#they just have to do it with critically ill pets so owners know they might pass at home
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pancake breakfast
#she’s doing SO well on the meds#like at the vet’s she was bad enough we had to sign a waiver#that we were technically going against medical advice#just to take her home#which to be clear the vet was fine with/said that wasn’t actually her advice#they just have to do it with critically ill pets so owners know they might pass at home#so it’s almost unbelievable seeing her go from that to this
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Diarrhea in Dogs: How Can Probiotics for Dogs Can Help
Dog diarrhea is a typical issue that virtually every pet owner occasionally confronts. Your furry child could have the sickness if you’ve lately been cleaning a lot of canine waste.
Many people will now learn about this and rush out to buy probiotics. Yes, probiotics are an excellent way to treat diarrhea in dogs and promote their overall health. But you can’t just buy any medication for your dogs without understanding the illness or seeking professional advice.
So if you want to know more about probiotics for dog with diarrhea, stick with us.
What to do when your pets have diarrhea?
We at Pyravet, a critical care veterinary expert company, are sensitive to your worries. It might not be a good idea to treat them yourself if you react too strongly.
Now, you may occasionally cure a pet’s diarrhea in the comfort of your own home. However, occasionally it could be too severe to continue with at-home care. Sometimes the illness affects your infant so severely that hospitalization is necessary.
The signs of diarrhea in dogs:
Diarrhea is much more than loose dog poop. There are two types of diarrhea. Some are small bowels, and some are large bowels. Clinical symptoms may vary depending on the anatomy. Here are some most common symptoms of the disease:
Vomiting
Drooling, secondary to nausea
Dog poop is found in volumes. Pet pooping very frequently
Dry heaving or retching
Inappetance or loss of appetite
Increase in frequency of bowel movement
Weakness
Painful abdomen
Weight loss
Dehydration
Fever
These symptoms are often very evident when diarrhea hit the gut health of your dog. You should consult your pet doctor whenever you see these problems in your dog’s gut.
What Causes Diarrhea in Dogs?
Diarrhea is almost often brought on by major medical issues. However, when your dog has diarrhea, it usually happens for medical reasons, such as an acute inflammation of their digestive tracts. There are several reasons why your dog may be experiencing diarrhea, though.
It’s fairly normal for dogs to get diarrhea. You shouldn’t worry too much. Your infant is not in too much pain. To ensure that your pet receives the finest care, consult a doctor as soon as possible.
There are a lot of amazing companies that prepare some of the best medicines. However, if you want to treat your dog without harming its long-term health, don’t turn to these chemical probiotics for dogs. We have brought some amazing medicines that can help you with the best affordable services.
However, we will always suggest you speak with your vet before getting these medicines. We have n array of the best probiotics for dogs with diarrhea. Try our affordable services now for more
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Nancy Drew and Education
So apparently the Clue Crew is full of teachers? Who knew. Well, as a former homeschooled student, current teacher, and (hopefully) future homeschooling parent/teacher I have been planning on integrating the games into lessons for a long time. Below the cut I have just a few of my many ideas (some more fleshed out than others). Feel free to use, adapt, or add your own!
SCK:
- Braille
o How blind/vision impaired people navigate the world
§ How we can make it more accessible for them
o How do braille books and printers work
- ASL
o Memorizing the alphabet and basic signs
§ Build up fluency
o How HOH/deaf people navigate the world
§ How we can make it more accessible for them
o Connections of ASL to other signed languages
§ French Sign Language versus British Sign Language
- Dangers of gas leaks
o What to do if you smell or hear gas
- Inequalities between mens and womens sporting opportunities
o See Women’s Soccer
- What are performance enhancing drugs
o What is the difference between #steroids and the steroids your doctor might prescribe
- How drug running is a gateway crime
- Why blackmailing people isn’t good
- More reasons to never move to Florida
- Why you shouldn’t go to an actual high school part one
STFD:
- Television in NYC
o Soap Operas
o How television sets work
o Role of director
o Teleprompters
o Props
o Agents
- Theatre in NY
o Broadway
§ Learn a show
o Carnegie Hall
- Dangers in the ways we obsess over celebrities
o Paparazzi
o Stalkers
o Respecting privacy
- NY taxi system
- NY regional accents
- NY as a center for immigration – salad bowl
o Ellis Island
- History of NYC
o Geography of NYC
- Typewriters
- Towers of Hanoi
- Encoding
- How to make chocolates (with or without poison)
- Read along:
o New York the Novel (Edward Rutherford)
o The Power Broker
o All of a Kind Family
MHM:
- San Francisco Gold Rush
- Earthquake and Fires in San Fran
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Angel Island
o Asian (Chinese) Immigration to the USA
- Chinese Zodiac
- Fortune telling (and why it’s not okay)
- Bed and Breakfasts
- San Francisco today
o Technology boom
o Overpriced everything
§ How this hurts established residents
§ Homelessness in San Fran
- Bandits in the American West
- Hauntings in American buildings
- How to remove and install tile
- Renovations – refurbish something
- Antiques
o Visit an antique shop
- Importance of fire safety
- How to install lighting fixtures properly
- How to fix a dumbwaiter
o How not to be a dumb waiter
- Tangrams
- What is the Victorian period
o Significance of Queen Victoria
- Read Along:
o Little Brother
o Paper Son: Lee’s Journey to America
o Angel Island Gateway to Golden Mountain
TRT:
- The French Revolution
o Marie Antoinette
o Women and the French Revolution
o Worldwide effects of the Revolution
o Historians of the French Revolution
- Writing history
o How we can focus on different events in history, how we can be sympathetic to certain people, how we can fulfill different spaces in the historical narrative, criticism of history as a field, entering history as a field
- Wisconsin Dairy industry
- Alarm systems and how they work
- Fingerprinting
- Elevator safety
- Ski lifts
o Skiing
- Vandalism
- Taking care of libraries
- Latitude and longitude
- Keeping records of good events and bad events
o Nothing you do will ever stop me from loving you
- Some people keep different sleep schedules
- Journalism
- Making translations
- Why France has different holidays – to keep the ski lodges from getting too full
FIN:
- History of theatre spaces
- Use of film at theatres
- Magicians
o Houdini
o Learn a ‘magic’ trick
- Library of Congress
- Demolition – wrecking balls
o What’s involved
- Plaster casts
- Historic register of buildings
o Visit a local historic building
- Price of concessions and movie tickets today
- Nickelodeons
- Celebrity stunts for attention from press
o Celebrity endorsements
- Jazz music
o Dancing
- Kidnapping stories
o What to do if someone tries to grab you
- Rubber vs. electricity
- Art/artists of the 20s
SSH:
- Numbering systems (particularly ones not based on 10)
- Cultures of South America
o Maya
§ Cultural understandings
§ Connections to what appears at Beech Hill
o Aztec
o Inca
- Myths of lesser civilizations because of European preconceptions
- Why do countries have consulates/embassies in other countries
- What is amnesia and other medical memory issues
- Provenance and why its important part one
- Roles and responsibilities within a museum
o Visit a museum
o How to be critical of a museum and how knowledge is presented to you
- Modern art
o Make your own
o Visit a modern art museum
- Periodic Table of Elements
- Positive and negative molds for casting
DOG:
- Prohibition
o Speakeasys
o Amendments to constitution
o Drinking age restrictions
§ Comparison of USA to European countries
o Connections to modern drug policies
- Recognizing and photographing local birds
- Dangers in the forest – ticks and other pests
- Why water sources are important
o Flint water crisis
- Visit a state park
o Importance of maintaining public land
- Alcatraz
- How to care for dogs
- Noise pollution
o Light pollution
CAR:
- History of carousels
o Visit a carousel
- Lathes
- Harmonicas
- Band organs
- Writing messages with lemon juice and other hidden inks
- How to iron
o How not to iron
- How to make a sundae
- How amusement park rides are designed
- Soldering
- What is parole
o Welcoming those who have been in prison back to society
o Problems with the American prison system
§ How it disproportionately affects minority groups
o What can be done in prison reform
o Abuses in prison
o Making mental and spiritual help and guidance more available
o Making sanitary products available
o Prison for profit hurts everybody except the prison owner
o Educational opportunities for those in prison
o More half-way help
o Juvenile sentencing reform – more out of system help
o Respecting humanity of prisoners
o Ending the death penalty
- Depression
o How to get help
o How to help others
o Dealing with loss
DDI:
- Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest
- Orcas and other whales
o Whaling industry in Northwest and Northeast
o Things whale products were used for
o Visit natural history museum with whale exhibition
- Visit an aquarium with a good reputation
o Problems with places that do not take care of their sea life – particularly large sea life like whales
- What is a chowder and how is it made
o Try or make chowder
- Crabs
o Restrictions on different types of crabs – what type is local
o Try a crab dish
- Importance of different knots
o Get some rope and learn how to tie different knots
- Know the NATO alphabet and letter flags
- Boating knowledge
o Go on a boating trip – know the port and starboard sides
- Learn how to kayak
- Try to learn how to skip rocks
- Visit a lighthouse
o Importance and histories of lighthouses
- Smuggling – what is it and why does it happen
- Shanghaiing
- Chess
SHA:
- The continuous oppression and mistreatment of Native Americans
o From Mayflower to Pocahontas to Trail of Tears to Dakota to DAPL to Reservations to food deserts to voting rights to much much more
§ How to support current Native voices and concerns
o Why Native Americans are not a costume
o “Possession” of Native American objects and land
§ Arrowheads and native jewelry
o Broad overview of regional Native American groups – using their own voices
§ Special focus on local Native American groups
· Is there a local museum/educational resource that is either Native created or known for respecting Native voices
o Current Native Americans of note (ex: politicians, activists, artists)
o While the previous focuses on Native Americans in the modern day USA – also discuss First Nations from Canada and Native Groups from more southern areas
- Why temperature and pan matters when baking (show what happens in the oven when it goes wrong)
- Magnets and how different metals react differently to magnets
- How to take care of a horse and other farm animals
o Visit a local farm
o Try horse-riding
- Dangers of rattle snakes and scorpions
- Lassos and how to use them
- Legends of outlaws in the American West
- Ghost towns
- Flower stitches when knitting/crocheting
- Petrified wood
- How to make a campfire
- Picking fruits and veggies when they are ready
- Flower language
- Read Along:
o Native American folk tales
o Motorcycles and Sweetgrass
o Gone Away Lake
o Black Beauty?
CUR:
- Where are the moors
- Different regional accents within the United Kingdom
- British foods
- Latin
o Learn fun phrases and prayers
- Ancestry and genealogy
o Map your own family tree and recognize family crests
o How adoption has historically been a binding and irrefutable concept for lineage
o Find places your family lived
o Leaving a history for your descendants
§ Write a story book for them
o British Royal Family
§ Why incest is bad
- Parrots and their intelligence
- Secret passages in old buildings
- Alchemy
o Connections to modern understandings of science
o Historical understandings of elements
- Astrological signs
- Witch trials
- Legends of lycanthropy and other monsters
- Importance of not taking other peoples medicines
- Runic alphabet
- Feeding your pets a healthy diet
- Typing practice
- How to embrace the idea that home taught students are evil geniuses
- Forges and melting points of different metals
- Carnivorous plants
- Succulents
- Constellations in different places
- Read Along:
o The Secret Garden
o The London Eye Mystery
o Beastly
CLK:
- Great Depression
o Causes and effects
o Who was hurt
o Who was not hurt
o Areas of America
§ Dust bowl
o Famous people and literature
o Homelessness and poverty
§ Bread lines
§ Soup kitchens
§ Anti-homelessness architecture
§ Connections to mental illness and veterans
§ How we can help those who do not have homes today
- Early Telephones
- Shakespeare
- History of Nancy Drew
o Mildred Wirt Benson
o Edward Stratemeyer
- Fishing – why different fish respond to different bait
- Orphanages in the early 20th century
- Gas prices and accessibility of cars through time
- How to make pie
- What is jurisdiction and what is significant about crossing state lines
- How do banks work
o Safety deposit boxes
- Identify theft
- How to use a sewing machine
o Sew an item of clothing
- Mini golf – why and what
- Mirrors and their usefulness
- Stamp collections
-
- Radios and call signs
o Comparison to modern internet forms
- Telegrams
- Read along:
o Shakespeare
§ Midsummer Night’s Dream
§ Others
o Pollyanna
o Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
o The Grapes of Wrath
TRN:
- Trains
o Steam trains
o Visit a train museum
o Take a train ride (if not a normal event)
o Importance of transcontinental railway
o Trains around the USA today
o Trains around the world (TGV, bullet train)
- Abraham Lincoln
- Mark Twain
- How to make a good burger (you leave off the PB&J)
- Slugs
- Periodic Table of Elements – abbreviations
- Gemstones
- History of Mining
o England (Newcastle upon Tyne)
o American West
o Appalachia
o Company Store
o Health issues for miners
o Danger of mines
o Current issues for mining
- Dancing the Hurley Burley
- People who collect creepy dolls
o History of porcelain dolls
- Embroidery
o How to
o Patterns/symbols
- General Stores in the American West
o Sears
- How to make taffy
- Find a well maintained and beautiful tomb and research who is entombed
- Focusing light through a magnifying glass can start a fire
- Read Along:
o Murder on the Orient Express
o Mark Twain books
DAN:
- All lessons in French
- How using different ingredients and different amounts of ingredients can affect the outcome of your cookies
- Paris métro
o History
o How to read/follow a métro map
o RER
- Montmartre and other Parisian neighbourhoods
- History of Île de la France and Square de Vert Galant Parc and Pont Neuf
- WWII and the French Resistance
o Cross of Lorraine
o Vichy France
o Abuses of the French gov’t in this period
- Paris and the fashion world
- Beauty standards and the rejection of natural beauty by society
o Dangers of weight and figure standards
o You are beautiful as you are
- Catacombs of Paris
- Famous French Dishes (from this region)
o Or Bretagne since I know and like them better
- The French Café
- Moulin in France
- Tea and how hot leaf water can taste so bad but still be good for you
- Buildings of Baron Haussmann
- Paris History
- Decoders
- Importance of vitraux historically, culturally, and religiously
- Read Along:
o Little Kids
§ Madeline
§ Babar
§ Petit Ours
§ Plume
o High School
§ Hunchback of Notre Dame
§ Les Mis
§ Dale Van Kley
CRE:
- History of Hawai’i and her native people
o How the USA screwed them over and continues to do so
§ Land colonizing today
o Listen to voices from Native Peoples
- Pearl Harbor
o USS Arizona
- Native myths and legends
- Local flora and fauna
- Surfing
- How to make bead necklaces
- Snorkeling
- Entomology
o Find some local bugs and identify and observe them
- Horticulture
o See if you can graft something
o Watch a carnation placed in water with food dye
o Regrow a fruit or veggie from the leftovers
- Go looking for seashells – see how many complete shells you can find
- Be aware of pesticides and the dangers they offer
o Dangers of organic food too
- Make something with pineapple in it
- Fishing – different kinds of native fish
- Volcanos
- Hula
ICE:
- Wolf sanctuaries – respecting wildlife and their place in the wild and not the domestic
o What to do if you see a wolf in the real world
- Fur trapping in Canada history
- Regions and Capitols of Canada
o Visit Canada?
