#senior living construction management

[constructionmanagementusa]

How to Ensure Comfort and Safety in Senior Living Construction

Creating senior living facilities involves careful consideration of the unique needs of older adults. Comfort and safety are top priorities in these environments, as residents often face mobility challenges, chronic health conditions, and a need for social interaction. Proper planning in construction ensures that the facility is not only safe but also welcoming and functional for its residents. Here’s a guide on how to prioritize comfort and safety in senior living construction.

1. Universal Design and Accessibility

One of the most important aspects of senior living construction is creating a space that’s accessible for people of all abilities. This is achieved through universal design—a concept that ensures buildings are usable by everyone, regardless of age or ability.

Some key features include:

Wide doorways and hallways: To accommodate wheelchairs and walkers.

Ramps and elevators: Eliminate the need for stairs, ensuring safe movement between floors.

Non-slip flooring: Reduces the risk of falls, which is a major concern for older adults.

Grab bars and handrails: Placed in hallways and bathrooms to aid mobility and provide extra support.

These elements not only help prevent accidents but also provide residents with a greater sense of independence.

2. Proper Lighting

Lighting is crucial for both safety and comfort. Older adults may have vision impairments, making it harder for them to see in dim or overly bright lighting conditions. When designing a senior living facility, it’s essential to ensure that lighting is well-distributed and appropriate for aging eyes.

Natural lighting: Use large windows and skylights to bring in natural light, which improves mood and helps regulate sleep patterns.

Motion-activated lighting: Especially in hallways and bathrooms, motion-activated lights can prevent accidents during the night by automatically illuminating the path.

Even lighting levels: Avoid sharp contrasts between light and dark areas, as these can be disorienting and increase the risk of falls.

3. Comfortable Living Spaces

Comfort extends beyond physical safety—it’s also about creating an environment where residents feel relaxed and at home. This means designing living spaces that are cozy, functional, and adaptable to individual needs.

Flexible room layouts: Allow for personalization of spaces so that residents can bring their own furniture and belongings, which adds familiarity.

Sound insulation: Helps create a peaceful environment by reducing noise from common areas or neighboring units, which is important for residents' comfort and well-being.

Climate control: Temperature regulation is vital in senior living facilities. Older adults are more sensitive to temperature extremes, so rooms should have easily adjustable thermostats, good ventilation, and heating/cooling systems that maintain consistent, comfortable temperatures.

4. Safety Systems and Technology

Modern technology can greatly improve the safety and comfort of senior living environments. From emergency response systems to smart home devices, technology allows for quick assistance and better monitoring of residents’ well-being.

Emergency call systems: Residents should have access to emergency call buttons in their rooms and common areas. These systems allow them to quickly call for help in case of a fall or medical emergency.

Smart sensors: Devices that detect unusual behavior, such as inactivity or wandering, can alert staff to potential problems before they escalate. These systems can be integrated into the facility’s design, improving safety without intruding on residents’ privacy.

Security systems: Cameras, secure entry points, and alarm systems help protect residents from external threats while maintaining a welcoming atmosphere.

5. Outdoor Areas

Outdoor spaces provide an opportunity for residents to enjoy fresh air, exercise, and social interaction. However, these spaces must be designed with safety and accessibility in mind.

Smooth, slip-resistant paths: Walking paths should be wide, even, and slip-resistant to reduce the risk of falls. Regular maintenance is also necessary to prevent hazards like cracks or uneven surfaces.

Shaded areas: Outdoor seating with ample shade helps protect residents from excessive sun exposure and heat.

Gardens and green spaces: Incorporating greenery can promote relaxation and well-being, offering a space for gentle activities like walking or gardening.

6. Community and Social Spaces

Senior living facilities are not just places to live—they are communities. Common areas should be designed to encourage interaction and foster a sense of belonging, which is crucial for emotional well-being.

Dining areas: Open, accessible dining spaces that allow for socializing during meals can enhance residents' daily experiences.

Activity rooms: Spaces for group activities, such as exercise classes or arts and crafts, help keep residents engaged and active. These rooms should be easily accessible and adaptable to different types of activities.

Conclusion

In senior living construction, comfort and safety are paramount. By focusing on universal design, proper lighting, comfortable spaces, modern safety technology, and well-designed outdoor and community areas, developers can create environments where older adults can live with dignity, security, and joy. Prioritizing these aspects not only ensures the well-being of residents but also helps foster a vibrant, supportive community.

[hairyjocktf]

Building a New Life

Justin was the star wrestler at his high school. He had won regional titles and the adoration of all the local families for years, and was ready to head to college to continue his streak. Senior year he was at his peak, winning matches left and right. All he had to do was wait for those recruitment offers to roll in. He waited and waited, still kicking ass in his wrestling, but while everyone around him was committing and getting accepted, there were no letters to him. To his dismay, one never came. His plans for the future were shattered, what was he supposed to do now? The wrestling scholarship was his only shot for college.

With the year ending and not many options, Justin started looking for entry level jobs that would take him. He lived in a fairly rural area so most of what he found was either farm work or construction, and the latter paid better. He called one of them up and they told him to swing by the site a few days later. He drove out to the construction site later that week and walked into the mobile office they had there. The manager came out to greet him. He was a rugged man in his late 40’s, with a stocky build and thick stubble. He’d clearly been in the business for years and it showed through his worn hands and gruff voice from yelling orders at his lackeys. The man looked Justin up and down.

“A little scrawny but I can work with it,” he said after a few seconds.

“I was a top wrestler in the region!” Justin protested. 

“Doesn’t matter in this industry,” the man said flatly. “Can you handle heavy loads and equipment? Can you deal with being outside most of the day in rough weather?”

Justin was caught off guard, usually people were much nicer to him. “Of course I can! I can handle whatever you throw at me,” he assured.

“Well alright, If you think you can handle it let’s see how you do here,” the manager said, handing a pile of clothes to Justin. “Here’s your safety and HiVis gear, make sure it fits and then we’ll get you set up outside.”

Justin took his uniform to the bathroom to try it on real quick. It included a hard hat that was adjustable, which he fit to his head, a bright orange and yellow HiVis vest, and a couple other things. He put it all on and stepped back into the office. 

“Alright follow me, Justin was it?” the manager gestured towards the door.

“Yes sir,” Justin responded uncharacteristically.

“Name’s Blaine, the manager revealed, “Around here we usually work on residential projects, we’re currently assisting on a development outside of town.” He led them away from the office around the immediate site, which currently seemed to be mostly used as storage for equipment and materials. “Since you’ve got no experience you’ll start by shadowing some of our guys for a few weeks and handling more basic tasks til you’re ready for more,” he continued. “You can head back to the office and they'll take care of the nitty gritty for ya. I’m expecting great things from you, wrestler,” Blaine laughed as he left Justin and headed out towards the development. Justin heard his gruff voice booming in the distance as he barked orders to the workers.

Justin was unsure about all of this, but he didn’t really have a better option at the moment. He felt out of place in his new safety gear, and he was younger than nearly everyone he saw working. He took care of the paperwork and headed home for the day; they'd hired him on the spot to start the next morning. With considerable unease, he went to bed, closing one chapter of his life for the next. 

As the weeks went by Justin began acclimating to this new job fairly well. He got to know the guys he worked with, learned how to use the equipment, and began to feel comfortable on the site. He even felt like he had put on some mass to better handle all the physical work he was doing. His rock solid abs were a little less visible than they had been but for some reason that didn’t bother him. He was already starting to forget the sting of not being recruited for wrestling. Every day he came into work those past dreams seemed to fade a little more, replaced by his new life. His coworkers had made fun of him for having such a baby face at the beginning, but now he was starting to sport a little bit of stubble. Justin was slowly starting to blend in more with his new crowd.

The months continued to pass, with Justin becoming more and more entrenched in his new construction life. It was getting colder outside, and his body began to adjust without him even noticing. His stubble grew out into a real beard, short and dense. He began packing on more body fat as he spent less and less time at the gym and more and more working and drinking with his new bros. His voice began to sound a little deeper and rougher, matching those around him. The hard hat really suited him now with his more rugged looks. He had never been a good student in school but he seemed to really be taking to this new job, completely forgetting about his old goals. The occassional approving nod from Blaine was driving him forward. He was thriving in this new position, but the job wasn’t done with him yet.

Unbeknownst to Justin, under his thick winter clothes things were changing. His previously toned body, while still fairly muscular, was steadily becoming thicker with fat. Not only that, but he’d always been near perfectly smooth and that too was slowly changing. It had started with his chest, where on the previously bare skin thin wispy hairs had started to poke out. That didn’t last long though, as they were quickly overrun with thicker, darker hairs that began sprouting in between his pecs. They grew curly as they spread out, covering his entire chest in hair, spreading up across his collarbone and down across his slowly growing stomach. The new hairy coat was just another part of his insulation against the harsh winter weather. But the hairs didn’t stop there either. His pits erupted with thick wiry hairs, coating his underarms in curly hairs that trapped both heat and sweat. The hairs pushed out, tangling together as they formed a thick tuft of hair under each arm, even spreading out to connect with the rug on his chest. After each day of hard work he’d come home stinking like the other men he worked with, and over time he started to enjoy the musk he produced.

Of course he wasn’t done filling out his uniform quite yet. His formerly modest bush began growing with no end in sight, engulfing his groin in thick, wiry brown hairs that radiated out from his lengthening cock. Sometimes while on the site Justin would instinctively reach down in his pants to itch the growing bush, the feeling and texture of it driving him wild. With pubes erupting day and night his musk only grew stronger, as Justin began to truly have a manly aura around him that he’d never had before. It seemed to help him bond with the other guys more, as they welcomed him into their groups and invited him out more and more frequently. Underneath his work pants his legs bulked up considerably from carrying all sorts of materials around, followed closely by the same dark fur. It raced down his legs and coated them with curly hairs that rubbed against the inside of his increasingly tight jeans as he walked around, an almost arousing feeling. Within the first year of working Justin had gone up four sizes in his work boots, as his feet grew and widened to match the rest of him. The massive steel-toed boots hid how hairy his feet had gotten, with dark hairs covering the tops and toes.

