#like i say in my rules: your safety and comfort is paramount

[foundeads]

michael of the five nights at freddy's franchise by beth ( 25 , gmt - 4 ). independent, private, oc and crossover friendly. anti-cawthon.

a study in : the eldest child, being the disappointment, astro carpet, flickering neon, fuzzy vhs tapes, history repeating itself, the living dead, the endless search for justice, lost adolescence, grief, guilt, self-sacrifice, love tearing you apart, second chances, and starting over.

about | rules | verses | memes | opens | headcanons | guide

[doctordaddysir]

Is it too much for me to set a boundary in my relationship that after using the bathroom or touching something dirty, hands are washed with soap and water? Especially before touching me or anyone's face/person ect. And is this boundary that I've set getting thrown back in my face (ie "have you washed your hands today... No? Well you were sleeping on the couch") being rude?

I don't think the boundary is unrealistic and something that should be made a show of being huffy when you're asked to do it.

Thanks for the ask!! I've really missed asks and thoughts being sent to me.

Boundaries are very important in ANY relationship type. Boundaries are just that, things you don't break or go past for someone's own mental and physical well being. Learning someone's rules, boundaries, likes and dislikes is a huge thing and should all be taken seriously.

It doesn't matter if you're a Dom, sub, little, daddy, top, bottom, caregiver, etc, you have the right to have boundaries.

If you feel so strongly about someone washing with soap and water before touching you or before touching someone, etc than that needs to be respected and followed. Period. If it's something you feel so definite about that you says "listen, one of my boundaries is that after you touch something dirty, or used the restroom, you MUST wash your hands before touching me" then that should be an absolute. No questions about it. The fact that you used the word boundary, means it's not a request, it's something you need to make you feel safe and secure in being touched. That should be an absolute. It should be respected and followed.

If someone is belittling that, or throwing it in your face, making fun of it, or even teasing about it then that person doesn't understand how serious you are about it, or doesn't care. Both are an issue. It should not be thrown in your face. It should not be taunted to you etc. That's just a lack of respect for your absolute needs.

We all have our things. I had a sub that absolutely one hundred percent didn't want her feet touched or played with. It really really was a boundary. I never made an issue of it and even went as far as making sure she was comfortable if I even approached her lower legs for restraints etc. We'd make sure she had socks on if she thought that would help her not feel like they were being touched etc.

I personally despise being poked. It's not fun or cute or playful to me. Someone poking me really really really throws me off of everything. It's just something I've always had. If a sub or little is playing around and they sometimes poke your sides etc, to most people thats fun and they love it. To me it makes me shut down and not want to do anything. It's a thing. I want that respected. If that makes sense?

So in conclusion, yes it's VERY VALID for you to have this boundary and it in absolutely no way should be thrown back in your face or made fun of.

I'm sorry if it's being done, and perhaps the person just doesn't realize how serious this is. If they do know and continue to do it then it's time to reconsider what else they aren't taking seriously. A meta talk or whatever you want to call it is needed. Breaking boundaries is a cause to end relationships in my opinion. Safety, mental and physical well being, and trust are paramount and if you can't have all of those without it being made fun of then seriously look at everything as a whole and see just how healthy this really is for you.

[thesleepy1]

Spearmint Tea With A Teaspoon Of Milk And A Dash Of Honey

Tik Tok Writing Prompt

A/N: I saw this prompt on Tik Tok and have been thinking about it none stop for the past three days. I just had to write it. It may make no sense, but that's fine. I enjoyed the writing process for once. Completely unbeta'd because I'm lazy and this was written in a hurry before it left my mind. If you see any mistakes please let me know.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdVg7jBL/

Pairings: No pairings

Summary: “You have been an immortal for a couple of centuries now. Today, you’re enjoying a drink at a nearby cafe, when someone approaches you and says, “Hey, remember me? Peru, 1821?”

Word count: 2,578

Warnings: mature, suggestive themes, wump, angst, derealizion, mentions of depression, more warnings to be added,

You have been an immortal for a couple of centuries now; if not more. After a certain set of rotations around the sun, you hardly bothered to keep track of exactly how many times you’ve been around the block. You were something of a myth, a feared, terrified, creature of torn legend, a monster that stole little weaning babes from their mother’s arms and spun silver out of corn! A beast that ate beating livers from stray canines, ordered temples to be built out of bones, a ghastly creation by a bored god with too much time on his irreligious hands. Frightful!

All this hearsay and word of the street, were tall and monstrous tales that were overrated in your educated opinion, when simply you required very little to be content with the ways and whims of the vast, wanton world. No new born lamb’s blood or poor, ill timed virgins sacrifices were necessary in your, for lack of a better word, creation. You were merely one breathing thing and then the next; though you’ve fallen out of the habit of remembering to breathe after a while. There was no shedding of skin, sweat producing prayer, or historically inaccurate rain dance that resembled the pirouettes of toeless ballerinas involved. You just were, and quite frankly, isn’t that enough? Existence is never enough is it, though? You just had to think, and speak, and do much more than simply exist; because no one can be happy with the mere existence of another; there just had to be more to it, had to be.

You still vaguely recall the moment where you realized that you were no longer tied down to the laws of the cycle of the unnatural thing called life; a thing like a dream someone else had and merely inflicted you with the useless knowledge. Still having no need for surplus of red blood cells or hastily made offerings of sweets to the traumatized gods; you recalled the transition and the fact that it was a boring process, with no set of rules, or instructions, or any way for you to fully understand exactly what happened. From one form of existence to a new one, like a crawling larvae to a flying insect with big beady eyes and a habit of crashing into windows.

You were in a battle field one moment fighting tooth and nail with a long sword, or a bow and arrow, or a scythe from your own garden, or a hatchet from your home; and the next, you watched your substantially short life flash before your eyes; when ebbingly, you realized that your wounds had closed up and the battle had unbeknown to you, ended. Something over nineteen years after your self assumed death, that is. Your body; with its two legs, two arms, two ears, and two perfectly functioning eyes; as long as it wasn’t pollen season, were still by fair means or foul, in tack. Much to your dismay, for you still felt cursed plague such as irritation, displeasurement, the action of rolling your eyes as an emotion, annoyance, exasperation, and worst of all a hankering for spearmint tea with a teaspoon of milk and a dash of honey. Unfortunately, only one of which was curable.

And while you contained a great many vapid opinions of the flutterings of wingless avians; one of their creations you could never develop a disdain for, for they were simply far too grand, great, and good, were cafes. Magnificent things created by an italian man, a french man, a german man, an Englishman, or a combination of the four, you hardly cared; were the very reason you still wished to see the light of day. Candidly, the comfort that came with cafes; roasting coffee beans with such sharp and acidic aromas, the tinkering of ceramic mugs with adorable little glazes, scrumptious sweeties and colorful pasties that settled against your mind like ringing gunshots to war torn innocent unimpeachables. Cafes were just delightful, there were no two ways about it; an unassailable fact.

That was why, today; sunny, cloudless, and boundless today with skies as blue as incest mutated eyes, you were enjoying a nostalgic drink at a nearby cafe. The coffee house was a mix between modern and vintage, though for a creature such as yourself, you could hardly tell the difference. Their teas and coffees, and assortment of beverages were made in the classic fashion from even as far back as your day, and that was saying something. The walls were painted with a deep maroon, a shade of fine wine on a brick of vinegar; except one, which was left a bare, textured concrete with growing vines and dangling fairy lights the color of loose leaf chamomile offering a soothing dim lighting. The tables and chairs and any sort of decor hung up on the ways were mismatched, not one thing belonging to another; not one round mahogany table with spanish carved to the legs matched with any neon cushioned seats that looked like something from a feverish dream. Four paned windows were like eyes towards the street front, small enough to see outside but with an air of privacy from the delicate handmade lace curtains that were tied up with a sash of the same design. You could see the wayward world beyond the door from the faux safety of your table; couples biking with helmets strapped on too tightly, dog walkers with malnourished dogs, and a quartet of friends that were so obviously in love with one another.

Their love for each other was so clear, the baristas behind the repurposed bar counter were making bets on who would be the first to cave and spill out their love like guts from a deep heat, blistering sword wound. The barista with dyed gray cornrows and nose piercings betted ten pounds on the tallest of the quartet, who couldn’t stop playing with something in his pocket; a nervous reaction to being around the people of his affections if you had to guess. The barista with the rigid scars falling like uncrossed tallies down her arms betted twenty pounds on the shortest of the quartet who seemed to be the glue holding the quartet together in the first place. You personally betted on the fellow trailing the group from behind, a brother of one of the quartet members; from the shared features, and an ex lover of another if you had to predict from the way he walked and looked at them with an unhealthy yearning. He was going to pull them apart and in return be left with nothing as they rebuilt what he had destroyed. You had an intuition for these sorts of things, the passing lives of strangers and what they decided to do with themselves with their limited time. It was game to you, their lives seemed to end in days like a good book that you can’t set down; and like a book, you could flip it close at any given time with a flick of your wrist.

Your attention was drawn back to the present by the sound of the cafe bell that rang out through the small room with high ceilings, the simple pulley system alerting the baristas and yourself of a new occupant. Your hand instinctively wrapped around your cup of spearmint tea with a teaspoon of milk and a dash of honey protectively. The heated ceramic warmed your otherwise cold skin, your whole body was icy to the touch; you had no need for impractical things like a respiratory system or body heat; they were merely things you did when you remembered to, a delayed afterthought.

Like socialization for one, speaking to others was not your cup of tea; quick compliments and orders were one thing, however holding conversations were another. You sat alone at your seat, a red velvet cushioned sofa pulled up against a square oak table. Not once have you attempted to make conversation or even make eye contact with any of your fellow cafe goers; when you know for a fact that you would have gotten along swimmingly, only you’re too afraid of starting anything that’s doomed to end. The immortal existence was a long one and it tended to feel more drawn out when you had no one to spend it with.

Too deep in thoughts; the depressing thing the living chose to lose themselves in; a subject that you have yet to be rid of, you didn’t notice when someone approached your table. Whoever stood in front of you stared at you for a moment as if to make sure you were real, something you had to do for yourself every now and again, before saying in an astonished tone full of life, “Hey, you look familiar. I’ve seen you somewhere, haven’t I?” You looked up to meet their eyes; taking note of a face that could blend in during any time period, during any moment; a dime a dozen, a face that could be recognized for hundreds of others. “Remember me? Peru, 1821?”

You were hard of memory despite the centuries of existence in your pocket; unable to ever recall important dates and places, or those deemed important by those who still pondered what after truly meant. No wars that had cost thousands if not millions of lives lingered in your narrow mind, no treaties that had never been written in the blood of the man holding the pen; no discoveries stolen from their true inventors and instead repurposed and rebranded. Naught of which mattered; were paramount enough to be stored in the file cabinets so old, they perhaps predated the university of oxford. Those with an expiration date, nitpicked which dates and places were worth keeping record of; which war really mattered to one side, but not the other, and most definitely not the third party who lost the most in terms of wealth during the whole skirmish. Which treaties were worth putting up an act of righteousness and which were lit to ashes the moment the feather left the parchment. Which discoveries to credit the inventor, or the distributor, or the man with the large enough pockets with lots of loyal friends with not quite, but still ever so deep pockets. You cared little for the whims of those who philosophized and wrote the inaccurate, hyperbolized tales of the lawless, anarchic children with graying hair, wrinkled skin, and groaning bones.

Instead, your quite narrow, yet wrinkled mind remembered the seemingly dull things in life that only an immortal and tired soul would recall. You remembered the estonian woman with thick curly hair who flustered when you commented on how her fetching silk blouse brought out the brown in her eyes, as if you had just seen her on your way here. You remembered the blazing, aged guinean sailor with hair as red as sedimentary clay layered with crimson and bone marrow, who tricked you out of the very last shining coin in your pocket that you had saved to return to the mainland; as if you had just spoken to him the week before last. You remembered the french street performers who gave you the most complexing, suspicious looks when you loitered as they tuned their instruments, your hands clapping and tossing coins into their open cases before they had even the chance to play their trip the light fantastic ditty; as if you had spotted them as you left your home for the day; perhaps because you had just spotted the cellist, violinist, and fiddler some hours prior.

But you just can’t seem to recall ever seeing the face in front of you besides that of the paintings reusing the same model over and over again. This person was familiar, that you knew for sure, but you couldn’t recall exactly where. 1821? Peru? You had gone to Peru before, you thought, you must’ve been everyone on the pandering planet at least once by now; statistically speaking. You existed during 1821, though you don’t recall much from the time besides some man being crowned king of some small islands, some paintings being painted, some lives being born, and some lives taking their last breath. Things that could have happened anywhere else in the woebegone world, during any time that your breathing counterparts inhaled and exhaled; a simple date and simple country rang no bells.

This person that approached you, must have known you, having recognized you and walked up to you free of will. Yet, as you stared at them, pondering how they must’ve known you after all these years, decades, and centuries without a mere mention of another immortal roaming the weak world; here you were, with another person just like you. It was astonishing, made your non beating heart skip a beat and stop again; because you’ve been so out of practice. It was almost unbelievable; a person with a limited mind would have fallen heart first into the claims and thought of them as gospel. You were not as blessed with the same ignorance that came as second nature to the rest of the parasitic population, because you recalled your trips to Peru; suddenly remembering just what you got yourself into in the year of 1821; you would have memorized a face like dozens of others; the similarities causing the sameness to be abstract. You would not have forgotten a face like that, a voice of naïve wonderment like the one you just heard. Immortality was not just something that was thrown like a swear, caught like a flu; there was no rhyme or reason to it. You would know; in the almost eight billion people in the wide, withering world you have not met another like you, and for this day, today; radiated, and diaphanous day with skies as blue as hypothermia stricken bodies; you were alone and had yet, still yet, to be proven otherwise.

You solemnly shook your head, having gotten your hopes up so far beyond the atmosphere; falling back down was misery like the first moment immortality had dawned upon you. This person must’ve mistaken you for someone else; a picture book with pages too bright to warrant your attention, a history book that pictured a person that shared your features or that of your long gone siblings who must have children because they were the type to yearn, and hope, dream, and live their lives instead of solely subsist; anyone but you. For you were alone on this endless path, just like how your life was now boundless, and had been for a while longer than you can remember. You cleared your throat, your voice unfortunately grating from years of hardly any use; hoping to make the interaction quick and to the point; something that was truthful and that would cut this painful conversation short so you could return to your envy filled hobby of assuming other individual’s lives because they had indisputable ends while you repeated in this endless pastime.

The person who claimed to share a curse with you, had a voice that rang out like a fencing rapier, cutting through the air with such precision that it hurt without even slashing against you; could stab you with words instead of metal, “I’ve seen you somewhere, haven’t I? Remember me? Peru, 1821?” And like a fencer running on the necessity for revenge for someone that wasn’t himself, you answered,

“No, I do gay porn.”

[justjessame]

Glorious, Before the Burden - The Comfort ~ 7

Loki - ODIN, sent me off to see about the damage to the gardens when word came that Thor had returned.  A sharp glance at my KING, and I took a deep breath as two guards flanked me, keeping me safe was of paramount concern -

“She’s one of my last remaining family,” he reminded my guards.  “The single bloom that still blossoms and gives me hope.”  Hearing the words in Odin’s voice, but knowing they were Loki’s felt stranger than I could ever describe.  

Flanking me, they aren’t quite hovering or imposing, but I feel the need to explain how I plan to inspect each garden for damage and that it might take longer than they expect. 

“Our queen would want all of Asgard to look its best,” the thought of Frigga, so soon after her journey to the afterlife pierced me as sharply as when I witnessed the beast who dealt the blow.  “Let’s begin -” taking the lead, I walked to the garden I first found comfort and peace in - where Loki first took my safety as his burden.  And while he had his first face to face meeting with Thor as his father, I wandered our gardens - wishing that illusion and false imagery was unnecessary, that for once our family could simply admit who and what we were to one another. 

It took me hours, hours and hours of wandering the gardens and taking inventory.  Aside from some displaced foliage, statuary that would need mending or replacing, the gardens weren’t in the terrible state that other parts of Asgard were - so much destruction, so much work would need tended to make my home bear some semblance to that which I’d left when Odin banished me.  

My guards, surprisingly untired by my careful and complete tour of the grounds, accompanied me back to the throne room as dusk threatened to overtake the day.  Odin - LOKI waited on the throne, in reflection of unknown audiences - because I knew that more than just Thor had come in for a moment of his time while I was indisposed with my own purpose.  Dismissing my security, asking for privacy to share the news about Thor with his daughter, the guards faded away, and once they were gone so did his illusion.  

Drawing me onto his lap, Loki pressed his face into my neck, breathing me in.  “You smell of spring, my love.”  He sounded both tired and excited, a difficult pair to manage, but my husband was nothing if not an overachiever.  His arms held me tight, his lips finding my pulse and I sighed as all the tension my body had held from the moment we’d been interrupted during our first kiss in this room relaxed.  

