#that it does not devote the necessary minimum of attention

[imunbreakabledude]

doing akkha is so funny because from the very start of just having casually read guides/watched videos of people doing ToA, I was like, "oh okay a little memory game, you just click in the quadrants that are highlighted, that's easy. that's the most easy and obvious mechanic, the rest of it seems much harder to deal with"

and yet in my ToA learning so far i mess up the memory attack almost every time. because I'm like "okay yeah yeah i saw the colors sure sure" then go to actually reproduce the pattern and. surprise surprise, I do not remember

[save-mohamed-family]

My campaign is verified and added to the Gaza Donations page with number 192.

Thank you for documenting my campaign from the following accounts:

@sar-soor @heba-20 @el-shab-hussein @90-ghost @soon-palestine@ibtisams @marnota @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @i-am-aprl @northgazaupdates @fallahifag @fairuzfan

I love you all 🙏🙏♥️🌹

I am Mohammed Almanasra, 32 years old, married, and a father of three children: Abdulrahman, 6 years old, Sarah, 4 years old, and Lina, 3 years old.

My story began with the loss of my parents and four of my sisters, who were bombed and lost their lives along with their children after the events of October 7 and the severe war on Gaza. Now, I am facing a severe injury to my leg, which is at risk of amputation if I do not receive the necessary treatment. My wife, children, and I are displaced, without parents or siblings, and my wife is also suffering from uterine cancer.

Recently, I moved to the south of the Gaza Strip, fearing for the lives of my children. We left behind our memories and our new home, for which we had not finished paying the installments, in addition to losing my job. Currently, I live in a tent that does not protect me from the heat of summer or the cold of winter, and without the minimum necessary livinng basics including water, food medical care, clothe and even bedding .

I suffer from a chronic asthma and severe attacks from tightness and an extreme allergy in the ear and I need medicine that are not available, or very expensive .

Under these difficult circumstances, after five attempts at displacement and narrowly escaping death from the bombing, I am trying with all my might to protect my family, the most precious thing I have.

My dreams were shattered, and my house was destroyed, and I found myself living in a tent no larger than 4 square metres. My work turned from a tailor to a street vendor in order to barely buy a few crumbs of bread to feed my children.

Look at what happened to my children because of the intense heat and the insects that thrive in the summer season. Every day, I take them to the hospital to treat them due to poisonous insect bites. I implore every kind-hearted soul to help me protect my children.

My son, Abdul Rahman, has a deep passion for playing football and is a devoted fan of Real Madrid. He always dreamed of playing football at his school, but the war prevented this dream from coming true.

Where are you, Real Madrid fans ?

Help Abdul Rahman achieve his dream.

Every donation will make an enormous difference in helping me save my family.

I feel very sad and embarrassed to ask for help, but I have no other options left. I know that this request is difficult, but I also know that there is still humanity and living consciences and I believe in miracles.

Your support during this extremely difficult time will give us hope in the midst of devastation and despair.

If you have any inquiries or questions, feel free to ask me, please!

To everyone with a compassionate heart,

To all who understand the essence of humanity,

This is a message from my innocent children, who trust that their words will reach everyone who truly understands the meaning of childhood.

We cry out to you, asking you to feel our sorrow and pain, and to extend a helping hand to us in this time when we are in desperate need of your mercy and compassion.

My name is being repeatedly added to many public and private donation campaigns. Please, be a support for me in this difficult situation.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1yYkNp5U3ANwILl2MknJi9G7ArY4uVTEEQ1CVfzR8Ioo/htmlview

Sincere greetings & thanks

Mohammed & the family

[neopentane5]

Would love to hear more headcannons about yuris personality. Read some of the ones you posted on twitter and they were so good i need more lol

Thank you for your interest! I will write a bit more about Yuri's personality analysis.

1. Yuri in Physical Aspects

Yuri's Great Strength and Lack of Control

Yuri's immense strength and lack of control stem from his past environment. Both he, Makarov, and other Russian soldiers considered such strength normal, though it actually exceeded normal limits (like when he gave Soap an injection). He likely used the same methods when dealing with Makarov for injections or bandaging.

Yuri's Exceptional Physical Fitness

Yuri's physical fitness is extraordinary, making him believe that everyone's physical fitness is on par with his. Despite falling from a waterfall, being bitten by a dog, or being impaled by a steel rod, he could still perform basic actions. You can imagine if his intestines were spilling out from a wound, Soap would be frantically alerting him, while he would calmly nod and say, "I know, just put them back in." This explains why, after falling from a building with Soap, he initially didn’t grasp the severity of the situation, not realizing Soap could die from it.

Yuri's Combat Skills and Mastery of Various Weapons and Drones

Both Yuri and Makarov were former Spetsnaz members, and joining Spetsnaz requires a minimum of being an officer. One of Yuri’s tattoos signifies "can be hired to kill," indicating his dangerous nature. He has been to prison for unknown reasons, but it can be speculated that he was either undercover or sent there by Makarov, who could easily get him out if needed. His tattoos also indicate a high status in prison, with his mere glance being enough to intimidate others.

In a hand-to-hand combat without weapons, Makarov wouldn’t stand a chance against Yuri.

Yuri's Preference for Cleanliness

When possible, Yuri shaves and washes his clothes regularly, even washing Makarov's clothes, as he believes maintaining cleanliness is crucial for health. However, he is not picky when conditions don’t allow it. He won’t complain about eating dirty food with Makarov or Makarov not bathing for days.

2. Yuri's Personality and Psychological Aspects

Yuri's Reserved Nature

Yuri speaks only when necessary, contributing to his intimidating presence in prison. If he doesn't want to answer, he remains silent, as seen when Soap mentioned his familiarity with Makarov, to which Yuri did not respond. Even in communication with Makarov, he often remains silent, especially when he disagrees. Instead of arguing, he expresses his discontent through silence and unhappy glances. This also applies when he doesn’t want intimacy with Makarov; he might say he’s tired or not in the mood, but more often, he remains silent.

Yuri Expresses Himself Through Actions

Though Yuri doesn’t argue with Makarov, he directly called the FSB to report him. This behavior extends to both his professional and personal life. While he struggles with verbal affection (he would, if pressured, awkwardly stammer through it with a blush), he proves his feelings through actions. He would shield Makarov from bullets and hold his hand in moments of despair, nodding to reassure him, “You still have me.”

Yuri's Loyalty and Realization of Love

Yuri is slow to recognize his own feelings, but once he does, he is unwavering in his devotion. He treats all deserving individuals well. On the battlefield, he would save every teammate, and his sincerity towards friends explains why he still has allies in the FSB and gains Nikolai’s approval. Makarov appreciates this trait deeply. Yuri’s approach to love is akin to his patriotism—loyal and steadfast, always wanting the best for his beloved.

Yuri's Gentleness and Attention to Detail

As Makarov’s right-hand man, Yuri must stay close, handling tasks like recording meetings, acting as a bodyguard, and listening to Makarov’s ambitions. Makarov values Yuri for his infrequent mistakes, attentiveness, and understanding of Makarov’s moods. Having endured the Soviet Union's collapse together, their bond is strong. When Makarov drinks heavily, Yuri changes his clothes, cleans him up, and puts him to bed.

Yuri's Clear Sense of Love and Hate

Yuri can take a bullet for Makarov without hesitation but can also shoot him if necessary, without a second thought.

Yuri's Shyness with Affection

Yuri is easily embarrassed, especially when faced with direct expressions of love, as he doesn’t know how to handle them.

That’s all for now! Feel free to add more!

[quornesha]

Prophecy And Symbolism Of Male Ibex

The Following Channel is from higher powers, Divine, the ancestral plane and is prophetic through Quornesha S. Lemon|

Whether the Male Ibex appears in dreams, visions, waking life or synchronicities, it is a sign and message that if you are unhappy in your current circumstances they will get better in the very near future. This is related to spouse(s), marital circumstances. The male Ibex is a sign of a strong natured man whose actions follow his promises. He's a keeper of his word. But this does not reflect your current person.

The Male Ibex represents your longing for someone who is more on your level. If you're feeling out of place in your current relationship rest assured that times are changing and there are angels assigned to see you through to the next chapter of your life. One book will close while another book will open. Also remember that, what is in the darkness, shall come to the light. The Male Ibex could also represent that a current partner is keeping a painful secret that could leave you feeling scorned. Or, perhaps that partners end is within sight. There will be peace in accepting the conclusion of toxic relationships. No ending is easy. While this does not always herald a divorce. It is indicative that you have somehow fallen out of love with a spouse In question. It could be that they do not take the time out to make you feel important. You feel neglected. Etc. But the coming partner resonates moreso with you.

You are manifesting someone better. Beware of anyone whose willing to share you with other people. As their focus isn't about your needs but the needs of themselves. If an open relationship serves you that is for you to decide alone. The Male Ibex is indicative of someone who will come into your life and make you a priority. You will never have to question this man's loyalty nor devotion to you. You will be the apple or his eye and his spouse. Things will move very quickly so do keep an opened mind and don't worry about the jealous opinion of others. Not everything has to happen logically or within the rigidity of order. Sometimes things are spontaneous and when you are loved and loved well…everything you do feels right to you and each other. The Male Ibex prophecies an inevitable end to a current relationship. The angels and guides have a unique way as to which this shall come about. Your perception is different now. You do not have to accept the bare minimum nor make excuses for how others love you or take you for granted. The Male Ibex also predicts that your man/mate will be someone who always wants you and he will constantly express himself to you. Be patient with yourself as your life changes.

Even though it is for the best it doesn't always feel good when changes are necessary. Pay no thought to negative close ones. As sometimes, even if they mean well their advice is not well placed and can land negatively. Follow your own heart. A whirlwind romance is coming into your life. It will be downright magical and blessed by the orishas. You have been through so much and you will know when to let down your guard to love again. And you'll know when to remain guarded against the wrong type of attention. The male Ibex represents someone who will understand you and who'll become acclimated with your energy and whom will love every inch of you mind, body and soul. You two will feel like you've known each other for years. For former things are to pass away, and that which is to come is blessed and sent by divine power. You have not gone unheard by divine. Divine is aware of the hurt your heart has endured with past or current relationships. So don't be surprised if you do things quickly with this person, that includes intimacy. Rest assured that the orishas will not tolerate your suffering any longer. Hang in there. Better is on its way. And unfortunately it's too little to late for the one who took you for granted. Have patience for a victorious outcome and cleanse yourself with a professional as often as needed. One season is ending and another beginning. Be grateful for the change. Just as sure as you've known pain, joy and peace will be experienced to the extremities.

This message isn't, obviously resonant with all whose paths it crosses, as perhaps you may encounter someone of this vernacular, mastery or skill. Therefore, it is a sign from the universe that you're meant to work with such a person.

Need further clarity or your own queries answered? Book your own reading as my schedule is full and I do not guarantee a reply on social media regarding this post.

If this is not you, then it is time to get clear to rejoin your tribe or the rest of the world of infinite beings. It's time to bring your light to the forefront. However, if you aren't able to invoke, heal or otherwise on your own, call on the assistance of shamans, healers, intuitive people, etc. to assist you. This synchronicity can possibly have specific meanings for you, it's time to get insight.

The Gift that Quornesha Has can never be duplicated, She is a Shaman, Writer, Healer, And Teacher with incredible prophetic/healing gifts. Please do not infringe upon her rights as the author. You are not permitted to reuse, nor are you to sale as you wish. This information has been made available to you for the purpose of introduction and demonstration. All rights reserved. If you'd like to use this in a magazine, online publication, or other, please ask for permission first. Legal actions will be taken if you proceed to impose. Be blessed, bless others and be at peace on your journey. What you do is coming back on you. Make sure that it is good, and all is well within you, through you and around you. The source sees all and knows what you think it does not.

[bigskydreaming]

I’m still working as best I can towards getting the surgery I’m always talking about in these posts, because when I tell you how much that will fundamentally change every aspect of my life right now, I’m not kidding. As usual, I’m way behind on rent, haven’t been able to afford new meds in a couple weeks, and am low on food and energy, with the first of the month being tomorrow and like.....I’m trying so hard to get the surgery at least before the end of the year, because as soon as I do, not only does it address all my health issues, I’ll be able to ditch the super pricey insurance I have to maintain just to keep the surgery I’ve otherwise paid for even a possibility? 

(Again, the surgery is already paid for, all 21K of it.....the reason I keep having to put it off is not having any extra to pay for rent and food while I’m stuck in bed recovering for a month after it, since I’m perpetually behind and stuck in the hole as is).

My breakdown of actual expenses, priority wise is:

- $812 per month insurance, without maintaining these specific benefits, I’ll owe additional money before they’ll even do the surgery, and there’s no way I can afford the out of pocket surgery price tag

- $1400 rent (there’s two of us living here, and we’re essentially living at one of those extended stay motels that give deals to people who are otherwise homeless, which is us. Yes, there are cheaper places we could live, even in LA a studio apartment can be found for like half this, but both of our credit scores were trashed in maxing out loans and credit cards even just to get us this far and we have no ability to rebuild our credit score while scrambling to keep up with day to day expenses as is, and we have no one who could co-sign on a cheaper apartment for us)

- $230 medication (I have an annoyingly high metabolism which means only specific pain medication works for me in the first place, as well as ADHD, C-PTSD, clinical depression, anxiety, something that is not OCD but is OCD related and hard to explain to people not familiar with it, and a few other things in the mix. I take four medications monthly, or am supposed to, and this total includes the cost of my refill apppointments, because many of my meds are controlled substances they won’t refill without monthly check-ups. Currently have been off my meds for over two and a half weeks. Its been grand)

- $80 phone/internet (necessary for most of my freelance work as well as refill and doctor appointments, etc. has been disconnected for over a week so there’s an additional $20 reconnect fee)

And anything I have left over after that goes to food. Literally the ONLY thing I need to finally be able to KEEP a surgery date is like....being able to afford rent, meds and food for the month after the surgery as my jaw will be completely wired shut, and I’ve been told to expect that I will not be able to get out of bed and move around for at least two weeks minimum.