- How the Canadian government works
- Use of French language in Canada
o Unique features of Canadian French
- Ice fishing
- How to cook omelets, salmon, etc.
o How to not add paprika cause like ew
- Fossils
- Radiation
o Marie Curie
- How to be a good maid
- Snowballs/ice balls
- Ice skating
- Winter weather safety
- Avalanches
- Saunas
- Birthmarks
- Fax machines
- How to not lie about bird watching
- Frozen water safety
- Modern offenses against First Nations by Canadian Government
CRY:
- Culture of the Arawak and Caraïbe
o Voodoo
- Mardi Gras in New Orleans
- Hurricane Katrina and aftermath
- French Influence
- Eyes and their parts and functions
- Teeth and their parts and functions
- Alligators in the Southern USA and how they are dangerous pests
- Graveyards/cemeteries and how to be comfortable in them
o Modern burial practices
o Why are they above ground in Louisiana?
o Places where they are running out of space for the dead
o Historic violations of final resting places
- Ventriloquism
- Lizards and how to care for them
- Rube Goldberg machines
- Curio shops
- Crystal Skulls
VEN:
- International crime
- Organized crime
- Scopa
- Italian basics
o Learn an Italian aria
- Italian food
o Not just spaghetti
- History of Venice
o Current issues in Venice
- Carrier pigeons
- Micro-dots
- “Observing the architecture”
- Try to make gelato (or just get gelato, either way you get gelato)
- Disguising yourself – put on an outfit and try to get me to not recognize you
- Picking locks
- Secret codes
- Solfege
o With hand signs
o Learn a song in solfege
- Carnivale
- Learn how the sausage gets made
o How to deal with food poisoning
- How to secure your living space against burglars
o Glass breaks, motion sensors, keypads, magnets, and more
- Read Along:
o Heist Society
o The Prince
o Merchant of Venice
HAU:
- Irish lessons (as much of this in Irish as possible)
o Why the Irish language is important
- Geography of Ireland
o Provinces and counties
- Irish names
- Why Ireland has disliked and should dislike the UK
o Historically
o Famine
§ Emmigration
o Easter Rising
o Troubles
o Present-Day
- Importance of alcohol in Ireland
o Uisce beatha
o Guinness
§ Guinness world records
- Irish music
o Irish instruments
o Learn some Rebel songs
- Ogham runes
- Irish foods
o Something with lamb, who cares what
- Don’t use friends for land development
- Bogs
- Chemical Reactions
- Rockets
- Inventions and secrecy during WWII
- Religion in Ireland
o Pagan traditions
o Christianity
o Catholic/Protestant tensions
- Irish wedding traditions
- How printing presses work
- Irish castles
- Sheep sheering/raising sheep
- Irish legends
o Fae
o Leprechauns
- Don’t drive and talk on the phone
RAN:
- Why blackface is problematic? (the fact that this needs to be said is problematic in and of itself)
- Scuba diving
- Sailing
- Bermuda Triangle
- Bats
- Primates and their intelligence
o Problems with animal research
o Koko
o Jane Goodall
- Island resort culture
- Metal detectors
- Pirates
o And the Caribbean
o Their abuses
o Different kinds
o Modern day pirates
- How do walkie-talkies work
- US mistreatment of island territories
- Read Along:
o Bloody Jack (Meyer)
WAC:
- Edgar Allan Poe
o Stories
o Baltimore
- Piano
- Victorian Dining traditions
o How to set a place for fancy dining
o How to fold napkins
o Table manners
o How to serve someone at a fancy dinner
o How courses might work
o How to use your silverware
- Why you shouldn’t go to an actual high school part two
o Just fyi – that’s not how uniforms work
§ Have a school inspired dress code for a week
- Bullying and why you absolutely will not be a bully
o How to respond to bullying
o Importance of talking to adults and counseling
- Logic puzzles
- Research the founding of a local school
- Stringed Instruments
- Plagiarism
o Turnitin
- Making sandwiches – like a good deli style sandwich
- Photography scavenger hunt – make a digital (or physical) yearbook
- Squirrels
- Orthographic projection
- DNA/RNA
- Saving every major project on three different thumb drives
- Getting along with roommates
- States and Capitals
o Countries and capitals of the world
TOT:
- Tornados
o Technology used to observe tornados
- Meteorology
- Prairie dogs
- Life on the great plains
- Great Plains Native Americans
- Small towns in the Midwest honestly be like that
- Defensive driving
- Make a disaster kit
- Know what to do in various natural emergency situations
o What is the local alert protocol
o What do local authorities recommend
- How to maintain and fix a car
- How to fix a broken device
- What is tenure
- How to budget
o Go to the grocery store on a strict budget (however much you come in under budget is your candy budget)
- Read Along:
o Little House
SAW:
- Basic Japanese phrases
o Learn to count
o Writing in Japanese
- Sudoku, nonograms, renograms
- Japanese ghost legends
- Japanese culture
o Tourism
§ Ryokans
o Space – everything small
o Politeness/formalities
o Hot springs/baths
o Tatami and paper walls
- Japanese cultural dress
o Kimonos
o Lolita? Fashion
- Japanese names
o Last name first
o How to address others in Japan
- Martial Arts
o Ninjutsu
§ Traditional tools
- Japanese tea ceremony
- Schools in Japan
- Teaching English as a foreign language
- Japanese subway/train system
- Pachinko and Japanese gaming
- Japanese vending machines
- Robotic animals
- Bento
- Japanese foods
- Origami
- How to fake a haunting
CAP:
- Basic German phrases
o How to make a German word
o Connections of German to English
- German food favourites
o Especially cakes
- Storytelling as a cultural entity
o How memory has worked differently in different times
- Glass blowing
- How castles provided for the local community
- Bavaria in Germany
o Cultural dress
- Glockenspiel
- How to make board games
- Monster stories of central Europe
- How to monitor security camera remotely
- Read Along:
o Heidi
ASH:
- Arson
o Watching how different accelerants burn a piece of paper
- All politicians are at least somewhat self-serving
o But write a letter to a local politician anyway
§ Different ways to contact elected officials, and why some don’t work
- How to make ice cream
- How a police investigation works
o Problems with police departments around the world – specifically USA
o Ways that police work unfairly targets minorities
§ If Nancy is innocent how many others are
- How to use matches and lighters safely
- Why you should not return to the scene of a crime – particularly a fire
- Making sure smoke detectors work properly and the system is connected
o We might not go to school but fire drills are still important
- What is a mass spectrometer
- Who to call if you’ve been arrested
- What to do if you get pulled over
- How the media can skew the truth and make their own narratives
- Sound mixing
- Be careful with what you say/post/record
o Keep receipts and clarify when possible
TMB:
- What not to do at an archaeological site
- Ancient Egyptian History
o Pantheon, notable figures, relevant events
o Pyramids, sphinx
o Pharaohs
- Modern Egypt
o Arabic alphabet
- History of archaeological digs in Egypt
o Why they’ve been problematic
- Dangers of the tombs
- Mummys
o How they are put together
- Tomb raiders
- Importance of water in the desert
- How to piece together a broken artifact
- How to gently brush off an artifact
- There is no such thing as a dictionary for ancient Egyptian
- Aliens did not build the pyramids
- Senet
- Desert life safety
- How mirrors can be used to light a room
- Read Along
o Rick Riordan
DED:
- Nikola Tesla
o All his fun stuff
o Tesla Coils
- 3-D printing
- Gummy fingerprints
- Faraday Cage
- Basic electric concepts
o How to build a circuit board
- Chemical safety
- How a lab might work
- Valuing different skills within academia
- Ultraviolet light
- How motorcycles work
- Freelance photography
- How to use academic databases
GTH:
- Slavery in the United States
o Origins
o ‘End’
o Civil War
o The connection to “southern culture”
o Continued abuses of Black people in America
§ Importance of recognizing Black voices and what they are saying
§ Listening even when it’s uncomfortable
§ Checking privilege when you have it
o Jim Crow Laws
- Plantations
- Gone With the Wind
o The good and the bad
- Civil War spies – female
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Burned out houses are not a safe space
- Do not go digging through people’s coffins – rest in PEACE
- Understanding that your family can be flawed
- If you don’t want to get married, if you’re not happy in a relationship, end it
- When a member of your family is sick you take care of them
- Make a will, just in case your cousin kills you
- Bachelor and bachelorette parties should feature activities that everyone is comfortable with
- Read Along:
o My Last Skirt: The Story of Jennie Hodgers, Union Soldier
SPY:
- Scotland and their identity
o Celtic Nations
o Independent Scotland
o Call a Scottish person
- Unicorns and other mythical creatures in Scotland
- Scottish food
o The appetizing parts
- History of spies
- Biowarfare
o Code Orange
o Other teenage stories dealing with anthrax
o Current events and concerns
o Historical biowarfare (smallpox blankets)
- Ziplining
- Archery
- How to bug someone
- Tartans and plaids
o Kilts
- Augmented Reality Glasses
- Record players
- How to reset a circuit breaker
- Read Along:
o Gallagher Girls
o Code Orange
o Little House (Martha)
o Little Brother (Doctorow)
MED:
- Don’t meet your heroes
- New Zealand
o Maori culture
- Survivor style game shows and realism
- I’m not saying Aliens can’t exist, I’m saying they def aren’t involved here
- Kayaking
- Submarines and what they can do
- Turtles
- Earthquakes
- Be careful with rope bridges
LIE:
- Provenance and why it’s important part two
- Greek art and how it was originally painted vibrantly
o Abuses of Greek art through the ages
- The British Museum and the issues with that
- Greek pantheon
o Legends and notable figures
o Religious traditions
- Iliad and Odyssey
- Art forgery
- How to fire clay pots and pottery
- Memorizing lines for a play
o Staging for a play
o Role of a director
- Theatre
o Lights
o Curtains
o Fly system
o Sound
- Greek alphabet
- Historical importance of the Greek language and culture
o Alexander the Great and Hellenization
- Olympics
o Historic and modern
- Greece and the European Union
- Make something with pomegranates
- Read Along:
o Iliad
o Odyssey
o The Thief
o Percy Jackson
SEA:
- Iceland
o Culture
§ Naming traditions
o Language
o Music
o Food
- Shipbuilding
o Historic and modern ships
- Ice caving
- Northern Lights
- Tides
- Snowmobiling
- Poetry
- What is xenophobia
MID:
- Some games just shouldn’t be made
- American witch trials
o What actually went down
o Misconceptions
- Treating people with albinism as real people
- Arson is bad
- Herbal remedies and how they can interfere with modern medicine
- Witchcraft and how not to
- Salem MA
- Ignorance promotes fear and hatred so we do our best to learn about others
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if you see submission as something that requires external proof that it exists, I do not respect you lol
let me explain. there are lots of ways to play with power exchange, and there's no Right™️ way. there's just a wide range of frameworks for the power exchange and language you can use to express it. it can look any number of ways. the way you know if you're doing it right is if you and your partner(s) are happy and having a good time.
but at its core, power exchange is emotional. it's intangible. it's an agreement. there are ways you can manifest that agreement. there are a billion ways to manifest it, pick and choose the ones you like and leave the rest. but they are just indications that a power exchange has occurred or is occurring.
but if you feel like your partner isn't a real sub or that they don't act like they belong to you because they don't want to do X or can't do Y or because they need to take a break from playing for a while, if you need to constantly see someone doing a bunch of shit for you in order for you to feel like you're the one in control, you are insecure and I don't respect you as an equal and I would never respect you enough to consider you a potential dom lol
life happens. sometimes people have illnesses or injuries that make certain things impossible or uncomfortable or painful. sometimes people need emotional distance from the intensity that is an ongoing power exchange, regardless of whether it's some super involved thing or just a connection and flavor to interaction that extends beyond playing.
I don't want to be misinterpreted. I'm not talking about enjoying certain activities. I'm not talking about feeling more fulfilled and happy when you are able to regularly play with your partner(s). I'm not talking about needing reassurance sometimes! I'm absolutely not talking about that at all.
