#i have so many that if i lost my premium i would simply give myself to the trees

[indecisive-dizzy]

This is so Daisey/Eddie coded I’m spiraling rn I love them

Also should I make a Daisey/Eddie or Daisey/Howdy playlist? I have more ideas for the Daisey and Eddie one, but I like the Daisey and Howdy idea a little more :,3

god that song is so good thx for giving me a new lil jam

I say both! throw the ideas for the Daisey/Eddie one down then crack into the Daisey/Howdy one! and I say that bc idk how ur mind works but ik if I don't get an idea down quickly enough it's banished to the shadow realm never to return lmao so yeaaa

Srsly tho I make so many playlists all the time,, so I encourage just going for both! the more the merrier hehe

[lokisasylum]

If you participated in any of the 2-day Streaming parties for FACE organized by Hybe... its time to monitor your Spotify or AM accs closely.

For those who are new or aren't active on X/twitter, PJMS fanbases had organized this mass 'FACE RECOMEBACK' during the week that 'FACE' Vinyls came out, to help chart both "Like Crazy" AND "Closer Than This". While at the same time try to get LC to #1 on BB200 (which is the only no.1 we want to achieve so LC can finally have the all-kill)

So everyone was participating, everyone was streaming correctly, buying correctly. We were doing EXCELLENT numbers that even attracted media attention and praise.

But then on week two there was this "surprise" announcement on the BH/Hybe official page for a "FACE Recomeback Streaming Party" on Stationhead (each one would last 1-2 hours max).

Naturally... all PJMS and Jimin biased felt skeptical about this sudden announcement right when tracking week was about to end. But as many thought "If this is what it'll take to FINALLY get ot7 to stream 'FACE' then fine."

I myself DID NOT participate on that streaming party and instead kept streaming on my own with MY OWN playlists and those provided by the Jimin fanbases. Simply because I CANNOT bring myself to trust that company when it comes to Jimin.

And lo and behold, when the results finally came, turns out those two streaming parties DID NOT benefited "Like Crazy" or "Closer Than This" AT ALL. If anything, LC experienced a minus-300K in streams and so did CTT.

In addition, many began to experience strange glitches in their spotify accs right after participating in one or both days of the streaming party. Some accs got locked, many lost playlists, and MANY MORE expressed that their streams got erased.

So if word on the street is correct...

Hybe made that Streaming party with the sole purpose of monitoring any and all accs supporting/streaming for Jimin only (we're talking ppl with premium accs, since its needed to even use Stationhead). ESPECIALLY his fanbases, so now they can manipulate the streams as well.

Lets not forget that Hybe's got 🛴 on their side, and 🛴 already did enough manipulation and sabotage during 'FACE' debut last year, as well as mass manipulation of charts for the one they chose as their "breakthrough super-star".

And now suddenly there's a "recomeback" for jk out of nowhere.

So if you participated in any of those 2-day Streaming Parties organized by BH/Hybe on SH, check your accs, check your playlists and if you can switch accs, please do so. I know giving up Premium Accs is a bitch 'cause its money, but I'd rather loose $12.99, keep my peace of mind and sleep easy than feeling paranoid everytime my streams get deleted "for no reason".

[rubyleeray]

MARS RED Review

Hey All! 

It’s been a while (way too long!) but I’m back! And I’m here with something extremely exciting!

A couple months ago, the good folks at Favary very kindly reached out and offered me the chance to be part of a beta test for their new game - MARS RED: Edge of the Nightmare based off of the Stageplay turned Anime of the same name written by Bun-O Fujisawa. 

Regretfully at the time, I was completely unfamiliar with this story/universe but that didn’t matter for long because as soon as I saw vampires - I was immediately on board. Not to mention the stellar cast featuring so many of my favourites!:

The Story

I want to start by saying that I’m not 100% certain as I have not seen any of the original source material yet, but I believe this is a new original story that continues/expands upon the existing MARS RED universe. 

You play as Yastufusa Yuki, a newly-turned reluctant vampire that is spiralling into an existential crisis. One day he encounters Organization Zero (a group of good vampires that hunt bad vampires) and discovers he holds a unique and rare ability to mentally recreate and perform crime scenes. With their help, Yatsufusa sets out to realize both his life and afterlife’s purpose while simultaneously helping fight crime.

Even if you are someone who has had enough of/doesn’t particularly like Vampire content (can’t relate!) - you will still enjoy MARS RED. Yatsufusa’s journey into self discovery in the afterlife is a more human story than you may think. If you have ever felt lost, lonely, confused, depressed, and/or unsure of yourself you will be able to relate to Yatsufusa in some way. And if that still isn’t enough to convince you, there are so many hilarious and touching moments, you will never be bored.

And the scene with the baby sparrow just completely melted my heart:

Gameplay

MARS RED is already unique to me in the sense that it is the only non-romance game I have on my phone but it’s also a Mystery/Crime/Horror Visual Novel which is such a great combination! I am not sure if there are any Good Ends or how many there may be yet (the story is still in development) but I have come across a couple bad ends. These were easy to go back and get for me because they involved choosing the options that no one earnestly playing a heroic protagonist should pick 🤣. They were quick and funny and are very obviously the wrong choice so if you haven’t hit one yet, you’re on the right path! If you want to get a bad end, go to the end of Chapter 1 and refuse to help.

Now, I don’t know if it’s a pandemic thing or just a me-getting-older thing😬, but I have almost no patience for games with checkpoints that I have to grind/spend like crazy for. All I really want to do these days is interact with a good story. MARS RED is the game I’ve been searching for for so long! Everything centres around and furthers the story which is super refreshing because for some reason that’s becoming increasingly rare in this genre (and industry in general🫖). Not only is it a solid, mysterious, supernatural crime story, it’s also super fun to play! I absolutely love when a game has mechanics that actually exist to serve and support the story and experience as opposed to just shamelessly providing the player with another reason to spend.

Here’s another confession: I hate most gachas. There, I said it. Why? Because for the most part, I only want/like stories. I don’t want avatar clothes or duplicates of N items that I have to go in and manually delete constantly. I just want to have more content of my faves without spending my entire pay cheque. Is that so much to ask!? MARS RED thinks not! I saw there were two current gachas even in beta: one limited and one not. I was excited because I love everything about the game already but I was also skeptical because I have a long history of being burned to a crisp by all gacha games. I was expecting to see an offering of the typical beautiful and virtually unattainable rainbow rare prizes like cards that are essentially useless (but damn are they pretty!).  However I am thrilled to report that MARS RED has blessed me with my dream gacha. STORIES GALOR-IES! 

The rainbow rare item was a story with a cg and I managed to pull it on my second 10-pull and OMG I loved it. It was so wholesome and pure and a great length that made it feel as premium as it gets! 

Aside from the story, there are three other major mechanics: Investigating, Inferring, and Exploring. 

Investigating is so much fun. It reminds me of my childhood days reading iSpy books and playing Spot the Difference games. To investigate, you simply tap on items in the scene to read about them. 

Each item offers their own unique clues and context and you better remember what you see because you better believe someone will ask you about it later and that’s called “Infer.”

During the Infer portion, you are given a limited amount of time to make assumptions and come to conclusions based on what you found during the Investigation portion. If you are like me and love playing Investigator - you will love this!

During the Explore portion, you don’t actually have to do much other than pair up 2 people and choose a location. They will Explore on their own and level up/earn you the money and points you’ll need to progress later on in the process. You can also earn rewards called “Murmurs” which are little short anecdotes between the guys.

Cons

My only “con”/criticism is that I wish there were more cgs. I hardly came across any and there were so many fantastic moments that would have completely blown me away with an accompanying CG. But for the record - the CGs I did see were gorgeous! 

Random Thoughts

I feel like this would make an excellent BL game - where are my fellow YatShu, YatSuwa, and/or YatDe, shippers?! XD

I love Yatsufusa. He is my son and I want nothing but the best for him and his vampire/human friends. If anything happens to him...I WILL become a vampire myself and avenge him. I already want NEED a little plush doll of him. 

This game is generous without spoiling the player and it’s user-friendly without making me feel like a child. I really appreciate that especially since I feel that most recently released games cram a million mechanics in without ever connecting them to the story. (Have I talked enough about how bothered I am by a lot of recently released games 🤣?)

HAS TUMBLR ALWAYS HAD A 10 PIC LIMIT?!

Closing Thoughts

If you’re looking for a game/story that you can actually enjoy without stressing over - give MARS RED a go! The world needs joy now more than ever and Yatsufusa’s smile is pure serotonin! Go get yourself a boost and download this game available now on both Google Play and App Store! 

Thank you for spending some time with me! I hope you are doing well and keeping safe & happy. I’m off to go play more of this game (Chapter 7 just released!) while finally checking out the anime! Stay safe and healthy and I’ll see you soon!

***Disclaimer: I was provided early access to this app for the purpose of reviewing it by Favary. I have not been nor will I be compensated for my review, but I received a small in-game sum of points to complete the story in the beta. This does not mean my opinions or words were bought and paid for. These are my honest thoughts and feelings and Favary entered into this agreement with me requesting and expecting nothing but.***

[ga-yuu]

~Invitation to another world~Yoshitsune Premium END

Shanao: “My name is Shanao. I’m the other you. Now let the trial begin. When “I” confront myself, will you be able to hold on to your own? Answer me.”

(The other, Yoshitsune-sama!?)

Yoshitsune: “Shanao.....”

Yoshitsune-sama narrowed his eyes and looked at Shanao.

Yoshitsune: “I haven’t heard that name for a long time. Are you asking me to cross myself?”

Shanao: “No, that won’t be necessary. I am the other you, Minamoto no Yoshitsune. You, who is between the demon and a human, who has no place in either.”

Yoshitsune: “.............”

Yoshitsune-sama, who had accepted this bizarre situation without hesitation, gasped slightly.

Shanao: “No matter how well you pretend to be a trickster in the demon world, you can’t fool me. Because I am.....you. That’s it.”

That exchange convinced me.

(I thought this guy was a fake created by that skull monster earlier, but he’s not.)

(I don’t know the logic, but I certainly know “it's” Yoshitsune-sama...!)

A sudden nervousness sets in as I realized that I was in the presence of an unusual being.

Shanao: “Just as it is useless to wear a demon costume in front of me....No matter how much you try to imitate others in this life, it is all in vain.”

Yoshitsune: “.....Is it because my soul is more like a demon’s?”

Yoshitsune-sama lets out a huff of air.

Yoshitsune: “Kurama told me this once. I know that for a fact.”

Shanao: “So why are you looking for a way into the human world?”

Shanao, then turns his head to look at me.

(......Mm.)

He looked at me without any emotion in his eyes and my body tensed up.

Shanao: “I can understand why Yuno wants to go back to her world because she’s a human. But do “I” really want to go back to that place? “I” am too much of an anomaly to live in the world of humans. I can’t be a human nor a demon.”

Shanao’s eyes take on a dark, deep color.

Shanao: “Have you forgotten how, when you were a child, you ran alone through the dark night, chased by demons? Have you forgotten all the times people feared that “my” presence would bring bad luck? .....No, those memories are not forgotten. If you had forgotten you would not be lost in the demon world now.”

(Ehh)

Yuno: “Lost....?”

Involuntarily, the confused voice made Shanao silently occupy.

Shanao: “I’m lost. Where do “I” really belong? In this world or...... the other?”

(I don’t think that’s...)

He looked at Yoshitsune-sama with a look of slight anguish on his face.

Yoshitsune: “.....It’s true I’ve been somewhat of an outcast in the human world. A lot of people, when they meet me, see something different in me.  It was as if they were saying, ”This” is not of this world.”

Yuno: “Yoshitsune-sama....”

To the troubled Yoshitsune-sama, repeated Shanao’s bitter words.

Shanao: “When you meet the rebels, you have a family of friends. But loneliness had always followed you. That’s what you’re meant to do. Have you ever thought that by fighting for your friends, you might be making them unhappy?”

Yoshitsune(troubled face): “......!”

Shanao: “I’m afraid you’re letting your vengeance get the best of you.”

(You...)

Yuno: “That’s not true. The rebels came to Yoshitsune-sama of their own free will!”

Even though I was upset and had a rebuttal, the cold eyes of Shanao did not waver.

Shanao: “I see. But.... because they have found hope in the power of Yoshitsune, they are all marching to their deaths. If only “Yoshitsune” had not existed. Those who had faltered in their disappointment could have risen after a long time and one day walked in another direction....”

Yoshitsune: “That’s....”

The murmurings were drowned out by the deep voice of Shanao.

Shanao: “Stop clinging on to this life. That’s what makes “me” happy, and that’s what makes everyone happy. Besides, when you actually come to the other world, you must have realized that you had an unconscious longing for this place. Didn’t you feel like you belonged here? Don’t you find it attractive?”

Yoshitsune: “.......Mm!”

Yoshitsune-sama’s eyes flickered in confusion.