“And you smell like,” pulling away so I could look into the eyes I’d missed for so long, I framed his face with my hands.  Brushing his sharp cheekbones with my thumbs, staring into his face, I wondered if I’d ever have my fill of looking at him?  “You.”  Leaning closer, letting my forehead meet his, feeling that wonderful chill of his skin against mine - the comfort of him.  “I love you, and I cannot be apart from you again.”  It was both a vow and a plea.  

“Never,” he promised, before his lips met mine, softer than before, but still just as thirsty for the taste of me - just as needy for me as I was for him.  I wanted to argue against the here and now, of coupling in the throne room, of the chance of being interrupted and being caught, but the thought of breaking apart again - of waiting - was more unbearable.  His hands were pulling at my gowns and I laughed into his kiss, pulling away to catch my breath.  

“Has it been so long, Loki, that you’ve forgotten YOUR magic?”  A flash and our flesh had nothing but a hint of air between us, and my breath caught at the reminder of the chill his skin against the heat of mine.  “I missed this.”  And then he helped me move, my legs straddling him and he was inside of me, and our eyes met, gazes locked together as we were joined once more.  

“Never again,” he swore, rocking up, filling me.  “Never again, Sigyn.”  His hands sliding along my bare back, tracing every bare inch of my skin and reeking havoc on my breathing as I arched and my nails bit into his shoulders.  “Mine,” he reminded me, as his lips found mine.  

I wish it were more difficult to fall into my new role at Odin - LOKI’S side.  I say that because I always felt that I was so honest and true, yet - I stood beside his throne, head high, eyes bright and careful, as he wore the face of his adopted father and ruled as him.  

Heimdall was the first to notice that something wasn’t quite right - which made sense, and I saw it coming.  As I was fast learning to control what I could SEE, I watched as the undercurrent of dissent started - and where.  The gatekeeper of the Bifrost, his vision was always going to be problematic, I wondered how he missed Odin’s departure - perhaps due to his own culpability in Thor and the Warriors’ treasonous escape to free Jane and take away the fear of the Dark Elves, he’d simply missed that rather LARGE plot point.  

I warned Loki, fearful that with Heimdall others, more worrisome by far because of his loyalty and his nature, would tumble and follow him.  He chose Skurge to replace him, not MY choice, but since he wasn’t one for asking questions - Skurge, not Loki - he’d do for the short term.  Pockets of dissent were easier to contain than swarms, and while Loki repaired and replaced the ruins, while he put safety measures into place in Asgard that not even the Allfather would have considered, I still watched and waited.  

A dark cloud hovered, and while I couldn’t see the source of it, I knew it was coming ever closer.  As for my own personal search - THE WHO of my identity - I put it on hold, for now.  Loki and Asgard were my priorities.  His rule was one of peace, regardless of the mutterings of those who felt otherwise, and while I did find his statue to himself a touch pretentious, I could not deny that he did good by our people.  And by me - a glance at my small bump, growing slowly but surely under the opulent layers of my gown caused my smile to grow.  

The whispers, when Odin took Loki’s widow to wife had been abundant, but Loki had hushed all my arguments by telling me that he refused to sneak and hide away how he loved me.  He might have to hide away his own identity.  He might have to wear the Allfather’s appearance in public, but in private he refused to have me skulk about like a dirty secret.  

“You are MY wife, Sigyn,” he’d declared, staring into my eyes and shaking his head.  “I will NOT have it,” I’d sighed, the argument leaving me as quickly as it had come.  We’d been in our roles for enough time to constitute proper grieving time, and he was right, it hadn’t been at all enjoyable to sneak about - he in Odin’s rooms and I in our former ones.  With his edict that I be under constant guard and he the King of Asgard - it was a nightmare, even with all our magic at our disposal.  

We were married - again, this time as Odin and Sigyn - before crowds of Asgardians, who tried to look pleased.  It wasn’t that they disapproved of ME or HIM, honestly.  It was simply strange.  Odin who adored Frigga so much that no other could ever be thought to sit at his side.  And Sigyn, once believed the life’s mate of Loki - then announced dead, by her own hand - revived by some unknown means, because Odin never addressed my return - NOW Queen of Asgard.  Odd didn’t seem to cover it.  

When I felt the first stirrings of life inside of me, the first hint that we were FINALLY blessed with an heir - Loki truly glowed with happiness.  The blue tint, that hint of red in his eyes, I told him how beautiful I found him and he held me like I was spun glass and told me that he was happy.  Incandescently happy.  

Which should have warned us, happiness and Asgard - that should have warned us more than any vision I could ever have had.  

More than the strange dreams I was having about a planet with a large green being fighting a short-haired Thor who was grinning and yelling about him being a friend from work.  More than the large wolf I saw jumping across the Bifrost and trying to eat Skurge.

  Happiness and Asgard was far more of a warning sign than any premonition that I could have foreseen - if only I’d allowed myself to SEE it. 

[treeclimbing10]

Arborist Tree Climbing & Rigging Rope

If you favor single rope climbing as well, then you need to go for non-spliced traces. They are more versatile, maintain the identical diameter, and distribute the wear and tear more evenly compared to their spliced counterparts. 

High strand depend makes the rope stronger and versatile at the same time. You need the rope to be sturdy enough to supply support, take the edge off of accidental slips, and allow you to tie climbing knots. 

The rope will not give in unless you ask it to carry more than 5953 pounds. The braided design is formed with loops twisted in countering positions. This provides the rope the ability to deal with a mixture of environmental circumstances without compromising its performance.

The amazing eight thousand kilos tensile energy is another spotlight of the climbing line. Blue Ox is among the best climbing rope brands on the market, and they have garnered a place of belief within the arborist community with their high-notch choices. 

Blue Ox Rope Arborist Climbing Rope is a rope that comes with design attributes aimed specifically in direction of tree climbing. Today, we are going to discuss 7 excessive-quality climbing ropes that you can contemplate buying and also make clear a number of elements you need to have a look at whenever you buy a tree climbing rope. 

For an arborist, finding the most effective rope for tree climbing is of paramount significance.

Oh, splicing is more relaxed than the other ropes obtainable round you. One thing, this polyester not so stretchy as others as well as it can stop sudden abrasion, heats, and frictions. 

Polyester covers make these ropes extra-confident about longer-lasting, and it works. By the best way, your extensive ranges of selection to pick your favourite colour additionally.

Any climber who uses an inhalant for asthma or an Epipen for insect stings should alert a information and produce it with them into the tree in a line mug. Guides are the one ones allowed to regulate harnesses, ropes or different equipment. I got rope from Home Depot and Lowes which is a braided nylon made by Lehigh. 

I contacted them and was informed their 5/eight rope will work. I'm only using my rope as a tether line not to climb with. It's long enough for me to connect to it from the bottom up to my stand. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1CW1S6 Again I'm not climbing with it like rapelling rope but ought to I fall it will assist me just fine.

The record beneath is based solely on my personal and budgetary preferences. I’d also be honored to test and review new gear, upon request. Protect the rope from the ground up — don’t decrease limbs onto the rope. 

Be aware of the place your handsaw is in location to the rope at all times. History of the rope — if it has been subjected to a excessive dynamic load that exceeds its working load limit, you should retire the rope.

And the abilities may actually have a payoff down the road, according to Andersen. "We'll put leisure climbers to work," he says. "They have quite a little bit of the training a tree care firm is looking for. And the trade pays well."

American Arborist Supplies provides arborist grade rope from essentially the most trusted brands within the industry. Whether your job demands 3-strand, 12-strand, sixteen-strand or 24-strand climbing rope, we've a variety of high quality arborist rope to fulfill your needs. 

We additionally carry three-strand, 12-strand and double braid rigging rope plus accessory ropes. Once you select the rope that best fits your current wants, wrap it up in one of our durable rope bags from Buckingham, Weaver and Barnel.

The incredibly strong cover of the rescue rope is smooth operating over sheaves, providing decreased drag via gears for quicker ascending and finer controls on descends. The nylon core holds knots higher and stronger, because of its stretch and texture. 

Certified to EN 1891 A, Patron treeACCESS is designed as an access rope and presents compelling worth for money. The PLATINUM® arborACCESS is the entry rope from TEUFELBERGER impressing arborists with its building and materials.

Prusik loops, split tails, and work-positioning lanyards used in a tree climbing system shall meet the minimum power necessities for tree climbing strains.

Tree employee saddles, work positioning lanyards and climbing strains shall be designed by the producer as appropriate for tree climbing. 

This climbing gear shall not be altered in a way that would compromise the integrity of the gear.

Preconstruction of an eye in a rope tremendously decreases damage that may be caused by bending the rest of the rope or creating knots. 

When selecting between our completely different Flip Lines, one thing you want to take into consideration is what kind of eye you might be looking for in your rope.

Pelican Rope carries Flip Lines made of some various kinds of supplies and with a bunch of different options you possibly can select from. 

As a rule of thumb, the quilt goes to be made out of polyester. Polyester is an ideal material for Flip Line and Climbing Rope because it is actually strong and actually durable but it is also very lightweight. 

Polyester is resistant to shrinking and stretching. Have some Monkey's Tails made up of equivalent rope so you do not have to chop the ends off the rope when it gets worn from the Blake's.

When shifting the climbing knot, keep both hands on the down rope. We take you step by step to fun and safety within the timber. If you're doing this on a conifer tree, there's a good likelihood you are going to get sap onto your rope.

The nylon-made cord presents a sizeable load capacity of 6000 kilos. The rope takes on a static design to maintain the bounce comfortably low. The Route 44 expertise permits the rope to bend marvelously while preserving it fairly resistant to abrasion. 

The ruggedness of the rope makes it usable for more intense activities as properly. We are talking rappelling, rescue missions, and a complete lot of other stuff. This is a rope constructed for all seasons, however the emphasis on durability didn’t make this cord overwhelmingly heavy.

The Arbor Elite is the perfect entry stage climbing rope offering glorious worth for cash. In the aftermath authorities agencies required utilities to spend more to maintain their lines clear. Since then a gradual sequence of hurricanes, tornadoes, and ice storms have stored up the pressure on utilities and created ongoing work for arborists. 

"We simply seem to be extra inundated with more frequent and intense storms nowadays," Andersen says. I actually have been climbing bushes since my child age and its about years of my climbing experience. Also, I am keen about everything that comes along with my climbing.

[fictionalplagueproductions]

If The World Was Ending

Part 3 - You’d Come Over, Right?

Part 1   Part 2   Part 3

Story Summary: Gavin is on the hunt for his missing android when the U.S. Government announces the end of the world. The end of his world. A world without his precious Nines.

Chapter Summary: Gavin’s search comes to a heartbreaking discovery and he must now decide what he is willing to lose in order to keep what he has gained.

Pairing: Reed900 (RK900 x Gavin Reed)

Rating: Explicit (NSFW)

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I know I should be appreciative because I have two jobs that are considered essential during this pandemic which offer great hours and CAT pay, but I feel like a lifeless workaholic rn with school finals in a literal week. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well during these difficult times. If anyone is interested, I do take requests for one-shots (especially Reed900) for many fandoms. Just PM and I’ll see what I can do. Also, if you have never heard of Detroit Evolution and you ship Reed900, check it out! It’s a 75-minute fan film dedicated to the ship and I HIGHLY recommend it (gif is an actual scene from the film). Cuteness overload. Lastly, I am considering making an actual Reed900 one-shot based on another song. You can check out my work on AO3 or Fanfiction.net! Enjoy!

“Do you have any fucking idea what I’ve been through today?”

The swollen, tear-streaked cheeks on his lover’s face gave Nines a clue.

“I searched for you for hours! You couldn’t have sent me a goddamn text?”

Nines wished communication had been possible. Cyberlife would have tapped his servers within a heartbeat and tracked him down, leaving Gavin’s apartment a mess in the aftermath.

“I even found Connor still blubbering around. He told me about your stupid, little plan.” The pitiful man tugged at his hair mangled in distraught. “What happened to all those times you wouldn’t shut up about androids being superior? What the fuck were you thinking?”

Guilt struck Nines.

He thought it unlikely that Gavin would even bother searching Anderson’s home after the front the lieutenant had elected to put up for their safety. He thought it even more unlikely that Connor, a machine developed for the comfort of his human counterparts, would reveal Nines’ heartbreaking arrangement.

“I…I thought you were dead.”

He almost had been.

Nines’ original intention was to spare his android brother from the inevitable fatality of his species. Two RKs could not exist with the same familiar face. The humans would eventually notice, regardless if they had both relocated halfway across the world and scalped themselves of their LEDs. Even if their charades were believed, Nines was android through and through. Why should he be forced to pretend he was something he was not? No, Connor was more human than himself. He was the one who deserved to make it in this carbon-ruled world.

Gavin’s definitive words came out a dying whisper: “I thought you had left me.”

A churning sensation swirled Nines’ insides as he watched the broken man stumble before him. Sincerity was not an emotion he needed to readily practice, as he did not lie often, but he found even himself feeling rejected by his own words. “I’m here now.”

The response was simple, vague enough to dodge and nullify all of Gavin’s worries.

It wasn’t enough.

He stepped forward towards his human who now leaned heavily into the back of the couch, grimacing in fear of an image invisible to Nines. It cracked the straight face he had framed over his growing trepidation. “I’m here,” he repeated breathlessly.

Gavin seemed to fumble out of his terror, tearing a sharp inhale through his shuddering body and eventually allowing Nines to view his beaten soul through grieving lenses. Words would not suffice this time. It was one of the few moments that it clicked for Nines that words were just not enough.

Humans were such delicate creatures at times – his even moreso. The psychological issues he wielded piled into a mountain of stress-induced rage and caffeine-fueled insecurities. Just a little search through his social media lit up the diagnostic centers of Nines’ CPU in an array of colors far more paramount than the human eye could even begin to elucidate.

But as much as he could prove the dishevelment of his partner and all of humanity, neither could he deny his own deviant chaos rampaging indecision and hesitance in his day-to-day actions. He was slower now, more volatile to his environment, and almost no more could he distinguish subjective constructs now than over his previous machine-like state. He was truly living, as the humans often said, “the worst of both worlds”.

Nines was just as broken as Gavin in his own fashion. Except, despite it all, Gavin mended him in such indescribable complementing ways that none of it mattered.

The android clicked one foot forward, asking silently for permission to embrace him. It still surprised him to this day that there were ways of communicating with just a lift of the finger, but only with others one knew well. And Gavin, he could read like a book.

When Gavin released his clenched eyebrows from their angered posture, Nines presumed the reciprocal. Their “chemistry” had been undisturbed by his absence. He made haste in closing the distance, grappling needily onto the life-form already unfolding beneath him. Hands clenched into balls of fabric against his back and Nines melted under the sticky mess that clung to his neck.

Rarely did Gavin cry, but this time around, a waterfall had already begun to soak the top seam of his t-shirt.

The ability to cry was lost upon Nines. Sadness overwhelmed him, understanding the hurt his human had endured, but unsure if he even equipped tear ducts to perform such an action. Feeling pain was one thing; expressing it was entirely new. The quaking beneath him, nonetheless, wrenched at his thirium pump, and he so desperately wished to quake with his lover.

Eventually, Gavin ceased and unceremoniously dug his fingers through Nines’ hair and pressed their noses side-by-side. His eyes were glued shut as he pressed his wet cheeks against his android. The soggy touch was like velcro against Nines and he chased that feeling of a sobbing solace.

The android copied his partner’s actions and clutched his palms to either side of his head, smearing Gavin’s tear-stained face against his own and absorbing the physical exudations of emotion. The wet heat was so raw on his synthetic skin that Nines didn’t think when it retracted on contact, leaving his pearly plastic to glimmer under the tainted blue water that began to leak from the corners of his eyes. At first, it wasn’t much, trailing faint streaks of cyan behind the aqueous movements. But when Gavin realized the heart-wrenching moan that escaped Nines, he looked to him with such a mixture of pain and clemency that provoked a heavier round of blue artillery.

The android’s face became a painting illustrated by nothing more than his fear and affections to which Gavin happily contributed his own sultry paintbrush.

The resolve came quick for Gavin, and he tentatively watched Nines recollect his own bearings. “I’m sorry, I-”

“Shut the fuck up,” snapped Gavin, though no cruelty met his tone. “You’re okay. You’re okay?”

His android nodded, relishing in the bath that carried away his burgeoning emotions. Gavin held their faces still together, touching his lips stiffly against Nines. He had intended for nothing more than to be replenished by the idea of his lover existing within his grasp once again, but Nines seemed to bite in excess. The android’s tongue slipped between Gavin’s teeth, releasing a burst of iron from his ingested robot tears, and let it run rampant within his mouth.

The kiss wasn’t enough for Nines to convince his partner how much he missed him. He yielded his tongue from Gavin’s taste buds and lapped up the tears along his cheeks, sampling the crystallizing sodium and nibbling down his jawline.

