#t. slater (interactions)

[offier]

@slateir: “ i did meet some of the most insufferable people but they also met me ” / for tommy sdgklhg

unsolved starters / accepting

He glances over at her, letting out a slight chuckle. Most of the time, he just feels like he's pretending to be himself rather than actually there in the moment. How could he not, after everything? So much had changed, including himself. Still, he supposes there are some moments that feel more normal than others. His sister talking to him so casually helped.

"Well, then I suppose that's something," he says with a slightly more prominent laugh. Slightly more forced, too. "Definitely seems like you've gotten to be quite the troublemaker, huh?" He's trying to joke around, but there's a bitter taste to it. A way him not being there might have caused problems, how he wasn't there to help guide her.

[offier]

Tommy has a suspicion he might have hit a nerve, admittedly, at Michael's initial reaction. He's not sure where to go, Michael doesn't exactly strike him as the sort to want an apology or any sort of attention called to what was just said. The use of past tense confirms it as being a more sensitive subject, so Tommy simply nods. He isn't completely oblivious to what goes on around him, after all, and has heard some stories about Michael. And he knows how the Goodes can be. He can likely draw the conclusions, and he realizes just how much he slipped up.

He shifts the focus. "Yeah, I remember how they are," he admits, nodding slightly. Tucking a hand in his pocket, he runs his other hand back over his hair. "Will especially." He nods, "I'd try not to let him get to you. He's trying to get a reaction." Not unlike how Nick had once pushed Michael in similar way.

DESPITE BRINGING IT UP ( with no other choice but to lie about what Will had come up to him to say, and he couldn't bother thinking of something on the spot right now ), Michael is taken aback by Tommy's response. 'You and Abigail are friends, right?' Even with their... reputations, both known in the neighboring towns for reasons that couldn't be more different, Michael doesn't expect everyone to notice the way they pulled away from each other ( Michael practically pulled away from everyone ). Still, the use of present tense sends a pang through his chest.

"We were, yeah," He answers, to the point. "We haven't really talked since, uh..." Since Michael killed his brother. Since he made the worst mistake of his life and everyone began to see him only for the blood on his hands, since he couldn't stop himself from lashing out. "—In a while. And it's not like we're going to here, so... whatever he thinks is his problem."

[formaianhassignment]

WEEK 3: Digital Community: Tumblr Case Study

In the week 3 unit, Tumblr serves as an interesting case study to explore the concept of the public sphere within digital spaces. The platform is known for fostering niche communities and providing a space where users can share content freely, with features such as anonymity, hashtag usage, and creative freedom (Renninger 2015). Tumblr’s loose restrictions (prior to 2018) and its non-reliance on real names have made it a haven for marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQ+ communities, to express themselves without fear of judgment or surveillance (Cavalcante 2018). These characteristics of Tumblr highlight its role in shaping micro-publics or smaller, overlapping digital communities, which challenge the traditional idea of a singular public sphere (Papacharissi 2010).

Hashtag activism is one of the key ways Tumblr has contributed to these digital communities. The hashtag #bodypositive, for instance, has played an important role in promoting feminist discourse around body image. According to Cohen et al. (2019), the body positivity movement aims to counteract the harmful effects of narrow beauty standards perpetuated by mainstream media (Cohen et al. 2019). While platforms like Instagram and TikTok have also engaged with this movement, Tumblr stands out for its relatively uncensored environment before its policy changes in 2018. Researchers have noted that, despite its empowering potential, the #bodypositive movement still struggles with the tendency to reflect traditional beauty norms, such as an overrepresentation of white, thin women (Gibson 2017).

The interaction between platform affordances and user behavior is critical in understanding how these digital spaces influence societal norms. Tumblr’s design, which allows for the anonymous sharing of content, played a pivotal role in creating an empowering space for feminist and body-positive movements. However, platforms that promote diversity and inclusivity can still reflect larger societal trends, including self-objectification and the reinforcement of hegemonic beauty standards (Tiidenberg & Van Der Nagel 2020).

In summary, Tumblr represents a crucial digital community where marginalized voices can engage in meaningful discourse. However, while platforms like Tumblr enable a certain level of freedom and creativity, they are not entirely free from societal pressures that shape user behavior. The case of #bodypositive highlights how digital communities can both challenge and replicate existing norms.

References:

Cavalcante, A 2018, “Tumbling into queer utopias and vortexes: experiences of LGBTQ social media users on Tumblr,” Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 66, no. 12, pp. 1715–1735, viewed <https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2018.1511131>.

Cohen, R, Irwin, L, Newton-John, T & Slater, A 2019, “#bodypositivity: A content analysis of body positive accounts on Instagram,” Body Image, vol. 29, pp. 47–57, viewed <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.02.007>.

Darwin, H 2018, “Body Positivity Movement: Feminist Progress?,” ResearchGate, viewed <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325429274_Body_Positivity_Movement_Feminist_Progress>.

Papacharissi, Z 2010, A Private Sphere: Democracy in a Digital Age, Polity.

Renninger, BJ 2014, “‘Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind’ : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment,” New Media & Society, vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 1513–1529, viewed <https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444814530095>.

Tiidenberg, K & Van Der Nagel, E 2020, “Sex and Social Media,” Emerald Publishing Limited eBooks, viewed <https://doi.org/10.1108/9781839094064>.

[pranay-bansal-dmss]

Blog #1: Feeling Alyx's Fear: Presence and Immersion in Half-Life: Alyx

Half-Life: Alyx is praised for its innovative approach to virtual reality and immersion in addition to its addictive gameplay.

Since the beginning of VR development, achieving "presence" has been the main goal. Presence is "the perceptual illusion of non-mediation," according to Lombard and Ditton, where users are mentally drawn into the virtual world and basically forget about their surroundings. Sanchez-Vives further elaborate on this, talking about the importance of both sensory immersion and the player's ability to interact with the virtual world in a meaningful and realistic way.

Half-Life: Alyx excels in these two areas. The game creates an extremely interesting sensory experience by utilizing haptic feedback, spatial audio, on top of the stunning visuals. But Alyx is more than just a sensory enhancer. The game is crafted to augment the player's perception of agency within the virtual realm.

With the use of virtual reality controllers, realistic hand interactions are implemented, giving players the ability to move things with a level of control never seen in VR games before this. You can physically extend your hand, pick through items, and remove what you require if you want to search a shelf for supplies. According to Schwind et al, this level of involvement is essential for creating a sensation of presence since it makes the distinction between the actual and virtual more blurry, and makes the virtual world feel exactly like the real one.

References:

Lombard, M., & Ditton, T. (1997). At the heart of it all: The concept of presence. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 3(2).

Slater, M., & Sanchez-Vives, M. V. (2016). Enhancing our understanding of presence in virtual reality. Acta Psychologica, 10, 1-8.

Schwind, V., Knierim, P., Haas, N., & Henze, N. (2018). Using presence questionnaires in virtual reality. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 260-268.

