#my new year resolution is literally having a new bookshelf

[sweetbrier2908]

I just notice that Satan's bedroom is the only place in HoL that has no light, he only has candles near his reading spots. Maybe because Satan is the only demon at birth in the family and he never get used to being in the light (he also said that the sun in human's world was to bright and he couldn't get used to it) while the others had lived in Celestial Realm and under the sun for a long time. Just something that make Satan different from his brothers.

Btw, man leaves candles on his books. Those candles must be magic or something because they were not, the room would burnt down a long time ago.

[the-teddy-bear-butch]

Hi Пчёлка!

It's literally fine, I have an ask in my inbox from November that I haven't touched since last year (so weird it's 2023 now. I hope you have an amazing new year that is uneventful and you're loved ones stay in good health <- coined phrase over the last couple day lol)

AS FOR THE LITTLE BIT OF SNOW I TALKED ABOUT it kept on coming then there was like a foot and a half, which wouldn't be too bad except it stayed like -23 for like a week and a half (arctic outflows my beloathed) and never melted the entire time.

tbh the weather's not bad anymore, it's still pretty cold but all the snow is gone and it was sunny today!!! I made pancakes an moved my plants to the big window so they could get sun to celebrate.

once again risking it all for some whipped cream.

tuque is such a fun word to say! it also has a bunch of different spellings.

The new job is going pretty good! I've discovered that kid's under the age of 7 think my fake and very bad for that matter Russian accent is hysterical, which I think is hysterical.

December was actually pretty good! An stubbornly optimistic is definitely the vibe for this year. I don't really have any new years resolutions except for maybe treating myself as kindly as I hope this year teats me. How about you?

Alas, Priory is still sitting rejected on my bookshelf. I got a really cool copy of The Hobbit at my favourite book store so now i'm doing a re-read 😂 While I was there I met the new bookstore cat and not to be dramatic but I'd die and kill for her.

I hope you're staying warm! I am so glad that weather passed and I hope it leaves you alone soon!

Gender fuckery my beloved <3

Literally so glad we don't live in a world where J*ke G*llenhall is Frodo. I do love Nicolas Cage but Viggo Mortensen is literally the perfect Aragorn.

alhdgskhf my family makes the best garlic powder and it goes on everything.

SPEAKING of Ronanceifying a song, I am about to send you the most rambly au idea.

I would literally kill for Paramore tickets. The News has been stuck in my head since it came out. It's totally storm cloud grey and reminds be of.. storms. Devil Is A Woman is totally dark magenta and you know that feeling when you're walking around and feel kinda like a villain in a movie, but in a good way? yeah that. (having thoughts of starting a side blog where people can send in music and I can do the colour/vibes thing. thought?)

oh it was 3 am for you too?

Quite possibly the last time I sign off like this, not because i'm going anywhere but because I think i'll ✨reveal my identity✨ tomorrow

-el

Hello hello! <33

I have some asks as old as September in reference to an ask game I’m not sure I could find again if I tried LMAO. The same to you! I hope the year treats you and your family with kindness and is chill!

WOW, that’s a lot! I hope it was at least fun to play in or something! Glad it all melted and it’s sunny now! Those pancakes look INCREDIBLE, and I bet that’s some damn good maple syrup ;)

Fake and very bad Russian accents are indeed hysterical! I love kids, honestly, they’re so fun. I worked a summer “camp” for a two week period and my best friend was a 5 year old who drew me a picture because I hung out with her when she was sad. What sort of job are you working, if you don’t mind me asking? :O are you teaching?

That’s a pretty damn good one! We all deserve to be treated with kindness, especially by ourselves!! Besides that, I just want to keep working on my silly novel(s), see my friends more, that kind of thing!!

Poor Priory, rejected by the both of us LMAO. Yay for The Hobbit! That was one of my favorite books for years, honestly you may be inspiring a reread for me now lol. Bookstores are my favorite ever, but they’re even better with animals! My irl bestie took me to one locally that I didn’t know existed and they had a dog and he was so cute.

Definitely staying warm! It’s actually warm enough yo be mildly concerned about it (insert TikTok audio “the weather outside is warm, the planet is dying). I wouldn’t mind it being slightly colder because I am gay and I must wear LAYERS. I hope you’re staying warm as well!

J*ke G*llenhall Frodo is literally the darkest timeline. Gotta say, Nick Cage as Aragorn does sound interesting tho. But for some reason this man is solidified in my brain as National Treasure Man. I’ve seen National Treasure once???

I saw you sent it! Gonna check that out right after this 🫡

I was about ready to kill for tickets! They randomly added a second OK location after the first one sold out, so I LUCKED OUT. They’re definitely nose bleed seats, but IDC, I GET TO SEE PARAMORE AND IM GOING INSANE. I’m normal about them. Truly. I think the side blog idea is AMAZING, that would be so cool! I have a silly music side blog too, but mine is much less interesting than that lmao. If you do it, let me know because I will absolutely follow it 👀

When I responded to that other one, yeah! Time zones are funky

AYO? I’m excited! I think I have a theory, but I will wait to see if I’m right hehe

Eagerly awaiting your next not anon message,

- Max/Lo <33

[zquill]

2021 Resolutions

I presume that for me this is going to be a static year in which I’ll be buckling down and studying, which makes it all the more important to me to continue working on myself in addition to dedicating myself to grad school.

Journals

I’m starting in on my new 3-year Japanese journal, which I’m dubbing Pastel Aeries. Every night I’ll continue to summarize my day with a paragraph in Japanese.

Rather than vow to finish Wild Violets this year, I’m going to take the more positive stance of resolving to at some point start in properly on my Calligrapha journal.

Japanese

I’ve spent most of 2020 using DuoLingo to study French and Japanese, so along with continuing that, I’m going to start up again with WaniKani. I’ve neglected it for a while and reset to level 40, but I think it’s possible to finish the course within the year.

Saturday evenings will be dedicated to translating the manga and novels I brought back from Japan with me. I don’t have any concrete goals for this; I just want to make progress, however slow it may be.

My current long-term goal with Japanese is to take and pass the N1 in 2023, but for now I’m happy to maintain the skills I have. Though I should be watching more anime...

Reading

I’m setting a Goodreads goal of 50 books, which I believe will be challenging with classes, but still doable. Course readings and Japanese translations will of course help me accomplish this.

My physical to-be-read bookshelf has become bookshelves, which is intolerable. So even though I don’t believe I can read all of them while still studying for grad school, I am going to prioritize reading the books on those shelves over those available through my online library this year.

Exercise

Even though last year didn’t work out, I’m going to make another attempt at daily yoga in the mornings this year.

And should we somehow “beat” COVID this year, I still wouldn’t feel comfortable nor have the funds to join a gym, so evening strolls five times a week (exceptions: Friday and Saturday) will have to make up for that.

Creativity

I’m not good at just letting myself doodle or scribble or stitch, so even though it’s not a lot of time, every Sunday afternoon I’m going to dedicate to fun, mindless creative pursuits. These will include but not be limited to: embroidery, calligraphy (Japanese and English), coloring books, writing, and knitting.

Hopefully there will come a safe time in which I might secure that part-time job I was lusting after last year around this time, but it seems presumptuous to make that a goal. That would cut in to several of the above goals, but would be worth it, literally. Still, I’m not planning or counting on it, so I’m just going to do my best this year to be what I perceive to be my best.