But the SECOND after I’ve recovered from surgery, I can change so much of this? I can drop my pricey insurance, with the money I save from that I can fairly swiftly up my credit again as I’m less than 5K in debt overall, my biggest credit card is only $1K limit, I just can’t even afford to make tiny payment installments when I’m constantly behind even just on rent, as soon as I up my credit a bit and without the pain/medical issues limiting my ability to travel and use public transportation, I can find us a cheaper place to live, and like......between that, the gains I can make on sleep, nutrition and rest I can up my ability to find freelance jobs proactively, get more done, turn my attention back to various original projects that can potentially bring in money but that I haven’t been able to devote any attention to while needing to keep my focus such as it is limited to just producing fan content when and where I can since its mostly just mutuals and followers keeping me afloat as is and fan content caters to established fanbases whereas I simply don’t have the time, energy or focus to spare on building a fanbase with original content even though that’s potentially what can net me more money in the longrun, I’m just....stuck on short-run mode, lol. And have been for several years, so we’re talking law of diminishing returns here, as opposed to the expansion packet that original content can potentially reap, so add the frustration of that to ye olde mental/emotional turmoil.

ANYWAY.

Current sources of income other than donation posts are a part time job at a nearby fast food joint for minimum wage (limited hours though because I don’t set the hours and also physical disability makes this pushing it even as is), freelance work ghostwriting (mostly for self-published erotica and romance, though open to anything, please feel free to DM me if you have any potential work here, freelance editing (again mostly for self-published authors as that’s where I have the most contacts but open to anything), cover design (again mostly with self-pub authors but open to other stuff).

Other options I’m looking into to expand my potential income or revenue streams are making a youtube channel with more video essays on a range of topics, TikTok videos of various skits and scenes I’ve written for fandoms I’ve in, developing a Patreon with options for things like input on what output I create in those first two arenas, as well as things like capitalizing on my work history in the publishing and self-publishing industries as well as in Hollywood to step by step show the process of taking an original novel from single logline to fully self-published novel or querying agents in the traditional publishing world as well as mapping out similar journeys/processes in self-producing new media content as an actor or writer hoping to eventually create for film or television, etc.

Like, there’s a lot more I can do or offer there, its just first and foremost I’m hampered by time, energy and productivity constraints brought about by my lack of meds, food, and constantly needing to catch up on rent and insurance before I can even think about actually creating along any of those latter lines because I have to weigh the potential for greater income from longer term projects versus guaranteed income from short term projects of less broad potential but more immediate gains.

Anyway, I just went into detail here in ways I haven’t before hoping to shed a different light on the otherwise sameness of me constantly asking for help for the same thing, but like, please know there’s so much I can do to change my situation and I WANT to do, but there’s simply no way for me TO do that without meeting a certain threshold first, and like....that’s what I’m struggling to reach, month after month. After that? Could be a whole different ball game. 

https://ko-fi.com/kalenp

https://paypal.me/bigskydreaming?locale.x=en_US

[mbti-notes]

Type & Career Satisfaction

source: Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron, and Kelly Tieger (Completely Revised and Updated 2014)

ISTJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Is technical in nature and lets me depend on my ability to use and remember important facts and details

Involves a real product or service done in a thoughtful, logical, and efficient way, preferably using standard operating procedures

Lets me be independent, with plenty of time to work alone and use my excellent powers of concentration to complete projects and/or tasks

Is done in a stable and traditional environment, where I will not be required to take unnecessary risks or use untested or experimental approaches  

Has results that are tangible and measurable, where precision and exacting standards are used and respected 

Has explicit objectives and a clearly defined organizational structure 

Gives me adequate time to prepare before presenting or turning in my work, preferably in a one-on-one or small group setting 

Gives me increasing levels of responsibility, with a minimum of social politics, where I am evaluated on how well I have achieved the requirements of the job description and am appreciated for my contributions 

Is done in an environment where my practical judgment and experience are valued and rewarded 

Allows me to set and reach stated goals by providing me with the necessary resources      

ISFJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Requires careful observation and meticulous accuracy, where I can use my ability to remember facts and details

Lets me work on tangible projects that help other people, often requiring great accuracy and attention to detail 

Lets me express my compassion and devotion by working hard behind the scenes, but where my contributions are recognized and appreciated 

Is done in a traditional, stable, orderly, and structured environment, where the results are practical and service-oriented 

Requires that I adhere to standard procedures, use practical judgment, and follow through in a careful, organized way

Lets me focus all my energy on one project or one person at a time, working on products or services that have observable end results

Gives me a private work space so I can concentrate fully for extended periods of time and with a minimum of interruptions 

Lets me work primarily one-on-one, helping others, or with other people who share my personal values and beliefs 

Requires me to be organized and efficient in completing my assignments

Does not require too frequently that I present my work in front of groups of people without having adequate time to prepare well in advance        

INTJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me create and develop original and innovative solutions to problems to improve existing systems

Lets me focus my energy on the implementation of my good ideas, working in a logical and orderly way and in a setting that rewards my perseverance 

Lets me work with other conscientious people whose expertise, intelligence, and competence I respect 

Gives me credit for my original ideas and lets me maintain authorship and control over their execution 

Allows me to work independently but with periodic interaction with a small group of intellectual people within a smooth-running environment free from interpersonal squabbles 

Exposes me to a steady stream of new information, providing me with new ways to increase my proficiency and competence 

Lets me produce a product that meets with my own high standards of quality rather than with the personal likes or dislikes of others 

Does not require the repetitive execution of factual and detail-oriented tasks 

Provides me with a high degree of autonomy and control, with the freedom to effect change and develop people and systems 

Is judged by uniform and fair standards for all, where performance evaluations are based on established criteria rather than on personality contests and that compensates me fairly for my contributions        

INFJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me consider and create new ideas and/or approaches to a variety of problems, mostly those that help others to grow and develop

Lets me produce a product or service that I believe in and am proud of

Recognizes my authorship and ownership and my unique contributions

Lets me express myself and see the results of my vision

Lets me implement my ideas for the good of people or in the service of others; lets me work with others on a one-to-one basis 

Is done in a friendly and tension-free environment where my ideas are seriously considered and where I am psychologically supported for my efforts 

Can be done independently but with the opportunity to share frequently with others in an environment that is friendly and free of interpersonal conflict 

Lets me organize my own time and work environment and exert significant control over both the process and product 

Gives me adequate time to formulate and process my ideas so they are thoroughly prepared 

Is in harmony with my personal values and beliefs and lets me maintain a high degree of personal and professional integrity

ISTP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me identify and use resources that are available to me in the most efficient manner possible 

Lets me practice, master, and then use skills I have acquired, especially mechanical skills or those requiring the use of tools

Lets me apply my understanding and technical knowledge of the world around me and see the logical principles underlying my work; lets me engage in troubleshooting and problem solving 

Has clear directions; where I can work expediently and deal with real and practical products 

Is fun and active and lets me work independently with frequent opportunities to get out of my work space and be outdoors 

Is done in an environment without excessive rules or operating standards imposed by others; where I can enjoy spontaneous adventures and step in to manage any crisis 

Lets me work independently, with a minimum of supervision, and where I am not required to closely supervise others 

Gives me plenty of time to pursue my interests and hobbies 

Gives me a substantial amount of enjoyment and is continually challenging 

Lets me use an economy of motion and energy and does not require needless routine or procedures        

INTP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me develop, analyze, and critique new ideas 

Lets me focus my attention and energy on a creative, theoretical, and logical process, rather than on an end product 

 Is challenging and deals with complex problems, where I am able to try unconventional approaches, and take risks to find the best solution 

Lets me work independently with plenty of quiet, private time to concentrate and complete my thinking process 

Lets me set and maintain my own high standards for my work and determine how my performance will be evaluated and compensated

Is done in a flexible, nonstructured environment, without useless rules, excessive limitations, or unnecessary meetings 

Lets me interact with a small group of highly regarded friends and associates, all of whom I respect 

Gives me opportunities to constantly increase my own personal competence and power and lets me meet and interact with other powerful and successful people 

Lets me develop ingenious ideas and plans and lets me delegate the implementation and follow-through to an efficient support staff 

Does not require me to spend time directly organizing other people or supervising or mediating interpersonal differences      

ISFP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Is consistent with my strong, inner values, and is something I care deeply about and want to contribute my energy and talents to 

If done with others is in a supportive and affirming climate where I am a loyal and cooperative member of a team

Requires attention to detail, where I work with real things that benefit other people and have practical applications 

Gives me freedom to work independently but nearby other compatible and courteous people, and where I don’t feel restricted by excessive rules, structure, or inflexible operating procedures 

Lets me be adaptable yet committed; where I have a sense of purpose and am able to see and experience the actual results of my accomplishments

 Lets me use my sense of taste and aesthetics to enhance my physical work space, personalize it, and make others feel more comfortable 

7. Is done in a quietly cheerful and cooperative setting and where interpersonal conflicts are kept to a minimum 

Gives me an opportunity to experience inner growth and development within a context of work that I feel is important 

Lets me handle problems promptly and simply, offering practical help

Does not require me to perform regular public speaking, lead a large group of people I don’t know well, or give people negative feedback    

INFP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Is in harmony with my own personal values and beliefs and allows me to express my vision through my work 

Gives me time to develop substantial depth to my ideas and maintain control over the process and product 

Is done autonomously, with a private work space and plenty of uninterrupted time, but with periodic opportunities to bounce my ideas off people I feel respect me  

Is done within a flexible structure, with a minimum of rules or regulations, letting me work on projects when I feel inspired 

Is done with other creative and caring individuals in a cooperative environment free from tension and interpersonal strife 

Lets me express my originality and in which personal growth is encouraged and rewarded 

Does not require me to present my work frequently in front of groups of people or be called upon to share before it is completed to my satisfaction

Allows me to help others grow and develop and realize their full potential

Involves understanding people and discovering what makes them tick; allows me to develop deep one-to-one relationships with others 

Allows me to work toward fulfilling my ideals and not be limited by political, financial, or other obstacles        

ESTP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me meet and interact spontaneously with many people; offers something different every day, and is fun 

Lets me use my keen powers of observation and my capacity for absorbing and remembering facts

Lets me use my ability to search for solutions to problems, using first-hand experience and then critically analyzing these solutions to find the best ones 

Is active and full of adventure and fun, where things happen quickly, and where I am allowed to take risks and be alert to new opportunities 

Lets me respond to unplanned situations, using unconventional approaches, where I can skillfully negotiate satisfactory solutions 

Is done in an environment without a lot of rules or restrictions, where I work with other practical and lively people and am able to enjoy free time after completing my assignments 

Lets me organize myself as I go along and as I deem necessary, rather than according to someone else’s standards 

Is practical and logical, where I can use my reasoning abilities to find discrepancies or flaws in the logic of a system and fix it on the spot

Leaves me free to respond to a crisis and work in an expedient manner dealing with pressing issues 

Involves real people and things, not theories or ideas; where my efforts are directed to producing a tangible product or service  

ESFP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me learn from hands-on experience, where I look for solutions to problems from gathering all the facts at my disposal and by using common sense

Lets me get personally involved in the tasks at hand, working directly with clients or customers, out in the field rather than away from the action 

Lets me work with lots of other people in an active and social environment, with variety, fun, and spontaneity 

Requires skillful handling of people and conflicts, the ability to ease tensions to help groups work more cooperatively, and the ability to motivate others

Lets me juggle multiple projects or activities, especially those that utilize my aesthetic taste and sense of design 

Lets me interact throughout the workday with other easygoing and social people who share my enthusiasm, energy, and realistic point of view

Lets me work on projects that are of immediate utility and take into account the needs of people around me

Is done in a friendly and relaxed environment, without hidden political agendas 

Rewards my hard work and good intentions, and where I feel appreciated for my contributions

Lets me have fun, enjoy everyday surprises, and where there is a minimum of bureaucracy, rules, or restrictions      

ENTP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Gives me opportunities to engage in creative problem solving and/or generating new and innovative approaches to problems 

Lets me implement my innovative solutions in the creation of more efficiently functioning systems 

Acknowledges and encourages my creativity, competency, and ability to improvise 

Lets me experience a variety of situations filled with fun, action, and excitement 

Follows a logical order and is based upon objective and fair standards, rather than the likes or dislikes or one individual 

Lets me increase my professional and personal power and interact frequently with other powerful people 

Lets me meet and have constant interaction with many different people, especially those I respect 

Can be done in a rapidly changing, high-energy environment with significant interaction with others 

Is done in an environment that is casual and unstructured; where I can experience a high degree of personal freedom, time off, and the opportunity to operate in a spontaneous way 

Allows me to design or start projects but does not require me to follow through with tedious details 

ENFP career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me work with a diverse group of people on a variety of projects, motivated by creative inspiration

Lets me create new ideas, products, services, or solutions to problems that will help other people, and then see my projects become reality 

Is fun, challenging, and always varied 

Rarely requires me to handle the follow-through, routine details, or maintenance of a system or project 

Lets me work at my own pace and schedule, with a minimum of rules or structure and the freedom to act spontaneously

Lets me meet new people, learn new skills, and continually satisfy my curiosity 

Is consistent with my personal beliefs and values and lets me create opportunities that benefit others 

Is done in a friendly and relaxed environment with humor, goodwill, and a minimum of interpersonal conflict 

Allows me the freedom to follow my inspirations and participate in exciting and intriguing adventures 