[offier]

@cantfixyou from here

at times, it might be easy for others to overlook the struggle tommy had been handling for so long. there were moments where he had moments where he seemed off, not really present or acting just a little different, but otherwise, seemed to handle it well. never fully losing himself to the glitch. well, at least, until now.

it's hard to pinpoint what caused the shift. maybe it's because he's been losing sleep. maybe it's the stress. maybe the glitch has just gotten stronger. but she had stepped out for a second, and that's when it happens. when a switch is flipped in his brain and he grabs the switchblade. she comes back, and he's off, moving towards her with the blade.

he lets out a soft laugh at her words, "is that really what you're going with, charlotte? i would have expected more." there is a slight pull at her words, the stirring of tommy in his brain. there's another step forward—not enough to close the distance, but enough to be a threat. more than he was already, at least.

"i have to give you credit, you've definitely caused quite the problems for me."

[uelartnumerique]

Exploration des impacts de la réalité virtuelle sur l'homme : une perspective à travers l'art numérique.

L'essor fulgurant de la réalité virtuelle (RV) a inauguré une ère nouvelle où les frontières entre le réel et le virtuel s'estompent, ouvrant ainsi la voie à une pléthore d'expériences sensorielles et interactives. Cependant, derrière cette façade d'innovation technologique se cachent des questionnements essentiels sur la façon dont la réalité virtuelle influe sur l'homme, tant sur le plan psychologique que sociétal. Cette réflexion nécessite une approche holistique, intégrant les perspectives multidisciplinaires de la psychologie, de la neurologie, de la philosophie et même de l'art numérique. Comment la réalité virtuelle, à travers ses implications psychologiques, sociétales et artistiques, influence-t-elle notre perception de la réalité et notre interaction avec le monde qui nous entoure ? I. Impact psychologique et cognitif de la réalité virtuelle La réalité virtuelle a démontré sa capacité à altérer notre perception traditionnelle de l'espace et du temps. Des études ont révélé que les expériences en RV peuvent induire des distorsions spatio-temporelles, défiant ainsi nos notions préconçues de réalité. Par exemple, des travaux comme "Pulse Room" de Rafael Lozano-Hemmer plongent le spectateur dans un environnement virtuel interactif où sa perception du temps est manipulée en fonction de ses battements cardiaques. II. Implications sociétales de la réalité virtuelle Au-delà de son impact individuel, la réalité virtuelle façonne également nos interactions sociales et notre compréhension collective de la réalité. Des artistes numériques tels qu'Ian Cheng explorent ces questions à travers des œuvres comme "Emissary", qui simulent des mondes

virtuels en constante évolution, invitant ainsi le public à réfléchir sur la nature de l'existence et sur notre rôle dans des réalités générées par ordinateur. III. Perspectives futures et éthiques de la réalité virtuelle Alors que la réalité virtuelle continue de se développer, il est essentiel de considérer ses implications éthiques et philosophiques. Des œuvres telles que "Tilt Brush" de Google ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives sur la créativité et l'expression artistique dans les mondes virtuels, tout en soulevant des questions sur la déconnexion de la réalité physique et sur les défis éthiques associés à cette évolution technologique. Pour conclure l'exploration des impacts de la réalité virtuelle sur l'homme révèle la complexité de notre relation avec la technologie et la réalité elle-même. À travers une analyse multidisciplinaire intégrant les insights de la psychologie, de la sociologie et de l'art numérique, nous pouvons mieux appréhender les défis et les opportunités de cette révolution technologique en marche. Bibliographie :

Lozano-Hemmer, Rafael. "Pulse Room".

Cheng, Ian. "Emissary".

"Tilt Brush" de Google.

Slater, Mel et Sanchez-Vives, Maria V. "Enhancing our Lives with Immersive Virtual Reality". Frontiers in Robotics and AI, vol. 4, 2017, p.74

valton luisa

[linhmeee]

WEEK 3: HOW TUMBLR IS USED BY DISENGAGED AND UNDERPRIVELEGED GROUPS?

Direct comparisons between Tumblr, Reddit, and Instagram may be difficult because each platform has an own user base and set of features. Based on the data at my disposal, Instagram has a greater user base than Tumblr and Reddit. But every platform has a particular function and supports various kinds of interactions and information. Tumblr is renowned for emphasizing creative expression and blogging.

The site is useful for communication study because it provides a large amount of room for users to add textual context to the selfies they submit. Hashtags are widely used to create communities, and shared blogs may be handled collaboratively with others (Renninger, 2015). The visibility of posts within these hashtags is independent of the number of followers, the user’s usual participation within the community, or the number of reactions to the post, thus allowing for a wider range of voices to be heard (Renninger, 2015). Users have the opportunity to like, comment, or reblog content to interact with the post and its creator. These interactions are summarized in a single notes number. Tumblr prevents trolling and bad replies by concealing the more detailed reactions below the summary (Cavalcante, 2018).

Tumblr, which was founded as a hybrid of social networking sites and conventional weblogs, creates the foundation for a vibrant and varied feminist community. Conversely, women who share sexually suggestive photographs on social media sites like Facebook or Instagram typically face backlash and become targets of victimization and "slut-shaming" (Miguel, 2016). Tumblr distinguished itself from these platforms until its policy change in 2018 due to its acceptance of NSFW (Not Safe for Work) content (Renninger, 2015; Tiidenberg & Cruz, 2015). Therefore, in light of earlier studies highlighting the drawbacks and hazards, the general concept of #bodypositive—creating diverse feminist spaces that enable women to discover their own beauty—had a lot of promise on Tumblr until 2018 (Cohen et al., 2019; Maddox, 2019; Sastre, 2014). Furthermore, Tumblr was seen as a platform for "emotional authenticity" and was utilized to create counterpublic spaces for progressive and underprivileged groups (Hart, 2015; Cavalcante, 2018).

Tumblr's role in activism and awareness cannot be overstated. Underprivileged groups leverage the platform to raise awareness about social issues, disseminate information, and mobilize support for various causes. It serves as a powerful tool for grassroots activism, enabling connections among like-minded individuals passionate about creating change. The visual nature of Tumblr makes it an ideal platform for artistic expression. Individuals from disengaged or underprivileged backgrounds can showcase their creative talents, whether through illustrations, photography, or writing. This not only provides an outlet for expression but also offers an opportunity for recognition within the community.

Identity exploration is another vital aspect, with users openly discussing and affirming their identities, including aspects related to gender, sexuality, and race. For marginalized groups, Tumblr becomes a space for self-discovery and acceptance, fostering conversations that may be stigmatized in mainstream society.

References

Cavalcante, A 2018, ‘Tumbling Into Queer Utopias and Vortexes: Experiences of LGBTQ Social Media Users on Tumblr’, Journal of Homosexuality, vol. 66, no. 12, pp. 1715–1735.

Cohen, R, Irwin, L, Newton-John, T & Slater, A 2019, ‘#bodypositivity: A content analysis of body positive accounts on Instagram’, Body Image, vol. 29, no. 29, pp. 47–57.

Hart, M 2015, ‘Youth Intimacy on Tumblr’, YOUNG, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 193–208.

Hillman, S, Procyk, J & Neustaedter, C 2014, ‘Tumblr fandoms, community & culture’, Proceedings of the companion publication of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing - CSCW Companion ’14.

Maddox, J 2019, ‘“Be a badass with a good ass”: race, freakery, and postfeminism in the #StrongIsTheNewSkinny beauty myth’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 1–22.

Miguel, C 2016, ‘Visual Intimacy on Social Media: From Selfies to the Co-Construction of Intimacies Through Shared Pictures’, Social Media + Society, vol. 2, no. 2, p. 205630511664170.