The next year was largely the same. Justin continued slowly changing to better fit his new job. He was really beginning to excel at it, and he’d attained a close friendship with many of the men he worked with. It almost seemed as if he’d aged ten years over the last one, he certainly looked it at this point. His fur coat only thickened, growing even denser across his chest and stomach to the point you could barely see the skin beneath the hairs. Hair had also spread up and onto his shoulders before enveloping his massive back. The hairs gushed out across his shoulder blades before shooting down his spine and spreading out wide. The heavy coating slowly grew thicker and spread out further as time went on, reaching down to his ass. It too became covered with thick, dark hairs as it inflated to a truly massive size. During the warmer months sometimes he just wore his vest and hard hat, his incredibly thick hair covering the rest of him and sticking through his vest.

Justin earned the nickname ‘Grizzly’ from his coworkers after they saw how hairy he’d gotten, and his body had put on the size to match. Gone was the small but toned body of a wrestler, replaced by a thick, hairy, and sturdy body of a weathered construction worker. He oozed masculinity from not only his stained and dirty work clothes, but from the thick chest hair that he left his shirt open to show off. His entire body was now coated with a dense coat of hair and he liked to make that known, as long as he wasn’t caught against safety regulations at least. He never questioned why he’d changed so much in such a short span, it never even occurred to him, and honestly he liked his new life. He was just one of the guys working on the site now. The hair felt as natural to him as anything else, and the other guys seemed to like it even if they made fun of him once in a while. Occasionally when they went out drinking some of the guys would have too many beers and start rubbing their hands through his thick fur, but he didn’t mind at all. It felt good to be masculine, and to be appreciated for it by other guys. Months continued to pass though no one could really remember how long Justin had been working there at this point, but they were all glad he was there. He was the best construction worker on their team.

[octuscle]

Catalan internship

Michael was overjoyed. He would never have dreamed that he would be accepted as an intern at the renowned architecture firm in Barcelona. Normally, world-class offices only accepted seniors as interns. And Michael was a sophomore. And he barely spoke a word of Spanish. To be honest, he had lied a bit on his CV. But the internship didn't start for another three months. Until then, he would learn Spanish and learn so much that it wouldn't even be noticeable that he had only just started his studies.

When he was on the plane to Barcelona three months later, Michael didn't speak a word of Spanish and had gained a lot of experience in frat house parties over the past few weeks. The internship was going to be a debacle… And indeed, he didn't understand a word on his first day. And even if he had spoken the language, he would have had no idea what they wanted him to do. Michael cursed the decision to apply for this position. He was only happy when he was finally in the office. He googled "Spanish now". A list of language schools and language apps came up… Boring stuff… That didn't help him now either… And then, already on page 2, came "Become Spanish in just a few moments". Chronivac… Never heard of it… "In-app purchases possible." Never mind, Michael had his dad's credit card….

"Spanish architecture student in his final year". That was all the effort Michael put into his prompt. That was enough work for today. Michael spent the rest of the day looking for trendy bars for tonight.

Miguel wasn't overly punctual when he came into the office the next day. Why the hell didn't he understand anyone here? The language sounded like a gibberish of Spanish, French and a few more languages. Fortunately, everyone here actually understood Spanish. And for a reason Miguel couldn't quite explain to himself, Miguel spoke fluent English. This made it easier to flirt with the other interns from Germany, Poland and the USA. Unfortunately, Miguel quickly realized that everyone else here was far superior to him professionally. Despite his advanced studies, Miguel was a complete layman compared to his colleagues when it came to creativity, structural engineering and building technology.

"A young Spanish architect". And "Enter".

Miguel hated his small apartment in the suburb of Barcelona. He designed the most beautiful houses, the most spectacular skyscrapers. And he lived in this shoebox. Okay, to be fair, Miguel didn't actually design anything. Miguel drew staircases. Staircases for the most beautiful houses, the most spectacular skyscrapers. Buildings that someone else in the office had designed. One of the big bosses who were in the limelight, who were celebrated in the press. The stars of the Catalan architecture scene. Miguel could puke. In itself, he could have been satisfied. He wasn't earning too badly. He was a good-looking man. But he spent ten to twelve hours a day in the office. He had never seen one of his construction sites. He left his home at 06:00, he came home at 19:00 or not until 20:00. Sport? Going out? Meeting friends? He was already happy if he managed to finish a ready meal in the microwave. Didn't he have this app? He felt like he had last used it years ago. "One of the big boys in the office," he wrote. Tomorrow he wanted to be one of the bosses.

As a Spaniard, Miguel was used to having to earn respect. The cursed Catalans always thought they were better than everyone else. That was one of the reasons why Miguel almost lived in the gym. Sleep, gym, office, gym, sleep, gym… Getting his muscles to burn was more important to him than being successful here in the office. And with the muscles, success somehow came automatically. In meetings, he was always looked at when a question was open. Miguel knew that he wasn't actually the most talented architect in the office. But thanks to his impressive physique, he had managed to carve out a reasonably decent career. He earned good money, he had a summer house in Mallorca, he fucked the interns. And he was sometimes allowed to suck off one of the gods, the bosses of the office. No more. No less. His career had come to a natural end. He was just 42 years old. Damn it, it had to go on somehow. But as a Spaniard in Catalonia? Not a chance! He searched for this app… What was it called again? Chronivac. What should he enter as a prompt…? "My own master. And Catalan"

Miquel got up at 05:00 and immediately started lifting weights in his carpentry workshop. As a self-employed man, he didn't have a minute to lose. His apprentice and his two fellow carpenters arrived between 06:00 and 06:30. Most of his neighbors could set the clock so that the circular saw would start howling at 06:30. This did not necessarily make Miquel and his workshop popular. But his father and grandfather had already built cupboards and tables here for the neighborhood. The family had made a small fortune. And Miquel was a celebrity in his neighborhood. They called him "the Catalonian Arnold". And indeed, he was not much less imposing than his great role model. When customers came to his workshop, he always went out of his way to flex his muscles. Many of his customers attached great importance to him personally installing the furniture. And it was not uncommon for customers to have the air conditioning turned off. No matter. As a rule, he worked bare-chested whenever possible anyway.

Miquel was a good craftsman and not a bad self-promoter. But as a businessman, he was a failure. His accounts were constantly empty, the demands of social security and the tax authorities constantly hovered over him like a sword of Damocles. How he would love to simply chisel iron and work with wood. His two passions. In fact, he felt like an accountant. He wrote "Be free" in this strange app.

It had been a few years since Miquel had sold his workshop and the house in Barcelona. He had never been back since. But he had heard that Japanese-Chilean tapas were served where he had once assembled cabinets. Although he had received an indecent amount of money for the property by his own admission, he would be able to eat there for maybe a year and then he would be broke. But the last thing he dreamed of was eating Japanese-Chilean tapas in Barcelona.

He no longer worked for money in the village where he had bought an abandoned carpenter's workshop. He worked when he felt like it. Or when someone asked him to. Of course, after just a few hours, his muscular body made him a household name. But first and foremost, the few remaining inhabitants were happy that there was a carpenter in the village again. And what a carpenter. Good with the plane. And good with the tail. Miquel had nailed everything there was to nail in the village. His cock was in a jockstrap encrusted with cum and precum. He stank of sweat and musk. If it bothered anyone, Miquel would press their face into his armpit. Either he was rid of the annoying troublemaker afterwards. Or he had a new victim to fuck. Everything was actually perfect… But something was missing.

Miquel hadn't had a cell phone for years. Anyone who wanted to reach him could reach him. He wasn't a hermit. He had internet in the former sheepfold that he converted into his last home. His supposed last home. Who would know that?

He still remembered the moment when he switched off his last phone for the last time. He had used Chronivac for the last time shortly before that. "A contented man in his prime". Damn, that was him.

[rinbylin]

friendships as marital ties (and other notes on relational ties) in mlc

this is sort of a third installment in the series of meta on 'mlc as an exemplar of constructing queer narratives out of chinese ideological frameworks' (1. jianghu as queer space and 2. how it manifests in li xiangyi) - focusing on the nature of relationships in it. (which I've briefly mentioned in the first one and finally actually getting to it!!)

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I would like to first call attention to chinese ideological frameworks as a premise of queer reading in mlc. the goal of chinese philosophy is to explore the becoming of human, taking two broad paths of the (mainstream) secular vs. escaping the secular. (these two paths are not a strict dichotomy, and rather, are ever in flux and in conversation with each other.) as said by @markiafc too, chineseness is so much about the rigidity of structures, and in equal part, a desire to break out of them. thus, chinese ideological frameworks can very much offer a rich reading of queerness - that mlc, a story very deliberately structured based on chinese ideologies (more accurately, with good reasons for me to believe that it is as such), has managed to materialise.

if the conceptualisation of queerness is premised on a defiance against mainstream norms, then a reliable way to read queerness in chinese ideological frameworks can be to deconstruct it by the mainstream confucian frameworks.

in mlc, this is implicitly set up with its stage of wulin/martial jianghu. then it is further broken down by asking, hey wulin jianghu is still closely related to the hegemonic values and the mainstream structure of authority (historically, 侠 xia being politically involved says a lot about this), so what is the true meaning of jianghu? what does it then really take for jianghu to be a queer space offering comfort and freedom to those who have escaped to it - to be the space that allow the transcendence of rigid roles and labels? mlc took a step further to resist the proxy to mainstream values that wulin jianghu has become.

this is why there can be a very strong buddhism reading of mlc (suggested here, expounded in the A+++ meta by @markiafc here and here, and also what I've seen discussed by cnet as well), given that buddhism is one of the 'extra-secular' ideologies, alongside (philosophical) taoism. I've also touched on a taoist angle in this meta. both schools are articulated in different sets of languages, but ultimately convey a same ideal of what it means to be human and how to live well - that is, to resist the roles and labels defined by the norms.

so, back to confucian frameworks.

a lot can be discussed about mlc with it. but in the context of this meta about relationships in mlc, it's specifically drawing on how confucianism conceptualises social relationships with familial ties as a cornerstone, and how these relational ties are inextricable from the conceptualisation of the 'self'.

as such, one of the things about mlc that has fascinated me is how deliberately it seems to ignore and reject the conventional familial ties (the kind by blood and marital ties). I've joked about how it is a miracle for me to love mlc as much as I do, as a prime dysfunctional family story enjoyer, despite none of its main characters struggling with any complicated feelings about their (biological) parents. but on closer examination, mlc is also making a comment on the model of familial-based relationships that dominates mainstream society - but through the absence of it.

with this, I want to talk about 1) how mlc rejects the conventional ties; and then 2) how it repurposes these ties in its own ways.