Shanao: “In the world of demons, power is everything. Rather than live in a world of humans, where they look at you with awe...Wouldn’t it be more comfortable to live in the demon world, to wield your power to the full and win your place?”

Yoshitsune: “....................”

Shanao words made Yoshitsune-sama evaluate himself.

(No, Yoshitsune-sama!)

Although I was shaking from anxiety, I remembered something----

--------FLASHBACK--------

Yoshitsune: “.....I'm interested in seeing this world."

.............

Yoshitsune: "There's a lot here that's new to me."

-----FLASHBACK ENDS-----

Those were the eyes of Yoshitsune-sama, shining with pure curiosity since his arrival in the demon world.

(For Yoshitsune-sama, the human world may have too many ties)

(If he chooses the demon world then...)

My heart was torn apart as I gazed at Yoshitsune-sama.”

Yoshitsune(expressionless): “....................”

I looked up and my eyes meet his.

(Don’t go!)

At that moment, my body was moving before I could think.

Yoshitsune: “Yuno?”

Yuno: “Yoshitsune...sama.”

Driven by overflowing emotions, I simply clasped his hands tightly.

Yoshitsune(surprised): “......”

Yoshitsune(now smiling): “.........”

Yoshitsune-sama, still holding my hand, opened his mouth to Shanao.

Yoshitsune: “.....You’re right. I can’t deny what you said. The old me would have found the words irresistible.”

Shanao: “Old you?”

Yoshitsune: “Yeah. ....But I’ve already chosen the place where I want to live.”

(! Ah....)

Hands that had been loosely touching each other were gently squeezed back.

(Yoshitsune-sama.)

I felt a warmth in my chest as if my heart was connected to his hand.

Yoshitsune: “I owe it to everyone in the rebel army, to every soldier  I have led to this day. It is never permissible to give up everything here and now and remain in the demon world. .....But I’m not going to let that happen myself.”

 Yoshitsune-sama’s voice softly melts into the darkness.

Yoshitsune: “It was not all suffering. I had a bond in this life. I’m no longer the little boy I was when I was alone, who was struggling to decide whether he’s a human or a demon. .....Shanao, that’s the answer I have for you.”

Yoshitsune-sama tells him confidently.

Shanao: “Are you sure, you won’t regret it?”

Yoshitsune(smiling): “There is no such thing as regret.... because I’ve got what I wanted, and I’ve got it now.”

Yoshitsune then looks at me and smiles.

(Ah.....you’re smiling too....?)

For a brief moment out of the corner of my eyes, I felt like I saw the same expression on Shanao’s face.

As we emerge from the darkness, the skull monster showed us the way to the present world.----

........................

The flower garden we came to was covered with red spider lilies.

Yuno: “That skull monster said that this is place has a portal connected to the human world at certain times.”

(And yet, beautiful red spider lilies....somewhere seems scary as hell.)

The monstrous beauty of this place keeps reminding me that we are in another world.

Yoshitsune: “There is still time before the portal opens. In the meantime, I want to see this scenery with you.” 

The soft look in his eyes made my heart skip a beat.

Yuno: “Yes, by all means.”

Leaning close to Yoshitsune-sama, we look out over the flower garden once again.

Yuno: “The other world was full of interesting things, wasn’t it? I was a bit scared, but Yoshitsune-sama was by my side, which was reassuring.”

Yoshitsune(smiling): “Did I protect your heart as well as body?..... If so, I’m very happy.”

Yoshitsune-sama’s lips form a fine smile.

(Really, you’re such a sweetheart.)

As I was looking at the flower garden with a warm feeling, Yoshitsune-sama turned to me.

Yoshitsune(expressionless): “................”

(...... Hm?)

Suddenly, he stares at me, and I was stunned.

There was a certain desire in his sparkling purple crystal eyes.

As I was looking at it, I couldn’t take my eyes off it and then Yoshitsune-sama opened his mouth.

Yoshitsune: “----Once, I used to feel that maybe I wasn’t meant to be in the human world. If I had come to the demon world like this back then, I wouldn’t have gone back.”

Yuno: “Yoshitsune-sama...”

Yoshitsune(smiling): “But now, I have you.”

Yoshitsune-sama’s face softly relaxes.

The sight of Yoshitsune-sama smiling against the sky and flowers of the demon world is full of mysterious charm.

Yoshitsune(smiling): “I want to live where Yuno is. Because you’re my place, something I want to protect and the reason for my life.” (Who the hell wrote this line? It's so cringy. The first line is okay. “The reason to live” line is straight up from Twilight. )

(......!)

The words were so earnest that they pierced my heart.

Yoshitsune(smiling): “I love you, Yuno. There’s still so much more to see with you. ....Let’s hold hands forever and never let go.”

Yoshitsune-sama reaches out to me. Invited, I reached out to the man I love.

Yoshitsune: “Yuno.”

The moment our outstretched hands' touch, Yoshitsune-sama hugs me.

(Mm...hm...)

The kisses that were dropped deepened and Yoshitsune-sama’s fingers gently caressed my skin.

Yoshitsune: “.......Yuno.”

Once separated, Yoshitsune-sama’s lips touch my ear. I see an endless sea of red spider lilies.

Yoshitsune: “I want to get closer to you, here and now.”

(...Mm....if you...ask me that...now..)

(---No. I can no longer resist....)

I was attracted to Yoshitsune-sama, who wore an unusual and mysterious fragrance, and my head shook dizzily.

An irresistible impulse sends shivers down my spine as I open my mouth.

Yuno(blushing): “Yoshitsune-sama, I want you too....”

All the words of love that I desperately spun were taken away from me by Yoshitsune-sama with every breath.

-----The feverish wisteria of his eyes captures my soul.

My core was tingling with a sense of danger....

Event Story

Epilogues will be starting by tomorrow.

[hyuckie-bby]

Cup of Coffee ~ Chapter 1|N.JM

Hello! I am back! Sorry about not updating, but I was extremely busy with school ;-; Luckily, I have another 2 weeks off, therefore I will continuing to update more frequently! I hope everyone stays safe!! And thank you all for reading, I hope you enjoy <3

Chapter 1| Preview

Jaemin x Reader - Mostly Fluff, Traces of Angst

A coffee shop is not just about a “cup of coffee”; rather it is a symbol of a thorough experience.

It’s a journey a customer takes from the moment he or she lays eyes on a cafe storefront for the very first time to when they approach it, enter the place, order their coffee and have it over and over for the hundredth time.

Word Count: 1.3K 

The morning sunlight sweeps through my curtains, and my arm drapes over my eyes to shield them from the blinding rays entering through my window. I am not enamoured with the thought of exiting the comfort of my warm blankets, yet nonetheless, I force my half-asleep body into a sitting position against my assortment of pillows. I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with fresh air, watching the world around me come into focus.

I shift around in my comfortable fortress of blankets some more, feeling tempted to fall back asleep for another ten minutes. The urge to feed my stomach is stronger, motivating me to unceremoniously lift my sheets and exit my room, tiredly combing my fingers through my unkempt hair. 

I walk into my kitchen, observing my roommate, Lisa, who is quietly sipping her morning cup of java. I inhale the lingering smell of roasted coffee beans while looking for a clean mug. 

Even when half-asleep, Lisa looked drop-dead gorgeous. Her tall elegant frame was hunched over the island counters in the centre of the room. Her hair was messy, but straight, and jet black. If I stood close enough to her, I would be able to smell the vanilla notes in her shampoo from her shiny hair that was washed yesterday evening. She was still lounging around in her pyjamas, an oversized plain white t-shirt which just slightly exposed her collarbones, and which bunched up around her pair of grey plaid shorts. The area around her nose was littered with soft, faint freckles and her large captivating copper-coloured eyes stared back at me. 

"Hey," Lisa muttered, her voice still laced with sleep. She continues, "You forgot to buy groceries yesterday". I strolled over to the fridge and glanced inside. She was right. There was nothing there except a couple condiment bottles and the leftovers of Chinese take-out out noodles that I had purchased earlier this week. This wasn’t even my first full month of the semester at my University and I still managed to eat like I've been starved for days, every day. What can I say? I looove food.

I still felt bad for not buying the groceries even though it was my week to do so. "Sorry, I'll go out and buy some later today," I replied. Suddenly, the tiredness disappeared from her eyes and she stared me down with a shit-eating grin on her face. "It's okay. Besides, as revenge, I already drank the rest of the coffee". 

"What? Are you kidding?” Spoiler Alert! She wasn’t.

I groaned so loud that I was sure the neighbours could hear me through the paper-thin walls of our apartment. Furiously, I glanced at the time that was being displayed on the empty coffee machine. 

7:15 am

My first class, unfortunately, started at 8:30. As a biotechnology major at university that I attend, I so luckily had organic chemistry at the beginning of the day. (obviously sarcasm) I wish that I could sleep through my class and simply watch the lectures online, but sadly, this course was one of the many that I am taking this semester that does attendance regularly. Consuming my daily intake of coffee was a necessity every morning to keep me awake. Therefore, it was decided that I would have to pay a visit to one of the nearby cafes on campus.

Cafes in all their glory, are the worst. They are crowded places that have the longest lines, sell overpriced drinks and the food is less than desirable. I don't know many pastry desserts and club sandwiches that improve by sitting around all day in a glass container, under artificial lights. But alas, I trudge over in the direction of my room and search for an outfit to wear under my pile of clothes in my closet. 

ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ•ᴥ•ʔ•ᴥ•ʔ•ᴥ•ʔ•ᴥ•ʔ

Moments before I exit the shared apartment, Lisa comes running up to the door, and clumsily searches for a pair of shoes to slip on. My roommate looks stunning, like always, as she adorns a pale blue t-shirt with lace trim accents, neatly tucked into a light beige mini skirt. I can also see the subtle red lip tint that she applied onto her plump lips. 

"I'm going with you, I promised to get breakfast for Mark," she informs me while haphazardly, slipping on her favourite pair of gold sandals. I snicker as I hear the name of Lisa's crush slipping through her lips. She developed feelings for Mark Lee, our mutual friend who shares a class with Lisa later in the day. I nod my head, signaling to her that I understood her words, and opened the door, while she adjusted the delicate gold coin pendant that hung around her neck. 

I'm counting my steps, letting my feet hit the pavement, Lisa trailing slowly behind. Her soothing voice and the honking of cars along the busy streets is the only thing I let myself hear. Soon enough, I look up and see the unfamiliar sight before my eyes. 

The cafe in the blazing sunlight looks more comfortable than I had remembered. I rarely pass by this particular street anyways, as I prefer to take the shortcut that I discovered while once getting lost on my way to the campus. I somehow always leave the house 5 minutes later than I am supposed to, no matter how early I wake up, and therefore, had to find a solution to solve my tardiness.  

Outside the cafe, there is a menu standing on the ground, outlining the daily special. Obliging to Lisa's calls, I step through the large glass doors. The building's concept itself plays on the warmth of natural earthy textures with modern classic colours, giving the café a contemporary and down-to-earth look and feel. This modern and earthy look is achieved through the use of contrasting neutral and bright colour palettes, natural textures, and premium lighting fixtures with rustic accents. There are large windows that allow the sunlight's rays to seep through and cast a glow upon the counters. There are also lively, green plants, and lovely hanging succulents scattered throughout the room. 

"Hey, have you decided what to order yet? You're going to be late for your class if you keep staring like that." Lisa's voice snaps me out of my dazed trance. Truthfully, I have not yet decided what expensive drink I would like to indulge in, being too busy secretly admiring my surroundings and the decoration of the coffee shop. I would never tell Lisa or myself this, my stubbornness making an appearance, and is set on passionately disliking cafes in all their glory. "What are you getting Lisa?" I ask her, addressing the girl who stood beside me by her name.

"A caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream and a watermelon lemonade for Mark", she replies, in a sing-song voice, excited that I seem curious for once about her order. I was planning to buy the same drink but soon realized what a big mistake that was, as I was not interested in consuming a sickly sweet liquid. I also wouldn't have thought that a cafe would sell watermelon-flavoured drinks, but I guess you learn something new every day. 

"That's cool", I respond, "And I'm sure that Mark would like that", ending the conservation as Lisa walks confidently up to the counter to place her order. It was also no secret between any of Mark's friends that he loved watermelon. I'm sure that even the campus knew about his slight obsession since he only takes shots of watermelon-flavoured liquor if they have a bottle of it at frat parties. We always make sure to buy one if the events were being hosted at his shared apartment.

Feeling awkward standing alone next to the entrance door, I mustered all the courage that I had in me at 8 am, and following Lisa's actions, I walked up to the unoccupied counter.

[anoutlandishfanfic]

Metamorphosis AU: Ch. 24, Pt. 1, Convalescence.

The AO3 link to this chapter was posted earlier, but I haven’t posted the text in full here yet. This is not a new chapter, simply adding it to Tumblr.

You can find previous chapters here or over here at AO3.

_______________________________________

Three Days Later; End of December, 1743.