[notjanine]

2020 in books!

the only kind of new year’s resolution i made as a naive baby last january was to try to read 40 books for the year. (i read 37 in 2019, for context.) well, with all of my commuting time eliminated and an increased need for immersive escapism, i ended up surpassing that goal three times over lmao (thanks library ebooks!)

idk how to summarize my year in books in a way that makes sense but

(f) = fiction, (nf) = nonfiction, (p) = poetry.

books that rewired my fucking brain:

braiding sweetgrass by robin wall kimmerer (nf)- GOD?!?!?! good. dr. k is right. ostensibly a book about plants, but actually a book about shut up and go outside. consumerism and capitalism are doing their damnedest to fuck you up, but you can just choose to value different things. take care of yourself by taking care of your environment. etc etc.

wasp by richard jones (nf)- lissen. when i got this book, my wasp-phobia was so severe that i had to put it away face down on a high shelf because there are wasps on the cover and i couldn’t bear to RISK even GLIMPSING them. now i am like... a wasp evangelist. (also due to the bugs 101 course on coursera it’s so good.)

wag by zazie todd (nf)- i have a dog, but i am NOT a Dog Person (i.e. i love my dog, but please keep yours away from me, thanks.) this book helped me understand my little guy better, plus it gives actionable tasks and activities to do with and for your pup! plus, y’know, learning about things you’re scared of helps to lessen that fear. i’d recommend this to anyone who has, wants, or regularly interacts with a dog.

a closed and common orbit by becky chambers (f)- is this series complete fluff? absolutely. am i fundamentally different after reading this one? maybe.

the best we could do by thi bui (nf)- this is so far outside of my personal experience but somehow still made me come to peace with my relationship with my mom?? and it’s barely even about that?? idk. this is probably objectively the best book i’ve read this year.

books that were just fun as hell:

mexican gothic by silvia moreno-garcia (f)- this book made me YELL out loud

death on the nile by agatha christie (f)- i grew up on agatha christie shows, but never actually read her before this year! she really was That Bitch. read this before the movie comes out

cosmoknights by hannah templer (f)- i read this in one sitting through the worst headache i’ve had in years. it is a goddamn DELIGHT. this book has everything: spaceships. mech suits. fighting the patriarchy. a perfect otp. fun art in bright colors with clean lines. onomatopoetic WAPs from before the song gave that hilarious context. 800 lesbians. this is an antidepressant in graphic novel form.

stiff by mary roach (nf)- ms. roach is like the 4th most represented author on my bookshelf because she 1. stays writing about shit i’m interested in and 2. manages to talk about gross and ridiculous things without resorting to sensationalism. it takes skill to write a hilarious book about corpses.

black sun by rebecca roanhorse (f)- excellent sexual tension between a horny siren pirate and a hot doomed... monk, kinda? set in the pre-columbian gulf of mexico with magic and shit.

cuisine chinoise by zao dao (? n/f)- this graphic novel about chinese food history/mythology is BEAUTIFUL.

the color of magic by terry pratchett (f)- you’d think a hardcore douglas adams stan would have gotten to this sooner, but no, i had to date a nerdy white boy to get here. it’s fun though! i’m not gonna read them all, but this one was good. bonus: contains one (1) great himbo.

gideon the ninth by tamsyn muir (f)- like 500 pages of action and mystery and jokes and space necromancy. harrow the ninth gets a special mention bc it has a meme reference that took me out so hard i had to close the book, lie down, and groan for an entire minute before continuing.

other minds by peter godfrey-smith (nf)- i love octopuses. on one tma bonus ep, jonny sims says that if a creature can choose to do evil, then it’s a Person. octopuses are People. but anyway frfr this has an explanation of the evolution of consciousness that is cool af. (this one is much better than the other recent popsci octo book which i will not name out of politeness.)

the perfect predator by steffanie strathdee and thomas patterson (nf)- i read this bc my microbiology prof recommended it and it’s cool as heck! it’s got adventure, drama, mystery, Science-with-a-capital-S. i’m biased bc i’m a bit of a microbes nerd, but i had a blast with this. (but only bc we know going in that everything works out okay; if i hadn’t known that, i would have been TOO stressed!)

books that were a little less fun but still very readable:

my sister, the serial killer by oyinkan braithwaite (f)- i couldn’t find this as funny as other people bc i, too, have a beautiful sister who’s an insufferable narcissist, so it hits a little too close to home, but. it is a wild ride.

piranesi by susanna clarke (f)- idek what to say! i went into this one blind just bc it had a cool cover and title, so i guess i’d recommend that for other people too.

the sixth world series by rebecca roanhorse (f)- monster hunting! a post-apocalyptic take that doesn’t feel tired.

the shades of magic trilogy by v.e. schwab (f)- easy escapism. some ideas feel a little first draft-y, but idk, it’s also a pretty simple premise (which isn’t a bad thing). it’s a decent urban fantasy set in ~georgian?-era london. very actiony. suffers from a bit of i’m-not-like-other-girls disease, but i didn’t even notice until book two or three, so.

the only good indians by stephen graham jones (f)- starts off a little ??? (and reeks of being Written By A Man) but picks up. the pacing’s great and there’s just a super fucking cool monster.

robopocalypse by daniel h. wilson (f)- this reads like a tv miniseries so much that i can’t believe it isn’t one yet.

confessions of the fox by jordy rosenberg (f)- not my usual cup of tea, fiction-wise, but still compelling. a fresh take on the white-male-english-professor-self-insert? but not insufferable. gets weird!

spinning silver by naomi novik (f)- rumplestilstkin, but make it interesting! a great, richly-told fairy tale, but like, large scale. good to read on a cold day while you’re wrapped up in a blanket with some hot tea.

interior chinatown by charles yu (f)- compulsively readable. a couple things bugged me, but not enough to make me dislike it. a fun companion piece to how to live safely in a science fictional universe. i like this guy’s style.

cannibalism by bill schutt (nf)- COOL. mostly covers the animal kingdom (fun), spends too much time on the donner party (less fun), ends with a SPICY take on prions that i cannot get out of my head!!!

buzz, sting, bite by anne sverdrup-thygeson (nf)- BUGS! broad but not overwhelming, neither dumbed down nor overly scientific, short enough to finish in a day or two. recommend this to literally everyone.

books that made me want to read everything else in the author’s ouevre:

the time invariance of snow by e. lily yu (f)- this FUCKS but it’s too short!!!

an unkindness of ghosts by rivers solomon (f)- okay this book is SO good and so well-written and interesting and blah blah blah all the good things, but... the whole time, i was just like?? why???? why is this what you’re choosing to write about??? (i did also read the deep and blood is another word for hunger after this one, and i did like them both, especially the latter, but i think they can do better! like i think they could write a perfect book and i am gonna be *eyes emoji* until then.)

the space between worlds by micaiah johnson (f)- a fine debut novel, but i want to see her do something a little more... idk, refined? i think she overreaches here, like it’s a little... idk looper? this is how you lose the time war? there’s a better comparison, but i can’t think of it, but you get the idea. and then halfway through it shifts gears to mad max. there’s something weird about one of the central relationships, like it’s not complex enough to take as long to resolve as it does. idk idk. there are just a lot of little nitpicky things. it’s not bad! but i think she can do better and i look forward to finding out.

postcolonial love poem by natalie diaz (p)- thinky! like i tried to read this before bed, but it’s not the sort of thing to parse out while you’re falling asleep, it requires more attention than that.

books that Learned Me Somethin:

smoke gets in your eyes by caitlin doughty (nf)- i am a self-professed death obsessed weirdo, fascinated by death and mourning, but i didn’t know all that much about what happens to a body between the dying and the funeral! this book isn’t big, but it covers a lot and doughty’s writing style is engaging and honest. it’s very memorable.

queer by meg-john barker and julia scheele (nf)- i’m gonna be totally honest and say Queer Theory is above my intellectual pay grade, but this book takes you by the hand and explains the basics.

vitamania by catherine price (nf)- LMAO my fellow americans, never take a supplement. this book is great and well-researched, but normal folks don’t need to read it, just listen to season two of the dream podcast, which definitely cribbed from this.

vegetable kingdom by bryant terry (nf)- this is a fine cookbook, my favorite of his that i’ve read so far. gets a special mention bc i had a religious experience just reading one of his kohlrabi recipes. absolutely gutted that i didn’t have an opportunity to try it this year, since the pandemic put the kibosh on all family bbqs.

the best american food writing 2020 edited by j. kenji lopez-alt (nf)- this really is just a great collection.

are prisons obsolete? by angela y. davis (nf)- yes.

i moved to los angeles to work in animation by natalie nourigat (nf)- before reading this, i had basically zero knowledge of how the animation industry works. now i know like three things.

the secret lives of bats by merlin tuttle (nf)- BATS! okay this book is more about the adventures of being a bat scientist than it actually is about bats, but there are bats in there. insectivorous bats basically shit glitter, you should know this.

books from valuable perspectives:

hood feminism by mikki kendall (nf)- a breakdown of who’s getting left out of feminist spaces, why that’s happening, and why it shouldn’t be happening.

all you can ever know by nicole chung (nf)- a (transracial) adoptee’s take on adoption and learning more about her birth family. the personal storytelling of this one really stuck with me.