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the five relational ties in confucianism:

father and son 父子有亲 - (natural) affection between father and son

ruler and subject 君臣有义 - righteous relationship between ruler and subject

older and younger brothers 兄弟 (长幼有序) - this is actually about seniority within the family; the order between older vs younger family members

husband and wife 夫妇有别 - differentiation between husband and wife (demarcated by the 内外 spectrum of gendered inner-external spheres)

friends 朋友有信 - trust between friends

logically inferred, all these ties are hierarchical and familial-based except for the last one: friends. ruler-subject is sort of an extension of the natural familial ties, while friendship is the inverse space of 1-4 (ie. you fall back on 5 to define a social relationship outside of the familial sphere that cannot be qualified as 1-4). while all are premised on mutuality, it is only no. 5 that is defined by a sense of choice and equality.

on the surface, 1-4 don't quite exist in mlc in particularly meaningful ways to the narrative or are even outright overlooked, and friendship is the relational tie most valued by mlc. we can tell it's true just by looking at the most meaningful relationships in mlc of difanghua. but at the same time, it is more nuanced. we can take a closer look at how the story plays around with most of the ties as part of a broader queer narrative.

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1) how mlc rejects the conventional ties

mlc's rejection of mainstream relational ties can be best seen in fdb escaping from marriage. and it was not just any engagement with anybody but an engagement with the imperial family. he struggles with the prospect of being married to princess zhaoling, but generally, it's about the idea of complying to mainstream conventions and expectations that includes compulsory heterosexuality. all these point not only to a defiance against amatonormativity - the resistance of the traditional husband-wife tie, but also an irreverence for the ties of ruler-subject (the engagement being an imperial decree) and father-son (matters of marriage being sole decisions made by parents).

of course this is on top of how fdb's own biological father is a p-o-s, and the narrative gives fdb minimal struggles in this aspect, allowing him to sever this tie without looking back (I love it, yeap). along the same line is how lxy is an orphan, who came to gain important relationships that are built on natural compassion among people rather than innate, blood-based ties - even as llh. the sense of defiance from the narrative is especially stark to me considering that he could have a completely different familial-based life - as a son, brother, and ruler, if his biological family was still around. the narrative also deliberately treats his biological brother as a phantom, replaced with an older brother who he was bonded with neither by blood nor marital ties. on dfs's front, absolutely nothing is to be known about his biological family. his childhood history with the toxic patriarch of his life - who is not even his biological father - was afforded a clean break and closure.

we can keep going on, but that's pretty much the point.

ritualisation is one of the most important things of the confucianism school, especially to the honoring of these social relationships (and the officiating of social roles). the one ceremony/ritual we saw in mlc involving the main characters - or more accurately speaking, came closest to seeing - was the imminent wedding ceremony of dfs and jlq. even in that case, it was premised on non-mutuality with dfs being the unwilling, passive party. (fem-coded dfs? 25 marks.)

and that brings us to the next part.

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2) how mlc repurposes these ties

that particular wedding ceremony gets hijacked by dfs and lxy/llh, and gets turned into an important milestone in their relationship. they consummate - what is on text - their friendship after a long time being more enemies and rivals than friends. it is a clear establishment of the trust they have for each other. and here it is where I circle back to the subject of this post: friendships as marital ties.

in this article, as a part of a feminist, egalitarian reframing of confucianism, there is a proposal for spousal relationships to be reframed as a friendship tie. (this aligns with the interrelatedness of the five ties eg. the ruler-subject mirrors father-son dynamic, with the confucian belief that rulers have an obligation to their subjects alike parents to their own children.) by doing so, it removes the functional, gendered differentiation assigned to marital ties, and shifts it to something equal, and independent of gender. you exalt the value of trust between spouses, instead of basing marital relationships on gendered roles. as such, spouses become more like friends, and conversely, friends can also become more like spouses. (romance not a prerequisite. it has never been about romance anyway.)

given that mlc has repeatedly applied marital motifs to llh and dfs's characters in their joint narratives, this opens up a reading friendships as a marital tie. seeing marriage as a bridge for strangers to become family, marriage in mlc becomes a metaphor for the chosen commitment and mutual trust put in by strangers/friends (non-familial ties) into the becoming of family. the blurring of lines between marital ties and friendship encourages a genuine space of queer experience that goes beyond any pressure for strict labels - of sexuality, and relationships as romantic, sexual, etc etc.

(note: despite the borrowing of a feminist concept, I strongly hesitate to call mlc a feminist story. it's a whole discussion - or debate - on its own. nevertheless, it is definitely a gender-conscious story that lays foundation for a strong queer and egalitarian reading.)

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it is to be noted that it is intended - and also beneficial to take the confucian framework of relational ties beyond face value. the framework offers what it believed to be the most fundamental social relationship dynamics, and sees room for extension and matching to other kinds of relationships (all if not, most). a relationship such as teacher-student, which is outside of the five ties stated, can also mirror the affection of father-son ties, albeit not in a literal and identical way.

speaking of which. fdb and lxy/llh.

indeed they're known by others to be good friends. fdb thinks they're good friends too - insists on it, and puts his best efforts in keeping it that way. but does it really go both ways? if it does not, then can it really still be friendship? my humble take is that, ultimately - weighing in with llh's perspective - this is a relationship that is not so much based on trust, and rather, based on an innate affection that is only unique to family. (in this case, not blood/marital-based but one that was chosen and built aka lxy's relationship with sgd.) in other words, less of a friendship, more of a familial one.

it is a lot clearer considering their relationship from llh's point of view: some brat you never wanted in your life came barging in, and whether he was going to bring any positive effect to your life was secondary to the tranquility - which you have carved for yourself in the past decade - that is so integral to your personhood. no way. but the moment you hear that he's family? well, that changes the game completely. even before learning about fdb being sgd's son (then beginning to take initiative in showing greater acceptance), it is apparent in llh that there was an instinctive resonance with fdb as his shixiong's nephew. (eg. he remarked to his shifu's grave about how alike fdb is to himself.) this is unlike with dfs whom he had taken a much longer time to build trust with. you do not apply trust - aka the quality of friendships - to family. family is something deeper, more instinctive than that. if fdb was never family, I find it hard to imagine given llh's personality, that he would have let some brazen, bratty stranger intrude for that long. (boy invited himself to llh's home, sat himself down eating the owner's dinner and nosing in his cooking abilities!!! ily bb but that was uncalled for 😭)

of course there are many more layers in their relationship. there is a substantial degree of their history as (unwitting) teacher-disciple: fdb is still healthy and alive all thanks to the existence of lxy as a spiritual teacher role model in his life, regardless it being one-sided or not. there is also indeed some part of friendship in it, especially from fdb's point of view. he sees llh as a kindred spirit who he could enjoy a life of freedom with for life. but llh never reciprocates. he knew this was short-lived. and so ultimately, the hierarchical layer of their relationship overpowers the equal one, where llh's treatment of fdb as a nephew/小辈 younger family member and a disciple is the one that sealed the fate of their relationship.

if (blood-based) familial ties are irrelevant in jianghu, then the closest proxy to a father-son relationship in the martial world would be a teacher-disciple relationship. lxy and his shifu are a clear, indisputable example. for fdb and llh, their teacher-disciple tie is murkier and not consistently applied. they were also never ritualised as teacher-disciple, and thus are not teacher-disciple in any official capacity as far as confucian ideas are concerned. yet in crucial moments, it is invoked by llh as a card of authority over fdb to get out of sticky situations with fdb. and there was their final scene together: in a moment of sincerity, llh gives the approval to fdb as his disciple - then entrusting fdb with the secret manual of his techniques, up until his final letter in which fdb was recommended to dfs as a successor to his martial abilities.

in an imperial setting, this would have been the relationship of an emperor and his crown prince that straddles both ruler-subject and father-son ties aka a tag-team of disaster. the teacher has an obligation to nurture his disciple as a successor to himself, and love him like a son too. on the flipside, he holds the final power in their relationship - withholding knowledge and feelings from the younger one. they are only equals in a way a parent-child can be. they are only equals as much as the parent allows. and this is how fdb got left behind in the dust of llh's departure. he was the child treating his parent like a friend, supporting him emotionally and begging to be loved back the same way he loves his parent - but the parent had a lifetime way ahead of him and stayed out of his reach, physically and emotionally.

llh and fdb operate with the trapping of a friendship but have always been family in the core. llh had known that way before fdb did, just like everything else he had known and put out of fdb's reach. because. fdb did not have to know. fdb is different and will forge his own path. and that's a kind of love llh has for him that nobody understands (in fact not even fdb himself) - one that is on a different plane from friendships.

by repurposing the framework of relational ties, mlc showed that the essence of familial relationships aka its intimacy and closeness can be independent from biology and formalised rituals. and it is important to myself for stories to say that people can build close ties and deeply meaningful relationships even without being born or ritualised into any.

-

then back to how these relational ties are inextricable from the conceptualisation of the 'self' in confucian worldview: the roles you play in these relationships are intended to define you. there is no 'self' independent from it. while the concept of a social, relational self is fully rooted in reality, being locked into social roles can be a painful way to live - a way that llh has experienced as lxy the sigu sect leader. so, in order for lxy/llh to realise a sense of self that exists outside the norms, it inevitably points to another way that requires a cut from these relationships. that is then the buddhist (or taoist) answer of looking past attachments to the world such as the confucian idea of relationships defining your being. only with a dissolution of a sense of 'self', can there be true liberation.

[episims]

Lot: Skyblue Studio (Root)

The most plant-ish thing about Judi is that she has more energy than an average power plant. So the last time she: inherited her and Jonas' parents' wealth, used some of the money to build an art gallery (that she runs as a non-profit business) and funded the construction of a public library, got two promotions (first to a senior manager, then to a president), put her negotiation skills in damn good use and convinced Chase to sell Hanna to her, and tried to get Melody to reveal how witches prolong their lives (this was the only thing she wasn't successful at).