Is done in an environment that appreciates and rewards enthusiasm, ingenuity, and imagination        

ESTJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me work systematically, organizing facts, policies, or people, and use time and resources efficiently toward a logical conclusion 

Lets me use mastered skills while working on concrete and straightforward assignments with clear specifications, using my strong reasoning powers 

Is measured and evaluated by fair, logical, explicit, and objective standards 

Is done in a friendly environment with other hardworking and conscientious people who do not bring their personal problems to work or expect me to share my personal feelings on the job 

Is realistic and tangible in nature and has practical applications and concrete results 

Has clear expectations and reporting hierarchy 

Lets me be productive, organizing the necessary steps and resources, following established procedures, and setting and meeting deadlines 

Is done in a stable and predictable environment, but one that is also filled with action and a variety of people 

Can be done with other people, enabling me to be in charge of myself and others 

Lets me make decisions and have a great deal of control and responsibility; where my opinions, recommendations, and experience are considered important  

ENTJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me lead, be in control, organizing and perfecting the operating systems of an organization so that it runs efficiently and reaches its goals on schedule 

Lets me engage in long-range strategic planning, creative problem solving, and the generation of innovative and logical approaches to a variety of problems 

Is done in a well-organized environment where I, and others, work within a clear and definite set of guidelines 

Challenges and stimulates my intellectual curiosity and lets me work with complex and often difficult problems 

Gives me opportunities to meet and interact with a variety of other capable, interesting, and powerful people 

Gives me the opportunity to advance within the organization and to increase and demonstrate my competence 

Is exciting, challenging, and competitive; where I am in the public eye and where my accomplishments are seen, recognized, and fairly compensated

Lets me work with other intelligent, creative, ambitious, and goal-oriented individuals whose competencies I respect 

Lets me set and meet goals and implement my organizational skills to keep myself and others focused on the larger goal while accomplishing all my objectives in a timely and efficient manner 

Lets me manage and supervise others, using logical and objective standards and policies that utilize each person’s strengths but without having to deal daily with interpersonal squabbles        

ESFJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me establish and maintain warm and genuine interpersonal relationships with other people working in real and tangible ways to improve their quality of life

Has practical benefits for people and gives me time to learn and master necessary skills before using them

 Lets me exercise control, working with many people, and helping them work harmoniously toward a common goal 

Has clear expectations, and where the evaluation of my performance is judged upon established and explicitly stated criteria 

Is done in a cooperative environment, free from conflicts and tension between co-workers, supervisors, clients, patients, and others 

Lets me make decisions and use efficient procedures to see that all the details of my projects are carried out to my specifications 

Gives me plenty of opportunities to interact with other people throughout the day and to be an integral part of the decision-making process 

Lets me organize my own work and that of those around me to ensure that things are run as smoothly and efficiently as possible

Is done within a friendly environment where people express their appreciation for my accomplishments, where I feel approval and support, and where I consider my co-workers to be my friends 

Is done in a setting with existing structure, where the chain of command is known and understood, and where authority is respected      

ENFJ career satisfaction means doing work that:

Lets me establish and maintain warm and supportive interpersonal relationships with co-workers, clients, customers, etc. 

Lets me develop creative solutions to problems on projects that I believe in and where I can see the positive results of my efforts for other people 

Is done in an environment where expectations are clear, contributions are appreciated, and personal and professional growth and development are encouraged 

Lets me be a part of a team of other creative people I trust as well as being busy and productive 

Allows me time to develop creative solutions to problems and then share them with other supportive and caring people 

Is done in an active and challenging environment where I am able to juggle several projects at once 

Lets me use my organizational and decision-making skills and have control and responsibility for my own projects 

Gives me a variety of activities but allows me to work in a relatively orderly and well-planned manner 

Is done in an environment that is free from interpersonal conflicts and ongoing tension 

Exposes me to new ideas and lets me explore new approaches, especially those that will improve the lives of other people

[ddarker-dreams]

Levi Ackerman x Reader hcs. [COMM]

a/n: i haven’t written for levi in many years!! some lock lore is that i used to write for him the most, it’s actually what got me into fanfiction/anime in the first place back in 2012... so it feels very nice to write for him again. i had a lot of fun with this! :’) word count: 2k. warnings: non explicit mentions of death (not involving reader), just canon typical stuff.

Love has been a concept that remains closed off in Levi’s mind. Getting close to others is already a risk too great in the world he’s come to know, a factor that’s proven unfortunately true time and time again. When you’re close to others, it means the possibility of being hurt by them all the same when they inevitably leave. The pain of losing another he’s grown attached to outweighs the possible benefits that could come with a closer connection. This philosophy has ensnared his heart, creating a barrier that no one dared slipping past for many years.

Even though Levi makes the choice to be wary of growing closer than necessary to people, he also understands the importance of trusting in his comrades. He has his own way of mentally assessing new recruits, and didn’t think much of you initially. You were a fresh face, who hoped that your efforts would cultivate humanity’s future. He’d seen many with that spark too many times to count. All of them ending up killed in gruesome ways, or losing the shine in their eyes should they live past another expedition. Though he still has an inherent respect for anyone willing to put their lives on the line for the Survey Corps, this extending to you as well.

His initial assessment of you was proven incorrect. While no longer as naive to the horrors of the outside world, the spark inside of you remains ever bright. There’s determination, that has only grown in strength as time goes on, rather than fading away. It catches his eye, to say the least. He looks after you from afar, without even realizing it. Levi tells himself that it’d just be a shame if something happened to you. He doesn’t think anything beyond that for some time, for his own mental well being.

Your relationship starts off with no romantic intentions. Levi spots you training on your own one day, even after a grueling day of menial work that comes with being a member of the Survey Corps. He’s captivated, unable to look away from your form. It’s sloppy, he thinks, but not hopeless. You’re not hopeless. It doesn’t sound like a high compliment, but coming from him, it’s meaningful.

It’s startling when he approaches you for the first time. He’s pointing out the numerous errors in your stance and what to do to correct them, never mincing his words. Levi’s standing there, arms crossed, willing you to continue with his input. While being under the scrutiny of humanity’s strongest soldier is anxiety inducing, his advice works perfectly. He doesn’t comment further than that, turning on his heels and leaving you to your thoughts and confusion.

Keeping your body in the best possible condition is vital to staying alive. His advice, though delivered in sharp as knives critiques, serves you well. Even just the bare minimum has your technique rapidly improving. This motivation to keep growing and learning is what drives you. Levi continues to watch from a safe distance as you spend hours doing different exercises, developing your abilities. From this point on it becomes something of a tradition, as much as he tries not to think of it that way. There’s a level of subconscious attachment that comes with looking forward to seeing you improve every evening. He’s acknowledged you. 

You start training together. It’s not everyday an opportunity to learn under Levi is offered, so when the hand was extended to you, you accepted it. He’s a tough yet fair teacher, offering praise only when he believes it’s deserved. Unfortunately, he can’t devote that much time to your little evenings due to his other obligations. That makes the time you shared all the more special. Despite himself, he’s looking out for you, and you him. A solid relationship begins to form.

Levi isn’t the easiest person to be around. He’s surprisingly talkative if you get him speaking on subjects that interest him, but his language remains coarse. Once you get used to this side of him, it’s for the better, hours flying by and the night sky appearing before you know it. Unlike others that tend to get offended or avoid alone time with Levi due to his reputation, you remain constant. He never brings it up, though he does wonder why you’re hellbent on seeking him out.

There are still times where Levi holds an internal battle over the unfolding events. He’s starting to like spending time with you, more than just offering wisdom on various subjects he’s knowledge about. He genuinely enjoys listening when you speak, an honor exclusive to you. Through the snark and monotonous comments, there’s clear attachment. 

It gets to the point that his closer comrades even pick up on the unusual behavior, this level of respect typically reserved for no one other than Commander Erwin. Though Hanji is the only one to point this behavior out. Everyone else is too frightened at the prospect of teasing Levi over his not so subtle fondness for you. He really didn’t think he was being so obvious... 

You’re on his mind more than he cares to admits. His mind wonders to you at night, when he’s in town, or even when he sees something silly that reminds him of you. Eventually, Levi’s thoughts almost always connect to you to some degree. He’ll spot something in the windows of a shop and recall how you mentioned wanting something similar, or subconsciously look for your favorite food when walking through market stalls. The thought of giving you gifts is off putting for a while since it’s a clear sign of of tenderness. And dammit, he’s trying so hard not to become attached -- but who is he kidding -- it’s far too late for that.

What Levi is good at is making swift decisions in the heat of the moment, and combat. So he has literally no idea how to approach his developing feelings for you. There are a lot of impulses, such as complimenting you, but it comes out more like an insult than anything. God bless your soul, because you’re going to be putting up with lots of uncomfortable interactions. He’s trying, okay, but he doesn’t know the first thing about romance. 

How he best shows his care for you is helping around in various ways. It isn’t as embarrassing as having to offer compliments, or the other traditional ways of romancing the person you’re interested in. Levi commits to making your life easier in anyway he can. These things range from making sure your horse is in top condition, setting aside rations if he knows you’re too busy to get them yourself, and checking over your equipment personally. He presents all this by saying “You’re prone to making mistakes, so let me do it instead.” In reality he just wants to make life easier for you, don’t be fooled by the prickly comment. 

He isn’t blind to the other elements of his attraction to you. You’re always glowing, an angel incarnate, beauty enough to draw in practically anyone with eyes. It was enough to draw him in after all. The first attempts at physical affection are subtle, yet heartfelt. Sitting closer to you, thighs almost touching. Leaning in closer whenever you speak. Lightly brushing his fingers against his face, claiming he saw a spec of dirt on it. All these things to gauge your reaction and build up his own confidence in pursuing you further.

The first time you kiss would be the night before an expedition. It’s always the most gut wrenching experience, anxiety ailing you so badly that sleep refuses to come. The stars are out, not a cloud in the sky. Levi comes to sit by you, chastising you for not being asleep, and offering no rebuttal when you point out that he’s also awake. It’s a serene moment, neither of you exchanging words for some time, finding comfort in each others presence. You don’t even realize how close he is to you. He speaks, the words insignificant, you’ve already long forgot what they were. 

When your head turns to offer him your full attention, that’s when he leans in. A chaste kiss is pressed against your parted lips. It’s shocking to say the least, adrenaline pumping through your veins at the intimate moment. His lips are softer than you expected. He treats you with unprecedented delicacy, moving back to assess your expression through lidded eyes. When you’re willing to reciprocate he’s more than happy to let you have your way. 

Levi isn’t the best with expressing himself fully through words. His actions more than compensate for this, you’ll never doubt his dedication to you. There’s no need for flowery prose, not when he has proven the lengths he’d go through to keep you safe, bearing all of himself to you. Your relationship isn’t defined by strict terminology, as he admitted to finding stuff like that “a waste of breath”. You both wordlessly acknowledge one another as partners. Any keen onlooker might be able to pick up on this, you don’t hide or put your relationship on display.

It’ll take some time for him to grow more amiable to physically expressing himself. He’s aware of his own strength and intimidating disposition, and doesn’t want to mess what’s possibly the best thing in his life up. So you’ll need to lead in most of those areas. All physical affection is reserved for private moments. Aside from maybe him whispering a sly remark or two in passing. 

The affection he likes receiving from you the most would be: Complimenting his actions, when you lay your head on his shoulder, whenever you do little things to help him out without him mentioning it, and when you hug him. He’s never experienced being held by another human being. So when you do it for the first time, he’s taken aback by how pleasant it is. Your comforting scent, how your warmth envelopes him, and how he can feel your heart beating. It’s one of his favorite things in the world, other than you of course.

The type of affection that he gives you the most would be: Acknowledging your growth in different areas (especially if he knows you’re insecure in one of them), putting his hand over yours, reminding you to take care of yourself, and kissing you on the forehead. Levi is a very proactive lover. He’s got a keen eye, picking up on things about yourself before you even notice them. While he might not always have the most tact, everything he does for you comes from a wholesome place.

Levi remains serious in the public eye. But when it’s just the two of you, or the company is people he’s close with, he loosens up considerably. Most of his jokes go over your head, since he always delivers them with such a deadpan. When he gets you to laugh with his dry wit though, by god does it feel good, he could listen to your laughter forever. It might even make his face heat up. 

You’re capable of making him smile more than anyone else! Though it’s still rare, that just means that when he does, you treasure it all the more. He smiles the most when you lose yourself in conversation. Rambling about your dreams, stories from your childhood, frustrating encounters that you had that day... all of it warms his heart in a way he never thought possible. You’re an addicting ray of sunshine, that he’s hellbent on protecting. 

Levi knows, now more than ever, what he wants from the future. Alongside protecting and expanding humanity’s territory, it’s you that he wants by him, and no cost is too great to achieve it. He won’t lose you -- he’s already lost so much -- so expect him to be protective. There may be limits to what he can do, but they’re all arbitrary to him. Rules and morality mean nothing in the face of ensuring your safety, and he’s vowed this to you. That one day, you’ll have a secure future, forever tied to each other. He might not mention the last part as it’s embarrassing, but the general sentiment is understood. 

[retro-scorpio]

7. Appreciation Day

Summary: Barbatos does so much for everyone around him (especially Lord Diavolo), but no one does anything for the demon butler in return; MC wants to change that.

This is the occasion described in part nine of The Arcana Meets The Devildom.

“Do you ever get a break?” I’m currently sitting on one of the counters in the kitchen as Barbatos is washing dishes.

“I’m allowed to retrieve into my quarters once my tasks are done for the evening,” the demon butler answers.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Are you wanting to know if I get any days off?”

