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project-wildcard · 11 months

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Charlie's friends and community!

The area:

The city's name is Freedom city, the name is taken from Mutants and Masterminds but all the details will just be whatever's convenient to the story. Superheroes are quite common but not everywhere. About 2-3% of people have powers and of that, only about 1/8th of a % of people have powers strong enough for them to be heroes or villains. There is a large superhero council called the Valiant Organisation Rescuing and Protecting All Lives or V.O.R.P.A.L. they're a council of the world's strongest heroes who also pay people to be heroes full time. They protect the world against supervillains, bioweapons, intergalactic threats and other similar threats but they don't devote much attention to the problems like homelessness and gradual climate change. They'd be much more inclined to stop a villain from burning down the rainforest than they'd be to try and stop a billionaire from slowly cutting them down to increase their net worth.

Charlie lives in a large apartment with their friends across the street from their college, redwood university, named after the massive tree that is in the centre of their campus. The college is very big and offers just about every kind of course it can. Charlie is doing a degree in history, and isn't really sure what they're going to do with the degree. The campus also doubles as a public park and has a lot of areas left to grow naturally with tall grass, weeds and wild flowers. It's pretty huge, probably about 4km from one side to the other going north to south and 6km east to west

Charlie also volunteers at an animal shelter on the opposite side of the park from where they live. They spend pretty much an equal amount of time in the shelter as they at their apartment, including sleeping there sometimes.

Their friends:

Michael (Mike/Mikey): He is the definition of completely average white guy. Brown hair, 5ft 10, decent family, weekend job stocking shelves, a sister he's not particularly close with but isn't like, super distant from. He's happy to be there and doesn't really have any big aspirations for his life. He's doing a business degree, which he takes very seriously, with the hopes of being an accountant in the future. He wants the stable job, time on the weekends to do something nice with his partner and kids, comfortable home. He's content with just living comfortably, nothing exciting and nothing dangerous. He's in the group cuz he still finds all of them interesting and wants to have a good understanding of the different people in the world so he can raise his kids to be caring and open. His ultimate goal would be to be a good parent and husband. He feels that because he doesn't fit in with the group because of his less aspirational hopes for his life he'll eventually grow distant from them once they finish college.

Lilith (Lily): She is very much an environmental activist. She's got short blonde hair with the tips dyed a dark green. She absolutely doesn't let any meat into the house aside from pet food and is pretty vocal about non-vegan stuff, although keeps it teasing more than anger usually cuz she knows the others have changed a lot already after they moved in and she's happy with as much as they've done. She's working towards a degree in social sciences and she wants to run a charity that will help the planet by getting more heroes to work to restore nature rather than being so focused on the big villains or stopping crimes. The big problem in the world with that right now is that heroes usually don't get paid for... hero-ing unless they're working for one of the bigger super alliances like VORPAL and as a result they need to spend a lot of time working a job and would usually prefer to do something that they would be rewarded for like stopping a robbery or supervillain. She doesn't care too much about how the people in her life change because she believes that as long as she's passionately working towards what she wants, the people who support her will be just as worthy of her support.

Ruby: She aspires to be a doctor and she is pushing herself really hard to do good in her degree. She has very minor healing powers, she can close up minor cuts in about a minute and even fix bones completely over the course of a few hours of focus but compared to other healing heroes it's not much. She wants to be a doctor so she gets the chance to use her gift properly, she's scared to have "wasted her potential" and pushes herself past her limits a lot of the time, burning out basically once a month and needing her friends to force her to relax. Hospitals in this world are always busy from the fallout of super fights or villains' plans. There are heroes who can heal people who tend to be working at these hospitals but some things can actually have a lot of complications if they're healed too fast, bones might not set right, the immune response might end up not being able to find the disease and attack the person instead, certain pathogens might not be affected by healing powers. Long story short, traditional medical care is still very important to keep people healthy.

Steph: He's very laid back about his life. He's going for a degree in structural engineering and assumes that even if he doesn't make it big time in any way he will still have a secure job in construction or re-construction. These industries are always asking for more people as the many supervillains and superheroes of the world consider the collateral damage of big fights to be insignificant, as long as in the heroes' case no people are hurt. He doesn't exactly have plans for his life, he just takes it as it comes and does what he can in the moment. He's often the go to for wisdom when people are stressed about their lives.

The cats:

Charlie first went to the shelter after saving a street cat they found sick in an alley. The cat gave birth a few months later but shortly after died. Most of the litter stayed at the shelter and are now "staff" (as in they walk around and meow at other animals) but Charlie brought two back to their apartment, Bean and Scruffle.

Bean is an orange cat who is very affectionate and playful. She rarely leaves the apartment. Charlie will usually cuddle with Bean for comfort when they feel sad.

Scruffle is a grey cat who spends most time outside but comes back every night to sleep there. He explores the park most days and every morning he climbs up the redwood at the college to get to the roof. He can't actually make the jump from the tree to the roof and relies on Charlie making a portal for him to get there.

Charlie made sure the cats were used to portals when they were young so they'd know to walk through one if they were ever stuck.

The Animal Shelter: The animal shelter is very important to Charlie, it's where they first felt they could do something good for the world without needing to take the chance of using their powers. They treat it as a second home to the point that their mail goes to the shelter rather than the apartment. They feel a lot of empathy for the animals they help and they feel that the animals trust them to help. There's a large amount of exotic animals that have been domesticated so the shelter is quite a bit larger than any in our world.

The shelter has received a lot of funding over the years because of the amount of animal related villains whose aftermath has to be dealt with. Whether it's alien creatures, chaos at the zoo or plots to kidnap people's pets, there's a lot of animals in the city with nowhere to stay, and it's not a very popular practice to put them down.

The person who runs the shelter is currently in talks with the city council about dedicating a portion of the park to be an animal reserve as exotic pets are more common than they should be and need a lot more space to move around than they can currently provide.

Socks, the person who runs the shelter: They are tall, and an older person, in their 50's but still more than young enough to handle any creature that finds it's way into the shelter. They have a lot of wrinkles but their face does really sag in any way, it's just from having a life full of passion. Their hair is short and has has been grey for years. Socks and Charlie are very close. Charlie sees them as a mentor figure, but they are by fair their favourite, because socks is the first person Charlie chose to learn from rather than being told they have to be taught by. Socks has a small room set up in the shelter for Charlie to sleep in whenever they need and they live in the shelter themself so they appreciate the company whenever it's offered. They see that Charlie has a lot of potential but doesn't want to push because they believe Charlie will figure themself out when the time is right.

This post took a long time to make. I wanted to make sure that everyone in Charlie's life is treated like a person who has their own life outside of what we see from Charlie's perspective so I needed to make sure every single character had at least little depth planned. Also naming things is not my strong suit so most of the time spent on this post was just spent on figuring out the name of the city (which I kinda gave up on) or Charlie's friends, or V.O.R.P.A.L. (Which I am VERY happy to have settled on). I also plan to use Ruby and Steph to explore the parts of superhero stories that usually go under the radar or will only get a small mention. I think at some point I'll write about an event from everyone's perspective separately, probably the only time I'll have the story be told from a first person perspective.

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missmagnoliabarnes · 3 years

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( blake lively, 30, female, she/her ) MAGNOLIA BARNES! we’re so happy you’re here. you’ve been her for TWO YEARS, working as a PERSONAL ASSISTANT, right? yeah, everyone’s already told us all about you. they said your very BUBBLY, EMAPTHETIC, and PEOPLE PLEASING. which we think is just awesome. of course they told us that you remind them of BAREFOOT COUNTRY MEADOW, A FLOURED COVERED APRON and A HEAVILY COLOR CODED PLANNER and HOMECOMING QUEEN? by KELSEA BALLERINI. so we feel like we already know you so well. we can’t wait to get to know you better.

tw: eating disorder

b a c k s t o r y

Born into a very traditional, southern family. Socialite mother from Charleston, Political father from Mount Pleasant--it was perfection or bust for them

Lavish childhood--only grew up with the “creme de la creme” of families (her mother’s words, not her’s) and participated in every activity ever created it seemed.

Her mother’s favorite--and the one that would stick--was pageantry. Magnolia would be well accustomed to the scene by an early age.

Magnolia was a very kind and compassionate child, making friends with most everyone she met. She was very determined though, and had a real fear of disappointing others. She was excellent in school and especially loved the English. She had dreamed of going to college to be a writer--a job quickly swept aside by her mother.

For her mother, Magnolia’s only job was to get married, make children and raise them the way she had been raised--perfectly. This put Magnolia under immense pressure as she got into high school.

Her older brother, whom she adored, was completely oblivious to all of this though, as was her father. So while she loved them both dearly, they couldn’t support her when things got bad.

(tw: eating disorder) And they did get bad. During the quarterfinals of Miss Teen American, after an intense few months of training, Magnolia had collapsed during taping--leading the competition, her mother and much of the local town to find out that she had been hiding an eating disorder for months

Her mother was ashamed and to save face, sent her off to London to finish high school instead of getting help. Magnolia opted to stay out there after high school ended, finding a job as a secretary. Eventually, she worked her way up to being the personal assistant of someone very important--a job that would let her travel the world on his behalf. It was also in London she changed her name from Magnolia--a remnant of her past--to Lia, something she had gotten to choose on her own.