motherhood so white by nefertiti austin (nf)- a single-mom-by-choice’s take on the foster system/adoption process. walks you through some things i always wondered about and some things i wouldn’t even have thought about.

this place by kateri akiwenzie-damm et al (? n/f)- i, like a lot of non- native americans, only know that history in broad strokes. getting this many highly specific stories in one dense and beautiful book felt like a lucky find. and taking that perspective into the future in the context of that history is v good.

empty by susan burton (nf)- eating disorder stories are important to me bc i care about food so much. this one is so relatable- not in its specificity, but rather its generality. it’s easy to empathize with her perspective because it’s like, Oh, i don’t have that exact problem, but i struggle with different problems in a very similar way. (feels like the opposite of roxane gay’s hunger, in a way.)

obit by victoria chang (p)- this exploration of grief is... woof.

short story collections are hard to evaluate bc you’ll never read one where every single story hits but i generally enjoyed these:

a thousand beginnings and endings edited by ellen oh and elsie chapman (f)

how long til black future month? by n.k. jemisin (f)

her body and other parties by carmen maria machado (f)

books i revisited:

the broken earth trilogy by n.k. jemisin (f)- i read the series backwards this time and like... i can’t really find any faults in these books, man. they’re just the best.

everyone’s a aliebn when ur a aliebn too by jomny sun (f... but is it really?)- half of this book’s sales are from me buying it for other people bc it’s the only way i know how to say i love you. i reread it every time just to make sure it still feels right and it always does.

other honorable mentions:

white is for witching by helen oyeyemi (f)- not to pit two bad bitches against each other, but this book does what akwaeke emezi’s freshwater was trying to do. it’s a little weird, a little haunted, a little of a lot of things. read this only in the dead of winter. (and with stephen rennicks’ score for the little stranger playing in the background.)

homie by danez smith (p)- there’s a lot going on here, but this just made me crack a smile a couple times in a way that no other book of poetry has ever done.

the murder of roger ackroyd and murder in mesopotamia by agatha christie (f)- That Bitch!

blues by nikki giovanni (p)- she sure has some Things To Say

the three-body problem by cixin liu (f)- interesting concepts, but... idk something’s missing? felt weirdly soulless to me. i’m probably not gonna read the sequels. but it did make some points!

the sisters of the winter wood by rena rossner (f)- i’m a slut for shapeshifting, okay. but this is a good fairy tale, it works!

parable of the sower by octavia butler (f)- i read this in march, when the pandemic was just kicking off and boy that was not the right time. def my least favorite of hers so far, but an octavia butler i don’t love is still better than a hell of a lot of other books. no idea when or if i’ll get to a good enough headspace for the sequel.

faves:

saturnino herrán by adriana zapett tapia (nf)- i got to learn new things about my mans and see some of his paintings i’ve never even seen online! GOSH.

on food and cooking by harold mcgee (nf)- yeah yeah, i’ve already mentioned this book half a dozen times on here this year, but i don���t care. this book lives off the shelf in my home bc i reference it like every other fucking day. this book is a part of me now.

[tragicquartet]

G/t OT3 Holiday Drabble: Hustle and Bustle

((*kicks door off its hinges* I LIVE...AND THIS ALSO WAY TOO FREAKING LATE FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

So yea, I intended to have this up a good week or so ago, but thanks to some extraneous circumstances (mostly involving me having a recurring fever/illness and my mom suddenly busting her ankle at work) it was delayed. But regardless, here we are, and here I am, back on my G/t OT3 bullshit.

Regardless, have some fluff: premise for this drabble is that things are busy around Pepper Paradiso around the holidays, and it has fallen on Lewis to help with some last-minute stuff around the place...and Vivi and Arthur decide to try and help him and cause a little more chaos and trouble than they intended too.

There's also a bit of angst tossed in here and the holiday aspect ended up getting pushed to the side pretty strongly but hey, have some stuff. Enjoy.))

It was that time of year again, and Lewis knew that there was still much to do.

He still had to pick up gifts for Belle and Cayenne, had a few things to get for the restaurant, and had to make sure everything was ready to go for when the relatives showed up...all on top of his usual waiter duties.

Yes, it was a busy time of year, but he wasn't to be deterred.

"Mom, Dad?! I'm going to the store: was there anything else you needed?!"

"No sweetie," came the tired voice of Mrs. Pepper, busily cleaning up the kitchen after a long day of feeding the hungry public...and enjoying the shock on their faces at the spiciness of her dishes.

"No, thank ya' son!" yelled Mr. Pepper just after, returning to his work preparing some of the components for the next day's sweets and confectionary catering orders, a great accumulation of sweat on his brow.

There were few times of year as busy as this: everyone in town was looking to impress their friends and families by bringing something from Pepper Paradiso to their table...

Lewis nodded to himself as he passed the kitchen, making his way down the hall and poking his head into each of his sister's rooms, checking in with them as well, making sure they didn't need any help with anything, all of them responding with a resolute no...well, save for Paprika, who shoved him out of her room quickly, loudly telling him not to look, bits of wrapping paper and tape stuck to her fingertips.

Certain that everything was at least moderately handled here, Lewis turned towards his room, determined to get ready and head out to the mall, knowing it'd be open quite late at this time of year...and needing to get everything done before his tired body and mind caught up with him.

As he entered his personal space, he went through a ritual that was as second-nature to him as breathing, these days: he knocked, waited a moment, then sloooowly opened the door, staring around the room.

First, he looked down, making sure they weren't at his feet, then to his desk, then to his bookshelf and chair, then to the bed...

And ah, THERE they were, or, should he say, just one of them.

"Heya Lew!" Arthur chirped as the towering human approached him, the usually skittish borrower not even phazed by the tremors of Lewis' footfalls as he got close, nor the rush of air that washed over him as Lewis knelt down beside the bed, offering Arthur his hand as he spoke to his diminutive boyfriend:

"Hey Artie...where's Vivi?"

"Up on the rafters, last I heard: she wanted to talk to your Mom about something."

The tiny borrower hopped up onto his partner's hand, Lewis bringing him in close to his chest, fingers gently arched around him as Arthur pressed up against him.

Arthur couldn't exactly talk to anyone outside of Vivi, Lewis, or this house about it due to the inherent taboo, the deep horror it would surely cause any outside borrower hearing about it, but...he couldn't quite describe what it was like, being held by a human you trusted.

It was one of the most soothing experiences he had ever experienced, and even as Lewis walked around the room, pulling his winter jacket out of the closet and gathering up a few of his things with his free hand, Arthur couldn't help but feel safe, warm, and secure in his towering boyfriend's grasp.

He and Vivi saw so little of Lewis at this time of year: he was always so busy with work and family stuff. Arthur and Vivi's best bet to get ahold of their human bae was usually to wait until the end of the day, when Lewis would come in (and promptly fall asleep) or try to catch him during his breaks during the day...the later of which usually didn't go well, what with all the bustle in the kitchen and all the work needing to be done.

As an alternative, Vivi liked to go up to the rafters and watch the restaurant during the day, trying to catch Lew's eye when she could, but Arthur didn't particularly like joining her up there. Just the thought of being in a big room, full to the brim with hungry humans, the thought that any of them would spot him up there, or that he'd fall and end up on one of their tables...

He shuddered: what a terrifying thought.

The borrower was startled out of his thoughts as he was gently placed back down onto the bed, Lewis sliding on his coat as he explained:

"Well, I hate to cut this off early Artie, but I gotta go to the store."

"The store? This late at night? What for?"

"Last minute stuff: gifts, supplies for the restaurant, that kind of thi-"

"LEWWWWWW!"

The bean turned just fast enough towards the sudden voice to catch Vivi as she jumped down off of one of the rafters, the man letting out a startled squeak as the woman smiled, carefree, up at him, Arthur rolling his eyes from the bed...

No sense of fear, that woman.

"What's that you were saying, Lew?" inquired the blue-haired borrower, "You're going to the store?"

"Yea," Lewis explained, gently putting her down next to Arthur, "I hate to leave you two alone again, but I have to get this stuff done while I have time..."

The two borrowers watched as Lewis did up his jacket, wrapping his purple scarf around his neck, sliding his gloves on, checking his pocket for his wallet again...

Meanwhile, Vivi turned silently to her borrower partner, and what followed between them was a series of silent nods, hand motions, and worried and determined expressions, respectively, exchanged between one another...