I'm talking about being the type of dom who cannot handle change like a mature adult. I'm talking about the type of dom who wants to have a little tantrum when their partner needs to take a step back or asserts a boundary that eliminates a dom's control over something. I'm talking about the doms who think any negotiation or alteration after the first negotiation is the sign of a bad sub who isn't truly committed. I'm talking about the type of dom who thinks dominance is characterized by what a submissive does for them and not about the dom's responsibility to their partner.
I phrase it as a responsibility to their partner very intentionally. I cringe when people talk about having responsibility for their partner, with a tone that implies they think of their partner more like actual property than as an equal human being who they play a game with. maybe I'm not explaining this well.
my dom is not responsible for me, in the way similar to how a parent is responsible for their child or a pet owner is responsible for their pet. I am not in a position of dependence. I am an adult who is responsible for himself. my dom has a responsibility to me because power exchange, by its very nature, makes me vulnerable. my dom has a responsibility to keep me safe because submission means my priorities look different than normal. my dom has a responsibility to understand my priorities as a human being and my emotional needs, not what ze thinks my needs are or should be, so ze can truly act in my best interests when I am not able to do so.
for example, my dom and I play around with orgasm control. sometimes, when ze asks me if I want to come, I genuinely don't know because it doesn't matter as much to me in that moment. what matters to me is what ze wants and pleasing hir.
this is critical -- ze needs to decide what is best for me, not necessarily what will please hir. I'm not in my right mind during a scene. going too long without an orgasm is unhealthy for me, but in a scene, all I'm thinking about is being hirs and giving hir control.
ze might want to see just how desperate I'll be after another day or two, and a tiny-brain dom wouldn't give me permission to come. but ze would give me permission and would make me come because that is the right decision sometimes. other times, having me wait is the right decision.
but it's impossible to make the right decision, it's impossible to play responsibly as a dom if you get so caught up in your own insecurity that, in this situation, you would be guided by your insecurity and you would tell me no because it would validate your identity as a dom.
idk man insecure and selfish doms are so cringe
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THEODORE BLAIR
( thomas beaudoin, male, he/him ) — a member of the [ blair ] family claims membership to the society ! [ theodore ] is a [ 34 ] year old [ celebrity chef ] who hails from [ brighton, england ] , who call them [ EPICURE ] . although their peers know them for being [ positive ] and [ attentive ] , their reputation for being [ sarcastic ] and [ perfectionist ] might prove intimidating for new initiates. while the [ blair ] family is known for [ culinary critiques ] , the society’s own [ Oberon ] is better remembered by [ the intensity in the kitchen at his three restaurants, dragging the sauce spoon over a plate for presentation, loves helping anyone be a better chef, eyes dilating at anything exciting and when he talks passionately ] . having been a member for [ two years ] now, [ theodore ] has managed to attain [ a netflix series ] — no doubt through the help of the society, wouldn’t you think ? ——— ( annie & central & 24 & she/her )
it felt almost natural for theodore to become what he is today, but it’s not without many people to thank for it. his mother is italian and only ever made him fall in love with every dish she served him. every dinner felt special because of the food that was prepared and the environment which surrounded it. food is always about having a connection and a story with it and theodore’s first experience was like a love spell. throughout his years, he helped his mother and learned a variety of things about italian culture. his father was always a business man first and father second, but even when he was around theodore learned hard discipline and focus.
it was an innate decision to attend cordon bleu in france and it was a godsend that he was accepted. there were other culinary schools he could have been accepted in and had, but even being on a waitlist at cordon bleu was a dream. while there, he worked to prove that he deserved his place. there would be hours in the early mornings that he would be up perfectionist french toast for his roommate he housed with. some mornings there would be a dozen french toasts left out or omelets. once graduated, he managed to find a restaurant that would let him be sous chef without any experience in the kitchen. his mentors at cordon bleu had put in a good word in every restaurant around paris. soon enough, he moved through the tiers and became head chef before leaving and opening his own restaraunt in paris. though he was from london, theodore had a special place for paris, the city that he fell in love with him and it seemed fell in love with him back. without paris, he wouldn’t have the start he had in his career.
almost after a year of opening, the restaurant la lorenzo earned it’s first michelin review with four stars. news had spread that a young restaurant and owner had become a quick notorious place to go. not long after, theodore moved back to london to open another restaraunt centered with inspiration from his hometown. The White Fox was his second restaurant, becoming a place for elites and the general public to come for its pleasing aesthetic and organized menu of british delicacies. The last and most recent restaurant he opened is in Italy, named la celene after his mother who passed just before opening. he has sentimental values in all his restaurants, but he put most of his effort into his italian one for his mother. it’s no surprise that the effort turned into success, getting a michelin review with three stars.
throughout his career, theodore has been open to suggestions and opportunities. he’s appeared in many food reality shows as a celebrity guest judge. it wasn’t until recently that he was approached for his own show on Netflix. theodore is known for his bright personality and passion for cooking, being able to help anyone who needs it. he has been compared to julia child for his seriousness and creativity as well as charisma and wit. after many offers and pleas, he and his publicist agreed to a show named, pot meet kettle. it’s a show where he goes through a regular work day and shares recipes from that day. each episode covers a different day and sometimes a different restaurant. he loves having guests on during the process and when the chaos is over in the dining rooms.
his only goal now is to share his ideas and creativity with people, but theo is still maintains a regular life. when he’s around others, he tries not to bring up work and focuses on that person and what they are saying. the society is helping him make connections in places he wouldn’t otherwise and find new people to branch out to.
headcanons
his first baking experience was when he was six and helped bake cookies. he was stubborn and wanted to do it on his own and used salt instead of sugar. his mother ate it to please him but later told him he needed practice.
when he was living in paris for school, he had three roommates before rooming in with one. his only bad habit as a roommate was baking or cooking at 2 a.m. he made up for it by having a pampered and professional breakfast in the morning or would have dinner parties.
with many career advantages, theo’s favorite was being able to cook for barbra streisand in america. she has always been an idol for him and when he was asked he said yes immediately.
the next place he wants to open up restaurants in is denmark and america. he has been debating east or west coast for america or just a place in chicago or las vegas. there are more people in america who will go eat than he can think.
while being a perfectionist at work and in the kitchen, theodore has a mild case of messiness in his house in london. he is always in a hurry and doesn’t have time but refuses to call for a maid or help.
he hates his middle name. period. it’s a pet peeve when people use it in articles.
he has a french bulldog named pepper and a corgi named olive. for years he said he would never name a pet after food, but with pepper’s black spots on her white fur and basil being a happy and fruitful dog, it only felt right to name him after a key ingredient.
theodore isn’t close with his father but with his achievements, helps pays for anything even the ridiculous things like a peloton for christmas that only collected dust.
before having his own show he didn’t watch a lot of television, but he loves watching netflix for them hosting him and other cooking shows. he enjoys great british baking show and follows them all on social media even though his publicist says he shouldn’t follow so many people.
wanted connection
ill competition- theodore loves a good fire under his feet and responds to criticism with stride. if there’s someone who has a show with more ratings, doesn’t like his restaurants or food, or his show, he will be honest and ask why or depending on the severity, go the extra mile and outdo himself to make them like him.
exes- relationships or friendships. there’s a lot of things he does subconsciously that can be annoying to ruin a friendship. he’s also private about his life and if he had a relationship that might have been a turning point. mostly he has small hookups and tries not to have a serious relationship for his job. he does want to settle down eventually.
friends and best friends- benefits is he will travel your way to cook anything. he is a good friend, good listener, has good banter. will sit and watch gilmore girls and won’t complain. he loves knowing what people like for comfort and going the extra mile.
business partner or publicist- he has a small team that helps operate his social media and management. he’s busy between three restaurants and getting two more going. anyone to help with denmark or american restaurants would be nice or some inspiration since all that is stopping him is financials and not knowing a menu that he isn’t around a lot.
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Top Best Calming Pets Bed 2020
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Fic: Kittens and grandparents
Summary: Al and Mei visit the Curtises with Ed and Winry’s kids and encounter a cat problem.
A/N: /Finally/. @finalcam, here’s your giveaway fic! You wished for Izumi and Sig baby sitting the Edwin kids, with hints of Al and Mei, and I tried my best to do it in quite few words. This has honestly more Almei focus than Sig and Izumi but I still hope you enjoy! Once again I have @randomlyopeneddictionary to thank for this idea. What would I do without your help? As usual, comments are very much loved.
Characters: Al, Mei, Sig, Izumi, Edwin kids Alan and Emma (no Ed or Winry tho WHAT IS LIFE?)
Words: 1650+ (more than planned but since I made you wait, I guess that’s OK)
Genre: general, a tiny bit fluffy (because of the cat :D)
warnings: none
“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?”
Two kids, a 4-year-old boy with golden hair and equally golden eyes and a 2-year-old girl with a slightly lighter shade of blonde hair and azure blue eyes, were getting impatient. Only a little while ago they had been so excited to get onto a train with their aunt and uncle who were spending the summer in Rush Valley as their family’s guests. However, based on the amount of seat kicking and bickering about the smallest things, they seemed to have forgotten about the excitement already.
The kids’ parents had seemed visibly relieved when Al had suggested he and Mei would love to take the kids with them to see “granny Izumi” in Dublith. It didn’t take Al too long to understand why; the two Rockbell-Elric children could be angelic when they wanted to be, but they were just as stubborn as Edward and Winry were, and also impatient. They had only been on the train for an hour, but this was probably the third time Emma and Alan started chanting the question that was familiar to a lot of traveling parents in unison. Al had hoped that maybe a good meal at the restaurant car would help, but it seemed to make the kids even more energetic than before. Two more hours to go. Thank goodness they didn’t have to travel to Dublith all the way from Resembool…
As the large buildings of Dublith finally started to show, both Al and Mei sighed of relief. At least when they’d make it to the Curtis household they could trust the kids to behave well because they seemed to respect Izumi in a way that neither them or Ed and Winry could never reach. Besides, Sig had a habit of sneaking an extra piece of the kids’ favorite sausage on the sandwich when they were acting nice (as long as they wouldn’t tell Izumi), and it seemed bribery worked pretty well on Emma and Alan too.
Once the kids had gotten their stomachs full (Al and Mei wondered how they could fit all those sandwiches there after the proper meal on the train), they went to take a nap, giving Al and Mei a good opportunity to go outside to see all the familiar places where Al had wandered as a child. Devil’s Nest seemed to be empty at that moment, and Al felt chills in his core as he remembered some not so happy memories from that place. Sensing what he was feeling, Mei squeezed his hand to pull him back from his thoughts, and he smiled at her gratefully.
Continuing their walk, Al noticed that Xiao-Mei who was sitting on Mei’s shoulder seemed to get irritated by something she saw. Her ears went flat and she emited small hissing sounds. The reason for the panda’s reaction became clear soon; Al heard a tiny “meow” behind a box someone had left on the sidewalk. The small furball peeked at them nervously, probably wanting to run away but not knowing to which direction it should go.
“Mei? Could you… make sure Xiao-Mei doesn’t run anywhere? I’m gonna��� try to talk to this little pal.”
Mei wanted to protest but put the tiny panda into her bag and saw Al starting to approach the cat. He walked really slowly, not wanting to scare it away, talking to it in a calm and quiet voice. Somehow, he managed to gain the kitten’s trust and soon it was sitting on his hand while he was petting it with the other one.
“Alphonse?” Mei asked carefully. “You do know that someone might be looking for that cat, missing it dearly?”
“But look at it! It’s so small and alone, and it’s gonna be cold tonight. I can’t leave it here!”
“Fine,” Mei gave in. “But just for tonight. You will start looking for its owner tomorrow, will you not?”
“Sure thing, my princess. But just because she’s insisting,” he whispered to the kitten, lifting it close to his face so he could snuggle his cheek against the soft fur.
“Meow!”
…
Some time later, the couple returned to the Curtises to find Al’s nephew and niece already awake. Alan, who was already good at reading people’s emotions, sensed that Al was hiding something, and asked:
“Uncle Al? Why do you look so funny?”
“Yes, Alphonse-dear, do you have something you would like to share with the kids?” Mei asked slyly, and Al had to pull the kitten from his pocket.
“Kitty, kitty!” Emma yelled excitedly. From very early on she had showed interest in animals. The new dog at home had gotten more pats from her than anyone else in the household, but for some reason her parents didn’t let her get a cat.
“Shhh, Emma, please don’t be so loud… If Izumi hears…” Al said, clearly very nervous about his old teacher’s possible reaction.
“If she hears what?” Sig asked, entering the room at a critical moment. Al felt like a school kid again when he tried to push the tiny cat into his pocket, but not before Sig saw what he had in his hands.
“Alphonse, aren’t you a bit too old for that already? You know how Izumi feels about cats. Especially after your brother managed to talk her into keeping that one when you lived here…”
“Did daddy have a cat?” Alan asked curiously when he understood they were talking about Edward.
“Well, he helped me get one when we were little…” Al answered, still looking a bit awkward.
“It was quite a funny story too. Do you kids want to hear it?” Sig asked, smiling at the memories.
“YES!” they shouted in unison.
“Fine. Once Edward and Alphonse found a kitten on our neighbor’s backyard and overheard the neighbor wanted to get rid of it. When she left the house for a moment later that day, the boys snuck the cat into their room even though they knew Izumi would be mad if she found out. Apparently she had had bad experiences with cats as a kid. The neighbor was of course very happy when she couldn’t find the cat anywhere, but my wife got suspicious when she heard they had disappeared. You just don’t keep secrets from her, especially if you’re living under her roof.”
“Anyway…” Sig cleared his throat. “Not much later, she found the boys hanging out in their closet instead of doing their homework, and… it was pretty scary, even for me. But Ed didn’t budge. He had seen how important the cat was to Al, and he wanted his little brother to have this one nice thing, even if it meant he’d get his, um, butt, kicked for it. So, when Izumi asked, why the boys had hidden a cat in their closet, Ed looked her straight into eyes with a very serious expression, and said: “All is one, one is all, that’s what you taught us. We are learning about the circle of life by making it eat the mice in the closet.””