(tw: eating disorder) She quite likes her job, though she worries that she’s never truly meeting standards--as a worry she has yet to outgrown from her childhood. She also fears that, since never receiving proper treatment for her eating disorder she will one day lapse into it (though she is working on figuring out how to manage it on the daily)

f a s t f a ct s

Lia loves people--loves talking to them, meeting them, hearing about their lives. She felt very sheltered growing up, so her new freedom has really allowed her to take advantage of listening to others. In fact, you can often catch her people watching from a local cafe, especially when she’s on business for her boss.

She also has a (maybe unhealthy) love of Target. Please don’t tell her mother.

Speaking of her mother, Lia doesn’t have much contact with her family anymore. But she desperately misses her brother most of all.

Lia really did love pageant life, though, and often spends time working with local girls as they start their first steps into the world. She sees it as a way to help them see the joy in it, rather than let it become overwhelming like it did for her.

She is looking forward to the day she can have her own dog--not that she can’t yet but she knows that her traveling schedule is a little hectic for one right now. But if she could have one--oh, it’d be a cute cocker spaniel.

And yes, she does have a slightly southern accent--though her years in London made it fade.

p l o t s

Chemistry is always a plus. Never gonna shy away from that one.

FRIENDS! Oh lord give her friends--real, true friends. She hasn’t had many of those.

Clients for her boss--I’d love to plot something around that. Still trying to figure out who her boss is and what he does (like a WC coming soon) but clients are fun.

Uhm, honestly really anything. I’m excited to see where this could go!

#denv.intro #tw eating disorder #hi all meet my cute cinnamon roll lia!#please plot with us we are friendly #[[homecoming queen; headcannons]]#magnolia barnes; intro

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ladyoflightandreason · 3 years

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The War on Drugs is a Failure

In US history the two largest spikes in the murder rate have happened during eras of drug prohibition. The first spike occurred from 1920 to 1933 during the prohibition of alcohol. The second from 1970-1990 when Nixon declared the war on drugs. From the very start, the war on drugs has been about suppressing the poor and the marginalized. And, even if it was about eliminating drug use and all the horrible issues related to it; such as addiction, mental health disease, poverty, and violence, it has proven a failure in stopping those as well. Instead, the war on drugs has worsened these problems causing more chaos, pain, addiction, and death. The war on drugs and drug prohibition as a whole has been completely ineffective at reaching its goals of eliminating drug use and the negative effects associated with it.

As ingrained as drug laws seem today, it was only in 1875 when San Francisco passed the nation’s first anti-drug law. The law wanted to stop the spread of opium dens and banned the practice of smoking opium. A federal law accompanied the San Francisco law, banning anyone of “Chinese origin” to bring opium into the country. The racist excuses didn’t end, the targeting of cocaine followed suit in 1909 when rumors began to spread that black men were getting high on cocaine and as a result were raping white women. These rumors allowed a mass hysteria to sweep the nation and anti-cocaine laws followed suit. Five years later in 1914, the Harrison Narcotics Act passed. While the HNA didn’t outright ban drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, and heroin, it expanded the government's ability to tax and regulate them. The goal being to tax drugs to the point of nonexistence. However, despite the HNA, cannabis still remained popular especially among the jazz and swing scene in the 1920s and 30s. At this point, Harry Anslinger, head of the Bureau of Narcotics and notorious for being racist even in the 1930s steps in. Anslinger warned the nation that jazz and marijuana created an opportunity for blacks to rise above the rest; and that it induced madness in Hispanic immigrants leading them to commit violence against whites. Then in 1937, Congress passed the Marijuana Tax Act for the purposes of raising the prices of marijuana making it even more inaccessible. The same trends of reactionary backlash are shown in the 1960s and 1970s, amidst a variety of social movements but mainly the civil rights, and anti-war movement. These movements caused the rightwing who were unwilling to acquiesce to any of the demands to crack down on drugs which they knew would harm those communities. John Erlichman an assistant to the Nixon administration, even admitted in 2016 in an article by Dan Baum for Harper’s Magazine that racism and suppression of opposition to the Nixon administration was the reason why they further agitated the war on drugs. Stating, “We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities….Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course, we did.” From the very beginning, drug prohibition existed to suppress a society’s underclass. While there are numerous supporters with good intentions the unpleasant roots do not simply disappear. Thus, supporting prohibition ignores the history of ruthless attacks against minorities and contradicts America’s values such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Racist origins and intentions aside, even if the war on drugs started out by attempting to lower drug use and by extension to create a healthier society, it still would have resulted in a massive disaster. Simply banning drugs doesn’t stop people from using them. The perfect example of this is alcohol prohibition. While it is true that alcohol consumption dropped significantly in 1921 from about 0.8 gallons to 0.2 gallons, the rate sharply rose in 1922 to 0.8 gallons and continued on an increasing trend through the 1920s. Prohibition failed at lowering alcohol consumption for most of its duration and made the alcohol more potent. This is due to the Iron Law of Prohibition by Richard Cohen which states that the more strict the law enforcement, the more potent a substance becomes. Prior to prohibition Americans spent a falling share of their income on alcohol and purchased higher quality and weaker drinks. They also spent similar amounts of money on both beer and spirits. However, after Prohibition spirits replaced beer as the drink of choice for almost all consumption and production of alcohol. Hard liquor and spirits are more potent than beer and wine which made it easier to hide and transport. Liquor and spirits could also be sold to greater amounts of people. The largest cost in selling an illegal good is avoiding detection by the authorities. Weaker products like beer were too bulky and indiscrete. As a result of the law, the prices of beer rose more drastically than that of brandy and spirits (700, 433, and 270 percent respectively). Beer consumption and production all but disappeared with the exception of homemade beers. However, after prohibition was repealed total expenditure on distilled spirits as a percentage of total alcohol sales severely dropped and people returned to drinking beer and other milder forms of alcohol. The lesson gleaned from this experiment gone wrong is that prohibition is completely ineffective at reducing drug abuse and addiction. Prohibition is completely counterintuitive because rather than stopping people from using drugs it makes drugs more potent and more addictive which increases drug use.

Black markets are like all markets, the profit motive is king, which means drug dealers want the biggest bang for their buck. Especially when the largest cost of buying and selling drugs on the black market are the social and legal consequences. In order to get the best deal, drug dealers must satisfy the demand of as many consumers and create new ones without getting caught. This means that they have a financial incentive to increase the potency of the drugs because stronger drugs are easier to hide and transport thus lowering the social and legal risks. Along with lowering the costs, more potent drugs are able to meet the demand of more consumers than weaker drugs. Take the example of alcohol, while a gallon of beer can only be sold to two people, a gallon of spirits can be sold to ten people. The seller makes more money selling spirits to ten people than only selling beer to two people. In the situation of transporting the drugs since beer is bulkier and satisfies less demand, there is more of a legal and social incentive to produce and distribute spirits. However, the Iron Law of Prohibition doesn’t only apply to distributors it also applies to the consumer. Take the example of a college football game, stadiums typically ban alcohol, as a result in order college students who are typically beer drinkers now become hard-liquor drinkers. Since it's easier to sneak in liquor in a flask than it is beer bottles which are heavier and less discrete. While there certainly is a problem with drinking and alcoholism in the US, prohibition is simply not the solution. Drug Prohibition forces drug use and distribution to occur under a black market which creates more addictive and potent drugs. The results of Prohibition merely exacerbate the overdose crisis and line the pockets of drug lords.

The War on Drugs is perhaps one of the largest scams in US history. According to the Center for American Progress, the federal government has spent an estimated 1 trillion dollars on the war on drugs, increasing every day since the 1970s. From 2015 the government has spent more than 9.2 million dollars every day to incarcerate people with drug offenses alone. The federal government isn’t the only party that spends outlandish amounts of money on drug enforcement. In 2015 alone states spent about 7 billion dollars on incarcerating people on drug-related charges. Georgia spent about 78.6 million dollars just to incarcerate people of color on drug charges, an amount that is 1.6 times more than the amount it spent on treatment services for drug use. However, enforcement isn’t the only cost, what happens once the person convicted of drug charges gets released? Their employment and economic prospects are ruined. For example, the Cato Institute estimated that the cost of the diminished employment aspects of felons ranges from about 78-87 billion dollars. In total the war on drugs costs the US about 51 billion dollars annually. That is 51 billion dollars every year for a crusade that has done nothing but destroy the lives of millions, rob Americans of their freedom, and create countless unproductive members of society. Bear in mind that there are many better alternatives to using 51 billion dollars for a racist witch hunt, a great alternative would be ending homelessness which would only cost about 20 billion dollars. Having access to a shelter would make it easier for people to get a job since most job applications require an address. Having a home would also encourage people to live in a stable supportive community where there would be support for them to go to rehab. In an era with greater wealth inequality and a growing deficit, hunting people down for doing what they want with their bodies should be the last thing on the mind of the state. Especially a state that is well known for committing horrible atrocities to minorities and reinforcing institutions such as Jim Crow and slavery which continue to leave a lasting scar on millions of people.