Gavin moaned beneath him, his shockwave of dread dissipating into unhinged eroticism. If he had learned anything from years of failed relationships, it was that emotional turmoil made sex all the better.

The excitement incited within Gavin’s pounding chest turned arrhythmic when his android lifted him into his arms, shoving him against the wall behind him, and pushing into him with the testosterone of a bull. After enduring months of awkwardly finding their way around each other, it was an understatement to say that Gavin was surprised by Nines’ newfound wanton initiative.

Surprised, certainly, but not in the slightest disappointed.

He returned the actions tenfold, forcing their mouths to dance and recklessly tearing at the jacket that restricted his eyes from the beauty of his boyfriend’s bare chest. Nines let go of Gavin, using the wall to balance him against his groin, and tossed his jacket and turtleneck in one swift motion across the couch. The android’s own impatience erupted under a low grumble as he dropped Gavin onto the couch and clambered over top of him, shoving his human’s arms in the air to slip his tee off.

Nines worshipped the skin-to-skin contact. Since activation, he had come to cherish the vivid sensations of heat. Against his endothermic mammalian body, Nines soaked in the warmth that radiated from Gavin; against the words from his boyfriend that endeared him so heavily, he intoxicated his insides in benevolent wildfire. At times, he feared he would melt.

Melting was a fair price to experience the touch of fire.

And fire was what blazed within him as he felt his new component roar to life. It was even more pleasing to watch Gavin’s eyes stretch in wonder as he realized that his hardening member would no longer be grinding alone. Nines, though he tried maintaining his dominant pose, fell victim to the gasps that his lover relinquished underneath the length that overpowered his inferior, human phenotype.

Nines’ nibbling grew into starved bites, sinking lower and lower below his human’s neck. Despite the red blood that pulsed beneath his skin, shades of purple surfaced in splotches beneath the android’s teeth. They eventually created a trail to his waistband, his tongue dipping deep beneath the surface to test the waters. Gavin hummed in permissiveness. Nines palmed between his lover’s legs, unbuttoning his jeans and sheltering the member that popcorned into plaid boxers over his salivating tongue He kept his palate suctioned tightly around the tip of his cock, dampening the fabric and earning a playful tug at his bowed locks.

The soft moans his lover made set fire to Nines’ steadily growing impatience and he pulled the fabric barriers down to Gavin’s knees and inhaled the hardened flesh down to his throat. An unanticipated upward thrust pushed his cock even further and Nines indulged hungrily. Pre-cum was already dribbling onto his taste receptors and he craved to know what damages an entire mouthful would cause to his system.

His curiosities would have to be satiated at a later date, because Gavin – at his most human – demanded his own impatience be tended to. He clung to the android’s synthetic hair and pulled him up to his abandoned orifice. With as much brash force as he could manage, the human kicked off the rest of his clothing, slipping restless fingers under Nines’ own jeans, and winced as the android bucked under the feeling, pinching his dick under the metal zipper. Immediately upon impact, Nines lifted up from Gavin to prevent any more harm, but it only offered Gavin the leverage to shove what little clothing remained between their unappeased debauchery, and eyeing the massive cock that his lover had chosen for himself.

For a moment, he was breathless, apprehensive of the image set before him. Though Nines had not been his first gay sexual encounter, he had certainly never dated a man that could compete against Detroit’s Largest Bratwurst contest.

Nines could feel his stare. “Is it…satisfactory?”

Gavin could only grin his answer. “Ready to take it for a spin?”

Without waiting for a response, Gavin slid down the couch underneath his virgin boyfriend and placed a moist tongue against the skin beneath his tightly-clung balls. He flicked his tongue teasingly against the hairless strip before engulfing a single sac into his mouth and lightly sucking. Nines gave out, falling to all fours and gasping at the strange sensation.

The man wished he could see Nines’ face. He might be a machine built with bells and whistles that only ever sported the most aggressive resting bitch face, but the noises his lover made now were enough to make his own groin boil with pure bliss. Faint robotic mimics of pleasure raced across Gavin’s imagination and he rewarded the plausible responses by licking up the underside of his dick and kissing the soft flesh that fit like a gagball in his mouth. There was something so satisfying about bringing a hard-ass like Nines down to his knees; about having a hard-ass like Nines allowing Gavin to show him the true pleasures of humanity.

Nines hadn’t minded in the slightest. Deviancy had graced him with minimal traces of pride and did as he pleased regardless of what others thought of it. And although Gavin did not share these same traits, Nines was contented, nonetheless, to understand firsthand what tonsils felt like in their natural habitat. The android hadn’t been interrupted by his visual software windows often, but the way his lover hummed along his new member made the pop-ups block everything in sight, turning the world red in a flurry of error messages.

He had lost a good portion of his reserve amounts of thirium from the tears that he had been surprised to relinquish earlier. Now his CPU was requesting permission to tap into his main supply of bodily thirium already coursing through his plastic arteries. He struggled with the proper demand, desiring to feel immense waves of pleasure built contingently upon Gavin’s persistent tonguing, but ultimately he had to decline. He wasn’t sure how much thirium would be released; if there was too much that prevented his function, they were no longer living in times that Gavin could just meander into the nearest convenience store to pick up a bottle of “Blueberry Go-Go”.

Another error message interrupted the magnificent view of his lover choking below him. He was overheating.

Nines ripped away from Gavin, heaving under the frustration of his pulsating, wet cock. A familiar look of hurt flickered in his boyfriend’s eyes, but Nines was quick to place two reassuring hands on his shoulders. “I can’t absolve myself. I would be wasting my thirium…”

Gavin piped in with a pleading tone, “I have plenty.”

“You do?”

He nodded. “I stocked up on some last week after…” Gavin blushed, moving to touch his lover’s face. “…you know.”

The android’s first instinct was to feel relief, wanting to continue their relations and experience the sweet pleasure of a human orgasm. Then, a lighthearted afterthought pushed against his vivacious libido. “You were looking forward to doing this again?”

“Yeah, yeah,” grumbled Gavin, realizing the sweet-bitten look his boyfriend infected him with., “I bought you your blue juice. I guess it worked out pretty well considering the circumstances. Do you want to stop? It might be harder to-”

Nines answered his boyfriend by shoving him back into his subordinate position and breaking the skin of his luscious lips between his teeth. He dug claws into Gavin’s hips and gripped them like reins, grinding his monstrous dick against one that dwarfed in comparison.

Gavin, for once, didn’t mind being as small as he was, internally begging to feel Nines’ throbbing cock against his tight hole. Nines read his mind, dropping Gavin completely and demanding him to “suck me” with a cutting stare that made him indubitably obey.

When the android was dripping in saliva once again, he bent over to suck off the warm member below him, dipping to Gavin’s leveled waist and twirling his cock underneath the loose sack that melted over top of him. The android tested the feeling, appreciating the damp nook that his lover exposed to him, waiting for an objection. When none came, he pushed slowly into the puckered hole, staring blankly into the squirming man below him, though desperately trying not to break the dominant persona that had overtaken him.

It took milliseconds for the error messages to pop up once more, but Nines ignored them for the time being. He wanted to watch the pleasure melt into his lover’s eyes as he sunk deeper into the ever-tightening walls. When he thought the moans couldn’t draw out any longer, he extracted himself up to his tip, desiring to hear Gavin’s pleas. The man did not satisfy this desire, automatically slamming his naked ass over the android’s cock and ripping a glass-shattering moan that involuntarily sprung red alerts across his ocular view. If he did not accept to its terms, it would override his own demands, but he was not ready.

No, he wasn’t ready to –

Gavin curled his legs around his waist and clung fervently, grinding wantonly against his biocomponent. Suddenly, the alerts began to flicker statically, and Nines erupted without caution. He growled against his lover’s gasps, indiscriminately nipping at his cheek and shaking under the pulses that charged heavy projectiles into the dark cave of his pleasure.

This only seemed to provoke Gavin’s excitement further, intriguingly enough to Nine’s observations. He slapped harder against the android, thrusting his cock upwards into the heated skin above him and relishing in the liquid that squirted from his ass under each solid movement. When Nines regained some of his strength, he forced himself onto his elbows and enjoyed the unveiled show of his boyfriend climaxing around him.

A flash of anger appeared on Gavin’s face before he made a corporeal demand by guiding the android’s hand over his loaded member. Nines understood almost immediately, sitting up straight and stroking promptly the small dick in his firm grasp.

The man’s waist followed Nines’ towering movements, suddenly coming to touch his sweet spot and focusing his movements on that single area. The android glared down at him expectantly. Did he know how hot he looked when he acted so serious? Gavin assumed he did when he began to buck against him, digging straight into the spot that made his vocal cords weak. The fire in his ass consumed his entire being, releasing audible spasms throughout his body that coated his chest in a familiar sticky substance.

Nines continued to stroke him even after, unbelieving of the pleasurable writhing of which his lover was capable. Gavin had to clench onto the android’s wrist to stop the movements, needing to relax against the frigid state he had experienced for probably too long. He slid off of his boyfriend’s cock, relieving a sigh, and then a sad moan when a loneliness settled within his emptied hole.

“I don’t think I could ever go back.” The look on the android’s face was incredulous as he sat back on his heels.

“Go back to what?”

“Being a machine,” said Nines. “I love you. I love… being with you. I’m not human, but I can’t be… I can’t be a machine.”

Gavin hushed him, only rising to pull his lover into the cushions beside of himself. He pressed his lips gently against Nines, wrapping his body wet from any and all bodily fluids around his and nestling his face into his chest. “You don’t have to worry about what you are. You’re you. That’s all that matters.”

Though Gavin was unable to see the realization that crossed Nines’ expression, the android smiled and hugged his human tighter. All this time, he had been obsessed with labeling himself into either box. He hadn’t stopped to consider that he was just him. Nines was a sentient being that loved working as a detective, that loved beating people at chess, and that loved this man. Nines was Nines.

Why should he deserve less than others to live this life he was granted? Even if he was granted this life in non-traditional ways.

Yes, Nines smiled. He was not human, but he was himself. As he was Gavin’s.

He looked to the unknowingly wise man beneath him and kissed the sweat-stuck bangs along his forehead.

“I love you,” breathed Gavin. His tone was rigidly quiet, signaling the beginning stages of a drifting sleep.

Nines’ smile grew broader. “I love you,” he whispered back, slipping the blanket that hung over the back of the couch over their sleeping forms. “You won’t ever lose me.”

The End? You Decide.

The next morning, Gavin awoke to daylight seeping through the window shades, a pillow crushed between his arms. The body that had entered the darkness with him did not greet him on the other side.

Stumbling to his feet, the gruff man eyed the open floor plan, pacing down the hallway when Nines had not appeared in his view. Hints of panic began to travel through his veins upon the inspection of an empty bedroom. Then, with one last desperate pounce at the bathroom door, immense terror struck Gavin when the site was void. Immediately, Gavin fisted a washcloth over his dick uncleaned from the night before and threw on a pair of boxers crumpled on the tiled floor.

As his fingers wrapped around the doorknob, a red reflection caught his eye in the mirror, and he stopped. The source was circular, pulsing in a dying light of slow movements amongst the mess of toiletries. At the same moment, his front door clicked open and he engaged the guilty suspect in the living room with his respective organ laid in-hand.

“What the fuck were you doing? And what the fuck is this?”

Nines was dressed in one of Gavin’s maroon sweatshirts but wore the same black jeans (assuming he probably could not squeeze into a pair of his).

“I can’t be android anymore. I needed to rid myself of it if I were to ever have a chance of not being spotted. I’m sorry, I know I must have worried you.” The android shifted uncomfortably beneath Gavin’s scowl. “I needed to see Connor and the Lieutenant one last time.”

“What do you mean ‘one last time’?”

Nines visibly dropped. “I can’t stay in Detroit, Gavin. Neither can Connor. I thought you knew that?”

Gavin hadn’t thought of it. He had been too busy trying to find his boyfriend and later trying to convince himself that his boyfriend was still in existence and not some illusion. After that… he had no clue what the plan was. Perhaps, to just continue enjoying a love he had thought he lost.

“I love you,” continued Nines when Gavin had not. “If moving is too much, then I cannot force you to go. But, if I may add, my life is empty without my purpose as a detective; and it is also selfish to keep when it could imperil Connor’s safety. You are why I could not yet exterminate myself, Gavin. You were my first and last thought before stepping into one of those camps. If you say goodbye today, then I will understand, but please, I beg you to reconsider.”

Speechlessness was a rare condition for Gavin. His hand went slack, and he gaped with consternation, letting the LED clunk to the floor. From the first moment he had opened his eyes to this disgusting world, he had been a sour man. Although there were a few hidden gems, none of them compared to the way Nines had made him feel: so important, so loved. Could he really give that up to return to his life of android discrimination? For years, he despised their very being, hoping for the government to come to the consensus that they had finally arrived to. But now was different, now he was hopelessly in love with an android. An android built incapable of love who was now inconceivably begging for Gavin to stay. Was there even a level of shitty that existed within him to say no?

Despite the severity of the situation, Nines did not express a distinguishable emotion. His intense stare locked onto Gavin, nearly piercing straight through him into the void that was preparing for denial. The irony was not lost upon him, realizing that it was the android just last night promising he would never leave the despondent man; the tables were turned now. Gavin could provide it for him, it was not impossible to uproot his life and start fresh elsewhere.

Did he even have that much to lose? His still vocal cords told him he did.

For as much as Gavin hated many things, he would miss the familiarity of the DPD. He would miss the break room’s horrible coffee and fucking with Anderson on a daily. He would miss going on lunches to random places that Tina suggested and spitting out whatever dish she forced down his throat. He would even miss his damned broken chair that never stayed at the right height long enough for him to type up a single report. Yeah, as much as he hated a lot of it, he would miss this life.

But the pain that ripped through his chest when he realized Nines could have been gone forever… it was an unmistakably violent feeling he wouldn’t elect for anyone else to experience. The sheer rawness of his insides tortured his mind to the extent of self-harm. He would never admit to it, not even to himself, but the state of his existence was a questionable case had Nines not confronted him in his own apartment last night. A future without Nines was…indisputable.

That didn’t make the prospect of the change less difficult.

The befuddled man turned away and traveled to the far window, capturing a glance at the skyscrapers framed by the sill in his living room. Then, he turned, crossing his arms and meeting Nines’ line of sight. “Can we just enjoy one day without it all? No politics, no moving, no dumbass decisions like scalping your LED and putting yourself in danger. Just – one – day?”

The floor became a source of answers for Nines when it was made obvious that he did not care for his boyfriend’s. Without another word, the android joined Gavin by the window and folded him into his arms. Neither were unsure how long they could last there without discussing this emphatic problem, but neither wanted to know. And so they stood quietly in each other’s presence; Nines listening to the light breaths of his lover, and Gavin melting into the thrums of his android’s thirium pump.

Nines pressed his palm into Gavin’s tangled hair, inhaling his oily effervescence, and pressing his lips to the side of his temple. The man relaxed into his chest and smiled.

If the world ended right now, all their fears of their future would be completely irrelevant. There would be no reason Nines would have to decide whether life was worth living if Gavin denied him, nor would there be reason for Gavin to worry about leaving his old life behind.

If the world ended, there would be no reason for them to even say goodbye. They would be as they were, encompassing one another and riding out their affections until their beating organs failed.

Nines watched the outside world while he felt his lover inversely lose himself from it. They held each for what felt like hours. They held each other as the clouds passed from one corner of the window to the next.

They held each other and Nines watched coolly as the blue skies were shielded with roaring oranges that blocked out the sun.

They held each other until Nines could feel the ground tremble and he shushed his slumbering human back into his chest.

They held each other until Gavin inhaled a finalized breath, never to be proceeded by a relinquishing exhale.

Nines held on until his own systems depleted and he could no longer hold.

“I love you.”