True to form, Vivi couldn't and wouldn't be dissuaded by Arthur's warnings, and, true to form, Arthur wasn't about to let her do something this reckless alone.

None the wiser to his baes' plans, Lewis headed out the door, his mind much too focused on the task at hand (and keeping himself awake long enough to complete it) to notice that his scarf felt a little heavier around his neck than usual...

---

Lewis sighed, working his way through the grocery store, making a mental note of everything he had picked up already.

He'd stopped at the craft store, grabbing a new set of friendship bracelet supplies for Cayenne, and a big construction set for Belle.

He'd picked up the extra catering boxes, parchment paper, decorative sprinkles here already, and baking chocolate for the restaurant...

And now for the last part of his trip, and the LONGEST: picking up groceries for the big family dinner in a few days.

He sighed, the muscular man leaning down against his cart, yawning and scratching at the bags under his eyes, waiting for an opening to get down the overcrowded aisle, full of people bustling about, grabbing last minute ingredients, attempting to quickly toss together a meal that they hadn't expected the in-laws to show up for, grab something else to serve after messing up the main dish...

And so on and so forth, a loud, clattering crowd of tired, stressed people and their carts between Lewis and the stuff he needed to pick up so he could go home and get some rest...and even then, the line at the register was going to be loooooong.

Lewis sighed again, running his fingers through his hair as he blinked, tiredly, shuffling his cart down the aisle the first opening he got and-

Immediately getting run into by another shopper...and receiving all of the yelling and discontent that came with them:

"HEY, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING, YOU BIG GALOOT!!!"

Lewis flinched back at the woman's yelling, holding up his hands as he meekly replied:

"Miss, I'm sorry, I-"

"YEA, YOU BETTER BE, YOU BIG, CLUMSY, STUPID-"

"HEY!!!!!!"

Lewis flinched at the sudden, familiar voice, the woman's eyes going wide as Lewis felt something shift against his neck...

Vivi popped up out of his scarf, loudly berating the woman, shaking her tiny fist as she hollered:

"YOU RAN INTO HIM, YOU JERK! BUZZ OFF BEFORE I SOCK IT TO YA!!!"

"..."

The woman looked from Lewis to the borrower and back, then quickly and silently fled away with her cart, not looking back once.

Meanwhile, Lewis stood there, eyes wide, trying not to panic.

He quickly shuffled out of the way to the aisle farthest back in the store, assuring multiple times that no one was nearby or headed his way before carefully feeling along his neck, pulling his hands back when he felt a couple of familiar pairs of hands press against his fingers. Bringing his hands in front of him, the human bean looked down at his two tiny partners, absolute shock in his eyes. Meanwhile, Arthur crossed his arms, shooting Vivi a glare before casually stating to his towering boyfriend, matter-of-factly: "This was Vivi's idea." Vivi huffed loudly, protesting: "Oh, c'mon Artie-" "Vivi." The woman turned from Arthur to Lewis as the human spoke, noting the worry in his big magenta eyes as she looked up at him. "C-Can you, uh, ex-explain?" Vivi smiled up at the bean, gently patting one of his fingertips. "Well, Lew, you were stressed, had so much stuff to do, and you were sad you didn't get to see us...soooooo I figured we'd solve all of those problems at once. We'd come with you, help you with your shopping, help you relax a little and keep you from passing out and-" "AND THEN get stuck hiding for HOURS because there are beans literally EVERYWHERE," chimed in Arthur, arms still crossed, "she FORGOT about that part." The two borrowers clung tightly to Lewis' fingers as he slowly sunk to the ground and sat down, still a bit flabbergasted. "...are you two okay?" "Yep!" "Yea, mostly." Lewis let out a sigh of relief, gently bringing his partners in close, planting a few small kisses on top of their heads. "I'm glad you're both okay, just...let me know next time you pull something like this, okay?!" He let out a shaky little chuckle, smiling as he felt his baes kiss him back, taking a moment to gather his composure and tackle the situation at hand. "Well, now that we're all here, we need to come up with a strategy: I can't just walk around with you out in the open, not with all these people around..." Arthur chimed in again, raising a cautious hand as he suggested: "How about you finish your shopping first, then we can regroup. Besides..." Lewis blushed slightly as he saw Arthur pull one of his fingers closer to him, planting a small kiss on top of his fingertip. "...we'll be here to help you get through the night, big guy." Bolstered and re-energized knowing that his partners were here for him, Lewis nodded and stood back up, gently bringing Vivi and Arthur back up to his scarf, resisting the urge to giggle as they wiggled their way back into the fabric, tickling him a little as they got settled. He addressed them one last time as he started pushing his cart back towards the busy area of the store: "Alright, you two, I'm gonna get going again: I'll let you know when the coast is clear." --- It was a bit past midnight when Lewis placed his grocery bags next to the bench on the second floor concourse of the mall, overlooking the atrium below. The mall was still open for a few more hours, and although it was mostly cleared out now a few people still made their way, weighed down with bags and heavy eyelids, through the bright, festively-decorated lobby below.

Taking a few more glances around him for good measure, Lewis flopped down onto the bench, letting out a tired, exasperated sigh, enjoying a moment of peace and stillness after so many hours of shopping and being up on his feet...

"Alright you two: coast's clear."

He felt the scrambling of tiny hands and feet against his neck, trying not to move as his boyfriend and girlfriend made their way down from his neck, the both of them moving down to stand on top of his leg, looking down at the vast atrium.

Lewis softly smiled down at them and their wide-eyed wonder at the bright display below: he forgot at times just how isolated from the wider world they were, always living in the walls of his home, relying on him and his family for food and shelter, having to remain hidden from the entire world, just to survive...

They had probably never seen a big indoor space like this before, let alone one all dolled-up for the holidays: full of twinkling lights, big, tinsel-ladden trees, and bright baubles everywhere.

"This is so beautiful," Vivi exclaimed, leaning over the edge of Lewis' knee a little, Arthur looking over her, noting how the light radiating up from below reflected off her face, caught on her glasses and eyes, illuminating the face of the woman he loved with a soft, golden glow...

"Yea," he cooed, smiling, "it is."

The borrower tilted his head back, his gaze locking with that of Lewis, the human glancing down at the diminutive man...

Gosh, it must have taken so much for Arthur to come out here and be with him today: Lewis had never gotten it out of him himself, but Vivi had alluded to Arthur having a pretty traumatic event happen in his childhood involving humans, and Arthur himself had admitted to losing his parents at a young age...not to mention all the moments, early on in their relationship, where Arthur had struggled with being close to him.

There had been a lot of fear, a lot of discussion and practice and slow, careful trust-building, but in the end...

Arthur was a much braver soul than he or Vivi gave him credit for, Lewis concluded, watching as the borrower approached Vivi, gently looping his arm over her shoulder, Lewis grimacing slightly as the light filtering up from below glinted off of Arthur's mechanical hand...

He looked away from his lovers for a moment, seeing that little piece of machinery: call him dramatic, but to this day he still worried about hurting them.

He was the reason why Arthur had needed that hand, after all...and even if it was due to an accident he hadn't directly caused, it was still a reminder that, as a human, even a small mistake on his part could be devastating for his partners.

"..."

The man's eyes narrowed as he continued this train of thought, worry growing in Lewis's mind that he thought he had long since buried, panic rising in his tired mind, realizing that his partners were indeed out in the open right now, far away from home, relying on him and-

"Hey, Lew! Don't go falling asleep on us yet!"

"?!!"

Lewis shook his head, pulling himself away from his negative thoughts as Vivi yelled up at him, Arthur's head tilted back to look up at him too, giving Lewis a small, concerned, and loving smile...

"..."

Lewis closed his eyes, letting out a long, relieved sigh, his worries melting away at the sound of his partners' words and the sight of their smiles: how did they always know what to do make him feel better?

"Heh, don't worry, I won't."

He watched as the borrowers turned away from him again, settling down top of his leg, holding each other close, Lewis following their gaze to watch the bustling people below.

Call him sappy, but despite all his worrying, he knew his partners had his back, and he had their's...

And he wouldn't trade having them in his life for anything else in the world.

---

When they got home, Lewis put away the supplies and food in the kitchen, checked on his father, hid away the gifts he'd bought for the girls in the back of his closet, took off his coat, stretched...