Aside from taking away the right of every American the liberty to do whatever they want with their body, the war on drugs also punishes thousands if not millions by locking them up in a cage if even caught with a single trace of a drug, even something as innocuous as weed. In 2018 the U.S arrested more than 1.6 million people for drug-related charges, of those arrested more than 1.4 million were for possession only, and of those arrested for possession about 608,000 of them were for marijuana possession. However, the penalties are almost never distributed evenly, despite making up only about 13% of America’s population, blacks make up about 27% of drug arrests. Nearly 80% of people arrested for drug-related charges in federal prisons and 60% in state prisons are black or Latino. Prosecutors were also more likely to pursue mandatory minimum sentences for blacks than whites. In 2011 of those who received a mandatory minimum, 38% were black and 31% were Latino. However, despite unequal enforcement blacks and whites use and sell drugs at similar rates yet black people face harsher punishments if caught using drugs. The war on drugs is nothing more than an excuse to deny America’s problem with systemic bigotry. Rather than solving the problems arising from systemic racism, the war on drugs associated minority communities with drugs and poor behavior instead of actually solving these problems at their root cause.

However, has locking up people for drug offenses actually reduced drug use and crime? The answer is no, drug overdoses have skyrocketed since the 1980s. The drug abuse rate has remained stagnant since the 1970s at 1.3 percent despite US spending on drug control significantly increasing since the 70s. The Center for American Progress adds that incarceration has shown to have had a negligible impact on drug abuse rates and in fact are linked with higher rates of overdose and mortality. Prisoners in the first two weeks upon release faced a mortality rate that was 13 times higher than the general population. The leading cause of death among these people is overdose. Incarceration is a traumatic experience for most people. In prison, violence is a constant presence by both inmates and guards. Solitary confinement a punishment so torturous that it’s been called out by the UN, and has been proven to induce a variety of mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, psychosis, self-harm, and suicide. Upon release, all opportunities for decent employment are nonexistent, as are paths to being able to enroll in higher education, and not being able to live in public housing or to be able to buy a home. All of these factors create the perfect conditions for addiction and drug use. Contrary to popular opinion the substance itself only plays about a 20% role in addiction. The Office of the Surgeon General found that only 17.7% of nicotine patch wearers stopped smoking. While 20% is still significant it nonetheless shows that chemical hooks aren’t the overwhelming reason why people are addicted and that there are greater causes of addiction outside pharmacology. In regards, of the 80% gap the psychological state of the user is perhaps more influential than the chemical hooks. According to a study conducted by the CDC and Kaiser Permanente called the “Adverse Childhood Experiences Study” the scientists looked at ten different traumatic events that could happen to a child such as physical and sexual abuse to the death of a parent. Discovering that for each traumatic event the child’s chances of becoming an addicted adult increased 2-4 fold. They also found that nearly two-thirds of injection drug use was the result of childhood trauma. Addiction isn’t the result of bad morals it’s the result of pain. Of course people with pain will try to numb it whether it's as simple as taking an aspirin for a headache, drinking after work after a rough day, or injecting heroin to forget about a traumatic event. The only difference is that society condones the first two while tossing the third one in jail. By criminalizing people with substance abuse disorders society is criminalizing mental illness rather than treating it. Therefore, when society throws these people who already deal with unbearable amounts of pain and which resort to self-medication with illicit drugs, they are not getting rid of the problem, they are aggregating it by creating more suffering for the person who is already in pain.

The War on Drugs has been a disaster of epic proportions from locking up millions of people and ostracizing drug users, to stripping Americans of their liberty to do as they please with their body. The War on Drugs dehumanizes drug addicts who most likely faced some sort of traumatic event in their life and further exacerbates the problem by adding more trauma via incarceration and the denial of support upon release. All of this added pain makes the susceptible person more likely to self-medicate. Since safe versions of the drugs are gone because of prohibition they have to rely on shady dealers peddling products with questionable quality and deadly potency as a result of the Iron Law of Prohibition. And if they get caught with the substance they’re thrown into prison which creates a downward spiral. Prohibition regards drug users as below human and only worthy of contempt. It is only with care and community that help people get over their problems. Thus, repealing drug prohibition would stop the stream of both non-problematic drug users and drug addicts being imprisoned. Thus encouraging people to seek medical help for their problems without the fear of law enforcement and it would leave the non problematic users in peace. While there certainly are many ways to go about the problem of drug abuse and the negative effects associated with it, prohibition is simply ineffective at reducing both and will continue to harm millions of people until society finally realizes the error of their ways.

Bibliography

About the CDC-Kaiser ACE Study |Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDCMinusSASstats. 3 Sept. 2020, cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html.

“Against Drug Prohibition.” American Civil Liberties Union, aclu.org/other/against-drug-prohibition#:~:text=Drug%20Prohibition%20Creates%20More%20Problems%20Than%20It%20Solves,other%20serious%20social%20problems.%20Caught%20in%20the%20crossfire.

Biedermann, Nils. How Prohibition Makes Drugs More Potent and Deadly | Nils Biedermann. 9 June 2017, fee.org/articles/how-prohibition-makes-drugs-more-potent-and-deadly/.

Black News and Current Events from African American Organizations, DogonVillage.Com. dogonvillage.com/african_american_news/Articles/00000901.html.

Burrus, Trevor. “The Hidden Costs of Drug Prohibition.” Cato Institute, 19 Mar. 2019, cato.org/publications/commentary/hidden-costs-drug-prohibition.

Coyne, Christopher J., and Abigail R. Hall. “Four Decades and Counting: The Continued Failure of the War on Drugs.” Cato Institute, 22 Sept. 2020, cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/four-decades-counting-continued-failure-war-drugs.

Dai, Serena. “A Chart That Says the War on Drugs Isn’t Working.” The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2013, theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/10/chart-says-war-drugs-isnt-working/322592/.

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Elflein, John. “Deaths by Drug Overdose U.S. 1950-2017 | Statista.” Statista, 6 Nov. 2019, statista.com/statistics/184603/deaths-by-unintentional-poisoning-in-the-us-since-1950/.

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Goldstein, Diane. “The Mischaracterized Relationship Between Drug Use and Homelessness.” Filter, 22 May 2020, filtermag.org/drugs-homelessness/.

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John Ehrlichman - Wikipedia. 26 Nov. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ehrlichman#:~:text=Drug%20war%20quote,-In%202016%2C%20a&text=You%20understand%20what%20I’m,we%20could%20disrupt%20those%20communities.

Lopez, German. “How America Became the World’s Leader in Incarceration, in 22 Maps and Charts.” Vox, 11 Oct. 2016, vox.com/2015/7/13/8913297/mass-incarceration-maps-charts.

Pearl, Betsy. “Ending the War on Drugs: By the Numbers - Center for American Progress.” Center for American Progress, 27 June 2018, americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2018/06/27/452819/ending-war-drugs-numbers/#:~:text=Economic%20impact,more%20than%20%243.3%20billion%20annually.

“Ending the War on Drugs: By the Numbers - Center for American Progress.” Center for American Progress, 27 June 2018, americanprogress.org/issues/criminal-justice/reports/2018/06/27/452819/ending-war-drugs-numbers/.

“Race and the Drug War.” Drug Policy Alliance, 23 Sept. 2020, drugpolicy.org/issues/race-and-drug-war.

Rates of Drug Use and Sales, by Race; Rates of Drug Related Criminal Justice Measures, by Race | The Hamilton Project. 8 Oct. 2020, hamiltonproject.org/charts/rates_of_drug_use_and_sales_by_race_rates_of_drug_related_criminal_justice.

Roberts, TJ. “Iron Law of Prohibition: The Case Against All Drug Laws.” The Advocates for Self-Government, 29 Oct. 2019, theadvocates.org/2019/05/iron-law-of-prohibition-the-case-against-all-drug-laws/.

Staffing and BudgetLock. dea.gov/staffing-and-budget.

Szalavitz, Maia. “Street Opioids Are Getting Deadlier. Overseeing Drug Use Can Reduce Deaths | Maia Szalavitz.” The Guardian, 3 June 2016, theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/apr/26/street-opioids-use-deaths-perscription-drugs-fentanyl.

“The State of Opioids.” Vera, 2 Dec. 2020, vera.org/state-of-justice-reform/2017/the-state-of-opioids.

Thornton, Mark. “Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure.” Cato Institute, 22 Sept. 2020, cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/alcohol-prohibition-was-failure.

#warondrugs #libertarian #leftist #decriminalizealldrugs #420 #warondrugsisafailure #essay #endthewarondrugs #liberty #freedom #humanrights #mybodymychoice #cato institute #the guardian #johanhari #aclu #drug policy

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aislingxashling · 3 years

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( SAOIRSE RONAN + CISFEMALE) — Have you seen AISLING ORLA HOLLAND ? This TWENTY-FOUR year old is a/an MURAL ARTIST who resides in BROOKLYN. SHE/HER has/have been living in NYC for THREE MONTHS, and is/are known to be ENDURING and INQUISITIVE, but can also be SUBMISSIVE and SELF-CRITICAL, if you cross them. People tend to associate them with PASTEL COLORS and FLOWER DRAWINGS

Name: Aisling (ash-ling) Orla Holland

Age: Twenty-Four

Birthday: June 22, 1996

Sign: Cancer

Neighborhood: Brooklyn

Home: Hostel

Occupation: Mural Painter/Artist - works in a local bookstore to supplement income

Character Quote: “At any given moment you have the power to say this is not how the story is going to end.” ― Christine Mason Miller

Pos. Traits: Enduring, Inquisitive, Kind-hearted, Creative

Neg. Traits: Submissive, Self-Critical, Withdrawn, Forgetful

Likes: buying fresh sets of paint, going to art galleries, re-stocking shelves at the bookstore

Dislikes: her parents and soon to be ex-husbabd, plain colored rooms, litter/people who litter

Aesthetic: pastel colors, flower-drawings, paint streaked clothes

~about~

Aisling was born into an extremely devout, Catholic family. They walked to church multiple times a week, with all the Holland siblings being enrolled in Sunday school from the time they could talk until they turned eighteen. Prayer was said ritualistically before all meals and at bed time.