[hasansonsuzceliktas]

Venus in Signs - Financial Astrology

Is there a relationship between your Venus sign and your financial health? We explore this potential connection. When your Venus sign is Aries The sign of Aries signifies leadership and individuality. Material values are not so important to you, but if there is a war ahead to win, you will do all manner of crazy things with an unbelievable ambition to acquire the necessary resources. Under normal circumstances, you care little about your money and frequently lend it out, and you generally suffer financial losses because of this. It is highly possible that you may put your money at great risk. Even when you’re earning good money, you should be careful when spending it. By this I mean you should be a little more careful yet still full of energy. You should avoid lending money to anyone but your closest friends. Fields where you could earn money most easily are those involving a leadership or management position. Instead of working for someone else, you could start your own company or work freelance, because this is a situation where your Venus can move freely. Your Venus sign is Taurus Taurus symbolizes owning things and increasing what you have. Material values are important to you, and you only feel safe when you have no financial problems. Even a single lost penny hurts you. You really know your money well, and you don’t exhibit any unnecessary charity. You have a weakness for luxury, because quality and comfort are paramount to you. You may take risks but only very rarely. For the Taurus Venus, the opportunities to increase material wealth come from investments. Instead of just protecting what you have, you try to grow it. You can earn money by working with anything solid in this world. You may be lucky with natural professions like landscaping, artistic activities, and especially jewel crafting. For example, Lakshmi Mittal, one of the richest people in the world, got to where he is by buying up small loss-making companies. Making small investments, such as on the stock markets (through medium-to-long-term investments), could agree with the symbolism of your Venus. Your Venus sign is Gemini Gemini represents communication. Your financial graphics are full of ups and downs, changing all the time. Your phone bills are usually larger than the average person’s. You easily spend money on communication, travel, books, and magazines, but you earn money by using your communication skills. Jobs involving the internet, advertising, and communication may be profitable for you. Unfortunately, you have the urge to spend money as quickly as you earn it, so Gemini Venus people don’t tend to join the world’s richest. You should learn to protect what you have, rather than spending to just enjoy the moment. Avoid spending your time on small sums, because the real problem is the larger amounts. The Gemini sign is known to be the most cunning in the Zodiac. Use your communication skills in whatever job you have. Another aspect of Gemini Venus is advertising. Whatever job you have, advertising is especially important for you, so you shouldn’t disregard it and always support it. You will generally become bored of jobs that don’t occupy your mind, so avoid wasting your time on anything with a monotone work life. For example, the great bard William Shakespeare was tremendously successful in communication and writing, just as his Gemini Venus indicated. Your Venus sign is Cancer Cancer symbolizes safety and tradition. Material resources are essential, because you believe everything should have a solid foundation with something put aside for the future. Even though you don’t hesitate to spend on your home and family, your desire to accumulate can make you appear miserly. You are the “hoarder” of the Zodiac. As common values can mean so much to you, though, you may buy things you don’t really want. To guarantee your financial situation, you should work for the public good. This is a real Cancer trait. When it comes to realizing the deficiencies and needs of the public, you are a pioneering leader, so use it. You don’t have to act traditionally, so you can take a different approach if you want. Becoming occupied with land and property is also a common characteristic of Cancer Venus. Whenever you own property, you should rest assured that your investments will benefit you. Napoleon was a Cancer Venus who answered the needs of the people. Donald Trump, meanwhile, became rich from real estate. At the same time, Cancer Venus is in conjunction with Saturn (a property symbol) in his chart. His career once resulted in bankruptcy (Cancer symbolism of ups and downs), but he later recovered. He is known as the man who restored the USA (or the architect of New York). His Venus Saturn conjunction is actually also in conjunction with Mercury at the eighth (change and transformation) house of the USA. Your Venus sign is fertile, as the old saying goes, so your financial situation will be full of ups and downs just like the Moon, your ruler. Mostly, however, you will enjoy an above-average position. Your Venus sign is Leo Leo symbolically means to shine. Leo Venus people seem to be born to be famous, even if they address just small crowds. They stand out with their mobility, social activity, charm, and charity. You value luxury and excess a lot, and even if you’re not wealthy, you take care on the clothes and fragrances you use, with many of your belongings coming from quality brands. You also leave generous tips. You feel like all eyes are upon you, with you being at the center of events, so you mostly spend time on making yourself look good. This is especially true when you’re in love, because for the Leo Venus, love means life and is something to cherish. The amount you spend may surprise others around you. Instead of spending so lavishly, you should try to save some of it. Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you, because expense doesn’t always reflect quality. When you’re in love, you should avoid making great gestures or giving lavish gifts, because it may lead to serious financial problems. There is also more that you should do. The Leo Venus is a showman, as we explained before. Whatever job you have, you should turn it into a form of visual entertainment for others. For example, some Leo Venus people like David Copperfield and Madonna became successful by not just being great at what they do but also by putting on a great show. Your Venus sign is Virgo The Virgo sign represents struggle and making something operational. Among rich people, the Virgo Venuses enjoy first place statistically. The Virgo Venus is known for making things operational and being able to work for others (e.g., for a salary or a commission) on a routine basis. The Virgo sign is therefore considered by many astrologers to be the sign of employees, accountants, and commission-based workers. Those who manage inventories for other people or invest other people’s money in a financial environment are often in this group. For you, having a stable income is more important than becoming rich. You believe that happiness comes from stability. You’re not extraordinary, different or creative (unless elements in your chart dictate otherwise of course). Your reward comes from your routine work, the projects you implement for others, and the compensation you receive for them. However, another symbolism of Virgo is the pain caused by other people or inflicted upon them, so you should understand that you’ll have many competitors in your field. For example, the first thing done by Rockefeller (a Virgo Venus and the richest man in history) was to destroy his competition. The greatest financial handicap of the Virgo Venus is believing that everything monetary will fit into the classic norms. (Note: According to my observations, they are typically the sign least interested in astrology, and because of this, many astrology critics carry this sign.) Struggling in a stable manner is of course a good endeavor. While this will provide a stable income to live on, it won’t take you very far unfortunately. However, you can extend your vision like some of the richest people in history have, because your sign has an important advantage: Getting things operational. This practical advantage can benefit your work life. The Venuses of Larry Ellison and John Davison Rockefeller, two of the richest men ever, are on the Virgo sign, just like you. Other than his extraordinary ability to earn money, Larry Ellison’s defining moment was developing databases and making them more efficient. For Rockefeller, meanwhile, his edge came from brokering for himself. Your Venus sign is Libra Libra symbolizes personal relationships like partnerships, trade, and even enmity. The comfort, luxury, and beauty that come with money are symbolic of wealth and important for you. Such a lifestyle requires money, however. You want all these things to feature strongly in your social life and be loved by everyone. Social relationships, artistic events, and aesthetic concepts comprise an elitist lifestyle for you. Appearance is paramount for you, so you may pay too much for something just because it’s popular, even though it may not even be needed. The most apparent feature of the Libra Venus is the need for partnerships and social contacts, the symbols of their sign. To benefit from financial opportunities, you should form a partnership with someone with a business mind, someone you absolutely trust. Libra is a sign where Saturn is ascending. As the popular broker Delbert Gann pointed out, the global stock market is ruled by Saturn. Therefore, if your Venus is not under harsh effects, making medium-to-long-term investments in the stock market can benefit you. Fashion, design and public relations are also fields you may excel in. Politics also comes under Libra. A Libra Venus and one of the richest people in the world, Warren Edward Buffet is known as the man who raided Wall Street. Libra, in those same markets, is the sign of calculation, so it may predict what will be valuable in future. Your Venus sign is Scorpio The symbolic meaning of Scorpio is power and transformation, but don’t let this misrepresent it. Scorpio wants a voice and power over knowledge and the less tangible fields. This is why the astrological positions of many inspectors, magicians, and researchers are at Scorpio. If we talk about financial gain, then sure, Scorpio wants this too. Power is an important concept, and financial wealth helps to gain power. Sometimes you may need to sacrifice financial assets, but this will either be for a cause you believe will benefit you or part of some form of gambit. You keep your knowledge to gain financial resources, waiting until the right time comes. Waiting silently for a long time is a specialty of yours, but don’t forget that when you decide to act, your knowledge may have become outdated and useless. As your sign includes the symbolism of transformation, it is essential for Scorpio Venus to keep their information and abilities fresh and up to date to avoid disappointment. A successful Scorpio Venus hoards knowledge and shares it with no one. Of course, this only means something if you’re individualistically oriented. Another advantage is your ability to transform. Whatever job you have, you can improve it by removing the flaws and increasing your success rate. Bill Gates is a Scorpio Venus and one of the world’s richest people. His advantage was to develop something better by eliminating the faults in the program. (Of course we shouldn’t forget the other features of Scorpio he used in trying to dominate the market.) Sometimes, even when you’re in dire circumstances, you will probably enjoy above average wealth, as your sign is so fertile as the old astrologers would say. Your Venus sign is Sagittarius Sagittarius symbolizes spreading knowledge or coming together with the public order. As a Sagittarius Venus, you’re gifted with finance. You don’t care that much about money, so you may spend too much. The most important thing for you is financial independence without depending on anybody. Your life is based on gaining this freedom. Knowledge and culture are always good subjects for you, and they support you in whatever profession you take up. You can also benefit from other advantages of the Sagittarius Venus. You will be lucky in jobs that involve disseminating knowledge or being in the public order, as mentioned earlier, such as teaching, television, or book publishing. You just need to avoid spending too lavishly. John Kluge is the founder of the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company and one of the richest men on Earth, as well as a Sagittarius Venus. If you look at the name of his company, you see how fitting it is for a Sagittarius Venus. Your Venus sign is Capricorn Capricorn represents ruling and creating systems. You need financial resources to prove your individuality and keep hold of power. You are good with financial disciplines but not particularly lucky. Capricorn Venus people tend to work very hard but often don’t receive their worth. They are the ones who often make the hard decisions, so they may not be always appreciated. In contrast to others who work little yet earn more, Capricorn Venus people may need to work harder, especially when young. You should use your organizational talent and the ability to manage people, as well as your ability to create and design systems. For example, Steve Jobs managed to create an empire from almost nothing with Apple’s revolutionary designs. He was a Capricorn Venus, just like you. Your Venus sign is Aquarius Aquarius is all about thinking out of the box. The constantly repeated, accepted methods are not really for you. You will gain financial resources through your ability to act according to your marginal thinking. You have the capacity to see differences and notice original ideas. Your social relationships will also be important in accumulating financial resources. It will be advantageous for you to choose originality and value marginal ideas in whatever job you do. You may also employ technology very efficiently. For example, Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, has the same Venus as you. He once said this: “1) Don’t be predictable. 2)­ Fight the system.” Right now in the USA, Wal-Mart is almost as powerful as the government, even though it’s just a supermarket chain. Your Venus sign is Pisces The symbolic meaning of Pisces is to fertilize and penetrate everything. Being the final sign in the Zodiac, it is the only one with the capacity to contain “everything.” The ability to reveal this is very important. Your various interests will help you accumulate wealth, because you have rich thinking and an ability to grasp almost every field. Rather than focusing on a single field, it is better for you to favor variety. You will see that after a while, even in fields you might not have chosen, you soon create a web of relationships and contacts.. Bernard Arnault, one of the richest people in history, is a Pisces Venus like you. Last time I checked, Arnault owned some 58 very prestigious brands and was trying to acquire another two. Read the full article

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Different Kisses with Suho / Junmyeon

Thanks for the request @this-song-thats-only-for-you … your endless support means a lot! Plus it’s like I’m feeding all your bias loves to you one at a time, right? I really liked looking into Junmyeon’s kisses today, I hope you enjoy them!

Kissing Junmyeon is a great test for your lung strength because he can kiss you for such long periods at a time and you’ve become an expert in knowing when to suck in deep breaths to keep on kissing.

First kiss:

Junmyeon had known you for many years since your father worked with his family and you had grown up around him, playing with him when your mother was busy or if your family was over for a visit when you were both younger. However, when you became teenagers, you studied abroad and he went on to study and train to become an idol. Life was busy, and it took Junmyeon two years before he saw you after you had returned, always missing you by minutes usually. When he finally reconnected with you though, he was stunned at how well you had matured. He wasn’t sure why he was so enamoured by you now as an adult, he remembered vaguely to pulling at your hair every time you made his heart skip a beat as a child. He couldn’t very well just pull at it now, he was no longer a petulant little child out of touch with his feelings and so it took him some time to adjust to the new feelings growing inside of him. Junmyeon went to extra lengths trying to get time alone with you, using the pretence of fulfilling his filial duties whenever he knew you’d be at his home, laughing with you over all your memories until the early hours of the morning. Through sessions like these, he learned about your time overseas and you heard all about the life of an idol. Soon you were texting when you couldn’t meet up and Junmyeon couldn’t go a day without at least saying hello to you no matter where he was in the world.

It was when he met up with you after returning from an overseas gig that you finally had the confidence to do something about what was going on between you. You knew Junmyeon well enough to see that he liked you too but you were sick of just being childhood friends when you met up. So whilst sitting on the floor of his childhood bedroom together you finally asked him if he was ever going to kiss you. You could see the shock in his face as you smiled lightly, tilting your head and waiting for his response.

“We, we haven’t even gone on a date yet,” he told you and your smiled grew wider. “I’ve not given you any flowers yet either.”

“So give me a kiss, instead.” It wasn’t a question, and you leaned in closer, gauging if he would actually act on those feelings you could always see shining from his warm eyes. You had gone over this moment in your head so many times now.

But you weren’t ready.

It wasn’t slow and sweet like you imagined. Instead, his lips crashed down on yours like a tidal wave, washing over you with years of adoration. He moved hastily, only stopping to suck in some air before pressing back into you, kissing you over and over for a good fifteen minutes before you finally pulled away, panting heavily and eyes hooded from the lust coursing through your bodies.

Junmyeon slowly grinned, reaching over to push the hair away from your face. “Since we’ve kissed now, how about a date?”

“Don’t forget the flowers,” you agreed, reaching in for another kiss because even after all that time kissing, you craved more.

Public kisses:

Junmyeon likes to show the world you’re his, so he’s not going to be silent with his PDA. Depending on the situation though, he’s very good at controlling how much he displays. In a crowded area, he’s only going to hold your hand and gaze down at you lovingly. In a slightly less public place, such as a walk in the park or in an area where you can be yourselves without worrying about other people being watchful, he’ll be more affectionate, leaning down to kiss you on the side of your head or hug you when he gets excited. If you join him on tour or at his workplace then he’s going to have no qualms kissing you on the lips, telling you how much he loves you, what he thinks about your outfit, the whole shebang without a care for the staff or EXO members listening and watching. But the one thing that remains consistent regardless of where you are together is the proud look displayed on his face whenever he has you on his arm. To him, he feels like he won the lottery having you in his world every day that he wants to show you off, his boastful expressions just oozing with “this person owns my heart, and they’re mine”. He’s not possessive, but he definitely is over-protective when it comes to you and your safety when out and about is paramount to Junmyeon. If anyone threatens that, his smile is gone and he’s silently glaring at anyone regardless of who they are for doing such a thing whilst he removes you from the situation as quickly as possible.

Private kisses:

Junmyeon is a very affectionate lover. At home, he’s playful and light and there’s lots of laughter mingled in with everything you do. If you’re smiling because of something he’s said or done, goodness his heart is so full at that moment that he cannot help but cup your face in his hands and kiss you softly, smiling into you as he does so. It’s quite often followed up with some kind of love confession, as he’s unable to go without telling you how he feels often. Definitely a man who shows his love for you with his words just as strongly as his actions.

He’s a mixture of gentlemanly and childish when at home (or anywhere really). He opens doors for you, makes you food, cares for you when you’re sick, will do your domestic requests mostly without whining, spoils you with new gifts all the time, is hopelessly romantic when it comes to creating dates at home – he truly makes you feel like royalty some days. But he’s also quite playful, chasing you around the house, whining at you to stop nagging at him then nags at you back, and is easily offended by things you ask him to do and stubbornly refuses. It’s really like living your life with your past and present, the Junmyeon you grew up with often coming out when he’s whiny and needy and then the man who hesitated far too long and planned out how your dating would go in a traditional manner filling the rest of the time. It seems that it can be separated at times of the day too, afternoons are definitely light and playful, right up into cooking dinner together and then once fed it relaxes back out, curling up in each other on the couch and soft, endearing times ahead.

Kisses are therefore quite mixed. If he’s playful, then there are quite a few kisses, but nothing substantial. Lots of smiles, lots of laughing into the kisses; they’re just so fun that you can’t help but laugh back and kiss him just as many times as he was kissing you. When it comes to being more romantic and quiet, the kisses are long. Much like your first kiss, Junmyeon likes kissing you for as long as he can muster. Sometimes even a lip press can last really long between you, the connection established but neither of you has the energy to deepen it or move your mouths, nor do you have the desire to pull apart either. Most of the time kisses are slow, sensual and exploring. His hands almost always end up in your hair as well and yours wrapped around him, bringing him into you. The sofa is a great place for these kisses because you’re comfortable to just lie in each other’s arms, watch some television and kiss the night away. Ah, bliss.

Junmyeon likes doing a lot of things with you, but his favourite is whenever you’re in the kitchen. He comes alive when you’re baking or cooking together, humming or singing away, soon bouncing around, heck he’ll even take you in his arms spontaneously and dance you around the tiles whilst leaning in to kiss you. He’s very affectionate in the kitchen even if you have your own tasks to complete, his arms don’t stray from you for long, opting to help you by standing behind you and kissing along your neck than working side by side. Lots of cheek kisses or pecks on the top of your head happen in this space and by the time you’re finished cooking, you’re full from all his love. Being in the kitchen is now one of your favourite places and you often look up new recipes to try just to enjoy more time in there, kissing, cuddling and creating.