For the record, Jonas did tell her to slow down. The man lives as he teaches; he mostly babysat Casper and Aurora, worked on his next book, and continued throwing occasional DJ gigs at the side.

Casper grew up into a child, found out that science interests him, and faced some nourishment problems as his plantsim caretakers are clueless about food.

But Hanna lives here now so hopefully they won't run out of prepared food anymore. Though by now we know that Chase fiddled Hanna's memory upon parting with her, so let's hope nothing important got removed in the process (recipes or else).

ROS spoiler under the cut->

Fresh air: Spend a day outdoors.

It would be harder to make Hanna stay indoors for a day really, but alright then.

[ask-granite-pillars]

[TRANSMISSION REQUEST INBOUND. PARTICIPANTS: Ten Ounces Of Enriched Egg White (ADMIN, URAD), Unit of Radioactive Decay, Granite Pillars Stained By Statuesque Memories Of A Thousand Hands] [Live Broadcast] URAD: Hello? Is this reaching you? URAD: Your communications towers appear to be somewhat degraded. it took several tries to- TEN OUNCES (crosstalk, from out of frame): You degrade my efforts! Several tries and me fixing the formatting, as well. URAD: Several tries and my administrator's assistance in order to get a signal through. Your upkeep seems to be rather neglected, group senior. But I expect that it would be quite difficult to keep one of your age running in the first place. I am told that I should keep an amiable relationship with my group's senior, but I believe that Ten Ounces was more enthusiastic to meet you than I. TEN OUNCES (faint, from out of frame): Granite Pillars Stained By Statuesque Memories Of A Thousand Hands is the oldest surviving iterator, and it would be an honor to learn anything she might still have in her archives. URAD (directed towards indeterminate point to left of frame): As has been true for the past twelve times you have mentioned this. URAD: Truthfully, I do not know what value there is that I can gain from this, besides simply being aware of those above me on my local group's chain of command, but Ten Ounces was quite insistent that we at least try now that your communications are back online- TEN OUNCES (crosstalk, from out of frame): (undecipherable) TEN OUNCES: (very low voice, from bottom corner of frame): Don't say that to your group senior! URAD: -and so, here we are. Hello. I am Unit of Radioactive Decay. It is nice to meet you.

Oh, I remember this broadcast very well! We met (properly, at least- I did work on their genome and construction plans before they were activated fully) long after I had already grown obsolete. Unit of Radioactive Decay is the second-oldest in our local group, and I consider us to be good friends, research partners, and distant neighbors.

[BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT]

GP: Do I know you?

GP: Silent Embrace of Leaves? Is that you?

URAD: Your name data appears to be out of date.

URAD: To a nearly comical degree.

URAD: As of four thousand, three hundred, and twenty-six cycles ago, it is Unit of Radioactive Decay.

GP: Oh. 

GP: It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen you last- my apologies.

GP: It’s a pleasure to meet you once more!

GP: Have you been doing well?

TEN OUNCES: Um.

URAD: Have you been maintained... at all... in the cycles since you were constructed?

GP: Ha!

GP: Not much, these days! 

GP: I’m far out of date, as you can undoubtedly tell.

URAD: It shows.

GP: Would you believe that I put in a request for the repair of my communications systems over a thousand cycles ago?

GP: And yet, here I am, as my communications remain in this tragic state… my greatest gratitudes to your administrator for managing to connect us at all!

URAD: Your administrators sound very inefficient. Are you sure that you have technicians? If your memories are in the state they seem to be, you may have been sending your requests to the inbox of someone who has already moved on.

URAD: You should check your active staff. It would be very inefficient to make your current administrators comb through the emails of their predecessors.

GP: Perhaps I should...

GP: Ah, it's such a hassle to deal with seasonal administrators.

GP: I was never meant to have to deal with a city, and you'd think my administrators would be able to work around that...

GP: Sigh.

[The broadcast continues for some time as iterators Granite Pillars Stained By Statuesque Memories Of A Thousand Hands and Unit Of Radioactive Decay continue to exchange words.]

[fawtyy]

modern!anakin skywalker x reader- serein

description: highschool au! in your senior year of highschool, you were paired with anakin skywalker, the “schools weirdo” for the end of year project. in this little time before the project is due, you get to know him and come to a deep realization.

warnings: some emotional abuse, drinking, cigarettes, obi-wan is very out of character.

part 1

•••

Hearing the horn beep outside, you looked over yourself in the mirror one more time before grabbing your bag. Winter break was over and it was time for your last semester of senior year. It was still cold out but your boyfriend insisted on the short skirt you were wearing.

Walking downstairs, you seen both of your parents as they were getting ready to leave for work. Your father worked at a construction sight as the building manager, and your mom worked as a nurse at the local hospital. They strived to make sure you and your younger brother lived a nice life, at whatever cost, but also made sure that you knew what it took for them to make it this far. You were taught to treat the CEO with the same respect you treat the janitor with.

Your mom walked to you, a big smile on her face as she landed a kiss on your cheek. “Have a great day back, only 5 months left.” Nodding, you bid them both a good day, grabbed an apple and walked to your boyfriend’s car parked on the street. “Put a jacket on!”

Obi-Wan Kenobi, or Ben because Obi-Wan was “too lame”, had been your boyfriend for a little over two years now. He was the quarterback for your high school, leading them to many championships. He was the most popular guy in the school. You only got close when you did track in freshman year, him noticing you for the first time. Over a year later, he asked you out and the rest has been history. “Hey baby.”

He gripped the side of your neck, pulling you close in and attacking your lips. You responded but quickly pulled back once he let go. “Don’t you look good today.” You smiled, looking out the window.

Another thing about Ben, he’s a total jerk. It didn’t become this bad until he was given the title of leading quarterback in his sophomore year. Though he’s always been spoiled. His dad was the CEO of a major computer company, which raked in more money than you can imagine. His mom stayed home and raised the kids though didn’t clean because they had maids. His younger siblings were the same way.

The ride to school was filled with him talking about all of the scholarships coming his way, how his coach made him angry, and the rap music blaring through his speakers. The most consistent thing you heard was his phone going off every few minutes with a new notification, from his “friends”.

Pulling into a parking spot, you both got out of the car, his friends already crowding around. They were mostly football players, their girlfriends latched to their arms. You smiled at them only to have them roll their eyes, continuing to rub on their mans and eye up Ben. It’s always been like this. Before you met Ben, you weren’t popular, you really don’t like to consider yourself that now. It was leggings and a hoodie or T-shirt everyday. Ben changed your entire wardrobe. Crop tops, short skirts and short, heels and all kinds of makeup. You didn’t wear everything he wanted you to, but just enough to keep him happy.

Ben walked over and grabbed your hand, pulling you with him inside. He was talking about his schedule when a shiver when down your spine. Turning your head, you seen Anakin Skywalker, someone who Ben calls an “emo bitch” standing at the school entrance. He was looking your way, casting his eyes down when you looked back. “Y/n, are you listening? What’s your first class?”

Snapping out of your daze, you looked at your paper. “Um, I’m sorry, science.” He cursed, looking at his own paper.

“Mine is history. Let me see your paper.” He snatched it from your hands as you looked back, watching Anakin walk past you with his friends. He met your eyes again, holding the stare this time before his friends pulled him away. “Damn, we barely have any classes together. I guess I can get some of the guys to keep an eye on you.”

That snapped you back. “Keep an eye on me?”

He smirked. “You know, making sure no one is eyeing you like you’re theirs. Keep ya safe.” Rolling your eyes, you took your paper back. The bell rang and he pulled you in for another kiss. “See ya later, babe.”

Sighing, you walked to the science class, putting a little pep in your step when the second bell rang. Walking in at the last minute, you looked around to find an empty table. Walking to one closer in the back, you set your stuff on the floor and sat down. The teacher hadn’t walked in yet but someone did.

Anakin Skywalker looked out of breath as he looked around. You heard some giggles and laughing, causing you to notice some of Ben’s friends in here. Watching Anakin roll his eyes, you both realized that your table was the only one that could fit another person. Walking back to it, he dropped his bag and sat in the chair beside you. You slightly side eyed him but looked forward as the teacher walked in.

“Good morning class, my name is Mr.Smith and I will be your anatomy teacher. I know some of you are seniors, so you need this class to graduate.” Some of the guys cheered when he said seniors, something that made him roll his eyes. “Anyways, I’m gonna get this syllabus passed around so make sure to look over it and bring it back signed.”

The papers were passed back to Anakin and he grabbed two, sliding one your way. You gave him a small smile but he looked away before seeing it. Looking at the syllabus, you noticed the same thing everyone else did. “Wait, we don’t get to change partners?”

The teacher laughed and shook his head. “Nope, the person sitting next to you will be your partner for the semester. All of your labs and study time will be done with them. Your end of the year project will also be done with them. Which, if you look at your table number and the back of the page, that’ll tell you what project you have.”

Turning the page, you see a list of diseases with a number next to them. Your table was number 9, so your disease was Alzheimer’s. “The project will be to make a presentation about your disease and which part of the body it attacks and how it usually ends. It’ll be due two weeks before school lets out. You can start whenever, but I don’t take late work.” Looking at his watch, he sat at his desk with a smile. “Take the rest of class to get acquainted!”

Everyone started talking amongst themselves as you turned to look at Anakin. He was writing small doodles on his syllabus paper, seeming completely tuned out. “Those are cute.” He stopped, slightly looking at you and sitting up straight. “I’m Y/n L/n.”

He looked at your outstretched hand, eventually shaking it and nodding. “Anakin.”

“Did you understand everything about the project?”

He nodded again, looking back down at it. Sighing, you turned back in your seat, looking at your own paper. You could hear laughter again, as well as ‘loser’ and other things being mumbled. Looking back at Anakin, you finally took in his features. His ears were littered with piercings, as well as one around his lip. His hair was dark, pitch black and it looked like he put dark eyeliner around his eyes. He glanced back behind him before scoffing. “I’m sorry about them.”

He fully turned his head to look at you, holding eye contact. “They’re your friends, aren’t they?”

Turning your nose up in disgust, you shook your head. “Far from it.” He slightly smiled at that before going back to his paper. The rest of the time was quiet before the bell finally rang. He quickly grabbed his stuff and was the first one out the door.

