#happy monkful Wednesday everyone

[phishtoast]

Monk emote!

[afoxofcosmicproportions]

The Journey is Complete

After 9 months, and almost 94 hrs of gameplay, the campaign finally comes to a close. The story is completed, the world is saved, and our characters may finally rest.

I started this co-op Baldur's Gate 3 run this past February with a good friend of mine, and together we set out to save Faerûn one Wednesday night at a time.

Words cannot describe how happy I am to have finally completed this campaign! We've already decided we want to do another run, but this time maybe we don't play the heroes everyone wants us to be....

Ardere Noctem (My Paladin) and Goel Steelbone) (His Monk), may you both get the rest and life you deserve after all the pain of this campaign. You've earned it my friends!

[zmediaoutlet]

happy wincest wednesday and happy 2023! reverse uno: what are your favorite ways for john to find out dean and sam are fucking in a universe where dean and john are ALSO fucking?

woooooo wincest wednesday uno games and everyone's a winner --

Except John, lol.

You know, all my wincest fic and all my Dean/John fic and all the Full House of Wincest I've done, and somehow I don't think I've ever written that scenario? How tf did that happen?

Part of it may be that I haaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAATE fics where John's even vaguely a shipper on deck -- even where he's like 'ah, Sam and Dean are too obsessed with each other but That's For The Best bc Thin Hunting-Related Justification' just never vibe quite right with me. I have very narrow parentheses in which I find John believable. (What a surprise, a hard canon stance from ol' z.)

But -- a John who's been fucking Dean doesn't have too much of a leg to stand on, does he. Except: he does, of course he does, he's the god-patriarch and his word goes. It depends, of course, on the type of Dean/John that's been going on, but I'll go with my version because it's mine and I like it best, haha: a largely unspoken helpmeet scenario, where it's just part of the overarching need Dean has for his dad's love and attention and calm and happiness, and where John knows that he's using Dean and knows that even if Dean loves it he's still ruining his son and, this is key, John chooses to keep doing it anyway because that's who John is, as a person. Dean the extension of his arm and the step under his boot and something beloved but also something useful and ignorable until it is time to use it. Not size-72 font obviously awful abusive but -- well. Canon levels of abuse, let's go with that.

SO given that: let's call it a wincest scenario where Sam's in his mid-late teens and wants to take up with Dean. Did he know about D/John, or suspect? My favorite version of weecest + dadcest is actually for Sam to be kind of oblivious about it, as he was oblivious to a lot of key things in his teens (as you gestured to a little in your answer) -- he wants Dean and his attention and his love but he's also a very strong-willed teenager and so he also just wants to get his rocks off and knows that Dean's willing, whenever they crack past that barrier. And Dean, already with that door blown open inside himself, can't help it -- because after all he knows he's good at this, and he knows that it does make people closer, and he loves Sam and wants Sam to be calm and happy too, and isn't it just -- easier? He'll leave John on a hunt well-drained and focused and come home to Sam all bitchy and missing him and saying stuff like he shouldn't make you hunt, you should be in school, and Dean sighs and he could argue but he could also thumb Sam's hip, and Sam'd shut up all big-eyed and hopeful and going, oh, can we -- and Dean can say something like, yeah, and missed you, Sammy, which is only true, after all. And it's good, and when Sam's snoring on the fold out couch Dean can shower and carefully thumb two loads out of himself and then call John and say how's the job, Dad? and not really -- think about it. It's just taking care of things, like he always does.

SO, given that: it's easy to have John walk in on them -- a hunt finished early, they're wrapped up in each other; it's easy to have a demon tell him, and he doesn't believe it but then he's been hearing a lot of stuff about his boys from demons, and they lie but also blah blah. I prefer small and undramatic, though, so what if instead it's that one day John's home and he's actually slept well for once and he's not hungover and he's just going through the paper at the table, and Dean's cleaning the guns like he's supposed to and Sam's doing homework like he's supposed to and John, not being an idiot or a monk, just -- picks up on a vibe. A look Sam gives Dean. A smile from Dean to Sam that John's had aimed at himself, in key moments, and he just -- knows, the way that sometimes you know things, and he's sitting there with the paper and his hands turn to fists.

He's NOT a shipper on deck. He's NOT thinking 'oh, The Things I Have Done To My Family, O Woe But Unforch That's The Way It Is.' I think he's not thinking at all, in the way that we can ignore deep horrors if we have to, and he closes the paper, and he says he's going out, and he takes Sam with him because -- he's the dad, he gets to -- and Sam's sullen in the passenger seat as they head to the gun store or to buy salt or whatever errand John's operational-matters mind invents, and they barely talk but John watches Sam as they go through the chores and gears are turning and he --

stops fucking Dean. Stops talking much to them at all, for a while. Takes jobs and sends Dean on jobs and makes Sam help. Work, and work, and work, and when they're alone once Dean's not being subtle about trying not to look at John, because he doesn't know what he did wrong but he must've done something wrong, and John can't say, and he knows it's hurting Dean but then again when has he ever not done something he thought was necessary because it might have hurt Dean? And Dean heals because that's also what Dean always does, but there's a crooked spot where the bone broke, and later when John's dead and Sam holds Dean on a night after and kisses his cheekbone, careful, not sure what's okay now that everything's even more fucked up, Dean keeps his eyes open on the ceiling and sees ghosts of older days.

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Love For A Lifetime: Friendship

"…This is my beloved and this is my friend…"1

Martin Luther is widely known as one of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation. After a powerful encounter with God, in which he was nearly struck by lightning, Luther became a priest and monk; taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience to God for the rest of his life. We've heard much of Martin Luther the theologian, but very little attention is given to Martin Luther the husband. Nevertheless, his wife, Katharina, was an ever-present influence in his life and in his work.

Katharina von Bora was one of a dozen young, runaway nuns rescued by Luther that led to a most unusual friendship and marriage. These nuns had longed to marry and become mothers. Although this was an offense punishable by death, Luther helped them escape and eventually helped them either return to their families or find a husband — all except Katharina. Luther tried repeatedly to find a husband for Katharina, with no success. Being a very bold woman, she went so far as to tell Luther that if he could not find her a husband, she expected him to step up and become her husband! However, Luther had no intention of ever marrying, often saying, "…they will never thrust a wife on me!" Much to everyone's surprise, in 1525, 8 years after leaving the priesthood, the ex-monk Martin married the ex-nun Katharina. What is perhaps most curious is that their marriage did not start with love or attraction, but rather a commitment to the principles of the Bible and service to God. The couple's early years were reportedly awkward, likely because neither had spent much time in the company of the opposite sex during their life in monasteries. Even so, they were known for being brutally honest with each other, poking fun at each other, and doing so as friends. Letters between them often consisted of teasing, but it was evident that, through their years together, the Luther's built a genuine friendship.

Martin Luther suffered from many illnesses, including severe depression. Katharina, ever at his side, would hold him, pray for him, comfort him, and read scripture to him. Martin often spoke of his wife with tenderness. He wrote, "I am a happy husband and may God continue to send me happiness, from that most gracious woman, my best of wives." Luther's earlier teachings made marriage out to be a sort of necessary evil to stave off sexual temptation. But, as his loving marital friendship with Katharina grew, his perspective matured. One of my favorite statements Martin Luther made of marriage is, "The greatest gift of grace a man can have is a pious, God-fearing, home loving wife, whom he can trust with all his goods, body, and life itself, as well as having her as the mother of his children."