Making out:

For a man who loves long kisses and hugs, you can expect making out sessions to drag out for an entire day if you let them. He’s not necessarily ruled by taking you off to bed right away because he can be fully satisfied with just kissing you all over. Making out generally happens when you’re both lying around doing nothing much, or reading on the sofa and one of you happens to stare at the other a little too long. It’s easy to fall trap into each other’s eyes, hands reaching for one another and your lips are soon demanding far too much and far too quickly. The haste in your movements soon settle when your mouths are entangled, simply holding each other as you taste one another. Unlike a lot of making out sessions I write, with Junmyeon things can remain in the initial stage for some time because you’re happy enough to keep kissing, touching each other and whispering little love confessions along the way.

Eventually, it will turn heated, open-mouthed kisses eliciting the fire deep within your stomach to flare up, your hands gripping at his top as his own reach for your bottom and grasp it in his hands tightly. Body worship is huge with him, even when making out and he’ll map your entire skin out with his lips and hands, having you moaning and begging for more of his attention. And because you already started this out in a place that was comfortable, there’s no real need to move when it’s time to move into something more pleasurable. Go “team prepared” you.

Morning kisses:

You don’t wake up to soft kisses or even in Junmyeon’s strong arms but to the smell of food instead. Your nostrils sniff in hesitantly as your eyes slowly open and you soon hear his feet moving down the hallway, a tray in hand. By the time he’s arrived, you’ve had enough time to sit up a little, letting a sigh out as soon as you see him. You have chastised Junmyeon quite a few times for getting up to cook you breakfast in bed, partially because you didn’t like that he did all that work alone and because when he wasn’t home you’d forget to feed yourself and cram in a protein bar halfway through your morning schedule because you were busy. But he never listens, sitting down on the bed beside you, his eyes alight with pure happiness at seeing you awake. It’s as if he had suffered whilst you both slept, unable to wash his gaze over yours and take in all your little details. Sometimes he gets lost in doing so first thing in the morning and you hate it, knowing your hair is a mess and you probably have dry drool on your chin or something. But he’s full of kisses and affections, lots of forehead kisses, caressing your cheek as he does so. He likes to feed you your food and exclaim at how well you eat whilst dodging a pillow you lobby at him for babying you, and this brings out lots and lots of smiles. You never want to admit that the princess treatment in the morning you receive makes your start to the day that much better. And if you somehow wake up before Junmyeon, you spoil him with the same special treatment too, making sure he’s well fed in food and kisses until you have to get up and start your day.

Making up:

Arguing with Junmyeon is quickly diffused by his emotions. Whilst it’s important for you both to be able to express your differences, the further an argument progresses the heightened his emotions will get. There is a high probability that Junmyeon will cry when fighting with you, partially from anger but also from seeing you so wound up. He’ll easily blame himself for things going wrong even if he’s not even at fault which can sometimes frustrate you further. When he starts crying it tends to make you pause midway in your sentence, realising things have gotten too heavy and you both need a breather. Sometimes just stepping apart from the situation works but generally, you know Junmyeon will ruminate over needless things if you allow him to and you choose to comfort him, silently hugging him. It seems that the embrace captures the argument and calms things down, both of you relieved that your connection isn’t affected. It doesn’t mean you won’t solve the issue later but for now, you need this type of attention. Junmyeon will place lots of gentle kisses to your forehead and rest his head against yours, whispering that he’s sorry repeatedly until you kiss him to stop him in his tracks. When you’re both calm again, you’ll easily be able to discuss the issue, all whilst holding each other’s hand as if to anchor yourselves to one another this time around so neither will be swept away with their emotions.

Jealous kisses:

It’s no secret that Junmyeon easily gets jealous. And whilst he’s not openly going to make a scene about it often, the green-eyed monster inside him isn’t exactly rational either. He gets envious even when he’s happy to see you “mother” his members, pouting a little when the beagle line has your attention and he doesn’t. Sehun is the one who evokes the most jealousy within Junmyeon, mostly because it used to be him that he’d turn to for everything and now it’s you. He gets bitter easily, coming up silently and placing himself between you both or interrupting the conversation to help Sehun before you can. He’d rather do anything for the person you’re interacting with than sit and watch as the envy bubbles up inside him. You’re aware that he gets like this and despite many attempts to tell him he has no need to be jealous of his own members or your male friends, it’s a fine and conflicting line for him. Junmyeon loves how generous you are but it also means you can be easily used by those who know of it – intentionally or not.

If you’ve picked up on his jealousy, generally because he’s now closer than he had been and is playing with his lips – pursing them and biting at them, it leads you to two paths. If it’s just his members or a friend that he’s been in the company around you many times now then you sigh, shooting him a look to stop being so bitter. He should know his time will come when you complete your task. If it’s someone he’s not used to sharing you with then you are a little more understanding, and if you’re in reaching distance you’ll grab onto his lower arm to let him know you’re aware of his feelings. This sometimes placates him, other times it’s like he takes it as a sign to become over-protective and will get a little overbearing.

It’s not long either way until you’ll leave the company of others to lightly chastise him for getting so upset and he’ll nod eagerly as he holds you in his arms, leaning in to kiss you firmly. His kisses when he’s jealous are little more demanding, the pressure in his lips reminding you that you’re all he can think of, even when surrounded by others.

Shut up kisses:

Junmyeon has a lot of mannerisms to him that can be a little annoying. He’s a nagger, always going on about something to you. He has endless cheesy lines or Dad jokes that you don’t always buy into (though you have to admit one of his strong points is that you have similar humour types), he is naturally a bit of a tease and can get pretty savage too. Although you can give it back just as good as he does sometimes you are left staring at him with murderous intent. “For the love of God, just shut up!” you’ll cry and he blinks a couple of times as he adjusts his following sentence to either frustrate you more or quieten down a little from his antics. If you really need to shut him up further, a well-known tactic that works is kissing him and wrapping your arms around his neck, holding him against you until every little drop of laughter has been swallowed up within your embrace. And much like with Jongdae’s kisses, you often wonder if Junmyeon has figured your method out well and continues on with all his own needless banter to get your lips on his in the end.  

Comforting kisses:

One of the best things about your relationship is that you are able to maturely turn to each other when life is tough and the other will help support and offer advice. With how busy and stressful Junmyeon’s career is, it’s easy for him to fall victim to doubting his ability at maintaining everything in his life. Sometimes when things out of his control happen he gets really low, and unlike a lot of the idols I write for, he’s all too ready to vent with you, knowing your advice is what he needs the most right now. It’s the same for you whenever you’re struggling, Junmyeon has this innate ability to shape your world that you feel is a mess and find the first place to start fixing it so it doesn’t.

And you’re both so grateful that you have this honest and open ability to rely on one another that you end up entangled in each other by the end of one of these sessions, kissing tenderly, mouths barely moving but breaths still effectively stolen. It’s so nice to feel the comfort of one another and feel confident to face your problems head on.

Night kisses:

When you’re both curled up in bed together at night time, Junmyeon can sometimes get rather invested in what he is thinking about. Holding you in his arms and with the lack of disruptions from it being just you two, it seems effortless for him to imagine your future. Quite often you ask him what he’s thinking, knowing full well by the slightly glazed over expression on his face and he’ll slowly blink as if to not lose it but still take you in, telling you how he wants to grow as a family one day through marriage and then with children. He can get quite detailed and despite the seriousness of the topic, it can become quite light and playful between you both as you discuss how many kids you both want, what colour you want the house to be and where you want to go for a honeymoon. It’s such a magical and easy moment to share together since you both envision the longevity of your relationship often.

Kisses are littered throughout, some just being pecks in between sentences and others longer and lovingly, as if to bring forward what you’re envisioning by being passionate with one another. Either way, you’re both fulfilled from these beautiful sessions, hoping that the next time you talk about it you’ll be one step closer to making the dream a reality.

Novel kisses:

One of your favourite shared pastimes is reading together so it makes sense that both of you read of magical worlds created with relationships that have humble beginnings, grow together through adversity and thus end up in romance from time to time. And sometimes these worlds make you so giddy from reading the protagonists fall in love that you glance over at Junmyeon knowing you have your own Prince Charming in your life. It’s funny how a book with a completely different storyline than your own can make you feel more in love with your boyfriend but it works a treat every time. Junmyeon can often tell when you’ve read a kiss scene or love confession just by the little expressions you are pulling or the change in your breathing. He’ll ask you about it and once you’ve explained the scene, he’ll smile at you warmly, anticipating your re-enactment on his lips.

When it doesn’t quite go to plan in what you’re reading and you’re getting worked up, he’ll also calm you down by planting a couple quick kisses on your lips, reminding you that not all relationships are struggling like your characters are. Sometimes you wonder if there’s someone writing your own story with Junmyeon with how relatable you find yourself to situations in the novels you read and he’ll easily agree, telling you that it’s him penning every moment to ensure you live happily ever after with him. Cheesy as it is, you would read your own story over and over for the rest of your life at his side.

 You never expected when you were children that your lives would be this entangled but really when you look back on things, you always knew it was Junmyeon who made your heart beat in a different rhythm. Now with all those kisses, you have learned how to breathe with him, orchestrating perfect technique that you hope to carry on for many years to come.

______________

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Other EXO members: Suho // Yixing // Chen // Chanyeol // Kyungsoo // Sehun

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[choiceswreckedme]

Epithymia - Chapter 3

**This is a repost of the original chapter that was deleted thanks to Tumblr’s new guidelines. Tagging will recommence with new chapter posts!

Tag Warning: This chapter contains sexual situations and coarse language, not meant for readers under 18. By continuing, you confirm that you are over 18 and read at your own discretion.

"How would an open marriage work?"

Liam's gaze slid to Drake, who was leaning on the bed poster nearest me.

"Drake, can you give my wife and I privacy?"

Drake straightened and nodded. "Of course, Your Majesties. Please come find me when you'd like to continue our . . . discussion." His eyes burned into mine before he turned to leave the room, reigniting the flame in my belly from earlier. The memory of his kisses and caresses couldn't be forgotten, even as I stood on the precipice of a life-altering decision regarding my marriage. As the door closed softly behind him, Liam sat next to me on the bed and grasped my hand.

"Charlotte, before we discuss the specifics of an . . . arrangement . . . such as this, you need to be certain this is what you want."

His blue eyes held my gaze and he rubbed his thumb in circles over the back of my hand. I stared back, letting the events of the last couple of hours wash over me: dancing with Liam, feeling the heat of Drake's desire from across the room; standing on the balcony, as my husband voiced desires I couldn't find the words for; Drake's lips on mine, his hands on my face and my body; and, now, realizing everything I wanted was within my grasp. I took a deep breath and let my insecurities fall away.

"I want this, Liam. More than you realize."

At my words, Liam bent and kissed me deeply, his tongue finding mine without preamble. His hands came up to wrap in my hair, pulling on the strands just the way I liked, and I moaned in appreciation. Lips traveling down to my neck, Liam nipped and sucked, careful not to leave a sign of our love on my skin.

"My love, you deserve everything, everyone, you desire," he said, breaking away to meet my eyes again. "But there are rules we both must follow."

I nodded eagerly, waiting for him to go on.

"First of all," he began, "everything begins with trust and open communication. At all times, we must tell each other how we feel about our arrangement. No matter who you decide to play with--"

"Play?"

A slow smile slid across Liam's face. "Yes, play. When we enjoy the pleasure of another's company, we call it 'playing.'" He brushed a thumb across my lower lip. "Do you understand?"

I slipped my tongue out to taste his skin, enjoying the way his eyes darkened as he watched me. This entire conversation had my body nearly trembling in anticipation, and I was eager to explore our new dynamic, starting with my husband, who clearly had some experience in this arena. Luckily, I knew exactly what he liked.

"I understand, Your Majesty."

Groaning, Liam stood and moved a few paces away. "God, you don't know what you do to me, Charlotte." He paused to regain his composure, then turned to face me.

"As I was saying, no matter who you decide to play with, I would like us to discuss the situation to ensure there are no surprises, no hurt feelings. Every person in this arrangement must know exactly what the rules are."

A realization struck me. "You'll be . . . playing, too?"

His sky-blue eyes met mine.

"Yes."

Instead of the flare of jealousy I expected to feel, I was strangely . . . aroused. The thought of Liam's hands all over a woman, watching him work her the way he did me, was thrilling. I had never been with a woman, but I certainly appreciated the female body, and to say that I was curious would be an understatement. I stood and walked to an armchair in our sitting area and gestured for my husband to sit opposite me.

"Honestly, Liam, that doesn't bother me. I thought it would, but it actually turns me on."

"You say that now, Charlotte, but in practice, you may feel differently."

I nodded thoughtfully. "So, if I do, then what happens?"

Liam stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing his ankles and leaning back in the chair. "If you decide, at any point in time, that you are no longer comfortable with an open relationship," he shrugged, "it ceases."

My eyebrows raised. "Just like that?"

He nodded. "Just like that. You are my wife, Charlotte, and I love you. Your comfort and safety is paramount, and I will do everything to ensure that." His words brought a smile to my lips; I would never know what god I'd pleased to find such a wonderful man. "I love you too, Liam," I replied.

"So," I continued, "I can play, and you can play, as long as we're both open and talk to each other about what we want." I paused, biting my lip, suddenly bashful about my next question. "Can we . . . play . . . together?"

Liam chuckled and slid off the chair to kneel in front of me, his big hands cupping my knees. The heat from his palms warmed my skin and he grinned.

"Are you asking if we can play with the same person, at the same time?"

I knew a blush stained my cheeks as I looked him in the eyes and nodded. Liam's pupils blew to a deep black at the thought of what I suggested; I knew mine reflected the same. He cleared his throat.

"Then, as long as everyone involved is comfortable with it, yes."

I let out a breath, feeling any residual shame fading away. This was truly what I wanted, what we wanted, and I had a feeling it would make our marriage even stronger. However, I watched Liam's expression grow serious and felt my stomach drop; had something upset him?

"There is one additional rule, Charlotte, one we must be very careful not to break." The somber tone of his voice reinforced his words; whatever he was going to say was non-negotiable. I fixed my eyes on his as he continued.

"I am King, and you my Queen, Charlotte. We must present ourselves to the public as a unified couple, with a strong marriage and Cordonia's best interests at heart. We can never forget who we are. We may have a much more flexible notion of marriage and monogamy than other countries, but our subjects would not approve of a monarch in an overtly open sexual relationship, particularly as it would cause concern for the legitimacy of an heir. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I nodded. "This has to be our secret." Liam squeezed my knee in acknowledgement and nodded. "Even more than that, Charlotte, we must be careful to limit our arrangement to those we can trust."

My brows furrowed. This court was rife with intrigue; how could we know that anyone, aside from Drake, could be trusted with something this important?

"Liam, who would that even be? Everyone here is ruthless." I thought back on my years in Cordonia, of all the plots and lies I'd been subjected to. I didn't trust the majority of these people at all. Liam stood up and walked to the bar cart, pouring himself a glass of scotch. He turned to me and stared at me thoughtfully while he took a sip.

"I have a small circle of confidantes, Charlotte. People who I trust, who I care about, who I have known many years. In the past, I have shared relationships similar to this with some of them, although marriage wasn't involved, of course." He brought his glass up to take another sip of the amber liquid and smiled to himself. "One summer, Drake, Maxwell, and I shared the affections of a young countess from France."

The thought of rotating through three men, especially those three men, sent a rush of fire through my core. I had never entertained the thought of Maxwell as a sexual partner, despite his obvious attractiveness, but now . . . well, things had changed. I smirked at my husband from my perch. "What a lucky woman."

Liam grinned wolfishly and took another swig of his drink. "It was a memorable summer, yes." He crossed back and stood before me, offering me his hand, and I rose, our bodies now so close I could feel the heat between us. This conversation, the possibilities . . . my body thrummed in anticipation. His eyes focused on me intently. "Is there anything else in regard to our new arrangement that you would like to discuss?"

Reviewing our discussion in my head, I could think of no other questions, at least not at the moment. I was excited, nervous, and extremely turned on. Lifting up on my toes I gently kissed Liam, sucking his lower lip in between mine and causing a groan to escape him. I pulled away and smiled, running my hand through his dark blonde hair before responding.

"I think I'm good, Liam. If anything comes up, I swear I'll talk to you about it. You're obviously more experienced here than I am, and I honestly trust you completely. I love you, so much, and I think this will be good for us."

His eyes twinkled as he looked down at me. "I love you too, Charlotte. More than you could ever know." He then grabbed me, roughly pulling me against him and taking my mouth in a dominant kiss, hands wandering down to grip my ass and press me against his already-hard cock. I gasped in delight as I felt his excitement, and he moved his mouth to my neck, teeth nipping at my pulse point. Lips traveling up to my ear, his tongue poked out to lick the soft shell, and I felt his warm breath against me as he whispered.

"When would you like to start?"

[lena-went]

Regole d'Ingaggio

                                          RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

F: I walked into the living room to see her standing with one hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised. Oh god. That was a rare combination.

“When were you going to tell me about this?” She asked incredulously lifting a envelope with a large red Harvard crest on the front. I suddenly had a flashback to months ago when she had found the gala invitation.

Damn.