Renninger, BJ 2014, ‘“Where I can be myself … where I can speak my mind” : Networked counterpublics in a polymedia environment’, New Media & Society, vol. 17, no. 9, pp. 1513–1529.

Sastre, A 2014, ‘Towards a Radical Body Positive’, Feminist Media Studies, vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 929–943.

Tiidenberg, K & Gómez Cruz, E 2015, ‘Selfies, Image and the Re-making of the Body’, Body & Society, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 77–102.

[moohnshinescorner]

Shatterproof

A Friends to Lovers Forced Proximity Bodyguard Romance: (The Shatter & Shock Duet #1) (Haworth Enterprises)

By Xavier Neal

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/125188554/

Hosted by DS Book Promotions

Review 5 sTARS

Man I was into this book. Like page after lovely page and bam!!!! The ending just left me hanging. Agghhhh..... Like why did it have to end that way.

So this book is a friends to lovers troop with rescue missions and lots of danger. It is a nonstop adventure with quirky fun and steamy love. The character line up is spot on and I think I fell in love with Slater immediately.

When reading this book I picture the movie Spy with Melissa Mccarthy. Not the actual movie, but the interactions between Melissa and Jude Law. The banter between them is like Arley and Slater. Crush and Hot Spy man. *wink wink*

Now let's talk about the slow burn in this book. I tell you, there were times when I yelled out for them to just get it on already. I mean these two tip toe around the entire book. Agh!! Anyone can see these two belong together so I wish they would just get to it already.

I truly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to see what happens next, because again that ending was epic and I am starving to find out what happens next.

AMAZON

US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1CNS58X/

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C1CNS58X/

CA https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0C1CNS58X/

AU https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B0C1CNS58X/

Read on Kindle Unlimited

Also available

Bulletproof – 99c!

US https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B097LNYH1B/

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B097LNYH1B/

CA https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B097LNYH1B/

AU https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B097LNYH1B/

Blurb: From USA TODAY Bestselling author Xavier Neal comes an all-new, best friend to lovers, forced proximity, bodyguard romance...

The assignment is simple.

Don't let the client get kidnapped.

Don't let someone kill her.

Don't confess that I've secretly been in love with her since we first met.

It's the last part that complicates what would otherwise be a fairly routine operation.

Well, that along with having to move said client aka my best friend into my penthouse because pretending to be a couple is now part of our cover.

All of these things make my mission significantly harder.

As does her ex-boyfriend who just so happens to be our boss.

As does my partner who gets a kick out of making things uncomfortable for me.

As does my best friend herself when she has us crossing a line we can't uncross.

To the company I work for, my main objective is to stop an unidentified threat from eliminating one of their most valuable assets.

But to me?

My only job is to protect the love of my life - or die trying.

(This is book 1 of a duet. The story will conclude in book 2, Shockproof)

About Xavier Neal

Xavier Neal is a best-selling romance author who enjoys hopping from sub-genre to sub-genre like a game of Hopscotch she can't resist.

In between writing, she loves to read (everything from romance to self-improvement books), watch movies (old and new), eat too much Tex-Mex (her Chuy's t-shirt collection is out of control), and watch AHL hockey games LIVE (preferably against the glass whenever possible).

She currently resides happily in Texas with her bearded husband "Lumberjack”.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KAOA4z Facebook: http://bit.ly/2K2UfBe Instagram: http://bit.ly/2L3ePAz BookBub: http://bit.ly/2KA7tEW Pinterest: https://bit.ly/3fkYPss Spotify : http://bit.ly/XNSpotifyProfile Merch : https://bit.ly/3C3bdqV Store https://bit.ly/3ijVlZ3

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990135/

#NewRelease #shatterproof #availablenow #hawthornenterprises #forcedproximity #bodyguardromance #fastpaced #romanticsuspense

#bookish #xavierneal #dsbookpromotions

[blamblambitch]

someone interact with me, I’m lonely 🔪

[daddyd0nt]

I’ve said this before but please just respect my wishes and stfu about me in the Luna slater thread I woke up to like 10 DMs that y’all screengrabbed some harmless compliment I left on a piece of her art to make fun of me and did I want to comment and my only comment is just please stop, I’m tired, I’m not trying to get anything or trick anybody, I’ve been permabanned from posting for almost a year, and I really don’t want to give y’all more traffic in your harassment crusade against a mentally ill woman who scammed a few people when she was still a literal teenager and has not lived it down since. Y’all are vile, you’ve literally committed multiple sex crimes in this bullying campaign and it’s not even like you have anything worthwhile to talk about all you do is make fun of her for being a little on the thicker side, accuse her with no proof of looting baby graves, make fun of her hygiene (wow a mentally ill person struggling with hygiene who ever heard of that) and wrote nasty comments about her art/writing like y’all could do any better. She’s a casual acquaintance with a few mutual IRL school friends who I’m not going to stop being kind to because of bullies. Stop screengrabbing my completely uninteresting comments to her like it is some kind of milk because it’s not and it is fucking annoying to have a bunch of people in my DMs trying to get me to respond to it like my brother in Christ I have not posted on that website for a year I want nothing to do with bullying and wishing Ill on a mentally ill disabled girl in the process of beating a heroin addiction that she’s had since her teens. I’m proud of her and happy for her, that’s a major accomplishment, that deserves positivity, not “lulz she’s not really sober because she still smokes weed and takes bars” as if quitting literal fent cold turkey while living as a member of the hidden homeless in a property with multiple active addicts and opportunities to obtain drugs isn’t impressive. Like boo hoo she buys too many skincare products and scammed some people when she was 19 that shouldn’t be open season to ruin the rest of her life and make 40 threads committed to bullying a suicidal girl, that’s literally the actions of some kind of teen lifetime after school special antagonist, how can y’all convince urselves that ur still morally in the green at this point. Like I said y’all committed literal sex crimes in the process of all this. You’re all ugly and you need to leave me out of ur ugliness because at this point I’m just done either at the very least take me off postblock or keep my name the fuck out of ur mouth but stop dragging me into this. Do not come to me seeking information about Luna slater. Do not screengrab my innocent compliment on her art and swarm on it because the gossip is slow today. Do not try to convince me to join in the harassment or send me anons trying to turn me against her. Leave me out of your gross bullshit, our interactions are the farthest thing from interesting, if u have shit to say to me my inbox is open but it’s annoying to wake up to a dozen DMs announcing with no further context that I got brought up again on lolcow or to have had at least as many people hit me up trying to sniff out Lunas new account when she deleted before the farms found it themselves like for Christ’s sake leave the poor girl alone but if you won’t do that at least leave me out of whatever fucked up Brittany Spears corn harvest sacrifice this is that you’re attempting to pull off. Like literally just fuck the entire way off. Crawl out of my asscrack. Stop acting surprised and scandalizes when I leave a nice comment on another girls art or selfie, I try to do that whenever another girl posts a selfie or original art because I like to spread positivity. We’ve established it’s something I do, and u can think it’s spergy or cringe or whatever but you don’t have to screengrab every comment I make and meditate on it as a collective as if it were the first time I’ve interacted with one of her posts. Find something better to do with ur spare time.

[captaindodson]

Being High-School Sweethearts with Officer Slater would include...