And then promptly collapsed onto his bed, scarf still wrapped around his neck as he let out a low, exhausted groan.

It wasn't long before the human had maneuvered himself under the covers, weakly sliding his scarf off once he felt Vivi and Arthur clamber out of it, the towering man letting out a tired sigh as he felt the two borrowers moving around on the pillow next to him, getting settled themselves.

"Thanks for the help today guys," murmured Lewis, "it means a lot."

"No problem Lew," purred Arthur, lying down next to the human's face, letting out a content sigh himself as he stretched, then allowed his eyes to slide shut.

Vivi, on the other hand, wasn't so fast to get settled.

She stood on top of the pillow, looking across it at her two baes, at Arthur flopped out next to Lewis' face in particular.

Arthur was quickly falling into unconsciousness, his characteristically loud snoring cueing up as his legs and hands twitched, the skittish borrower still ever the active one, even as he fell asleep...

Gosh, Artie must be so exhausted after today: she knew how much being around humans stressed him out, and spending hours tucked away against Lewis, nowhere near solid ground and surrounded by beans in all directions...

Yea, maybe he'd been right about this being a bad idea.

She carefully made her way across the pillow, kneeling down next to him, gently draping his outstretched arm over his chest: knowing him, he'd end up with a sore shoulder if slept completely flopped-out like that.

Certain that Arthur would sleep peacefully now, the tiny woman stepped over him, walking up to Lewis, feeling the rush of his warm breath over her as he snoozed...

Staring up at the bean, she tilted her head: how many times had she been told as a child that getting this close to a human was dangerous? How many times had she been warned that if you felt a human's breath on you, you were as good as dead?

"Hmmm..."

Hmm, she couldn't remember...but it had certainly been a lot.

She glanced behind her again, looking down at Arthur, then back at Lewis, before promptly settling down where she was, happily sandwiched between her two baes, content.

She could hardly think of anywhere else in the world she'd like to be right now, a thought that, thinking about it, kind of shocked her.

She had spent years adventuring, always taking the biggest risks, the hardest missions, and scoping out the most dangerous of bean residences, seeing if and where her fellow borrowers in the area could settle safely...

Reminiscing as she sat here, Arthur's snoring to her right, Lewis' breath washing over her from the left, the tiny woman feeling perfectly safe and beyond comfortable, she thought back to the early days. She remembered how much she and Arthur had argued at first, being paired up to scope a few places out: his overly cautious attitude rubbed her the wrong way continuously, and he had screamed at her so many times that she was going to get herself killed, or worse...

And then she'd found out about his childhood, and, well...she had kind of regretted everything, hadn't she? Every little angry snap she'd had at him, every argument and petty squabble: he'd only  been trying to protect her from a threat that was not only very real to him, but that he'd experienced in the past.

"..."

Reaching out in the dark, she clutched Arthur's hand, feeling the cold metallic surface of his mechanical fingers subconsciously twitch against her's, the woman continuing to delve through her memories as she grew more and more tired, remembering...

Lewis.

She had to admit, she'd only really gotten to know this family because of Lewis: she was a big proponent of understanding the beans you borrowed from. Sure, it was risky eavesdropping, getting close enough to them to overhear their conversations, observe their habits and work around them instead of just waiting for the dead of night to take what you needed...

This time, she decided she wouldn't bother with all that, though: the Peppers had several kids, and they lived attached to their restaurant business, the building always bustling with humans, day in, day out. It was too risky trying to investigate them further...but Lewis, well...

He'd changed her mind.

He was such an odd, endearing fellow: kind and sweet, a bit of a dork and a dreamer, his head always in a book of fairytales, a tome about mythology, or Sailor Moon manga, all while still caring for and looking after his family, his kind, innocent, and loving nature in stark contrast with his hulking, powerful physique...

He was a mystery, too: the Peppers had adopted him, didn't know where he was from, and Lewis didn't seem to remember himself, either.

He had been an enigma to her, a mystery to be cracked, and all her training, all her patience and risk-taking and careful planning had fallen apart as she had watched him, followed him, understood him and his family more and more...

She had broken one of the fundamental rules of borrowing, had gotten emotionally involved with the beings she was borrowing from...and had fallen in love in the process.

Turning to him in the dark, Vivi reached out towards Lewis's face, gently resting her fingertips against his cheek, feeling the human's warm skin against her's, any and all fear that had been instilled in her from birth long since forgotten...

So much so that when a tired, lazy, and gigantic hand reached up from beneath the covers, draping over the two borrowers, gently holding them close, neither stirred nor flinched away, Lewis letting out a low, content sigh as his barely awake mind registered the tired, tiny movements of his lovers against his fingers as they got settled, the three of them nestled in close together, warm against the cold and rising holiday hustle and bustle outside, if only for a few peaceful, quiet hours before sunrise.

Yes, if you were to ask any of them, their answer would be quite clear: despite all the troubles they had faced, the hurdles they had tackled and the ones they still had left to conquer...

There was nowhere else in the world they'd rather be than here with the ones they loved.

[the-garden-of-readen]

My 10th and final New Year’s reading resolution: READ 30 BOOKS 🌈🕹🔫 Idk about you guys but I am an INCREDIBLY slow reader. While some people find that reading 100 books a year is a perfectly doable goal, I on the other hand find it difficult to complete just 30. Last year I read exactly that amount. My original goal was 45 but I should have known better lmao. This year I’m going to keep things a bit realistic for myself so my Goodreads goal is going back down to 30. 🌈🕹🔫 I am literally obsessed with the bookmarks from @dreamyandco and this Warcross one is definitely no exception. I discovered this amazing shop back in December when my Harry Potter book swap partner got me a Luna Lovegood bookmark from them. Ever since I have been hooked! 🌈🕹🔫 QOTD: Have you read Warcross yet? Would you recommend it? No spoilers, please. 🌈🕹🔫 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #warcross #gaming #marielu #scifi #scifibooks #booksandflowers #bookshelf #ya #yalit #yabooks #bookish #bookishmerch #emika #library #bookblogger #booknerd #bookworm #booklover #homelibrary #dreamyandco #magneticbookmarks #rainbow #bookshelf #bookmark #bookishgoodies #readingresolution (at Denver, Colorado)

[100daystowellness]

What Is Yoga? My Favorite Definitions

What is Yoga?  For me, Yoga is so difficult to define.  I think about this question daily.  As an exercise for this blog post, I looked up a few of the different ways that Yoga is defined in the dozens of books about Yoga on my bookshelf.  I tried to keep it short. Definition of Yoga: Yoga comes from the Sanskrit root word yuj, meaning “to join” or “to yoke.”

Rather than write an essay, I invite you to share in the comments section below your favorite definition of Yoga.  Pause, breathe, and share from your heart what Yoga means to you.

Just curious, I did a Google search for “yoga blog,” and was given 131,000,000 pages to choose from.  I also tried “yoga blog WordPress,” WordPress being a typical host for websites and blogs in an attempt to eliminate any pages that just reference a yoga blog, and the result was 6,370,000 WordPress yoga blogs to choose from.

My point here is that there are a lot of authorities these days talking about Yoga.  Sometimes this scares me because it means a sacred tradition has gone viral and, in some cases, exploited as a corporate opportunity.  And somethings I jump for joy knowing that regardless of the source, we as a species are evolving and people are doing Yoga BY THE MILLIONS, taking us to the next level of consciousness. Most people think that Yoga is an excellent way to get healthy, in shape, lose weight, and feel great.  This is true most of the time.  And Yoga is also SO much more!  (make sure you keep reading to find out what else Yoga is!) Some people think that Yoga is a religion, a practice that tells you to worship scary pagan icons with ten arms and snakes wrapped around their heads.  This is only slightly true.

Here are some of my all time favorite definitions of Yoga.  See which one resonates with you!

First, a little history and a great definition from a very progressive yoga teacher at the Kripalu School of Yoga: Stephen Cope “The Wisdom of Yoga”

In the early sixth century BCE, seekers in India began to make spiritual inquires outside established religious hierarchies…These seekers dedicated their lives to spiritual and psychological experimentation – practicing both in small groups and in solitude.  They investigated diet, breath control, physical exercises, ethical behavior, sense refrain, prayer, meditation, magic, chanting, and worship of every conceivable god or goddess…in its earliest stages. much of the experimentation was probably highly shamanistic, concerned with what we might call magic…Their growing body of wisdom was passed along primarily by word of mouth…Over the course of hundreds of years, some headway was made in discovering a reliable path to the fully alive human being.  A loose tradition was born – an esoteric tradition that combined the best powers of shamanism with some remarkably sophisticated psychological discoveries.  A set of reliable principles and practices emerged.  At some point, this tradition became known as Yoga – a word that means literally “to yoke” or to bring into a union – and its practitioners as “yogis.”  Yogis used their own minds and bodies as laboratories for experiments in living.

