal have to be to try and mug someone who is armed?

I really suggest that you look away from the MIC, Vox, Salon, Jezebel, Refinery, etc articles for a awhile. I know it did wonders for me.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #81

“maybe i’m a misfit, maybe i’m different, it will never be an average existence.”

how does alcohol affect you?   i flush, i get talkative, and very silly. have you ever inhaled helium?   no. what is your favorite kind of pasta?   spaghetti with lots of sauce and meatballs. ;3; what are you hungry for right now, if anything?   food? do you ever get eczema?   rarely. are you a fidgety sort of person?   yep have you ever mowed a lawn?   no. do you enjoy corn on the cob?   yum! in your opinion, what’s the ideal age to start having children?   mid 20s.  your body is prepared and at a pretty fertile point, and usually, you're at a mature enough mentality by this age. are you a seafood person?   noooo. have you ever dated someone with an accent different than yours?   no. have you ever worked two jobs at once?   hell no.  i'd never manage. who does most of the housework around your house?   my mom, bless her. how many glasses of water do you drink a day?   none. what brand is your desktop or laptop?   sager have you ever lived on a university campus?   nope. have you ever shaved your face?   no. do you get motion sickness?   i do not. are there any mountains nearby where you live?   no. does sitting in waiting rooms drive you insane?   YEP.  YEAH.  YES.  INDEED.  I'M IMPATIENT /AS FUCK/ do you ever put sticky notes around the place to remind yourself of things?   no. do you like jalapenos?   MMMMMMMMMM OBBY your name?   brittany would you like to visit venice?   ABSOLUTELY! did you ever eat leaves when you were a kid?   no? o-o are there any ‘keep off the grass’ signs where you live?   nope. have you ever walked on the grass with such a sign?   no, i have respect. do you like kiwis?   yaaaaas!! have you ever experienced an earthquake?   nope. has anyone ever tried stealing your boyfriend/girlfriend away?   yep.  little bitch failed. (: do you like your phone?   not particularly. would you rather drink orange juice or milk?   milk have you ever slept in the same bed of the opposite sex?   yes. do you like condoms?   never used one ever been to a bar?   no. how old were you when you lost your virginity?   i'm 21 and still haven't what is something you DON’T like about the person you like?   he doesn't support/believe in me. do you look good in red lipstick?   i think so. are you good at editing pictures?   i think so.  kinda have to be when you're a photographer. where did you last go swimming?   colleen's, i think. are you one of those people that post EVERYTHING you are doing on facebook?   no.  i barely post ANYTHING unique to me on facebook.  i usually just share things i find really funny or very important/influential. are you any good at public speaking?   NO NO NO 1,000 TIMES NO who did you last see in concert?   alice cooper how many days a week would you say you take a nap?   idk nowadays since we're in the middle of moving.  things are hectic. what is the first thing you do when you get on the computer?   i open up facebook. what do you mainly watch on youtube?   good mythical morning or let's plays, usually by markiplier. do you sing in the shower?   veeery rarely.  i don't sing much. what do people most pick on you about?   i'm rather dependent on the internet and i don't socialize a lot. if you were a professional sports player, what sport would it be?   dance would you rather go to the mountains or the beach?   mountains! if you could live anywhere, where would it be?   utah, probably. is napoleon dynamite actually a good movie?   i honestly like it.  it's awkwardly funny. how many pair of flip flops do you own?   two, i think. ever been to rehab/jail?   no sir. highest level of school completed?   some college where do you keep your birth certificate?   in a locked safe. could you handle being in the military?   NOOOOOOOOOOOPE have you ever had a bad concert experience?   nope! when was the last time someone told you that you were beautiful/good-looking? do people often tell you this?   tyler yesterday, and no. can you handle blood?   yeah, blood's fine. what is your opinion on canada?   pretty place. what movie can you watch over and over and never get bored?   oh my goooosh, "white chicks" when eating something are you more concerned with taste or nutrition?   taste. do you tend to act paranoid around people you don’t know?   YEP have a good singing voice, or would you rather not sing?   naaah, my voice isn't that steady. do you want to go to pregnancy classes?   you mean, whenever i am pregnant?  no.  one, i don't particularly want to deal with an estrogen ocean, and two, my mother knows like.  everything about this stuff.  might as well just ask her. do you ever cringe at the thought of living in a disgusting house?   YEAH.  I AM HONESTLY HORRIFIED OF EVER GETTING TO THE POINT OF NOT CARING FOR MY HOUSE OH MY GOD. what do you doodle on your papers?   