A/N: I’ve been on a Bill Hader deep dive and I have fallen for our guy Officer Slater from Superbad. I will credit @fangirl-imagines​​ with most of the inspiration for this and future works involving our favourite officer. I got a bit carried away with this one so I hope you enjoy!

Paring: Officer Slater x F! Reader

Warnings: Fluffy and a bit of angst

Being High-School Sweet Hearts with Officer Slater would include...

- Now this is a little bit different then what you might think so just hold onto your hats.

- I feel you you guys would have met in your senior year through a group project in second period history. Your class wasn’t always so well behaved so your teacher ended up splitting everyone up into groups.

- You and Slater never directly interacted before but you have mutuals friends between each other. So when the teacher told everyone to stand up and meet in their groups it was still a bit awkward. You shuffled across the classroom to your partners who decided to sit in the back corner of the class sitting in silence while the rest of the class got organized.

-  The teacher comes around to hand out the instructions for the assignment, sliding a double sided piece of paper onto the desks in front of everyone. You, of course wanting to elevate the awkwardness goes ahead and introduces yourself to everyone and starts reading out the instructions on the paper. 

- While you read aloud Slater was sneaking glances at you out of the corner of his eye. What you do not realize is that Slater has been meaning to make any sort of move since he saw you in freshman year. 

- On the first day of school you were wearing beautiful baby blue jeans, a white, slight worn out MTV t-shirt, some tennis shoes, and maroon bag, and Slater thought he had seen heaven as he watched you get off the bus and towards the high school. He proceeded to see you everywhere in school (not that he would complain) whether it be in the library, school cafeteria, sitting on the bleachers as he walked by with his friends. Everyday for three years he would always look for you, even just for a second because it brightened his day. 

- He never approached you because he felt that you were out of his league. You were in the popular crowd but, you didn’t partake in sports or cheerleading or anything sterotypical popular kids would do. You were a floater,  a confident, kind, (did I say beautiful yet) floater that everyone wanted to be around. You had friends in just about every cliche there could be except his. 

- His friends always gave him shit (but also support) and tried to embarrass Slater in front of you knowing of his major crush. One time, during a school football game his friends spotted some empty seats on the far end of the bleachers but, also noticed you sitting in-between their walk to their seats. So, when they squeezed past you they jabbed Slater’s side to make him squirm to drop some of his popcorn on your lap. 

- His face became red with embarrassment but you just laugh lightly and say thank you for the snack. Slater just smiles nervously and pushes his friends to hurry up as they laughed loudly. 

- Or another time during the year when the schools drama club was doing their last performance before heading out of state for NYC for a competition, and Slater and his friends were going to go to shit on the drama kids. When they got to the theatre, you were siting by yourself next to the only empty seat, so they came up with a new plan. They told Slater to go find them some seats and when he spotted the only empty seat next to you and he panicked. He turned around to confront his friends but they all left smiling and laughing silently.

- He pondered whether he should leave or stay until he thought this was going to be the opportunity to finally introduce himself to you and have you fall in love with him. Except, as he walked closer, his throat starting closing up and he felt at a loss of words. So when he had to squeeze past you he squeaked out a quick, “excuse me” and sat down. The lights of the theatre dimmed and he proceeded to sit through 90 minutes of Hamlet and didn’t say a word to you. He basked in the scent of your perfume as the play continued on and after the final bows you left unaware of Slater next to you. 

- So after reading the assignment aloud the bell rings almost instantly causing everyone to collect their things and rush out the door. Slater watched you collect your bag and wave goodbye to the group to head off to your next class. Slater sat there for a minute deciding what to do, make his move or continue to admire you painfully from afar until you disappear from his life forever?

- He sighed in defeat and was willing to live in this hell for the rest of the school year. He sluggishly gets up, head hung in defeat, and heads out the door. What he didn’t expect was you leaning on some lockers outside the door and greeting him with with a shy smile before asking him if he wanted to eat lunch with you later to go over the assignment. (at first he didn’t say yes due to shyness, but then quickly changed his answer because he would have been kicking himself if he didn't). 

- You had noticed him staring, and to be quite frankly you’ve been watching him too. You had seen him in the library reading comic books in the farthest row, pushing up his glasses when he read, looking out the window in French class and seeing him and his friends messing around on the football field during free period. For a guy that most girls that you knew considered him scrawny and ‘unattractive’ you could not disagree any faster. You loved his floppy, shaggy hair, his blue eyes, his dimples, and most importantly his laugh. You saw how he was with his friends and you just wanted him to look at you. 

- So after that moment you two started spending more and more time together. You would stop hanging out with most of your friends to eat lunch with Slater in a stairwell or out of the bleachers. You two would read StarWars comic’s in the library while trying to prank his friends, you also had dates at the local theatre, and you were Slater’s first kiss. You both couldn’t be happier. Everything so pure, so innocent about young love, nothing could take that away. Except one thing, insecurity. 

- As graduation came closer Slater suddenly became more distant and cold. You tried to ask why but he just shut down and then out of the blue he broke up with you. You cried for days, wondering what you could’ve done different, what you did wrong,  but you were never given an answer. You left LA shortly after for NYC and Slater had to sit with his choice but eventually got over it.  

- It isn’t until 2007 rolls around when your back in LA working as a waitress in a bar called Baileys which so happens one night to have a special visitor. 

- When Slater was sitting at the bar where he met his ex-wife with Micheal’s and McLovin, having fun watching the security tape from earlier, a woman comes up next to him and leans up against the bar. 

- A much older women whose beauty from high school has not wavered is asking the bartender for the time and if it is okay for you to clock out of your shift and go home for the night. 

- Slater stares, almost frozen in time and watches your lips move in slow motion. Just like when he was staring at you all those years ago in that history class, the love he felt for you makes his heart beat a little bit faster and cheeks become a little bit warmer.

- You don’t even notice the staring as you’ve grown to ignore the stares of guys. You smile at your boss when he tells you can leave. You rip off your small apron and run around the bar into the backroom to get your stuff. When you leave the backroom with a thin coat over your shoulders and your purse in hand, out of the corner of your eye you catch a glimpse of a familiar pair of ocean eyes hidden behind sliver glasses and a police uniform.

- Your breath hitches for a moment but you keep walking. You walk through the messy kitchen to leave out the back door which leads to the street where your car is parked. 

- Slater just stares at the kitchen door blankly, watching as his heart continued to beat faster as the memories of being told how he grabbed your heart and ran it over with his shitty car resurface. He knows he doesn’t deserve a second chance, but he can’t live knowing that you don’t know he’s sorry, so he dashes after you to the surprise of Micheal’s and Mclovin.  

- You just make it to the drivers side of your car when you hear a stern, “wait”. You pause and think for a minute. You haven’t done anything wrong so it is not like he can force you to stay here. You stab your key into your car door and just as your ready to turn it and open up your door this voice lets out a more masculine “hold it right there”.

- You halt your movements and slowly turn around the face the man you haven't seen since he broke your heart. Under the streetlight he is much taller than he was all those years ago and his boyish charms still haven't wavered even though he attempts to make himself look taller and more ‘manly’. 

- You speak before he can open his mouth to say anything else, ‘I don't know who you are, but can you please leave me alone.”