"Marriage is about friendship — spending time and doing life together, making memories, being a good listener, growing old and taking care of each other, being honest, having the long view of things, repenting and forgiving can be summed up in one word — friendship".2 A strong friendship is the foundation of a love for a lifetime!

Suggested Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the husband/wife you chose to bless me with. I place them and our relationship in your loving hands. Help me love him/her as you love them. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Song of Solomon 5:16 (ESV).

"Real Marriage" by Mark and Grace Driscoll, 2012.

Today's Encounter was written by: Veronica B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

ACTS International P.O. Box 73545 San Clemente, California 92673-0119 U.S.A.

Phone: 949-940-9050 http://www.actsweb.org

Copyright (c) 2016 by ACTS International.

When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[clairekreads]

The Monk by Tim Sullivan @TimJRSullivan @AriesFiction @HoZ_Books @RandomTTours #TheMonk #BlogTour #BookReview

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I’m joining the blog tour for Tim Sullivan’s latest thriller featuring DS George Cross, The Monk. Continue reading Untitled

[heynikkiyousofine]

Surprise, two chapters today! kagome begins her training, while she and Inuyasha have a chance to talk things out.

I recently finished planning out the story, so we still have quite a few more chapters coming, including the big battle and they wedding. I did say this was a happy ending fairytale right? 😉

As always, a big thank you to @keichanz and @neutronstarchild for being wonderful people and always being such an inspiration to me. have a lovely Wednesday!💕

Still not seeing the hanyou Prince at breakfast the next morning, Kagome began to feel uneasy, wondering if she really had offended him or if he was someone else in secret. Mulling in her own thoughts, she didn’t hear what Miroku was trying to explain to her.

“Princess?” His questioning voice asked.

“Hmmm? Oh! Sorry about that, I was just worried about Prince Inuyasha. He wasn’t at the last two meals….” She gazed at him, concern is her eyes.

“Ah, yes. Our Prince was called away for some business last night before dinner I believe. You shouldn’t worry, he will be back this evening.” Miroku smiled knowingly, for Inuyasha was actually in his room all morning, sulking away. Business, indeed. “Now, let’s begin. Yesterday, you put up a remarkably strong barrier, can you do that for me again?”

Nodding slightly, Kagome closed her eyes and reached into her soul, like she had been doing every time she needed to call upon her powers. Feeling the intense fire fill her soul, she opened her eyes to a sparkling pink barrier surrounding the monk and herself.

“Excellent. Now, I want to see how far you push the barrier out, keeping it strong. I would like to know how protected this barrier can become.” He stated, as if it were a cue for a weapon to fly through the air at them. Which is exactly what happened next, causing Kagome to shriek loudly, as the sword merely bounced off the glowing pink wall and clattered to the ground. “Ah, my dear Sango, you have joined us. Kagome’s barrier is very strong to have already dismantled your sword.”

“I can tell.” Sango simply stated. She stood there, a huge bone like boomerang across her shoulders, now in a black and pink leather outfit.

“Okay Kagome, we know you can block weapons as well, excellent. Are you able to use your powers in defense? Or have you used a weapon before?”

Shaking her head, “I only have a knife for cutting flowers, but have never used it like that. I would like to try my hand at something more defendable, but not so up close, if that makes sense. If my wings are out and someone is close enough to cut them off, I could use the knife to defend myself, but I don’t want that to happen.” 

Nodding in understanding, Miroku tapped his chin in thought.

“I’ve got it, I’ll be right back. Monk, behave.” Sango pipped up, looking over her shoulder as she headed towards a small building in the field they were standing in. Still in the castle walls, behind the living quarters, near the garden, Kagome was kept hidden, should she need to remove her pendant. Looking a bit embarrassed, Miroku glanced at Kagome before looking over his shoulder towards the garden. He felt the Prince’s aura and wondered if she could as well.

“Princess Kagome,” he started, “can you feel others around you? Their aura per se.”

“Just Kagome is fine, helps with the whole identity thing. I can feel something, like there is some one, who is calm and curious in the garden behind us. I can feel your aura this close, you have a good soul for the most part, your wandering hand being harmless. I can feel Sango in the shed, she seems frustrated, probably looking for whatever she went in there for. Any farther than that, no.”

Looking at her in amazement, Miroku simply smiled at her. He wondered if she knew it was Inuyasha in the garden and just didn’t say or really just felt another person in vicinity. “Yesterday, when you were showing us your true, uh self, what kind of aura did the Prince have?”

Blushing, Kagome looked at her small booted feet and lavender skirt. She really wished for something less formal, but wasn’t complaining about the gorgeous gowns the queen had prepared for her this morning. “I felt something, thought I’m not sure exactly what. He as a good soul, more pure than yours, it seems.”

“Souls? You’ve mentioned this twice now. As in you can see inside one’s soul to see their intentions, good, evil and such?” He asked, astonishment clear across his face.

Nodding, still gazing at her feet, “There was something else, like a pull. I should talk to him, or get to know him better before I can say exactly what it is. My soul seemed to call towards his and I felt safe in his presence, even though his inner demon emerged, though I’m unsure why.”

“Well, my dear Kagome, I feel as if the Prince should explain that one before I can. Ah, Sango is returning. I think you’ll like this choice of weapon.” He smiled at both women. Feeling a bit confused at his statement, Kagome turned towards the approaching woman and smile ruefully. She was carrying a set of bow and arrows.

“Oh, Sango. I think this will be perfect!” She gleamed at her new friend.

Seeing her excitement and laughing along, Sango instructed her on how to use the weapon, joking that they could use Miroku as a target, noticing a certain hanyou watching from afar in the garden. 

Inuyasha couldn’t help but be drawn to her. He felt incredibly stupid and ashamed for how he acted yesterday around her, berating himself all through the night. He even waited until after she left he breakfast table to come eat, getting disapproving looks from both of his parents. He promise this mother he would apologize and talk to the new princess today. As he watched her grip the bow and arrows steadily, he wasn’t surprised. She seemed to be taking everything in stride and learning new defense pretty easily.

As she shot the hay barrel against the weapons shack, inches from the center, he watched as she jumped in excitement and glee, while the others smiled and laughed at her antics. She was so joyful in everything she did, he was determined to apologize and talk to her later. He overheard them talking about him earlier and was grateful Miroku didn’t go into detail about her being his mate. He wasn’t even sure how to bring that up. I mean, here he was, having known all his life who he was and who she was, while she was just figuring out who she was just days ago, from what his father told him, saving hew own people, having an evil man after her, losing her mother and throw in a mate with all of that? He would’ve cracked and destroyed everything in his bedroom with all of that information, so he sure wasn’t going to throw one more life altering thing her way.

After a few hours, he could see her energy waning, knowing they were almost finished for the day. She had done remarkably well, wondering she ever had actually had to defend herself before. He began to growl at the thought without realizing it, watching her head rise and alert, gazing around her, as if she had heard him. Knowing lunchtime was around the corner, so he dashed away, determined to be enjoy a meal with her.

Kagome began to realize during her first day of training that she was going to be in need of a better outfit. She loved her dresses, made her feel like a princess, which she guessed in the truest sense, she was. She wondered if she could get Aunt Mara to create something that combined the two. Lost in her thoughts, she heard a growl, not of the evil intent, and looked around her, wondering where is was coming from. Feeling the aura she had felt in the garden all morning sprint away, she wondered if the Prince would ever come talk to her. Sighing to herself, she gather the last of her arrows and walked arm in arm with Sango towards the dining hall. She was feeling ravished and wondered if he would be there.