“Kind of. I just want to know if you have any opportunities to kick back and relax.” Barbatos sets the dish he was working on back in the soapy water and turns his head to calmly face me.

“A good butler should never fully relax, MC. They should always be ready to serve their master under any and all circumstances.”

“You sound like Stevens.” The literary reference slips off my tongue before I remember that Barbatos is a demon and therefore may not have the knowledge in human literature necessary to understand what I’m talking about.

“Who’s Stevens?”

“He’s a fictional butler in a book I read in the human world. Very devoted to his job and extremely uptight. Kind of like you.” I didn’t mean that as an insult, but simply as an observation.

“Hence why you referred to him.”

“Exactly.” Barbatos turns his attention back to the sink and resumes washing dishes. For a couple of minutes, the kitchen is silent as Barbatos finishes his task. Then, as he’s drying the last dish, he says,

“Well, I dare say that Stevens and I would get along quite well. If he was real, that is.”

“Maybe. More likely, the two of you would get so caught up in your duties that you wouldn’t allow yourselves to make that connection.”

“I’d like to think that I’m capable of making connections with people.”

“I’m not talking about professional relationships, Barbatos.”

“Neither am I.” He puts the dish away and turns around to face me.

“If I was incapable of making connections with people that extended beyond my job, then you wouldn’t be sitting on that kitchen counter.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I allow certain things to slide where you’re concerned. Do you think I would permit Lucifer to sit on the counter?”

“I don’t think he would even want to.”

“That’s not the point, MC.” Barbatos sighs.

“Let me put it to you in a different way. Do you recall the times you’ve heard me complain about aspects of my job?”

“Well, I wouldn’t call it complaining, but you have mentioned how Diavolo has made things inconvenient for you on different occasions.”

“Good. I’m glad your memory’s intact. Lucifer and I are in similar positions as assistants to Lord Diavolo, and yet if you were to ask him if he has ever heard me say anything negative about my Lord, he would adamantly tell you no, he hasn’t, and he would be telling you the truth.” I know that I should be focusing on the fact that Barbatos basically confessed to me that he sees me in the same way as I see him--meaning someone he can trust with anything and everything--but there’s a question that’s just a bit more pressing at this exact moment in time.

When did Barbatos get this close to me? He was literally on the opposite side of the kitchen at the start of this part of our conversation, and now he’s standing mere inches away from me. What is going on?

“Can I ask you something, Barbatos?” I ask him, my voice sounding a bit squeaky as a result of my rather sudden nervousness. I feel like something’s going to happen. No rational person would get that close and not expect a kiss on the cheek at a minimum.

“Certainly.”

“Has anyone done anything for you?”

“I’ve received presents from Diavolo.” He dropped the “Lord”. Why did he drop the “Lord” from “Lord Diavolo”?

“Not exactly what I meant. I mean, Lord Diavolo getting presents for you is technically him doing something for you, but I guess what I want to know is, have you asked someone to do something for you and then have them actually do it?”

“I have a feeling you’re not talking about me giving orders to the little demons that reside here.” He gently places a finger under my chin and props my face up slightly so that I’m looking directly into his eyes. What is going through his head? Why is he acting like this? When did he become attractive? Not that he’s a bad looking guy by any means, but I’ve not thought of him in that way before.

“N-No.” Is he smirking at me?!

“I must say, I never thought I had the ability to make people stutter. Or blush, for that matter.”

“What do you want from me?” 

“If I can be honest, I wish to not be a good butler this evening. In fact, I don’t want to be a butler at all. I simply want to be an ordinary demon, at least for a few moments. Would you be able to help me?” 

“Are you playing out something that you saw happen in one of the timelines?” That would be the only logical explanation at this point for Barbato’s behavior.

“Would you believe me if I told you that I wasn’t?” I can’t take it anymore. I have to do something about this.

That something, as it turns out, is roughly pulling Barbatos to my body as I begin feverishly kissing him. It all moves very quickly. Barbato’s tongue slips into my mouth; my hands fumble with the buttons on his shirt; he has my hair between his fingers; my shoulder gets exposed to the kitchen air.

And the moaning. Oh, the moaning. Especially from Barbatos. It’s the type of moaning that can almost make a person cum on the spot. 

We’re both shirtless now. My legs are wrapped around his waist with my feet resting just below his butt. His hands move all over my back, while I grip tightly on his. And my ass is still on this damn counter.

He pulls away after who knows how long, causing me to take deep breaths to recover from the limited amount of air I was taking in. When did Barbatos have the time to become that good of a kisser?

“Would it be selfish of me to request that we move this to my room?”

[onlinemoneyculture]

How To Make Money With YouTube

YouTube has transformed video publication into a lucrative business and a powerful tool for promoting your business or service internationally. It has grown in popularity as the cost of high-quality video recording has decreased. 

Nowadays, all you need is a quality standalone camera or a nice smartphone to capture footage that rivals high-budget productions. It's all about originality and a compelling viewpoint for eliciting an emotional response from your potential audience.

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The Establishment

Before you start seeing yourself as the next Danny Boyle, it's a good idea to consider the type of video you want to create. Are you wanting to earn money directly from your video, or are you looking to utilize it to promote engagement? Occasionally, it is common to do so for both of these reasons. The sort of material you publish on YouTube is determined by what and why you record and share. 

In terms of direct or indirect revenue generated by your video, it's obvious that the number of views and shares your video may generate is the metric of success. So, what causes virality? We can never truly anticipate what will happen, but we can make some educated predictions based on historical tendencies. Even if your video does not become a global sensation, you may still earn money from your camera and a little more money for your trouble.

The Distribution

Depending on the purpose of the video, you can generate interest by delivering information authoritatively in order to keep the audience informed or inquisitive, and by including other clips that connect to your subject as necessary. If you choose the lighthearted informal approach, it is critical that your video be both engaging and humorous while still being relevant to your line of business. 

To increase your watching statistics, use useful tutorials or 'how-to's delivered with a tongue-in-cheek tone. Humour is always an excellent perspective to take. There are several free video editing programs that may help you produce attractive visuals for your clip. Text sliders and integrated music are also easier to design and add than you would believe. A well-produced videoed viewpoint works effectively for direct sales or marketing. 

The road forward is short, acute, and swift. Bear in mind that internet viewers have a relatively limited attention span. You have the first eight seconds to captivate the viewer's attention. Begin with a bang and keep interested by removing any superfluous material.

Sell! Sell! Sell!

If you sell a product or service, it's worthwhile to collect client testimonials for inclusion on your website. It surpasses text testimonials in that anybody can create a fake one in a couple of seconds. This will not only improve your YouTube presence, but it will also provide material for your other endeavor - a video advertisement!

If you're launching a new product or service, you may create an instructional video to accompany it, therefore promoting both your business and your new device. Publishers and authors do this frequently. Provide valuable information on the issue to which your product relates. Inform your visitors on topics they don't know and then present your goods without being too pushy.

The $1 shaving club clip is still the gold standard for all trade-related YouTube videos. Michael Dubin achieved over 5 million views and massive volume sales of $1.00 shaving sticks for a total cost of $3,000 plus several unemployed staff employees. 

It demonstrates the power of imagination in spreading a message virally. He amassed a sizable watching audience, but achieving a 3% global sales conversion rate is nothing short of brilliance. Take a look at the Dollar Shave Club smash.

Create a humorous video ad displaying your business culture or a typical client experience as an excellent starting point. To convert one viewer into ten or twenty, showing footage of your bustling work environment, processing orders, or showcasing the advantages of your business would require entertainment or shock.

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An excellent video is only effective if it elicits a single viewer's response or engagement. However, in order to go viral, the video must be humorous, provocative, or extremely instructive. What you want is for your audience to share your video on social media. That is the actual definition of a viral assault, which is disseminated by people who are infected. We'd suggest that traffic generated by controversy be left to experienced marketers or those looking for nothing more than a large number of visitors. It may have unfavorable consequences.

For people new to YouTube, it's generally best to just be yourself. Make certain to highlight your unique selling proposition. As alluring as it may be to hire a gorgeous blonde as your spokeswoman, this strategy almost always works against you; instead, get some genuine individuals in front of the camera and demonstrate to your consumers that you can be trusted. 

Successful films often include make-up artists, business trainers, eccentric shops, and amusing web ventures. On YouTube, music has also gained commercial exposure, and we are not talking about a major musician or record company. Dub FX was a dub performer making a few pounds on the streets of Camden and other comparable European cities. On YouTube, footage of his performance garnered millions of views, and let's just say he received his baptism at Glastonbury.

Click To Purchase

New media technology is not idle, particularly when it comes to generating direct sales through media engagement. Some people began the concept with product placement while watching a YouTube clip. Now, you may click on a highlighted object in a video to purchase the item using the click-through link. 

The setup is far less expensive than it was when the technology was in Beta a few years ago. For a monthly fee, you may have the software running in your £20 YouTube video. A smart method to set up a YouTube shop, in a nutshell, is to have a scrolling catalog with voice commentary and some intriguing content to keep the user engaged. 

Your material should pique the viewer's interest and maintain it. If it's fashion, discuss trends, suggestions, and styles, sprinkle in an occasional celebrity photo, and then exhibit your products. The same is true of services. You may include scrolling text that is clickable as you introduce your unique service. Order now, reserve your spot, and other call-to-action words can generate direct income for you.

AdSense And Ranking

YouTube is an excellent source of vitamins for your Google health. Your web presence may do wonders for surfer engagement and commerce thanks to search engines and web ranking. After uploading your video, don't forget to give it a title, description, and tags. 

After you've optimized your keywords and set phrases with accompanying descriptions, you're well on your way to receiving a spike in traffic from Google. If you use appropriate connections and spread the news via social media or your website, your video should get a few hundred views. Your video should begin to show on Google as a result of your key phrases. Click-throughs to websites receive a sizable portion of their traffic from video searches typically associated with YouTube. 

Page ranking on YouTube with the assistance of your video is therefore very important. Conduct research on how AdSense works to ensure that money generated from this source is reasonable and constant. YouTube will deposit payments into your Google AdSense account, and after you've completely registered in the program, you'll also be able to turn on Google advertisements to the side of or above your videos. 

This may earn additional revenue through pay per click and affiliate commissions, and all you have to do is maintain new video material and enjoy the earnings. Apart from direct payment, there are additional options to grow your YouTube reputation and generate additional money sources. 

If you're selling a few items on eBay or want to increase traffic to your revenue-generating blog, including a link to your site makes sense. You may approach other firms in your sector and offer to recommend their goods in your videos in exchange for a 5-10% commission over and above what YouTube pays you, or you can just get into an affiliate arrangement. By avoiding middlemen affiliate firms, you may keep 100% of your commission.

The Program for Partners

The Partner Program is when your films truly begin to earn you money. Once you become a partner, you may expect to earn between $2.50 and $5 (£1.56 and £3.13) for every 1,000 views of your video. While this may not sound like much at the moment, if you manage to produce the next viral phenomenon with millions of views, you can expect to earn a dot-com fortune for your efforts. Consider monetizing your video by selling scrolling text. 

A specific number of viewers suffices as proof of existence for a platform in which a linked business would be interested. Product placement and endorsements as part of the content are an effective way for paying advertising, large or small, to promote their business.

favorite open-source resources.

Currency of the Fans

Make your uploads one-of-a-kind and positively distinctive, and you're likely to amass a devoted following of admirers. Video marketing is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and it may be unexpected to some extent; patience and deliberate preparation should assist. 

It may be a lot of fun to create the films, and once they begin generating money for you, they are likely to continue earning money month after month. Feed your audience by introducing them to videos from others who have a link to yours. Once you've accumulated a library of 15 or more videos, you should be able to generate a reasonable amount of views for each video. Once all of your videos reach a minimum of 1,000 views, you can be confident that YouTube will contact you to ask whether you'd want to apply to become a Partner.

Uploading videos to YouTube is an extremely public act. As a result, you must be explicit about authorization and the restrictions of publishing a video. Take precautions and ensure that you have authorization where necessary to avoid discovering that your hard work was for naught. 

Situational footage in which you act as a witness with your video may be excluded in some instances, therefore it's a good idea to understand the limitations. Ascertain that your video does not violate the copyright of another party. Take a few moments to go over YouTube's terms of service. They are also there to safeguard your own good work from infringement by others; you'd need to know when your copyright interests have been violated as well. 

Consult YouTube's copyright guidelines and suggestions. Making money on YouTube offers more opportunities than we are accustomed to. It's entirely up to you to create engaging content and manage revenue once watching statistics begin to climb. It's an open field; let's begin filming.

Mother of three, daughter, sister, wife, public relations consultant, and entrepreneur

On most days, like many women, I appear to have to balance all of my duties. On other days, there are only three or four. This was the impetus for me to create Home For Business. I understand what it takes to be a working mother and how to run an internet business from home while juggling all of the 'pulls' of daily family life and work.

I've always been entrepreneurial, and in my 30s founded my first corporate communications firm, EMA Productions, working with large multinational customers such as Texaco and Rank & Boots. While it was difficult and time-consuming, it was immediately successful. Without family interruptions and with the backing of a wonderful team and office, I could focus only on obtaining contracts and satisfying customer demands.

There are hundreds of legitimate possibilities available to individuals, but many are unaware of where to begin.

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[x0401x]

agape

<SPOILER> I admire your works, which I had put into plenty heartfelt youtube tributes. I just saw the movie, then read your summary. Hope I can infuse enough Doll writing skill to elicit empathy for a dissenting opinion.

—

Hiiii, omg. It’s great having you here again! I put my reply under a cut, if you don’t mind. Also, you have more than enough “Doll writing skill”, whatever that is. Your writing style is great!