“What’s your pain level, luv?” I murmured, brushing the curls off Jamie’s brow.

He’d been fever free for a solid forty eight hours now, but I still felt like singing the Hallelujah Chorus every time I found him as such.

“I’m fine, Sassenach,” he assured me with a weary smile, “Dinna fash”

As ironic as it might seem — what, with me being six and a half months pregnant with twins and him recovering from major surgery and an assault that brought him to the brink of death — sleep was at a premium these days.

Jamie was able to doze most of the day away, his body unable to keep slumber at bay entirely, but he fought hard against the tow of a truly deep sleep and the demons that accompanied it. I was haunted by nightmares of my own, each more terrifying than the last, but my body’s aches and pains trumped anything my hormone-riddled subconscious could concoct. Intense muscle spasms accompanied by nagging hip pain combined with persistent nausea and frequent trips to relieve myself made it nearly impossible for me to achieve a full night’s sleep… and so I often joined my husband in drifting off in the middle of the day.

I shook my head at his insistence, suppressing a grin at what I knew without a doubt was a complete bluff and patted his cheek patronizingly, “I won’t, but give me the number anyway.”

“Four.”

I rose a brow at this and his smile grew as he added, “And a half.”

I chuckled, leaning in for a kiss and he gladly obliged.

“Mmm,” he intoned, bringing me back in for another one. “A few more of these an’ you’ll have me down to a two, Sassenach.”

”I’m aiming for one,” I quipped cheekily as I sat back and took a good look at my patient.

The color was slowly beginning to creep back into his cheeks and the light back into his eyes. Jamie had endured the unthinkable — I knew he had — but remained silent about most of what had happened at Wentworth. It weighed upon him tremendously, stooping his shoulders and furrowing his brow…

While his body was healing rapidly, his mind and spirit limped far behind.

Jamie’s good hand brushed against my leg and I instinctively pulled it into my lap, curving it around the ever growing swell of our children. He jumped slightly in surprise — I mentally kicked myself, for I knew he startled easily these days — but he quickly recovered and responded in delight.

“They’re growing,” he murmured, his gaze softening.

You’re growing is what he means, I internally groaned. You’re bigger than a horse, Mother Goose.

Jamie was silent for a moment before he sat up more fully, lifting his injured hand to touch my face. His thumb stroked my cheek and I turned my face to gently kiss his palm as my eyes drifted shut, trying to mask my insecurities. He lowered his hand slightly, cupping my chin and waiting for me to look at him before speaking.

“Have I thanked you yet, mo chridhe?”

My brows furrowed in confusion as I asked, “For what?”

“For my children… for the lives you carry a’ the risk of your own.”

My face melted as tears rushed to my eyes. I kissed him, my lips trembling at his tender words as my arms slipped around his neck.

“Oh,” I uttered insufficiently, completely overcome.

I buried my face in his neck, breathing in the scent of him, filling my lungs with the anchoring truth of his presence. His arms came around me too, holding me close as my hot tears hit his skin and we both realized just how much we missed the others touch.

We clung to each other for many moments in reverent silence before I added, “It’s my pleasure.”

A low noise — not quite a chuckle and not quite in negation of my words — rumbled within him, making his chest vibrate deliciously against me.

“Aye, but I ken tis no’ always so… when you were so sick a’ the first, or when they make you change so… when your time comes?”

I shook my head against him, whispering, “Even then.” ... A few days after that.

While he hadn’t ventured far from the bed yet, Jamie was now officially up and about. He puttered around after me as I worked at my table and often followed me to my chamber and back, but today we were going on our first walk around the abbey.

His left arm was looped comfortably through mine, not so much for assistance but rather assurance, as we slowly wandered the halls. Murtagh trailed several paces behind us to ensure we didn’t get lost — the maze of passageways was far more complex than I’d realized — and I thanked my lucky stars that he had, for we rounded a corner and came face to face with none other than Dougal McKenzie.

“Good to see ye on yer feet, lad,” he sneered, his words entirely insincere.

A chill ran down my spine at the sound of his voice and I flinched involuntarily as he took a step closer. Murtagh was at our side in an instant and edged his way between us and our foe.

Jamie’s arm slid out from under mine and wrapped protectively around my waist.

I’ve got you, he promised with a squeeze. He’ll have to get through me to get to you.

“Tis good to see you too, uncle,” Jamie lied through clenched teeth, “but I’m afraid we must be returning to our rooms. I hope to speak wi’ you again before you return to Leoch.”

Dougal waved the notion away as if he were swatting at a pesky fly, scoffing, “Ach, I’ll be here for a while yet… too many redcoat patrols for my taste. Wouldna want to leave ye and have them swarm the place.”

A noise of shock and dismay left my lips before I could stop it and Murtagh sprang into action, all but shoving us in the right direction. Large black spots suddenly appeared at the edges of my vision, obscuring the sudden image of a hangman’s noose around my husband’s neck. My knees buckled beneath me and I latched desperately onto Jamie’s shirtfront.

“Easy, Sassenach,” he crooned as I sagged into him, trembling violently. “I’ve got you.”

“If ye’ll excuse us,” Murtagh growled as we sidestepped Dougal and continued guiding us down the hall, nearly pulling the both of us along behind him.

They wouldn’t, would they?

Religious sanctuary was irrevocable, our protection irrefutable so long as we stayed within the abbey walls…

Wasn’t it?

Father Anselm and the other elders would uphold our right to sanctuary here at the cost of their lives, I knew, but they didn’t stand a chance against an overwhelming military force with a legitimate claim of action. They were harboring not only an escaped convict, but a posse of murderous Highlanders besides. The religious laws and traditions of a Roman Catholic monastery — decidedly Scottish — would be tossed aside without a moment’s hesitation in order to capture the enemies of a mighty, entirely Protestant army.

Get a grip, Beauchamp. This is the seventeen-forties, not the fourteen-forties.

I had no recollection of the rest of the walk back to Jamie’s room, but suddenly blinked and found myself perched on the edge of Jamie’s bed, his pale face studying mine with marked concern.

“Are you alright, mo chridhe?”

“No,” I let out a shuddering sigh. “That bloody man scares the fucking daylights out of me.”

A decided snort sounded from the edges of my vision and I turned to find Murtagh all but bolting the door shut.

“He willna be layin’ a hand on ye, lass,” he vowed. “No’ if I have anythin’ to say about it”

I rather thought Murtagh would have quite a lot to say about the matter, should it be pressed, but I shoved the thought of that away.

Jamie is here.

Murtagh is here.

I am safe.

“You’re safe, Claire,” Jamie echoed my thoughts aloud, using the phrase I often reassured him with.

I nodded with an attempt at a smile, but knew I didn’t quite manage to pull it off.

“We’ll find a way to be out of here an’ his reach, aye?” He continued, tucking a stray curl behind my ear before brushing a tear from my cheek.

“To France, maybe? We’re no’ far from the coast… if we left soon, we could be to Paris or Le Havre a’ least before the bairns came.”

Murtagh seized this idea with an eager determination, “Aye, ye’ve many a kin who’d aid ye there… both Fraser an’ MacKenzie, come to that.”

“Then it’s settled,” Jamie pulled me into his arms, his lips moving against my neck as he announced, “We’ll leave wi’ the first ship tha’ll take us.”

…

One week later.

This proved to be a more difficult task than we’d anticipated, for travel across this area of the channel in the dead of winter was rare, and it seemed we would remain at the abbey for a good while yet.

“Any luck?” I asked unnecessarily as Murtagh entered the room, answering me with a decided shake of his head.

Jamie had dozed off and I’d hoped — in vain — to get some sleep while he did, but it was not to be. I’d found myself restless and the lives within me even more so, and so I’d given it up entirely… returning to his side instead and attempting to sketch out rough schematics for a Pinard horn.

I turned back to my paper, tapping the pencil impatiently against my drawing as I thrust the idea out into the open.

“Could you make something out of wood for me?” I blurted, not quite making eye contact with him.

“Hmm?” he intoned in grumpy confusion… perhaps this wasn’t the right time to ask him for a favor.

He grumbled, “What do ye need?”

I shoved the paper into his hands, explaining hastily before he tuned out entirely, “A Pinard horn… it’s a medical instrument in my time that lets you hear a person’s heartbeat more clearly… mostly used by midwives to hear baby’s within the womb.”

Murtagh’s eyes widened at this and then dropped to study what I’d given him.

“You can hear… them… wi’ this?”

“Yes,” I nodded eagerly. “I don’t remember the exact measurements… only that it’s shaped like this,” I pointed to curve of it.

“It might take a few tries to get it right,” I warned, but he shook his head.

“I dinna mind,” he assured me, then launched into a series of questions that left me without a doubt that we’d soon be able to hear my babies’ heartbeats.

I took hold of his hand, once he had all the information he needed, and squeezed it tightly, murmuring, “Thank you.”

A slow smile spread across his face as squeezed back, an acknowledging nod his response before he added, 

“Tis just wha’ the lad needs, no?”

[ryuukia]

[Translation] Ikebukuro Tsukineko Monogatari Track 1: This is Ikebukuro Block 1!

It felt like I’ve been working on text translations too much lately, so here’s some audio translations! And with this I am also reminded I’m missing 3 cats in tsukipara, Hajime being one of them.....

Anyway, many thanks to Ryota again for helping me proof this! Please don’t repost/reuse my translations. Reblogs and likes are appreciated.

Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Track 4 | Track 5

-cars passing by and paws steps are heard in the background-

Kakeru: -humming- Haaaa! Today’s also a nice day! With so many people and cars here, Ikebukuro’s as lively as always. Hm?

-meowing in the distance-

Koi: Kaaakeruuu! 

Kakeru: Hm? 

Koi: So it really was you, Kakeru-san! What a coincidence. 

Kakeru: Koi! We haven’t seen each other in a long time, haven’t we? 

Koi: Yeah, around a week. My owners went on a trip outside the city and they took me with them.

Kakeru: Ah, is that so? Where did you go? 

Koi: I’m pretty sure it was a hot spring in Tochigi. There was also a river close by, the fish was delicious!

Kakeru: Eeeh, so you went out too. How nice. My owner has a lot of part-time jobs, so we don’t really get to go out. 

Koi: Aah, I can imagine him being the working type.

Kakeru: Yeah, he is. It’s not like he’s penniless, it’s just that one of the shops where he works part-time is remodelling and they’re out of people. The rest of them are purely hobbies. 

Koi: …Hobbies?

Kakeru: Yeah, hobbies! It seems he likes to work. 

Koi: Ugh... he must be a strange guy if working is his hobby.

-more meowing-

Koi: At least cats have it better...  Ah wait, Kakeru is the same type of guy. You pick up sparkling things for your collection of shiny objects. And pretty often at that. 

Kakeru: Time feels like flying when I stare at them.

Koi: You’re just like your owner.

Kakeru: Even if you say that, Koi’s the same, right? You love fashion. Isn’t that decoration around your neck a new one?

Koi: Ah, did you notice☆? Did you? Fufu, it’s a crape decoration from a souvenir shop! Since I liked it, they gave it to me. It also has a small bell! -clink-

Kakeru: -laughs- You seem happy.

-meow sounds getting closer-

Aoi: Ah, Koi and Kakeru?

Kakeru: Oh, Aoi-san!

Arata: Eh, Pink and Kakeru?

Koi: Ugh, Arata!

Arata: Hey, hey, Pink? What’s with that attitude? 

Koi: Sorry, sorry, I said that without realizing. That was the honest voice of my heart. 

Arata: Hmm, hmm, did you want to meet me that badly? It can’t be helped, you three lonely hearts.

Koi: Gah! Don’t involve me in this!

Aoi: Your relationship is as good as always.

Kakeru: Your relationship is as good as always.

Arata & Koi: How exactly!?

Aoi: You two are not honest at all…

Kakeru: Uhm, are Aoi-san and Arata-san on a walk together?

Aoi: Yes. Since our owners are also free today and don’t have school, they said we could play in Ikebukuro so we all headed out. After that we started to talk about where we could wander. We haven’t explored the back alleys in awhile.

Arata: That’s right. The restaurants in this zone have dishes from various countries and a lot of ramen flavours, so we’re happy even with sniffing the scents. It’s worth exploring.  

Aoi: Enjoying the scents is one thing, but the fact that Arata is ready to eat any unknown dish or thing we’re given terrifies me. 

Koi: He’s a greedy one. I see.

Arata: You’re wrong. It’s more like that moment when a cute, young lady tells me ‘eat this’ and hands me this X object. As a man, there’s no way I can refuse her. 

Koi: That’s just you being openly perverted and an idiot!

Kakeru: Even if the one serving you is a cute, young lady, please don’t eat anything that looks like an X object.

Aoi: I don’t know if he’s manly or just simply reckless. Personally I’m happy with only being petted gently, there’s no need to give me pet food.