Emerging from her room, she had changed into a pale yellow dress, similar to her own back home, and walked with Miroku and Sango towards the dining hall. There sat Izayoi and her son, taking to each other quietly. 

“Hello dears! How was this morning? Sandwiches have been prepared for lunch.” Queen Izayoi called as the trio walked over, Kagome becoming increasingly nervous. It didn’t go unnoticed by Inuyasha.

Rising quickly, Inuaysha took two small steps towards them, held his hand out, “Princess Kagome. My name is Prince Inuyasha, it is a pleasure to meet you. I do apologize about yesterday, I’m not sure what came over me.” Though he knew that last part was a lie, he had to fix this with her. He wanted to spend every day from here on out with her and needed to make up for what happened. Watching her accept his apology with a small smile, he glanced at her pink cheeks and bottom lip she was currently biting at, her scent clearing from the sudden nervousness. He wondered what her lips would taste like, not realizing she has asked a question and was waiting on his answer.

“Thank you, Prince Inuyasha. I was wondering if later you would like to accompany me in the library? Show me around?” Kagome asked, nervously, biting her lip in anticipation. She had wanted to get to know him more, something drawing her close to him.

Shaking his head when he realized he was silent and her embarrassment waved across her face and scent, he stuttered, “Y-yes, I would like that.”

Both blushing, took their seats as Queen Kagura, Shippo and Rin joined the table, with Miroku and izayoi giving each other a knowing look. Grabbing a peach, Kagome smiled to herself, enjoying the delicious fruit while everyone chattered about her, feeling the prince’s golden gaze on her often.

After lunch, as promised, Inuaysha escorted Kagome to the library, passing the meeting room where his Father sat, reading over business. “So, are you getting a lot of training done, I saw you this morning, your barriers are impressive.” He began, a blush creeping across his features, trying to compliment her.

“So that was you in the garden.” Kagome stated with confidence, causing Inuaysha to blush even harder.

“How did you…?” He sputtered, clearly unsure of what to say, clearly embarrassed at being caught.

“I could sense an aura, had a feeling that was you at one point. I heard growling, but wasn’t too sure until you asked about my training.” She giggled at him. “Next time, you can join us If you want?” She blushed prettily.

“Sure.” He simply said. Pushing the large mahogany door open, “This is our library. Is there anything in particular you would like to look up first?”

“This may not be in the books, but you could you tell me what happened to my parents? Or at my birth celebration?” She asked, wide eyes looking around her at the dozens of bookshelves surrounding her.

“Let’s grab a particular book and I can tell you. I was really young when it happened, but I know my Father recorded the events in a book here.” Grabbing a brown bound book from a few shelves over, he flipped through the pages, before setting it back on the shelf and turning to another one.

“What do you remember the night of the party?” She asked, musing along a row of books, her fingers trailing. She loved the smell of books, though the only library she ever had been in was the small one in the village near her home, she thought painfully.

“I remember traveling to your parent’s castle and meeting you. You were thing this tiny thing, with beautiful wings that had barely begun to expand from your back. I remember my mother having to explain to me what fairies were. You laughed at me and tried to grab my hand a few times before going to sleep. You smelt the same as you do now.” Inuaysha stated as he came around the corner, eyes downcast in embarrassment.

“What do I smell like then?” She asked curiously, her voice growing softer.

“Sunshine and wildflowers. When I saw you in the field that day, I was unsure of which direction you left in, because you blended in with everything around you.” He whispered as he got closer to her, a book in his hands.

“Is that what you were looking for?” She tilted her head, still watching his golden irises glowing hotter.

Nodding, his breath hitched when she smile wide, just for him. Taking the book from his hands, she whispered a thank you, before turning to head towards a chair in the center of the room. Knowing he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, he told her he would gather a few more books about her heritage while she began to read that one, if only to clear his thoughts for a little while.

“Prince Inuaysha?” A small voice called after some time of searching.

“Inuaysha in just fine here in the castle, it’s a stuffy title.” He mused, turning from the bookshelf he was currently looking at.

“Inuaysha, can I asked a question?” Kagome called, knowing he could hear her from wherever he was at. Not waiting for a response, she asked, “Why did your demon emerge yesterday when you saw me? There wasn’t any feeling of malice or intent to hurt, I was only scared for your safety.”

“My safety?” He said, surprised. Nobody, but his friends and family ever cared when he was having one of his episodes, he liked to call it.

“Yes.” A soft voice said. Gathering his thoughts and the few books he found, he walked towards the plush chairs he often found his Father sitting in.

“Uh, my inner demon thought that my Father was, uh, lying to me. That he knew where and who you were, before you , uh, showed up.” He stated, not daring to look her in the eye, his words betraying his shame.

“Why would I matter to your demon?” She asked, curiosity in her eyes, but she had a sneaking feeling she knew. She had heard of demon mates before, what humans called soulmates. She suspected even mythical creatures had someone like this, but was unsure of the title. Though she had never seen a demon in action around his mate, she could put two and two together with how he had been acting since then.

“You’re uh someone special.” He stated simply, still not looking at her.

“Someone special?” She asked, daring to laugh at him. He was being bashful, and while it was cute, she really wanted answers. Hearing the laugh in her voice, he looked up at her. “Why am I so special to you? I know I am to your Father and Mother. I know I’m this born savior of my people and I’m the lost princess everyone seeks out, but why to you? Unless you are hiding something?” She asked, brow cocked, with a small smirk on her lips.

Licking his own, briefly wondering what hers tasted like again, he shook his head of those thoughts. They could discuss that later, he hoped. “You know of demons, correct?”

Nodding her head, “Demons have mates. Humans call them soulmates. I’m not sure of the term mythical use.”

“Mates or soulmates. Mythical creatures aren’t so different from us. Even though I’m hanyou, half-demon half-human, I still have one.” He put it simply. “So, uh, my demon was calling out, for, uh, you.” He wasn’t good at words! Why was this so hard to get out though? Everyone talked about their mater so why couldn’t he explain this better?

Watching emotions cross his face rapidly, his soul becoming agitated and angry, Kagome stood and walked closer to troubled prince. “Am I your mate, Inuyasha?”

Looking at her in shock, he just nodded dumbly. Laughing quietly at his bewildered expression she began, “I’ve discovered I’m a lost fairy princess, that an evil man is after me and the people I love, discovered power I never knew I had, met some of the most amazing people, am learning so many new things, finding out I have a demon mate is not the most surprising thing. In fact, I suspected I was something to you since the first day in the meadow, judging by how protected you made me feel, I just wasn’t quite sure.” Kagome reached for his closed hands, her tiny in comparison to his.

Dropping to a chair in utter astonishment, he just stared at this incredible woman. She already knew? That would make things here on out so much easier! Before he could voice his thoughts any further, Kagome squeezed his hands and caught his gaze. “Inuaysha, I want to take things slow. I understand we leave for the borders, my home, in just a few days, I would love for us to get to know each other. I know we are soulmates and what not, but I feel as if I know you already. I just want more, if that’s okay?” She looked at him in question, a small blush appearing across her features.