Emma looked a little bit upset when she heard the cat ate other animals, so Sig continued quickly: “Anyway, Izumi just stared at him for a while, before bursting into the loudest laughter I had heard in a long while. Then she just shook her head and mumbled something about the nerve the boys had, but after that the cat was never talked about again. It got to stay in our garage until the boys left back to Resembool. After that we searched a new home for it.”
“Sig? Why are you telling them about the only soft moment I have ever had?” a woman’s voice suddenly said behind the group, and Sig’s ears turned bright red.
“No reason, honey!”
The kitten in Al’s pocket decided to start meowing in that moment, and Izumi rolled her eyes.
“Alphonse, have you still not stopped picking random cats from the streets? Who knows what illnesses they might carry…”
“But teacher… I mean Mrs. Curtis… It’s so small, and it’s gonna be a cold night…” Al stuttered. Mei wondered what exactly had happened during the brothers’ apprenticeship that made an adult man so nervous. He hadn’t been that nervous in front of her father, the previous Emperor of Xing, when she had introduced Al to him.
Everyone was surprised when the little Alan stepped in: “Granma Izumi, it’s not…” he struggled with the words a bit, “… eqi… equivalent exchange if we get to sleep in our warm beds but the cat has to sleep on a cold street!”
It was the first time anyone had ever called Izumi a grandma (the kids had called her that at home but never in front of Izumi herself), and that alone was enough to soften her heart. But she also realized how much the boy reminded her of his father, using alchemy phrases and all, and couldn’t help but smile a bit when she answered:
“You know what, Alan? I guess you’re right. He may stay here tonight. Just tonight, though. Tomorrow you will try to find his home, right?”
“Alright,” Alan agreed, and Izumi patted him on his head.
Watching the kids (and Al) having fun with the kitten later that day, Izumi felt the weird kind of happiness in her chest that she didn’t remember feeling after the boys had left Dublith. Finally, she managed to name the feeling; she was grateful and proud that Ed and Al had managed to go so far in their lives; Alphonse was back in his body, living with a girl he would soon marry, still loving kitties as much as he always had. And Edward’s two children were happy and healthy (and dare she say, quite nosy already), and if they were anything like their parents, they would do well in this world. And that was all she could hope for.
#almei#fullmetal alchemist#alphonse elric#may chang#my fics#izumi curtis#sig curtis#emma rockbell elric#alan rockbell elric
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Handsome Brothers’ Daycare
Modern AU crossover where Lan Wangji collects all his queer brothers to help him run a daycare.
Part 1 | Part 2
~~~~ part 3
The man seated across from him at the cafe did look rather, unwell. He was so pale his skin was almost translucent; face thin, with dark smudges under the eyes. It was concerning. But Yue Qingyuan had insisted that his friend Shen Yuan was interested in the job and that his doctors had given the ok for him work again, as long as it wasn’t overly stressful.
Of the business tycoons that Lan WangJi had met before leaving the business world behind, Yue Qingyuan was a rare breed. He was more for quality over quantity; valuing getting the job done right even if it took an extra year to do it. This had at first earned him a lot of criticism from others, but as every job he handled went off without a hitch and none of them turned sour later. Many of those critics learned it was better to swallow their tongues then to bad mouth him. To say the least Lan WangJi had respect for the man.
But the fact that the job he needed to fill did require the person to be able to work with a bunch of rambunctious children left him a bit concerned. Lan WangJi looked back down at the resume. Shen Yuan did have experience from before his illness had surfaced and had work with young children before. So he would know what would be the best subjects to focus on.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Shen Yuan interrupted Lan WangJi’s thoughts. His voice was strong at least, nothing in it hinted at the possibility of the owner being ill. “I look like shit.”
He hadn’t planned to say anything to that extent to the man’s face. Lan Wangji merely nod at him to continue.
“I had hoped to wait a week before meeting with you, but Yue was very insistent that I meet with you as soon as possible. My doctor a few months back convinced me to try out a new treatment that should help keep me in better health in the long term. It’s just that I look like hell for a week right afterwards.”
Lan WangJi nodded in understanding before asking “Do these treatments happen frequently?”
Shen Yuan waved his hand as if he could shoo away the concern. “No no, only once every three to four months. I’ll only need a week to rest afterwards.”
This just made Lan WangJi more concerned. Yue Qingyuan did say his friend had a bad tendency to downplay his illness, believing himself a burden.
“Is there a reason you don’t want to go back to teaching high school again? You must miss it.”
The man across from him studied the top of their table where he’d been folding one of the napkins up like a fan. “The school I had work for had been a public one. Most of the kids were poor. A lot of them by the time they got to me were on their way to being delinquents. In their minds no one cared about them, so why should they? As their Shizun I did my best to let them know I cared, but . . .” A deep sadness etched his face. “I’ve always wondered if I’d met them sooner if things could be different.”
“Most of the looking after will be done by Brother Xie and I. You needing more time after treatments will not be a problem.”
Shen Yuan blinked a bit looking up. “Oh.” Tentatively he asked, “Does that mean you’re hiring me?”
Lan WangJi nodded, shuffling papers back into their folder. “I trust Yue Qingyuan judgement, and I want people who care.”
****
Lan WangJi was just starting to prepare lunch for the children when a large, slightly bewildered looking young man in a black hoody wondered in through the back door. He paused before looking about as if he’d lost something. His face crumpled up a bit, Lan WangJi was unsure if it was from sadness or anger.
“ . . . Can I help you?”
The young man jumped a bit, he seemingly hadn’t noticed the other person in the room.
“ . . . Shizun . . .” Was all he was able to mumble out.
They stared at each for awhile before Lan WangJi asked “Shen Yuan?”
Nod.
“He’s setting up for the lesson after nap-time.”
“ . . . oh? May I go see him?”
“ . . . No.”
“Why not?” There was hard edge underlining to the question.
Lan WangJi huffed as he went to check the rice. “There are children here.”
The young man blinked. “Why are there children?”
“This is a daycare.”
“Oh . . .” The young man nodded in understanding, then shifted about uncomfortably, clenching and unclenching his hands.
Since he hadn’t tried to leave the kitchen Lan WangJi decided for the time being he wasn’t a threat and went back to cooking. He was just starting to place the meat in the heated pan when there came a pained strangled sound from behind him.
“Elder Brother, do you even know how to cook?!”
Offended Lan Wangji turned to give him a reproached look. The food he made might be bland but it was at least edible. Brother Xie somehow always manage to charr everything to black bits; while Brother Shen only knew how to microwave food. Such was the life of bachelors from well off families. Though Brother Xie had the excuse of having not lived anywhere with a kitchen in some years. It also surprisingly stung when a three year old tells you your cooking is awful.
Ignoring the glare, the young man rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie before grabbing the cooking utensils from Lan WangJi’s hands.
“If you cook the meat like that it’ll get all tough. You want it soft.”
****
Sometime later Shen Yuan wandered into the kitchen to see about helping Brother Lan with the lunch. And found it a little more crowed then usual.
“What’s this? Did you hire a cook while I was a way Brother Lan?”
There was a clatter as the young man fumbled the rice spoon. Luckily no rice was lost in the process.
“ . . . Maybe.” Came the rumbled reply. “He seems to know you.”
“Does he?” He looked at the young man. There was something about his face that felt familiar. It was a very handsome face, still with a touch of boyish softness giving it a devilish charm. The half ponytail in his wavy hair gave him a slight wilded look. Where had he seen him before?
A blush had started to creep up the young man’s face while he fidgeted with the rice spoon.
“Has Shizun forgotten this student?”
Student?
“Oh! Little Luo Binghe! Though you’re not so little anymore!” Shen Yuan couldn’t help but grin at seeing his favorite student.
The last time he had seen this student he had been a gangly 17 year old who barely came up to his shoulder. What a surprise he grew up to be so tall and handsome! He was even taller then Brother Lan who was also very tall.
Luo Binghe face crumpled up, the corners of his eyebrows twitched. Did the boy have a stomach ache?
****
Everything was just too much for Luo Binghe. Here was his old Shizun, smiling as if he hadn’t just up and disappeared five years ago. Like he knew nothing of what happened afterwards. Anger clogged his throat while his heart felt like it was being strangled.
“Shizun,” he finally managed to scrape out while glowering down at the spoon, “where have you been all this time? Did you not think people would worry?”
The last bit was interrupted by Brother Lan.
“Sit down before you pass out.”
A weak voice protested with the sound of chair being pulled out, “Eh? I’m fine Brother Lan, I’m fine.”
Luo Binghe looked up as a pale Shen Yuan was gently pushed to sit.
“Is Shizun unwell?” The Shizun he remembered had always been healthy.
“I’m fine!” he exclaimed waving his hand as if to shoo the concern away. He’s face then turned a pale green nearly matching the shirt he wore. Slowly he bent forward to place his head between his knees.
“You were up editing for that friend of yours again.” Brother Lan stated.
There was an awkward silence before Shizun answered with a sheepish, “I couldn’t sleep.”
The other man huffed before turning to fill a glass with water and setting it on the table next to Shizun, still folded in half over his knees. A gruff “Rest” was muttered before he left the kitchen. An uncomfortable silence blanketed the room, only broken by the sound of the rice cooker beeping that it was done.
A quiet, muffled “I’m sorry.” came shortly after. Slowly Shen Yuan raised his head until he was able to sit up straight. “I had not wanted to worry anyone. I was very selfish that day when I choose not to return or to give a proper goodbye. I understand if you’re angry with this Shizun.”
The man before him wasn’t the same Shizun. He was too thin and pale. Luo Binghe had dreamed about returning the suffering he’d had after Shizun left. Make him understand the betrayal he felt those five years ago. But he hadn’t expected this, this shadow of a man. He felt his heart being pinched in sympathy. How could he rage at a man who looked as if a gust of wind would blow him over. It was just so unfair.
Before he could find anymore words to say Brother Lan returned with a much smaller man in tow.
“Brother Shen! I heard you nearly fainted again! Are you alright?” This new brother smiled comfortingly while gently petting Shen Yuan on the head. “Should we postpone your lesson for tomorrow? I can always take the older children with when I take the younger ones to the park to play.”
Shizun shook his head as he accepted a medication bottle that Brother Lan handed him. Shaking a few out he swallowed them with the water from early before answering.
“No I’ll be fine once I’ve rested, but thank you Brother Xie. Don’t glare at me like that Brother Lan, I’m just tired.”
Luo Binghe glanced at the brother in question. His face was still as stone as ever. He’d been in close proximity to him for almost an hour as he’d helped cook. The man had said very little both with his words and his face. But the feeling of closeness the two men had with his Shizun grated at him strangely.
“You should rest upstairs.” Said Brother Lan, “It will be quieter.” Shen Yuan looked as if he was going to argue when he said, “I will tell Yue.” A look of horror crossed Shizun’s face.
“That’s playing dirty!”
“Take better care and I would not have too.”
Then for the first time in his young life Luo Binghe saw Shizun pout.
****
The problem with Wei Wuxian isn’t that he’s not aware he’s queer. He’s well aware he’s a bi disaster. He just forgets he’s not the only one. And right now he’s in agony.
Those older sisters weren’t lying when they called this the Handsome Brothers’ Daycare. All the brothers here were definitely VERY handsome, and probably also very straight. Even the grumpy puppy in the back that glared at him from the doorway when he was talking to Brother Shen. That one was too young for his tastes though. Brother Shen wasn’t too bad. He seemed very gentle and had a good face despite looking like he might have been ill recently. It made Wei Wuxian want to wrap him up like a burrito and feed him soup.
There was another brother he’d yet to get a good look at as he was being dragged about by small children. He seem to be a small bean with a blinding smile. Wei Wuxian could image cuddling with him. Just the right size to tuck under his chin.
Right now though he was fighting hard not to tease the stone faced brother in front of him, typing away at the computer. The serious ones were Wei Wuxian’s favorite. They always reacted in one of two ways to his flirting. Either they would get flustered but be too polite to say anything, or they’d get angry and start yelling. But given that this stone face brother was the owner and Wei Wuxian REALLY needed someone to watch his son and nephew, he’d just have to keep his shamelessness to himself.
He wasn’t supposed to be work this morning. Him and his Shijie had an arrangement so that when one of them was working the other could watch both of their munchkins. But one of his part-time jobs had called him in a panic saying they really need him to come in. Being the bleed heart he was he agreed to if he could find someone to watch the kids. A lot of the other parents in his apartment complex however also had work. But one of the ladies took pity on him and told him to check out the daycare by the old park.
The prices were surprisingly reasonable, and the place, while not new looking, looked clean and inviting. The walls were painted with murals of clouds and mountains, almost making you believe you were in the heavens with the early morning sunlight streaming in through the big windows at the front of the building. Along the walls were shelves full of books and toys for the children to play with. The floor was littered with squishy bean bags and overly large pillows for siting or laying on. The preschool lessons had a small sectioned off area to the back with folding screens if the smaller children proved too distracting. Apparently there was even a vegetable garden out back where a small colony of bunnies lived that the kids could help care for.
Wei Wuxian was almost jealous. This was practically a small paradise for children. On top of that they got to play all day with all these handsome brothers and demand all the hugs they wanted! He was so distracted by the musings of his crooked little heart that he forgot that he had decided to behave himself.
“Lan Er Gege, you must have all the single moms fawning over you being so handsome.” Wei Ying gave him his most flirty smile awhile giving him a very obvious once over.