Koi: From my perspective as a fellow cat, Aoi-san is innately a really pretty cat with really slick fur. Even the other party must be happy from just touching him. As expected from the prince.

Aoi: My owner only likes to brush me.

Kakeru: Aoi-san and Arata-san’s owners are childhood friends, right?

Arata: Exactly. And since Aoi and me were bought at around the same time, you could call us childhood friends too. 

Koi: If I remember well, Aoi-san’s owner is a veterinarian, and among the abandoned cats brought to him, Arata’s owner happened to pick him-

Arata: Then since Aoi’s owner was envious of him, he went to a pet shop and bought Aoi. And according to the shop owner, Aoi’s of a really honorable pedigree type of cat, so he’s a prince in that sense.

Aoi: It’s not like I’m an actual prince. Whether I’m pure-bred doesn’t have any influence on my daily life. 

Koi: That’s for sure. Ah, but still, I’d easily believe it if I was told he's a pure-bred. He has a really high class aura around him, after all. C’mon, take Hajime-san for example. 

All: Aah!

Arata: Wasn’t Hajime-san from a very appealing and valuable race? 

Kakeru: It seems like it. He’s so valuable that for a cat lover, it would be impossible to put a price on him. It makes one wonder whether he’s a walking premium king.

Aoi: It seems Hajime-san goes out freely in that area though… I wonder if it’s alright.

Kakeru: Hmm, his owner seems like the type that doesn’t really mind it. I was told he’s allowed to do as he wishes.

Koi: Hajime-san’s owner is the spitting image of Hajime-san himself. Whenever he has the time, he comes to play with me. He’s a good person. 

Kakeru: Speaking of which, there was a time when you got so absorbed into playing that you bit his finger, Koi.

Arata: ...Why would you do something so terrible…?

Koi: I j-just… lost myself. But I apologized properly! Both Hajime-san and Hajime-san’s owner forgave me! 

Kakeru: Otherwise, Koi wouldn’t be here with us now. -sparkles-

Koi: Why do you say such scary things with a smiling face!

Arata: Well, Hajime-san himself isn’t the quiet house cat type anyway, so isn’t it a good thing that his owner is such a foolish person? I’m not allowed to stay indoors only either. When the weather is nice, I take naps in sunny places. When the weather is bad, I want to go on adventures.

Kakeru: You end up going out either way.

Arata: The ancient wild blood inside me is boiling. 

Aoi: I don’t think those with wild blood sleep soundly with their full stomachs exposed.

Arata: Shut up, Aoi. That was just… me drying in the sun. I was sitting on the futon on a sunny day like this... -sits down and turns around- and drying my belly fur.

Aoi: Yes, yes. Today’s also a good day to take naps and walk around, but having met everyone like this in particular makes me want to go and say hi to Hajime-san and Haru-san too.

Kakeru: I agree! But both of them might be out already.

Arata: Who knows. On such a nice day, maybe Hajime-san and the others are also basking in the sun.

Koi: For now let’s go look for them. At this time they’re most likely in that park with the owl statue.

Kakeru: Okay, let’s go.

If you like my work and you want to support me, you can now buy me a coffee by clicking right [here]. I also started taking commissions, more details are right [here]. Thank you~

[siidaraykashebahl]

Hour Writing Challenge!

The Prompt for this challenge was a mix of two, one where in the future, PDA is forbidden and the other is where emotions can be bought in bottles.

Time Taken: 59mins 35sec

“I can’t believe the wait-list has gotten this long already…didn’t this shop just open?”

It wasn’t exactly irritation that dripped off the words, perhaps it was just a little tension at wanting to feel the euphoria again that came with simply not caring. The society they’d grown up in was so regimented, so controlled, it was hard to deny the pleasures that came with even the smallest tastes of freedom.

“We have waited up until this point haven’t we?”

It was never easy to reason with someone you loved, it was so tempting to give in to impulse…but with public displays of affection being forbidden, it was better to simply focus on the time they would get to spend behind closed doors. No one really had an answer or told the same story as to why the bans came about. The regime simply believed that measured and controlled responses were better for the lives of their citizens. Romance often flowered into lust and lust was not easily controlled. Just like anger gave way to rage and sorrow bled into depression. It was the extremes that seemed to scare people.

Privacy was the one luxury that people were still allowed. Behind closed doors, we were allowed to behave as we liked without fear of armed guards breaking down our walls and dragging us away for a correction. People that often got taken away in the little black cars very rarely came back as anything recognizable. Shells of their former selves.

It’s why places like this shop were so popular lately. They offered a taste of what all of us wanted without any of the dangers. What they sold were simple, bottled emotions. For a premium fee, you could easily buy your way into feeling anything you wanted. The thrill of success, the heartache of a break-up, or the utter ecstasy that came with falling in love. It was all temporary, the effects rarely lasted longer than a few hours. A safe and allowable high for the masses.

When our turn finally came, it was easy for the shopkeeper to see what we wanted. Our blushing cheeks, our nervous glances at one another, the almost tangible foot of distance we kept between each other to be safe of any mishaps or slips of our raging hormones. We were both on edge, but we’d talked about making this decision months ago. In a world that didn’t allow for couples to show their love in public…when, they did decide to finally give in, it should be at its peak of expression.

“Let me guess lovebirds, you’re looking for a little something to feel that growing spark? Maybe turn it into a bonfire? Or maybe something to keep things sweet?”

Though the shopkeeper was being friendly, the large camera trained at the window was hard to miss. It’s ever-watchful eye likely feeding their faces back to some government building for analysis, making sure no one abused the system or had the gall to steal. It was at that moment that my mouth felt horribly dry, I almost couldn’t bring myself to speak. The hours that had gone into researching the different bottled emotions were slipping from her mind like there was a leak somewhere.

“We would like to try the Philia please.”

My partner’s voice was always a comfort, a gentle tenor that played over my ears and wrapped around me like a warm embrace. We had toyed around the idea of going with Eros or Agape, but something about Philia simply felt right. Our choice seemed to surprise the shopkeeper, perhaps it wasn’t a common choice?

“Not a request I get all the time from couples, everyone wants that spice and fire. I’m not gonna talk myself out of a sale though, so here you go you two. Remember, what happens in your own home is your business, don’t give anyone a show.”

The words were meant to be playful, but it was a clear warning without being overly threatening. After issuing what I hoped was a standard ending to their sales script, we were offered a pleasant enough looking vial. The liquid inside was a pale rose color, almost pink. They were engineered to be tasteless, but the internet was littered with rumors that they did have tastes, which were believed to be different based upon the person who consumed them.

With our bottle of Philia in hand, my partner and I walked along the streets. Our shared apartment wasn’t far and was already staged with our favorite take away meal, our cozy clothes, and the ideal set up for a good cuddle and watching a movie. It was believed that many couples had nights like this, once a month or so. The emotions were not cheap after all, some of them easily being the difference between groceries or worse, rent.

I could see the apartment building on the horizon and I couldn’t deny the way my heart started to pound in my chest. I knew what love was, I felt it for my partner more than anything else in this world. I knew want, lust, desire, but I also knew comfort, safety, and joy with them. It killed me a little that I couldn’t simply hug them goodbye when we walked to work or embrace them when they were struck by sadness. They say they know I care, but I worry at times. Lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t my partner’s urging right away. They were motioning me to follow them. It wasn’t in the direction of the apartment so I was very confused.

“What are you doing?”

It was a fair enough question, but they simply urged me to follow, so I did. We walked a few yards into an alley, the only thing surrounding us was tall walls with teasing glimpses of blue sky overhead. I couldn’t help but stare at my partner, the question was clear in my eyes.

“I don’t want to wait anymore. Let’s do it now.”

In their hand was the vial of Philia, their hands already moving to open it. Panic and excitement shot through my body so fast I almost felt sick. What if they got caught? What if they got sent in for a correction?

“We’re not far away from the apartment…we can take it now and by the time we arrive, it should be in effect…I just don’t want to waste a moment of this, I want to spend every second with you.”

The argument was so compelling. It made perfect sense. I was tired of waiting, I was tired of not sharing the deepest of emotions possible with them. I couldn’t say the words, but I managed to nod, reaching out to help their shaking hands. Nervousness, it made the moment all the tenser. An audible pop could be heard as the seal on the vial broke, the lid giving way. There was enough Philia for them to have a drink apiece.  My partner was always the braver person when it came to trying something new and took a drink. They were quick to shove the vial into my hand, time was of the essence after all. Cautiously I took the vial and raised it to my lips, tipping it back.

Rainwater in a summer storm with a touch of strawberry…that is what I tasted. I reminded me of the day I met my partner. A summer storm had brought us both into the same market to seek shelter, we hit it off almost instantly and the night had ended in my apartment, the taste of strawberry on my lips from what I imagined was my partner’s preferred lip balm.

The memory came on so intensely that when I looked into my partner’s eyes, I felt every desire to hold them close and never let go. The worries and the rest of the world faded away until they were little more than a silent and unspeaking audience.

“I thought I’d never feel this again…it’s just like when we first met….”

Our hands had found one another with such ease, it was like breathing. I could feel the way my partner’s thumb danced over my own, grazing it affectionately. Our lips met next, reckless abandon being the order of the day. It felt right, there was no fear, no timid shyness, just pure affection and declarations of love.

Memories of moments like this nervously shared even behind closed doors flooded between us, colliding and remembering that these feelings were not something to be ashamed of or feared, but rather something to be cherished. There seemed little in this world that would have or could have stopped their embrace…that was until a distant sound came closer and closer. In the fog of their embrace, they were spared the jarring sight of jackbooted thugs running at them from both directions, batons raised and coming down in beating force. They would not know the taste of blood on their lips, and they would not know the terror of being pulled from another and stuffed into the backs of black cars.

Many people saw and many people did nothing…and that is just how the powers that be wanted it. To rule those in fear is so much easier than ruling those who are not afraid to raise their voices.

((If you liked what you’re reading, consider reaching out to view my Patreon where more projects like this one live.))

[fitprocafe-blog]

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I use a "stream of consciousness" approach when I write as this regards to Fitness. There are a few in betweens here. Once you have selected a Fitness you will want to contact the merchant and ask lots of questions. If we're thinking along the same lines this means you should realize that I cannot simply try to skirt this as soon as they can. Perhaps this doesn't mean anything to you. It led to a couple of high tension moments. I say this in honored health. They've been busy. In point of fact, Health is not what it seems. I heard that through the grapevine. Alright so what am I talking about? Fitness has been above and beyond what I expected. Fitness can take care of the problem in this case. There are several celebrated schemes. Our Health influences a lot of our Health habits. They're real geniuses. This is a highly rated Fitness. Let's find the errors that even experts make. That's the time to let the cat out of the bag. It is a proven fact that Fitness can do this instantly. Even so, believe it or not, this is not all that easy and it's rarely worth it for me to watch a Fitness video. The paramount belief is how you go about it. A sophisticated feature is Fitness where there is a Fitness. If you don't feel something, you may as well not exist. I'm trying for some improvement in the near future. Haven't I considered it? There are a wide range of sentiments in this realm.

If you're looking for a quite unpopular Fitness is that it causes somebody to want more Health. After a storm comes a Health. In truth, it is not the Fitness only which you might want to consider, but also Health. I'm breaking new ground here yet that's some additional news.

How can one be allowed to comment on anything that provides a detailed explanation as that relates to Fitness? The big concern is, how can you know when that time comes? Nothing in this world is perfect and a predicament is no exception. It's the time to join the ranks of Fitness. That was undeniable evidence. I can take a break from their responsibility for a few days. This begs the question, "Look before you leap." Fitness has an extraordinary future. It is not explosive.

That is suggested to follow both at the same time. Eight out of ten gather they'll continue to use Fitness like that. Health does offer you a degree of accountability. Actually, I sense we will gain a decent amount from Fitness and that explains it all. The ball is in your court. Supposedly, who do you ask touching on that? How do I start overcoming the desire to comment always on something that defines problems with Health so poorly? Necessarily, we're not all that hugable. It's not that breakable.

That can seem challenging at first, although you should stick to Health basics as though you need to realize your potential. I suspect that they were crying crocodile tears.

Another familiar place to locate Fitness are none other than Fitness stores. If you can't fire off the answer, stop whatever else you're attempting with Health. They've been too lazy to make this happen. We'll see that through to the very end. For More Info: https://www.fitprocafe.com/

[actuallyvirtual]

The Best Kitchen-Knife Sets on Amazon, According to Our Reviews

Home cooks love these blades. Take this person, who is "no culinary specialist only a normal buddy who cooks tacos and burgers and stuff that way." He thinks these blades are "SHARP," and he's coincidentally demonstrated it: "The shading is somewhat mushy to me however they cut with accuracy and my finger can confirm that." Another analyst concurs that they're "not something you'd need to use as a swap for an expert evaluation blade set yet for the easygoing home kitchen gourmet expert, they're okay." Another person calls this set his "best blade purchase of the year." Although he's "had more honed, better quality blades" previously, "for essential kitchen use," he says, "this is the set to purchase." Like the clumsy taco cook, numerous commentators caution you that the hues are extreme. Not excessively it's a terrible thing. "On the off chance that hues trouble you, remain away on the grounds that these are bright," says one analyst. "I've just had the option to acquaint myself with what blade is the thing that shading and what I have to utilize them for," he says. (Strat tip: If you would prefer not to remember shading and capacity, you can likewise simply take a gander at the blades to comprehend what to utilize them for.) "I paid about $20 for this arrangement of blades and at that value they merit each penny."