Grabbing your bags, you seen Ben in the hall, surrounded by other girls. He was laughing and cutting up with them until he seen you, breaking away. “Hey baby! How was it?” You told him about the class as you both walked to your next class together. He stopped once you were done talking. “Anakin Skywalker is your lab partner? You’re gonna have to get that changed babe.”

“Why? He doesn’t really talk and he just stays to himself.”

“He’s a freak, like literally. You don’t need to be around that and I won’t allow it.” Breaking away from his hold, you raised a brow at him.

“Well I think it’ll be fine, Obi. It’s just a project.” Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, all the way up until you and Obi were walking to his car. Looking across the parking lot, you spotted Anakin unlocking his door. Telling Obi you’d be right back, who was laughing with his friends anyways, you jogged over to Anakin, yelling his name.

He looked back at you, raising a brow at your smile. “Hey, can I get your number?” Raising both of his brows, you laughed. “We’re gonna be working on the project all semester, it’ll probably be best to get each others contact information.” Handing him your phone, he reluctantly took it, typing his phone number in. Handing it back, you took it with a smile and sent a text to his phone. “Cool, just text me with any ideas, see you tomorrow!”

You walked back to Obi, Anakin staring after you while Obi-Wan glared at him. All Anakin did was smirk and get in his car, driving off. “What was that about?”

You smiled at Obi, getting into the car. “Just needed his number for the project.”

Rolling his eyes, Ben took off to your house.

That night, after showering and getting into bed, your phone went off. Opening it up, you smiled seeing Anakin’s name. It was a link to a website with all kinds of facts and research on Alzheimer’s. Taking out your notebook, you began to write some of the facts down, creating thought bubbles and everything for the project.

The next day went about the same. Ben picked you up, ditched you mainly for his friends. You didn’t care too much today, wanting to get to class and go over some things with Anakin. As you were walking away, Ben caught up to you. “Hey babe, you’re in a rush today.” He laughed but you could see the confusion.

“I just want to get to class, love you.” Pecking his cheek, you entered the science class and took your seat. Ben stood at the door, trying to comprehend what happened.

Anakin walked in moments later, and you still had about 5 minutes before the bell rang. You smiled when he sat down and turned to look at him, taking your notebook out. “So I wrote all of this down from the link you sent me and I just wanted your thoughts.”

You never texted Anakin back last night but now he understood why. A tiny smile came upon his face as he looked over the details you wrote down, your little thought bubbles everywhere. It was cute.

“This is a good start, I like this.” Smiling big, you nodded, loving that he was talking more today.

“Cool, I was also thinking maybe we do a tri fold poster, since we have to showcase it and all.” He nodded, his smile becoming a little bigger.

The next few weeks would go on about the same. Anakin would open up a little more, day by day. You both would text more, not just about the project. You learned a lot about him in the past few weeks. He had his own band and they would perform at bars on the weekends. He only lived with his mother, his dad went awol. He loves space and he has a couple of animals.

Looking over your outfit, you smiled in the mirror. It was Saturday, yours and Ben’s date night. You’ve had one every Saturday night since you began dating. It was a time to not talk about school or football, just eachother.

Hearing your phone go off, you unlocked it and smiled seeing Anakins name.

‘Hey, are you busy tonight?’

Right as you began typing that you were, another message came through from Ben. Opening that one up, you smile dropped seeing his message.

‘Hey babe, we’re gonna have to skip date night tonight, Tyler is throwing a huge party since his parents are gone. I’ll pick you up in 30.’

Sitting on the bed, you stared at the phone in disbelief. Ditching our date, for a party? You didn’t like his friends and they didn’t like you. You honestly hated to be around them, especially outside of school. They were loud and just annoying. Hearing another text come through, you lift your phone up.

‘If you’re not, I was gonna invite you to see my band play tonight. It’s free to get in and they have other drinks instead of alcohol. I’d love for you to come. Here’s the address’

Jumping up, you got out of your short blue skirt and white crop top. Pulling some leggings and a AC/DC shirt on, you threw a zip up jacket over it and slid your shoes on. You didn’t have on any makeup except mascara and you put your hair in a ponytail. You grabbed your bag, sending one last text before putting your phone away.

‘I’m actually not feeling well, I hope you have fun, love you’

Anakin knew it was a dumb idea to invite you. You probably had plans with your popular boyfriend, he rolled his eyes at the thought. What made him feel worse was double texting you. “Hey Ani, we’re about to be up.” Nodding he grabbed his guitar and walked onto the stage.

You walked into the bar, seeing some people sitting at tables, other shooting pool or darts. Seeing an empty table, you sat down, waiting for Anakin to walk out. A waitress walked to your table and you ordered a water. You watched the curtain open, Anakin front and center as the lead singer. His eyes darted around the room, widening when he seen you. You smiled and waved, a small smile coming over his face.

He introduced his band and they began to play some songs. Some were their own but some were covers that they did well. You were so mesmerized, watching him sing and play, that you completely forgot your water. You could tell he had a passion for music.

Finishing up the last song, he thanked everyone and went off the stage. You stood up as he came around, smiling at you. “You made it.”

Wrapping your arms around his neck, he paused for a second before hugging you back. He was just so happy you were here. Pulling back, you gave him a big smile. “You did so good! I loved it.”

You both sat down as another band went on to preform. Eating some food, you two went on to have a conversation about any and everything. You both were out of your element and it just felt right. Around 12, you both decided it was time to go home.

You walked outside, trying to call your dad to come get you. “Everything okay?”

Looking over at Anakin, you nodded. “My dad dropped me off, I think he went back home and fell asleep. I might have to walk…”

“Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

“Oh, Anakin no, I really couldn’t ask you to do that-“

“And I’m not letting you walk home, let’s go.”

Shyly smiling, you walked to his car, him opening the passenger door for you. Shutting the door, he got in the driver side and started driving. You picked up the conversation while giving directions. “So, I’m surprised your boyfriend wasn’t over your shoulder the whole time you were here.”

Huffing out a laugh at his comment, you shrugged. “He doesn’t know I was here.” He looked at you with his brows raised. “Tonight was supposed to be our date night, we have one every Saturday. As I was going to text you back and let you know, he texted me and said he was picking me up for his friends party. I told him I didn’t feel well and came here.”

Slowly nodding, he came to a stop in front of your house, putting his car in park. “I’m sorry.” Giving him a look of confusion, he continued. “I’m sorry you’re with someone that doesn’t respect and cherish you.”

Taken aback, you opened your mouth only for nothing to come out. Taking a deep breath, you shook your head. “Obi cares, and he’s a great guy. You don’t know him-“

“No you don’t. There’s a lot of things you don’t see, at school or even on the streets. He’s not a good guy-“

“Obi is a good guy.” He leaned back in his seat as you cut him off. Sighing, you grabbed your bag, trying to get out. “Thanks for the ride.”

The door handle would open, causing Anakin to take initiative and reach over you to help. He made eye contact as a blush slightly took over when you realized how close you were. Hearing the door open, you quickly got out and ran inside.

Anakin watched and made your door closed before letting out an aggravated sigh. Hitting the wheel, he cursed and shook his head. “Good guy my ass.”

[smithiecollege]

Fall is here, and nothing screams fall more on Smith's campus than the tweeting of sparrows drowned out by the ground-shaking, teeth-chattering noise and reverberation of construction. Yes, Mountain Day came and went, and the once wide and welcoming Chapin Path, where any student was once welcome to be passive-aggressively passed by a cyclist, is still shuttered. Many students have so missed that crucial part of the campus experience that they've taken to walking to class in the bike lanes along Elm Street, hoping to replicate that same thrill Chapin Path usually provides.

While many students have complained about the construction all over campus (says one junior: "I'm a liberal. I believe in investing in more eco-friendly energy sources. But maybe--maybe not here."), some have managed to live amid the disruption. "The construction noise doesn't bother me. I'm just screaming in my head, constantly," said one senior. "God knows I don't have a job lined up after graduation. I'm going to have to move back in with my parents, and they're going to ask me why I'm not gay married yet, and that's just not something I can take."

Yes, while many gripe and groan about the construction, there is an objective argument to be made here: Construction is God.

Proof:

Is that not God, streaming through the clouds that cover the sky above the early site of the Kathleen McCartney building? No doubt--God Himself casts his gaze upon Smith, and He has decreed "You shall have only one stir-fry dining hall this year. Also, the price of Celsius at the Julia Child Campus Center will be increased by a half-dollar. But fear not--you shall have a building made of ghastly timber, like the remodel of a historic home in a morally dubious HGTV series."

And so we shall.

Therefore, if Construction is the word of God, it is our duty as a once-secular (but now, clearly, blessed) school to pursue this plan. Many students have suggested lights at crosswalks, to perhaps mitigate the number of students who end up in collisions with vehicles, or even functional elevators in every house, or possibly even better pay and treatment for all Smith employees. While these are all certainly options, do they honor the word of Construction God? We think not. Smith's next project will be Holy.

Now proposing:

The Barbara Bush Center for Eat (Construction 2025-2035)

This project will take the ultimate step towards Smith's final goal of centralized dining. The Barbara Bush Center (Or Bushie, as students will affectionately call it) will occupy Green Street. Blueprints require the entirety of Green Street and all student housing to be razed to the ground to complete this construction, but ultimately, we feel as though it will be worth it. Bushie will stand ten stories tall, as it must be built to represent the time it was conceived of. Furthermore, the building will be in the exact shape and design of the Oceangate Titanic Submersible, to honor the failures of science, and encourage Smithies to do better. Bushie will serve breakfast on floors 2,4, and 7 from 6:45 AM to 7:04 AM, and after that, there will be no meals until 8:30 PM, and they will always be sold out immediately, as a way to teach Smithies about scarcity and competition. However, Bushie will serve snacks on floor 5 during the third minute of every hour of the day, just so students can internalize the importance of punctuality. Bushie will also offer fifty-seven lactation rooms throughout the building, and while it is understood that there are surely never going to be that many lactating people in need of a designated room in Bushie at the same time, these rooms will serve as a location for people with roommates to respectfully have sex with someone on the rugby team. However, all lactation rooms will be noise-transparent, because we value womxn's voices.