Growing up, she was unaware that not every household was as strict as hers when it came to both chores and religion. Household chores were divided into women’s and men’s work, with Aisling, being the youngest and a girl, in charge of doing the washing and other traditionally feminine tasks.

Her favorite childhood memories are ones spent doing arts and crafts both in church activities and at school. Art was her best subject, followed closely by English. It was through art and expression that she began to realize not everyone thought the way that her family did, and that there were forms of self expression other than religion.

Tired of being so controlled, Aisling began sneaking out at night just to do art. For the most part it was just tag work done around the small town on abandoned buildings. A few of her pieces were even featured in local news articles, the press intrigued by the mysterious person leaving their art around the city.

When it came time to further her studies what she really wanted to pursue was art, but upon trying to have that discussion with her parents she was berated to the point that she decided to major in English Lit, just to make them happy and keep them off her tail.

It was during college that she met Oswald. The two began to seriously date during her sophomore year. She had been introduced through her parents of course, who had just happened to know his from their time spent visiting another church while on vacation. He was the approved deal.

During her senior year of college they suffered a pregnancy scare. Aisling, who had been raised to wait until marriage to have sex, had decided that was one rule she would willingly break, and Oswald was all too eager to help her. After the scare the two decided that they should marry before any other unfortunate events happened. It was not necessarily what Aisling wanted for herself, but as a recent college graduate who’s world was still rather small and sheltered, she didn’t really know what she did want either.

During the two years that they were married, Oswald changed. He began working in politics and government like her father. The long hours meant he was tired and irritable when he came home, oft talking down to her and belittling her for not being the perfect housewife; and his rage when he came home to a cold meal due to her ‘unnecessary and frivolous arts and crafts’. In the beginning he had supported her art, coming home with gifts of special paints or perfect drawing paper, but as his mind was warped by the men around him, he began to view her art as beneath him, as a waste of time and money.

Aisling was also forbidden from working; her degree meant to be merely a symbol that she had grown up in a ‘proper’ family. As her marriage wore on her husband became even more controlling. Only allowing her to leave the house if she was going to church or to do the shopping. Eventually, she began feeling claustrophobic as she was so crunched into herself, so controlled. Art was the only thing that made her feel alive, and so under the guise of joining the local churches women’s group, she began sneaking out of the house just to practice her art. When Oswald found out, his wrath was a sight to behold. The beating she received at his hand for her ‘insubordination’ left her so devastating injured that she had to be taken to hospital.

Once there she reached her parents, begging them to take her back into their home; stating she wanted to leave her husband, that she was afraid of him. Her parents, however, had already been told the whole sordid tale by her husband and were siding with him. If she had only been behaving, they told her, acting as a good Catholic wife should, none of this would have happened. Their fury with her was such that they compared her to a brother she never knew she had, as he had been sent away mere months before she was born. Her mother mentioned he lived in New York, and it piqued her interest.

The idea of having a family member not like her parents made her heart soar. She knew she needed to leave Oswald, and New York seemed the perfect place for a young artist at heart to thrive. Through the help of an online women’s support group, with one girl in particular going above and beyond to help her. While still in the hospital Aisling booked a one-way ticket to New York. With only the clothes on her back she boarded a plane before anyone would know she was gone and headed to New York.

Her new friend greeted her with open arms, helping her to obtain a work visa and a place to stay. It might only be a hostel, but the freedom of not living with those who would try and oppress her made it heaven. She still struggles trying to fit into the American culture; especially when handling currency. Luckily, the job she has achieved at the local book store when she isn’t making art has been incredibly kind to her.

Intrigued by the beautiful street are she has seen, Aisling has begun her own blog following her progress as she too paints her way through the city, bringing art to otherwise dull buildings. She details her process on the murals from beginning to end, and also does commission paintings to help bring in extra cash. The young woman has also located her brother, but has yet to work up the courage to go and meet him, as she is still trying to find herself and who she is after having been so oppressed for so long.

#tw abuse #tw violence #tw spouse abuse #bio #about || aisling orla holland

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locke-writes · 5 years

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There’s A Reason

Author: locke-writes

Title: There’s A Reason

Prompt: God Help The Outcasts - Hunchback of Notre Dame, Photographer!AU For: @thefanficfaerie ‘s Disney Quote Challenge

Rating: T

Word Count: 1623

As Steve switched the lens on his camera he contemplated where he was in his career. Working freelance was fine, it meant that he had enough time to work on building his portfolio, filling it with photos he was proud of and subjects that he was passionate about. It also meant that he had to take jobs he wasn't particularly passionate about in order to pay rent. Everyone that hired him was told upfront what his standard rate was and luckily most accepted with little to no complaints. He was glad to have a good reputation among magazines and newspapers but in the art world he'd yet to make a difference.

Photography was never what he considered as a career but neither was the army. He'd joined out of high school along with a few friends simply because he had no other plans. Everyone else he knew was heading off to college but they had known what their career was meant to be ever since freshman year. Steve only knew that he knew absolutely nothing.

When he was discharged he was as aimless as ever. In the military he never had to question what to do, there was and order for everything. There'd always been the old saying about doing what you loved and then you'd never work a day in your life but Steve didn't think that was sound advice. For sometime he worked odd jobs arranged by friends, anything where he could make a small amount of money. And then there was an ad.

That's how it all started, someone needed a photographer and Steve had been fairly decent at photography in high school. They were paying well, he needed a job, all the factors added up. Now here he was, years later still going out and taking pictures for other people. There had been times he'd looked at working solely for one magazine or another but freelance gave him freedom of choice. Yet now that freedom of choice was getting old.

He'd never really considered himself an artist but he knew that art could make people feel things, could make people understand concepts or see concepts in new ways. He wanted to make people feel what he felt when he looked at a certain photo series. Through his photos he wanted to make a difference however sometimes that felt very much like a pipe dream.

Steve took a few more photographs before dismantling his equipment and heading home to send off what he had taken. There was one problem with Steve's dream of making a difference and he knew it. Well actually that was the problem, he had no idea what his big break was going to be. No one could plan their break into the art world, he was aware of that, yet he wanted whatever he decided to be his first real photo series to be something he was going to be passionate about.

An email from Sam would change all that.

They had met purely by accident, Steve couldn't shake the military schedule or the military work out, apparently Sam couldn't either, a run is what brought them together. Sam led a few military support groups, not everyone in them had been diagnosed with PTSD but that didn't matter everyone deserved to be able to talk about their experience to people who had been through it and actually understood what it was like. Steve wasn't a regular attendee, he went on occasion, he and Sam were just friends with Sam sending update emails about the events every so often.

But this email wasn't about attending an event, it was about a job. The veteran's center where Sam worked was not associated with the VA which means they didn't have to stick to VA policy. It worked out well enough as it allowed for private events to take place including the Veteran's Day barbecue that the job in question was going to be about. Sam wanted to know if Steve would show up and take a few photos, he'd pay with both check and free food. Like most things with Steve, it was supposed to be something simple and he happened to turn it into something complex.

It had never occurred to Steve to do a portrait series featuring veteran's and the truth of what joining the military was really like. Steve had known many a soldier who had a great experience and talked highly about enlisting but he also knew soldiers who had suffered greatly coming out of war with loss of limbs, loss of faith, and more than he would have liked, loss of life. So that's what was arranged, Steve would take pictures of the actual event for a few hours and those who wished to be a part of his photo series could head to a room Sam would free up in the veteran's center that way Steve could create a makeshift studio.

You had never served, had never wanted to. You'd had family and family friends that were veterans but you knew what the consequences were. And rather than going off to join the great military cog machine, you put your talents elsewhere while still finding a way to help.

Dogs seemed to love you and you loved them. Having grown up around dogs it seemed only natural that you would end up working at an animal shelter. After a few friends had been assigned PTSD support dogs you broached the idea of a training program with the shelter managers. It wasn't necessarily well received. There was already a tremendous amount of effort put in just to rescuing and housing dogs, more time and money thrown in to a program that wouldn't provide much in terms of added profit for the shelter wasn't deemed a well enough investment. So you quit and started your own company specifically designed for providing veteran's with service dogs for any number of needs.

It took a length of time to get up off the ground. Business permits and licenses and other expenses had to be taken care of before you could even begin bringing dogs in. You searched for some time to partner with a veteran's center. All VA facilities seemed to not want to take the risk of a new business, Sam Wilson was the only person who had ever said yes. And that yes had made all the difference.