The man in question paused in his typing to turn his pale eyes to Wei Wuxian. He did look very good, with his shoulder length black hair tied back while wearing a well tailored, pale blue dress shirt with a slim white necktie. The tie, he observed had little cloud motifs embroidered in a marching thread color to his shirt, which he found rather cute. Neckties were also great for playing with.
To his utter disappointment though, Brother Lan did not react to his flirtation. The man merely blinked twice before turning back to the computer. What Wei Ying hadn’t noticed was that the lobs of Brother Lan’s ears had started to turn red.
Wei Wuxian was just thinking of his next attack when the small child in his arms started to squirm. When he’d left the apartment this morning to take A-Yuan and A-Ling to the daycare, A-Yuan had still been fast asleep. Instead of waking him Wei Wuxian decided to just carry him even though he was getting quite big for a three year old.
“Oh ho! Is someone finally waking up?” Wei Ying couldn’t keep the glee out his voice as his son sleepy blinked his eyes open. Since he couldn’t tease the stone faced brother he could tease this small child.
A-Yuan however was too well aquatinted with his Papa’s teasing and not awake enough to deal with it. With his tiny hands he patted at Wei Ying’s face that was definitely trying to blow him raspberries, while voicing a pitiful “ nooooo “ while looking about for an escape. He then spotted Brother Lan who looked both very serious and intimidating. Filled with hope he stretched his little arms out to him with a small “Eh!”
Lan Wangji’s brows lifted in surprise. Then hesitantly he reached across the counter. With a quiet “pardon me” he lifted A-Yuan out of Wei Wuxian’s arms. Then settled him above his right hip. A-Yuan safe from the teasing Papa, happily wrapped his little arms about his savior’s neck and went back to sleep.
Wei Ying felt too many things at once. He felt betrayed that his own child (well adopted child, but he’d still known A-Yuan since he was born) would choose someone over him. He was jealous that this brother got to snuggle with his son, A-Yuan was picky about who he snuggled with. And he was jealous that his son got to snuggle with this good looking brother. But also Wei Ying’s crooked little heart was being strangled by how cute this whole thing was. He wished that someone with a phone had been present to record this! Then he realized that his son just presented him with the perfect opportunity.
“Oh my goodness! this is just too cute! Could I take picture!” He was already pulling his phone out. Brother Lan at first seem not to hear, then blinked a few time. After a moment he nodded. Wei Wuxian snapped three pictures before the other man could say anything. With the morning light casting a soft glow on them it looked so wholesome, as if a father was holding his son before going off to work at the office. It was almost worth getting rejected to have this picture.
“Uncle Ying!” Came a tiny voice by his knee.
“Hmm” Wei Ying looked down at his other charge, his two year old nephew A-Ling. His nephew was pouting up at him while gripping his pant leg with one hand while holding a small dog plushie with the other.
“Hmmm? Do you want something A-Ling?” Wei Wuxian asked knowing full well what the toddler wanted. The two year old hadn’t taken well to having to share his Uncle Ying. The whole way here he had whined to be carried too. Now that A-Yuan had vacated to someone else’s arms he expected to be picked up. Sadly for him Uncle Ying’s crooked heart still wasn’t satisfied with its teasing.
A few things have changed since writing part one. A original I was going to have Lan Wangji like actually hire Luo Binghe, but now I think it’s going to be more of Luo Binghe just shows up to cook food and harass Shizun to take a fucking nap. For the most part Lan Wangji is fine with it as long as he’s not an actually threat to anyone and Shen Yuan doesn’t work himself to death.
I also changed A-Yuan’s age. In part 1 I said he was 2, but he’s suppose to be older the A-Ling, so I made his 3 and A-ling 2.
Anyway, just one brother left to introduce! I’m kind of excited to try writing Hua Cheng.
Also thank you again for all the likes and reblogs! It means a lot that people are enjoying this au!
Also drew these guys kissing the other day WeiLan | HuaXie LuoShen
#grandmaster of demonic cultivation#mo dao zu shi#heavens offical's blessing#tian guan ci fu#scum villian system#scum villain self-saving system#lan wangji#wei wuxian#xie lian#shen yuan#luo binghe#shen qingqiu#fan fiction#fanfic#writing#modern au#Handsome Brothers' Daycare
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CBD Oil For Canines: What You May Not Know
Holistic veterinarians have had some interesting records concerning the benefits of CBD oil for pets in their care ...
A senior Staffordshire Terrier had a 6cm mammary tumor and metastasis that disappeared in 3 months and really did not come back ...
A Jack Russell Terrier had an extreme heart whispering as well as uncomfortable arthritis and, after a month, he wished to go with lengthy strolls as well as his murmur was a lot improved ...
These are 2 examples of just how Australian veterinarian Edward Bassingthwaighte uncovered just how CBD oil can be a critical part of his holistic veterinary practice. "I simply can't clarify the improved heart murmur" states Bassingthwaite. "They normally don't get better."
What You Might Not Know
Researchers are turning their attention to this herb as well as, thus far, they're finding there's whole lots to like. And just as CBD has actually assisted human beings, your pet dog can gain the very same natural aid that is boosting wellness and also life-saving.
Allow's look at a couple of points you might not understand regarding this typically misconstrued natural herb. Proceeded research is revealing that it has great guarantee in helping canines with a selection of common health concerns ...
1. CBD Is Not Psychoactive
CBD (cannabidiol) is a compound found in cannabis as well as hemp. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) can additionally be found in cannabis and it's this substance that offers cannabis its psychoactive residential or commercial properties. Many CBD oils are just that ... the useful CBD without the THC. As well as they generally come from hemp, not cannabis. Simply put, your dog will not get "high" from CBD oil ... he'll get the leisure without the intoxication.
Mentioning leisure
2. CBD Oil Minimizes Stress And Anxiety
Does your dog experience splitting up anxiousness or noise fears? CBD has actually been thoroughly studied for its result on anxiety and also anxiety. In people, it's been discovered to:
Lower anxiety caused by public speaking
Minimize anxiety in both healthy and balanced individuals and also individuals with stress and anxiety problems
Work for panic disordersand post-traumatic stress disorders
3. CBD Can Battles Cancer
CBD and other compounds found in hemp as well as cannabis have been located to have an anti-tumor result. CBD has even been shown to stop cancer cells from growing as well as increased tumor cell death.
CBD helps the immune system's awesome cells to trigger cancer cell fatality.
CBD eliminates cancer cells by blocking their capacity to generate energy.
CBD's anti-tumor properties slow-moving as well as prevent glioma cell development.
CBD can assist raise the efficiency of traditional cancer treatment.
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It's estimated that up to 5% of canines experience seizures. Many pets with seizures are placed on drugs such as phenobarbital as well as potassium bromide. While they might assist control the seizures, they can be very dangerous to your canine's liver as well as various other body organs. As well as the medications do not operate in all instances.
CBD has actually been shown to function well in drug-resistant epilepsy. In one study, 7 of 8 people with epilepsy that was resistant to medicines saw a guaranteed renovation within 4 to 5 months of taking CBD.
As well as a study of children with treatment-resistant epilepsy discovered that 84% of the youngsters taking CBD had a decrease in the regularity of seizures.
5. CBD Eases Pain
The cannabinoids in CBD job so well for pain that scientists are considering it as a brand-new course of medication for the therapy of chronic pain. Researches reveal CBD to be really effective for:
Reducing pain (including neuropathy as well as nerve-related pain).
Lowering the influence of inflammation on oxidative stress and anxiety (which triggers deterioration as well as premature aging).
Decreasing swelling in intense pancreatitis.
Lowering inflammation.
Minimizing intestinal tract swelling( associated with irritable bowel condition).
6. CBD Can Assist With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
Animal researches show that CBD can prevent colitis (IBD) as well as recover regular intestine mobility in inflammatory bowel condition.
CBD also has antibiotic buildings, including Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA).
7. CBD Reduces Persistent Swelling And Also Autoimmune Illness.
CBD has been revealed to decrease the production and release of inflammatory cytokines that can create allergies, hypersensitivities and autoimmunity. It can likewise subdue something called Th17 dominance, which is a major source of autoimmune diseases.
CBD also prevents the manufacturing of inflammatory macrophages and lowers persistent inflammation.
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For dogs struggling with degenerative myelopathy and various other back and nerve problems, CBD shows a lot of pledge. It's been revealed to assist clients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's as well as Parkinson's disease by shielding the brain cells from poisoning.
For elderly dogs, CBD has actually been shown to protection the brain from cell death caused by cost-free radicals as well as toxic substances.
9. CBD Increases Cravings And Aids With Queasiness.
If you have problem getting your pet dog to consume, CBD might assist. The National Cancer Institute reports that CBD enhances cravings as well as lugs this extra benefit, in addition to managing cancer cells.
In animal research studies, CBD has also been shown to aid with throwing up and queasiness, also when they're the outcome of toxins as well as medications.
10. CBD Advertises Cardiovascular Wellness.
CBD oils such a HemPiDiol, have actually been connected to heart health and wellness. Researches reveal it can decrease the damage from damaged capillary and also irregular heart rates, secure blood vessels from damage and also dilate the arteries, and also decrease heart rate and blood pressure related to stress and anxiety and anxiety.
Incentive: CBD Oil For Dogs Is Lawful And Safe.
With numerous research studies revealing the wellness advantages of CBD, one of the most motivating result is that CBD appears to be risk-free, also when absorbed high dosages and over prolonged periods of time. It can lower the task of liver enzymes made use of to metabolize several prescription drugs, so if your canine is on medication, you may intend to check with your alternative veterinarian prior to utilizing CBD.
Many CBD oil for pets as well as various other animals is derived from hemp oil, so it consists of no or really small traces of THC. Because of this, all 50 states have accepted using hemp-based CBD for human and also animal products.
The lower line is, CBD oil might be a healthy and balanced (and even life-saving) natural herb for your canine. More and more pet owners and holistic vets are attracted to its varied and also marked health advantages and they really feel excellent knowing the adverse effects are mild as well as animals don't appear to develop a tolerance.
Selecting An Excellent CBD Oil For Your Dog.
Not all CBD oils are the same ... you'll want an excellent quality oil that works!
Do not cheap out: The greater the top quality and also pureness, the higher the cost. Don't cost shop ... make certain your CBD oil is free of additives as well as has a great amount of CBD.
Purchase CBD as a tincture: You can acquire CBD in deals with yet the most effective form is in a tincture. This way, you can change your dog's dosage decline by drop to make sure he obtains the most benefit.
Start your canine off slowly however don't let the cynics tell you CBD isn't a good choice for your dog ... the research is being done as well as the results are very appealing.
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1 through 100. Let's go! Answer em aaaalll!