“I am not going. I cannot leave you here alone.” I spoke matter of factly not wanting to spend more time debating the matter.

“I will be just fine by myself Frederick. You have to go.” She insisted giving me a little slap on the shoulder with the papers.

It was an alumni event for Harvard University with a highlight on fundraising for Harvard’s School of Psychiatric Medicine. This event was especially important due to both the alumni who could be expected to attend and the copious amounts of money the attendants were looking to invest in psychiatric research and endeavors. God I hated philanthropists.

“You are three months pregnant with our child and H—the Ripper has yet to be apprehended. I am not leaving you.”

“Frederick, the doctor says everything is perfect. The event is only one night, you’ll be back home before you know it.”

“Why are you so insistent on me leaving?” I asked becoming perturbed at her evident desire to get rid of me.

“Oh my love, I don’t want you to leave…it’s just…you’ve been working so hard on your book and I know this will be the event that can help you get it off the ground. Like you’ve said, they all have more money than they know what to do with…and you can be a pretty smooth talker when you’re passionate about something.” As she spoke she wrapped her arms around me and I sighed acknowledging that she was right.

This book could make millions. Now that I no longer had a job…oh god…I’m unemployed. It had been months but the thought made its way to the forefront of my mind and I raised my lip in disgust at the thought. I needed this book. It was not as if we were going to run out of money, I had saved up substantially over the years mainly due to not having anyone to spend it on. Nevertheless I hated the idea of not providing for her…and our child.

“You are right. Would you consider coming with me?” I hoped already knowing the answer.

“I would love nothing more but my boss would kill me. I still haven’t told her I’m pregnant.” She replied with a small sigh planted on my chest.

God I loved when she said that. We had known about the pregnancy now for a while but hearing her say it made my entire chest feel warm. She was pregnant with my child.

She moved her hands to cup both of my cheeks before placing a sweet kiss on my lips.

“This will be good. You need to see some work friends anyway, you’re always complaining about being under-stimulated.” She raised her hands in air quotes while smirking and raising an eyebrow.

“Well if it were not for Jack Crawford’s “rules of engagement” I would not find myself in a complaining mood as often. He insisted weeks ago that he was close to catching the Ripper and nothing has come of it.” My anxiety mounted as the thought of Hannibal roaming the streets of Baltimore fixed itself in my mind.

“If the Ripper were going to come for you, he would have by now don’t you think?” She suggested but I could detect doubt in her voice.

We needed to stop discussing such unpleasant things.

“I agree. Well…if I am going I will need to pack. And I will need a haircut.” My hair had grown unevenly back from being shaved at the hospital and despite the little trims she had given me it was far from its ideal polished formal style.

She smiled widely and pressed another kiss to my lips before hurrying down the hall into the laundry room where we had been stashing my suitcases. I rushed after her before she could lift any of them by herself.

“Freddy it’s fine, the doctor said I can lift anything lighter than 50 pounds. Freddy back off!” She scolded as I moved around her trying to prevent her from picking up one of my suitcases.

I raised my hands in defeat and smiled slightly. I knew I was being overbearing but I had never expected to have a fiancée let alone a child and now their safety was paramount.

We packed up a few of my nicer outfits as well as my medium sized bag of medications and other items related to my most recent injury. She scolded me for waiting so long to tell her about the invitation citing that it was like the gala all over again. That made my blood run cold, remembering how Hannibal had held her as they spun around the marble floors. I could still see the smirk he gave me before he flexed his fingers down the small of her back. I felt my fists tighten just thinking about it. She noticed how I tensed and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

“I’m not trying to send you away Freddy. If you really don’t want to go it’s your decision.” Her voice was soft and sent a light shiver up my spine, calming me substantially.

“I love you.” I felt my eye begin to sting and I fought back tears at the thought of leaving her for the first time in months.

“Hey…hey…I love you too baby…you’re not leaving tonight. It’s ok.” She was so good at reading my emotions and it made me feel so loved.

All it took was a less than a second and she would understand exactly what I was feeling. It was incredible. She was the most empathetic and intelligent person I had ever known. As she wrapped her arms around me where I sat next to the suitcase I pulled her on my lap before pressing my lips to her forehead. She sighed happily and leaned her face into the crook of my neck.

R: Our newest bedtime ritual was Frederick talking to my barely visible baby bump. It had started when I was laying in bed reading over one of my bar prep books. Frederick had sauntered into the room and plopped himself down between my legs.

“Ummm….Freddy? What are you doing darling?” I asked, my voice heightened by my surprise at his actions.

“Well, I have been reading…” Oh god.

“And many doctors believe that speaking to the fetus from the earliest stages of development both aids in vocal recognition after birth and language development later on.” He smoothed a hand over my silk night gown before looking at me for approval. I rolled my eyes but gave him a small nod.

He lifted my nightgown above my hips and laid it to rest right above the slight swell of my belly. He placed his hands ever so lightly on my stomach and laid little kisses just below my navel.

“Hello little love…it’s your Daddy. I love you so so much. And I love your Mommy so so much. I cannot wait to watch you grow and hear your heartbeat.” He spoke softly and I was surprised at how easily he went on.

So many barriers had come down after the events of my birthday, he was more confident and open with me no longer hesitating before speaking. Sure there were some moments where I wished he would give his little quips more thought before he released them but I was grateful that he felt so comfortable with me.

His fingers splayed and traced little patterns around my belly button as he spoke. I put aside my book and watched him for a few moments before closing my eyes. He left little wet marks over the skin of my stomach as he caressed and kissed. In my half awake half sleep state I heard many remarks similar to the ones he had spoken to me many many mornings ago when he thought I was asleep. I had treasured all I had heard and carried it with me as a reminder of how deeply he loved me. Soon I felt the warmth of his body against my side as he pulled my nightgown back down to its intended length. I instinctively rolled inward towards him for warmth and comfort which he provided eagerly as he always did. I felt him stretch to turn off the light before returning to me and pulling the duvet and sheets over both of us.

“I love you.” He whispered.

Nearly asleep I moved my face to his and pressed a open mouthed kiss to his scruffy lips before speaking the same.

“I…love…you.”

[chicagoindiecritics]

New Written Review from Mike Crowley on You’ll Probably Agree: What it was like returning to the theater to see “Inception” and what theaters will look like after the pandemic

SKIP TO THE FIFTH PARAGRAPH FOR MY THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE

I had my doubts if Christopher Nolan was the true authoritarian on demanding “Tenet’s” release. I know he has enormous power in Hollywood, but was he wielding it like a selfish dictator? A man of his intellect couldn’t be narrow-minded enough to refuse to delay his film until it’s safe to show in theaters, right? About 70 films have been pushed to the fall, next year, or placed on streaming. James Bond, Christopher Nolan’s childhood hero, was even forced back to a November release date. A November release date in which, like many, is viewed to be moved until things are safe. After seeing the promotional materials for the 10th anniversary 70mm print of “Inception,” there’s absolutely no doubt that Nolan is entirely hell-bent on releasing his film only in theaters. To see these promotional materials, I couldn’t access them online. At least not by any legal means. Much like his iMax previews to his last four films, it was mandatory to watch them in the cinema.

Attached were two reels. One was a 10-minute preview for “Tenet.” After that was a 2-3 minute look back on “Inception.” In both shows, Christopher Nolan makes it crystal clear that his films are intended to be seen on the biggest screen possible with the loudest speakers surrounding the audience. On the “Inception” reel, Nolan expressed his disappointment that there are those who couldn’t see his 2010 film in a theatre, so here was their chance to do so. The problem is from my understanding is that the 70mm print of “Inception” that I viewed is the only available one in the United States. I know that when they filmed the sizzle for these movies, Nolan couldn’t have predicted such a global catastrophe. I feel incredibly fortunate to have seen “Inception” on  70mm film when initially I saw it on a generic digital 35mm reprint in a theatre that wasn’t a lover of cinema like The Music Box Theatre in Chicago is.

But even before the Pandemic, how many people would get access to this print other than iMax cinemas? How long could iMax last? Most of the country has switched to digital. Celluloid has become a novelty that I will always prefer over digital, a uniqueness that appeals to a very niche audience. How would that be profitable in the long run? Now with the COVID-19 Pandemic, that novelty will probably die forever. It was probably going to die anyway, just not this fast. 

To make a movie on film is far more costly than to use digital. Not only do you shoot the movie, but you must also send it to a lab to develop the print afterward. The chemical emulsion process is an expensive mechanism. Shooting on digital only requires a memory card or hard drive that you can directly dump the data onto another hard drive to start editing immediately on a computer. It’s cost and time efficiency towers over film. The theatrical distribution model is a dying breed, only left alive through purists like Mr. Nolan. His purity may be going a bit too far, however. It was only a matter of time before iMax would once more be something that was only used for nature and space films to be seen in a museum. 

Walking into a theatre once more felt like going into a gallery. I can happily make it very clear that The Music Box Theatre is not taking this Pandemic lightly. Instructions weren’t given to me; they were borderline shouted.

-Theatre Attendant: Have you been here since we reopened?

-Me: Uh, I was here before.

-Theatre Attendant: NO! Have you been here on JULY 3rd SINCE WE REOPENED? 

-Me: No

The attendant proceeded to provide me with the social distance seating protocol. He ended the briefing with “that’s it.” I almost expected him to say, “dismissed.” Usually, I would have been taken back by such an aggressive custom. Considering the unprecedented circumstances we all are in, I respected the young man’s sternness. I was picturing all the morons he had to deal with that didn’t follow proper instructions. People who ignored the blue “do not sit here” taped signs, took their masks off when not using a concession—pulling their phones out during the movie. Let alone, coughing or sneezing without their face cover. With 745 available seats, only 50 were free to use. People were spread exponentially more than 6 feet apart. In the row next to me, there were two young ladies. One of them was politely holding in her cough. Her mask was still on before the lights dimmed. During my state of alarm, I knew it was only a matter of time before one cough might slip out. Trying to mean no offense, I quietly sneaked towards the nearest row of the screen.   

The woman’s coughing wasn’t the only reason I sat in the semi front row; I was also wearing glasses, whereas you may know, masks and glasses don’t make the best mix. If I was close enough to the screen, I can take my fogged up glasses off and still clearly see what was going on the screen. That mostly worked, but my natural eyesight couldn’t substitute for my assisted one. And boy did those glasses get foggy. I increasingly grew jealous of those that could tolerate contact lenses. Even worse were people with perfect vision. I had to limit my breathing during the film because every natural exhale felt like a steam pipe was being burst onto my eyes.

With me, I came equipped with two masks. The medical kind you see everyone wearing, and a cloth one. Both were on at the same time. In my pocket was a bottle of hand sanitizer for whenever I touched a surface. I heard that COVID doesn’t last on surfaces, but I’ve listened to the CDC change their minds before. My paranoia level varied. Once comfortably watching the film from a safe distance with my double-layered mask, I felt secure. The Music Box has been open for long enough since the Pandemic. I haven’t heard of any cases appearing within their establishment. They’re not like some local restaurants or bars I saw in Wisconsin during my vacation there who acted like everything was normal. With that said, you can’t control the actions of others. 

Let me be clear that I never removed my mask once during the entire three hours I was in that theatre. While the movie played, I turned around to see if my fellow patrons were applying the same amount of caution that I was. In the beginning, everyone was covered up during the pre-roll “Tenet” adds. The rule in the theatre was that once seated, you can only remove your mask when eating or drinking, then immediately put it back on. This rule was announced by the man I spoke to earlier, where he took the stage before the film began. There was no way you could claim you were unaware of the safety guidelines. Of course, Americans had to act like Americans. Once the film started after the promos, everyone’s masks were off. At one point during the movie, that lady who I moved away from that was coughing, yup, one cough slipped out. Luckily I was about 50 feet away from her while looking like Shredder with my extra protection. Throughout the rest of the film, I didn’t hear a single cough or sneeze. How did the movie look on its correct format though? Spectacular. 

Christoper Nolan may be a stubborn stick in the mud, but my God is he right when it comes to the beauty of the theatrical experience. The black levels in the colors are vibrant far beyond anything you’ll get on your 4K 60-inch television; the sound is bone shatteringly clear. Every nuanced detail in the phenomenal production design is visible to an otherwise naked eye; this is something special. “Inception” is a bombastic operatic picture in the very best sense of the meaning. My appreciation for the 2010 spy thriller was improved when seeing it on the big screen. Even with my fogged up glasses and short breaths, I felt like it was an experience worth having. To have that experience though you really, REALLY, have to love film. The common man would not go to the trouble I did to see a movie that they can easily watch at home. 

Seeing “Inception” in a nearly abandoned theatre that still classifies as sold out was a bit of a relic. I felt like the little kid in “The Last Action Hero” walking into the old man’s theatre. I’m experiencing something from a great past time that no longer exists. It was like going to the Omnimax Theatre in the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry. Only this time, there was an inherent fear of disease, which luckily rapidly dissipated once there. I sympathize entirely with Christopher Nolan’s stone wall decision on maintaining a theatrical release for “Tenet.” He doesn’t have the power alone to release the film, whichever way he sees fit. Warner Bros is in the same boat as him. Nolan was the man who brought Batman back from the dead. He’s the one man in Hollywood who can sell an original big-budget picture on his name alone. Chris brought Warner Bros a lot of money.

The theatre is located upstairs

The termination of the Paramount decree’s 72-year law is the final nail in our current chain’s coffin. Movies won’t be evenly distributed. All of our existing theatrical establishments are running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to make their money back to the point of offering 15 cents per movie ticket upon initial reopening. When theaters do come back, they’ll be rebuilt, owned by the studios that distribute them. You’ll have your Disney theatre attached to your Disney store. Watch “Spider-Man Homecoming 3” on the second floor, then buy your Spider-Man toy on the first floor. Go to your Netflix theatre so you can see a film four months before it hits streaming. Finally, go to a Warner Bros theatre in Six Flags Great America, where you can watch Matt Reeves’ “The Batman.” Then buy your Robert Pattinson caped crusader doll when exiting the show. The funeral is in procession for theaters as we know it. Christopher Nolan may be able to make movies on film throughout the rest of his career, but to see them on celluloid; you’ll have to go to a museum or a specialty theatre like The Music Box. Such a realization is a heartbreaking reality. The sooner we can accept it, the better off we’ll be.

More of my thoughts on the future of movie theaters can be seen below.  

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[lifenuances9]

A Conscious Union

~The Ultimate Relationship~

Conscious Union earns her place in the “New Earth” jigsaw, is a honing and fine tuning of ingredients that go to make up a conscious relationship and how it is the closest thing to “happily ever after” that we will ever see within our existing DNA structure!

1. Two fully committed people who are willing to help each other heal and grow from the past. ~ ***Human beings are a complex set of cells with a huge range of needs and wants, even though some of us don’t say! From birth it is a near impossible task for any parent to meet the needs of their child 24/7 and to ensure their protection and safety from life, hence at some stage our childhood would have experienced a good few negative situations that may have become ingrained in our psyche and can stunt our childhood growth on the spot. Along comes our intimate relationships later in life which are fertile ground for healing from these ingrained experiences. But in order to heal, the wound needs to show itself and nothing quite like this kind of relationship, fires our need to look at these pain spots and allow them to surface and clear. This is the key ingredient in conscious love. It takes time, oodles of patience, compassion and willingness to stay open to whatever comes each day.

2. Two people who encourage full authenticity to be re-born in each other. ~ ***Love and approval is the human blueprint for life but from birth to now many of us lose the essence of our original nature by doing what we feel we need to do to be loved. Love and safety are life saving as children, without them the feeling is one of death and the motivating emotions that keep us as far away as possible from this fear, keep us chained in a symbiotic dance between trying to be loved and our drive to be authentic. Our relationships are a fertile ground for re-entry into authenticity. Conscious relationships positively encourage it! How? Well we must provide the safety and comfort for each other at all times to allow the emergence of wholeness. It takes a lot of time, encouragement and commitment…have you got what it takes?

3. Two people who are self aware and willing to take responsibility for every action and input into the relationship. ~ ***Sadly many people have the unconscious view that everything their partner does is either right or wrong and the focus is outside of themselves. They transmit feelings and emotions without due care of the relationship with a one way focus. When all is going great it’s easy but when conflict strikes all hell often breaks loose as the victim and perpetrator archetypes play out their next scene. A conscious relationship always asks “what am I doing to create this situation and what can I do to help it get better?” Self awareness IS consciousness. We are constantly aware of the world around us but we randomly select what we do and don’t put our awareness on. I see people in their twilight years who have never chosen self awareness and everyone around them is either too scared to tell them what they need to look at or are worn out from trying. A sad situation and like a diseased cell in the human body! Be self aware…it’s a revelation and a miracle all at once. “The journey of yourself is the most rewarding one you will ever take”, so why spend all the time looking out the window?

4. Two people willing to change unhelpful behaviors. ~ ***All of our relationships are our mirrors. The way people react to us is a huge directional arrow to where we are at with our behavior. In your relationship you do need to understand and get a grip of bad behavior. Change is required. It’s common sense really, otherwise your relationship suffers constant erosion.