The click of a camera alerted you to the fact that you were being watched. Still setting up you paid no attention as Sam had informed you there would be a photographer on the premises. Unloading dogs and putting them in the fenced in area was your priority. Steve's priority was to take photographs of the event although he couldn't help but ask a few questions.

"What is all this" he called, taking a few more photographs.

"Service dogs, or potential ones at least."

"Potential as in they aren't trained yet or…" he stopped, knowing you would be able to finish what he was asking.

You turned to face them after filling up a few water bowls, "Potential meaning they're all here today to find someone to adopt them. That's putting it simply at least. What are you here for?"

Steve raised his camera.

"Yeah and, what are you here for?"

"Sam asked me too. I guess he knows that I want something better than just sending photos off for other people to use. You've heard probably, that I'm here to start a series?"

"If you want me to be a part of it I think you've got the wrong person. Not a vet, just helping them out."

Steve nodded, turning away and letting you get back to work. He wandered the venue for a few hours taking pictures, talking to those in attendance. Those who came to the studio wrote out their stories and signed waivers giving him permission to use the photos freely. He of course explained that he'd only be putting them up in galleries if he was able to. He had no intention of exploiting anyone's story. It was art, that's what it was, that's how it would be treated.

Sam grabbed Steve when the event was winding down, bringing him out to eat the last of the food and to meet some more people. Steve was caught staring at you and was teased by Sam. There was something about you that intrigued Steve, he couldn't put a finger on it. Clearly with all that you were doing working to help with service dogs there was a great kindness within you. Although that wasn't the only thing that seemed to draw him to you. He was pushed to go and speak with you once again.

"How'd the pictures come out?" you questioned.

"Pretty good I think. I'll do some touching up but nothing major. How'd the whole service dog thing go"

"Well enough. Had some interested in adopting but we train the dogs after finding the owner that they all connect with. Hopefully we still get contacted about some of the dogs after today."

"You know I could take portrait shots of the dogs for your website if you have one."

"How much?"

"I think what you're doing is for a good cause. So, for free."

"Nothing's ever really for free"

"Sam said to ask you to dinner. If you must insist on paying then I guess if you wanted to?"

"Sam said that?"

"Maybe not in so many words but he insinuated it. It's fine if you don't want to I completely understand. I'll do the dog photos still no matter what."

"You don't do this often do you?"

"Ask people out. Nearly never. And in all seriousness, is it working?

#locke writes #disneyquotechallenge #marvel #steve rogers #steve rogers imagine #marvel imagine #steve rogers fic #marvel fic #steve rogers fanfic #marvel fanfic #steve rogers oneshot #marvel oneshot

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copiosis · 4 years

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How To Create An Economy That Works. Even if People Don't.

COVID-19 this year shook the world out of complacency. We see with clarity that our economy doesn't work if people don't.

That makes human beings slaves to the economy. So much so, some willingly will die for it.

That's crazy. It also literally means humans are cogs in the economic wheel. We here at Copiosis hear this sentiment often. People say "how can you create a society where people won't work when so many things we need, need people working to provide them?"

That, dear reader, is a kinder way of saying, "people must work for me whether they like it or not."

That is slavery.

But we can have a vibrant economy, even if people don't work. Just because you might not know how that can happen doesn't mean it's impossible. What we're creating with Copiosis is opportunity for all. Not just opportunity, truly unprecedented, first-of-its kind opportunity: Freedom and Wealth For Everyone in an economy that works even if people don't.

When we use the word "freedom" we mean something specific:

^^We mean something specific when we use the word "freedom".

Opportunity, wealth, freedom

When we combine opportunity, wealth and freedom together, we mean something specific too. What do we mean by this?

We're creating societies that thrive on moneyless economies. Talk about an economy - let alone a society - that thrives without money. You'll be met with blank faces or rolled eyes. Humanity and money have been together for so long, we can't conceive what society would look like without it, even though there was a time when human societies used no money.

Common belief suggests no civilization can survive without a thriving economy and economies can not function without a viable exchange medium.

Our almost religious belief in money as the sin qua non of functional economies, brings with it a panoply of problems.

"Those problems will intensify until we kick existing structural systems to the curb, replacing them with something better, including a better way to reward those who produce value."

That quote was the original paragraph of this post that went here. As you can see, way back in 2014, years after we published the original, societal problems HAVE intensified. With that intensity come calls for running society differently.

Eliminating money from civilization is a grave issue. Money is not the root of all evil, but for many reasons, money causes nearly all problems we see today. Eliminate money and virtually all these problems disappear. No endeavor holds more promise.

More of us are discovering the theory of how moneyless economies might benefit humanity. What it would look like and how it would function are different matters.

Let alone how we might pay for such a transition. Copiosis answers both the what and the how, including the part about paying for it. Without these answers, such societies will remain merely theoretical.

How does this equal opportunity, freedom and wealth, for everyone?

Look at the one percent. Opinions to the contrary, the majority of these people, especially the newer ones, have far more in common with the 99 percent than not. A common thread running through these multimillionaires' experience is...well, here's what they say:

...you will never have to worry about things like retirement, being able to send your kids to college, paying for catastrophic medical problems, working if you don't want to.

...well, I can basically do anything I want. So what do I want?

I knew it meant I'd never, ever have to work again unless something went terribly wrong.

The only thing I really desire nowadays, is for "self actualization". How do I leave a legacy in a short life?

What is real wealth?

Being wealthy is less about money and more about what money allows. Wealth = freedom. Remember Abraham Maslow?

He wrote a paper a long time ago called “A Theory of Human Motivation.” The paper later became a book “Motivation and Personality”. You may not remember the writings. I’m sure you remember his famous Hierarchy of Needs.

To review briefly, Maslow asserted five motivations behind human action.

Psychological - Satisfying survival needs (breathing, food, water, sex, homeostasis, etc)

Safety - Gaining security: physical, resources, health, property

Love/Belonging - Satisfying needs in sexual intimacy, friendship, family

Esteem - Gaining respect of others, respect by others, achievement leading to confidence

Self-Actualization - creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, acceptance of facts, etc.

The five motivations above are written in backwards order. They really look like the pyramid below, with step five representing the pinnacle. The others come underneath it.

^^By User:Factoryjoe - Mazlow's Hierarchy of Needs.svg, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7964065

People generally strive to climb the pyramid, the goal being Self-actualization. Some people, most people, get to level three or four. Few reach level five.

The main thing about being wealthy is your priorities. With wealth, priorities shift up the pyramid. Radically different life experiences result. No, not flying in private jets and screwing the 99 percent. But taking time to completely understand oneself, then achieving those things that add to one's self-worth, -esteem, and the higher states of being human.

This is what Copiosis offers everyone. How?

By replacing money

Copiosis replaces money with Net Benefit Reward. Net Benefit Reward is not money. Some of its functions are similar to money in appearance. Yet, Net Benefit Reward is limited in ways money is not.

Net Benefit Reward, like all rewards, represents an expression of a society’s gratitude to an individual whose acts benefit society and the planet. This is a critical difference between Net Benefit Reward and money. Any reward is a gift. It is not something the recipient expects in return for something. Nor do they earn it.

Typically, rewards are awarded after the fact. Sometimes, the person or organization offering the reward is a third party to the act itself. Recipients of said rewards are usually not expecting such recognition. They are instead performing acts of their own volition for purposes other than receiving the gift of recognition.

For example, a Marine receives the Medal of Honor, the greatest wartime distinction in the US Armed Services. Did the Marine commit his act of bravery in order to receive the award? Of course not.

He didn't say to himself: "If I do this, I may win the Medal of Honor! Semper Fi!!!!" then charge the hill. When he returns to the rear after single-handedly saving his platoon, he doesn't walk into the Platoon leader's tent and say: "Where the hell is my Medal of Honor? I earned it!"

^^Coast Guard/Navy/Marine Corps Medal of Honor[/caption]

Instead, such men are thinking (in the moment): "We're pinned down. If someone doesn't do something, we're all gonna die." Or, more likely, he just takes action because that's what he does.

In the rear, he'll explain it this way:

"Hell man, I was just doing my job, protecting my fellow Marines."

If you read such accounts, this invariably is the "hero's" response. It is the Staff Sergeant, the Platoon commander and their chain of command - the Marine's "society" - that responds to this Marine's "just doing my job" - his act - by rewarding him with the Nation's highest honor...after the fact. After all the details are in, often after several months go by, maybe, even years.

This is how Net Benefit Reward in Copiosis works too. Producers act. They act because they are passionate about what they are doing. They are doing that thing as an expression of their passion. They do that thing because they can't think of anything else they'd rather be doing. If they could be doing something else, they'd be doing that.

They could be doing it because their passion is to make society better in a way they know how, in the way that fulfills them. They could be doing it because they just love doing that thing and they'd do that thing if society was around or not.

A Copiosis society responds to Producers' "passion expression" by rewarding them. Producers can then use that reward to access certain other rewards. Things that are only accessible....not through reward....but through acts.

There is no exchange going on. There are only acts. Society rewards desirable acts by making accessible certain tangible rewards. Incidentally, Medal of Honor recipients, once rewarded can use that reward to access other rewards not accessible to others. Net Benefit Reward functions similarly. In a Copiosis economy, "certain rewards" are luxury goods and services.