usually meerkats. have you ever cut someone else’s hair?   no do you have a wild imagination?   i honestly think so. do you own a wok?   no. do you like going to weddings?   no.  i get triggered. what type of ice cream is your favorite?   vanilla how many long term relationships have you been in?   one. what job do you think deserves to be paid higher?   TEACHERS what do you think about abortion?   it's fucking modern day child sacrifice.  you're killing children to satisfy the desires of another person.  that.  is.  murder. have you read shiloh?   yesss, i loved those books and the movies!!! do you go to church every sunday?   no. have you ever fell for a player, even though you KNEW he was a player?   nope. do you know any guys with their nipples pierced?   no. favorite beatles song?   not a big fan, but "hey, jude" have you ever seen a tornado?   no, thank god. what’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever cried about?   HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA- do you like peanut butter?   yeah!! own a lava lamp?   no, i wish. ever faked an orgasm?   nope. what scars on your body do you have?   two on my chin from passing out onto it, and one long one on my left shin from scratching the shit out of it. ever did something sexual in public?   only a very simple kiss, never even making out. do you like the taste of squid or eel?   never tried it, NEVER will. ever date anybody in middle school?   psh, for like a month, i barely woulda even called it "dating." did you like to get dirty when you were little?   to a degree. own anything that has to do with dragons or unicorns?   dragons, yeah. believe in mermaids/mermen?   no.  watched an interesting documentary about them once, though.  thought it was quite interesting.  supposedly, even if they did exist, they'd have to live in the deep ocean and be morbidly obese to survive. how many times have you snuck out of the house?   never. ever wanted to be a vet?   once upon a time. ever centered your life around a person?   yeah, and it ruined me. are you doing anything else on the computer while you do this?   i'm listening to good mythical morning.  oh my gosh guys, i'm a month behind from the hospital visit, living with colleen, etc... i've missed my boys so much. :') ever written your number in a public bathroom or a school text book? if so, did anyone actually call you?   nope. how many of your friends are from california?   i don't think i have any, even online. do you go tanning?   nope. ever been horseback riding?   no. :c ever done oral? with how many people?   yeah, with one person. did you know you can get stds from doing that?   as an adult i know that, but honestly, never knew that back in the family life/sex ed days.  cooper's sex ed was HORRIBLE.  we barely learned anything other than vast information about hiv/aids. if you’re a girl, do you wear sports bras or padded bras?   neither sports or padded.  they're just... normal? how many brothers does your father have?   none what’s the nicest meal you’ve ever eaten?   oh my god, this steak at miss randi's wedding.  it was HEAVENLY. have you ever slept on the floor with someone you like?   on a palette, yes. which do you prefer: french toast, bagels, or cereal?   french toast do you prefer light or dark haired?   dark do you want to cut your hair?   it needs a trimming is it okay if you kiss people when you’re single?   no.  if you're not even dating, you don't need to be that serious. do you only wish the best for your ex?   ... in certain ways. do you think that once people get married, they eventually fall “out of love”?   no, that's fucking stupid. if you found out you were pregnant who would you tell first?   my mom, probably. what are your chances of getting with your crush?   he's more than a crush, but literally none. name a band you’d like to see live?   oh my GOSH, metallica. who’s your best friend/s?   don't think i really have one anymore. how many times have you been on a plane?   twice.  one occasion i don't remember; i was too young. what’s your opinion of root beer?   yucky. ;~; is there anyone you would take a bullet for?   jason and my mom. which of the seven deadly sins do you commit the most?   sloth who’s your celebrity crush?   link neal oh god right now, what’s your dream career?   professional wildlife photographer did you have a furby when you were younger?   i did what part of your body are you self-conscious about?   my stomach would you rather carve pumpkins or wrap presents?   carve pumpkins favorite kind of candy?   hm.  sour punch straws, maybe. have you been diagnosed with any mental disorders?   yes: chronic depression, chronic anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bipolarity ii.  HOWEVER, i think i have more than just bipolarity; i am 100% convinced i have borderline personality disorder. which branch of science do you find the most interesting?   biology, probably.  