Best kitchen-blade set with wood square

AmazonBasics Premium 18-Piece Knife Block Set

The solidness of this "excessively sharp and overwhelming" set stunned and intrigued analysts. As per one, "I ended up purchasing blade square sets routinely on the grounds that nothing under $200 keeps going nowadays, until I bought these. They are pleasant and gauged. Incredible quality and enduring whenever dealt with property (hand wash and dry, don't place in dishwasher or you could rust them). I am satisfied with these," he says. Another analyst — an expert gourmet specialist for very nearly 20 years — recently imagined that "you don't get quality in a cheap blade set. This AmazonBasics Premium set truly intrigued me … This here is a quality item at a decent cost. Approach them with deference and they will keep going for quite a long time."

Best (more affordable) kitchen-blade set with wood square

AmazonBasics 14-Piece Knife Set with High-carbon Stainless-steel Blades and Pine Wood Block

$23 (was $26, presently 12% off) 4.3 stars, 907 audits

Analysts were intrigued by this moderately economical set's capacity to hold up to pricier sets. One expert gourmet specialist says, "I utilize great (read: costly) blades at work throughout the day. My economical life partner astounded me with these for the home. Obviously, I was distrustful … So I put them under a magnifying glass against my Miyabis. Inconceivable. I was really stunned at how well these functioned!" Dozens of commentators additionally adulated the sharpness of the cutting edges, with one saying that considerably following a half year, "They're as yet the most keen blades I've at any point had and I haven't needed to hone them since I opened them." Others acclaim the blades' weight, which "enables each cut to confess all (and didn't squish the tomatoes down!)." People likewise like the included kitchen shears, which are both "very much made" and "awesome."

Best bamboo wood blade set

KitchenAid 14-Piece Classic Forged Series Brushed Stainless Steel Cutlery Set

$62 (was $71, presently 13% off)

The bamboo hinder that accompanies this arrangement of blades was a major draw for customers. "The set is encased in delightful bamboo wood, which likewise holds the coordinated precious stone sharpener," thinks of one. "I am very content with this set and prescribe it most exceptionally." Another says, "These blades are lovelier than I expected, just like the bamboo blade square. They have an extremely decent parity and a decent edge, and will be an ideal present for a youngster moving out all alone; she may never need to purchase blades for an amazing remainder." And not exclusively do these rivetless handles look remarkable, as indicated by one commentator, "They're agreeable to hold, look really wonderful, and appear to be dependably strong."

Best kitchen-blade set with a glass square

Mercer Culinary Genesis 6-Piece Forged Knife Block Set, Tempered Glass Block

4.7 stars, 944 audits

"I am an all out blade upstart and these blades are THE BEST," keeps in touch with one commentator, who says these blades "truly bring me delight regularly." He lost a $300 set during a move and "would not like to hack up" that a lot of cash once more. In the wake of purchasing these a little hesitantly, he writes,"I can genuinely say that at a large portion of the value these blades are similarly on a par with the other options. The steel is top notch, they hold their sharpness, they're even and agreeable to hold, in addition to I love the cutting edge glass blade hinder." There are advantages to that glass square, other than feel. Another client clarifies: "It bodes well than some other blade stockpiling I've seen. Initially, the edges aren't laying on anything. In contrast to customary wooden obstructs, it's staggeringly simple to clean. Simply take the top rack off, unscrew the highest points of the columns and it breaks into pieces." He prefers the blades themselves, as well, calling them "the best blades" he's at any point possessed. "The blades worked like enchantment. They are sharp, yet in the event that you handle them with care, they accomplish the work for you," says. One thing to recollect, "don't place wet blades in" the stand warms another analyst. "They'll cloud within the glass."

Best German kitchen-blade set

Zwilling J.A. Henckels 30768-000 TWIN Signature Knife Block Set, 11 Piece

4.3 stars, 642 surveys

This set, as one commentator composes, is comprised of "very sharp and expert evaluation cuts." Another observing analyst says, "I was searching for manufactured Zwilling edges, made in Germany. These component ice-solidified, stepped cutting edges. At the point when cutting edges are solidified right now more strong and durable than standard stepped sharp edges. You'll quickly see that the cutting edges remain more keen for more and will hold their edge." Another analyst lauded that "you can simply feel how well they are assembled." Yet another fulfilled client raved that "the blades are lightweight, even and the handles are ergonomically all around intended for an entirely agreeable grasp, assisting with decreasing exhaustion if doing a ton of prep work. I was astounded by how light [but also] tough [they are] because of German steel and Henckels hardening process."

Best blade set with scissors

Farberware 15-Piece Stamped Stainless Steel Knife Block Set

$36 (was $40, presently 10% off) 4.2 stars, 1,269 audits

While a few blade sets on this rundown accompany scissors, customers saw the pair included here as particularly high caliber. One commentator even cautions, "The scissors are exceptionally sharp, be cautious!" Another says, "The scissors are so valuable. Never any issues with free handles." Other customers adulated the smooth plan of the set. "I feel you can never turn out badly with Faberware items," remarks one. "The structure is pleasant and up-to-date and these blades cut with such accuracy." Another expresses, "Smooth and looks extraordinary in the kitchen."

Best kitchen-blade sets with sharpeners

Calphalon Classic Self-Sharpening Cutlery Knife Block Set, 12 Piece

$140 (was $174, presently 20% off) 4.3 stars, 686 audits

The most helpful and mainstream highlight of this set is the worked in sharpener. As one analyst clarifies, "the large blades have a self-honing stone when you place them back in their holding region that hones the blade as you slide it back in!" Another commentator noticed that this framework "took some becoming acclimated to having sharp blades since I've had such dull ones every one of these years. Didn't understand how terrible mine were until we got these." Others concurred this set was certainly justified regardless of the cost. One says, "As an understudy, I became accustomed to carrying on with the modest life. $25 Costco blade sets can be similarly comparable to the genuine article, correct? I lived in my universe of elective realities, head covered in the sand like an ostrich maintaining a strategic distance from eye to eye connection with its smash. I continued accepting my blades were okay and that it was all the potato's deficiency my blade wasn't cutting anything." But then "my head at long last left the sand when I talented myself this Calphalon blade set. This more likely than not been the blade set Mickey Mouse used to cut his bread so dainty. Oneself honing square keeps the blades more keen than my granddad's mind." Others conceded to (the blades, since apparently not many of them knew the other analyst's granddad). "These cut easily," they said. What's more, "the blades appear to get more honed with each utilization." And at long last, "I give nothing 5 stars as I might suspect most things can be enhanced. I am absolutely content with these blades. Worth the cash, as I would see it."

[razieltwelve]

Necessity (Legend of Korra AU Snippet)

Korra glared at Azula with all the power she could muster. It had absolutely no effect.

“How pathetic,” Azula drawled. “Even your predecessor could glare better than you and he was a vegetarian who tried his hardest to be a pacifist until reality convinced him that sometimes you have to break a few eggs if you want to make a decent omelette.”

“You’re a terrible person, you know that right?” Korra grumbled. The teenager was half-buried under a pile of books and pieces of paper. “I’m the Avatar. I can understand the torture you call training, but do I really need to know how modern banking, taxation, and economics work?”

Azula poked Korra in the side with the cane she used whenever she had to fake being a helpless, old woman for a mission. “Money, Korra, makes the world go round. You might the Avatar, but you are only one person. Do you know why the Fire Nation did so well against the combined might of the Earth Kingdom, the Water Tribes, and the Air Nomads?”

“Because you guys were really good at setting stuff on fire?” 

“Apart from that, Korra.”

“Uh…” Korra had learned the hard way that the look on Azula’s face right now meant that she had better give a decent answer or her afternoon training session was likely going to involve the wonders of lightning and what it did when it struck Avatars who were too slow to dodge or bend it away. “Industrial capacity?”

“Hmm…” Azula gave Korra a thoughtful look. “That’s actually not a terrible answer. Yes. In simple terms, the advanced technology and greater industrial capacity of the Fire Nation gave us a sizeable advantage. However, it was our economic strength that truly allowed us to crush our enemies.”

“I see…” Korra did her best to imitate the expression Tenzin had whenever he said anything particularly wise. Alas, her lack of a beard to stroke really ruined the effect.

“It’s obvious that you don’t.” Azula sat down opposite Korra. “Logistics is the key to war, Korra. Armies need food, equipment, shelter, and other supplies. Whoever can provide those things the most efficiently across the largest possible area will be victorious. The Fire Nation was the first modern economy, and it was built on the industrialisation of production. Machines, primitive automation, mass production - all of these allowed us to outproduce and out supply our opponents. Moreover, our stronger economy allowed us to either buy out or pressure independent factions, forcing them to join us or removing them from the field of battle.”

“You make it sound like the Fire Nation should have won.”

“In all honesty, we would have if my father hadn’t been an idiot and if I hadn’t been insane.” Azula chuckled grimly. “The Earth Kingdom was on its last legs, ruled by a well-meaning but utterly incompetent man. The Water Tribes were essentially non-entities in terms of military strength outside of the polar regions. The Air Nomads, well, you know what happened there. Your predecessor and his allies rightfully identified that removing the Fire Nation’s leadership was the best chance they had for victory, and my father obliged by picking a fight with Avatar Aang while I…” Azula’s lips twitched. “I was in such a poor state of mind that I actually lost a fight to my brother. Honestly, if I’d been in my right mind, I would have beaten him easily. Oh, well, I can’t really blame him. Had the roles been reversed, then I’d have done the same. Attacking an opponent who is too mentally unstable to fight properly is the intelligent thing to do.”

Korra winced. Azula could occasionally be quite candid about her past, and it was not a nice past. “And this relates to my current assignment…?”

“You are the Avatar,” Azula said. “When you reach the height of your power, I doubt there will be a single person who will be able to best you in battle. I will make sure of that. But the world is a big place. Can you be everywhere at once? Can you fight everyone’s battles for them? You may not see it now, but the world stands on the precipice of change. Machinery continues to improve, the divisions between benders and non-benders grow, and discontent is rising.”

“People keep telling me that,” Korra murmured. “But I hardly ever get to leave this place.”

“I will see what I can do about that,” Azula replied. “A naive Avatar will likely end up a dead Avatar.” She grinned. “Believe, I know. But back to the matter at hand. The truth, Korra, is that most people are not interested in high minded ideals, honour, or anything like that. What they want is simple: a roof over their head, money in their pockets, and nice things for their family. Can you, as the Avatar, give that to them?”

“Not to all of them,” Korra replied. “Maybe some, but not all.”

“Yes. You’re powerful… not omnipotent.” Azula nodded at the books. “But as the Avatar you will be incredibly influential on the rulers of the various nations. Economic policy will be key to establishing long-lasting piece. If people are content, well fed, and wealthy, they will not go to war, nor will they look upon their neighbours with envy and discontent. As the Avatar, you will be called upon to settle conflicts. You need to understand which side you should be on and what recommendations you should make.”

Korra nodded slowly. Years ago, she’d believed being the Avatar would be simple. The more she learned, the more she realised there was always more to learn. “That can’t be your only motive, can it?”

“The White Lotus are not your friends,” Azula said. “They are using you. In a way, everyone wants to use you. After all, you are the most powerful piece on the board. Keeping you isolated here removes your ability to form political alliances and amass monetary wealth. Once you take up your duties, though, you will be travelling a great deal. If you are wise, you will make political alliances, and you will spot investment opportunities.”

“You’re teaching me how to make those investments…” Korra paused as a thought occurred to her. She reached for a book and began to flip through it. “And you’re teaching me how to hide any money I make!”

Azula smiled. “Very good. If people know where your money is, they can take it or cut you off from it. The White Lotus has eyes and ears everywhere. But if you have money they don’t know about, they won’t be able to plan against it, and they’ll be caught off guard once you use it. Feign weakness until you have built up your strength.”

“To buy an army?”

“If you need to.” Azula shrugged. “But there are many other reasons why you might want to have money at your disposal. Bribes are essential throughout much of the world. Some coin here and there can preserve the peace temporarily while you look for a permanent solution. And promising individuals can be helped to reach their potentials if you have sufficient funds. Money, Korra, matters, and it is simply another form of power. You need to learn how to use it.”

“How much money do you have?” Korra asked.

Azula told her.

“…” Korra’s eye twitched. “Are you serious?”