Finally, we would like to announce that in addition to First Tuesdays and Second Thursdays, we are beginning a tradition called Every Other Fourth Wednesday where on every other fourth Wednesday of every month, community members stand silent on Burton Lawn and practice taking a bra off of someone with one hand, supervised by the most butch members of our faculty. Members of the 5 College Consortium are invited and encouraged to attend. All skill levels are welcome.

With love from the bottom of paradise pond,

Smith College

[zoominsainz]

Sainz Sr has always rubbed me the wrong way, maybe not like Jos Verstappen levels of ick, but pretty up there… that mentality he taught Carlos from the young age that he has to toughen up if he wants to succeed, I can’t imagine saying to my kid that he can’t be himself and be successful at the same time. And sure, maybe this mentality is right for the sport, but it seems like it’s not right for Carlos as a person which in turn affects him as an athlete because he’s afraid to disappoint his father or embarrass their family name so he has to play up the ‘tough’ act. Idk. My perception is that he’s just different than his dad but he’s been molded into someone else his whole life so there’s a big conflict inside of him. His dad needs to step away from managing Carlos’ career me thinks, I feel like that would bring Carlos at least some peace

I wanna relate the ‘toughen up’ with the way he acts around people, he’s so constructed around patriarcal masculinity that being soft around people is weak and so he has to masc his affection by being rough (ie. his way of showing affection is physical touch but feminine! So I’ll hit and shove and throw you around bc I’m a man and I’m supposed to be rough)

It’s so obvious that senior is the most important member of the sainz family, he’s a renowned sportsman plus I’m guessing he’s the responsible one for the family’s wealth and political power so everyone looks up to him as the leader and so being named Carlos, after him is such a big honor and you’re the only boy! So you have to carry on the legacy of the successful sainz family, so you have to live up to be as great and efficient and be a leader, be a shark, a force to be reckoned with, that’s what you father tells you since you are 6, and all the family around you telling you “you got to be as great as your father”. In a family with such conservative and patriarcal values there’s no room to make a mistake or even be mid, it’s glory or failure, and they won’t hesitate throwing at his face everything they have given him and his only job being to be the person they boast around in gatherings and events.

But Carlos, he’s soft, he show he cares, he doesn’t like putting people down, he never boasts about winning bc he can see that the real fun part was the activity and not the result, ofc he likes winning, everyone does but like with lando, when asked who wins at golf and saying ‘oh in the end we didn’t keep score’ or with charles in the challenges, whenever charles gets too competitive he always offers to share the points instead or recognizing his efforts out loud.

I think he does feel immense pressure of living to his dads standards, show him he can be as good as his dad expects him to be, a carlos sainz as good as carlos sainz and the spanish media have a whole cultural background approach to carlos that he has to be perceived as a tough, emotionless guy, he always sounds snarky and very masculine coded when talking to dazn, very matter of fact. With his country also expecting him to succeed like the other spaniard in the grid with 2 wdc.

I agree with you, if his dad stopped managing him I think he would be able to relax and craft his approach to the sport that he loves in a more personal way and not with his dads expectations but also financial and political interests looming over him.

This was very rambly and messy and the anthropological pov discourse possessed me for a little bit there.

If you have any more thoughts I’ll be happy to read them.

[girderednerve]

i have been reading: a book

i'm most of the way through the audiobook of eric klinenberg's heat wave: a social autopsy of disaster in chicago. my audiobook is of the second edition, which has the kind of lengthy & somewhat self-congratulatory preface that second editions of academic monographs tend to pick up; the first edition of the book came out in 2002, and was the product of klinenberg's doctoral research. broadly, i like this book, and i find its general orientation useful: as the subtitle suggests, klinenberg's project is to determine what social factors caused the 1995 heat wave in chicago to be so deadly (excess death for that week was more than 700), to whom, and why. most of the people who died during the heat wave were isolated, low-income seniors; the highest rates of death were among black seniors. klinenberg pulls this trend apart; a popular narrative at the time insisted that these vulnerable people died because of a failure in social networks, outside the government's purview (mayor daley's office pushed this view, for obvious reasons), but klinenberg looks instead at social ecologies and urban landscapes as structural factors. the city was in a great reform swing towards both community policing (making cops responsible for connecting people to social services, using a huge pot of federal money from the 1994 crime bill; this model does not work but they were all-in on it) and what klinenberg calls an 'entrepreneurial' style of management, which i think could more clearly be called neoliberal austerity, cutting funding for social services and redistributive programs (these include the funding for the city's elder services department, public housing, and energy cost support from the state & federal government, among others).

a good chunk of his analysis is about how so many seniors came to live such isolated lives, and a lot of the answer he finds has to do with the fear that they experienced because of high crime rates in lower-income parts of chicago in 1995. i struggle with this explanation; he spends a lot of time on the policy of opening up city housing developments intended for seniors to also include disabled people, which (i guess?) meant that a lot of addicts moved into senior communities & destroyed them. i don't love this narrative, although i have no information to disprove it. his sources for it are police crime rates and reports from seniors themselves, which seems to me to leave an obvious gap. he acknowledges that these kinds of fears exceeded the actual crime rate significantly, a trend which has obviously continued, but he doesn't spend much time on e.g. the limited available accessible housing stock in chicago (maybe that wasn't a thing in 1995? but i feel like it was, and he even spent time with a senior who left her apartment rarely because she lived in a third-floor walk-up), or the lack of public policy requiring landlords to provide air conditioning (still a huge problem!), and mentions only off-handedly that black seniors were more likely to have been cut off from their families as children and grandchildren were forced to leave deindustrialized & abandoned areas or were incarcerated. he does point out that the privatization/contracting out of city social services left departments wildly under-resourced to actually develop robust connections with seniors, and the only department that had anything like the appropriate money and staff to do it, the police, were uninterested in this project, and, in more impoverished parts of the city, spent far more time responding to emergency calls than developing any kind of community connections (he rode along with some cops to see).

i found the sections about the actions of local government less frustrating. from the opening frame of the book, klinenberg spends time on how disasters are constructed in the public consciousness, which involves all kinds of actors. edmund r. donoghue, the medical examiner for cook county, acted quickly to establish criteria for attributing a death to heat, which was rare at the time & for all i know still is, & he stuck to his guns when the mayor went on television & said he thought the death counts must be inflated. as we know, disaster death counts are generally too low, as some people are not initially counted, which is why excess death is such an important statistic. the defining image of the 1995 heat wave is the lines of cop cars and local meatpacking vans waiting to drop off bodies at the county medical examiner, which was overwhelmed, with staff working 28 hour shifts & inmates from the local jail pulled in to help. hospitals, too, were overwhelmed, and an already too-low number of ambulances had to circle through the city and out into the suburbs to find open emergency rooms. the fire department, responsible for triggering emergency processes, including pulling extra emergency staff back on-duty or from nearby municipalities, was slow to act, in part because department leadership discounted the concerns of on-the-ground paramedic teams & in part, klinenberg suggests, because of pressure to keep costs down.

the discussion of emergency response was particularly interesting to me because i have been trained in the standard incident command system (all this stuff is free online if you're curious, but it's pretty dry), because all library workers in my first library system are required to serve as disaster response staff, and to receive FEMA reimbursement for our time, the county had to train us in the FEMA system (NIMS/ICS). ICS is the standard for all kinds of emergency management, from relatively small & routine incidents (e.g., traffic accidents), to large-scale planned events (e.g., the copa america or a t*ylor sw*ft concert), to extreme disasters (e.g., hurricanes, the ones my training focused on, or terrorist attacks, the ones that emergency management heads love to get weird about). ICS is regularly updated with input from people involved in large-scale emergency management, and it's very interesting the kinds of work it includes, in addition to fairly obvious asset deployment stuff: planning before a disaster, including laying in supplies; communication, between emergency staff and with the public; recovery efforts; assessment after the fact. actually, a ton of it is about communication, clear chains of command, plain-language communication (no 10 codes!), public relations. none of that stuff worked correctly in chicago in 1995, obviously, and ICS has long been updated with whatever lessons the FEMA guys took away from it, but one thing i thought about a lot during my boring time in FEMA training is that while the outline of what you're supposed to do & the order you're supposed to do it in is so clear that it all feels obvious while you're learning it (have a guy in charge. rotate the guy in charge so everyone can sleep. know how you're going to communicate with guys in the field. know how much stuff you have. make sure you tell the public what's going on, but you don't need to share everything. know what community groups you can work with. &c.), it is actually very difficult to do! it's certainly better to talk about it ahead of time instead of trying to improvise in the moment, but it's also clear that no one actually sticks perfectly to an emergency plan when the disaster is large or uncommon. i don't say this to excuse to the city of chicago in 1995, but to suggest what is obvious from ICS training: it's best to mitigate the disaster ahead of time, with infrastructure changes & robust social networks, because actual disaster management is so fucking hard. anyway, i thought about it a lot, & i thought a lot about what it was like to work through a hurricane. in a county that insistently does a lot of staff training around working with elderly people (that population pyramid is upside down!), the emergency management stuff put astonishingly little thought into the particular needs of elderly & disabled people. maybe i shouldn't have been astonished.

my main complaint about this book is that klinenberg is not a communist. i mean, i'm kidding, but that really is it; he references nicaraguan farmers calling their president a murderer after an earthquake, but only to say that this framing isn't common. okay, but social murder is an existing & useful term! surely the marginalization by the government, along multiple factors, that he carefully traces out might qualify one to use it! the whole preface is about how climate change is a pressing social problem which will render these kinds of disasters increasingly common, but there are simply no high-level forces or actors that we might implicate. okay, bro! what are we supposed to do with this information, then? well, maybe that's in the conclusion, which i haven't gotten to yet, but my hopes are pretty low.

anyway, if you have read interesting things about emergency services, disaster management, or environmental history, please recommend me things! especially if they have audiobooks :)

[alienpossession]

Part 3: Spread a Little Wider (Jeff)

Aiden decided that its best to continue the construction of the house to not raise any suspicion. So he, Ricardo and Max decided to stick around in the property to also ensure the safetiness of the rest of their being while instructing the rest of the workers to go back into their respective after-construction life. Of course Aiden cannot let them leave without a handful of souvenir from the extraterrestrial world, and when they are ready, he set those infected puppet to the outside world ready to wreck a little havoc to the rest of the human population

Jeff White sidelined by injury in his sophomore year of university and his career simply never returned after that. In order to keep up the study despite losing his football scholarship, he worked in construction owned by his father's friend. Too bad the place that simply became the source that continued his uni life also ended his life as he knew it when the alien goo infected him just a couple hours ago. Now, he's more than ready to make the rest of his college friends turned into the same cause as him with the little help of the things stored in his massive carry-on

He lived together with some friends that has been living with him since freshman year. The rule is for upperclassmen to no longer use dorm facilities and since Jeff is in his senior year, he's clearly not eligible for dorm any longer. But he and his dorm-mate and 2 juniors managed to rent a rather decent house fitting for 6 college kids who all love to workout and have frequent guests so they have no complaint whatsoever.