Necessities (food, clothing, shelter, education, healthcare) are provided to all at no cost. Producers who make necessity goods are acting. Action which produces Necessities are rewarded by the Copiosis society with Net Benefit Reward. That is how Consumers receive Necessities at no cost.

Is Copiosis akin to that fabled "gift economy" people theoretically talk about? Or is it an exchange economy?

It doesn't really matter. This is how Copiosis works.

Shortly after the transition, producers may feel they are owed this reward like an exchange. Such feelings don't describe how Copiosis works. Copiosis doesn't "make" people feel this way.

That feeling is an artifact of a system where people needed money to buy things they needed to survive. The way they got that money was to earn it (through work). Debt fostered expectation—if money didn't come, one risked loss. The longer the delay between work performed and money paid, the stronger the expectation. Foiled expectations lead to anger, workers' rights and labor unions. After all, work in the old days was often dangerous, life-threatening and extremely physically demanding. Creditors were unforgiving as well. Fail to pay your debts and you could lose all your possessions, even your children and your wife.

This doesn't happen in Copiosis. Everything you need is provided at no cost to you. Society covers the "cost" as an expression of gratitude (Net Benefit Reward) towards producers. With all Necessities provided, everyone instantly experiences wealth unparalleled. The first two levels of Maslow's hierarchy - where most people invest their time achieving - are instantly covered.

But it doesn't stop there. People now are free to do whatever they want in pursuit of climbing the pyramid.

Freed from earning a living, it's natural that people will perform acts best-suited to their talents. Now they have time to discover who they are, what lights their fire. Contributing to others and to society then becomes natural.

Copiosis creates a functioning economy with no medium of exchange. That same economy overflows with acts at all levels and in all sectors. Acts creating tremendous prosperity. No money required.

COVID-19 showed us how crazy we've become about money, economics and systems we use to run those economics. Let's enjoy a vibrant economy, but let's not give our lives to it. Economies should support us living. We don't know about you but living isn't worth living without freedom, wealth and opportunity.

Copiosis offers all three. To find out more about Copiosis, visit Copiosis.com.

#copiosis #wage slavery #wage slave #moneyless economy #society without money #anti capitalism #capitalism #capitalism is violence #capitalism is evil #capitalism is hell #capitalism is killing me #capitalism is a disease #capitalism is cancer #capitalism is a scam #capitalism is a nightmare

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tamboradventure · 4 years

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12 Books to Take You Around the World

Posted: 04/07/2020 | April 7th, 2020

At a time when we can’t travel the world, the next best thing we can do is pick up a good travel book. As Emily Dickenson said, to shut our eyes is travel. Books transport us to distant lands and cultures. They nourish our wanderlust, entertain us, inform us, and provide us with a reservoir of potential trip ideas.

In short, they’re magic.

I love reading travel books. Without them, there would be places and cultures I’d never have heard of. Travel books have added depth to my travels and helped me develop much more nuanced perspectives of different countries and cultures. They’ve also inspired me to visit tons of new places all around the globe.

Of course, I love traveling even more than reading but since we can’t do that right now, books are our window out into the world.

If you’re are itching to get your fix but are stuck in lockdown or self-isolation, here are some suggestions to get you started and keep your wanderlust stoked:

1. The Atlas of Happiness: The Global Secrets of How to Be Happy, by Helen Russell

Helen Russell, author of one of my favorite books, The Year of Living Danishly, wrote this comical visual guide that takes readers around the world — from Iceland to New Zealand to Japan to Ireland — in search of the ways that people define and discover happiness in their lives. It’s an informative, well-researched, and a feel-good guide to how the world stays happy — which is especailly important these days!

2. Ultimate Journeys for Two: Extraordinary Destinations on Every Continent, by Anne and Mike Howard

Having founded Honeytrek.com, Anne and Mike teamed up with National Geographic to curate these recommendations for intrepid couples. Chapters are organized by type of destination (beaches, mountains, deserts, and so on) to help travelers discover new places and experiences based on their interests.

It’s an amazing resource for finding inspiration and ideas for your own travels (even if you’re a solo traveler). The photos that fill its pages are stunning and will ignite the kind of wanderlust that will keep this on your coffee table for years.

3. The Dogs of ’Nam: Stories from the Road and Lessons Learned Abroad, by Christopher K. Oldfield

In this collection of short stories, our extremely budget-conscious Community Manager, Chris, recounts fumbling his way across the world as a backpacker on a budget. This is not a glamorous tale of luxury travel but rather a true and honest accounting of what it means to be a traveler.

His adventures (including being stalked by a jaguar in Costa Rica and living at a Buddhist monastery in Japan) will entertain you, make you think, and hopefully inspire you to get out there and have some adventures of your own!

4. Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea, by Kira Salak

The British explorer Ivan Champion was the first individual to successfully cross the island of Papua New Guinea in 1927. In this book, author Kira Salak, the first non–Papua New Guinean woman to traverse this relatively untouched country and write about it, details her own epic adventures, experiences, and self-discoveries as she tries to mimic Champion’s epic journey.

It’s a riveting look into the wild jungles of a country that so few have been able to visit firsthand.

5. Around the Bloc: My Life in Moscow, Beijing, and Havana, by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

This is the story of a young journalist who travels to Russia, China, and Cuba to witness the effects of communism and explore a world not many of us get to see.

Griest relates her experiences as a volunteer at a children’s shelter in Moscow, a propaganda polisher at the office of the Communist Party’s English-language mouthpiece in Beijing, and a belly dancer among the rumba queens of Havana.

6. Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious, by Seth Kugel

In his book, Kugel challenges travelers to reignite our age-old sense of spontaneity (remember traveling without constantly summoning Google Maps, consulting TripAdvisor, and using travel points?).

The stories of his misadventures explain — often hilariously — how to make the most of new digital tools without living and dying by them.

7. My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile, by Isabel Allende

Allende is best known for some of her more famous works, such as The House of Spirits and The Japanese Lover. But in this memoir, she explores her personal journey living in numerous countries and her complex emotions toward her Chilean homeland.

The book paints a vivid, nostalgic picture of the world from which is is from. Sometimes funny, sometimes sorrowful, its insight and realism are what make this a captivating read.

8. Misadventure Is Better, by David Campbell

“If it isn’t a good time, it’s usually a good story.” That’s the backbone of this hilarious tale. Campbell, born to an American father and French mother, has been confused about where he belongs since day one.

After graduating from college, he decided to go abroad for a while to figure things out. He worked as a cycling tour guide in Europe, enrolled in the Peace Corps in Senegal, earned a master’s degree in New Zealand, went back to Senegal for his thesis research, and then returned to New Zealand.

9. Wanderlust: A Love Affair with Five Continents, by Elisabeth Eaves

Written by Elisabeth Eaves, this book follows her journeys around the world as she satiates her wanderlust and learns about herself. It started off slow but I really loved the writing here. It really drew you in and left you inspired. The book follows her from being a student studying a broad to being a backpacker around the world to living in Pakistan and Australia. Along the way she comes to peace with the wanderlust inside her and figures out how to balance being a nomad and someone with roots.

10. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, by Jack Weatherford

I never knew much about Genghis Kahn so when this was recommended to me, I thought why not. It was a surprisingly pageturner. This was not some dry history book filled with footnotes but a vividly told story about Kahn and his descendants. Most history books miss the “story” part but not this one. It has an arch, vivid imagery, and incredible characters. And it fills you in a lot on the Mongolian empire. Who knew they had a central bank, universal education, paper money, didn’t torture, or had religious freedom?

11. Ten Years a Nomad: A Traveler’s Journey Home, by me!

This is a memoir about my ten years traveling and backpacking the world, my philosophy on travel, and the lessons I learned that can help you travel better. It takes you on a trip around the world from start to finish: getting the travel bug, planning, setting off, the highs and lows, the friends made, what happens when you come back — and the lessons and advice that result from all that.

It is my opus on travel.

12. How to Travel the World on $50 a Day, by me!

Okay, I know I include this book in every list, but it’s awesome, so you should read it! This New York Times best-seller, called “the bible for budget travelers” by the BBC, will teach how to master the art of travel so you can save money, get off the beaten path, and have a more local, richer travel experience, no matter where you’re going. It will help you plan for the trip you can take when the world starts again and we can all leave our house.

And it will help you score the budget deals that will make that trip even more affordable too!

***

In these times when we can’t travel with our bodies, we can still travel with our minds. These books will help fill your days and recharge your wanderlust battery for when you can finally traverse the world again.

If you have any suggestions that I can add to this list, leave them in the comments!

P.S. – We’ve launched a new members-only community on Patreon! Members get insider access to events, photos and stories I’ve told before, exclusive content, bonus social media posts, phone calls with me and the team, live Q&As, postcards, and much more! Click here to learn more!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. I use them all the time.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all those I use — and they’ll save you time and money too!

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freeyourheartandsoul · 7 years

Text

Dear No One.

Prompt: Writing challenge from @myteenwolf-world. Song: Tori Kelley “Dear No One” – Character: Scott McCall

Dear No One.

I like being independent Not so much of an investment No one to tell me what to do I like being by myself Don't gotta entertain anybody else No one to answer to.