She is so remarkable and gorgeous he thought, before nodding, stiffening when she places a kiss to his cheek. Smiling at her softly, he pulled her close into a hug, whispering a thank you in her hair, while she squeezed him tightly back.

“Now, let’s get to looking. These are books on fairies that I could find, going back all the way to Midoriko, the earliest collections of fairy queens.” He guided her back to her chair next to him, handing her a blue bounded book. “Any questions you might have, just write them down on this paper next to you and we can go ask my Father together.” He smiled at her.

[lunavadash-creates]

I AM SORRY!!!! I promise I am back! And I will try to respond as quickly as I will be able to! And I am sending you loads of love and hugs! 💕

What’s going on Bubs? Can I help you somehow? Maybe you want to vent a bit and verbalize frustrations? Please, feel free to talk about anything you want!

Should I alarm Altair and rest of Asassin’a Brotherhood and Templar Order that there is urgent need of taking care of you? Like, GUYS, CODE PURPLE, WE HAVE CODE PURPLE, EVERYONE ON THEIR POSITIONS.

Remember that you are the sweetest and the most amazing human being ever and if someone thinks otherwise I will kick their ass! Also, I hope you drink water and hot tea, because obviously we have almost the middle of autumn. Did you have some snacky snacks? Proper meal? Please, remember about taking medicines on time

Folklore and religion in Korea? Count me in, I want to know everything! I know a bit about it so I would love to discuss such things with you! I am even more excited! How do you feel about starting uni in general?

You reminded me that I was supposed to call the vet on Wednesday and ask about Luna’s lab tests. Damn it.

I am pretty tired. I have loads of work rn, because my bosses committed me to two new projects and I have really no idea how I am going to do all those things on time. I caught a cold again and feel like sh**. I socialised a lot lately and I feel like I have to become a monk and disappear for a couple of months to recharge my batteries.

You are really adorable, you know.? :)

🔪

I'm so happy you're back! You know, today I'm better and I hope I can hold on this good mood as long as possible. I need to learn to stop caring about assholes and toxic people in my life and just cut them out of it completely. Honestly I'm so tired of all those entitled, two faced, manipulative people. But you know what? GIVE ME THAT CODE PURPLE AND LET ME HUG SOME WARM MAN. Like seriously it's sooooo cold! Im wearing a sweater (purple!) and wool socks (with BUNNIES) but still its cold ;; Don't worry! Im having nice meals, taking all my meds and im trying to drink water. Also aaaaaa you are too nice for me Knifey ;; I always blush when i read all your complements. I'm still trying to settle things out so I can attend course on Korea. Please keep your fingers crossed for me!

How's Luna? Is she alright? I hope her results are perfect ;; Your cute doggy floofy baby deserves to be happy and healthy!

Take your time recharging your social batteries. I get the feeling so take care of yourself! And please don't overwork yourself, burn outs are bitches. Stay safe and remember to take care of yourself my cutie pie!

[crazyblondelife]

What to Do With Your Life For the Rest of May

“ You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” ~ C. S. Lewis

The past two weeks have been amazing but also jam packed and exhausting for me! I got home on May 1 from visiting my daughter Sarah in Germany feeling very jet lagged, but so happy that I was able to travel and spend time with her and my sweet little Bristol. The next couple of days were a blur, but I still worked and even did some blog pictures. May 4 was my 58th birthday and my daughter made a delicious dinner for me and Graham and Hudson made me a beautiful birthday cake! The celebration continued with an amazing dinner on Wednesday at a restaurant called Machete. I highly recommend eating there if you’re local…it was one of the best meals ever! My advice is to go hungry and enjoy every bite. On Thursday, my sister and her husband took us out to dinner (it was a week of eating), and by the time Friday rolled around, I didn’t want to eat or go out anywhere, but Sunday was Mother’s Day and we went to brunch! Last week, I jumped back into blogging with both feet. I had a photo shoot on Thursday and did video and photos on Friday. I also started going to yoga again, and working out with my favorite trainer at a new gym. In between all of this, my hair color needed to be done, my nails were horrible and needed a fill in, I had a Hydrafacial and got my lashes done! Oh and did I mention that we got a new puppy? Whew…by the time yesterday got here, I was pooped! My philosophy…life is good when you’re busy!

This is my first “what to do with your life” post in a while and I have a lot to share, so grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and enjoy!

One thing is my life that is non negotiable is my morning meditation and this morning, I discovered a new meditation that I really enjoyed! Alicia Keys has teamed up with Deepak Chopra for a 21 Day Meditation called Activating the Divine Feminine. You can check it out here!

Just in time for summer, From the Vine brings us A Guide to 10 Perfect Summer Wine and Food Pairings! Find out all about pairing summer wine and food…

Speaking of food and wine pairings - I’m making this delicious Farro Tabbouleh with Burrata and Hummus from Half Baked Harvest for my book club dinner on Tuesday night. We read The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kid. It’s a really wonderful book set in biblical times so I thought this dish would be totally appropriate. Even though white wine wasn’t consumed during that time in history, I will serve a white…most likely a Chenin Blanc to go with this!

Did you know that National Wine Day is celebrated every year on May 25. It is a day to appreciate wine and the science and art behind enology. This day should not be confused with National Drink Wine Day, which happens on February 18. Who knew…

Also happening in May is National Hamburger Day which is celebrated on May 28 to get people prepared for summer BBQ season. Most everyone loves a delicious burger and it’s one of the most beloved foods in America, so no wonder there is a whole day to celebrate it. Even though the burger was invented in Germany, it has become an icon of American culture, with Americans eating an average of 50 billion burgers every year. So fire up the grill, and get ready to celebrate National Burger Day.

In most areas of the country, May is a good month to plant a garden. If you’re new to gardening and thinking about planting one, you’ll find this article from Life Hacker really helpful!

We have so much shade in our yard, so this year, I’m going to plant a container garden and grow a few herbs including basil for making pesto, and some tomato plants. I found this article from The Spruce that is so helpful and answers any questions you may have about creating a container garden!

If you are in Australia, parts of the western US, western South America, or in South-East Asia, you will see the Super Flower Full Moon totally eclipsed and turn a shade of red for about 14 minutes during this total lunar eclipse, weather permitting. If you live in the eastern part of the US, this will be visible as a partial lunar eclipse, but still spectacular.

Gifts for the Graduate

May is graduation month and if you’re looking for the perfect gift, I’ve got you covered with my gift guides…

FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE Pehr Pompom Canvas Hamper | Kendra Scott Everlyne Blue Cord Friendship Bracelet |Italian Herringbone Personalized Throw Blanket | YETI Rambler | Rifle Paper Co. 2022 Planner | Iris Monogrammed Catchall Tray | Mark & Graham Large Monogrammed Travel Jewelry Case

FOR THE COLLEGE GRADUATE Mark & Graham Leopard Throw Blanket | Boll & Branch Classic Hemmed 300 Thread Count Organic Cotton Sheet Set | Nespresso VertuoPlus Coffee Maker & Espresso Machine | diptyque Baies/Berries Candle | Tory Burch Robinson Saffiano Leather Tote |Italian Leather Desk Blotter | Riedel Vinum Champagne Flutes

FOR THE GUYS Peter Millar North Carolina NC Crown Comfort Interlock Quarter-Zip | Courant Wireless Charging Accessory Tray | Tissot Chrono XL Collection Chronograph Bracelet Watch, 45mm | Harvey Leather Overnighter Bag | Classic Leather Folded Wallet With Money Clip | YETI Hopper Flip 8 Cooler

A Few Things I’m Loving Right Now!