- Slater cringes slightly at your tone. He lets his body rest in a more comfortable posture and he puts his hands up in a defensive pose. 

- “ Okay, I deserve that. But before you leave let me say this, I left you because I got scared and I’m sorry. I thought you’d be better off without some loser attached to your arm when there are a millions of guys much better looking and more manly”. Your eyes soften at his claim as you approach him slowly and his arms drop to his side. 

- “Slater, You were the best thing in that shitty high school. I only left because I could not live in a place where you existed because I would be reminded of the pain of you not being in my life. I loved you ever since I met you, and I never stopped. Why didn’t you talk to me Slater?” You say with pleading eyes. 

“I didn't know how to. Ever since my first wife turned out to be a whore I realized that I could never love anyone again because I didn’t deserve to be loved. When I spotted you inside, it felt like my heart was about the burst. When you left for NYC I thought I got over you, but I never did”. 

- Slater’s breath slows as you get closer, he can start to feel the heat radiating off your body. He looks at you with the same awe, admiration, and love he did all those years ago. Blue eyes twinkling under the shine of the streetlight through his sliver glasses. 

- Slater breaks the silence with, “You can hate me for the rest of your life, just know that I’m sorry-”.

- But before Slater can get your name through his lips you lean up without warning to plant a soft kiss on his which he gladly returns.

- “Take notes Mclovin, Slater is showing you how to kiss a lady.” you both break apart and see Micheal’s, smirk on his face and Mclovin standing along side him looking confused. 

- Slater straightens up with his shoulders with a deep cough trying to appear composed, but the pink tint on his cheeks say otherwise. You ignore the new presence and you drag your hand over his uniformed shoulder to the back of his soft hair where you gentle push his head to meet your lips once more. 

[offier]

💬 + tommy, you're afraid to get close to anyone because of what's going on with that glitch in your head

Send 💬 + a rumor and my muse will react to it. / accepting

"Yeah, I mean, of course," he responds, letting out sigh as he halfheartedly tosses a hand up. "I'm scared of everything. I don't want to hurt anyone." Not his family, not his friends, not strangers. He doesn't want any of this. "It just feels like I'm on borrowed time with this."

[compneuropapers]

Interesting Papers for Week 25, 2021

Confidence can be automatically integrated across two visual decisions. Aguilar-Lleyda, D., Konishi, M., Sackur, J., & de Gardelle, V. (2021). Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance, 47(2), 161–171.

From statistical regularities in multisensory inputs to peripersonal space representation and body ownership: Insights from a neural network model. Bertoni, T., Magosso, E., & Serino, A. (2021). European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(2), 611–636.

On the effect of neuronal spatial subsampling in small‐world networks. Bonzanni, M., Bockley, K. M., & Kaplan, D. L. (2021). European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(2), 485–498.

Multiple cannabinoid signaling cascades powerfully suppress recurrent excitation in the hippocampus. Jensen, K. R., Berthoux, C., Nasrallah, K., & Castillo, P. E. (2021). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(4).

Release probability increases towards distal dendrites boosting high-frequency signal transfer in the rodent hippocampus. Jensen, T. P., Kopach, O., Reynolds, J. P., Savtchenko, L. P., & Rusakov, D. A. (2021). eLife, 10, e62588.

Environment-based object values learned by local network in the striatum tail. Kunimatsu, J., Yamamoto, S., Maeda, K., & Hikosaka, O. (2021). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(4).

Dissecting the Roles of Supervised and Unsupervised Learning in Perceptual Discrimination Judgments. Loewenstein, Y., Raviv, O., & Ahissar, M. (2021). Journal of Neuroscience, 41(4), 757–765.

Molecular mechanisms within the dentate gyrus and the perirhinal cortex interact during discrimination of similar nonspatial memories. Miranda, M., Morici, J. F., Gallo, F., Piromalli Girado, D., Weisstaub, N. V., & Bekinschtein, P. (2021). Hippocampus, 31(2), 140–155.

Human subjects exploit a cognitive map for credit assignment. Moran, R., Dayan, P., & Dolan, R. J. (2021). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(4).

Prioritization in visual attention does not work the way you think it does. Ng, G. J. P., Buetti, S., Patel, T. N., & Lleras, A. (2021). Journal of Experimental Psychology. Human Perception and Performance, 47(2), 252–268.

Linking metacognition and mindreading: Evidence from autism and dual-task investigations. Nicholson, T., Williams, D. M., Lind, S. E., Grainger, C., & Carruthers, P. (2021). Journal of Experimental Psychology. General, 150(2), 206–220.

Neural mechanisms of visual sensitive periods in humans. Röder, B., Kekunnaya, R., & Guerreiro, M. J. S. (2021). Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 120, 86–99.

Orientation Effects in the Development of Linear Object Tracking in Early Infancy. Tham, D. S. Y., Rees, A., Bremner, J. G., Slater, A., & Johnson, S. P. (2021). Child Development, 92(1), 324–334.

How do stupendous cannabinoids modulate memory processing via affecting neurotransmitter systems? Vaseghi, S., Nasehi, M., & Zarrindast, M.-R. (2021). Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 120, 173–221.

Theta power and theta‐gamma coupling support long‐term spatial memory retrieval. Vivekananda, U., Bush, D., Bisby, J. A., Baxendale, S., Rodionov, R., Diehl, B., … Burgess, N. (2021). Hippocampus, 31(2), 213–220.

Layer 6 ensembles can selectively regulate the behavioral impact and layer-specific representation of sensory deviants. Voigts, J., Deister, C. A., & Moore, C. I. (2020). eLife, 9, e48957.

Using pharmacological manipulations to study the role of dopamine in human reward functioning: A review of studies in healthy adults. Webber, H. E., Lopez-Gamundi, P., Stamatovich, S. N., de Wit, H., & Wardle, M. C. (2021). Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 120, 123–158.

Data-driven reduction of dendritic morphologies with preserved dendro-somatic responses. Wybo, W. A., Jordan, J., Ellenberger, B., Marti Mengual, U., Nevian, T., & Senn, W. (2021). eLife, 10, e60936.

Dysfunction of Orbitofrontal GABAergic Interneurons Leads to Impaired Reversal Learning in a Mouse Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Yang, Z., Wu, G., Liu, M., Sun, X., Xu, Q., Zhang, C., & Lei, H. (2021). Current Biology, 31(2), 381-393.e4.

Speed modulation of hippocampal theta frequency and amplitude predicts water maze learning. Young, C. K., Ruan, M., & McNaughton, N. (2021). Hippocampus, 31(2), 201–212.