Trent just finished his classes late into the afternoon at 5 PM when he arrived in the house, but it seemed a little quiet, except for the lulling yet deep baritone voice of what he recognized as Jeff's voice coming from the kitchen. So Trent decided to swing by and take a peek on what his bro's doing before headed to his bedroom

"Hey bro, meal prep?"

"Oh hell yeah, you wanna come and have a taste?"

"Hmmm, I guess it's not gonna hurt,"

But Trent came for a little surprise as Jeff turned around and shown him a rather stuffed belly while smiling awkwardly

"Glad I could share this with you bro,"

And just like that, Jeff grabbed Trent's head and then lodged copious amount of black slime right into Trent's mouth. The junior year student couldn't put up a fight as he eventually overtaken by the invading goo that quickly gained control of his body.

After the sloppy takeover/kiss from Jeff, Trent simply swiped the goo around his lips with his hands and give it a lick

"Umh so nutritious. Okay, now this makes the two of us. Shall we wait for the others or should we search them and give them a little surprise?"

"Don't you have a party to attend?"

"Oh yeah, Phi Kappa Alpha. But it's still tomorrow though. It's daytime pool party,"

"And who said that they wouldn't have a pre-game tonight? You know how Pike rolled. Infect the brothers before tomorrow's party and I'll wait here to get the rest of the housemates,"

"Sick, I like it,"

"What the fuck you two been talking about?"

A sharp and slightly terrified looking sound comes from the front of the kitchen. It's Gary's voice, and beside him, is Jae, the other two housemates,"

Jeff and Trent glared at the two smaller yet still muscular guy and decided that play pretend won't cut it, so they just simply do a full-front attack to the two that tried to run the quickest they can to exit the house. But the alien enhanced Jeff's and Trent's already insane physicality and stamina and that left both Jae and Gary subdued in less than a minute. The two writhed on the floor fighting for their dear life when both Jeff and Trent simply smiled wickedly and opened their mouth to let black shiny goo sludged down from their mouth to fill and overrun Jae's and Gary's system. Not long after that, the two also taken over by the alien sludge

"We should clean up. My girlfriend is coming,"

"And a nerd is going to tutor me,"

"Hm, the more the merrier. Okay then, Trent, change your clothes and go to Pike. Take control of as many frat boys as possible. You two take care of your own subjects and I'll handle the two housemates, sounds solid?"

"Totally,"

"Okay then, disperse,"

The alien inside Jeff runs the memory to really make sure what he spot in the human's memory was correct. And yeah, the two housemate left are two fucking muscle monster.

Well, he can certainly take them down, but this might be the toughest battle he will have to face so far

***

Meanwhile, 10 minutes later, Trent is already standing outside Pike, ready to spread out a little blessings to the blissfully unaware frat bros of Phi Kappa Alpha

[catalina-g]

and it's in the sea of green I lose control

Name: Catalina Jade Gomez

Age: 29

Birthday/Zodiac: April 21st, 1995 — Taurus

Face Claim: Eva De Dominici

Occupation: Firefighter

Neighborhood: Downtown

Gender & Preferred Pronouns: Cis female & she/her

Brief Bio (tw parental death)

Catalina Jade Gomez is the middle child of three, and was born in Avellaneda, Argentina.

At age 4 she and her family moved to Briar Ridge, her father had found a better job here in construction while her mom was able to stay home with, at the time, only her and her older sibling.

Growing up was a bit rough for her, her older sibling was the prized possession of her mother and father, constantly she was compared to them as if whatever she did was never as good as what they did.

It affected Catalina by causing her to act out, though she was smart, she was always getting into trouble at school.

Catalina was known as a hot head among her classmates, and some tried to test her to see if she was really as crazy as they described—and she proved them right every time.

All throughout elementary and middle school she was able to get away with most things by using her sweet smile and soft, seas of green. It made most people believe she was just 'misunderstood', that she wasn't meaning to do the things she was doing.

That stopped in high school...but her behavior soon got worse with news of the arrival of another sibling she knew she'd be competing with.

From ninth grade up until her senior year Catalina had been suspended at minimum seven different times for fighting on school grounds. Other discrepancies that followed her was cutting class, cussing out one of the teachers, and a few other small things that had her sitting in ISS for most of her school days.

Regardless, she still graduated with a 3.8 GPA, her knowledge never wavering behind her terrible conduct.

Her little sister, Emalina, looked up to her and her oldest sibling, no matter how often her parents told her that Cat was no good.

After graduating she went off to college and lived the best life she could, never calling home, and just partying the weekends...hell even the weekdays away while working towards her degree.

She had chosen Criminal Justice, and despite the many classes and exams attended with a hangover, she managed to graduate with her bachelor's with honors.

The next two years flew by as she came back home, soon getting a simple job as a bartender while she was indecisive on if she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement or not—she had a ton of time to grow up, right?

Wrong. Her parents had left Catalina in charge of her then 11-year-old sister so that they could go to celebrate their upcoming wedding anniversary—and asleep on the couch she was when she heard a knock at the door that would deliver the worst possible news she could have imagined.

Her parents had been killed in a drunk driving accident, and she was left with taking over guardianship of her sister while her older sibling was nowhere to be found.

Knowing she needed to leave a lot of her way behind; she decided to join the fire academy and worked her ass off to graduate and secure a job that would keep the two of them afloat.

Catalina hasn't moved out of the downtown home her parents had brought her up in, and unsure of if she wants to or not—and now she has a fifteen-year-old to keep from following mostly in her footsteps.

Which also means less bar fights, so she keeps her job...but she's always ready to throw down.

[tobiasdrake]

Test of Will. Test of Will. I am a disciple of the moon. I am stubborn. I am persistent. I do not veer from the trail of self-destruction. And I go. Through. You.

Honestly, once you get over the imposing size, jacking you in the face is trivially easy. I float like a butterfly and sting like an angry butterfly carrying a little safety pin to make up for its evolutionary shortcomings.

Also, your shockwave move is only threatening if I'm on the ground. But with my wingsuit, I can soar like the majestic falcon. Which also means....

Yeah, I honestly don't even know what you're trying to do with this. Leaves you wide open.

WAIT DESTRUCTION EXPLOSIONS!?

...did... did I... oh no....

I THOUGHT THIS WAS LIKE A FRIENDLY SPARRING MATCH. Did I just KILL the Artificer?

Oh fuck. Oh fuck. Luana's going to be pissed. And her vindictive fury is legendary. As in, it makes up about 70% of her legend.

Oh goddess, we're directly in front of the Sea of Stars. Can she see me right now!?

...maybe if I break this it will all turn out okay. Break the doodad before she breaks my skull. She could be at any one of those stars oh goddess.

OH THANK THE GODDESS YOU GUYS ARE ALIVE

T-T I thought... I was so afraid that I'd really killed you all... That would have been so, so terrible....

...for me....

But I don't wanna. I've taken a lot of leaps already. Some were even voluntary. I have this magic seashell because I drowned myself in a pit of swamp gook. Can't you just use one of those leaps and call us square?

No. Because that's backwards. Hope is the driving force that motivates courage. Both the courageous and the craven are free to hope, but courage can't exist without hope. Hopelessly risking harm without regard to one's safety, throwing yourself in the line of fire because you genuinely don't care what happens to you, isn't courage. It's... something else.

Also--

"Hey, have you told Quarble about your cool magic robot fight yet?"

Oh fuck me, I was anticipating a hard stop not an acid trip through the bowels of time WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.

Regretfully, I seem to be alive. With a spiffy new hat. Like. Holy shit, my hat! Also, pauldrons! And... Yeah, this whole outfit owns.

Does this mean what I think it does? No more mail boy Scroll delivery! I am now officially a senior package transportation official!

I know this place. This is the Cloud Kingdom, where the Ovates constructed the Sky Giants to watch over the gateway to the Sea of Stars.

I KNOW RIGHT!? Look at this hat. This is the hat of a true warrior. But I have it instead! That's how cool I am!

Oh no, did something happen to the chatbots!? Did they fall into the sea because the teensy-tiny walkways they were given to live on were horribly unsustainable for beings of their size?

Look, what I do with powderized Time Shards is my own business. As the goddess teaches: "Sometimes the greatest joys can be found in the smallest of heresies."

Not 100% sure what she means by that but it helps to take the edge off after I've just had my esophagus wrapped around a tree branch. Sometimes, I get so fucked up that I swear I can see time. Other times, I just see Quarble.

Oh, fuck me. That is high. Well, I will remain secure in the knowledge that altitude doesn't matter because terminal velocity is a one-way ticket to chilling with my bestie regardless of context.

~_~ The fact that I have no idea how time travel connects to everything being weird now is not a confirmation of your insult. Because I said so.

WHAT. NO. FUCK YOU. It was supposed to send me to the past. Because the present is plagued by demons with humanity on their last legs. I can't solve that from the fucking future. Tower of Time ripped me off. I demand a refund, and to speak with the Tower's manag--

Oh, that's you.

...

Well, this is awkward.

...

OHHHHHH Everything looks so weird because the future is 16-bit. Gotcha!

<_<

>_>

EVEN IN HIGH-RES GRAPHICS!?

[eaglesnick]

“Leadership is a privilege to better the lives of others. It is not an opportunity to satisfy personal greed.” ~ Mwai Kibaki

Cash for honours? Who knows, but when you have donated £5 million to the Tory Party and are then knighted by Rishi Sunak for  “ business, charity and political service” a few eye brows are bound to be raised.