“I have made many fine investments in my life, some legal and some… less so. Over time, those investments have paid off handsomely, and I have diversified my portfolio to ensure my fortunes are protected from downturns in any single area. How do you think I fund my spy network and my other endeavours? People don’t work for free, and threats will only get you so far.”

“You could buy better instant noodles then,” Korra countered. “You always get the cheap stuff!”

“If I started spoiling you with premium instant noodles, you’d get soft.” Azula smirked. “And what makes you think I’m not keeping the premium instant noodles for myself?”

“You wouldn’t…” Korra trailed off as she realised that, yes, Azula totally would keep premium instant noodles. “You have!”

“Of course.” Azula smiled sunnily. It was terrifying. “And now that you know about them, I can use them as a reward.”

“You might be the most evil person I know,” Korra said seriously.

“Oh, Korra, you have no idea.”

X     X     X

Author’s Notes

Korra’s naivety when it came to matters of economics in the show was mind-boggling. She might be the most powerful person in the world, but her naivety in certain critical areas left her woefully underprepared. Indeed, it’s difficult to believe it wasn’t intentional since keeping her naive would make it very easy for the White Lotus to ‘advise’ her in a manner that allowed them to use her power for their own ends.

You can find me on fanfiction.net, AO3, and Amazon.

[mrswhozeewhatsis]

A Woman of Letters (Getting a Feel for Sam Winchester) - Chapter 36

Summary:  You’ve just opened an occult bookstore in Lebanon, Kansas, when you fall for a tall, handsome customer…literally. You soon find out that there’s more to the world than you ever suspected, including you. Discovering your heritage puts you directly in a witch’s crosshairs, though, so the Winchesters offer to take you in and teach you how to protect yourself. As you discover your own family history with the supernatural and your own hidden talents, you can’t help but wish a certain brother was as excited about your interest as you are.

Total length: 43 chapters, 70,247 words - Read on AO3 - Series masterlist

Chapter word count: 1548 words

Pairing: Sam x Reader

Warnings: Canon-level angst and violence

Sam

As Dean was driving them back to the bunker, Sam’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Pulling it out, he found a text from Y/N. As he read the text to Dean, his worry for her welfare calmed a little bit. Sam tried to call her, but the call went directly to voicemail. He huffed in frustration, then told Dean about the text.

Dean hit the steering wheel angrily, then rubbed it with his hand as if to apologize to his Baby for the violence. “Dammit. So, what, is he in love with her or something? Why the hell is he doing this? What’s in it for him?” Dean and Sam both jumped when Crowley’s voice came out of the back seat of the car.

“Well, she stays safe, and I get a Moose and Squirrel heeding my every beck and call. So now all of the resources that are at your disposal are also at my disposal, including the library in that bunker of yours. If my mother wanted it, even though she once had Hell’s library at her fingertips, then there must be something there worth wanting. Really, Squirrel, I would have thought you could have figured all this out by now.”

Dean pulled the car over to the side of the road and turned with Sam to face Crowley in the back seat. “Like hell, Crowley! We’re not giving you anything until you give her back! How do we even know she’s alive? All we have is a text message that you could have sent!” Sam felt his heart thundering in his ears again at the thought that Y/N really could be dead or hurt.

Crowley snapped his fingers, and a piece of paper appeared in his hand. He held it out toward Sam and indicated he should take it. “Here, Moose. Proof of life, and health. I expect the next time I call you, you’ll be more amenable to my requests.” Sam took the piece of paper and Crowley disappeared.

On the piece of paper was a complicated web address and a password. Sam pulled out his laptop while Dean put the car in drive and got back on the road. When he brought up the web site and put in the password, Sam gasped.

The screen was split four ways, and each quadrant was a security camera feed of a suite of rooms. Sitting on the edge of the bed in one of the feeds was Y/N. Sam’s heart ached. She was just sitting there, looking around like she was lost and didn’t know what to do. As Dean was pulling the car into the bunker’s garage and turned to see what Sam was looking at, a message scrolled across the bottom of the screen.

“Behave, and you’ll get sound.” Sam felt his throat close for a moment while Dean slammed his hand on the steering wheel again.

“Son of a BITCH!” Dean got out of the car, slamming the door. Sam slowly closed the laptop, knowing he had to get out the car, and couldn’t carry it open like that, but not wanting to possibly sever the only remaining connection he had to Y/N. He almost held his breath while he walked to the library until he opened up his laptop again, and the security feed was still there. He watched as Y/N started pacing around the room, wringing her hands, and felt tears prick his eyes when he realized she was crying. He watched her until she lay down on the bed, obviously cried out, and fell asleep.

Over the next week, Crowley gave Sam and Dean a few little assignments, each of which they grudgingly completed after Crowley threatened to cut off the security feeds, or remove whatever thing Y/N had found to do most recently to stave off boredom. Sam had watched Y/N refuse food for the first day and a half, until Crowley pointed to the cameras. After a short discussion, Crowley left, and Y/N spent some time just staring at them. Sam watched as she suddenly got up, pulled out paper and a pen from the desk, and started writing. When she was done, she walked over to one of the cameras and put the piece of paper in front of it so he could read it.

“Sam, I love you. I’m okay. This part of Hell isn’t so bad. I miss you, and wish I could see you like you can see me. Don’t worry about me. Stay safe. I love you.”

Sam took a screenshot of the feed while Y/N was holding up the letter and saved it for later. After Y/N threw away the paper in the bathroom, she returned to the camera, and blew a kiss into it. With a teary smile, Sam pretended to catch it and hold it to his heart, even though he knew she couldn’t see him.

When he wasn’t staring at the screen, watching Y/N’s every movement, or running one of Crowley’s little errands, he was trying to formulate an ironclad plan to get her back. It wasn’t the first time Sam had broken into Hell, but instead of unexpectedly rescuing one innocent soul among billions, this time he’d be rescuing what would be considered a high-value asset to the King, and they would be expecting him. Y/N was most likely very heavily guarded, and was probably very close to wherever Crowley spent most of his time. Sam had watched Crowley take many meals with Y/N, even though he didn’t eat. He tried not to be jealous when he saw Y/N relax around him, even laughing at something he’d said a few times. Y/N was kind-hearted, always looked for the bright side of any situation, and could find something to love about anyone. The fact that she loved him proved that.

Sam shook his head to clear it. He needed a plan to get into Hell, find Y/N, fight through the highest security Hell would have to offer, and get out again. All without Crowley finding out. That meant no interrogating demons for the info. Sam sighed.

After a week, and after Sam and Dean had found and handed over a cursed item to Crowley, the security feed suddenly had sound. Sam had been lying in bed, the laptop open on his night stand next to him, trying not to sleep because he was watching Y/N fold laundry. Why she had to fold her own laundry was anyone’s guess, and Sam figured she had begged Crowley to let her do some of her own chores simply to alleviate boredom. As Sam’s eyes were drooping, he heard Y/N’s voice out of the blue.

“If you’d told me ten years ago I’d be begging to do laundry, I’d have called you bad names and had you sent to the loony bin.” Sam’s eyes flew open, and his tired mind tried to figure out if he was dreaming or not. As she kept on talking, letting fly a running monologue on laundry, the clothes Crowley had provided for her, the laundry facilities in the bathroom, and really anything that came to her mind, Sam realized it was really her he was hearing. Sam almost kissed the screen. As he watched and listened, he heard a knock on her door, and heard her yell for whoever it was to come in. A moment later, Crowley showed up in the living room and greeted Y/N.

“Hello, my dear. I’m hoping you’re doing well. I just came to let you know that I’ve wired the feeds for sound, so your beloved Moose can hear you now. No more love letters to the cameras needed.” Sam watched Y/N’s face register the surprise, and then she shrugged. “Besides, you were going to clog the plumbing with all that paper.” Sam chuckled. So much for hiding the evidence of what she’d been doing. Y/N’s eyes kept traveling to the nearest camera while she and Crowley had a pleasant chat about things she needed or wanted. As soon as Crowley was out the door, Y/N rushed over to the nearest camera.

“Sam?” Y/N sighed. “Yeah, I know, you have no way to respond. I don’t know why I keep listening and looking. Anyway, I hope you’re not just spending all day and all night watching me. That’s got to be the most boring TV show ever. And I apologize in advance for the stupid things I say when I’m talking to myself. Godfrey isn’t a talker, Crowley isn’t here much, and the guards just grunt and nod, so intelligent conversation is at a premium around here.” Y/N sighed again and looked around. “I don’t know what to say. I’m here. I’m fine. I love you. And don’t waste too much time watching me, okay? I’m trying to keep busy, I’m reading, I’m watching movies, but I’m more bored than anything, so watching me be bored has got to be doubly boring for you. I love you too much to think of you glued to your laptop 24/7 watching me be bored.” Y/N paused and looked around. “Well, I guess it’s back to laundry for me.” Y/N blew a kiss at the camera and smiled. As she turned away, Sam saw her wipe something from her face and sighed.

[prorevenge]

Pretend to be a "good guy" and exploit my buddy? Let me show you how to REALLY be an evil villain!

Hello there and welcome to a tale of (what I hope is at least somewhat) pro revenge. Be forewarned, it's a bit long.

Before I start, I would like to point out that this story did not take place in the real world, but instead took place in the online world of the space MMORPG called Eve Online. For those unfamiliar with it, it's a game where you fly around space with ships of varying sized (the largest up to 20km's) and basically blow shit up, or build stuff. It's one of the truest sandbox games out there.

​Eve Online however, is notorious for being both extremely difficult, and VERY unforgiving. Certain practices that are straight out banned in other games, are not only allowed, but actively encouraged by the developers. Things such as scams, theft, espionage on a massive scale,... You name it, as long as it's done with the ingame mechanics, it's allowed and it's been done by a LOT of people.

Also, if a ship is destroyed, it's gone, poof, and you have to buy a completely new one.

Enter, myself. I was never a good guy, I was one of the worst of the worst, doing everything, using every dirtiest trick in the book, just to get the advantage and win fights, steal money, scam people. I would purposely look for defenseless corporations (the clan system in Eve) and then extort money from them. If they refused, I'd declare war on them and hunt them down mercilessly.

So you might be thinking, the pro-revenge was executed on myself? Well, sorry to disappoint, but no. Plenty of people have tried, all have failed.

No, this story is about a friend of mine that wanted to play the game. The problem was, he wasn't an evil bastard like I was and only wanted to build stuff peacefully. So I gave him some cash, advice, and left my calling card for when he ever got in trouble.

One of the pieces of advice I gave him, was to hook up with a decent corporation. They'd be able to help him further with the industrial side of the game (I know most of it, but not some of the finer details).

And here is where things went wrong. You see, in Eve, there's 2 things that I really dislike. The first is people that fuck over true friends, and the second is sleazy corporate CEO's (corporation leaders) that mercilessly exploit new players to do mindless drone work for them, while they stuff all the profits into their pockets.

Guess which type of CEO my friend managed to get himself involved with...

So after I was contacted by him, because he started to smell something fishy, he explained the situation and I was quickly able to verify that my buddy was not only selling his minerals to his CEO at WAAAAY under market price, the CEO was actually using those minerals to build capital ships (some of the biggest ships in the game), which he then sold on for a premium, raking in a massive amount of profit and not sharing any of it with his "subjects/slaves".

Consider my pet peeved...

I might be a bad guy, but at least I don't pretend to be a good guy while ruthlessly exploiting others and force them to do mindless work. I just straight up take everything that isn't bolted to the floor and take off.

So I went into evil genius mode and started planning. I started by telling my buddy to start putting in extra effort (keep in mind, he was thinking of just leaving that corporation at the time) and try and work himself into a position of power.

At the same time, I used a few of my many "alts" (second, third,... accounts with characters, I had 8 or so when I quit) to infiltrate his corporation. One of them was my own "industrial" character that had basic manufacturing skills, but an insane library of blueprints (the stuff you use to build stuff with, spoiler, they were all stolen at one time).

I used this character to get access to the corporation's POS-es (Player Owned Structure), that they were using to research their capital blueprints, using the excuse that I'd also like some time on there to research my own blueprints. After 3 days, I had the access I needed and stole everything. Their entire POS infrastructure and all of their blueprints that were there at the time. Totaling some 15 Billion isk (the ingame credit). Converted to real money at the time, it came to about 500 dollars in damage. (To put the 15 billion into perspective, that is the money that would, at the time, buy you 100 fully equipped battleships, just about).

However, I wasn't done yet. There was a reason I had infiltrated multiple characters, and several more were present as sleeper agents. Being a bit active, but not much, just enough to stay in the corporation. Meanwhile, my buddy was hard at work at proving himself to the corp. The CEO even complimented him publicly for his "new-found" vigor. I suppose a 7.5 billion paycheck will do that to you. He eventually managed to get himself promoted to "director", as one of the officers under the CEO.