[charlottewahlstromeducation]

IMPORTANCE OF ARTS, DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND EOTC IN OUR CURRICULUM

Should we incorporate digital devices in to the Arts and EOTC and is Hauora important within it? Tamariki should all have “meaningful and authentic learning experiences (Coleman 2020), these experiences should have a great importance in the Arts and EOTC. DEVICES In her article Inside Out Learning, Robertson (2019) discussed the use of using digital technology outside the classroom. She put forward that having the option of using digital devices while on a field trip would provide great opportunities for all ākonga, therefore integrating digital technologies and EOTC. Digital technologies which are already present in the classroom can be successfully used in different arenas, to broaden the abilities of the ākonga in this digital age. Consistent digital technologies develop deeper understanding of online social interactions, applications and creativity which are only some learning areas.  At present, these areas may not be utilised to their full advantage within schools as many teachers may not have the skills or confidence to integrate them into areas other than literacy or maths. HAUORA Slater (2020) put forward her viewpoint of the importance of Hauora and Outdoor Education as she explores the connection between Kaupapa Maori, outdoor play and children’s wellbeing (2020). She tells us that “Outdoor play memories are defined by the appreciation to the land and wellbeing is reciprocal” (Slater 2020). There are two perspectives discussed by Slater, (2020) regarding tamariki’s wellbeing.  The “traditional Maori perspective” and the “western perspective”. This cohesive view of Hauora indicates the spiritual and behavioural benefits connecting ākonga with the outdoors and the overall promotion of wellbeing. Hauora promotes ākonga to take responsibility for themselves and their actions, including responsibility with device use. The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education 2015 p22), reiterates the overall concept of Hauora by specifying that both health and physical education focus on the wellbeing of students. INTEGRATION There is a correlation between The Arts, EOTC and Hauora and incorporating digital devices. By the Arts and EOTC collaborating we are providing ākonga with the key stones of Hauora.  Art subjects promote movement and personal development, self confidence and awareness of identity. This all feeds into Te Marautautanga O Aotearoa, and Hauora as a holistic view of total wellbeing that incorporates the “physical, social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing of a person” (Ministry of Education 2017 p39). DIFFICULTIES AND SUCCESSES Although this is a great idea in theory, there are some issues that can arise by incorporating devices for all children during EOTC or the Arts. Although many schools have a considerable number of devices at their disposal, having the means to take these devices in to an outdoor environment or an Arts activity could prove problematic. Further to this having the availability for each group of ākonga could prove difficult.  Thought needs to be put into the success outcomes of how would the use of a device be put into practice? Are ākonga missing out on using their senses to learn; listen, see, touch, smell? Are the opportunities of participating in a group lost because concentration is on the device and not in collaborating with other people. 

It is a realistic concept to incorporate digital devices on EOTC and the Arts. Research carried out by Robertson, (2019) validated that “students using digital devices were more emotionally connected to the environment”. It is suggested that by using a device we are reinforcing the learning of our tamariki.  The incorporation of Art, EOTC and Digital technologies can connect real world learnings, this can be from the introduction or to reinforce the experience. Tamarikis learning is more impactful when there is an emotional connection created through linking the events in their lives. By building on previous knowledge, they have a starting platform and are more willing to engage. If the activity is connected by real world outcomes the link is then easier to relate to. HOW CAN IT BE INCORPORATED A simple approach to incorporate digital devices into the Arts is for ākonga to film Dance and Drama then reflect on and discuss from these observations the experience. The potential for the digital devices to develop new learning opportunities in immense.   Due to covid-19 and the recent global need for reliance on digital technologies, everyone has learnt to embrace digital technologies to connect with teachers, other ākonga, family and whanau.  Through this we have learnt the resiliency of ākonga, and how the use of digital technology is very important. We witnessed this beautiful resiliency with easter eggs dotted along streets and teddys strapped to power poles. Frequently children would have been for a daily walk or bike ride and discussed what they observed along the way.  Numerous ākonga would have taken photos on a device and then uploaded these to their school google or seesaw sites. This an excellent example of creating movement and using a digital device as evidence.  Along with the images multiple ākonga would have formulated a blurb relating to their daily find. This comprehensive example we have demonstrated movement through EOTC, Digital Technology use and even literacy. Some ākonga would have created their own visual art to attach to their property to be spotted, and no doubt these creations would also be photographed to be uploaded to a digital site, so we have again combined Visual Arts and digital technologies.  All these examples show indepth learning through action and experience, outside of the conventional classroom environment. It is experiential, where in-depth learning through action and experience would be occurring. To mitigate some of the potential issues discussed earlier, devices within Arts and EOTC don’t need to be used during the activity, an alternative could be for the device use coming after an activity as an extra validation or for additional work on the subject.  Another option for device use to incorporate Arts and EOTC could be to create their own online storyboard or game from the learnings they have achieved outside the classroom.  The images could be drawn and uploaded to a sketch site to develop into animation. CALL TO ACTION FOR DIGITAL DEVICES The opportunities to incorporate digital technologies into various subjects is endless.  Devices can be used from one end of the spectrum of simply adding clarity after observation all the way to the other end of the spectrum of crystalising and reinforcing the learning of ākonga.  In conclusion, our ākonga are being given the opportunity to absorb the natural surroundings and develop in depth learning by digital technology assistance. This “practice in the classroom and beyond” (Ministry of Education 2011) encompasses Art, EOTC and Hauora going beyond school life to lifelong learning. Thereby the combination of Hauora through the Arts and EOTC are essential and by encompassing digital technologies we are adding another element to the growing kete for our ākonga.                                                                          References Coleman, C (2020). Wherefore Arts Thou? + technology + science + …The integrated or ignored            learning areas. inhttps://Wherefore Arts Thou? + technology + science + … The integrated            or ignored learning areas – Ipu Kererū (wordpress.com). Retrieved from Ipu Kererū – Blog            of the New Zealand Association for Research on Education. Robertson, A (2019). Inside out learning. https://Inside-out learning (core-ed.org). Retrieved from            Core Education Tātai Aho Rau Slater, Y (2020). Exploring the connection between Kaupapa Māori, outdoor play and childrens            wellbeing. https://Exploring the connection between Kaupapa Māori, outdoor play, and            children’s wellbeing – Ipu Kererū (wordpress.com). Retrieved from Ipu Kererū – Blog            of the New Zealand Association for Research on Education. Ministry of Education, Education Council. (2011). Tātaiako. Ministry of Education, New Zealand Te               Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.  Ministry of Education. (2015) New Zealand Curriculum.  Ministry of Education. New Zealand Ministry of Education. (2017). Te Whāriki. Ministry of Education, New Zealand Te Tāhuhu o te            Mātauranga.  https://www.education.govt.nz/assets/Documents/Early-Childhood/Te-            Whariki-Early-Childhood-Curriculum-ENG-Web.pdf Ministry of Education. (2017) Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. https://Te Marautanga o Aotearoa /            Kāinga - TMOA (tki.org.nz).

[kd-holloman]

The Traveler’s Gift Deleted Scene

It’s funny how writing works sometimes. I thought for sure this deleted scene was going to make the final cut. No-so-spoiler alert: it did not. So, have some fun, non-spoilery deleted content in which Louis may or may not be jealous of his roommate’s flirtatious attitude. 

Harmon hills psychiatric Hospital was an ancient, sprawling brick building on the outskirts of Chicago. Ivy clung to the weather-worn brick, the windows were barred, and on the first two floors the majority of the lights had been turned out for the night. 

Louis had been here before, but the last time he had seen the ancient sprawling grounds, he’d been walking away from it instead of toward it. He tapped his fingers on his thigh. Maybe he could talk Slater into waiting a minute so he could have a smoke. 

“Do it now,” Slater said. 

He blinked and looked at the other man. “Do what?” 

“Suck on your cancer stick. You might as well do it now because once we’re inside for the night we’re stuck there.” 

He looked at him for a long moment. He knew he hadn’t said that out loud. “How did you know?” 

“Your fingers twitch when you want to smoke.” 