By the way, I get a bit serious when I write long replies and you had me going all-out, so props to you! My friends tell me that I sometimes seem angry when they read these mini-essays, lol, but please don’t worry. I’m not angry at all. In fact, your message was food for thought, so I’m very grateful. I hope my reply is worthy enough... >_<

FWIW, I agree with the summary in the context of the type of love that is eros. But in the movie, I saw agape through and through. Violet showed just that. She showed inexhaustible grace, and unconditional love. I assert that this is proof of her character growth after writing various letters. Her joke of punching Gil showed she indeed understood her situation, at least from Hodgins’ perspective. She respected Gil’s wish to be left alone, and even contented to just being able to hear Gil’s words again, even when those words were painful. Yes, the anime Gilbert doesn’t come 100 miles close to the dashing novel one. Yet Violet accepted this broken man who had hurt her in countless, inexcusable ways. This flawed man who definitely does not deserve her, which he admitted himself. Yet in her last letter, she expressed nothing but gratitude, and longing yet willingness to let go. Thus the audience couldn’t help but shed tears.

“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.“ V.G.

Okay, I guess I never really wrote about it using these terms, so it wasn’t clear enough, but whenever I talk about Violet’s feelings for Gil, I’m never referring to eros. Both in novel and anime, from beginning to end, the love that she feels for him is obviously agape, no doubt. That being said, I don’t see what difference this makes. If anything, it just proves my point.

I’m sorry if I made it look like I was saying that Violet’s feelings are the problem. They aren’t. Gil is. The way he treats her, the way he does the bare minimum and still gets everything, the way he takes it all for granted. Violet is amazing with her undying love and devotion, sure, but Gil should also have been. Because that’s what she deserves. If you look at everything he’s done, he didn’t even have the right to forsake her. He owes her his entire life.

That’s what the novel never fails to assert. He lives for her, because she’s more important than himself to him. She’s bigger than his mental illnesses, his traumas, his self-sacrifices. And if he weren’t protecting her from the sidelines, she would’ve died. As long as this possibility existed, he couldn’t have the luxury to lock himself in his own little world and drown in sadness. He can wallow all he wants, but it shouldn’t get in the way of watching over her; not when her life is on the line. If she dies, it’s all for nothing. She’d be just a pawn that he used in the war and then threw away.

Therefore, I maintain that abandoning her to sheer luck is completely inexcusable. Violet shouldn’t be the only one putting him on a pedestal. That’s my whole point.

Further, having served for a decade in the military. I have come across those who lost limbs, eyesight, and minds. These broken men and women then made decisions that hurt their loved ones in various inexcusable ways. They earned plenty pain coming their way, just as Gil. Thus it began to rain hard when Violet showed nothing but unconditional love.

That first sentence caught me by surprise. We’re surely not from the same country, but still, thank you for your service!

Now, I know that this seems like an understandable comparison at first, but... the loved ones of those people were not in the military with them, were they? If Violet weren’t part of the army and hadn’t gone through way worse than Gil did, I would have no objection about his actions. But she was. She served at a much younger age, killed more than anybody else in the battlefield, did dirty jobs behind the scenes and overall exerted herself far more than her comrades and Gilbert himself. Then why does she have to be the only one still faithfully, loyally dedicating herself to him? If they were a real-life couple, they would definitely be frowned upon. All the more as a fictional one.

The additional characters in the movie may seem redundant at first. But from the context of how letter writing changes Violet, who in turn, change those around her is profoundly poignant. Daisy was able to express her true feelings to her parents thanks to Violet’s legacy.

Fair point, but I’m not sure if a completely new character was necessary for that. I’d rather have seen the way she changed the people that she had already had contact with. I think it’d be a good means to show what happened to everyone else after Violet went to live with Gil. One of my pet peeves with this anime is that Violet is the only character who receives proper attention, and when there’s a chance to focus on anyone else, the studio will much sooner focus on original characters who only show up once than the canon ones who have always been there. I know they meant to depict what happens even after Violet is gone, to “finish writing about her story” by using Daisy, but I think that’s a bit too gloomy for what’s supposed to be a happy ending. Just my opinion, though.

Now I need to go buy this film

I can help you purchase it if you want! Just PM me!

[wethepixies]

Welcome to part two of our interview series, pixies! Today, we’re presenting our interview with four of the flaptastic people who make this rewrite possible. They had a lot to say, so this post is rather long - keep reading to see the full interviews!

Our first two Game Creator interviews feature two of our beloved artists - Rachel and Ci.

How did you first find out about the WTP project, and what inspired you to start working as an artist?

Rachel: In a computer graphics class I took last semester, one of our projects reminded me and my friend of Pixie Hollow, so we were reminiscing about the game and I really wanted to see if there was a rewritten version of it. When I found WTP and saw they were accepting artist applications, I was super excited because I loved the game and was starting to get into animation at the time as well. I also just adore the process of game development in general, so I was thrilled to become a part of WTP.

Ci was introduced to the project by a friend who’s also a staff member!

What is your favorite part of your job as a WTP artist?

Rachel: My favorite part is being able to contribute my work to a bigger project. Seeing the art I worked on in the game is really exciting to me. Just knowing that the work you put in is helping to further the game is really cool. As for my favorite thing to work on, it’s really strange, but I enjoy creating the UI buttons and signs for different meadows or shops.They’re super small and no one really pays attention to them, but they’re also extremely necessary so I guess I just like to make them, haha. They don’t always take too long to make but I think they’re cute. Also, I’m especially excited for all the new meadows, as I really enjoy helping to restore the beautiful art for the meadows.

Check out this gorgeous sign that Rachel restored for one of our meadow teleporters!

Ci: My favorite piece of art that I’ve created for WTP was probably a background I restored for a general winter theme/season back when I first joined. It’s not being used right now, but it’s pretty and you’ll just have to take my word for it :’)

How long does it take for you to work on art for WTP, and how do you fit that in your schedule?

Rachel: The time it takes really depends on how much of the project we have completed already. Oftentimes we’ll be working collaboratively and finish what other people have started. So if we are working on something from scratch it can take quite a while, but sometimes it’s just a matter of adding finishing touches and compiling pieces together to create a finished product. And each task takes a different amount of time. For instance, resizing something small will take a few minutes, but creating an atlas for fairy clothing can take hours, especially when you need to restore an item from scratch. Either way, I think it’s still beneficial for us to take our time to create the best product we can. Personally, I don’t always get to work everyday, but when I do, I’ll spend hours because I like to finish tasks in one sitting if I can, although I can’t always haha.  I think that working in moderation is always a good idea as long as you’re getting your work done, and knowing we have so many fans really pushes me to get tasks done and do them well. As for fitting it into my schedule, because of quarantine, I definitely have a lot more time to work on WTP, but during the school semester I would have to plan out what I needed to get done and when I needed to do it in order make sure I could get all of my school projects and WTP work done on certain days in order to avoid as much stress as possible. 

Ci: I don’t have time to work on artwork daily, but I do try to stay on top of what other people are working on, so a small chunk of my day is dedicated to discord. Sometimes I’ll be busy for weeks and do a whole bunch of tasks afterwards in one go, and sometimes I try to take on smaller things (pre-corona I’d sometimes spend time between lectures because that’s often the only time I have!). Some tasks are 5 minute jobs, like UI, but others, like adding clothing, take a few hours. Backgrounds probably take me the longest. A couple hours for a few days, if I have time to work on them daily. They’re really fun when starting!! but after day 3 it’s quite the grind. I like to sleep on those, since there’s so much detail in the PH backgrounds that I’ll inevitably miss something.

Rachel, you mentioned atlases and spritesheets - can you explain what they are and how you use them?

Rachel: An atlas and spritesheet contains all of the different variations of a clothing item or anything you can change on the fairy. So for instance, the hair atlas has all of the different types of hair you can choose when creating your fairy packed into one single file. So in order to make one you have to create all the hair pieces, position them correctly on a fairy reference, export each hair image, and then combine them all onto the atlas file. Then a json file is also created to describe where each image is in the file in order to use it in the game. The spritesheet is similar and is basically a horizontal version of the atlas with all of the images that we use in CAF to scroll through whatever you’re changing.

Do you start the graphics by hand or via some digital web design program?

Rachel: I almost always use digital programs. Sometimes I’ll plan something out quickly on paper but most of the time I’ll use Photoshop. We also use DragonBones for animation.

Ci: All of the research we do is online, so it saves a couple of steps and retains image quality to just keep everything digital. I also don’t have a scanner :’)

And finally, what’s the most challenging piece of art that you’ve made for WTP?

Rachel: The most challenging piece that I’ve done for WTP was probably the hair atlas for when a player creates a fairy because it was the first project I was taking on. All the hair was made already, I just had to resize, reposition, and fix any pieces that were lower quality, and although it was daunting at first, once I started, I was able to get the hang of it (even if it took a few tries), and now I’m super happy I learned how to do it.

Ci: We were missing a whole area of the CAF background (the part that shows up when you’re picking a name) that got passed around for one or two months, and eventually I got to work on it. It was the closest to a custom piece of art that I’ve made for WTP; the middle was a giant blur when I got to it. My motivation to complete it was honestly just being able to get it off the to-do list forever, when I was done I posted a before and after to the staff chat (which I try not to do bc it’s not really productive) because I was so excited about it :’))

__________________

We had so much fun learning more about our artists’ jobs! Next up, we decided to sit down with WTP game developer and administrator Teresa!

How did you first find out about the WTP project, and what inspired you to start working as a developer? 

Teresa: A friend I made in the Pixie Hollow community said that her favorite mini game was Bubble Bounce, so I decided to make it for her. I had started prototyping and showing it around, and someone from WTP saw my work and invited me to join the team.

As we know, WTP is a voluntary project. How do you fit working on WTP into your schedule?

Teresa: I’m actually quite good at time management, and I’ve decided to make WTP a priority. That means that I can’t always say ‘yes’ to other things I want to do, but that’s ok.

What are some of the main things you look for when adding staff members?

Teresa: You need to be able to take criticism well and communicate effectively. A certain level of quality needs to be maintained to build a good game, and criticism sheds light on any blind spots you may have. If you aren’t communicating clearly and frequently, then your value to the team is very low – everyone needs to be on the same page so that work doesn’t get redone and wasted, and to keep an accurate development schedule. Being willing to devote more than a couple of hours a week is also a major plus.

How do you decide which parts of the game you should work on first?

Teresa: There’s this concept called the Minimum Viable Product. Basically, you just strip the project down to what is necessary and work out the kinks. Then you can add new features that enhance the gameplay.

What’s the most challenging issue you’ve faced while creating the game?

Teresa: There was a problem with the animation plugin that I was hoping would be fixed by the maintainers before the demo release. It was a really big deal, the game would be entirely unplayable. At the last minute, I had to dig into the plugins source code and figure it out myself. In the end, it wasn’t actually so difficult – but boy was it stressful. Really I would say that the biggest problems have stemmed from not having enough artists on the team! There have been multiple times where we had to delay updates because we didn’t have all of the assets ready for me to use in the game.

How do you go about fixing a game bug?

Teresa: Gather all the info I can from users experiencing the bug, and try to reproduce it. Just observing the behavior is often enough to figure out the problem. When it’s not, check the logs or step through with the debugger.

Have you ever worked on or made a game before WTP?

Teresa: I’ve worked a bit on some 3D open source game projects, never worked on the multiplayer parts before, though. I also make mods for games.

Lastly, what are your favorite and most rewarding parts of being a game developer?

Teresa: Pushing the boundaries of my knowledge and comfort zone, definitely. As a developer, I’ve learned a lot of new technologies and some new domains specifically for WTP. I also find being able to fix things that I don’t like about games very rewarding. Being an administrator has benefitted me as well. As an admin, I’ve had to cultivate skills in team leadership and project management.

__________________

Finally, we interviewed Lavender Merryheart, our sound designer.

First off, how did you first find out about the WTP project?

Lavender: I found WTP from a Youtube video, and played the demo. I was excited to be able to re-visit PH and when I saw the audio designer application, I wanted to help out however I could!

Are you remaking the music from scratch based on any remaining audio from sources like youtube?

Lavender: Both! We salvage what we can, and re-create what’s needed if. In the future, there will be some new, original music too! When we need a sound effect or music, we first check to see if there’s a good quality clip preserved of the original. It needs to be clear and without extra background sounds. If we can’t find any, then I will dissect the sound or song and try to figure out how it was made, then recreate it.

You mentioned that you make new sounds if needed, how do you go about making them?

Lavender: New sound effects are made by piecing different recordings together, such as the audio you hear when you click the talent orbs, which was re-made from the sounds of a heavy book shutting and wind chimes. If we need to remake a song, I make a new track by re-recording each instrument’s part on a midi keyboard. Then it will be edited it in Logic Pro X, using instruments and synths from the Kontakt audio library.

What’s the part of being an audio designer that you’re most excited about?

Lavender: I’m most excited about getting to write new music for the game! I can’t reveal to you what it’s going to be used for yet, but in the process for the last WTP track I wrote, I thought about how to represent the area it will be used for and what instruments and mood would suit it the best. It was a lot of fun to try to both express my style and also give it that Pixie-Hollow-sound!

Finally, how do you fit working on WTP into your schedule?

Lavender: I keep a to-do list and project notes to help organize what needs to be done, and work on WTP between class assignments. To refrain from burning out, I try to spread out my different tasks and work on a variety of things.

__________________

After we learned about what goes on behind the scenes on WTP, we wanted to learn a little bit about some future plans and hopes the staff have for the game. 

Art wise, what sorts of things will be designed from scratch in the future?

Rachel: Although we still have a long way to go before creating our own work as we have to replicate what was in the original game first, I believe that new clothing and hair might be designed from scratch in the future.