Here is what the #1 authority of anything on the internet is saying: Wikipedia

Yoga are the mental, physical, and spiritual practices that aim to transform body and mind.  The term yoga derived from the literal meaning of “yoking together” a span of horses or oxen, but came to be applied to the “yoking” of body and mind.  (interesting use of “are,” no that is not a typo.)

Patanjali taught Raja Yoga, or Classical Yoga, a duelist interpretation of Yoga: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s (translated by Swami Satchidananda)

“yoga chittavriti nirodaha” – The restrain of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.

Here is my favorite definition, from a beloved teacher and master yogi: Eric Schiffmann “Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness” 

Yoga is a way of moving into stillness in order to experience the truth of who you are.  It is also a way of learning to be centered in action so that you always have the clearest perspective on what’s happening and are therefore able to respond the most appropriately.  Yoga is not the only way of doing this, but it is an excellent way.  It is an ancient process designed to help you uncover and discover your true nature so you can live daily life with that new awareness….Yoga is not merely touching your toes or standing on your head.  It’s about how you do what you do, and how you live your daily life on a moment to moment basis.  If you learn to meditate and do Yoga and pause occasionally throughout the day to be still, to breathe, to relax, and to feel the energy of life force within you and all around you – the life force that must be in you for you to even exist – then you too, will feel the palpable joy of “union with the Infinite” – Yoga.  The word Yoga means to yoke, or union.  And you will feel healed, renewed, strong in mind and body, and your life will take on new meaning and new, fulfilling directions that you are not personally responsible for.  It’s worth the small effort required.

Here a definition from the definitive Source himself:

Lord Krishna, in “The Bhagavad Gita”

He who works not for an earthy reward, but does the work to be done, he is a yogi…When the mind of the yogi is in harmony and finds rest in the Spirit within,  all restless desires gone, then he is Yukta, one in god…When the mind is resting in the stillness of the prayer of Yoga, and by the grace of spirit sees the spirit and therein finds fulfillment…Then, with reason, armed with the resolution, let the seeker quietly lead the mind into the Spirit…He sees himself in the heart of all beings and he sees all beings in his heart.  This is the vision of the Yogi of harmony.  (Chapter 6)

Siddha Yoga Meditation leader and teacher of Tantric philosophy: Gurumayi Chidvilasananda “The Yoga of Discipline”

Turning within is called Yoga.  Yoga is the divine discipline that gives a seeker the power to turn his attention within.  It makes him understand the true purpose of the senses.  It uncovers the glory hidden within him.  It enables him to go deep into the cave of his own heart.  It shows him the way to united heaven and earth.  Yoga gives a seeker the strength to uplift his energies and become mature.

Here, we view a classical interpretation by a world-renowned yoga teacher and father of modern Yoga: B.K.S. Iyengar “Light on Yoga”

The word Yoga means to bind, join, attach, and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on, to use, and apply.  It also means union or communion.  It is the true union of our will with the will of god.   According to Mhadev Dessai, Yoga means “the yoking of all the powers of body, mind, and soul to God; it means the disciplining of the intellect, the mind, the emotions, the will, which that Yoga pre-supposes; it means a poise of the soul which enables one to look at life in all its aspects evenly.”  As a well-cut diamond has many facets, each reflecting a different color of light, so does the word Yoga, each facet reflecting a different shade of meaning and revealing different aspects of the entire range of human endeavor to win inner peace and happiness.

Share your personal definition or your favorite definition of Yoga from a teacher or a book in the comments section to spread the light. Do you view yoga more as meditation techniques to calm the mind or as physical exercises to strengthen the body?

source https://100daystowellness.com/what-is-yoga-definitions/

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 10/10/19

Animeta!, Vol. 1 | By Yaso Hanamura | J-Novel Club – Nineteen-year-old Miyuki Sanada never had anything to be passionate about until she encountered a certain magical girl anime. Now, she’s managed to get hired at the studio that created it, but training is grueling and the pay is abysmal (and her fellow new hires are jerks). Her skills aren’t great, but Miyuki’s a heroine with enthusiasm to spare and already makes some progress in this first volume. I really know very little about how anime is made—particularly nowadays, where digital technology plays a part—so all of that information and the handy flowcharts were fascinating. Miyuki is somewhat of a cipher as a character, but for now I’m okay with that. I look forward to seeing her skills develop and learning along with her. – Michelle Smith

Anonymous Noise, Vol. 16 | By Ryoko Fukuyama | Viz Media – This always seems to end up on the end of my list of Viz when it comes out, but it’s a credit to the title that it still remains riveting regardless. Yuzu dominates this volume, finishing the concert by leaping into the audience (giving their handlers a heart attack), and then asking the band to go on hiatus for a year so that he can sort out his family issues. We also hear about the fate of his father in greater detail, and see that he and his mother have essentially been pushing at each other without listening. That said, when a band takes a year’s hiatus—especially one not that famous yet—it’s the kiss of death. The solution? Get the new single to number one. This is ending soon, and it’ll be a race to the finish. – Sean Gaffney

Blue Exorcist, Vol. 22 | By Kazue Kato | Viz Media – The majority of this volume is a flashback, as the cover might indicate. Still, we also write out Shiemi in this volume, at least for now, and as she’s realized that maybe she does like Rin romantically after all. I’m not sure I trust her in the hands of her family, however. Meanwhile, Rin and Mephisto are going back into the past to see about Father Fujimoto’s past, as well as that of his mother, Yuri. It’s the classic combination of “asshole” and “plucky,” and is quite interesting, despite Mephisto continuing to point out that, being a tragic backstory, there’s only tragedy ahead. I’ve heard this flashback lasts a number of chapters, so next volume should delve deeper into Fujimoto and Yuri’s story. Good stuff. – Sean Gaffney

The Golden Sheep, Vol. 1 | By Kaori Ozaki | Vertical Comics – Years ago, my husband and I were watching Freaks and Geeks when we had a realization: it was undeniably excellent, but it was simply too effective at portraying the shitty things kids do to each other to be fun. The Golden Sheep is like that. Tsugu Miikura has returned to her hometown after six years away to find her former friends much changed. Yuushin has become a delinquent who regularly beats up Sora, who feels like he deserves it for abandoning Yuushin during a time of family crisis. Asari acts on her spiteful jealousy when Yuushin pays attention to Tsugu, leading Tsugu to be ostracized by the rest of the class. It’s painful for readers and characters alike, but mercifully there’s a surprise change of venue at the end of the first volume. I hope everyone’s able to move past their adolescent trauma in the two volumes that remain. – Michelle Smith

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 7 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – It appears “once a year” is the new schedule for this title, so it’s probably both good and bad that it ends on such a cliffhanger. Before that, though, we get the introduction of a new character (she’s on the cover): Kaoru, a kijimunaa who allegedly can read people’s minds. She’s had standoffish relationships with her prior classmates, which she thinks is because of this but also may be due to her misreading them entirely. No matter, there’s no way she’s not going to be accepted by this group. Meanwhile, she can also see that Tetsuo and Sakie are very much into each other, and this nudges the dullahan girl into a confession that he pretends not to hear—at first. Excellent title, but man, long wait to get here. – Sean Gaffney

Kaze Hikaru, Vol. 27 | By Taeko Watanabe | VIZ Media – For the most part, I quite enjoyed this volume of Kaze Hikaru. It mostly centers around Kamiya serving as Hijikata’s attendant and following his orders to pretend they are in a relationship in order to discourage Councillor Ito, who has gone into full-on predatory homosexual mode. While I’m not fond of this characterization, I do like that the situation forces Kamiya to get to know Hijikata better. As she witnesses some of his vulnerabilities and moments of supririsng humility, her hatred of him begins to fade. I’m glad of it, as this mindset has led her to make too many impulsively foolish decisions in the past. Alas, Ito turns out to have something more substantial on his mind than bedding Hijikata, and we’re reminded that the collapse of the Bakufu is just around the corner. Too bad it’ll be another year before we get the next piece of the story. – Michelle Smith