Movies and Television

I’m looking forward to Georgetown - While originally premiering in late 2019 to independent film events, Christopher Waltz, Vanessa Redgrave and Annette Bening star in Georgetown, released on May 14. It’s a thriller centered around Ulrich Mott (Waltz), an ambitious social climber who marries a wealthy widow in Washington D.C. for his. sole purpose of mixing with powerful political players, the scenes are tense and the concept boggles the mind, but perhaps power and politics breed such a desire?

If you love Food Network stars, Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis, this one’s for you! Premiering earlier this year, Bobby Flay and Giada de Laurentiis pair up and travel to Italy to enjoy the food and each other’s company. Have a look at an overview of the series from Mashable below. I can’t wait to watch this one!

For all the fashion lovers out there - another much-anticipated new series, this one on Netflix, is Halston. From creator and director Ryan Murphy, starring Ewan McGregor. Halston tells the untold story of the meteoric rise and fall of the first American celebrity fashion designer.

This one will just make you feel good!

Strawberry season is almost over, but there’s still time to make this delicious Strawberry Shortcake from Sally’s Baking Addiction!

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post…Have a great Sunday!

[killfaeh]

Queen Mera, Poseïdon and Drink'N'Draw online

Hi everyone! I haven't given news for a while. I was lost in Star Trek Deep Space Nine, coding and drawings. :p So to begin with, happy new year to everyone, hoping that it will be more positive than 2020, which was a very strange year. Now that I have a little time it's time to tell you all about it in some news. Today I will talk about illustration and in particular Drink'N'Draw. In November 2020 we had a theme on Queen Mera, a comic character from DC Comics. I've been wanting to try digital painting for a while and I also wanted to redraw some Knights of the Zodiac. Mera being the queen of the seas in the DC Comics universe, I thought it might be nice to associate her with the Saint Seiya's Poseidon. So this time I didn't use Aggie.io, I did a high definition illustration apart. And here is the result!

It took a lot of hours of work, but I'm happy with the result. The colors related to sea inspire me a lot. :D I still have to study solutions to be faster. Speaking of Aggie.io, it's been months since I've shown you anything, yet every Wednesday we continued to draw as a group on this online application. It's really interesting these online drawing sessions because I've been able to test a lot of methods and styles for color. :D Here is a small compilation. Just click on each image to see a larger version.

Saint Seiya, the five others bronze saints

Coulson

Proxima Midnight

Shurato

Defenders of the Earth

Once Upon a Time... Space

Tarkhan

Nadia

Khali

The small essential jobs

Shaolin Monks

Chadwick Boseman

Soccer Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky ShinKoala

Queen Emeraldas

Vampires Collective contribution with Renauddesign

Werewolves Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

Zombies Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky Khimaerai

Halloween Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

Sean Connery Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

All Might

Santa Claus Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

2020 Review Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

There weren't any theme so I chose to draw Data from Star Trek Next Generation.

WildCats vs CyberForce Collective contribution with Renauddesign Kevin Kapalsky

That's all for today ! To avoid you big compilations like this it would be nice if I post each of my participation to the Drink'N'Draw immediately after finishing it and then like this I could give news in a more regular way. x) I still have a bunch of news overdue, so I'll see you soon! Suisei

P.S. If you want miss no news and if you haven't already done so, you can subscribe to the newsletter here : https://www.suiseipark.com/User/SubscribeNewsletter/language/english/

Source : https://www.suiseipark.com/News/Entry/id/298/

[katieskarlette]

Queue preview

After having a ridiculous amount of screenshots in my queue for a couple months, I would have run out by midweek if I hadn’t spent a few hours tonight refilling it.

Monday and Tuesday will conclude the main storyline of the AU!Arthas series!  He’ll still pop up from time to time doing weird stuff, farming old raids, and such, but his odyssey of redemption is drawing to a close...assuming a certain Lord Admiral is happy to see him...  (Listen to me, trying to sound all mysterious when you know darn well I didn’t go through all this to give him another sad ending...LOL)

On Wednesday we’ll get back to my mage.  Last we saw her, she was getting way too emotional over her brand-new legendary cloak.  Now it’s time to thwart more of N’Zoth’s minions, continue annoying a certain draconic prince, get into trouble in Nazjatar, and have other fiery shenanigans.

I haven’t decided what order they’ll be in, but I have a bunch of screenshots of my void elf monk’s leveling to post, plus a bit with my night elf druid and other odds ‘n’ ends.

Enjoy, stay safe, and have a good week, everyone!

[richfieldbranch]

Mike’s Picks - Week of April 6th

Hello again to all our Richfield Library Patrons. We’re back this week with more suggestions to keep you busy while you're stuck at home. All library programs, outreach, and meeting rooms have been canceled until at least May, so hang in there! The books are all available through Hoopla or Overdrive, you can click the title to access it’s listing, or find all our materials at https://akronlibrary.org/browse/digital.  As always, I miss you, and please send me an email to let me know how you're doing, or if there's anything I can do for you.

Mike Daly, Adult Services Librarian 

mdaly@akronlibrary.org

Crafts:

For all you Richfield Crafters out there missing your monthly crafting fix, I have attached a couple of timely links to help you pass the time during the great quarantine.

Do-it-yourself Covid Masks

The first link was posted by the U. S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams. It's very simple and doesn't require sewing. You can find the video at: 

https://www.wwlp.com/news/health/coronavirus-local-impact/surgeon-general-heres-how-you-can-make-a-cloth-mask-today-in-just-a-few-easy-steps/

NPR also explains how they should be worn, and offers some different options for making them (including one where you just cut up an old t-shirt, no sewing or stapling or anything):

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/04/03/826996154/coronavirus-faqs-is-a-homemade-mask-effective-and-whats-the-best-way-to-wear-one

This one is what my wife used to make our family's masks. It does require a sewing machine, but the results were quite professional and easy to wear. There are hundreds of online tutorials if you do an internet search for “making Covid masks”. This one is from USA Today:

 https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/04/04/coronavirus-face-mask-tips-how-make-fabric-instructions/2945209001/ 

And finally, Joann Fabric has provided this pattern that does not require elastic or string, but instead has fabric straps:

https://www.joann.com/on/demandware.static/-/Library-Sites-LibraryJoAnnShared/default/dw4148ae36/static/landingpage/assets/MaskInstructions_V2.pdf

Easter Pom-Pom Craft

Here's a couple of simple craft for all ages. They're really easy and the end products are very cute. All you need are scissors, rubber bands, old fabric, and some yarn. For bunnies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8DYHOSpL50 

and for chicks:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz0o-dBhAKA  

There are many more available on You Tube.

Books:

Non-Fiction

The Pioneers: The Heroic Story of the Settlers Who Brought the American Ideal West by David McCullough

McCullough tells the story of the settling of the Northwest Territory, at the time a wilderness northwest of the Ohio River containing the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. His main focus is on the founding and growth of Marietta, Ohio. Included in the Northwest Ordinance were three remarkable conditions: freedom of religion, free universal education, and most importantly, the

prohibition of slavery. McCullough tells the story through five major characters: Manasseh Cutler, Revolutionary War veteran General Rufus Putnam, Cutler’s son Ephraim; and two other men, one a carpenter turned architect, and the other a physician who became a prominent pioneer in American science. A must read for anyone interested in Ohio history.