(Y/N) was very independent. She’d practically raised herself from the age of fourteen to her present age of nineteen. A dead-beat dad and a mom who put her career first, she didn’t really have any other option. So, she got herself through school and managed to score a 4.0 GPA, which got her the hell out of Los Angeles and into UC Davis – the school she’d been dreaming of going to ever since she decided to be a veterinarian when she was twelve. Thanks to scholarships, (Y/N) only asked very little from her mom – to pay the rest of her tuition and books and first and last month’s rent for an apartment of her own. After that, (Y/N) found a job as an assistant at a small, local animal shelter so she could make the rest on her own.

That’s exactly what (Y/N) was doing. She was making it just fine on her own. She made just enough money to pay the few bills she had – rent, phone, internet and utilities (she didn’t have cable) – and still live comfortably. Plus, her mom insisted on sending her money once or twice a month even though (Y/N) had turned it down multiple times. She figured it had to do with reassuring that (Y/N) stayed in her life occasionally. (Y/N) didn’t have a problem with that so long as her mom didn’t start pushing to take control.

Living on her own wasn’t really a new concept to (Y/N). She’d been doing it for practically half of her life since her mom was rarely home. She’d grown to love it. The freedom it gave her. No one telling her what, when, or how to do something. It’s why she wanted an apartment on her own rather than in a dorm or with a roommate. She didn’t want to feel the need to please, entertain, or answer to anyone else. She could make her own house rules and her own schedule that didn’t revolve around anyone else.

She was able to be selfish with her time, which ultimately made her feel happier with herself.

She was perfectly content being alone.

But sometimes I just want somebody to hold Someone to give me their jacket when it's cold Got that young love even when we're old Yeah, sometimes I want someone to grab my hand Pick me up, pull me close, be my man I will love you 'til the end

As she walked around the campus day in and day out, though, (Y/N) started to feel something she’d never really felt before – loneliness. She’d see all the nauseating, but cute couples holding hands and kissing all over campus. She’d see the boyfriends and girlfriends who traveled near and far from their own school to visit their significant others. She’d see the love notes that her friends got from their boyfriends. She’d hear her friends gush over this and that. They’d go on double – even group – dates. It was all really starting to get to her.

(Y/N) started to wish sometimes that she had someone to not even be nauseatingly cute with, but just someone to be completely normal with. Someone she could talk to about the grade she got on a paper or about the hell that was her required Comparative Literature courses – she’s always been a math and science girl. Just someone to come home to and tell her everything would be okay. The more the loneliness etched into her brain, the more she realized she just wanted someone to love her.

She tried to push that to the back of her brain, though. After the tumultuous relationship that was her mom and dad, and the whirlwind of flings her mom had, (Y/N) was in no rush to commitment. That’s why she’d stayed as far away from relationships for this long. She’d dated a few guys in LA, but nothing that lasted longer than a few months, and nothing since her move to Davis. It just wasn’t on her list of priorities.

But none of that meant the thought never crossed her mind.

“Is anyone sitting here?” And it just so happened to be at the forefront of her mind as she waited on her Biology lab to start when someone’s voice tore her from her thoughts.

(Y/N) looked to her right and was met with a pair of chocolate eyes and a crooked jaw. He was cute in the adorable puppy kind of way, aka: exactly her type. “Um… no.” She managed to muster out as she shook her head.

This boy has only said four words to me and he has me flustered. What the hell? She thought to herself. No one had ever made her nearly stutter over her own words before.

The mysterious, dark haired boy slid into the seat beside her with an appreciative smile. “Thanks. I’m Scott.” He offered his hand and a boyish grin as soon as he got comfortable.

(Y/N) smiled back and shook his hand, “(Y/N).” It wasn’t until then that she realized she had never seen him in the class before and they were already two weeks in. “Are you in the right class? I’ve never seen you in here before.”

Scott chuckled as he nodded his head. “Yeah. There was some mix-up or something and they had me in the wrong class at first. Took me a couple weeks to finally get it fixed. Have I missed much?”

“A couple of labs and two days’ worth of notes. It’s only twice a week, so you haven’t missed too much. You should talk to the professor about making up the labs somehow, though. And I can catch you up on the notes.” (Y/N) explained. She had no idea what he was majoring in, but if it was the same as her, she could imagine that he wouldn’t want to get too behind.

His eyebrows shot up. “Really? You wouldn’t mind? You’d be a real life saver.” He said with his hopeful puppy eyes.

Damn, she was in trouble with this one already.

(Y/N) shrugged her shoulders with an understanding smile. “Sure. It’s not a problem.”

“Thank you so much. I really don’t want to start the year off by getting behind. I swore to myself college would be different for me, and yet right off the bat I had to put my first semester on hold and sign up to take summer classes to make up for it.” He confessed with a huff as he pulled out a pencil, notebook, and his textbook.

“Not a fan of school?” She questioned out of curiosity as she doodled in her notebook.

“Nah, it wasn’t that. Some other things just had to take priority.” He corrected without going into detail.

She nodded her head a little, but still not looking in his direction. “I can understand that, I guess.” She paused for a minute, “well I can help keep you on track, if you want.” She offered before even thinking about what was spilling out of her mouth. She looked back at him with embarrassment written all over her face, “I... uh… I didn’t mean that like it sounded. I just meant…”

Scott couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped as he heard her heartbeat rise. “Thanks. I could probably use the help.” He confessed with an appreciative smile, trying to ease her nerves.

The heat in her cheeks began to vanish, but it didn’t completely disappear as she nodded. The professor walked in and started class not long after. However, as he drug on with the notes, the thoughts that consumed her before Scott sat next to her only intensified.

And maybe, just maybe, she wanted that with Scott McCall.

So if you're out there I swear to be good to you But I'm done lookin' for my future someone 'Cause when the time is right you'll be here, But for now, dear No One, This is your love song Ooh, oh, oh

The next few months seemed to fly by as (Y/N) balanced her job, her own school work, and helped Scott stay on track. They spent a lot of their free-time together and getting to know one another. For example, she learned that he wanted to be a veterinarian too and that his mentor was his boss all throughout high school in Beacon Hills. While he learned about her urgency to get out of Los Angeles and how she tends to bury herself in studies and work. She didn’t dare divulge into her family and commitment issues, though, nor did he share his werewolf secret with her.

All she knew was that the more time she spent with him, the more she liked him. He made her want more. He made her crave the warmth of being held, and cared for, and loved. Not even because he had shown any sign that he was interested in her that way. Rather because he was just that good of a person as just a friend. He offered his jacket to her when he noticed chill bumps on her arms in class. He congratulated her with a giant bear hug when she got an A on that literature paper she struggled with, and he let her cry in his arms when her mom only sent her a check for her birthday – a vulnerability she had never shown to anyone before.

He had quickly become her best friend, but the fact that she craved more was slightly terrifying.

(Y/N) never said a word about it, though, nor did she make any effort to push it. She was a strong believer that if something was meant to happen, it would happen. So, she was choosing to believe that if she were meant to be with someone – or Scott, then it would happen on its own accord. She was finding the waiting game to be excruciating, though.

“So, are you going back to L.A. for Thanksgiving break?” Scott asked out of the blue as they sat down for coffee after their final class for the week.

“Not a chance.” (Y/N) said without missing a beat as she stifled a sarcastic laugh.

He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, “why not? I know you sort of have a strained relationship with your mom, but don’t you want to see her?”

(Y/N) sighed a little as she stared down at the hot coffee in her mug. “Having her judge me for my life decisions and try to shove money down my throat to convince me to move back doesn’t sound too appealing to me. I’d rather stay in my tiny apartment and eat takeout.”

Scott sympathized with her. “Or… you can come back to Beacon Hills with me and have a nice home-cooked meal. My mom makes a pretty mean Thanksgiving dinner.” He suggested somewhat shyly as he stirred a little bit of cream into his coffee.

Her head shot up in surprise. The offer took her completely off guard and left her speechless. He was inviting her back to his hometown. To eat dinner with his family and friends. To meet his mom. Stop it, (Y/N). Do not read too much into it. She warned herself. She didn’t need to get herself worked up over nothing.

“I mean, you don’t have to. I just thought…” Scott began as he suddenly got nervous sensing her own nervousness. “You know… maybe you’d want some good food… and to not be alone on Thanksgiving.” He swallowed hard. “But it’s totally okay if you don’t want to.”

Normally, she didn’t mind being alone, even during the holidays, but the idea of spending one with Scott actually sounded refreshing. Plus, a good home-cooked meal sounded amazing. She could cook, but she wasn’t great at it – especially dinner foods like the ones served on Thanksgiving. She was more of a simple meals kind of girl, like pasta and burgers.

“No, that sounds great. I just… I wouldn’t want to impose.” She tried not to seem too eager.

Scott visibly relaxed as he shook his head. “Don’t worry. You wouldn’t be. My mom always makes more than enough food, and it usually turns into this big dinner party with my friends and their parents, especially now that everyone comes back from college.”

The thought of all these people that she didn’t know, made (Y/N) a little nervous, but she tried not to let it show. “Okay. As long as you’re sure.”

“And my friends are all really chill and accepting for the most part. So, you don’t need to be nervous about that either.” Scott said and it left her wondering how he practically read her mind. He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of her free one, instantly calming her. “You’ll be fine. I promise.”