Missions of Love, Vol. 18 | By Ema Toyama | Kodansha Comics – Perhaps being told that it’s time to wrap this up, Toyama finally comes through after a couple of substandard volumes and gives us an excellent one, mainly driven by Yukina finally getting up the nerve to a) tell Hisame to get bent, and b) tell Shigure that she’s written her book using their own romance as the basis. This stuns him, naturally (his mother collapsing during the filming does not help), but I suspect he’s going to take it pretty well, especially after he reads it. Hisame, meanwhile, is acting like an immature brat, as literally pointed out by Mami, and Yukina’s actions end up driving him to his own writer’s block. I’m, actually looking forward to the nineteenth and final volume. – Sean Gaffney

The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12 | By Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu | VIZ Media – A new arc begins in this volume, and because various things are set into motion, it feels a little disjointed at times. Emma and the others make contact with a supporter in the human world and wait for further contact, but it never comes. Meanwhile, they continue their search for the Seven Walls and suddenly, a year and seven months have passed since the destruction of Goldy Pond. I liked getting a glimpse of what’s been going on with Phil and it was neat seeing some human antagonists, too. I also like that Lucas and Yugo have come to care about the kids so much that they’re willing to sacrifice themselves so the children can get away when the enemy finds them. I guess I’m just a little bummed about the time jump and all the clever strategizing we didn’t get to see. Still, this remains a really good read. – Michelle Smith

The Quintessential Quintuplets, Vol. 5 | By Negi Haruba | Kodansha Comics – Given that she’s had probably the least development of the heroines to date, it’s no surprise that this volume leans heavily on Yotsuba, who also gets the cover. She shows off a few sides that should be surprising but aren’t really, notably a tendency to put the needs and desires of others ahead of her own needs—does this include her feelings for Futaro? And then there’s the girl from his past, who is clearly a Quintuplet but the hair and false name make us wonder which one. (Honestly, she reminded me of Teasing Master Takagi-san, and it distracted me). Compared to other shonen romcoms like, say, the one I’m reviewing further down, this fires on all cylinders. Well done. – Sean Gaffney

Takane & Hana, Vol. 11 | By Yuki Shiwasu | Viz Media – The resolution of the kiss on the nose actually ends up being the lightest part of the book, as we introduce what amounts to the series’ first serious villain. Takane’s cousin Yakumo is back in town, and determined to ruin Takane’s life. Oddly, merely exposing he’s engaged to a high school girl never seems to occur to him. Instead we end up with kidnapping, blackmail, and attempted rape. This left something of a sour taste in my mouth, though the sheer ridiculousness of the helicopter did end up distracting me so that I forgot about it. Sadly, I doubt we’re finished with this guy, and I want to get rid of him and get back to Takane and Hana snarking at each other. It’s what the series does best. – Sean Gaffney

We Never Learn, Vol. 6 | By Taishi Tsutsui | Viz Media – Reading this at the same time as Quintessential Quintuplets is probably a bit of a mistake. Magazine has always done better romantic comedy/dramas than Jump anyway, and this is definitely a weaker volume for We Never Learn, as it has no drama to speak of. Instead there are gags about confusing Rizu’s test score with her cup size, a “whoops we’re all naked in the same bathhouse” chapter, and an introduction to Kirisu’s sister whose highlight is that she doesn’t seem to fall in love with Nariyuki—yet. Again, I have heard that the teacher is by far the most popular character in this manga, which worries me—teacher/student romance is not how I want this to end. Maybe a figure skating ending instead? A weak entry. – Sean Gaffney

The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms | By Nagabe | Seven Seas – Out of all of the manga series currently being released in English, The Girl from the Other Side by Nagabe is consistently one of the most striking in both storytelling and illustration. I was therefore very excited to see more of Nagabe’s work licensed. The Wize Wize Beasts of the Wizarding Wizdoms is a collection of eight short BL stories featuring anthropomorphic animals who either attend or teach at an academy for wizards. The stories are largely independent from one another, although they do share the same setting and there are a few recurring characters and events as well. Tonally, Nagabe has achieved a remarkably effective balance between lightness and darkness with these tales. There are moments of levity and endearment, but the narratives frequently also have unsettling undercurrents to them. The result is a collection that can be both delightfully charming and subtly (and occasionally not so subtly) ominous. – Ash Brown

By: Ash Brown

[modestlymalniq]

5 Must Read Books for Women

"Great books help you understand, and they help you feel understood"  -- John Green

For the last couple of years one of my New Years resolutions was to read a new book every month. This year, which is 2019, is the first year that I know that I’ll be able to accomplish that goal. I’m on book number nine for the month of September. All of the books that I read this year have been amazing and life changing. Below are 5 books that I feel that every women should read at some point in their life or if they are ready to make a change. All of the books listed are grammatically easy to read, some with a comical yet informative perspective.

#GirlBoss by Sophia Amoruso

I read #GirlBoss a few years ago. Be sure to read a post I made on the synopsis of the book here. In short, Girl Boss is for those of you that are looking to start a business in fashion. (or anytime of business really). It follows the story of the author, Sophia Amoruso and how she went from selling clothes on Ebay to being the CEO of a multimillion dollar company.

The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein

I read The Universe Has Your Back this year. It was one of the books that my boyfriend got me for Christmas and I’m so glad he did. I literally read this book in one day and I want to read it again to follow the instructions in the book. This is indeed one of those manifestation books however the author offers calm yet understanding reasons to allow the universe to work in your favor. She also has meditation guidelines in the book. This is one of my favorite books on this list.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

I could not make a list of books for women to read without having my forever First Lady’s book on the list. Before reading Becoming I had no idea of how strong, beautiful, graceful, inspiring etc., Michelle Obama really is. She is the epitome of a class act. Her memoir Is very inspirational because it shows how a black women remained herself and held her own in a male dominant society. Mrs. Obama is truly inspiring if you don’t know that already.

Your are a Badass by Jen Sincero

You are a Badass is hands down one of the best books that I have ever read. It’s another book about manifestation however it’s extremely easy to read. The other makes you feel like a friend. She’s uses a lot of comedy to get her point across which makes you want to believe everything that she is explaining in the book. This book is a huge relief from the typical motivational books that you have to use a thesaurus to interpret so the book completely goes over your head. Check out a review about You are a Badass by Jen Sincero that I posted on the blog a few years ago here.

She Comes First by Ian Kerner

If you’re thinking that the title might be talking about something completely sexual then you are absolutely right. I honestly bought this book after having a conversation with an old coworker (a female few years ago) who suggested this book to me. This book is the one that you give to your man to teach him how to please you. Enough said.

These are a few books that I have read that I love and that will make a huge difference in any woman’s life. I highly suggest that you get your hands on at least one of these books. As I continue to at more books to my bookshelf I would be happy to share the ones that really inspire me and that I’m sure will inspire some of you. Also, leave a comment with some of your favorite books to read. I know there are millions of books out there that I have yet to get my hands on and I can’t wait to read them.

Thank you,

Malniquia

[danielphowley]

HTC's Vive Pro and wireless adapter make me want to love VR again

HTC and Valve’s Vive was the first virtual reality headset that really made me jump on the VR hype train. Not only could you escape into virtual worlds, but thanks to its motion tracking sensors, your movement in the real world was translated into the digital. You were literally able to walk around in a whole new environment.

But it wasn’t perfect. Like Facebook’s (FB) Oculus Rift, the Vive’s display resolution made individual pixels clearly visible in certain situations, killing any sense of true immersion. The headset itself wasn’t exactly comfortable for those who wear glasses, and often mashed them against your face. Then there was the cable that connected the Vive to your computer, which was a constant tripping hazard.

And that’s where the HTC Vive Pro comes in. Available sometime this year, the Vive Pro improves upon all of the original Vive’s shortcomings by adding a significantly sharper display and more ergonomic design. There’s even a new Vive Wireless Adapter that lets you cut the cord to your PC, so you can walk around without wrapping yourself up in a cord.

The HTC Vive Pro gets significantly improved visuals, for a superior VR experience.

It’s an impressive upgrade, especially given the fact that the headset has been out for just under two years. But it still needs compelling VR content to go along with those enhancements if it’s to move the needle for the industry.