Code Name: Lise, the True Story of the Woman Who Became WWII's Most Decorated Spy by Larry Loftis

This book was an exciting read. I had never heard of Odette Sansom or the women of the SOE. In 1942 Odette Sansom, a French woman married to and English man, decides to follow in her war hero father’s footsteps by becoming an SOE agent to aid Britain and her beloved homeland, France. Five failed attempts and one plane crash later, she finally lands in occupied France to begin her mission. It is here that she meets her commanding officer Captain Peter Churchill. Loftis paints a portrait of true courage, patriotism, and love—of two incredibly heroic people who endured unimaginable horrors. He weaves together the touching romance between Odette and Peter and the thrilling cat and mouse game between them and a wily Gestapo agent.

Fiction:

This week I've been rereading some of my favorite books. The titles listed below are an eclectic mix, so everyone should find something to like. They are also long which will help you kill some time while stuck at home.

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

This was my favorite book in high school. Lose yourself in the adventures of Frodo and Gandolf in their epic battle of good versus evil. All three titles, The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King are available for down as Ebook or audio on the library website.

The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens 

Although not as well known as Great Expectations or Oliver Twist, this Dickens classic is my favorite. A serial romp through Victorian England, this book is in turns funny, sad, and touching. Don't give up because the 19th Century language is unfamiliar. You will be rewarded if you persevere. 

The Ebook is available through Project Gutenberg: 

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/967/967-h/967-h.htm 

and the audio book is available at LibriVox:

 https://librivox.org/the-life-and-adventures-of-nicholas-nickleby-by/ 

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The first and best of Follett's historical novels about the fictional English city of Kingsbridge, it's an Oprah Book Club choice as well. The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known, of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect, and of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena. The book tells of the struggle that will turn church against state and brother against brother. The book, as well as the two sequels, A World Without End and A Column of Fire, are available for download as Ebook or Eaudio on the library website.

And finally.................

Monday April 9th is

Fresh Tomato Day

“A tomato may be a fruit, but it is a singular fruit. A savory fruit. A fruit that has ambitions far beyond the ambitions of other fruits.” E. Lockhart

“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” Miles Kington

“It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” Lewis Grizzard

Tuesday April 7h is

National Beer Day

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin Franklin

“I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts, and beer.” Abraham Lincoln

“Beer's intellectual. What a shame so many idiots drink it.” Ray Bradbury

Wednesday April 8th is

International Feng Shui Day

“You don't have to believe in Feng Shui for it to work. I just know it brings me money.” Donald Trump

“I once drew a picture of Jack Nicholson in The Shining. But I put it away after a Feng Shui expert told me about the bad vibes” David James

“My view on Feng Shui: don’t put your bed in front of the door because you won’t get in.” Jonas Eriksson

Thursday April 9th is

National Gin and Tonic Day

“The gin and tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire.” Winston Churchill

“Of all the gin joints, in all the world she walks into mine.” Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine in Casablanca

“I don't know what reception I'm at, but for God's sake give me a gin and tonic.” Dennis Thatcher, husband of Margaret Thatcher

Friday April 10th is

Global Work from Home Day (Very Appropriate!)

“All happiness depends on courage and work.” Honore de Balzac

“Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” Leo Tolstoy

Saturday April 11th is

National Pet Day

“Sometimes losing a pet is more painful than losing a human because in the case of the pet, you were not pretending to love it.” Amy Sedaris

“Pets are humanizing. They remind us we have an obligation and responsibility to preserve and nurture and care for all life.” James Cromwell

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” John Grogan

More to come next week!

[maksylmyheart]

Meryl Davis - The sound of the sea, a rainbow in the mist & a Hawaiian monk seal sighting on a beautifully lonely beach have a way of filling my cup & soothing my soul. 🐚 Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you find your own moment of peace & serenity today.

[mashkaromanova]

Alexandra Feodorovna and Alexei Nikolaevich, 1911

“My dear Onor, 

My warmest congratulations to you on your birthday; I wish you all the very best, much happiness and blessings. How I remember this day last year. - How will you celebrate the festive day this time? I am sending you one or two small things from Peterhof and dried fruit from here. For my little godchild I have a small icon with my blessings (St Nicholas and St Barbara - it once lay on the relics of St Barbara). Perhaps it can be placed next to his bed if you do not mind. -

The weather is lovely and summery now - the first few days were rather cool. So far everything has gone splendidly and most touching - but then yesterday there was that terribly assassination attempt on Stolypin at the theatre. Thank God he slept for five hours and is not in great pain. He never lost consciousness. - Dr. Rein (Ella’s surgeon) and Botkin were at the scene immediately - he was taken off straight away by ambulance to a first class private clinic! He took Holy Communion - spoke very lucidly. They think he is out of danger. His liver seems to be only slightly affected. The bullet hit his Vladimir Cross and then bounced off in another direction. His hand is only slightly injured. They are expecting his wife tomorrow.

Fortunately, N.[icholas], O.[lga] and T.[atiana] were in the foyer when it happened; Tatiana came home very tearful and is still a little shaken whereas Olga put on a brave face throughout. Afterwards everyone sang the national anthem and a prayer of thanks, the entire audience, but by then my dear ones had already left. It was a Jew who did it; Stolypin was standing next to Freedericks and the War Minister at the balustrade very close to N.[icholas]’s box when it happened. Pray God he will make a full recovery.

It is such a sorrowful event, and I was not there with the others! - N. went off to some distant parade as early as 9 this morning - it will last from 10 1/2 till 2; yesterday and the day before he was at the manoeuvres. I hardly see him at all; he is busy all day long - driving here and there - so many things to see - and dinners. It’s been 15 years now since we were last here. - The location of the city is wonderful - very ancient - the early Christians once lived here. The most interesting things are constantly being excavated here - the Tartars were forever on the rampage and destroyed everything. 

Many saints have been buried in the grand monastery (lavra) - and one has a sense of how sacred the site is. The others visited the catacombs and Baby [Alexei] carried a candle with him, taking a good look at everything and asking the monk guiding them lots of questions. - My heart has been bad again for the past 3 days and so I have to rest lying down; my head aches as well. I have received a very comfortable bath-chair, which enabled me to lie out in the garden for 3 hours yesterday where we had tea. 

The garden has all different kinds of magnificent trees and the view out on to the Dnieper below is splendid. - N. is travelling over night to attend the consecration of a renovated ancient church - am expecting him back tomorrow evening. He will then travel by boat to Chernigov on Sunday evening (over night), and return (during Tuesday night) to arrive home at 10 on Wednesday morning. At 11 we will leave for Sevastopol, where we will stay on board for 10 days as the house is not ready yet. - Every day the children are taken for a drive to visit old churches and museums. I also send them off with N. when I cannot go with them - I have overtired myself wanting to do my best, but it was too much, and now I am paying the price. - 

I have send my letter off now. N. and I send tender greetings and kisses to you all. I again wish you all the best. I embrace you and remain your devoted Alix.