Ci: Right now, we’re still committed to restoring the game in its original form–this means that we try not to design anything from scratch. We’ve discussed the possibility of custom content in the future (items + clothing, pets, meadows, maybe even minigames?), and when the time comes, all of that will be built from scratch. That said, pertaining to the look and feel of the original pixie hollow will be a priority for those updates too.

What game feature from Pixie Hollow are you most excited to have?

Teresa: Personally, I am excited for the skill system and wilderness! We have some new ideas to try out, but I don’t want to spoil anything.

Do you plan to have seasonal differences and events, as well as competitions and activities?

Teresa: Yep! Can’t wait! We are already featuring player’s outfits in the shop catalogue, so that’s sort of a mini fashion spotlight, but there’s definitely more exciting things to come. Fashion spotlight was one of the most beloved competitions/events in the original Pixie Hollow!

In the future, will the game be available for mobile and/or consoles?

Teresa: You can already play WTP on mobile! At some point we will have options that allow the game to run smoother on mobile devices. Console versions won’t be a thing, though.

Is there anything that was in the original Pixie Hollow that you’d like to change in WTP?

Lavender: I would change the whisper noise it made when you got a message, it got a bit annoying. And it would be really neat if you could choose from a few different songs to have played in your fairy’s home depending on your mood! I had the ice themed house and have heard the music a few too many times!

Teresa: There are things I want to tweak, and fully plan to! We have already added a couple of small new things, such as the second sitting pose and featuring real player’s outfits in the shop catalogue. I hope everyone enjoys them!

The last thing we wanted to talk about is the staff’s personal feelings about WTP and about their jobs, as well as ask them about their inspiration.

Is there anything new that working on WTP has teached you?

Rachel: As an artist here I am definitely learning new technical skills and developing as an artist in general. Some examples of art skills I’ve been able to develop include creating atlases and spritesheets for fairy clothing and hair, getting familiar with DragonBones as I’d never used it for animation, and just gaining more experience in Photoshop. And I basically just learned all these things by trying them out and asking questions if I needed help.

Lavender: Through WTP I’ve learned more about creating sound effects, because when remaking the old sounds for WTP, I really have to think about what each one is made out of (for example, the pouch sound was re-created using a paper bag rustling, leaves crunching, and a bell synth).

How do you feel about the community growing so much in a short amount of time?

Teresa: I really didn’t expect it, and it has been a bit stressful, but I hope we are handling it well. I would never have imagined that a TikTok would be the reason either! Having more eyes on us makes me feel restless. We had to adapt the discord server to keep it safe and make information more accessible to new members.

What do you remember about Pixie Hollow? And did it change your life in any way?

Lavender: I joined right at the beginning, and loved how it really felt like you were stepping into a different, magical world. My favorite thing to do was decorating and creating/collecting items for my house, as well as the minigames and item crafting/ baking, I’m most excited to see these features again! Also, a good memory from the game I have is going to the summer pool party in the ballroom, and playing games in the tearoom with friends! The music in Pixie Hollow was one of my earliest inspirations for pursuing a career in film/game scoring. Currently I am studying for a degree in film/game scoring! I’m obsessed with fantasy games, nature, fairy tales, magic, and mythology, and I write music to try and illustrate the stories and have the listener feel like they’re visiting the scene. You can hear some of my original music on Spotify under the name June Westfield!

Rachel: I was so young that I have trouble remembering everything. I do remember sometimes getting on the phone with my friends and talking as we played together and explored meadows, which was really fun. I also really enjoyed completing tasks and playing the minigames. I have no idea why that was so fun to me, but I just liked getting achievements and beating my scores.  

Do you feel like some people may have unrealistic expectations for WTP? And do you think it can ever be as big as Pixie Hollow was?

Teresa: Yes, but I can’t blame them. So far I am the only developer to have actually worked on this game, so it’s a lot of pressure, but of course the players can’t know that. For some reason the things that everyone thinks will be the easiest to code are always the more difficult ones, funnily enough. For example, a flying mechanic like the original game is sort of complex, whereas adding new meadows is extremely simple. Do I think WTP will ever be as big as PH? Definitely not. Pixie Hollow had millions of players, Disney advertised it, and it had a full development team behind it. A lot of the original players will have moved on. I’m actually surprised that so many people have found us already!

Are there any artists that you look up to or are inspired by?

Rachel: I don’t have anyone specific in mind who I look up to, but I do watch a lot of cartoons and really admire animation and all of the work that goes into it. I get really inspired seeing different animated works and am super impressed by the entire process of it.

Ci: I used to actively make art outside of WTP and definitely had a whole list of people whose styles I looked up to, but now that I’ve moved away from that I mostly remember individual pieces. I had to dig some up for this question! loish, gawki, and Hethe Srodawa, are a few.

Lavender: Some composers that inspire me are Enya, Faun, Loreena McKennitt, and Secret Garden. They are all fantasy/new age genre artists that create enchanting music!

The WTP community is a great place to make friends! Is there a person in the staff that you’ve formed a strong friendship with?

Rachel: I’ve definitely become a lot closer with many of the staff members, whether it be looking up to certain people like our team leads, chatting with the other artists in DMs and helping each other out, or just having fun conversations with all the other staff members and sharing funny stories and pictures.

Teresa: Asteria is probably the best friend I’ve made at WTP, as we have talked the most. I have also met Kass in real life – she’s the sweetest! I love everyone on our team.

(Kass is one of our moderators - we’ll hear from her in the final interview post!)

And finally, What does working on a game that’s so loved by people mean to you?

Teresa:  It is so heartwarming to be a part of something that brings people joy and makes them nostalgic. Pixie Hollow’s fan base can make me a bit anxious at times. Sometimes a group of players will want one thing, and then another group wants the exact opposite and it can be hard to make a choice. There’s a lot of pressure in trying to stay true to the original game’s vision while also being fresh, but it drives me to deliver the best work I can. I put a lot of time into WTP, and have actually burnt out a few times already. Luckily, I love building things so much that it never lasts long.

________________

Next up in our interview series - our social media team and server moderators! Stay tuned to hear their answers to some of your questions.

[parenthood7]

10 things your child expect from you

Respect. If you do not respect your children, they will in turn learn not to respect you. Children will do as you do, not as you say. They are not going to respect you simply because you are an adult. They can only respect an adult who respects them.

Parenting requires we find the balance between loving our children, disciplining them, and allowing them the necessary confusion and suffering essential for their self-discovery.

All children have some very basic needs, which when given in the correct balance, help them to develop the resiliency required for a strong sense of Self.

Love

All children need love. All children deserve love. We can give our children all the worlds’ materialistic love yet they will seem done because they want unintentional love and acceptance. What we can never give too much in love. Love is simple, it is nonmaterial and is the feeling we give to our children of complete acceptance.

Faith

We must have faith in our children and give them the rope they need to struggle, discover, and succeed. Our belief in our children determines their belief in themselves. When our children feel dominated by our fears about every new little thing they want to do, explore, or experience our fears covertly communicate we do not believe in them. This covert message undermines our children causing them to either not believe in themselves or to rebel against the controlling nature of our fears.

Confidence

Every child is unique from each other. Putting too much pressure on a child may make them uncertain about themselves. When we behave contentiously towards them, showing a lack of trust in their character or ability to make wise decisions we go against them, putting us on different teams. We have to accept, as parents, that our children are different and unique people from us. We need to allow them the space to be different and to trust we have raised them well enough for them to make mistakes, recover, and do better next time. If we respond contentiously to towards their mistakes or decisions we slowly crush their own drives for self-improvement.

Related Topic:

10 ways to deal with whining behaviour

Patience

Our children need patience, not our pressure. They need us to give them the little rope to come along at their own pace. If they are not up to par in every area of life, adding pressure and control only defeats them. Patience communicates we believe, that in time and with enough practice, they will find their way. We don’t want to raise our children as monkeys who are to be loved only when they perform.

Affection

Touch is one of the most important and grounding aspects of a relationship. Touch cues our hormones for bonding, love, and a sense of security and shows the immediate impact of reducing stress levels. When we see our children in the struggle it is not helpful for us to heap our own anxieties about their struggle onto them. We need to offer affection and support, letting them know that “this too shall pass.” A little affection is that spoon full of sugar that helps the pain go. Talk to your children, love, and snuggle them do not shout at them.

Also Read:

5 Toys You Should Not Buy for Your Kids

Counsel

Counseling doesn’t always mean whenever we see our children troubled with some thought we jump out counsel them. They are kids they don’t even realize when something is troubling them. We should always be a backhand to our kids. They need appreciation and feedbacks. Our role as a parent is to provide feedback to our children which are conducive for building their character. When we criticize or become passive-aggressive they hold themselves back. They will shrink or become enraged and develop negative feelings about themselves. Our children need our counsel to understand that the most important part of their life is the worthwhile struggle of discovering a sense of meaning and purpose.

Pay attention! But also provide privacy.

In this fast-moving internet life, our life has become an open book to everyone. We’ve started to feel that we have the right to know everything about everyone, but this wrong everyone needs their privacy so do our kids. Sometimes the best gift for a child can be the gift of privacy, not asking, not prying, and yet being available if and when your child does want or need to share.

Guidance

As a parent, we need to stay away from controlling, manipulating, and pulling our children away from their natural interest. We must allow them to explore their own decision-making process and guide them to their part accordingly. If we show disgust or disappointment over their choices because they aren’t the choices we would have made them we are manipulating. It is not their responsibility to make up for what we are missing in our own lives.

Time

Spending quality time with children is essential for their healthy growth and development. Children may suffer from behavioral disorders if their parents do not spend enough time with them. “The best thing you can give your children is time.” – This is a saying most quoted by parents who in fact, do not get to spend too much time with their children. Today’s life is busier than we can imagine with parents juggling both home and work, and children being packed off to extra-curricular activities right after school.

You may like:

You should stop saying these 6 things to your kids.

According to a study, most families spend just eight hours a week together on average, whereas a weekend should consist of a minimum of two hours devoted to children. Moreover, we see that ‘family time’ may often end up in members watching TV in silence, busy reading, or on phone out of sheer exhaustion. Such a phenomenon may amount to a total lack of parent-and-child bonding resulting in a number of behavioral problems and other insecurities that may affect a child into his or her adult years.

Respect

Sometimes your kids mess up. Sometimes they mess up big time. No matter what they’ve done, though; they still deserve to be treated with respect. Sarcasm, eye-rolling, and biting comments all chip away at a child’s self-respect. Allow them to maintain a sense of dignity in the worst of circumstances. After all, you may have to discipline your kids, but you never, ever have to demean or humiliate them.

[zampanobra]

An Elegy For Cyberpunk

The genre isn't gone, but the silver lining sure is.

William Gibson's Neuromancer is one of those books that I can't remember ever not having read. But I do remember that it wasn't long after I read it that I was introduced to Shadowrun, which quickly supplanted D&D as my go-to RPG. I'm not sure how well I understood what was going on in the plot, and was probably too young to understand a lot of what was going on. (Later on, when I started to understand self-loathing, it made a lot more sense.)

Even then, I loved the world, the technology, and the aesthetic. Gibson is fantastic at showing an entire scene through a couple of hints. He doesn't lean into a lot of what we've come to think of as "cyberpunk" aesthetic, and I prefer his much more understated settings more than a lot of his more over-the-top progeny.

Aside from how it looks, though, a common trope is its focus on people on the fringes of society--the "low life" going along with the "high tech." It's not always criminals, although these lines get a tad blurry due to the increasing corporate dominance that is another common trope of the setting. This is even more the case in the Shadowrun RPG, where your characters ("runners") are mercenaries for hire by all the corporations vying for an edge, where law enforcement has itself been privatized, and where governments' roles in their citizens' daily lives are steadily eroding. (Although a dragon is elected president of one of the major North American countries, so there is that.)

Those familiar with this setting and the tropes associated with it may have raised an eyebrow when I said that there was a silver lining associated with cyberpunk. I'd even venture to say there's an actual optimism in many of these stories.

The Cyber Trickles Downhill

There's a public intellectual of sorts named Eliezer Yudkowsky who started a ~~cult~~ website called LessWrong, and who talks a lot about technology, science, and what-not. He has various "laws" attributed to him, one of which is that "Every eighteen months, the minimum IQ necessary to destroy the world drops by one point." The idea is that, over time, increasingly powerful technology will be in the hands of everyday people. It's kind of like the cliché about how we all walk around with smartphones that are orders of magnitude more powerful and capable than the computers used to send people to the Moon.

Unfortunately, this is not how it generally works out. When better computers and connectivity end up in people's hands, so does a great deal of capture: DRM, surveillance (both corporate and governmental), monopolization, and more recently the move to software-as-a-service (where you have to pay a subscription to keep using something on your personal devices). You can get around much of these, but only but devoting significant time and effort to doing so, and you may often have to do without some aspects of those services. It's rarely going to be as convenient as the more intrusive version, and in some cases you may be outright prevented from communicating with people without using it. And this is without getting into situations where your information is turned over to third parties without your even having an option. In my own life, two of our doctors' offices use third-party portals that include some aspect of record keeping, schools and daycare facilities use them, and I'm of course subject to any of the national things like credit reporting agencies.

Meanwhile, things like artificial limbs and the like have generally made their greatest advances in times of war. Prosthetics in at least some form go back to Ancient Egypt, but a formal industry focused on their production would not come into being until far later. In the United States, it was the Civil War that would drastically increase demand, with thousands of amputees surviving the war and seeking prosthetic limbs: one study estimated that 70,000 men lost limbs during the war. Part of this was the development of the Minié ball, a more modern bullet that caused more irregular wounds to flesh and was heavy enough to shatter bone. Medical science being what it was, doctors generally decided that amputation was a better approach than trying to piece the patient's body back together. After the war, the federal government created the means for the prosthetic boom by agreeing to provide prosthetics for any veteran who needed them.