5. Two people who use kind communication verbally and physically and who can navigate the waters of conflict with ease. ~ ***Communication is the life blood of every relationship, period! It is absolutely possible to become authentic and say what you really need to say with kind words and body language.

6. Two people who are educated about relationship dynamics. ~ ***Do you know about the distinct phases of a relationship and what’s happening in your body during the honeymoon and conflict stages? Are you aware that you choose partners who are designed to bring up your stuff so you can look at it from the past? What conflict style do you take and how does that affect your partner? Are you aware of your relationship space? These and many more things are the important resources of information that must be read and digested in your conscious relationship library.

7. Two people who strive to maintain connection through all relationship weathers. ~ ***We can all do a great relationships when its’ going well but bad emotional weather will strike at sometime in everyone’s lives because life is always happening as we walk our path together. Life is designed to ebb and flow with the cycles of the Universe and a conscious relationship knows that when things ebb, relationship connection is paramount. It is easy to let life sweep us apart and to be too busy to talk or spend quality time together, but the velvet nature of connection is an elixir. Yes it takes effort but next time you feel like ignoring the relationship because you are too shattered to speak…take a moment to do something appreciative…even if it’s a little note or an “I love you”. Connection is the foundation of a healthy relationship.

8. Two people who are dedicated to allowing the otherness in each other with freedom to grow separately and together.~ ***Unconscious relationships control and dominate. Conscious relationships know that each person was born separate and “other” and their ultimate goal is to be separately connected not symbiotically connected. Need prevents freedom. Love encourages freedom. But here’s where we come unstuck at this stage in our conscious awakening. I believe intimate relationships are still conditional to hugely varying degrees and so freedom varies accordingly. Allowing freedom to “be and become” is a sore spot for many because there is so much fear about losing love once we are in love. We plant labels like “my girlfriend, my husband” etc. which suggests ownership of the other. Unconscious rules start to develop about what each person should do or not to do in the relationship and a stifle can begin to develop. This part of the conscious relationship recipe, I think, is the toughest, but with tender loving care blended with all of the above we can and will get there!

9. Two people who housekeep their relationship space regularly and are vigilant about nurturing it’s quality.~ ***Like a walled Garden of Eden, where the children and the animals live, it’s space and quality and energy are critical to the health of a conscious couple. We communicate largely with energy. Have you ever walked into a room and could cut the atmosphere with a knife? Energy always speaks the truth but often underlies the words and actions in a relationship. The conscious couple strives to maintain a peaceful and happy relationship space so the energetic truth matches the spoken words.

10. Two people who know that it is what they give to the relationship rather than what they take from it, that helps them heal and grow. ~ ***Healing and growth, as I mentioned earlier, is a game for two. You can do all the self development you like but your intimate relationship will trawl up all your unhealed fears, worries and pain from the past. It is designed to do this! Conscious relationships know that it is their job to help the other heal and grow not to take what “I need”. This sets up a beautiful cycle of mutual giving and nurturing which dispels any need to “get my needs met”. Trust me it works…I am living proof. What I have with my beloved is a fertile ground of healing and growth every day. 

So there you have it. The essential ingredients for a Conscious Union. The only way to love and be loved in these changing times. Open your eyes and look back down the road that you have come from and know that you are fully deserving every day to have a conscious relationship. No matter who you are or what you have experienced you have what it takes to create one. With a dash of self awareness and a tablespoon of willingness to change what needs to be changed, you too can learn to love authentically.

by Gina Hardy

[garkomedia1]

She Quit Her Job as an Entertainment Exec and Sold Her House to Build a Thriving Cannabis Business

Whitney Beatty didn’t like storing her cannabis medicine in a shoe box, so she created a line of high-end storage containers.

March 2, 2019 12 min read

Opinions expressed by Green Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Whitney Beatty was a high-ranking executive developing talk shows for BET with a film screened at Cannes by Kodak. She left it all to become an innovative designer of luxury cannabis storage systems. She bootstrapped her quickly growing start-up and is completing her first financial raise to expand.

Whitney Beatty is still a high ranking executive as CEO of her own company, Apothecarry Brands.

What brought you into the cannabis industry?

I never imagined myself working in the cannabis industry. To be honest, I did not use cannabis when I was younger. I didn’t use in high school and I tried it a couple times in college but I wasn’t wasn’t impressed — besides, Nancy Reagan told me to just say no to drugs and I believed her!

I had a 15-year career working in entertainment but a couple of things changed my trajectory. First of all, I was diagnosed with anxiety. It was a life-altering experience for me. I went from sitting at my desk with shortness of breath and heart palpitations to racing myself to the emergency room, parking between two ambulances at the ER and being pretty sure that I was going to die of a heart attack.

Besides being very scary, the rest, as they say, is history. I was able to find a CBD/THC regimen that works for me. I was able to get off of all the other drugs my doctor had put me on. I was able to do the research on the plant and learn how misinformed I was. And then I realized that although I now love the plant — I did not connect to the cannabis culture as I thought I might. I detested the stigma. I detested how people avoided talking about it. And I realized that while I kept my wine in a wine fridge, I kept liquor in a bar, I kept cigars in humidors — I was still keeping my high-quality cannabis in a shoebox under my bed. Which is inappropriate — — not only for safety and freshness, but it perpetuated the stigma I was trying to erase and shamed my experience. What other medication do you store in a shoebox?

After meeting so many like minded cannabis users, who lamented about a lack of good storage system, worried about securing buds away from kids and pets, and who were tired of searching around for their stash to discover it dried out from plastic baggies and non-airtight dispensary jars, Apothecarry was born. The brand seeks to redefine the image of cannabis users who take pride and pleasure in their stash, while filling a hole in the marijuana paraphernalia market for everyone from the attorneys who toke after their high-powered workday, to the “stiletto stoners” who are hosting ladies night, the seniors using medication for health benefits and everyone in between who demand the best in all things.

Related: How This Brand Is Making Cannabis Feel Like a Luxury

What obstacles and challenges have you experienced in operating within this industry?

I think it might be easier tell you the challenges that I have not faced getting into this industry, lol! There is this idea out there that working in cannabis is a free for all — and that we’re all smoking weed all day, making tons of money the easiest way possible —  and nothing could be further from the truth. Cannabis entrepreneurs are responsible for everything else every other business is responsible for PLUS we have an added layer of legislation and unique regulation with eyes watching over us at every point in time. We pay taxes but we can’t bank. They want our money for licenses but we cannot take payments from customers with credit cards. It’s insane.

For me, personally, there were a couple of challenges that stick out. First of all, the key to being a successful entrepreneur is not necessarily to know everything but to gain access to the people you need to fill your knowledge gaps. In an industry that’s changing as quickly as the cannabis space, that can prove to be very difficult. There is not long track records, case studies and standard operating procedures. The rules change on an everyday basis and a lot of people don’t like to share information so they can keep their competitive advantage. You have to innovate and be nimble.

Raising money is also a huge challenge in any circumstance, and even more so in the cannabis space, where investors are leery because it is still federally illegal. And keep in mind, I own a company that does not touch the planet. I sell a box, a locking storage box! Not to mention the fact that over the last five years only .02 percent of capital raises across all startups were closed by an African American female founder. So I knew there was an uphill road in front of me.

Finally, I had to prove there is space in cannabis for a luxury consumer, and that these new higher-end consumers would be prevalent in the newly legal market. It only makes sense to me. The people I know who use cannabis are doctors and lawyers and professionals people easily making six figures.

I can also see the correlation between the cannabis space and the alcohol space — whereas there’s a space for Popov vodka in a plastic flask and there’s also a market for Belvedere. I wanted to cater to that high-end consumer in the cannabis market and give them something beautiful, safe and functional that made them feel more comfortable having cannabis in their their home and improved their their smoking experience.

Related: 6 Ways Women Can Raise Cannabis Capital

How have you overcome these obstacles?

By using hard work, dedication and a hell of a lot of Google. I was able to build a community around myself, which is very difficult as an entrepreneur. One of the ways I was successful in that was by joining the Canopy business accelerator in San Diego. It gave me access to a cohort of entrepreneurs who were dealing with the same issues as myself. I was able to mastermind with them and share resources together on how to solve banking issues, compliance issues and so on, to accelerate all of our companies. I was given access to mentorship from across all areas of business and the cannabis space, which allowed me a much broader view of market trends and where the industry is moving.

Regards to raising money,  it was a mix of preparation, due diligence and developing traction. It was incredibly frustrating for a while. I was able to win the ArcView groups 2017 Los Angeles Pitch prize for $50,000, That was a great start but the longer I found myself raising the flatter my sales became. I realized at a point that I needed to take the money I had in hand put it to work so I could prove to future investors that if they gave me the money I would do what I said that I would.

That worked. I was able to take that small amount money and my next month was 500 percent better than the month before. Before long I was able to close a $250,000 seed round. I am back at it raising my bridge (funding). It helps to know that although it may be difficult, it is not impossible.

And in regards to my MVP (minimum viable product), the solution there was two fold. I took every penny from my friends and family around me who believed in me, and put it into buying 100 cases — bootstrapping at its best. At that point I was a single mom who had quit her job and sold her home to get the company off the ground. I couldn’t even afford advertising. I just put them on our website and hoped for the best  — and in six weeks they were sold out at our $259 price point that everyone had told me was impossible.

The next part tends to be difficult for entrepreneurs sometimes — but I needed to listen to my customers. I went back to all those first 100 customers and I sent them a survey to find out exactly what they liked about the case — and more important what they didn’t like — and how they suggest I improve. Then I used that knowledge to iterate on the case again, and again, and again, to improve our customer satisfaction. In a market that’s changing as quickly as this one is, it’s paramount that you keep up the dialogue with your customer base, watch trends and be willing to pivot. Our continuous improvements helped us grow our market share — our Q1 2018 was 144 percent up from Q1 ’17.

Related: Silicon Valley VCs Were Eager to Hear About Our Cannabis Tech Firm but Reluctant to Invest

As a woman in cannabis, do you feel that you are at an advantage or a disadvantage (or both) and why?

It’s a mixed bag. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had someone with no knowledge of the cannabis space mansplain my business to me. Or tell me it’s impossible for me to make money. Or I just need an Etsy shop. Or tell me that I need to bring on a male CEO who would better connect with investors. And when some investors want to take male entrepreneurs under their wings, for a number of reasons it’s much more difficult to build that relationship as a female founder.

As a woman of color it’s often like a double whammy. I tend to be so materially different a person than the investors that I’m pitching to that I need to be at 110 percent to get that same consideration. It can be frustrating. But at the same time I’d like to think that those are the things that light the fire in me that I need to keep going.

On the positive side I think females add enormous value to the space. We tend to look a little bit more holistically at the lifestyle of cannabis consumers. A lot of the higher-end items that you see that take cannabis out of that counterculture and into mainstream culture have been spearheaded by women. A lot of education that I see happening in the space now has been spearheaded by women. I also tend to see women understand that this is a huge market and rising tides lift all ships. They are more than willing to share information and to build this industry together. They make me proud to work in cannabis space. I’m also a single mother and I tell people all the time if you want your investment managed right — have a single mother do it. I keep a close eye on our dollars and cents. We have a really low burn rate. I take the money invested in me personally. I don’t take it lightly.

Related: 6 Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make Pitching Their Cannabis Company

What is an accomplishment you have achieved in this industry that you are most proud of?

There’s a lot that makes me proud. Q1 2018 was 144 percent up in year-over-year. We’ve had less than $32K in ad spend. In the 18 months since our launch we passed our first $500K in sales. Being nominated for a Dope Mag best new product award. Every single article that has covered us because we aren’t paying for PR yet. But more than all those, what makes me most proud is being invited to speak and encourage women — and especially women of color — to consider careers in the cannabis space. I’m proud to pass that knowledge along and help others achieve their dreams. A candle loses nothing of itself when it lights other candles.

What is your greatest lesson learned?

I’m not always going to know all the answers – and that that’s not my job. I’m the bus driver. I have the vision – I know where we are going. My job is to find the best team, and put them on the bus with me so we can all get to the final destination. True leadership is giving the right people the right climate to shine.

What trait do you rely on most when making business decisions and why is this useful for you?

I trust my gut. I’m lucky to have a few people close to me who I can run things past when I need to talk through them. And I do, but ultimately I have to think of things like: Do I trust this person? Do I want to be in business with this person for a long-term basis? Are our needs and goals aligned? What is the worst-case scenario? Then you pick a direction and you keep moving. Second-guessing yourself will get you nowhere.

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from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8312273 https://hashtaghighways.com/2019/03/02/she-quit-her-job-as-an-entertainment-exec-and-sold-her-house-to-build-a-thriving-cannabis-business/

[9kink]

Love guru hosts parties where 'everyone's naked by the end of the night'

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/love-sex/love-guru-hosts-luxury-sex-20889606

Sarah Banahan runs sex parties for open-minded guests. The luxury events provide the perfect environment for people to explore their fantasies.

 Sarah Banahan’s life looked a lot different when she went to her first sex party.

Not only was she in a relationship, she was also working in the fashion industry.

But as she walked into the luxurious and intimate event, her life changed forever.

Sarah, who is now single, told Daily Star Online: “I was nervous, more butterflies because I was approaching a world I’d never seen before and it was classy and cool and expensive to get inside.”

After her first taste of the sex party scene, the 34-year-old was soon hooked.

She decided to quit her job to host her own kinky occasions.

Sarah realised she had a knack for making connections in the open-minded community.

Soon, her acquaintances were asking which events she’d be at next.

And due to her creative mind, the love guru decided to become a party planner herself.

She explained: “I have always been a creative, I love colour, theme, eccentricity, fashion, music, lingerie, dress up and people…

“I am a natural host so as in ‘host’ I mean – I run the entire night.

“I have to find the venue, supply the bar, find security, buy in lubricants, toys, bin liners, find a DJ (or an awesome playlist for each room).

“I walk around making sure there is no damage, no couples arguing – everything is controlled by me and only me.

“The rest is up to the crowd to arrive, play and have fun – thats the environment I create, its my job.”

While a wide variety of people attend the sexy soirees, Sarah says there are three things they all have in common.

“These kinds of parties require three things: education, maturity and confidence”, she explained.

Once inside the venues, attendees are free to live out their sexual fantasies.

Even though this gives many scope to explore their kinks, the safety and comfort of guests is paramount.

Sarah remarked: “You will bump into couple and singles all night long, certain people lay out certain rules right at the door – some people just walk in and get stuck in.

“You must know yourself and know your boundaries, nobody wants to get hurt, or be hurt.”

Even though some may find the first few moments daunting, guests soon get into the swing of things.

Sarah revealed: “Its an open sexually positive environment, it’s safe and pretty much everyone is naked by the end of the evening.

“I have met some of the greatest people that I now call ‘friends’ at parties like this, of course it is a little twisted, you just have to go with it – you only live once.

Business is booming for Sarah – and she thinks the sex party scene is going to get even more popular in the coming years.

She said: “The industry is growing, I call it escapism.”

The party host also believes that more are attending kinky events to escape the mundanity of everyday life.

She added: “Customers inspire me completely because I know on a Monday they will be stepping into their boring mundane office job – probably lying to their coworkers about where they where at the weekend.

“It’s a weird stigma – people love to attend but don’t want to talk about it.

“I guess it’s nice to be private. I guess it’s also nice to live our your fantasies out at the weekend too.”

There are plenty who are curious about dabbling in sex events, but may be nervous to try it for the first time.

Thankfully, Sarah has offered words of advice to those who are fearful about exploring their kinks.

She said: “Face your fears, don’t be scared, take somebody with you who is experienced and walk in with an open mind. 

“If you are not comfortable, don’t force it and leave – there is always another chance to attend another.

“There are so many these days, it is about finding the right parties for you.”

Sarah is a sex party host, influencer and ambassador for Nude Croatia.

Her next sex event is taking place in February.

For more information about the party host, visit her website.

Alternatively, you can keep up with her adventures on Instagram.

from WordPress https://9kink.com/love-guru-hosts-parties-where-everyones-naked-by-the-end-of-the-night/

[rolandfontana]

Minnesota’s ‘Hybrid Court’ Offers Addicts an Alternative to Jail

Jason Drift’s drug use seemed to increase every time he suffered a death in the family.

A 44-year-old environmental services worker on the Bois Forte Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota, he had begun taking prescription pain pills for knee problems in the early 2000s.

Hydrocodone, Oxycotins and Percocets eased his physical pain.

But then his sister died and he found himself snorting 20-plus of them per day. Pills became hard to come by when users got flagged at pharmacies. So he started spending half his paychecks buying them from low-level dealers in the area.

A blurry two years later, he had turned to snorting meth. In the fall of 2017, after a police officer found marijuana and a gram of meth in his car, he found himself facing imprisonment if convicted of a felony crime of fifth-degree possession of methamphetamine.