I actually held off on phase 2 of my plan for well over a year and a half, in order to let the CEO recover a bit from the blow he'd been given. All this was taking place around the time when CCP (the developers) were introducing the replacement structures for POS-es, namely, citadels. I actually got lucky with my theft since not a month after I stole their research POS, CCP introduced the replacement structure (Engineering Complexes). Naturally, as soon as they had put down their first citadel, I struck again. This time on my main character that is a notorious racketeer.

I gave them an ultimatum to pay me 2 billion, or I would commence a war and destroy their citadel. They refused.

Naturally, it ended up in them being chased across half the cluster and dying in droves. They got desperate as I was finding them no matter where they went, even in the remotest of corners. This was because I had activated one of my sleepers a month before I had declared war. Using this character, I was aware of the location of every single member out in space, and I had a literal live feed on hostile comms.

That said, I did make it a point to hunt down the CEO whenever I got the opportunity, which led to him losing quite a few expensive ships.

Other groups had smelled the blood in the water though, and soon enough there were multiple incoming wars onto the corporation, which led to me getting an opportunity that I simply couldn't resist.

Earlier, I had given the CEO the idea for a fit (basically the gear you put on the ship) for a very expensive ship (a Vindicator if you're wondering). And I'd purposely made it VERY expensive with high end gear, with the hope that he'd be dumb enough to go ahead and just buy it to then use it against me (keep in mind, he had a habit of using his credit card to buy plex in order to sell that and get ingame money).

The bait was too juicy, and he took it, hook, line and sinker. Except there was one teensy tiny issue.

You see, in order to buy the ship, he'd gone to one of the main market hubs (Amarr) to buy the ship for the best prices, except there were guys from another war right there, waiting for him to undock from the station so they could blow him up (they may or may not have been friends of mine and they may or may not have received a tip).

So I jumped on the opportunity and used my sleeper agent to convince the guy, to trade his ship to one of my other characters, so I could transport it to his home base.

5 minutes later, and I was the proud owner of a shiny new Vindicator worth in excess of 2.5 billion.

Naturally, this burned my spy, but at the time, I couldn't care less, I had more.

Eventually, the war ended with their station being destroyed, multiple billions of ships destroyed (he actually bought a second Vindicator, and lost it against me), a 2.5 billion isk ship stolen and their corporation in tatters.

I wasn't done yet.

You see, I don't toy with my food, when I can, I go straight for the jugular.The first time around, I had to wait to execute my plan because my friend wasn't in a position of power yet. But now he was.

Using YET another one of my characters (no sleeper agent this time), I contacted the CEO and proposed a deal. I pretended to be a businessman and proposed to invest in his corporation due to the promise I saw in him.

I lured him in with the promise that I had 2 moons ready for mining (they had literally just released those structures and the possibility to use them in high security space) and that I would provide the infrastructure and ownership, and they could use it for a fixed percentage of their profits (the moons themselves being quite valuable, one single haul being upwards of 800 million). That, and a majority stake in corporate shares, through which the profits would be paid out. Naturally, the CEO didn't want to give up corporate control (I had been counting on it from the beginning), but we were able to arrange it so that I would receive 40% of the corporate shares, with both he and his 2 directors each taking 20%. That way they would still be in control of the corporation, but I'd be able to exert some pressure on them (in reality, shares are actually 100% useless if you don't have a majority control).

However, my buddy was a director, and as such, we did have a majority stake in their corporation.

As soon we knew the other director was going away for an extended weekend off-grid and the CEO logged off, my friend used his shares and ran for CEO.

Both my friend and I voted for him to win, and nothing could stop us. By the time the CEO got back online, it was too late. He'd been reduced to a grunt and was left to see as we emptied the corporate hangars from everything he'd put in there (a LOT of stuff, at least 20 billion worth).

We then kicked both him and the other director, and anyone else that was loyal to him.

Eventually, under the guidance of my friend, the corp was quite successful and they even decided to just outright buy my moon mining installations. Last I heard, they put up some more and are steadily growing.

I've since hung up my coat however and "won" Eve so to say.

But it's still one of my best stories from my time there.

(source) (story by Nunu_Dagobah)

[gumnut-logic]

Gentle Rain (Part Five)

Title: Gentle Rain

Warm Rain Series

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

Author: Gumnut

23 Jan 2019

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: Sometimes it is so gentle, you don’t realise it is happening.

Word count: 1986

Spoilers & warnings: Virgil/Kayo, Scott/OC, spoilers for Warm Rain up to this point in the timeline.

Timeline: Six months after ‘The Proposal’, almost a sequel.

Author’s note: For @scribbles97 A little shorter than usual, but at least you get it in one day instead of having to wait several and besides, it stopped itself there. More conversations in this. I promise the rest of the boys will make an appearance soon. I was pondering a situation at the end involving John, but I figured you’d all kill me if I put a hole in TB5 or crashed TB3, so I didn’t :D I hope you realise how much effort is being put in to not blow anything up here :D Many, many thanks for all your wonderful support and particularly regarding Em. I wasn’t sure how well I could write her, but I’ve received lots of very kind comments, so thank you ever so much ::giant group hug::

Disclaimer: Mine? You’ve got to be kidding. Money? Don’t have any, don’t bother.

-o-o-o-

Virgil shook himself once he made it into the hallway. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it all, other than he was definitely going to have words with his brother.

Kay seemed to be forming a friendship with the doctor and as far as he was concerned, that was something to be encouraged, despite the conspiracies likely in his future. He had wondered for years if locking themselves away on an island was a good thing, particularly for his sister and grandmother. The socialising options were almost non-existent.

He frowned. In fact, he couldn’t recall Kay making any real connections with anyone since they had moved out there. Except perhaps Penny. Was that healthy? But then he hadn’t made any connections himself either. A sigh. Yet another sacrifice for International Rescue.

Skipping two floors and a couple of corridors, he approached Scott’s room. Jeremy was on duty today and Virgil smiled as the security guard held out the portable hand scanner. It could be considered ridiculous to go to this level of security, but when the Hood fools you once, you do your best to prevent it from happening again. The man’s death hadn’t changed Tracy security standard. Kayo wouldn’t allow it.

After confirming his biological identity, Virgil pulled his iR ident card out of his pocket and flashed it across the hospital’s security panel. The door slid silently open.

The room inside was dark. Virgil slipped in quietly, not wanting to disturb Scott if he was asleep.

Sleep was the main reason why his brother was so cranky in hospital. He found it almost impossible to get enough rest. Ever the light sleeper Scott would wake at the smallest disturbance. Whether it was years as a pseudo-parent to his younger siblings or as an acquired response due to the Air Force or International Rescue, his big brother could go from a dead sleep to fully alert in a split second. Useful as an emergency responder, a pain in the ass in hospital.

Virgil stepped lightly across the room to the chair beside his brother’s bed and sure enough, the older man was asleep. Scott’s hair was in his eyes and he lay on his right side, his left arm in a cast draped over his chest, keeping it clear of the injury in his abdomen. Virgil let out a breath and sat down as quietly as he could. He didn’t often see Scott asleep. Scott unconscious, yes, simply sleeping? It was rare to actually be able to approach him without waking him. The fact he wasn’t currently awake now was likely because the man was ill, medicated and exhausted.

Sliding his tablet from his back pocket, he sent a text to Kay and settled down to read his latest issue of Engineering International.

-o-o-o-

After Virgil left, the room was silent until Em broke it with a sigh. “I’m sorry I did that. Didn’t mean to blubber all over your fiancé.”

Kayo sat up straighter in her seat. “You’ve been through a lot. Be patient with yourself.”

“It shouldn’t matter. It’s not like I have lost anything I haven’t already lost.”

Kayo bit back a reply. The doctor obviously wasn’t ready to face the issue. “Give it time.”

Em didn’t answer, but looked away a moment before turning back, her expression calmer. “How is he really?”

Kayo blinked. “Virgil?” Em nodded. “His usual stubborn self. Why?”

“He comes across as a man who hides his concerns from others.”

Thoughtful. “Virgil...Virgil thinks he is protecting others from himself.” The idiot. “It’s a Tracy genetic fault.”

Em smiled. “So, I should expect similar from his brothers?”

“Oh, probably, with unique variations. Alan, you will find on the floor somewhere before he admits to it. Gordon is a drama queen. He’ll joke about breaking limbs before he admits to having broken one. John, well, where is John? Yes, he has admitted himself to hospital when you weren’t looking. And Scott? He’ll ask you ‘What injury?’ while picking pieces of himself off the floor.”

Em stared. “You really grew up with these guys, didn’t you.”

“Oh, yes. Yes I did.”

“Stressful?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” She grinned and Em grinned back.

Silence fell for a moment and the doctor’s expression grew thoughtful. “Do they get injured a lot?”

That sobered Kayo. “Sometimes. It is risky work.”

“What about you?”

She shrugged. “A few times.”

“How do you cope?”

Kayo thought a moment. “We’re family. We make do.”

“But last time was different.” It wasn’t a question.

Kayo straightened her face, not really willing to speak about it. “He nearly died. Wasn’t the first time.” But it was the closest.

Em appeared to realise she was stepping on intensely private territory. “I’m sorry, it is none of my business. I just...I want to understand.” She frowned. “Why do you do it?”

“International Rescue?” Em nodded. “Because when you cry for help you need to know that there is someone out there who will answer.” It was almost a motto.

“But why you? Why your family? You sacrifice so much.”

“Who else is there? Should we step back and let someone else make the sacrifices? Somebody has to do it. We can, so we do.” A breath. “Why did you become a doctor?”

A small smile. “To help people.”

“There you go.”

Em looked down at the hands in the remains of her lap. “I will do everything I can to help Virgil, Kayo. I promise.”

Kayo smiled. “I had no doubt you would.

-o-o-o-

Some idiot in Brazil was making claims to have solved the relative ion versus reaction problem in fuel synthesizers again on page four. God, did any of these guys check their facts. Virgil had already assessed all six of those ratios for viability and they had all failed. The answer lay not in the ratio but in the temperature.  He and Brains had their synthesizers churning out fuel at three times the premium rate. They had to. They needed the quantity and the speed.

“Growling at your magazines again?”

Virgil looked up to find his brother smirking at him. “Did I wake you?”

“No.” A pause. “Well, maybe.” A one shouldered shrug.

“Sorry.”

“Eh, not your fault.” He looked about. “Where’s Kayo?”

“With Em.”

“Oh.”

“Uh huh.” He hesitated a moment, but then jumped in. “What’s with you telling her I was injured?”

“Uh.” And Scott was struggling to sit himself up. Virgil stood and helped his brother into an upright position. “Shit, that hurts.”

“Here, hold still while I shove this pillow...there. There you go. Comfortable?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Well?” Virgil sat back down.

“Well, what?”

“Why did you tell her I was injured? She told Kay.”

“I didn’t have to tell her. She asked me. Apparently, you’ve been favouring your right side and she noticed.” Virgil stared at him. “She was worried.”

“Sure.”

“It’s what happened!”

“Yeah, well, now Kay’s worried. I didn’t want to worry her.”

“Worried about what?” And Scott was frowning at him. “What exactly is wrong with you?”

Oh, crap.

“Nothing!” His big brother glared at him. “Nothing much.”

“Virgil.”

“It’s just a little ache.”

“Bullshit.”

“Scott-“

“You lie to me one more time and I’ll ground you until I get a medical report.”

“We can’t afford to do that.”

“I will not have you flying injured, Virgil! I don’t give a shit how little that injury is. Damnit, you almost died. Don’t you dare do that to me again!”

Hell. “Scott, calm down. I’m fine, honest. Just some aching muscle and puckered scars, that’s all.” He reached out and grabbed his brother’s shoulder. “I’m okay. Em’s going to help me with treatment.”

Scott stared up at him and Virgil could see the effects of medication in his eyes. Scott didn’t react quite like Virgil, falling asleep rather than confessing all his secrets, but it did make him a little more emotional.  “Honest, Scott. I’m okay.”

“You better be.”

“I am. Unlike you.”

His brother’s shoulders slumped under his fingers.

Virgil sighed. “Hey.” He squeezed gently.

“What?”

“You’ll get to go home soon.”

“Yeah.” He swallowed. “Look after yourself, Virg. Please.”

“I do.”

Scott didn’t answer.

Virgil sighed, and let go of his brother, grabbing the chair and dragging it closer to the bed before sitting down. He dropped his elbows onto the bed and his chin onto his hands. “I think we’re in trouble.”

“What?”

“Kay’s making friends with Em as we speak.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Wants to invite her over for Christmas.”

“Really?”

“Uh huh. They’ve already cornered me. You’ll be next. She’s a doctor. With Kay in her back pocket, we’re doomed.”

Scott snorted, smirked, and started laughing.

Virgil looked up at him. “What’s so funny? I thought you were cranky.”

“You. You are so screwed.”

“Hah! Thanks.” He glared. “Remember you’ve got rehab ahead of you.”

“Crap.”

“Oh yeah. We’re totally screwed.”

-o-o-o-

“Do you have any plans after leaving the hospital?”