Omg Kate you’re absolute mad!!! Thanks tho’ I love answering these things ❤️😁Hoo boy here we go!1. What is you middle name?Don’t have one! Neither does my brother.2. How old are you?203. When is your birthday?The 15th of may 🌸4. What is your zodiac sign?Taurus ♉️🐃5. What is your favorite color?Baby pink! 6. What’s your lucky number?Dunno about lucky number but my favorite number is 77. Do you have any pets?Yep! Two dogs.One sweet, blonde girl named Emsi (based on the danish word Emsig meaning officious)And a neurotic chihuahua named Henry. We got them both cause their owners no longer could take care of them and I love them to the moon and back ❤️8. Where are you from?Hirtshals in Denmark! I love my town to death9. How tall are you?Uuuh around like 1,65 m10. What shoe size are you?3911. How many pairs of shoes do you own?Too many.... we get a lot of free stuff so I have a lot. Probably around 10 pairs?12. What was your last dream about?The only thing I remember from my last dream was that I got a pimple on my forehead lol13. What talents do you have?I’m good at art, dancing and just performing in general and I’m getting pretty good with makeup!14. Are you psychic in any way?Nope15. Favorite song?Right now it’s brain damage and eclipse from The Dark Side of The Moonby Pink Floyd. They remind me of my mom ❤️16. Favorite movie?Don’t actually have one! But the last film I think I saw was carol and I absolutely loved it.17. Who would be your ideal partner?Just someone who’s intelligent and kind I guess! And has a similar sense of humor18. Do you want children?I do, but I’m probably never gonna birth any cause I have an illness I don’t want to risk transferring and also might be going on T soon!!19. Do you want a church wedding?I don’t really care20. Are you religious?Nah. I’m a spiritual atheist21. Have you ever been to the hospital?Only as a visitor. I’ve gone to the emergency room but I’ve never been admitted.22. Have you ever got in trouble with the law?Nope23. Have you ever met any celebrities?My cousins a model who’s dating one of the Danish x-factor judges so yea.24. Baths or showers?BATHS25. What color socks are you wearing?White. I prefer just plain whites rn, but there’s was a time in my life where I always wore fun, colorful socks and never matching them26. Have you ever been famous?Lol no but a stranger did come up to me last week and told me she’s a huge fan of my work ❤️ a lot of the locals like my watercolor portraits27. Would you like to be a big celebrity?Honestly yea I do fantasize a lot about it 28. What type of music do you like?Music is a huge part of my life! My main Spotify playlist is 161 hours now and it’s all extremely diverse!The only music I don’t particularly like is blues and trap cause i find it boring. Right now I’m really into old grungy rock, punk, experimental stuff, rap and disco 💃🏼 29. Have you ever been skinny dipping?Sure have! I did it countless times this summer at the beach. There’s nothing more freeing than swimming naked in the ocean 💙30. How many pillows do you sleep with?Just one, but it’s a really good one. Oh and sometimes and extra one just to cuddle 31. What position do you usually sleep in?Fetus position is my fav but I’m trying not to do that cause it’s bad for your back32. How big is your house?Pretty big. Two stories plus a garage where my friends and I hang out. And also a two bedroom annex33. What do you typically have for breakfast?Toast or oatmeal with nuts and berries34. Have you ever fired a gun?No35. Have you ever tried archery?I tried it a couple of weeks ago and it was really fun! 36. Favorite clean word?I like words like clean and crystal and chemical 37. Favorite swear word?Fuck.38. What’s the longest you’ve ever gone without sleep?Don’t remember. Pretty long. But I’ve started to be very careful with sleep cause my mental health REALLY depends on it39. Do you have any scars?Lots. Anything from self-harm to getting burned by a marshmallow lmao40. Have you ever had a secret ?Bitch my whole personality used to be a secret. So yea a lot41. Are you a good liar?Yup. I’m very creative and anxious so if I feel like I’ve done something I shouldn’t I immediately have a good lie ready. Also I’ve had some problems with compulsive lying whoops42. Are you a good judge of character?Nooo not really cause I always feel bad for disliking ppl so I force myself to keep an open mind. But I’ve learned to just follow my instincts a bit more43. Can you do any other accents other than your own?I’m pretty good at like southern American accents and also an American accent In Danish is so fun and cute. 44. Do you have a strong accent?It’s pretty strong. I used to fake a British accent out of embarrassment but then I started feeling pretentious so I let it go45. What is your favorite accent?I love a Colombian accent and French ofc. Also Indian and Chinese. Oh and a lot of African ones too, especially the ppl from Congo! But I love accents in general. They’re literally my go to ASMR trigger46. What is your personality type?INFP47. What is your most expensive piece of clothing?My winter jacket... my mom wanted to buy me one that was new and when we finally found one that didn’t give me dysphoria I was so excited I forgot to look at the price tag... and she just bought it for me anyway.48. Can you curl your tongue?Yea and I can stick it between my tooth gap49. Are you an innie or an outie?Outie all the way50. Left or right handed?Right51. Are you scared of spiders?No, I used to have pretty severe arachnophobia but i worked through it and now I actually really love them! Also I don’t care how scared you are of them, don’t you dare kill them in front of me! That makes me so uncomfortable. Just let me know there’s a spider and I’ll get it safely outside for you 52. Favorite food?Love sushi with crab meat or fried shrimp!53. Favorite foreign food?Well probably sushi? Lol. Or anything Italian!54. Are you a clean or messy person?Super messy but I’m trying my best!55. Most used phrased?“Bid I det sure æble”. Basically “bite the bullet” in English 56. Most used word?Probably bitch. I use it in an affectionate manner towards friends lmao57. How long does it take for you to get ready?Very, very long58. Do you have much of an ego?Yea I think so59. Do you suck or bite lollipops?Suck60. Do you talk to yourself?Nope. 61. Do you sing to yourself?Yes!62. Are you a good singer?I’m decent. Think I could get good if I got a vocal coach63. Biggest Fear?Getting ridiculed, being misunderstood and being unwanted 64. Are you a gossip?I love gossip...65. Best dramatic movie you’ve seen?I don’t really know sry!66. Do you like long or short hair?Love all hair. I love running my fingers through long hair. I prefer short hair for me tho67. Can you name all 50 states of America?LOL NO68. Favorite school subject?I really liked art and foreign language classes69. Extrovert or Introvert?HUGE introvert!70. Have you ever been scuba diving?No but I’d love to try it!71. What makes you nervous?Public embarrassment is a big one. But racism, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny will also make me very, very nervous.72. Are you scared of the dark?Not at all73. Do you correct people when they make mistakes?Depends on the mistakes? Never on like grammar and stuff like that.74. Are you ticklish?Very. I can tickle myself. But then again I am schizophrenic lol75. Have you ever started a rumor?Once in high school my friends and I started a rumor that I was “a hermaphrodite” and we kept it going for years. At first it was just to fuck with people but then I started getting like a kick from it. For some reason I loved the idea of people thinking I was intersex. Aaaand that was the start of me getting gender identity issues lol76. Have you ever been in a position of authority?I used to teach dancing lessons for kids at a local church lol does that count?77. Have you ever drank underage?Only a couple of beers. But the drinking age is here is 15 so that’s not a huge problem 78. Have you ever done drugs?a couple of times. Done ecstasy and Valium once which was really fun. And I’ve tried speed a couple of times but it has no effect on me. I also love weed if you consider that a drug 79. Who was your first real crush?Had a huge crush on a guy at my boarding school. And also a girl at the school... they became a couple and I remember wanting to die asdgsa80. How many piercings do you have?None! Had a septum once, but I never had my ears pierced as a child or anything 81. Can you roll your Rs?“Yea82. How fast can you type?Pretty fast!83. How fast can you run?I’m not a great runner but I’m getting better84. What color is your hair?Blonde85. What color is your eyes?Green86. What are you allergic to?Nothing. Tho I do get allergic reactions to extreme swifts in temperature 87. Do you keep a journal?Yup!88. What do your parents do?Both retired now but my dad used to be a fisherman and my mom ran a daycare and later worked with elderly people who suffered from dementia. 89. Do you like your age?Yea?90. What makes you angry?It takes a lot to get me angry but unnecessary hate and harassment usually gets me to tick91. Do you like your own name?I really like it actually! 92. Have you already thought of baby names, and if so what are they?I have but I don’t remember them... think I repressed those daydreams when I decided never to bear children :(93. Do you want a boy a girl for a child?Idc94. What are you strengths?Intellectuality, kindness, curiosity, creativity and bravery. Also I get a lot of praise for being so open and aware of my mental illnesses and for fighting so fiercely to get healthy. 95. What are your weaknesses?Bad self criticism, naïvety, laziness and having trouble asking for help and taking initiative 96. How did you get your name?My brother decided it.97. Were your ancestors royalty?Pff highly doubt it98. Do you have any scars?Already answered this99. Color of your bedspread?That really popular, white IKEA one with flowers100. Color of your room?White, although I cover them up with posters, drawings and sometimes literal trash when i get psychotic cause white walls make me hallucinate like crazyThis was a fucking blast!!! Thanks Kate 😚❤️
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Chinchilla Won't Eat (Why Not & What to Do)
If your chinchilla will not eat, you're right to be worried. So, what is anorexia a sign of, and is it always serious? What can you do to help a chinchilla that won't eat?
Why is my chinchilla not eating? It is ill, likely with a digestive issue (stasis or bloating) or a dental issue (malocclusion). Chinchillas also lose their appetite/develop anorexia when nearing the end of life for any reason, e.g. respiratory infections, physical trauma or old age. Loss of appetite is invariably a bad sign so immediate veterinary care is required, although your chinchilla may pass away even if you attempt to help it.
The guide below looks at each and every reason why your chinchilla won't eat. For each issue, from stasis to old age, we also describe what can be done to help your pet: to make it regain its appetite, overcome whatever illness or disease it has, or just make it comfortable.
Why Is My Chinchilla Not Eating?
There is no good reason why your chinchilla should stop eating and drinking: it's an unequivocal bad sign. The problem is that it's a sign of many different things. As such, you have to figure out what's wrong with the help of a vet and correct it.
Each section of the guide below explores one of these potential causes. They include descriptions of the issue and what causes it, the main symptoms apart from not eating that you're likely to notice, and what you have to do to correct it. By the time you're done reading, you'll hopefully know what's wrong and can take steps to restoring your pet to health.
Is It Serious If a Chinchilla Stops Eating & Drinking?
Anorexia is a very serious sign of ill health in chinchillas. While it can be a symptom of many different issues, all of these issues are life-threatening. It can either be related to something that directly affects the gut, like stasis, which can kill a chinchilla quickly; or, it can be a sign that a health problem unrelated to the gut has become so serious that your chinchilla is at the end of its life.
1) Gastrointestinal Stasis
Gastrointestinal stasis is where your chinchilla's gut stops working. Your chinchilla stops eating and stops pooping. As you can imagine, this is a very dangerous condition that is guaranteed to kill your pet if you don't try to fix it.
What Causes Gastrointestinal Stasis?
GI stasis, as it's also known, is caused by a blockage in the gut. Chinchillas gnaw on things because it helps keep their teeth trimmed. While they do accidentally eat some of what they gnaw on, this isn't typically a problem, as chins prefer to gnaw on things like sticks.
But if you use plastic cage accessories, your chin might chew on them. Plastic cannot be digested or easily passed so it sits in the gut, and more is accumulated over time. When enough builds up, the chinchilla cannot digest anything as the intestine is fully blocked.
Symptoms of Gastrointestinal Stasis
The key symptoms of GI stasis are not eating and not pooping. Your chinchilla's gut is blocked, so its body stops telling it to eat food. Other symptoms include:
Bloating of the stomach and gut. As your chinchilla can't poop, its stomach and gut are filled with partially digested/fermented food. This food is broken down by bacteria, but has nowhere to go, and what's worse is that the bacteria breaking it down create gas. Your chinchilla's gut will become firm and painful.
Signs of pain including teeth grinding and hunched posture.
Gradually smaller and fewer poops. Your chinchilla will also strain more than it used to to go to the toilet. This straining may cause prolapse.
Lethargy. This is where the chinchilla becomes less active.
Dramatic weight loss. As your pet can't eat, it loses weight quickly.
The sooner you spot these symptoms, the better. That's because treatment is more likely to be successful if started earlier.
How to Cure Gastrointestinal Stasis
Stasis requires immediate veterinary care. The vet will identify the condition and recommend one of several treatments, including:
Fluid therapy
Hand feeding liquid food such as Critical Care
Providing pain medication and antibiotics if necessary
Encouraging exercise
Correcting any issues with diet or husbandry (e.g. switching to a fibrous diet and/or removing plastic accessories from the cage)
Bear in mind that even with immediate and thorough treatment, GI stasis can be lethal. It must therefore be avoided rather than treated.
2) Incorrect Diet
It's easy to feed your chinchilla the wrong diet by accident. Poor diet can cause nutritional deficiencies, but also has knock-on effects like bloating. These can make your chinchilla pass up on food.
What Is an Incorrect Chinchilla Diet?
For whatever reason, people think that chinchillas need to eat vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. None of these foods are suitable for chinchillas.
Take vegetables for example. While wild chins do eat some plant roots (mostly for their water content), they mostly eat grasses. But what's more important still is that pet chinchillas are used to eating hay. If you switched yours to a diet of vegetables, they would cause dangerous levels of gas/bloating. This could rupture your pet's stomach or gut lining. A chinchilla would be more used to vegetables if it was weaned onto them at a young age, but they are nevertheless nutritionally deficient.
Fruits are unsuitable, too. They contain far too much water and too much fructose. Chinchillas need around 10% to 15% of their diet to be water, by weight. Fruits and vegetables range from 90 to 99% water. Such high amounts can cause diarrhea. And while chins do need some sugars in their diet, as they provide useful instant energy, they don't need as much as they'll find in fruits. Other foods like nuts and seeds are too high in other things like fat and/or overall calories.
Symptoms of an Incorrect Chinchilla Diet
Chinchillas will eat almost anything you give them. They're foragers and enjoy variety, even if they don't need it. Rather, what might cause your chinchilla to go off its food are the symptoms an incorrect diet will cause.
As stated above, the key issue is bloating. A chinchilla's gut bacteria specialize in breaking down fibrous foods like hay; while vegetables are more fibrous than meat, they are still nowhere near as fibrous as a chinchilla's optimal diet. Furthermore, a chinchilla's gut enzymes specialize in high-fiber foods too. As such, when a chinchilla eats unsuitable foods, these foods ferment rather than get digested. When fermentation happens, gas is the result. Making this problem even worse is the fact that chinchillas struggle to pass gas.
The upshot of all this is that your chinchilla will be in lots of pain, so it might not want to eat.
What Is a Correct Chinchilla Diet?
Pet chinchillas should be kept on a diet of pellets and fresh hay. This diet is high in fiber, so is tailored to your chin's digestive system. While people need to eat a variety of foods, chinchillas don't, so your pet will thrive on hay and hay alone.
3) Dental Problems
Probably the most common reason why chinchillas stop eating is malocclusion. Malocclusion is a dental problem where the teeth become misaligned and/or grow too long.
As stated above, chinchillas have special teeth that grow continually throughout their lives. All rodents have this adaptation, as it helps them to burrow and defend themselves. However, it does have a downside: if the chinchilla has nothing to gnaw on and to grind its teeth down on, they get too long.
There are two issues that occur in malocclusion. The first is that the front teeth become misaligned. This is literally what 'malocclusion' means—the teeth don't come together correctly. This means that the chinchilla struggles to break down its food, so will either eat less, or not at all.
The second issue is that the teeth become too long. This makes eating even more difficult and more painful. The long, misaligned teeth can cut into your chinchilla's gums and cause painful abscesses, too.
What Causes Malocclusion in Chinchillas?
Chinchillas in the wild don't get malocclusion. That's because they can always find something they can gnaw on. It's only if the owner of a pet chinchilla doesn't provide their pet with chew toys that it becomes a problem.
Symptoms of Malocclusion in Chinchillas
The most obvious sign of malocclusion is that the teeth are too long and are misaligned. You can see this by looking at them.
Other symptoms relate to how your chinchilla eats. Your chinchilla will eat less, or nothing at all. The first sign that most owners notice is that the chinchilla struggles to eat its pellets. The chinchilla will partially chew them, but spit them out, and they stay on the floor of the cage. If you watch your chinchilla eating, you can tell that its dental issues are causing it pain because one or both of its ears flick as it chews.
How to Cure Malocclusion in Chinchillas
Malocclusion can be partly fixed by taking your chinchilla to the vet. The vet can trim or grind the teeth down to a healthy state. You can then maintain the teeth at this length by giving your chinchilla chew toys like apple wood sticks.