[P.S.] Tender kisses for Ernie and the boys. Give my best wishes to your siblings. The second small icon of St Barbara and the Mother of God is for my little godchild Dolla. -”

- Alexandra to Eleonore of Hesse, 2nd/15th September 1911

[keen2meecha]

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Let's talk about Hope. What are some of the things that inspire the people in your world? Certain gods or tales, annual festivals, a local cuisine that's worth traveling great distances for. Architectural wonders, fantastic destinations--what are some of the things people keep close to their hearts, that keep them going? (I know it's really open ended this week, sorry bout that XD I just really wanna see some Hope)

kyIt’s Wednesday my dudes! (This is literally how I keep track of what day of the week it is now that I’m not in school lmao)

I love this question! I can’t really answer it for gifted or Nature & Nurture because those would be the same as what gives us hope in our world - so A Mother’s Love it is! 

So, Suda is an incredibly varied world, and I won’t be able to fit all of the things that give them hope in here because that would be. Exhausting for everyone involved. But let’s talk some major cultures.

(This got so long I’m so sorry I put it under the cut in the hopes of saving your dashes omg)

So, the Western hemisphere - more specifically, the Split Countries because Nordaine and Necromantia keep to themselves and I don’t know a lot about what they’re actually like only the rumors about them. the major religion in the Split Countries is Dorism, and those who worship it are called the Forgotten Children - they believe that the Creator abandoned them because they strayed too close to Chaos, which thus caused the last Apocalypse. It’s a long story. But! Clearly, a group who believe themselves to have been forgotten and abandoned by their god are not going to be a… particularly hopeful bunch - or so you would think! But their religion revolves around winning back the Creator’s favor, so the true believers - the ones who aren’t a part of the religion for the power or whatever - are the most hopeful people out there. They are a magnet for the outcasts, the types of people who are lost and have been abandoned by the rest of the world - and honestly? The Split Countries have always been a hub of outcasts.

That doesn’t mean it’s the only religion, though! The other major one is Dakinism, which is the religion of the Kys’ik elves who don’t stay in cities. They are kept going by the tales of the Ancients - as described by Suriyah to her eventual protege Eris:

The Ancients weren’t beautiful - at least, not by modern standards. They were fearsome creatures, hundreds of feet tall, with skin made of storms and fire for eyes. And they had great big horns made of pale bone.

And, actually, Suriyah tells the story of the Ancients as well:

“Life is a cycle,” Suriyah began patiently. She had told this story several times before now. “Long ago, the Ancients traded their legs for roots in order to help support the elves, who paved the way for humans and dwarves. In return, the elves were given the task of protecting the Ancients from any unnatural harm. When an Ancient’s host dies, so does the Ancient possessing it. Just before they die, the Ancient performs one last selfless act - they relinquish their physical form back into the Earth. The host decomposes.” 

She paused in her explanation to kneel down and begin scraping through the dirt. 

“After enough time, every last drop of life is drained from the host, leaving behind only the bones - the rocks that you see around you. I’ve seen some clans treat every rock they come across like a corpse, but that is much less common nowadays. It’s much too inconvenient - and besides, the Ancients didn’t have burial rituals like we do.” She closed her fingers around a smooth, palm-sized stone and pulled it out of the dirt to show it to her audience.

And now, the elves believe that when their time comes, they do the same thing the Ancients did - their soul passes into the Elfa’de (or the Afterworld in Common) while their body decomposes and gives life in return. So the Dakin elves are driven by their duty to their clans and all living beings. 

The city elves, on the other hand, are always down on their luck in an archetypal way, but they’re driven by all of the little things that make life worth living. Good food, good company, and dancing/singing/poetry above all else. I think I actually kind of answered an ask about this before?

So, basically, the western hemisphere gives each other hope through religion, and they used to all be very good about lifting each other up despite different beliefs until corruption wormed its way into the Forgotten Children’s ranks. We’re working on it. 

Okay, this is getting so l o n g and this is the shortest summary I can possibly give so, quick quick quick overview of the eastern hemisphere and then we’re done I swear!

So, Jya’lemae, the largest country on Suda! They’re super diverse, obviously, but whereas the Split Countries struggle to survive after many wars and having been the place where the last Apocalypse started, Jya’lemae is huge on magic and figuring it out. The Monks of Che, for example, believe magic is actually the gods using you as a conduit and act accordingly. So in the broadest cultural sense, they are driven by knowledge and industry. But there’s plenty of variation among the individuals that I won’t get into here because oh god this is so long I’m so sorry

The Tritinent: they’re given hope by the peace they’ve achieved after a very, very long civil war. And they are driven to maintain that peace… at any cost. That’s why Cass’ journey in My Brother’s Keeper is so important - she achieves real peace, beyond the shallow facade perpetrated by her parents and the other rulers of the three countries. 

Ociana: I mean, what gives you hope in a land where everyone who dies can become a god? It’s a death-centered culture - you don’t seek out death, but you’re not afraid of it, so what is there to be hopeless about?

Edit: Okay, I know I majorly focused on country-by-country, but I completely forgot that I wanted to dedicate a little paragraph to elves - specifically, Yiez’ik elves (what we would probably call dark elves - literally, ‘Yiez’ denotes winter and cold, whereas the ‘Kys’ in Kys’ik elves denotes warmth and summer). They’re no renowned for being light or happy of whatever (obviously), but they have a special thing that no one knows about; during the longest, darkest times (winter solstice, eclipses, etc. - when it is believed that the ostracized ex-Goddess of Winter has begun to win in her eternal struggle against the Old Gods) they band together and light torches and fires and scream and sing in defiance - an explicit declaration that they, the Old Gods creations, are still here, on Suda, and no matter how much she doesn’t like it, the Goddess of Winter can’t change that. It’s a very punk version of hope, but I personally like it.

So, TLDR: in Suda, most people are given hope by religion and by looking to the future, and are driven to achieve that better future. 

Does that. Uh. Answer the question?

[mistyparadise]

3, 6, 9, 13 because it's Payback Time, 19 because I want to know about your many dice

ok ya got me

3. Your favorite side quest

This is only sort of a side quests but in my Saturday night game one of the players decided he had to have his wedding RIGHT NOW so we all had toreal quick get ready for a wedding and there was a shopping montage for buying outfits and we had to get a bird in a suit and out dwarf fighter gave a speech full of drunk best man jokes, it was great.

6. Favorite death (monster, player character, NPC, etc)

Umm I do not know what I killed but it was a bigger boy that I rolled my sorcerer chaos magic to kill and bc I am full of ramdom things it rolled to be high damage but a damage type he was either immune or resistant to so it would’ve been moot. BUT I used a magic item for the first time, a cord that lets me change any rolls related to my spells, so the image of Larissa frantically tugging on her belt and the spell changing types halfway to hitting the monster and juust MURDERING him/ 

9. Your favorite thing about D&D. 

I really like the relationships formed in it? Like real talk I have made like 5 friends this year bc of D&D and it’s great and I could never have imagined That. 

Also I like that I can enjoy it and play it without having to learn everything about it? Like I am Bad at lore but that doesn’t stop me from having fun!

ALSO I LOVE DOING FUCKING MAGIC

13. Introduce your current party.

Oh boy you got me here. I’m going from newest to oldest.