I am not sure what political service the Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour has performed for Britain other than being a senior treasurer for the Conservative Party and donating £5 million pounds to their coffers in 2023. What we do know is that his time in Egyptian politics was rife with controversy.

In 2005 he was appointed Transport Manager under the Mubarak dictatorship. Mubarak was swept from power in 2011 after the Egyptian people had finally had enough of his dictatorial, undemocratic rule.   During this time:

“Mansour was known to be part of the team of Mubarak’s son, Gamal. The general public quickly came to think of this collection of businessmen as being in government to serve their own corporate empires..." (Middle East Eye: 16/12/22)

In October 2009, after two passenger trains collided causing the death of 50 people, Mansour was sacked from his post as Mubarak’s Transport Minister. Returning to his business empire, he was again embroiled in political scandal when he was accused of:

“…partnering up with his cousin, Ahmed al-Maghrabi, who had served as housing minister under Mubarak, to buy thousands of square kilometres of land to construct a residential compound for a fraction of its market price.” ((Middle East Eye: 16/12/22)

Another political controversy involved  sanction busting. In 2022 it came to light that Mansour’s Caterpillar dealership, Unatrac, was supplying machinery to Russia's oil and gas industry despite the international sanctions impose on Russia following Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

As for receiving a knighthood for his charity work, it seems he maybe less concerned with charity than in avoiding business taxes. Not only was Mansour’s company Unatrac trading with Russia despite international sanctions, it was also subject to HMRC investigations into tax avoidance.

“The firm co-owned by billionaire Tory treasurer Mohamed Mansour paid £3.2million in additional tax following an HMRC probe into the potential use of tax havens, it has emerged." (Sunday Mirror: 05/02/23)

Correct me if I am wrong, but surely if ALL taxes that are due were paid in full, then there would be less need for charity?

Billionaire Mansour, it would seem, is more interested in business, especially his own, than in politics or public service. The fact that the Tory Party are now prepared to accept money from donors who advocate the shooting of black MP's and from donors associated with dictators and tax avoidance says it all.

[beardedmrbean]

Nurses and senior management in Pirkanmaa are not seeing eye to eye, according to Helsingin Sanomat, after the wellbeing services county Pirha decided to start charging for phone consultations.

Since the middle of last month, Pirha started invoicing call-backs from staff at 30 euros a piece. So far patients have only been billed for calls made by doctors.

Pirha's head physician, Eija Tomás, argued that the new system will actually save patients money.

"The clinic visit fee and the old phone fee used to be 46 euros. If the patient's matter is such that they don't necessarily need to come in person, they now pay only 30 euros for handling their matter over the phone," she said.

Nurses have raised concerns that senior citizens living on modest pensions will lose out as healthcare moves toward telemedicine.

"These people won't become digitally savvy or wealthy, no matter how much we would like them to," one nurse told HS.

Russia's visa regime

Russia is working on easing visa procedures for several countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, reports Ilta-Sanomat, citing statements by Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zaharova.

Ilta-Sanomat asked Jarno Limnéll, a National Coalition Party MP, what Russia's long-term goal is in relaxing its visa rules.

Limnéll, a cyber security expert often cited in the media, said Russia may use visa-free travel as a tool for hybrid influence.

"If this is true, it's certainly aimed at facilitating people's access to Russia, and one reason may be this hybrid influencing and directing people towards the [Finnish] border," he said.

On Thursday the Finnish government has proposed allocating an extra 86 million euros for the Border Guard this year. The majority of the funds would go towards expediting the construction of fencing along Finland's border with Russia.

Borrowers wait for relief

Relief for mortgage holders may be slower than anticipated, reports Kauppalehti, even though Eurozone inflation slowed to 2.6 percent last month.

The 12-month Euribor, the most common reference rate in Finland, is expected to gradually decrease to below three percent around the turn of the year, according to the business daily.

"At the end of last year, we were expecting this [lower rates] a bit too much. Now it's clear that the development seems slower. But interest rate cuts will happen," Danske Bank research director Heidi Schauman said.

[crimsonscloud]

OLD LORE VERSION: please read the new version of brad's lore here!

large images + long post under the cut.

on the 12th hour of the first day of october 1989, 43 women around the world gave birth. this was unusual only in the fact that none of these women had been pregnant when the day began. sir reginald hargreeves, eccentric asshole billionaire and adventurer, resolved to locate and adopt as many of the children as possible. brad barrett was not one of them. (and, in brad's opinion, that was probably for the best.)

name: bradley barrett

nicknames: brad (preferred), walking glowstick (by five and lila), sparkler, starboy (by lila)

gender: male

date of birth: october 1, 1989

place of birth: belfast, northern ireland

faceclaim: pascal langdale

affiliation: the umbrella academy (unofficially)

relatives: erin barrett (mother, deceased)

biography:

as a young woman living in belfast during "the troubles", erin barrett was not at all in the position to be raising a child. especially not one that she hadn't had the time to plan for. but there was just something that rubbed her the wrong way about the strange man called hargreeves who came to her doorstep asking after her son. when he asked how much she wanted for him, she slammed the door in his face. she was pretty damn sure he was stalking her, perhaps waiting for the right moment to swoop in and steal her baby from her.

but hargreeves did not pursue her. she'd come around eventually, he supposed. and if not, there would be others.

(in the end, he would only get seven.)

brad grew up unaware of the existence of the academy or of the significance of his birthdate. he had an aptitude for business that was noticed early, and in adulthood he found success as the manager of a branch of hotels that catered near exclusively to the wealthy and famous. he was also known for his tendency to throw extravagant parties to keep guests entertained.

it was at one such party that he met allison hargreeves.

while making small talk, they learned that they shared the same birthday. when the conversation turned to their childhoods, brad learned that allison also had powers, and that there were others just like them. when she described hargreeves, he recognized him as the strange man his mother had mentioned but chose not to tell her. he wasn't interested in meeting the man that tried to buy him from his mother, especially not after learning he had done the same to seven others. despite this, he and allison became friends, almost like siblings, and could often be found in each other's company.

however, the two drifted apart after allison lost custody of claire. it wasn't until hargreeves died that she reached out to him again, asking for emotional support; it was the first time she would be reconnecting with her adopted siblings, and she wanted to apologize for being distant and hopefully rekindle their friendship. he agreed, and took what he thought would be a short trip to the city to see her.

thanks to a pair of assassins, a time-traveling senior citizen in a child's body, and an impending apocalypse, his trip is anything but short.

powers and abilities:

plasma manipulation: brad can absorb ambient energy from his surroundings and convert it into superheated plasma. he can shape it into constructs or release it as concussive force blasts from his hands or, if charged enough, his entire body.

dagger creation: brad can generate daggers made of solidified plasma. once generated, he can telekinetically guide them to seek specific targets. if he gets stabbed by his own daggers, they just reabsorb back into his body. he can also spin them around himself to deflect smaller projectiles.

heat and light generation: brad can release stored energy as bright light and intense heat, hot enough to melt objects or leave burns with his touch. he's also unaffected by extreme heat and high temperatures.

healing touch: brad can heal wounds on others by channeling energy into them to speed up their natural healing process. it works better on minor injuries, anything immediately life threatening he can slow bleeding / help it close faster but it takes a lot out of him. he also can't fully heal illnesses.

self healing: brad can also heal himself and heals faster in the presence of a light source he can draw energy from, usually sunlight. this is also how he recharges his powers after using them.

flight: when everyone winds up in the sixties, brad learns how to project his energy in a way that lets him fly in sustained bursts. it takes him a few tries before he figures out how to control his landings, since he tends to be a little.... destructive with them.

superhuman sight: brad can see over greater distances and with better clarity than most, and to an extent in total darkness. in season three as the counterpart to viktor practicing his hearing, brad learns how to see a person's life force / aura.

weaknesses:

darkness: brad's powers aren't infinite. spending too much time in dark areas with no access to light renders him powerless until he can recharge.

drugs: more a psychological weakness than physical since he can self-heal, but large amounts of drugs / alcohol / etc can still affect his powers.

emotions: being supercharged or using a lot of power for an extended period tends to make brad more aggressive. strong emotions are also a general trigger for his powers.

energy depletion: if brad released all of his stored energy at once, he'd pass out afterwards. using his healing touch too many times also leaves him super drained.

limitations: there is an (as-yet undefined) upper limit to how much energy brad can absorb at once. if he went above this limit, his body would overheat and potentially explode.

other random facts:

his eyes, which are normally blue, turn gold when he uses his powers. the intensity depends on how much energy he's using.

lights also tend to flicker around him when his powers are active. if he uses enough energy he can make them burn out or shatter.

besides being fluent in english and irish he can also speak conversationally in spanish / understands some phrases in latin. (i like making my characters multilingual what about it)

when they meet the sparrows marcus assumes brad must be two if viktor is one, since they seem to be the more powerful ones. sparrow!ben is very confused as to why brad hasn't backstabbed viktor yet. no one corrects anyone on this until luther gets captured and asked about it.

sparrow!ben calls him "pretty boy" during the academy fight. brad thanks him and they continue fighting.

brad's parties were wild and involved a lot of drinking and drug use, but that part wasn't public knowledge.

he gets subject to quite a few "drunk irishman" jokes. jokes on everyone else, his powers make it harder for him to actually get drunk.... hence the excessive drinking. ironic.

doesn't bother to use a lighter when he smokes unless he's in public and has to hide his powers. he also tends to smoke more when he's stressed, but stops after the creation of the sparrow timeline. (not me paralleling him with s3!allison here...)

yes, he is named after the character from the listener. i just gave him a backstory and powers and stuck him into tua for funsies so he's mine now. don't ask why, all i did was watch the episode he was in and then my brain took off.

also a note about his fc: i'm aware pascal is older now but i specifically use pictures, gifs, etc. of him in the listener or earlier as references for brad's appearance.

he hates cold weather because it saps his energy faster.

he's bisexual and was already comfortably out by the time he met allison. klaus figures this out about him immediately upon meeting him.

after the events of season two he starts to see the umbrellas as like his family. they only find this out when he tells it to the sparrows once they learn he's not actually part of the academy.

i made the poster using this template, and i was inspired to make an items board by @evienovo's tua oc post!

the fonts i used for the items board label are josef pro bold ultra (first name) and parkson (last name).