One veteran, James Hanger (who had himself lost most of a leg) was dissatisfied with the available options, and so developed an artificial leg that hinged and was shaped more like a human leg. He went on to establish the American Artificial Limb Company after the war (which still exists as Hanger, Inc.). Mass production of artificial limbs wouldn't come about for another 60 years or so. Nonetheless, this next development was again spawned by the same combination of factors: a massive conflict leaving thousands upon thousands of amputees (World War I in this case) combined with the federal government providing the money. (War is, indeed, a racket.)

Little seems to have changed into the present, when it's now the perpetual wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, combined with military-oriented welfare programs being the only ones not under constant attack by austerity.

So it is that cyberpunk's dream of widespread limb replacements seems unlikely without coming on the heels of years of additional thousands of traumatic amputees and billions of dollars in subsidies. Under our current system, after all, there is no incentive to continue improvements to artificial limbs without government footing the bill, and the government in turn seems largely unwilling to pay attention to the needs of its citizens that don't have any connection to the military.

The other technologies that epitomize the cyberpunk genre are equally captured. All the improvements to computer technology in the world don't help without the infrastructure to connect them to each other, and service providers have made sure that they can maintain their monopolies (the lucky few have two options). So it is that we get things like data caps, which Comcast introduced for its customers just a few days ago as of this writing, during a time of pandemic when more and more people are reliant on broadband internet access to work and go to school.

In a similar vein, computer and communications technology has become only selectively easier to use. The basics are much simpler, to be sure, but the kinds of things depicted in cyberpunk--hacking and maintaining some semblance of privacy to name two prime examples--are harder and harder. Privacy in particular requires a near constant battle against the hydra of corporate interests that are constantly trying to chip away at it. And not just in terms of taking data itself, but even the expectation of privacy.

Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube--they're all predicated on making us share. And of course we do exactly that. Why wouldn't we? We have an innate need for community and connection. But just as advertisers long ago figured out that they could turn our own wiring against us, so-called social networks (anti-social networks?) took our desire for connecting with other people and purified it until it became a freebase. It's difficult to avoid and even harder to quit.

It takes money, knowledge, and work to even slightly escape, and even then it's not really possible unless you happen to only interact with similar privacy-minded folk or cut yourself off from society entirely. It takes almost nothing to be entirely mapped.

Meanwhile, the task is made that much harder by the fact that it's not entirely clear why our data is worth anything. The conventional wisdom is that it's for targeted advertising, but I have to wonder if that's actually worth anything anymore. Then again, it could be completely ineffective but still something companies want to do, since marketing believes that someone has to see a product multiple times before they'll actually seek it out. Plus, there's always the possibility of Facebook et al. cooking the books, as they did in the case of view counts on videos some years back.

Regardless, this lack of knowledge makes it harder for us, because we can't target our defenses. We don't have a clear idea of what's valuable and what isn't, what data is already out there and what data is still being sought. We can't, for example, make digital chaff to flood the collectors with junk.

Chains of Chrome

I'm told that essays should have some part of the author in them, and I can't help but notice that this approach--intertwining personal anecdote with the overall point--is used all over the world. Maybe it's a matter of not getting outside my own writing, but it seems to me that simply what I'm writing and how says more about me than talking about the smells in the bookstore where I bought my first copy of Neuromancer, or some story about my relationship with the friend who introduced me to Blade Runner. I personally have more faith in readers than that.

Having written what I have already, is it really surprising to know that what draws me to the genre more than anything is freedom? It may seem strange to associate freedom with the extremely powerful corporate entities and material conditions of most cyberpunk. But notice, these stories don't focus on the corporate bureaucrat trapped in a structure they'll never escape. Instead, it's the technologically-enhanced ronin, whether their particular weapons are blades or computer viruses. They ultimately answer to no one but themselves, and can generally find a way to live their own lives within the cracks in the business edifice. Sure, drama demands that this not always be true in some way, even if it's as simple as the criminal's reputation.

It's not difficult, then, to see the appeal. I have no skills to sell even if there were still a market for such things (instead of credentials). Mercenaries are rightly outcast, since chances are they'll be put to worse use than even a state-sponsored military. There's a reason that Blackwater has had to change its name two or three times by now.

Cyberpunk allows us all of the freedom of a new frontier by finding that frontier within an existing structure. Its characters aren't constrained the way we are in our daily lives, and can overcome both human nature and human society through the technology available to them. What is now considered experimental or only the purview of DARPA is to them a child's toy, with far better ready for purchase on the streetcorner.

In many ways, cyberpunk is a product of its time, when technology seemed to offer at least as much possibility as threat. Now, we don't really trust technology to be enough. We see the slow-motion apocalypse of climate change and don't believe that we can invent our way out of it; recognizing that even if the device existed, someone would figure out how to capture its benefits. I'm not sure it'll be anything so stark as having clean cities and then a burned wasteland surrounding them, but we'll only be saved to the extent that we're useful.

Cyberpunk showed us an increasing commodification of our lives, but even those imaginations couldn't foresee the degree to which this would be true, while they simultaneously underestimated its subtlety. The trackers on every website that form pieces of the economic puzzle that is ourselves feel too small to fight, and so we sell ourselves in a thousand pieces. Even being a corporate spy in a future dystopia is more honest.

[vitavitale]

untitled II   (for @vaebled​)

What's a man to do when his heart is full and he has only one thought racing through his mind? What can he possibly do when he has his lover knelt before him, stroking his calves and kissing his knees? Garrett is endlessly affectionate, ever gentle and sweet, willing to drop to the floor in worship of his mate. So dedicated, so devoted, so eager to treasure and please. He is warm, makes V warm, and in stirring these feelings subsequently makes V wonder why. It isn't that he's unappreciative—utterly the contrary—but for every cocksure stride, V is equally humble if not more so, and he finds it almost a challenge to understand Garrett's heart. Through half-lidded eyes he watches lips brush across skin and hands caress tender flesh, and in Garrett's closed eyes he sees serenity and sincerity; no shortage of all the adoration and devotion he'd come to know. Every touch is loving as is every breath exhaled. Wordless, the both of them, and it's fine that they have nothing to say. Enough is communicated through just this, and yet it still leaves V wanting to know more. He isn't blind to what's going on, he's aware of the causes and he's confident in the outcome to follow. He knows Garrett loves him. Nothing could be more evident; but why does he? Why does Garrett feel like he has to do this? To go this far? What moves him to fall to his knees to delight V's? To kiss him so and care for him, to remind him constantly that his feelings are unwavering and his affections true?

Why does Garrett love V?

So frail a creature, so human like V had less to give and more to take. Worth so little, capable of the bare minimum, just barely a put-together man. And yes, he did look death in the face, but it wasn't by his power alone that he evaded his demise: Garrett had been there all the time, protecting and pushing, and rallying the strength he'd seen in the warlock to keep him on his feet and lead him toward fulfillment. Garrett kept him alive; V wouldn't have made it. He burdened the demon, as much now as then, and yet in spite of all the trouble V was worth, Garrett had somehow decided to love him, give him even more of himself when it wasn't due. V may have wanted it, but who was he to make requests? He'd troubled him enough, but it turned out that the fox wanted to bite off even more than he could chew—and V was contented by that. Relieved, grateful. Now he has that fox in a bedroom, renewing once again his commitment after many months of solidified loyalty. It doesn't quite matter what adjectives he can come up with to offer as praise, or how often he points out what about V makes him so desirable. Those don't really count, do they? Should they? As pleasant to the ear as they are, they don't answer the question that leave unknowns where there ought to be clarity. And it's not that V doesn't trust him—that is never the case—but there is a desire within that wants more.

And maybe he knows. Maybe he really knows the answer he thinks he seeks, but he simply...may want to hear it. To know it unmistakably for a fact. His curiosity may be the simplest thing, but he doesn't seem to be certain of even that.

Of his own feelings, however, there is no question. If he is sure of anything, guaranteed by his own character, it's that his love for Garrett is true, and strong, and even more tangible than the bed he sits on. He loves him more than anyone, more than himself, more than anything he's ever loved, and it's why he sits here now as he allows his beloved to lavish him with all the attention that could possibly be spared, to indulge his silly heart with affections held sacred between them. V trusts Garrett with his heart, that he will hold it gently in his hands and make love to it and guard it jealously as if it were his own; that he will tear open his own bosom, bring their hearts together, and forever keep V's beside his. He knows Garrett is just the type.

A part of him wants to address him softly, slip a hand beneath the demon's chin to have his eyes focus on V's, and to say...anything. The first thing on his mind, maybe. No, certainly. It gnaws on his brain and sinks its claws in his heart. He very much wants to spill over, open up like a faucet and pour everything he's got onto his mate's lap. He's not as perplexed or undecided by that as he pretends to be: he wants to speak. V is beyond insecurity and butterflies, or so he thinks—but his hesitation is indicative of whatever remains of his bashfulness, or naivety, or whatever part of him that's failed to mature. Part of his charm, one of the things that endears him to Garrett. A palm rests on blackened hair instead, running through every strand as it settles on Garrett's scalp and green eyes meet a flash of blue. It's very cute, very cute. He likes the look of that boy grinning at him from below, nosing between thighs he's persuaded apart. Even as those eyes fall away and close again, even as he nibbles gently at the skin there, V thinks he is such a boy, thinks he's so cute.

This is something Garrett thinks V deserves, and whether or not that's true V enjoys it nonetheless. This is like reverence and it almost feels wrong, but nothing seems to be when it comes from his mate. This is how he loves, so it's what V loves. But he isn't distracted by the affection, only reminded of sentiments that crave release. Is that why his heart races? Why his viscera burn? Well, he's not so naive to pretend that Garrett isn't doing something else entirely to him, and he suspects that's why his face is warm too. But V knows what he seeks apart from that, and he's sure his handsome devil will indulge his whim; he's enough of a sap for it. Without much more hesitation, V's hand abandons that hair so that a slender finger may graze his cheek. “Garrett,” he says in such a manner that suggests he's been robbed of breath, “look here.”

A pair of hands are firm on each knee and there they remain as instructions are followed. Ever attentive, the fox makes eye contact and hums a simple inquiry. Those eyes had no business looking and watching so fondly! A breath seizes up and suddenly V is incapable of expression. He notices his hand lingering, Garrett taking it for his own and pressing kisses to each finger tip—that's such a good boy—but V wants plain attention from him, if only for mere minutes.

“I”—away his hand is pulled—“want you to listen.” He's soft in the eyes as he holds Garrett's focus, but there's a furrow to his brow as he embraces his anxiety. He's not sure what he's going to say, really, or how it's going to come out, and suddenly he loses half of his nerve as he wonders for a fleeting moment how his words may potentially do more harm than good. They've talked about their feelings before, so why is this so strange and hard? It's new, V knows he hasn't expressed himself the way he's doing it in his mind, and he rather dislikes that he has to go over the thoughts at all. Still there remains his curiosity, his desire to let his own love be known explicitly. It's probably not necessary; Garrett has been shown repeatedly just how fond his mate is of him, time and time again, yet V is misty in the eyes and breathes quickly. As if he's never done this before, as if he was trying to take back something lost. Both were furthest from the truth. But V would like to be indulged, to indulge and put to rest himself.

Why do you love me?

“I...watch you, and I don't know why you do this. For me. And...I know why you want to—don't look at me like that, please.” He interrupts briefly to set Garrett straight before he can even throw his voice where it's unneeded. Of course he's gotten a look of concern on his face; that boy will never once cease to worry about V. It seems odd, inappropriate, even, that they should do this while one sits between the other's legs, but here they are, and V heartens himself to go on. “I, I know you love me, Garrett, and I believe in everything you do for me. I know you want to show me, I know you want me to feel it, and I do—damn.” He chokes, of course, on emotion and nothing more. It wells up his throat and mists his eyes, but there is no turning back and no excusing himself, and it's not like he wants to run anyway. Still, he finds himself averting his gaze and turning his head down. Yes, it's embarrassing. He can't help but hide. He has no reason to feel so conflicted, to cry over something so baseless, and he has far less a reason to turn from his own sweetheart as if the demon were to pass unfair judgment and chastise him for being childish.  That hasn't happened in the past and there is no expectation for that to happen now.

“Just don't, don't look at me like that,” he reiterates, sensing sympathetic eyes on him. He hears “V” murmured, trailing at the end, but it's all he hears.

What does Garrett think of him now? How foolish does he look? How little sense does he make? V is so often so awfully weak and pliable when it comes to that fucking demon; he crumbles within himself or melts like butter because of him. He loves him that much and he's a wretched thing for it, but he loves him. That's all there is to it. There's strength in that truth, however, and it makes them both better men for it. The warlock rebounds with little delay and gathers himself, locks eyes, finds his voice. “Y-you always...make me feel loved. You make me feel...valuable, I guess, or whatever that feeling is—but you do, and I don't doubt you. You do so much for me and give as much, but I? I don't think I give enough back.” He shakes his head as he manages a wistful little smile, digging his fingers into the fabric that cushions him. “I just don't know why you feel that way about me. It's stupid that I say this when I should know; you always tell me what you see in me and how you feel about it, but...maybe I'm too naive to understand. Why do you love me? I am...so useless, Garrett. I ask so much of you, I'm afraid I take you for granted—though I don't think that I do. I, I hope I don't...” Garrett treats him as though he were a prince and it's wonderful, but isn't it inappropriate to admit that? The color on V's face reflects that sentiment.

“I just...can't understand it. You care for me, so selflessly, and you've done more for me than I could ever do for you. What do I do for you, love? Tell you that I love you, that's all. It's all I can ever say to you and even you know it isn't enough. You're only so-- such a good boy that you're content with nothing more. And you deserve more. You could...get that from...someone else, but you'd rather have the least little bit from me. I… I don't know what to do with that. Truthfully, it makes me feel inadequate.”