So long screen door

I loved the original Vive when I first tried it back in 2016. But after a number of gaming sessions and using other headsets, the Vive’s visual shortcomings became more and more obvious.

Like the Rift, the original Vive had a resolution of 1,080 pixels by 1,200 pixels per eye. That’s not terrible when you compare it to a television that you sit relatively far from, but when you bring that screen right up to your eye, those individual pixels become clearly visible.

Text, for example, always looked blocky and, at certain font sizes, was almost too difficult to read. Being able to see those pixels also creates what’s called the “screen door effect.” Basically, when you look at something in the headset, it appears as though you’re viewing it with your face pressed up against a screen, due to the blank spaces between each pixel.

For the Vive Pro, HTC upped the headset’s resolution by 78% to 2,880 pixels by 1,600 pixels, or 1,440 by 1,600 pixels per eye. That’s a big improvement for a relatively small screen. As a result, images look far clearer than before.

HTC provided a test scenario where you viewed a VR room complete with a large text window and a distant bookshelf using both the first-generation Vive and the Pro, and the results were really astounding. The text in the large window was visible, but pixelated. You could even see the blues, greens and reds that made up the text’s white coloring. Finer details, like the titles on the books’ bindings were impossible to make out altogether.

The Vive Pro also brings updated headphones with a built-in amplifier to improve a sense of presence in game.

Switch to the Pro, though, and that windowed text looks crisp and uniformly white. Even the books’ titles were easy to see without having to squint. It was really a striking enhancement over the previous generation headset. That said, it’s not like the kind of resolution you’d get out of a 55-inch 4K TV. There are still some sharp edges, for sure. But it’s certainly not something that will take you out of your gaming experience.

The Pro’s revised ergonomics also meant that I could keep my glasses on when using the headset and not have to worry about them being smashed against my face. The visor is wider and more comfortable than the first Vive, and its more balanced weight distribution makes it feel lighter than it actually is.

What’s more HTC is including premium built-in headphones for the Pro, that include a built-in amplifier. I couldn’t get much of a sense for how those headphones sounded during my demo, since the room was full of people and other demo stations making plenty of ambient noise. But from what I heard the headphones should offer a solid audio experience.

No more wires

In addition to its revised headset, HTC rolled out its new Vive Wireless Adapter. The antenna-like device that connects to the top of the headset allows you to move around with the Vive on without tripping over any pesky wires.

Powering the headset is a small battery pack you attach to your belt or slide into your pocket. HTC, though, isn’t saying how much play time you’ll get out of each charge.

The Vive Wireless Adapter lets you play VR without any wires tethering you to your computer.

Of course, the headset still needs some kind of connection to your PC, so HTC has built a wireless receiver that uses high-speed WiGig connectivity. WiGig is the key to making the Vive wireless, since it can carry so much data. Without it, HTC wouldn’t have been able to offer the feature.

The PC receiver connects to your computer’s PCI Express slot, which will be an issue for consumers who aren’t exactly comfortable tooling around with the inside of their machines. Laptop owners should be able to connect the receiver to their notebook’s mini PCI Express slot.

It goes without saying that the adapter doesn’t do much for making you look like less of a goober while wearing the Vive. But then again, you shouldn’t care how you look while wearing it anyway. After all, you’ve already resigned yourself to the fact that you look ridiculous with a VR headset on to begin with.

HTC doesn’t have a price for the wireless adapter just yet, but the company did say it will be shipping in the third quarter. So we’ll have to wait a bit longer until we know how it works in the real world.

Of course, neither the Vive Pro or the adapter address the main issue with VR, which is a lack of compelling content. Until we get a game or other experience that warrants the public dropping hundreds of bucks on a headset, the industry will remain relatively niche.

Here’s hoping something comes along in time for the Pro’s and adapter’s sales dates.

More from Dan:

Honda wants to prove robots can help you, not kill you

Ford will begin testing self-driving cars in unnamed city

Nvidia went all out for PC gaming at CES 2018

CES 2018 Day 4 roundup: Self-driving cars and insanely big screens

CES Day 2 roundup: From breast pumps to robots

Google’s smart displays bring the power of search from home

The Blade Shadow turns your phone into a gaming PC

Email Daniel Howley at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

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[getittogetherk]

july 28

writing pretty regularly now! yay!

today’s friday, my RDO.  one of my resolutions after learning of my stunning weight gain was to not sleep 14 hours a day on my days off and so i’ve been up and about more so than usual, figuring burning those extra 1,000 or so calories will really help with this weight loss thing.

the last few days have been pretty good.  i took tuesday off to go fishing with vicky and she came over around 7, we cooked a nice keto breakfast of eggs, cheese, and avocado, and then headed over to lake gregory in crestline.  after picking up snacks and stuff we spent a few hours on the shoreline, catching baby bass, one rainbow trout (me) and one mysterious grouper-like fish (also me).  it was pretty fun.  after icing up said trout, we went to echo park lake where we caught some bluegill and vicky caught a decent sized bass and then, tired, hot, dehydrated, dirty, and mildly famished, we went to damon’s and gorged on some prime rib.  the day ended with some restorative yoga taught by vicky and implemented on myself.  it was a good day, a full day, with breakthroughs and insights and confessions and acceptance, and i was very grateful to her by the end of the day, and very grateful to my other friends as well.  

wednesday was pretty uneventful and after work met up with caroline. we had some whiskey then walked over to in n out where we ate protein style double doubles which were delicious and keto/low carb and only about 520 calories.  i could eat that everyday.  i really could, literally, on this diet, which is nice.  such a tasty treat.  i think i’ll eat in n out once a week.  anyhoo we also had a very pleasant chat and she was also very pleasant about things and i was very grateful for her as well.  

thursday i had to sit at the public counter desk downtown where i was unable to be helpful to the vast majority of taxpayers who had questions and i felt pretty bad about it.  but oh well, 4 hours and 17 minutes later i was relieved and spent most of the rest of the day chatting with danielle about her boyfriend and then the day was pretty much over and i went home, ate a string cheese and 9 chicharones, went for a walk, listened to a bulletproof radio podcast on the psychology of fat and eating, showered, then settled down for an always entertaining episode of Orphan Black.

so it was a good week.  i wish i had gotten some more work down but i was distracted and my mind was in a million places and it was really hard to focus at my messy desk.  but my home and social life was good.  which was nice.

and today i felt the freedom and peace of mind to do a few chores in the morning and then have this leisurely cup of coffee while i journalled.  it seemed like it would be a nice idea and it is turning out to be.  there is more traffic in the morning, more whizzing by of cars and heavier pedestrian foot traffic so it’s not as tranquil but it’s fine too, in its own, bustling workday way.

i’m meeting my mom at 1 today, picking her up at work and hanging out.  there’s nothing too set in our agenda except for a massage in pasadena, and possibly some shopping at nordstrom rack.  since i’m trying to lose weight i don’t want to buy too many new clothes for this current body but my mom has been on me about getting some new clothes so maybe i’ll get one or two things.  i’m only shedding 2-5 lbs a week anyway.  maybe we can watch a movie.  hm.  

saturday should be interesting.  i might fish a bit and/or swing by my friend steven’s place to pick up an outdated game console so i can play some iteration of rock band/guitar hero at home but my main agenda item is to go to my friend linda’s and then go to her friend’s board game night.  i like linda and i like board games and linda rarely mixes groups of friends so i’m curious about what this crowd will be like and it’s been so long since i’ve been around a new group of people that i’m almost nervous about it.  i hope i ‘do’ well.  

otherwise i’m pretty grateful for some of the things in my life, for the slowness of it, for the ease of it.  for parents who are fond of me, for friends who accept me, for a job that doesn’t fire me, and for this condo that is helping me exercise cleanliness, taste, and practice minimalism in my own way.  i feel moderately more peaceful than usual, which is a good thing.  

i remember for over a year i had the hardest time sitting/lying down, and being able to commit to something other than staring at my phone, and now i’m into a TV show, and i find myself picking through my magazines, and curious about what books i’ve yet to finish on my bookshelf, knowing i should read those before buying more, and feeling that slight impulse to read is a newer recent feeling that i’d like to explore.  

anyway, hoping the tumblr universe is doing well, as are my few readers.  hello there and thank you as always, cherished friends.