But there was an alternative.

He could avoid prison if he were accepted into the 13-month Range Hybrid court program, operated by the Sixth Judicial district in northern Minnesota. The program is designed to provide people accused or convicted of non-violent, felony drug and alcohol related crimes an alternative to traditional probation supervision.

Participants who complete the program successfully can have their charges dropped from the record.

Drift, an enrolled member of the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa in northeastern Minnesota, was accepted as a candidate.

But over a year ago, when he first found himself face to face with Judge Michelle Anderson, who presides over the court in the St. Louis County Courthouse in Virginia, Mn.,—and the team of assistant attorneys, public defenders, probation officers and chemical dependency and mental health experts who told him they were there to help him—he was wary.

“It sounded sketchy,” he remembered. “I didn’t want to be there.”

The Choice: Incarceration or Treatment Court

Judge Anderson has garnered praise from prosecutors and defense attorneys who say it is a proven system that gets adults charged with drug possession and driving under the influence of alcohol out of jails and prisons and into rehabilitation.

The state court administrator for Minnesota Treatment Courts reported last year that 54 percent of statewide participants graduate, while 94 percent receive treatment and 80 percent complete at least one phase of the five-phased program.

New charges and convictions are lower for participants who spend half as much time in prison and two-thirds as much time in jail compared to non-participants.

Since its creation in 2006, the Range Hybrid court served 292 people, of which 67 percent graduated from the program, according to the area court’s recent studies. Eighty-three percent entered the program with a drug felony and 17 percent for a DUI. Fifty-five percent of them were men and 45 percent women. Ages ranged from 19 to 54.

Between 2017 and 2018, the court estimated that 45 percent of the participants were white, 26.21 percent Native American or Alaskan Native; 6.80 percent Latino; 4.85 percent black and 16.5 percent other.

About 91 percent had co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, 70 percent experienced trauma or violence and 65 percent did not have money to meet basic needs.

The program handles a maximum of 50 pre-and post-adjudication cases at a time from Minnesota’s “Iron Range” region, and uses therapeutic principles of addiction programs that have become popular in similar courts across the state of Minnesota and the U.S.

Participants like Drift must agree to weekly treatments with the team.

When asked later about the court proceedings, Drift recalled feeling “a little bit leery” when standing before the judge and hearing her ask him, “How are you today?”

But his feelings have since changed after nearly one year of meeting with her as well as members of the Treatment Court Team, some of whom are open to participants and the HDT about their own experiences in recovery programs.

“When I entered the program, I was still feeling fidgety with meth in my system and the judge could see me because I couldn’t wear my glasses. My pupils looked like two piss holes in snow banks,” Drift said.

“I’d seen a lot of people fail their UAs or have to go to treatment again, but she gives them chances. I think she’s a good judge for the program. She’s fair. She’s honest. She gives you a chance to turn your life around.”

Keep Your Guard Up

Anderson depends upon her legal experience and the Treatment Court Team to uphold the rules of the program and help navigate somewhat contentious issues, such as monitoring the use of medication-assisted treatment, including Suboxone, the most common form of buprenorphine.

Three months ago, the Minnesota Department of Corrections approved a new policy to allow people on parole or supervised release to use medical marijuana. The move has been a hot topic for the judge and her team.

Anderson also depends largely on the court’s two probation officers — Gary Flannigan and Jeff Oja— who increased their typical caseloads to include up to 50 more cases from the treatment court program.

Reflecting on the services, David Holmbeck, a supervisor of Arrowhead Regional Corrections said that the St. Louis County territory covered by his officers, at 6,860 square miles, represents one of the largest counties in the nation.

Because of its vastness, the county is the only one in the state that has chambered judges working in separate courthouses in three cities: Duluth, Hibbing and Virginia.

“Staffing alone is also an issue,” Holmbeck said. “And the caseload numbers are relatively the same, but the involvement with clients has dramatically increased. The level of needs for our clients has increased because of the increase in opioid addiction, meth and mental illness.

“About 25 years ago, it was a DUI offender. Now, we’re running into more people with psychological distress.”

But officers have improved to meet demands.

“We’re better at what we do because we’re incorporating more cognitive-based programming to help reduce recidivism and changing criminal thinking and behaviors,” Holmback explained.

Fifteen years with Arrowhead Regional Corrections has shaped Flannigan into a seasoned officer with enough experience to believe that the “difference between parolees from prison and clients on probation is that instead of being hardened, a lot of the treatment courts participants are desiring to change in life.

“Really it’s an addiction that’s bringing them into the criminal justice system.”

He maintains his outlook despite the Range Hybrid court evolving from taking on low-risk offender to high-risk, high need individuals that might carry longer criminal histories.

“We want people who have serious chemical dependency addictions and are struggling with the disease,” he said. “Some people might opt out and choose jail, but that’s very rare. People are talkers until they’re sitting in jail. In the beginning, a lot of people fight the system. But most of them are thankful down the road.”

During their scheduled and random visits, Flannigan and Oja are seldom paired up together.

Neither of them are permitted to carry firearms. Instead, they arm themselves with bullet-proof vests, pepper spray, radios and handcuffs. Most importantly, they are trained in de-escalation tactics and use of force; yet they are comforted knowing that law enforcement can be called upon when needed.

“We’re mindful and we know we’re not a force like law enforcement is when they kick in doors and make extractions,” Flannigan said. “If we find violations, we make arrests. If someone is extremely violent or belligerent, we are trained to get out of the situation. Our safety is paramount.”

He added: “Do bad things happen? Yes. We’ve had close calls and scary situations. But it’s amazing how rare we run into violent situations.”

Flannigan’s focus in the beginning stages of the program is to establish a rapport with his clients. But trust is difficult when it comes to people often suffering from co-occurring chemical dependency and mental health issues.

“Addicts are some of the most manipulative, tricky, savvy people that I work with,” he said.

“They’re addicted to very powerful drugs and you don’t expect complete 100 percent sobriety. We take a therapeutic approach to relapses and then sanction them if they’re lying or we might put them in jail for a weekend.

“Absconding is common. And when we’ve exhausted every avenue, then they are labeled ‘Not Amenable to Probation’ and are kicked out of the program.”

Why does Flannigan work a job where he always has his guard up?

“People change. We see the transformation in front of our eyes.”

Fatherhood Revisited

During the second phase of the Range Hybrid court program, Drift began Moral Reconation Therapy in addition to attending weekly recovery meetings, bi-weekly court hearings and complying with treatment and supervision.

“I realized then that it’s for the best that I turn my life around and get my kids back in my life,” he said.

After his decision, he was able to secure another job from a supportive group at Fortune Bay Resort and Casino, and worked with a county social worker who helped him figure out the maze of paperwork needed to retain his driver’s license and pay child support again.

She also helped him move out of his brother’s house and into a 12-step house and then into his co-worker’s sober house in Virginia, which is half a block from the courthouse.

“Alex pointed me in the right direction,” he said. “This program is making me more responsible.”

For Drift, the month of July marks nearly one year clean and sober. He owes the court $100 to move into the final phase of the program and sometimes struggles to afford the $1,200 program cost, child support, rent and other bills. But he counts himself lucky to have dodged transportation troubles.

Plus, it beats doing time. If all goes well, he expects to graduate in September.

It was about one year ago when Drift first saw his two youngest daughters again. It had been several years.

“They didn’t barely know me,” he said. “The older one called me Dad. But the younger one didn’t know me well. Now they will call me up to chat with me.”

Drift is now gearing up to celebrate his birthday later this month.

“I reserved a pontoon boat for my two girls on Lake Vermilion so we can have some fun.”

Looking forward, he prays that he can reconnect with his oldest daughter.

Eric Killelea, assistant editor of the Hibbing (Minn.) Daily Tribune, is a 2018-2019 John Jay/Rural Justice Reporting Fellow. This is a condensed and slightly edited version of a story prfoduced for his fellowship reporting project, part of a series examining the state of rural justice in Minnesota. The full story, and other parts of the series, are available here.

Minnesota’s ‘Hybrid Court’ Offers Addicts an Alternative to Jail syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

[rafterzebra]

College Football is Back, and I Will Be Watching

College Football is back! Since I was a young lad I have enjoyed watching college football; the pageantry, the passion, the rivalries, the tailgates, the hours of lying on a couch and being entertained. In college I was fortunate to attend during a time when my university was at the height of the sport and won a national championship. That only fueled my intense focus on the sport even more. But wait......aren't there a litany of problems in college football and college sports in general? Yes, yes there are. Problems that may affect the passion one has for the sport, possibly diminishing it enough not to watch or at the very least, watch with keeping these issues at the forefront of one's mind? Again, yes. This was supposed to be a pure, unadulterated and unfettered celebration of the return of America's premiere secular experience, it's now going to turn into one of those unbearable think pieces on the state of the game and how it relates to society, isn't it? Also, yes.

I suppose we can start at the fundamental argument of football itself. We all know football is a violent game, once so violent that in the infant days of college football it was almost outlawed due to the severe injuries and in some cases, death of ts participants.   It has only been recently that focus in the form of research and litigation that the overall merits of the game versus health of players has been examined. 

The most chilling accounts are of former players that have had severe declines in physical and mental health after leaving the game. Some have had the courage to have their bodies and in particular their brains donated to science to be examined after their death. The result have been mostly cases of severe CTE. What was more haunting than anything in the college football realm was Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski committing suicide this offseason and subsequently being found to have CTE. This was a player, in the most protected position in the game was found to have CTE while he was still in college. It gives some people pause to cheer on this sport that could have such grave implications. Increasingly, we are seeing lawsuits brought on by former college football players as the NCAA scrambles to fend off the lawsuits with one hand, and develop reasonable and protective concussion protocol with the other.  Unlike the NFL, college football is a scattered enterprise, comprised of hundreds of schools in their own conferences and at various levels of competition (Divisions I, II, III, NAIA, etc). These various levels of existence create various levels of funding and medical training staff. You do not have to be an SEC starter to be affected by an injury that will stay with you for years beyond your time on the field.

So how does one reconcile the potential crippling nature of the sport? Some don't mind, others will point to the voluntary nature of participation. While it is true that college football athletes are not held in captivity and forced to participate like gladiators of Rome, in certain cases football is the only means by which an individual can improve the status of their livelihood, or at least that is what they are told. The best I can offer is to recognize the issues that are happening, and not ignore them. Player safety has to be paramount, even when the game is based on violent collisions. Rule implementations have sought to decrease the worst kind of collisions by eliminating hits targeted at the head of other players, or by using the helmet as a launch weapon. There needs to be increased oversight of both coaches and players when it comes to injuries. Coaches want their best players to be out there, and players want to play just about no matter what. Still, when a player is lying motionless on the field after a big hit, or a player wobbly stumbles to the sidelines, the feeling of the why I watch and invest so much in watching creeps up the back of my neck.

The other prime element that makes for uncomfortable watching is the system of amateurism within college football. Having worked in the industry of college athletics, I could spew a book worth of thoughts on the framework of amateur college athletics in this country. To boil it down, the players deserve more. I do not believe they should be salaried employees, but they need to be compensated more than they already are at present. My main issue settles around the right for a player to use his(or her for female sports) image and likeness for monetary gain. I won't go into details here, but it can be accomplished without making it the wild west for boosters. Johnny Manziel, for all his flaws and faults deserved to capitalize on the swell of popularity while he played at Texas A&M. Whatever he was getting compensated for under the table, or outside the rules is irrelevant to this argument. If you are a public figure of note and entities around you are reaping the monetary benefits of your success, something is wrong. Again, I am not advocating for the third strong long snapper to get the same rate as the starting quarterback, but when billions in television deals, ad revenues and apparel sales for the school and other entities are being collected, something has to be done.

The laziest argument to be made for this issue is to simply say a scholarship/education is sufficient for these individuals at their collegiate institution. This is laughable considering the strides in awards the players are able to receive within the past decade. Scholarships can now go up to the university's listed cost of attendance which accounts for expenses outside of the traditional tuition, room and board, and books scholarships had been allowed to contain in the past. Furthermore, medical and academic expenses have no limit in terms of what the school can provide. Travel expenses, including for family members, have been expanded. If an education was enough, why has there been an increase in what players receive.Still, most polls show the public is in favor or just about even on the topic of paying collegiate players. The populace likes their tradition, especially when it comes to college football. As I watch on Saturdays, I again have that bad taste of knowing some of these players who will not make a living playing football professionally will have failed to make their due in college due to archaic rules. One glimmer is that things have changed and continue to change with great momentum in this area and in time we could see proper compensation or at least something closer to it. I doubt that is of comfort to those on the field now.

If I had to target one other major area which puts a significant cramp in my enjoyment of the sport of college football, it is the deification of coaches. Coaching a successful college football program is difficult, exceedingly so. My intent is not to diminish that or the profession in general. The problem I have is the autonomy, and in some cases the recklessness with which they are allowed to operate. I won't begrudge the enormous salaries, we do live in a free market now, don't we? It is amusing to me, however, how often athletic departments can get taken for a ride on a coach that has not proven much. This includes bloated buyouts on the back end so when a coach does fail or flame out in spectacular fashion, they are given a suitcase full of cash on the way out the door. Well, come to think of it, I guess that is little different for high-level executives in the corporate world. 

My grievances are more of certain individuals to resemble even a small slice of what they portend to be to their athletic departments, universities, the public at-large, and the parents of the players they coach. Too many times, and sadly mostly after tragedy occurs, we hear of how a coach operated with impunity, and fostered an environment that either put his players in danger or allowed his players to be a danger to others. There are countless examples, but I would like to focus on two. One is Butch Jones at Tennessee. There was a clear culture issue going on during his tenure there but the sole incident that burned me up was when a wide receiver was assisting and helping to report a victim of sexual assault by his teammates, Jones called him a traitor for betraying his teammates. The player also faced the wrath of his teammates and ended up transferring. Jones denied the allegations, but I remain dubious. Even if Jones is correct in that he never told the player that, it indicates the kind of toxic culture that can be fostered in football programs. Where crimes, and particularly those against women are not punished and reported correctly and those that want to report them fear the repercussions.

The other incident is the recent tragedy at Maryland. A young man lost his life because he was being put through physical conditioning drills while displaying signs of distress. This followed with players providing information to ESPN about the coaching and strength staff bullying players, and forcing them to workout without proper safety precautions. Furthermore, the article has a quote from an anonymous staff member saying they wouldn't let their son play in the program. This really infuriates me because it is the number one duty of athletic staff members to lookout for the welfare and well-being of student-athletes in their charge. Being aware of a bad situation and remaining silent is just as much of a horrid act as the perpetrators themselves. It is mind-blowing to me that in this day and age, with all the lives that have been lost in previous incidents, including recently, and everything we know about the science of performance, that we still have coaches that are pushing kids to extreme limits. Working them out past the duration that is healthy and denying them proper hydration. This doesn't mold men into battle-tested warriors, it puts their health and lives at risk. In game situations, you see trainers everywhere, water is provided at every turn, and if a player is fatigued he gets substituted. Why some feel the need to restrict these safeguards in training because they think it will make them perform better I'll never know. If you are familiar with the story of Bear Bryan't Junction Boys, you think to yourself that situation would never happen today. Unfortunately, there are coaches out there with this mindset. It is clearly a foolish and risky behavior.

These coaches are held on such pedestals they often think themselves beyond reproach. Urban Meyer's situation is still unfolding while he will remain as the coach at Ohio State, but the lengths that people have gone to in order to defend him and keep him there as their coach is telling about the culture across the country. These cultures are so embedded, they want their program to win and remain protected from outside forces, even in the face of criminal and horrifying atrocities. These people cannot be reasoned with, and any attempts at finding the real stories behind their coaches' scandals are met with extreme blowback. I don't know what exactly happened at Ohio State, but I know it wasn't good, and there were most likely negative situations that were not dealt with because of wanting to keep the status quo in place, which was winning football games.

These are not singular attacks on specific programs, if you root for a major college football program, myself included, you have witnessed a situation where the consideration of the football program or a high profile coach has been placed before human decency or even the law. It definitely affects how I have viewed the "purity" of college football. But in the end, is any large enterprise we consume a pure endeavor? We can answer "no" rather quickly because these all deal with human beings, and the fallibility humans show, particularly in college football, is both unsurprising and a reflection of bigger problems in society as a whole. However, with all this considered, knowing everything I know, being witness to how the sausage gets made and unable to simply be blissfully or willfully unaware of the blotches, I continue to watch. Not only that, I get excited to watch, I get animated when I see something online about my team or other teams that are meant to elicit a reaction. I won't say that I can't help it, or that I am an addict. It is a conscious choice to continue to consume college football. Despite the negatives, it is a great spectacle, with great story lines, characters, traditions, and a following that evokes every emotion imaginable. I don't watch in defiance of the apparent negatives, but with the acknowledgement that I am experiencing something I love, that I wish it will to strive to be better, and that is imperfect.