He didn’t waste time. “So,” he asked, the unlit cigarette between his lips, “how did Rick get his hands on a place like this?” 

The flame of his lighter was winked back at him in Slater’s reflective lenses. “Papa O’Brien’s funds allowed for the hospital to stay afloat a few years back. In exchange for the money, Rick gets to keep some of his assets here without too many people asking questions.”

Of course. Somebody like Rick would have the finances and power to pull something like that off. As long as the doctors who worked at Harmon Hills stayed content and quiet with their hush-money, he had no reason to fear betrayal. 

The scent of lemon floor polish hit him sinus-clearing force as soon as they stepped across the threshold. A massive chandelier reflected light onto the shining floor. Potted plants stood at attention in the corners, a bust of a man—the founder of the hospital—sat next to a large desk. 

A woman in a uniform sat at the desk. “Excuse me,” she said, stopping them. “It’s past visiting hours.” 

“We’re not here to visit.” Slater leaned on the desk and gave her a charming smile. “Peter called, do you know him? He wants us to come and relieve him. His relief is out with an injury and we’re here to save the day.” 

She blushed and flicked a piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. “Really?” 

“Would I lie to you…” he paused to lean closer so he could read a name tag clipped to her shirt, “Julie?” 

Despite their obvious ten—if not more—year age gap, she gave him a bashful smile. “I suppose not, Mr.…” 

“O’Brien.” 

“Do you know where to find Peter?” 

“Yes, sweetheart.” He pushed easily off the desk and flicked an invisible piece of lint off of the black t-shirt. “Maybe I’ll see you around, Jill?” 

“Julie. I’d like that.” 

He winked; behind his glasses, the gesture was just a twitch of his cheek. 

Julie turned even more red, if it were possible. 

The entire interaction left Louis feeling mildly uncomfortable. He tried to recall a time he’d seen Slater flirting with somebody, aside from someone at the bar, and he was drawing blanks. Sure, he and Virginia sweet-talked to each other, but it was more friendly banter than it was actual “flirting”. 

By the time they got off the elevator, any signs of Slater’s easy and flirtatious demeanor was gone. He seemed more agitated and angry than anything else. He jabbed a button on a box that sat mounted next to a set of double doors. “Open up, Pete!” 

There was a pause before the doors slowly swung open.

Louis remembered Peter. He remembered his thinning gray hair, the way his round glasses sat low on his nose, and the way his face had been creased with aging lines. He knew better than to be fooled by Peter’s age. He remembered how swiftly his old bones had moved to shove a needle in his neck. 

Peter waved a hand and motioned for them to come in. “It’s been one hell of a day, boys.” 

Slater had no patience for small talk ninety percent of the time and he had none to spare for the older man. “How many of them are there?” 

“Four.” 

“What was the last time they were dosed up?” 

He squinted at his watch through his bifocals. “About two hours ago. They’ll need it again around two in the morning. Dottie will be up to take care of that.” 

Louis remembered the old woman, her hair cropped short and her saggy earlobes weighed down by heavy earrings. He left Slater and Peter alone to hash out the details, drawn to the doors of the padded cells. 

He peered through the window in the door.

Whoever was on the other side looked to be asleep. He was wearing the same blue paper-like clothes he’d worn when he’d been held here. He was curled up on the narrow bed, the blanket kicked to the bottom of the bed next to his bare feet. 

“That one,” Peter said as he came up next to him, “can imitate any sound.” 

That one, like they weren’t people. Like he and Slater weren’t people. It was like they were objects, animals, inhuman. 

It was sickening. 

Louis moved to the next door and looked inside. Just like the room before, this cell’s occupant was sprawled out on the narrow mattress, mouth open as he slept. 

“He can make it windy as hell. I thought he was going to cause a twister when we brought him in. He was hiding in the middle of Tornado Alley, that smartass.” 

Louis stopped in front of the third door. He was surprised to see that the cell’s occupant wasn’t asleep. 

A woman was sitting up on the bed, her hair a matted and tangled mess. She had scratches down her cheeks, like she’d clawed herself in the face. She rocked back and forth on the bed, her mouth moving as she muttered something too quietly for him to hear. She looked like she had missed a turn on the road to sanity. 

“What about her?” 

At the sound of his voice, she snapped her gaze to him. Her face lit up, her eyes were feral, and a smile stretched slowly across her face. 

Louis’s eyes widened. 

It wasn’t a smile he’d anticipated to see from someone so thin and frail. It was the smile of a killer, a predator that had tasted blood and was looking to sink her teeth into another kill. Her teeth weren’t normal. Each tooth ended in a savage point. They were completely inhuman. 

“Oh, that one.” Once again, he said it the way a teacher talked about a naughty school child. It was the same way his father had talked about a particular member of his congregation after he’d been arrested for theft. “Keep that bitch drugged. She took half of Deuce’s hand off with those fucking chompers and she’ll take yours off too if she doesn’t get dosed up with Quench every few hours. It’s like she’s part shark or something. I mean, look at her teeth!” 

Louis could see them, alright, and the thought of them biting into his flesh left him feeling uneasy. 

“Dottie is stupid enough to get close to her?” Slater asked from behind Louis. He was close enough that his breath ghosted across the back of Louis’s neck as he spoke. 

“Stupid or brave. I haven’t decided which.” Peter stepped away from the window and grabbed his jacket. “Well,” he said as he tugged it on behind the U-shaped desk in the middle of the wing, “it’s been fun, boys. I’m going home to get some sleep.” 

Louis filed all of this information away for later. He wasn’t ready to make his move against Rick yet, but when he was, this place was a good start if he wanted to make it hurt. He wanted to get his hands on Quench. It seemed as though without the drug to suppress the superhuman abilities of his “assets”, he would have no way of holding them. 

With the scent of Slater’s leather jacket in his nose and the tickle of his breath on the back of his neck, he was hyper aware of the other man’s silence. “What’s your problem?” 

Slater replied with silence. He plopped himself in the chair Peter’s windbreaker had previously been occupying. 

Louis perched on the dusty countertop a few feet away. He kept one eye on the entrance to the wing with in eyesight and didn’t take his attention away from the four cell doors for long. The very thought of the ferocious woman getting loose and ripping out his throat with her shark teeth was enough to make him want another cigarette. 

He was used to his silent companionship with Slater, who seemed content playing a game on his cell phone to occupy his time. However, there was only so much silence Louis could tolerate while he waited for something—or nothing—to happen. “What are your side-effects like?” He asked. “I know what they are, but what is it like experiencing them? I mean, you know how I feel every time I use my gift. You’ve experienced it. What about you?”

Slater’s fingers stopped tapping the screen of his phone. He sat back, seeming to contemplate whether or not he wanted to answer. He paused for so long that Louis thought he wasn’t going to reply until he said, “It’s like popping a zit.” 

He scrunched up his face. That was a gross description. He supposed, Slater’s powers could be equally disgusting if he chose to just blow someone to pieces instead of keeping it contained inside of their skull. 

“When I want to use my powers I feel an insane build up of emotions—anger, mostly—and there’s a rush. Then, after I use them there’s just...nothing. It’s satisfying like popping a zit or lancing a blister. Get it?” 

It was a gross visual, but it made sense. “Do you genuinely not feel anything at all? You can still use your powers after you’re experiencing the side-effects.” 