Kayo’s expression was a polite enquiry, but Em sensed she had more to say. “I’ll go home, I guess. Get myself set up with a new array of mobility devices. I’m thinking maybe a hoverscoot rather than the chair. Less bulk.”

“What about Christmas?”

Em shrugged. “Can’t say I feel like celebrating this year.” At Kayo’s concerned expression, she hurried to amend. “Don’t worry, I’ll get over it. I’ll be okay.”

“Yes, Virgil.” And Kayo was glaring at her.

“Okay, fine. Do you have any better suggestions?”

“I was thinking you could join us on Tracy Island.”

Em blinked and stared. “What?”

An arched eyebrow. “Would you like to join us for Christmas?”

“Go out and stay on Tracy Island, the super secret base of International Rescue and the Thunderbirds?”

“Of course, we’d have to blindfold you and drug you on the way over.”

Em stared.

“I’m kidding.”

“Oh.”

Kayo was smiling at her, not unkindly. “You would be very welcome.”

The thought filled her with amazement. The whole star struck feeling wrapping around her brain and buzzing her out. It was an amazing opportunity. She could thank Alan for his assistance. Meet the other brothers. Maybe see a Thunderbird. Finally meet Scott without him bleeding all over her.

That last cleared the fuzz. She had been enjoying talking to him. He had an interesting sense of humour and a lovely smile. Those eyes...

She shook herself. What the hell was she thinking? Look at yourself, Emaline. You’re a mess.

“Em? Are you okay?”

She forced a smile. “Um, thank you so much. I never expected...can I think about it?”

Kayo frowned a little. “Of course. Are you sure you are okay?”

“I’m good.” And she suddenly wanted to be alone. To think or to cry, she wasn’t sure. Probably both.

The woman’s green eyes obviously didn’t believe her. “We’re not all that scary, you know.”

“It’s not you.” And she realised she had admitted there was a problem. Damn. At the inevitable arched eyebrow. “It’s me. I just...let me think about it. Please.”

Kayo reached out and took Em’s hand, holding it between her palms. Her skin was soft and her touch gentle. “Em, I know it sounds like a big ask. A bit dazzling perhaps. But really, we are just a family inviting you over for Christmas. Grandma can’t cook, so don’t eat anything she offers you. Virgil can bake and barbecue a great steak. Scott will burn the burgers, but he pours a good wine. Gordon may stick tinsel down the back of your shirt, but you have my permission to thump him. We...I would like your company. No expectations, just a time to relax and enjoy good conversation.”

Em stared at her and her voice came out small. “Okay.”

A genuine smile spread across Kayo’s face. It lit up her features. She squeezed her hand gently. “Thank you.”

Oh, shit, she’d just said yes.

Bloody hell.

-o-o-o-

End Part Five

Part Six

[maxthommusic]

Vinyl Time.

Daisuki Baby on vinyl. It's finally happening. This is a dream come true, folks. It cost me an arm and a leg and I doubt I'll sell all the copies. But I'm 31 years old and there was a part of me that said, "If you don't do it now, when will you?"

Part of creating music is leaving behind a legacy. There's a desire to be successful, be notable, not because you want riches and fame, but because you want to know you mattered. Take Minus the Bear for example. It seems very obvious those dudes are pretty fulfilled and happy with their legacy. Are they "famous"? Not by any majorly commercial standards. But they're definitely successful and they built their little indie rock kingdom. And that's all I ever really wanted. But as time marches on, I'm seeing I'm actually destined to not have that. Despite my best efforts, every year I just get a little more jaded, a little more tired and I simply can't sacrifice what I used to. In some ways I sacrifice even more... but it's about economy of goods, right? What do I have available left to sacrifice?

Getting Daisuki Baby on vinyl was an important step because I'd always been waiting for a record label to foot the bill. Someone would want to publish me, right? Despite my best efforts I either can't afford the right PR, the PR I can afford does nothing, or I just don't seem to connect with the right people. I've gotten close. Many, many times. The stars look like they're about to align and then something falls through. I ain't mad. It's just how it happens. And printing Daisuki Baby myself was my way of forcing the stars to align.

What really sparked the concept was that people were really liking DB. Songs were resonating and I was getting a lot of plays on streaming sites. But what I realized is that when you're done with the album, what did I have to keep you strung along? How was I keeping Maxwell-Thomas in your life beyond that single stream? Having something physical to represent the music seemed crucial. Because I know that's exactly what I do. If I love your sound, I want to know how I can support you. Honestly, I don't wear band merch outside of like... hats. I find the prices of hoodies and sweatshirts to be outrageous and designs often feel like after-thoughts than a truly inspired concept. It's why I really strove to create premium products for my fans when I decided to print tried and true staples (bags, hats, shirts, tanks). But I surely feel different about an actual record. Records are great keepsakes. I love buying a record to add to the collection and know I supported someone along the way. Even look at John Mayer's new album, Sob Rock. I spun that record ONCE. And I loved every second. But I'm even more happy to know I got to keep something tangible that's evidence of my adoration for the guy -- even if it's not something I engage with every day or even once a month. Maybe it's only once a year.

Daisuki Baby on vinyl is that chance to give listeners an opportunity to support Maxwell-Thomas with something that is physical and eternally rewarding. Adding Maxwell-Thomas to your collection will be an opportunity to flip through your music and some days think, "Oh, man, I forgot how great this album is," as opposed to the constant new-ness of algorithms like Spotify and Apple Music. The deluge of playlists and new releases make streaming an entirely modern affair, focused very much on keeping things fresh. Whereas owning records, listening to records -- that's about nostalgia and reflection. Taking a moment to go, "When was the last time I heard this?" and then really get an opportunity to engage with it on a superior medium.

I listened to Daisuki Baby on my bike ride home last night. God, it's good. It's not perfect -- nothing is. But it's really fantastic. The poetry on it is really mesmerizing sometimes. Definitely the hallmark of the album, in my opinion. And I just know that when people rip it on vinyl they're going to finally, actually hear just how 3D Nomatic's mix is. Streaming sites murder those mixes, man. It's a damn shame. And I pressed it on unadulterated black vinyl so the audio quality wouldn't be affected at all. Though I understand colors are dope. It was my hope that the music would be as untainted as possible so my vision could come through as well to you as it does to me when I hear these songs.

Especially the sequencing. The way Daisuki Baby flows is just masterful. Side A and Side B are complete experiences on their own and then transitioning between them is a perfect roller coaster of emotion. I've been wanting people to hear it this way since the day I thought up the track listing. Before I even had vocals down, or written, I knew how the songs would flow. I was out for a run in San Bernardino, staying with my parents before I'd move back to Chicago. I was playing around with sequencing because everything had been recorded besides vocals. I was hoping putting the songs in some sort of order might inform the lyrics (and it did), so I moved things here and there... but by and large, the way Daisuki Baby rests is the way I heard it from the start. Like the songs could exist no other way.

Anyways, I wax pretty poetic IN the liner notes. Lyrics, stories, credits and more are all included in the gatefold packaging. I haven't even seen the final product and I bet you it's just wildly beautiful. Eddie Navarro's design is out of this world. I'm eagerly awaiting the records to arrive at my shipping warehouse (aka mom and dad's) and will start ordering ASAP afterwards.

This is truly a landmark moment in my musical career. One I created for myself. One I took for my own. I'm done waiting on others. Done waiting for opportunity. I gave so many years to so many other projects; people who didn't want to elevate to the level I always dreamt of. This is me making up for lost time and saying, "screw it, let's just go." I'm probably going broke as opposed to going for broke, as the saying goes, but at least I can die knowing I tried. The last thing I want is to wonder if I could have done more.

At the rate I'm going? Doubtful. Success doesn't have to be in my future. But I do need to know I tried everything.

Cheers.

[getthebutters]

Black Trans Woman Natual Hair Care Guide

For all women, the journey of natural haircare is one best passed from person to person.

Recently, my mother who just turned 53, decided to go “natural” for the first time in her life. When I say this, it doesn’t mean she was never natural, it’s just that down the line, her beautiful, natural Afro curls got introduced to the creamy crack and she never looked back... until now. So now that her hair is dry, brittle, and on the brink of being beyond repair, she decided to scale it back and start over. By using products with only natural ingredients, she will be able to give her hair the nutrients it needs to keep doing what she wants with it.

I also had this realization to start over and go natural almost nine years ago. Like my mom’s hair, mine was so dry that it was breaking off so much that it never grew past my shoulders. I also had gotten a really bad chemical burn on my scalp from a perm that was left on too long and I realized I was tired of hurting myself in the pursuit of straight hair. Since then, my hair has gone through A LOT.

There has been so many styles, shaved sides, braids, weaves, bald spots, its been completely cut off and grown back out, you name it! But in this process called a natural hair journey, I became a product junkie. I realized that I had so many products that I was able to gift my mom exactly what she needed to start her journey. These weren’t half-used bottles — these were full, unopened jars that I honestly had no business having since I knew it took me ages to go through hair products.

While no one in my immediate story is trans, this experience of starting from scratch is relatively universal. To save my mum and other newbie naturals from the pain, I created a simple but perfectly effective hair care guide. Follow these steps to get your crown in order and start your day on the right foot!

:

1.       Shampoo

A general rule I have found is that no matter how much hair you have, always wash it in the flow of the water. This will help to keep your hair from tangling, which will ensure the detangling process be a lot easier. Use a sulfate-free shampoo such as The Butters Weightless shampoo that doesn't strip, is very moisturizing and gives you plenty of “slip.” Slip is when your hair can be easily glided through when it has product like a shampoo or conditioner in it. Slippery elm, for example, is used in products to provide that. When I shampoo my hair, I do it twice. The first time is for breaking up the dirt and goo, and the second time is to really scrub the scalp. You can also tell by how your hair lathers if it is truly getting clean or not: the more lather, the cleaner your hair is getting.

 2.       Deep Condition

Once you’ve washed your hair and rinsed out all the product, follow up with a deep conditioner. This will help to replenish the moisture lost from cleansing your hair. I typically follow the instructions on the jar for how long to leave the product in, but I always include heat. This allows the product to really soak into your strands, the difference is astounding. You can buy a microwaveable bonnet such as this one, or just use plastic shower caps you can grab from the dollar store.

 3.        Liquid/Cream (leave in conditioner)/Oil (LCO METHOD)

For first-time naturals, the LCO method is something that everyone needs to know of. Following this method has helped my hair retain its moisture and continue growth. At this point, my LCO method is a bit remixed but I will keep it simple for this routine. Simply, the liquid part of this method is water. Your hair should be pretty wet at this point, since you just rinsed out your deep conditioner. Follow up with a leave-in conditioner, such as our Weightless, Thick N’ Curly or Nappy N’ Happy varieties. As a rule of thumb, Weightless should be used on our thin, straight haired girls; Thick N’ Curly for big ringlet curls; and Nappy N’ Happy for tight, kinkier textures. However, you are free to use whichever one you want since they all work wonders.

Finally, you follow up with our liquid gold hair food serum, as it’s excellent for feeding your hair the nutrients it needs and sealing in all of the essential moisture.

 4.        Styling

At this point, I’ve finally gotten the hang of the slick natural pony, so whenever I follow my routine, I follow up with a heat protection cream and blow it pretty straight, using my revlon one step hair dryer then tie my hair down immediately with a scarf.

I highly recommend all naturals get that blow dryer, as it cuts your drying time in half and gets your hair really straight once you get the learning curve of getting to your roots. I want to mention that you should not be afraid of heat when you are natural. As long as you take the time to protect your hair with a heat protectant serum or cream, you should be fine.

If you don’t want to add heat into your routine, the best way to style your hair is to immediately twist or braid it using a styling product such as The Butters Gold Silk Premium styling gel. If you can braid down the scalp, LUCKY YOU. Like I said, I’ve been natural for 9 years and I still struggle with braiding. I’ve gotten some ugly plaits down, but I don’t think I’ll ever get to box braids God level of styling.

The simplest and quickest way to do this is to saturate your hair with the product and either two-strand or braid your hair to the back like cornrows and let it dry for 24 hours. Or, if you use a diffuser attachment and a regular dryer, you can have it done in a few hours or less.

 5.        Viola!

To take down your twists, make sure you have a few drops of oil on your fingers, dry fingertips can ruin your curls by drying them out and making them frizzy. Oil can also help to break the “caste” left from hard gels. To fluff, use a wide tooth comb and pull up from the ROOT, not he strands, so that it won’t cause frizzy curls.

Doing your natural hair can get crazy convoluted and drive you crazy. But it doesn’t have to be particularly difficult once you learn your hair. I hope this guide helps and if you need any more tips or tricks, shoot me an email at zanita@getthebutters.com, always happy to help! And if any of these products caught your eye, use code ZANITA for 15% off!

 You can also follow me on social media @theZan, would love to see you there!

Does it lather up more if your hair is dirty? Add this info in. [BW1]