FRIDAY - The mess! We are not a very united front and we don’t really know whats going on. You’ve got Darcy, a very normal alchemist who is maybe also an illegal arms dealer who makes bombs out of her house. She is tired and isn’t sure if she even really wants to be doing Any of This. Eliza the Rogue, who eats only bread and paper (she has eaten every note we’ve ever gotten. Destroy the evidence) She hates bad people and guns and wishes she didn’t like dummies as much as she does. Roman the shadow cleric who wears a fedora but we don’t talk about that anymore. He lives in a literal hole in the ground and likes playing tricks on people and is real big into shadows I Guess. Connor, the pretty snake boy Dex Fighter who only has one arm. We think he may have been a pirate captain but he says he isn’t. He has bad morals and won’t tell us anything about himself. And finally It the Goblin and his buddy Handrew. It tried to pretend to be a gnome for all of 10 minutes. He is trying to figure out Secrets and also Handrew is literally just a hand who is his friend. None of us really like each other but we are doing our best.

SATURDAY - Technically we are called the Solar Hawks and it’s a dumb ass name. A fairly normal party, but it’s in the dessert. Zauzel, the Blood Cleric. He is dramatic, pale cursed which is a plot point I still don’t fully understand, and can identify you by the taste of your blood, which, gross. He is MARRIED to Aisha, the half drow glamour bard. She likes flirting and music? And she’s pregnant right now. It’s most likes Zauzels but there is a chance it isn’t! She was queen of the underdark for like a day. Shawn Tootle, human wizard and a little bit of grave cleric who just wants to study ancient artifacts, read for spells, and protect his favorite magic girl bc he is projecting his dead daughter onto her (which YIKES) That magic girl is Larissa, the wild magic sorcerer who just wants to blow things up and not get in trouble for it. Her most redeeming quality is her Perfect Boy Nelson the shadow blink dog who has gotten me out of so many sticky situations I love him. Sirik, the aarakocra ranger and his raptor Hes. Dumb as all heck but so lovable. He likes all animals more than any person. He has a small dragon thing as a pet now. And finally Fick, the dwarven fighter. He’s trying to make the Best Beer, all of his family is Dead, and his sister lives inside a magic gaunlet now. He’s the most racist. 

WEDNESDAY - oh boy. Oh man. ok.

Pierce, the fighter with like a sorcerer archetype? He’s an asshole, pacted with a demon who wants him to kill some people, and is TOTALLY whipped for our wizard.

Korona, the theurgy wizard. Smartest BY FAR, just wants to study and for no one to die. Gets upset about all the death and bad things we seem to keep doing. Doesn’t like SOME of our party members but seems to like others a whole lot if you know what I mean.

Wren, the half hexblade half paladin. Has gone through so much shit, used to be much more of a happy go lucky dumbass but not is more Sad. Likes to drink a bit, and had to fight his brother and it went poorly. Learning how to be a holy boy, and of course he had to pick a god that’s illegal, so it’s not going great.

Zod, the good good monk! He’s the best punch boy. He’s the soft boy but also he can just murder you with his hands so. This is a Bad sentence but I once described him as having the softest big dick energy ever? It’s true but I didn’t have to say it.

Gabriel, the bone knight fighter. Look. I don’t know what I can say about this. He’s a sad boy. He’s out for vengeance because everyone in his town got killed, including his Wife (which, yikes) so he’s trying to fix that and now he’s with us and whoops now he maybe is like a little in love with my bard I don’t know how this happened either but I do know that he would die for her and always wants to do the right thing and help people.

and to round it out…

Katri, the lore bard. She’s…a lot. She ran away from home, bc she wanted to be free from their mental abuse. She has a lot of anxiety but is overcoming that. She mostly wants to do the right thing but recently that’s been harder and harder. She’s one with the void bc she stared into it for a while fighting a mind flayer. She is hopelessly in love with Gabriel and will do a n y t h i n g to keep him alive. She canonically has no fear now.

19. Do you or your party have any dice superstitions?

So I never actually get to roll my dice but I do roll them once I open them and I believe that the first roll does set the tone for that set.

[breesays]

Birth Story: Desmond Alexander Wilde

Desmond Alexander Wilde was born at 3:25pm on May 14, 2019. This is his birth story. 

His original due date was today, May 24th. At my 37 week prenatal appointment, his BELLY was measuring a little big, so they sent me to a specialist to get a 2nd opinion. The specialist estimated his weight at 8.5 lbs and said yes, his belly was 97th percentile. From what they described, I pictured Winnie The Pooh getting stuck in a honeypot. 

The perinatologist was all “C-section” and I was like ahhhhhh… induction? I mean, I wanted to TRY to have him naturally. I had a 6-page birth plan/checklist printed out from TheBump.com. I had taken lamaze classes! And I had paid no attention during the C-section… er, section. I just wasn’t going to have one of those, you know? So when my doc called me later that Thursday (my last day at work was that Wednesday) she said “Let’s do the induction Monday at noon.” 

My mom flew in that Sunday (Mother’s Day! How fitting) and after a big breakfast with Uhnet at Millie's in Echo Park (they said I couldn’t eat once it got started SO) we all (minus Uhnet) went to Verdugo Hills Hospital Monday at noon. I got the Cervadil at 1:45PM and started feeling contractions at 3PM. It was scheduled to be taken out at 1:45AM. I should tell you that I started out 50% effaced and half a centimeter dilated. Pffftt. Things did not progress quickly. My stepmom and stepsister came by. The nurses were like, it's not going to happen tonight. Everyone went home except for Tim.   

The contractions became stronger but didn't follow any kind of rhythm. Some we're right on top of each other. The nurses were like, can you sleep through them? I was like, are you out of your mind? I could not focus on my breathing knowing that I’d have to do that until THE NEXT DAY. What am I, a fucking monk? I could see doing it for an hour. Maybe even two or three. But 12? What kind of award do I win if I achieve that level of enlightenment? It turns out the Hypnobirthing audiobook was just a fun read. I didn’t want to listen to any music. Besides, my playlists were only 2 hours long. Not TWELVE. I didn’t want to read.   

I tried walking around bit, but baby's heart rate dropped so they ordered me back to bed and put me on oxygen. We watched the movie Twister, but with the sound off. By 9pm, I was crying. I asked what my options we're. Epidural, they said. BRING IT, I said. I got the epidural at 11:30pm.   

Every few hours or so they had to reposition me to make sure the epidural was dispersing evenly. But nearly every time they did, baby's heart rate would drop. Even a move as simple as putting my leg over a peanut ball would put him in distress for a minute. It happened a total of 5 times into the next morning, the longest time being three and a half minutes. I had progressed to 4 cm, but the baby had moved farther UP. My doc said we could wait it out another 12-18 hours, but if the heart rate dropped for more than 5 minutes it would require an emergency C-section. I said, let's just do a C-section now please. Although the baby’s heart rate dropping was not anything I could feel, and he bounced back just fine between them, it was very stressful. My room flooded with nurses each time, they put the oxygen mask on me and all discussed my positioning while combing this very long printout. I was doing OK because of the epidural, but something was going on with baby. 

The C-section was only unpleasant in that I felt like my head wasn’t elevated enough and my nose was stuffy. The pumped more meds into me and eventually it extended to my arms, which was weird. Desmond Alexander Wilde was born at 3:25pm. He barely even cried. I was ABOUT to cry but since my nose was so stuffy I knew I wouldn’t be able to breathe if I did, so I was like KEEP IT TOGETHER. He weighed 7 lbs 8 oz, 19.5 inches long.   

I HAVE A BABY. I HAVE A SON. 

Ohmygod, he is adorable. I am happy. We are happy. 

Hospital stay story coming soon. 

  WE HAVE A BABY!