genetics. if you were given the chance to be immortal, would you take it?   nope. were you a planned baby?   i think so. were your parents married when you were born?   yes. which parent do you get along with best?   mom, i guess. do you have step-parents?   my dad's remarried, but i don't call her "mom" or anything. are you scared of growing up old alone?   it's my #1 fear.  i am horrified of it. do you like walking in the rain?   NO.  i HATE being wet with clothes on. what is your favorite dessert?   donuts or vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup has anyone ever been in love with you?   i... like to think jason was. are you afraid of falling in love?   i'm afraid of doing it again, yes.  the first time just about killed me, so w/e. do you judge other people by the bands they like?   no, that's ridiculous. have you been to an emergency room in the past three months?   yes. would you rather be blind or deaf?   blind do you want an ex back?   yes. when people sneeze do you say ‘bless you’?   yeah. have you ever thought about getting your nose pierced?   it was pierced for years, but then the fucking hole closed when i had to take it out due to hospitalization. e_e can you trust most people?   nope. has anyone hurt or betrayed you recently?   yup. do you expect to be married in the next two years?   definitely not. is there anyone you would seriously punch right now if you had the chance?   if i knew it would go unpunished, honestly, yeah. name the person that has honestly hurt you the most in life?  jason. how many times have you checked up on your ex?   more times than i care to admit.  i can't anymore, though.  he has me blocked on facebook and i don't have his phone number or anything. your bf/gf wants to buy you a present… what should they buy?   if i actually had a boyfriend, something with meerkats. ever known anyone who could “see right through” you?   jason was the only one.  he was so special. would it scare you to know someone could read your mind?   YUP have you ever broken a couple up?   i honestly feel like i was partially responsible.  i've told ya'll about the situation with this kid joel when i was like 12, and he broke up with my best friend of the time because he wanted me. ever kissed someone who was in a relationship?   no. what do you think of friends with benefits?   it's foolish do you like mushrooms?   no no no no are you allergic to cats?   debatable.  idk. do you put clothes on your animals?   no. do you like cheese?   only american what’s your favorite television show?   "fullmetal alchemist" have you ever babysat?   once is it possible to be “just friends” with someone you had feelings for?   if your feelings were/are genuine, hell no. what’s your second favorite color?   pink have you ever been involved in an affair?   no. do you refuse to use public toilets?   99% of the time, yes. where is your favorite place to get fries?   bojangle's!!! what is your favorite gaming console?   ps2 have you ever been to a baby shower?   more than once. are you currently in a relationship? if so, do you think it will last?   as of yesterday actually, yes.  do i think it'll last, i don't know. how many romantic relationships have you been in so far?   only one.  who knows if the one i'm in now will get there. have you ever been camping in the wilderness?   no, just in my front yard lol. do you have gluten intolerance or anyone who does?   my former best friend supposedly does. have you ever cried while watching a movie?   yeah. have you ever had a migraine?   yep. do you have a gym membership?   no. have you ever fainted?   yes. would you consider yourself very flexible?   not very anymore, nah. do you embarrass easily?   VERY VERY VERY OH MY GOD SO MUCH have you ever been banned from anywhere?   i don't think so. are any of your siblings married?   only my older, immediate sister.  my half-sister tiffany that i have nothing to do with, idk if she is. who was the last person to spend the night with you at your house?   chelsea do you have a hard time making decisions?   i am the literal Worst. who was your date to senior prom?   jason. does your dad smoke?   yes. is your mom over 50?   yes. do you want to get married?   yeah. have kids?   i... don't know if i want any anymore. do you have any plans to get a new tattoo or piercing?   i do. does anyone call you babe?   tyler does.  i'm not comfortable enough with him yet to say i don't like it, though. do you have a debit card?   no. why did you stop working at the last place you were employed?   my anxiety was too bad.  to the point i was vomiting every day when there. do you believe in saving sex for marriage?   i guess so.  i'm doing it now in my new relationship.  if jason had to wait and never got it, then so does he. do you think the drinking age in the usa should be lowered to 18?   no. do you believe most people are good people deep down?   most, yes. who do you look more like, your dad or your mom?   i've heard both. what is the nearest big city to you?   raleigh do your parents have facebook accounts?   mom does. does/did either of your parents serve in the military?   no do you like sour candy?   more like love.