“I feel things, but they’re dull. It’s like the memory of a wound. The wound doesn’t actively hurt anymore, it’s no longer there, but if I try hard enough I can feel a flicker of something. That is, if I care enough to try.” 

From the sound of it, Slater’s powers were emotionally draining because it took so much emotion for him to be able to use them. It wasn’t that he became apathetic, because he still had feelings. It was more like he’d used the majority of his emotional energy trying to feel things after such a powerful wave of emotion that his emotional “battery” needed time to recharge. 

Louis were impressed that Slater was opening up enough to talk to him about his powers. He decided to push his luck a little further. “How did you learn that you had abilities?” 

“Like most people do, by accident. What about you?” 

“I had a panic attack,” he had admitted with a soft laugh. It seemed silly now, but it certainly hadn’t been funny when the bombs had been raining down on him and the earth had been shaking apart. “During the war,” he added, “we were under attack. I thought I was going to be buried alive.” 

“Such a shame,” he teased dryly. He opened a few drawers next to his leg and produced a deck of cards. “Care to play a few hands?” 

Louis slid from the countertop to sit in an empty chair. “We might as well. We’re going to be here all night.” 

Tag List: @tricksexual, @wildler, @ganseyboii, @surrealirist, @obsessionandstuff, @pertinax--loculos, @pe-ersona, @a-curator-of-nonsense, @angelolytle, @aslanwrites, @aurumni-writes, @andrewminyardd, @lordkingsmith, @gloriafrimpong

(Ask to be added/removed)

[ladyherenya]

Books read in February

Sometimes there are obvious themes or trends in the books I’ve read because I am deliberately seeking out certain stories, but more often any patterns are accidental.

I read three contemporary YA novels in a row and in all of them, the main boy answers to “Jamie”. (One boy is nicknamed Jamie only very occasionally but that still counts.)

In the same week I started two books about paladins, with “paladin” in the title. (Paladin is not a word I’ve encountered much -- the only other books with paladins that I can remember reading are some of T. Kingfisher’s and a series by Lois McMaster Bujold.)

There’s also a theme going on with these covers -- purple and gold.

Favourite cover: Paladin.

Reread: Legacy (The Sharing Knife) by Lois McMaster Bujold.

Next up: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing and Dreamwidth.)

*

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart: An archaeologist and an anatomy lecturer investigate a redheaded woman’s head discovered in an Irish bog, and also become caught up in the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a local landowner’s wife. I didn’t know about peat bogs nor the challenges they pose for determining how long a body has been buried. I’ve read a bunch of murder mysteries -- this one is definitely different. It is so atmospheric, with a strong sense of place, history and mystery. I enjoyed Cormac and Nora’s company and liked how they had different skills and perspectives. I’ll read more of these.

Lucky Caller by Emma Mills: Nina is in her final semester of high school and her radio broadcasting elective is not going as expected. This book made me laugh. I enjoyed the camaraderie of the radio team and Nina’s close bond with her sisters. I like the way Jamie is part of Nina’s life, quiet yet important -- he’s a classmate, a colleague, a childhood friend, a neighbour and a crush. I find Mills’ YA very relatable, even though her protagonists’ circumstances and personalities differ from mine as a teenager. It’s the way these stories are about friendship, family, fandom and facing change.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed: Two teenagers, one Jewish and one Muslim, end up campaigning for a state senate candidate together. There’s less about actually canvassing than I expected but it’s nevertheless an interesting look at being seventeen and politically aware -- and particularly aware of discrimination against people like you -- during an election. The dual POV brings breadth to this story and puts Jamie and Maya’s (cute) relationship front and centre, but means there’s perhaps less development in their respective relationships with friends and family; there’s potential for some of those to pack more of an emotional punch. But that’s not what this story is focusing on.

Every Move by Ellie Marney: Sequel to Every Breath and Every Word. Rachel Watts and James Mycroft are back in Melbourne but haven’t recovered physically or psychologically. And a couple of local murders send a clear message: they’re still in danger. I really liked that this deals with trauma and with consequences. She’s trying to forget, he’s obsessively trying to find answers -- their different coping strategies are an interesting potential conflict. I was frustrated by some of their choices, although I understand their reasoning, and there’s more violence than I really wanted. Quibbles aside, this trilogy is tense and satisfying. I appreciate that this is a Sherlock Holmes-ish story about Australian teenagers.

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (narrated by Nigel Planer): The Hogfather has disappeared, so Death takes over the job to ensure that the children don’t stop believing at Hogswatch. I wonder if this book is trying to tap into experiences of childhood I, growing up in a family which didn’t “do” things like Santa or the tooth fairy, didn’t have... but I can’t specifically pinpoint any reason why that would impinge on my ability to enjoy this story. I really liked the parts with Susan and Death, and I have a growing fondness for the wizards of Unseen University. I don’t care for the assassins or auditors.

Paladin’s Grace by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon): A paladin and a perfumer deal with politics, a wrongful accusation of poisoning and some weird murders. I like my comfort reads to have an edge of darkness, so I’ve no objections to murder intruding into a fluffy romance. The humorous bits are funny and the characters’ support networks are heartening -- as is seeing two people who have been hurt in the past and consequently seriously doubt their own desirability discover joy and solace with each other. Their obvious physical attraction undercut some of the tension for me but the rest of the plot had enough uncertainty and surprises. Enjoyed.

Knife Children (a story in the world of The Sharing Knife) by Lois McMaster Bujold:  Lakewalker patroller Barr was told to stay away from his half-farmer daughter and leave her unaware of her true parentage, but he has watched her from afar. When Lily disappears from her family’s farm, Barr sets out to find her. This novella technically stands alone but what I enjoyed most about it was seeing how much Barr has grown -- from an impulsive young man in Passage and Horizon into someone who deals maturely with the consequences of past mistakes, and provides proper support and guidance for a teenager whose world has been turned upside down. Satisfying, hopeful and unexpectedly poignant.

The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff: I really struggled to focus on this. I still suspect it may turn into a story that appeals to me more and if it hadn’t been a week overdue and accruing a fine -- and if I hadn’t had other library books that I wanted to read before they did the same -- I would have persevered longer. It occurred to me that if I listen to the abridged audiobook, I will at least discover what sort of story this turns into! I am leery of abridged audiobooks but there isn’t an unabridged version, so it might be worth a try.

Headliners by Lucy Parker: I’ve really enjoyed all of Parker’s romances but this one didn’t grab me. I’m fascinated by the theatre world but not very interested in breakfast television. And with everything else going on in this story -- the rivals-to-colleagues-to-lovers relationship, uncertainty about their careers, mystery about possible sabotage and the aftermath of revelations about Sabrina’s family --- there isn’t much space to properly show why Sabrina and Nick end up caring about their morning show so much. However there were things I liked about the characters and enjoyed about their interactions. And I kept reading until the end, which says something.

Paladin by Sally Slater (narrated by Carly Robins): I needed an audiobook, this was available and I like the cover. After her mother is killed by a demon, Lady Samantha disguises herself as a boy and joins the paladins. In terms of its tropes, themes, twists and worldbuilding, this story isn’t doing anything new -- nor that other stories haven’t arguably done better (although the exact combination of narrative elements could very well be unique). But it is entertaining.