Unfortunately, malocclusion cannot always be fixed. That's because the teeth don't just grow longer; they can grow upwards into the jaw, too. The 'roots' of the upper teeth can grow towards the eye socket and put pressure on the tear glands, which is painful for your pet, and cannot be fixed. This also makes your pet's eyes water, which can precipitate eye infections.
4) General Illness
While malocclusion is the most common disease that causes anorexia, other illnesses can too. Some do so because they affect the mouth or gut, directly discouraging your pet from eating (like gastrointestinal issues). Others are less directly related to the digestive system, but can cause anorexia if they become very serious.
What Illnesses Stop Chinchillas from Eating
Respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, incorrect cage temperature/humidity—anything that can affect your pet's health can make it stop eating, too.
There are two kinds of anorexia that your chinchilla could experience when it's ill. The first is a dampening of the appetite, which is a natural symptom of any kind of illness. It's the same as when you feel nauseous: you don't want to eat. The second is what occurs shortly before your chinchilla passes, which is that it completely refuses food. The first is a temporary issue, while the second is a likely sign that your pet will pass away.
Signs Your Chinchilla Is Sick
The signs of sickness depend on what condition is affecting your chinchilla. As such, there are far too many to condense concisely into a list. But these are the most common symptoms you'll see when your chinchilla isn't well:
Lethargy. This is where the chinchilla spends more than a normal amount of time sleeping and inactive. Even if it gets hungry or is somehow in the way, it won't want to move.
Difficulty moving. Your pet's movements may be stiff, it may limp, or it may get out of breath when moving whereas it didn't before.
Aggression/defensiveness. When a chinchilla is in pain, it feels vulnerable. As such it may not want you to handle it, or it may bite you if you pick it up.
Bumps and bulges in the body. Chinchillas can get tumors and abscesses.
Generally speaking, any changes in behavior may mean your chin is sick. Sleeping more or less than normal, eating more or less than normal, fighting with other chinchillas more or less than normal, or any deviation from normal behavior may all indicate ill health.
How to Heal a Sick Chinchilla
If your pet is sick for any reason, you should talk to a vet. The vet can diagnose the precise problem, which means you won't waste time trying inappropriate home treatments. They also have access to medicines that you can't access over the counter. As such, while our site and others like it can provide useful information, we always recommend veterinary care.
The precise fix depends on what exactly is wrong. If your chinchilla has an infection, for example, then antibiotics will fix the problem. If your chinchilla has a generic issue that causes pain, painkillers might help your pet get through the recovery process. Or, if the problem is caused by poor husbandry, then correcting the problem might involve moving or cleaning your chinchilla's cage. Your pet's vet can tell you exactly what to do.
5) End of Life
Chinchillas don't need to be ill to stop eating. Anorexia can be a generic sign that your chinchilla is nearing the end of its life, not because it's ill, but because it's getting old.
What's The Average Chinchilla Lifespan?
Pet chinchillas live to a rough average of ten years. How long your pet lives depends partly on luck, and partly on how well you care for it. The oldest known chinchilla lived for more than twenty years. But at the same time, chins commonly die young either because of neglect or unfortunate accidents and ill health.
Whatever the case, anorexia occurs in every end of life context. This is likely an evolutionary adaptation that favored the survival of the group over that of the sick individual. It makes sense: a chinchilla that's clearly about to die, but still eats, would essentially be wasting resources that could go to healthy chinchillas.
Signs a Chinchilla Is Getting Old
You can tell that a chinchilla is getting old, just like you can tell if a person is getting old. Chinchillas don't get wrinkly, but they will get:
Quiet and less energetic. Your pet won't be as playful as it used to be.
Thinner and more frail looking. Your chinchilla will lose weight gradually—not until it's life-threateningly thin, but smaller than it was before.
Generally more ill. Older chins get sick more easily than younger chins.
It stands to reason that your chinchilla will get thinner because it eats less than it used to. This is a gradual process where it eats slightly less over time. This is separate to the issue of complete anorexia, which occurs shortly before the chinchilla passes away.
How to Help an Old Chinchilla Live Longer
If your pet is approaching the end of its life, there's little that can be done. Chins that pass from old age are typically cared for well already, so it's likely that you already have the optimal setup for your pet: a nice big cage at the correct temperature and humidity, a stress-free environment, the correct diet, and so on.
You should always talk to a vet if your chinchilla stops eating, no matter the reason. But if they tell you that the only thing wrong with your pet's health is that it's getting on in years, make your pet as comfortable as possible rather than panicking.
What to Do If Your Chinchilla Stops Eating
If your chinchilla stops eating, you must immediately take it to the vet. There are no exceptions, as this is a very serious issue.
How to Tell If a Chinchilla Stops Eating & Drinking
The first thing you should do is make absolutely sure that your chinchilla has stopped eating/drinking. New owners in particular can easily mistake normal behavior for a symptom of ill health, so your chinchilla may, in fact, be fine.
To do this, observe your pet for a while. Chinchillas spend most of their waking hours foraging for food, so it will be obvious if your chinchilla isn't eating any more.
To be certain, the best way would be to weigh your chinchilla's food at the beginning and end of every day. If it remains the same weight, your chinchilla hasn't eaten any of it. However, we don't recommend doing this because when a chinchilla stops eating, it can pass away very quickly. As such, it's better to be safe than sorry, and to take your pet to the vet if you suspect any signs of ill health (anorexia or otherwise).
Critical Care for Herbivores
Critical Care is a kind of food prescribed by vets for when animals are sick. There are several different kinds, but in this case, you'll need the one made for small animals.
The point of Critical Care is that you feed it to an animal that won't eat unless you make it. It can either be bought/prescribed as a powder that you have to mix with water, or as a ready-to-use liquid feed. You feed it to your pet through a syringe. It isn't a long-term solution. Rather, it's supposed to stop your chinchilla wasting away while you help it clear the blockage in its gut.
Below, you can find our chinchilla quiz, new posts for further reading, and a signup for our Chinchilla Newsletter!
#chinchillas #chinchillanutrition
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How Science is Revolutionizing the World of Dog Training
It was about a month into raising a new border collie puppy, Alsea, when I came to an embarrassing realization: my dog had yet to meet a person who doesn’t look like me.
I’d read several books on raising a dog, and they all agree on at least one thing: proper socialization of a puppy, especially during the critical period from eight to 20 weeks, means introducing her to as many people as I possibly could. Not just people, but diverse people: people with beards and sunglasses; people wearing fedoras and sombreros; people jogging; people in Halloween costumes. And, critically, people of different ethnicities. Fail to do this, and your dog may inexplicably bark at people wearing straw hats or big sunglasses.
This emphasis on socialization is an important element of a new approach to raising the modern dog. It eschews the old, dominating, Cesar Millan–style methods that were based on flawed studies of presumed hierarchies in wolf packs. Those methods made sense when I raised my last dog, Chica, in the early aughts. I read classic dominance-oriented books by the renowned upstate New York trainers The Monks of New Skete, among others, to teach her I was the leader of her pack, even when that meant stern corrections, like shaking her by the scruff of the neck. Chica was a well-behaved dog, but she was easily discouraged when I tried teaching her something new.
I don’t mean to suggest I had no better option; there was then a growing movement to teach dog owners all about early socialization and the value of rewards-based training, and plenty of trainers who employed only positive reinforcement. But in those days, the approach was the subject of debate and derision: treat-trained mongers might do what you want if they know a biscuit is hidden in your palm, but they’d ignore you otherwise. I proudly taught my dog tough love.
This time, with the assistance of a new class of trainers and scientists, I’ve changed my methods entirely, and I have been shocked to discover booming product lines of puzzles, entertaining toys, workshops and “canine enrichment” resources available to the modern dog “parent,” which has helped boost the U.S. pet industry to $86 billion in annual sales. Choke collars, shock collars, even the word no are all-but-verboten. It’s a new day in dog training.
The science upon which these new techniques are based is not exactly new: it’s rooted in learning theory and operant conditioning, which involves positive (the addition of) or negative (the withdrawal of) reinforcement. It also includes the flipside: positive or negative punishment. A brief primer: Petting a dog on the head for fetching the newspaper is positive reinforcement, because you’re taking an action (positive) to encourage (reinforce) a behavior. Scolding a dog to stop an unwanted behavior is positive punishment, because it’s an action to discourage a behavior. A choke collar whose tension is released when the dog stops pulling on it is negative reinforcement, because the dog’s desirable behavior (backing off) results in the removal of an undesirable consequence. Taking away a dog’s frisbee because he’s barking at it is negative punishment, because you’ve withdrawn a stimulus to decrease an unwanted behavior.
Much has changed about the way that science is applied today. As canine training has shifted from the old obedience-driven model directed at show dogs to a more relationship-based approach aimed at companion dogs, trainers have discovered that the use of negative reinforcement and positive punishment actually slow a dog’s progress, because they damage its confidence and, more importantly, its relationship with a handler. Dogs that receive too much correction—especially the harsh physical correction and mean-spirited “Bad dog!” scoldings—begin to retreat from trying new things.
These new methods are backed by a growing body of science—and a rejection of the old thinking, of wolves (and their descendants, dogs) as dominance-oriented creatures. The origin of so-called “alpha theory” comes from a scientist named Rudolph Schenkel, who conducted a study of wolves in 1947 in which animals from different packs were forced into a small enclosure with no prior interaction. They fought, naturally, which Schenkel wrongly interpreted as a battle for dominance. The reality, Schenkel was later forced to admit, was that the wolves were stressed, not striving for alpha status.
A study from Portugal published last fall in the pre-print digital database BioRxiv (meaning it is not yet peer-reviewed) evaluated dozens of dogs selected from schools that either employed the use of shock collars, leash corrections and other aversive techniques or didn’t—sticking entirely or almost entirely to the use of positive reinforcement (treats) to get the behavior they wanted. Dogs from the positive schools universally performed better at tasks the researchers put in front of them, and the dogs from aversive schools displayed considerably more stress, both in observable ways—licking, yawning, pacing, whining—and in cortisol levels measured in saliva swabs.
These new findings are especially relevant this year. Dog adoption in the COVID-19 era has ballooned, arguably because isolated Americans are newly in search of companionship and because working from home makes at least the idea of raising a puppy feasible. Before the pandemic, it was young city dwellers driving the boom in demand for and supply of dog trainers who employ positive methods, and an explosion in the proliferation of professional trainers across the globe. Often because they’ve delayed or decided against having children, millennials and Generation Z are spending lavish amounts of money on pets: toys, food, puzzles, fancy harnesses, rain jackets, life jackets and training. And those professional trainers, from the Guide Dogs for the Blind organization to renowned handler Denise Fenzi, have formed a legion of experimenters. They universally report that the less negativity they use in training, the more quickly their dogs learn.
Over the past 15 years, handlers with Guide Dogs for the Blind, which trains dogs to be aides for sight-impaired people, have extinguished nearly all negative training techniques and with dramatic results. A new dog can now be ready to guide its owner in half the time it once took, and they can remain with an owner for an extra year or two, because they’re so much less stressed out by the job, says Susan Armstrong, the organization’s vice president of client, training and veterinary operations. Even bomb-sniffing and military dogs are seeing more positive reinforcement, which is why you might have noticed that working dogs in even the most serious environments (like airports) seem to be enjoying their jobs more than in the past. “I don’t think you’re imagining that,” Armstrong says. “These dogs love working. They love getting rewards for good behavior. It’s serious, but it can be fun.”
Susan Friedman, a psychology professor at Utah State University, entered the dog-training world after a 20-year career in special education, a field in which she has a doctorate. In the late 1990s, she adopted a parrot, and was shocked to discover that most of the available advice she could find about raising a well-mannered bird involved only harsh corrections: If it bites, abruptly drop the bird on the floor. If it makes too much noise, shroud the cage in complete darkness. If it tries to escape, clip the bird’s flight feathers. Friedman applied her own research and experience to her parrot training, and discovered it all comes down to behavior. “No species on the planet behaves for no reason,” she says. “What’s the function of a parrot biting your hand? Why might a child throw down at the toy aisle? What’s the purpose of the behavior, and how does it open the environment to rewards and also to aversive stimuli?”
Friedman’s early articles about positive-reinforcement animal training met a skeptical audience back in the early aughts. Now, thanks to what she calls a “groundswell from animal trainers” newly concerned about the ethics of animal raising, Friedman is summoned to consult at zoos and aquariums around the world. She emphasizes understanding how a better analysis of an animal’s needs might help trainers punish them less. Last year, she produced a poster called the “hierarchy roadmap” designed to help owners identify underlying causes and conditions of behavior, and address the most likely influencers—illness, for example—before moving on to other assumptions. That’s not to suggest old-school dog trainers might ignore an illness, but they might be too quick to move to punishment before considering causes of unwanted behavior that could be addressed with less-invasive techniques.
The field is changing rapidly, Friedman says. Even in the last year, trainers have discovered new ways to replace an aversive technique with a win: if a dog scratches (instead of politely sitting) at the door to be let out, many trainers would have in recent years advised owners to ignore the scratching so as not to reward the behavior. They would hope for “extinction,” for the dog to eventually stop doing the bad thing that results in no reward. But that’s an inherently negative approach. What if it could be replaced with something positive? Now, most trainers would now recommend redirecting the scratching dog to a better behavior, a come or a sit, rewarded with a treat. The bad behavior not only goes extinct, but the dog learns a better behavior at the same time.
The debate is not entirely quashed. Mark Hines, a trainer with the pet products company Kong who works with dogs across the country, says that while positive reinforcement certainly helps dogs acquire knowledge at the fastest rate, there’s still a feeling among trainers of military and police dogs that some correction is required to get an animal ready for service. “Leash corrections and pinch collars are science-based, as well,” Hines says. “Positive punishment is a part of science.”