V fails to realize how much he's talking, but his concern lies elsewhere. He doesn't want Garrett to feel bad, to find inadequacy in himself for the things he's hearing from V. It's nice to see that he sits, waits, listens attentively while heart and soul and all are offered to him. His hands remain on V's legs, grasping tenderly, almost hugging them, while his eyes do not stray. V is only scantily clad when he first sits to be pampered, but that's seemingly long forgotten now as he instead chooses to pour his guts out and ache from all of his sentimentality at once.  There is a longing within to touch his mate, and he answers the call with a single hand that reaches forth, holds his jaw and cradles it comfortingly. The mist in V's eyes stubbornly persists, but he stops himself shy of shedding tears. “I do so adore this face...and all the rest of you. I just wish that I could make you know that, even...give you a real reason to love me back.” I'm not very good for much. “But if you love me anyway, I'll take it. I would take anything from you.” It's not an exaggeration, and that may be the saddest thing of all coming from V: that he would clutch at every scrap of love and affection given and hold on to it as if his life depended on it. He would have it regardless, because of, in spite of—and he thinks he's all right with that. If Garrett had been any other kind of person, V really did believe he'd take whatever affection would come his way no matter the compromise. If Garrett would ever raise a hand to him, push his weight around, exact obedience, V would stay. He truly is blessed that his situation isn't as tragic, and he's ever silently grateful that the life he's been given is a good one. It's because Garrett is a good man that V can open himself up like this, without fear of rejection or ridicule. It's why he loves as he does, and he hopes his lover is aware.

He doesn't wait to bring his thumb over lips he'd very much like to kiss, but this he does to keep Garrett quiet (though, truthfully, he enjoys the sensation brought to bear as a result of the contact), and the demon is acquiescent. V has yet much to say, though at this point he doesn't realize, doesn't think about it. His heart commands him and his tongue obeys. “I just…” He shrugs. “I love you more than I could ever tell you, and I'm ashamed of myself for that—being so useless that I can't even...express myself the way I should. But I know what my feelings are, I know why they are, Garrett. I think that I have every reason to love you. You've given me everything I needed, even when I didn't know it.” V has a smile to share, a fond and almost nostalgic sort of smile as though he's been thinking back to a time he misses. “Everything I have here is because of you; you've made my life better, good—you made certain I'd have it to begin with. I'm, I'm stronger than I used to be, I'm not so worried or fearful of the things that used to stress me. I can feel like...more of a 'normal' person, I suppose. I'm comfortable, satisfied. Even if we don't have a lot, it's more than enough for me. I don't know how to thank you for that.” Between his thumb and a curled finger, he holds his mate's chin as he holds his attention; and his voice weakens just a touch.

“You're always good—wonderful—to me, and I love you for it. I love you for caring and doting on me, for being attentive, affectionate, sentimental, even silly as you sometimes are; and I love even the shadows you hide in, the way you brood, the poems you write, the way you feel so intensely, like...the way you love me back? That's how it feels to me, at least. It's what I'm most grateful for: that you love me at all. I don't think that I could expose so much of myself to you if you hadn't felt that way...” Perhaps now he's aware that he's gone on and on, but he doesn't care in the slightest anymore. His heart is too full in spite of all that he's poured out of it, but it seems that he's done himself in: now he feels twice as sentimental, utterly under the influence of his own affections. Hearing them spoken is novel in some ways, and he didn't quite count on their effect over him. Now V is a mite wistful, as though he'd confessed feelings to someone who couldn't reciprocate, with dampness beneath his eyes as the mists descended in droplets. He really doesn't like this weakness, thinks it tasteless and tactless of himself, and believes he's that much smaller for it even with Garrett's eyes below his own.

But that man is only too sweet and reminds V of why when he draws that hand nearer and presses his lips to V's palm in a chaste, gentle kiss. He is only genuine in his gesture before he rises from the floor, and the warlock's hand is detached for now as Garrett takes his rosy face between his own palms. The dampness is wiped away, a quiet purr to soothe follows. V wastes no time to grab at loving digits and he has nothing but a foolish smile to give in turn, something that is self-deprecating in reality. It's ironic that he has to do this to himself, to coax Garrett into treating him this way without even intending to, but a part of him appreciates the comfort and only wants it to go further. At the very least, V has the courage to look him in the eye and love him anyway.

“Please. I feel all right,” it's quietly assured. “I didn't expect to talk this much, or to make such a mess of it… I'm sorry.” The apology comes from a belief that he'd only confused his mate; in his mind, he's rambled senselessly. But he knows, by the same token, that the language of romance is universally understood, and Garrett will quickly find the core of all he'd been told. Garrett would forgive him his nonsense, the deviation from what they'd originally planned to do: V is confident in his mate, knows that he would be forgiven anything just as he would, himself, forgive it all. He's assured of that when a kiss captures his lips: something heartfelt, authentic, strong but ever so tender. V gives back while his heart leaps and his closed eyes moisten again.  

There isn't so much as an ounce of desire to cut it short, and he indeed lingers, chasing after that mouth after his mate pulls back. When he finds himself disappointed, his eyes open to meet the opposite pair. He cannot help feeling foolish just then, but says nothing nor shies away; he merely straightens to sit upright again. Soon do his hands fall away, dropping back beside his hips as he awaits...something. Anything. He's sure Garrett will wipe dry his eyes again, but that's of lesser importance. V has just one more thing to say before he shuts himself up for the eve, and he slips it in before the demon can have his turn to bleed his heart out. “Still… I'm all yours, love.”

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

What if Visser One stayed on Earth and was still in charge of the invasion when the Animorphs were formed?

The humans would lose.

I’m speculating, of course, but that’s my speculation.  Edriss 562 — especially Edriss with access to Eva’s brain — is too damn smart to be taken down by six kids and half her own army turning on her.  Edriss knows how to pay close attention to Eva’s intelligence and perception without getting sucked into Eva’s blind spots the way that Esplin 9466 is with Alloran.  Eva herself is tough, canny, and very good at understanding her enemies and allies alike.

Neither one of them is perfect, to be sure, but ultimately Visser One gets taken down more by Marco’s opportunistic leveraging of misinformation within the Yeerk Empire than by her own errors.  Visser One understands humans, and has enormous skill at persuading them.  Visser One knows the value of subtlety well enough to lead a covert invasion.  Visser One might be more feared than loved, but she still wins several followers out from under Visser Three with her charisma and vision.  Maybe most importantly, Visser One set the playbook for the Earth invasion — creating the Sharing, emphasizing the value of voluntary and quasi-voluntary hosts, controlling the flow of information, leveraging Hollywood for social influence — and so she understands how the plan is supposed to play out in practice.  Either an invasion with Visser Three using Visser Three’s playbook or one with Visser One using Visser One’s playbook could work, in practice; it’s only when Visser Three is forced to use Visser One’s plans that the whole invasion falls apart.

A few ways that I think Visser One could improve on Visser Three’s plans:

Recruit with less honey, more vinegar.

Tom’s yeerk makes multiple attempts to lure Jake and his parents to Sharing meetings, all unsuccessful.  However, it’s not until the yeerks know that Jake’s an Animorph that the yeerk in Tom finally gets authorization just to drag their parents down to the yeerk pool by force.

A better idea would be to drop the cult-recruitment strategy entirely after two failed attempts.  All it would take is getting a valuable potential host alone with a controller long enough for said controller to shoot the person in the back with a minimum-power dracon beam.  Then the controller could drag the host to the nearest car, get the person to the yeerk pool, and send the Body Snatched copy of the host (who would, of course, insist that nothing is wrong) home within an hour or two.

Make yeerks more mobile.

To give credit where it’s due, this is maybe the only good idea that AniTV yeerks ever come up with in 26 episodes of the show: They carry their unhosted brethren with them in thermoses.  This makes infestation infinitely easier in less-than-ideal circumstances, because it only requires a half-second of distraction on the part of the host for the controller to dump the yeerk in the unsuspecting person’s ear.  There are even fake ear thermometers in the one episode which have been modified to contain yeerks in little kandrona pods, meaning that an EMT-controller can infest someone in front of human witnesses without even arousing suspicion.

Throughout the book series, that (overall much smarter and more competent) version of the yeerks faces considerable problems with getting single hosts such as Jeremy Jason McCole or Jake’s dad down to the yeerk pool.  Given that we know yeerks can travel short distances in ziploc baggies (#29), Visser One would almost certainly leverage travel mugs to her advantage through keeping unhosted yeerks ready to go at a second’s notice as opportunities arise.

Go for quantity over quality.

Using the two methods I mentioned above, we could see a situation like Salem’s Lot or Invasion of the Body-Snatchers where the parasites quickly overwhelm the non-parasites with sheer numbers.  The yeerks devote a lot of resources toward trying to secure a small handful of high-impact but well-guarded targets — the chief of police, Karen’s dad, the governor of California, the president of France (?), William Roger Tennant.  Even when they grab ordinary schlubs, they tend to prioritize ordinary schlubs like Tom Berenson who are young, physically active, well-connected, nondisabled, and reasonably attractive.

Instead, they could just go full Hufflepuff: take the lot, and treat ‘em just the same.  Let’s use Tom as an example.  He gets grabbed because of his high school crush.  Then maybe the yeerks send “Tom” to get Jake in the door of a Sharing meeting by any means necessary.  They infest Jake the instant he’s in the door, and then send “Jake” and “Tom” home to tell their parents that there’s an urgent need for them to come to the car wash downtown.  Then they’ve got Steve, who is almost certainly friends with at least a few doctors he can call on the phone and ask to come downtown.  Those few doctors each call a few doctors, who each call a few doctors, and pretty soon they’re all going into business for themselves with this one weird nutritional supplement infesting their patients en masse.

The one big problem I see with this strategy is that there are approximately 10,000 humans for each yeerk on Earth, which would mean they’d have to focus heavily on infiltrating one town or city at a time and only branching out gradually as more yeerk pools were built and more baby yeerks were spawned.  It could still work though, IMHO.

Fix the culture.

I miiiiiight just be saying this because I’m a social psychologist, BUT.  Some major communications training could go a long way in the Yeerk Empire.  As it is, Visser Three’s leadership (and to a lesser extent that of other vissers) incentivizes lying to cover one’s own butt over offering up any kind of helpful feedback or remotely risky suggestions.  The Yeerk Empire, in canon, falls because a) Arbron and the other taxxons take the first alternate out that comes along rather than continuing to work for these imperialistic assholes, b) Tom’s yeerk gets fed up with Esplin’s crap to the point of wanting to stick a knife in his back, and c) the empire has been hemorrhaging hork-bajir hosts for years without doing anything about it.  The Animorphs come along and give the block tower a big ol’ shove, to be sure, but Visser One and Visser Three have been playing Jenga with it for years by the time it finally falls.

Visser One might, if she has the chance to run her own house for once, be smart enough to realize that rewarding people who give her bad news is a much much better idea than shooting the messenger.  Assuming she does, then we get no fake mind-control hamburgers, no multi-billion-dollar Sea Blade project that goes nowhere, no weekslong infiltration effort to glimpse a useless andalite porta-potty, and no near-catastrophe with the veleek.  Mist importantly, there’d be no internal fracturing that leads to the empire’s fall.  She’s not great at controlling her temper, so that’s a maybe at best, but assuming she could, then she’s capable of winning loyalty rather than demanding it with temper tantrums.

Assuming that Visser One manages to do all that, and I think she just might be able to pull all that off, the humans lose.  The Animorphs would do their best to make a mess along the way, of course, and maybe the invasion would be successful enough to get the andalites’ attention a little early, but it’s still not looking good for the good guys.

[evolutioncounseling]

Conscious awareness around where grief originates doesn’t necessarily make the process of grieving any easier but it does make it possible to go through the process, to start to move towards healing. At the same time moving towards healing is a scary prospect because it means admitting at the deepest level that a loss really has occurred, that life can never be the same again. At the unconscious level many prefer the pain when holding on to this pain means not having to let go of whoever or whatever has been lost to them.

Therefore there are all kinds of losses during the lifespan that have a high likelihood of remaining at the periphery of conscious awareness without ever being adequately worked through. These losses become unfinished business. They exert a profound impact on functioning in the present as people remain in the past, unable to accept their current set of circumstances.

Lost youth is an extremely painful area of loss that is almost never adequately worked through, probably because full acceptance of lost youth would mean full acceptance of mortality, and mortality is the bitterest of pills to swallow. Humans have always resorted to all manner of fiction and fantasy to find relief from the painful recognition of a reality where destruction of being is the unavoidable outcome.

What sort of coping mechanisms do people unable to accept their lost youth rely upon? The most common mechanism is probably to simply exist in the past, to allow nostalgia to wrap around them like a warm blanket as they tell and retell the same old stories. They take solace in a bygone era. The present is just a shadow, an annoyance to which they devote the minimum necessary attention. It’s the past, their lost youth, that is their true reality.

Another common coping mechanism is to project awareness around lost youth to sadness or negativity towards all of the aspects of the world that have changed. The younger generation has lost its values. Suspicion is aroused when encountering any new technologies. The old ways are the good ways, the right ways. The new ways are deficient, even morally corrupt.

But the connection is never made that it’s not the loss of the old ways that causes distress, not really. It’s the loss of youth, the uncomfortable feeling of being left behind. People yearn for the time of the old ways because in that time possibilities seemed limitless and life seemed like it would stretch on forever.

These coping mechanisms mean not fully engaging with the present, not fully engaging with life. While working through grief around lost youth is painful it paves the way for true happiness and fulfillment in the time that remains.