The key, Hines says, is to avoid harsh and unnecessary kinds of positive punishment, so as not to damage the relationship between handler and dog. Dogs too often rebuked will steadily narrow the range of things they try, because they figure naturally that might reduce the chance they get yelled at.
The Cesar Millans of the world are not disappearing. But the all- or mostly positive camp is growing faster. Hundreds of trainers attend “Clicker Expos,” an annual event put on in various cities by one of the most prominent positivity-based dog-training institutions in the world, the Karen Pryor Academy in Waltham, Mass. And Fenzi, another of the world’s most successful trainers, teaches her positive-reinforcement techniques online to no less than 10,000 students each term.
While there is some lingering argument about how much positivity vs. negativity to introduce into a training regimen, there’s next to zero debate about what may be the most important component of raising a new dog: socialization. Most trainers now teach dog owners about the period between eight and 20 weeks in which it is vital to introduce a dog to all kinds of sights and sounds they may encounter in later life. Most “bad” behavior is really the product of poor early socialization. For two months, I took Alsea to weekly “puppy socials” at Portland’s Doggy Business, where experienced handlers monitor puppies as they interact and play with one another in a romper room filled with ladders and hula hoops and children’s playhouses, strange surfaces that they might otherwise develop fear about encountering. Such classes didn’t exist until a few years ago.
A vizsla puppy at a dog training class at Doggy Business in Portland, Oregon, on Jun. 4. Holly Andres for TIME
I also took Alsea to dog-training classes, at a different company, Wonder Puppy. At the first session, trainer Kira Moyer reminded her human students that the most important thing we need to do for our dogs is advocate, which is also based in a renewed appreciation of science. Instead of correcting your dog for whining, for example, stop for a moment and think about why that’s happening? What do they want? Can you give that to them, or give them an opportunity to earn the thing they want, and learn good behavior at the same time?
Enrichment is another booming area of the dog-training world. I didn’t feed Alsea out of a regular dog bowl for the first six months she’s been with me, because it was so much more mentally stimulating for her to eat from a food puzzle, a device that makes it just a little bit challenging for an animal to acquire breakfast. These can be as simple as a round plastic plate with kibble dispersed between a set of ridges that have to be navigated, or as complex as the suite of puzzles developed by Swedish entrepreneur Nina Ottosson. At the highest level, a dog might have to move a block, flip the lid up, remove a barrier or spin a wheel to earn food. Another common source of what we consider “bad” behavior in dogs is really just an expression of boredom, of a dog that needs a job and has decided to give himself one: digging through the garbage, barking at the mail carrier. Food puzzles make dinnertime a job. When Ottosson first started, “they called me ‘the crazy dog lady.’ Nobody believed dogs would eat food out of a puzzle,” she says. “Today, nobody calls me that.”
When Alsea was 4 months old (she’s 12 months now), I traveled south of Portland to Oregon’s Willamette Valley to introduce her to Ian Caldicott, a farmer who teaches dogs and handlers how to herd sheep. First we watched one of his students working her own dog. As the border collie made mistakes, the tension in her owner’s voice escalated and her corrections grew increasingly harsh. “Just turn your back and listen,” Caldicott said to me. “You can hear the panic in her voice creeping in.”
Dogs are smart and can read that insecurity. It makes them question their faith in the handler and, in some cases, decide they know better. Raising a good sheepdog is about building trust between the dog and the handler, Caldicott says. That does require some correction—a “Hey!” when the dog goes left instead of right, at times—but what’s most important is confidence, both in the dog and the handler. In the old days, sheepdogs were taught left and right with physical coercion. Now, they’re given just enough guidance to figure out the right track by themselves. “We’re trying to get an animal that thinks for itself. A good herding dog thinks he knows better than you. Your job is to teach him you’re worth listening to,” Caldicott says. “The ones born thinking they’re the king of the universe, all you have to do is not take that away.”
Learn More Here: https://bit.ly/3jEFySe
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Ludus: Monster Prom AU PROFILE
TRIGGER WARNINGS: PHYSICAL/EMOTIONAL/MENTAL ABUSE, implied pedophilia , EATING DISORDERS, PTSD, CHILD LABOUR, ALCOHOLISM, Death mention. Also genital piercing.
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Name: Ludus.
Nicknames: ….so many but none stuck.
Sex: AMAB
Gender: Genderfluid
Pronouns: They/Them He/Him
Sexual Orientation: Marsic - but money is money
Age: 23 (Lifespan 90-150 years)
Birthday: 27th July (Cancer)
Species: Demon (Lust aligned)
Class/Status/Profession: Working Class | Sex Worker
STATS
Smarts: 8
Boldness: 9
Creativity: 6
Charm: 5
Fun: 10
Money: 3
Physical Description
Height: 6’ 5” | Weight: 10.5 stone
The first thing you might notice about Ludus is his pupiless green eyes, often accompanied by a sharp toothed smirk. He’s hard to miss in a crowd, as his whole body is often adorned with jewelry and provocative clothing that goes well with his deeply purple skin. As is common of demons, he also owns horns. They are a slightly deeper purple than his skin, small and neatly pointed they curve around his skull elegantly, ending just a few inches in front of his forehead and sitting just above his browline like a sort of natural crown. His lips are naturally purple, but Ludus is rarely seen without black lipstick.
Ludus is a tall, unhealthily skinny beanpole full of nothing but cutting remarks and more snark. He doesn’t eat much and it shows with his ribs being visible beneath the skin. It’s clear they still try to eat though as he still has a lean, muscular build and strong legs that end in filigree set hooves.They have no tattoos as they don’t go with all their clothes but piercings are a different story, Ludus has many (see trivia for the full list) from tip to their neatly pointed tail and he takes them out or puts them in to match with whatever he’s wearing at the time.
His thick black hair is shaved into a mohawk and grown from there, often braided and intertwined with jewelry and dip dyed in the bright colour of their choosing. Like every part of Ludus’ body, it is cared for meticulously with an efficient routine. Only the best to look the best, he doesn’t care where it came from. If you need to kill a puppy for good skin cream, then to the dog house Ludus shall go.
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OUTFITS
Normal: TBA Alternate: TBA Auditorium: TBA Prom: TBA
Fuckin HOT: TBA That October Holiday: TBA The Gift Update: TBA
{Art by Kerry}
Personality
Strengths
Quick learner, and follows directions well.
Can be surprisingly caring if he sees someone that's tired or in trouble.
For the most part, Ludus is VERY bold with barely any shame or concern for his well being (but don’t punch the face).
Enthusiastic and always down to party.
Flexible and open minded ;)
Excellent fashion sense.
Diligent, when it comes to his work and skin routine.
For the most part, reliable.
Weaknesses
Being a bit of a shy tsundere when it comes to people they like.. Ludus will help someone (eg, carry them to bed if they fall asleep somewhere) but not admit to actually doing so.
He is insecure about himself and an example of this is his flirting, that could be taken either platonic or sexual. He’s bold, but he doesn’t think he’s worthy of love.
Runs his mouth at the wrong time - you’d think he’d learn after getting hit at the bar/brothel every time he did so - but he didn’t. He sees it as part of his ‘charm’.
They have a tendency to stagnate and just accept abusive relationships as their lot.
Impulsive - they earn money fast and spend it just as quickly.
Critical of others.
Not a leader. Despite loving parties, he’s not the type to plan them. He brings his ass and the wine.
Absolute lightweight when it comes to alcohol, but manages it quite well due to the actual AMOUNT he drinks casually.
Skills
Self taught makeup artist
Knows first aid.
Dances wonderfully
Can use a knife as a weapon - their fighting almost looks like dancing.
Can tie all sorts of knots.
Has the ability to give almost anyone a makeover.
Good bartender, excellent mixologist.
Education At Spooky High
Spooky High is the only education he’s ever had - but he knew basic maths and reading before that. His ‘Smarts’ mostly revolves around people watching and gathering information by loose lips, although he now spends time devouring as much information as he can about fashion and sewing….when he’s not working or partying.
-Textiles
-Dance
-Gym
-Spells (Knows a few spells from the bar - mostly offensive but some practical )
Likes/Dislikes
Likes:
Alcohol. Ludus is a fan of STRONG fruity, sweet drinks. You’d NEVER catch them with a beer. Their casual drink is a GOOD red wine though (they’re a bit of a wine snob).
Jasmine perfume.
Dislikes:
They DESPISE people that don’t do anything for themselves, as they remind him of himself in the past and the quality now repulses him. It’s also unhealthy but that's why he hates it.
Transphobes, People who believe in the gender binary, racists, homophobes ect.
Childhood/Backstory
Ludus was abandoned as a child in a bar, which was unfortunately owned as a slave/brothel trade front. Identified quickly as a lust demon by the owners, he was raised and then exploited for eighteen years. As a result, Ludus got used to being used as a toy and seen as an asset rather than a person - and that's the way they thought things would be forever. The things he was allowed to read and have were closely modified, but he was adorned with jewels and clothes by the hundreds all from appreciative “sugar” clients.
He didn’t know a life outside of that brothel and didn’t need to, he was good at his job and RELISHED it, why would he ever leave? Here they were lavished with gifts and given free lessons in dance that they got paid to show off! Sure, he was beaten occasionally, isolated outside of clients, and had to do things he didn’t want to do sometimes - but wasn’t that just life?
Unbeknownst to Ludus, the bar was paying Vera to not take their establishment for a strategic base and new income spot.
One day, she just didn’t feel like waiting for the payment.
All the employees were either killed or repurposed under Vera, but when Vera found Ludus she grimaced and told him to leave and find elsewhere to stay (her way of being kind).
When Ludus asked where, as this was all they’d known, Vera and her snakes rolled their eyes.
“I don’t know and don’t care. Maybe Spooky High. Find somewhere.”
Vera didn’t have time to care for lost lambs, but was disgusted at the business practices at the brothel and slave trade. She shut it down and repurposed it as a good ol’ drug lab.
So Ludus set out for Spooky High with a suitcase (Vera had taken some of his more expensive belongings as a ‘fee’) and on the way, encountered the furry clan in the woods. Having no other place to stay, and this potentially being a good source of income - Ludus decided to stay with them while he studied at Spooky High. It was here he discovered the words for their sexuality and gender - as well as the fact that he was NOT a furry in ANY way.
Through Spooky High and the furries, (read: the shocked reactions about Ludus telling people about their childhood) Ludus discovered that what was done to him was wrong and slowly sank into a crisis - reading everything he could about his species, parenting skills and basically how he SHOULD have been treated.
Ludus is miserable and how well they cope varies from day to day, not that anyone would be able to tell. He is a ‘mean girl’ in public, drinks wine like it’s water and only sits with others for lunchtime entertainment. There is a desire to make friends, but he really doesn’t know how and often comes off more cruel than he means to. Parties he understands though. Parties are their language.
For now, Ludus has decided to try and reclaim his love of being a sex worker for himself. He may seek other careers in the future if any take their fancy, but they’re scared of leaving the world they know.
This previous airhead is now painfully wary of people, a lot wiser and unfortunately colder than they used to be - but the show must go on.
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AU where Ludus is staying at The Court and working from there. See:
Court Watching
Morality
Chaotic Neutral/Neutral Evil
Relationships
Amira goes in ‘they’re cool’ and Brian/Oz/Vicky go in ehhhh. Kale also goes in ehhhh.
Original Characters
Cornall: Precious youth. Will protect if need be but we all gotta learn the tough way sometimes.
Goals
To start living their life for them.
Finding other things to enjoy
Learn to interact and bond with people outside of a sex work setting.
Other | Trivia
CANON VOICE: Toddrick Hall. Singing and Speaking. (was Alaska Thunderfuck)
Character influences: Mollymauk Tealeaf, Angel Dust, Irene Adler
Physical Afflictions:
Mental Illnesses: Body dysmorphia, PTSD
COMPLETE LIST OF PIERCINGS:
Ears, both sides: Earlobe x4, Helix x4, Industrial, Tragus
Nose: Nose piercing, stud on each side. High Nostril, stud on each side, Septum.
Face: Eyebrow Piercing, one on both sides. (he wears left the most.)
Lips: Snakebites, Medusa
Tongue: NONE - he has so many things in his mouth going in and out it’s dangerous.
Genital: - He has shapeshifting genitals - but occasionally he will have a frenum ladder and/or a venus piercing.
Tail: Eight, four on each side. Often studs, sometimes rings.
Other: Nipple (both), Hip, Collarbone, Naval.
OnlyFANGS: Lewdicrous - Ludus is an avid poster, and fiercely competitive when it comes to OnlyFangs
He’s attracted to power, puppet masters but he knows they’re bad for him. Actual kindness is what he wants, to be someone's pet yet valued for who he is as an individual.
Intimidates others for power - Think IRENE ADLER
But they’re mainly a sub and have to know they want something first, which is rare because he still doesn’t know what he wants.
He developed blackmail as a way to keep himself safe in the bar because no one else was gonna do it for him and it’s not like he could work anywhere else (well, that’s he was trained to believe).
His phone is black but usually has a bright pink bedazzled phone case with a pop socket. He adores it.
Rarely shouts
Has a similar shape shifting genitals to Damien, but more configurations (it’s a Lust Demon thing).
Can sing, and plays guitar in private (prefers acoustic - gentle vibes). Probably interested in learning piano.
Q/A | Response To Prompt Collection
What games is your OC into?
Ludus has never had a console, but he loves phone games. Very into candy crush. Perhaps even farmville.
Does your OC believe in true love/ the one, or just the idea you can be happy with someone?
I don't think Ludus even thinks he can be happy with someone yet
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