I don't really like big crowds I tend to shut people out I like my space, yeah But I'd love to have a soul mate And God'll give him to me someday And I know it'll be worth the wait, Oh So if you're out there I swear to be good to you But I'm done lookin', I'm done lookin' for my future someone 'Cause when the time is right you'll be here, But for now, dear No One Dear Nobody This is your love song

So, (Y/N) tagged along, nervous jitters and all. Scott tried his best to calm her nerves by reassuring her the whole way to Beacon Hills that everyone would love her. As much as she trusted him, his reassurance didn’t calm her nerves. Besides, it wasn’t really about his family and friends liking her, it was more about how it would change her relationship with Scott because she had no doubt in her mind that it would. And she was right.

The overall trip went fantastic. (Y/N) met his mom, his best friend - Stiles and his dad - Lydia and her mom, Malia and her dad, Liam and his parents, Mason, Hayden, some guy named Jordan, Derek, Isaac, and Scott’s old boss and mentor, Deaton. It was a full house, like Scott said it probably would be, and the food was delicious. They munched on turkey and dressing, rolls, sweet potato casserole, green beans, and so much more, including desert, until they couldn’t possibly eat anymore. (Y/N) listened as they all caught up with each other as if they didn’t talk on the phone all the time. She could tell that they were more than just friends, they were family, and that made her nearly break because she had never experienced anything like it.

However, thy dynamic between her and Scott changed. (Y/N) felt it the whole time she was there – as he introduced her to everyone, as they told their shared stories from UC Davis, and as he kept her close and kept an eye on her when she wasn’t right by his side. The more she realized it, the more it terrified her because, to her surprise, it felt nice. More than that, it felt right.

All the feelings running through her caused her to be silent nearly the whole way back to Davis. When Scott would ask if she was okay, she’d lie and say she was fine, just tired, but she’s almost positive he knew she was lying. He stayed quiet and let her pretend to sleep, though. He dropped her off at her apartment a week ago and they hadn’t spoken outside of class since. He hadn’t tried to call her and she definitely hadn’t tried to call him. She was shutting him out and running. That’s what she was used to. It’s what she was good at.

When she saw him walking towards her at a party the following Friday, panic started to rise. She tried to look around and think of how she could avoid him, but they had already locked eyes so he would know what she was doing. She knew this was going to happen eventually, she’d just hoped it wasn’t so soon when she was still trying to figure things out. But man, he looked good in his white t-shirt, dark denim jacket, and his hand stuffed in his black jeans.

“Hey.” Scott said when he stood in front of her.

“Hey. Didn’t expect to see you here…” She started to say more but he interrupted her.

“I bet. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have come.” He stated with an accusing look. Ouch. She didn’t expect him to call her out like that, so she just stood there look at him dumbfounded. “Am I right?”

All (Y/N) could do was stare at him. She could see the underlying hurt behind his accusatory eye and it made guilt wash over her like a flood. She never wanted to hurt him. Then, the walls started closing in around her as the crowd of the party and the onslaught of emotions set in. She never went to parties because she hated the crowd – another reason she chose to be alone most of the time. Now, here she was in the middle of one being confronted by the one person she really cared for about shutting him out. She couldn’t handle it.

So, she turned and ran. Scott called after her as she weaved through the people, and she could tell that he was following her because his voice never drifted farther away. She ran until she was away from the crowd and the panic had finally subsided. About two blocks down from the frat house party, she finally stopped and bent over with her hands on her knees as she calmed her breathing – thankful she was in jeans and comfortable shoes.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked not even a minute after she stopped. He had been hot on her heels the whole time.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” (Y/N) answered with a shaky breath, not moving her position to look at him.

Scott scoffed as he shook his head. “You don’t go running out of a party because you’re fine, (Y/N).”

“The crowd just got to me. I’m fine.” She stated as she finally stood up straight and looked at him. “See? Fine.”

“So, it wasn’t because I confronted you about avoiding me?” He questioned with scrutinizing eyes.

“Nope.” She lied.

“Liar.”

“Excuse me?” She questioned, getting defensive and putting her hands on her hips.

“I said, you’re a liar.” Scott responded without hesitation. “And a bad one at that.”

She glared at him and shook her head, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Scott thought for a minute about telling her about him being a werewolf and hearing her heartbeat rise, but he didn’t need her to freak out on him right now. “You clench your jaw when you lie.”

“What? No, I don’t.” She defended and had to force herself not to clench her jaw as she realized that she does indeed do that when she lies.

“Yes, you do, and I’m not arguing about it. You’ve been lying and shutting me out ever since Thanksgiving, and I want to know why.” He said as he finally got to the point of his mission tonight.

(Y/N) sighed as she looked at him. “If you haven’t noticed, Scott. I’m kind of a loner. I shut people out. It’s what I do.”

Scott shook his head, “no. I don’t think that’s it.”

“Oh? Then please enlighten me on what it is since you apparently know me so well.” She exaggerated as she flailed her arms.

“I think you’re afraid.” Scott replied without hesitation or remorse.

“Afraid of what?”

“Getting close to someone and caring about them. Me.” (Y/N) scoffed a little and rolled her eyes, avoiding looking at him. “You can avoid me and deny it all you want, (Y/N), but something changed between us last weekend, and you’re afraid of that. You’re afraid because you’re so used to being independent and alone and taking care of yourself and you don’t want to be like your parents.”

She tossed him a daggering glare. “You don’t know anything about my parents.”

“You’re right. I don’t. I know enough, though. Like I know that you never talk about your dad, nor does he ever call you. I know your mom seemingly only wants to throw money your way and control your life. And it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that they aren’t together.” She looked away from him, pushing the tears back in her eyes. “Clearly I pay more attention to you than you give me credit for.”

Scott stepped closer to her. “I’m not letting you push me away, (Y/N). I know that deep down you feel something for me, too, and you’re just too afraid of getting out of your comfort zone of being independent. Well, let me tell you, you can be with someone and still be independent.”

(Y/N) wiped a few tears that had slipped before she finally looked back him and whispered, “you don’t want to be with me, Scott.”

Scott took another step closer, nearly closing the distance between them. He lifted his hand to her cheek and wiped another stray tear as he looked into her eyes. “Yes, I do.” He whispered back before officially closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to hers in a sweet, but meaningful kiss that sent a bolt of electricity up her spine.

When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers as their eyes stayed closed. “I have since the first day I sat next to you in Bio lab.”

(Y/N) slowly opened her eyes only to be met with his sincere chocolate ones staring back at her with a soft smile on his face. She smiled back before wrapping her arms behind his neck and pulling him in for another kiss.

Her someone had finally found her.

Ooh, ooh Sometimes I just want somebody to hold Someone to give me their jacket when it's cold Got that young love even when we're old

(Y/N) shivered as she wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, silently cursing the maintenance man for not coming to fix the heat in the apartment yet. A week and a half without heat in the middle of winter was ridiculous. It didn’t help that she got cold easily. Not even the floor heaters were helping.

“Stupid maintenance man going on an ‘extended vacation’ in the middle of winter.” She mumbled to herself.

“Extended vacation sounds a lot like they fired him and still haven’t found a replacement.” Scott said as he walked down the hallway from the bedroom. “Here, put this on.” He said as he handed her his hoodie and sidled up beside her on the couch.

(Y/N) sat up a little and pulled her favorite hoodie over her head, instantly embracing its warmth and Scott’s aftershave. A smile tugged at her lips as she breathed it in. He had easily become one of her favorite scents. “Mm… thank you.”

Scott smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. “Anytime, beautiful.”

She smiled back at him as she wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned in to give him a kiss of appreciation before snuggling into him. A little over a year together and he still gave her butterflies. He knew it, too, but she didn’t care. He turned her life around when he sat beside her in Bio lab. He showed her that it’s okay to not want to be alone – to need someone. He filled a void that she didn’t know was there.

“So, did you pick a movie?” Scott asked as he propped his legs up on the coffee table, to which she threw hers over his.

“Yup.” She stated as she grabbed the remote from the beside her and pressed the button for the Blu-Ray player to close. “Well, Stiles did.”

Scott threw his head back with a chuckle, “Star Wars.”

(Y/N) laughed with him. “He found out that I’ve never seen it either and he said he would kill us both if we didn’t watch it.”

“I would say we could just lie and say we did, but he would definitely grill us about it.” He said with a grin at knowing his best friend so well.

(Y/N) nodded. “Undoubtedly.”

Scott released a deep breath as he pulled (Y/N) even closer. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

She laughed a little. “Wait, let’s send him a SnapChat proving that we’re watching it… or at least attempting to.”

He nodded, “good idea.” He pulled out his phone and opened the app. He held up the phone and tapped the screen to pull up the filters on their faces. “Oh look, a wolf one… how ironic.” Scott said with a chuckle as he selected that one.

(Y/N) couldn’t help but laugh. “We should definitely use that one.”

Scott nodded his head and hit the record button. “Look what we’re watching!” Scott said as (Y/N) gave a big grin next to him. Scott then switched the camera to face the tv where the Star Wars logo was showing. He faced the camera back to them and they both gave a quick thumbs up before the ten seconds was up.

They watched the short video back before Scott sent it to Stiles. “Okay. Ready?” (Y/N) asked as she pointed the remote toward the TV with her finger hovering over the play button.

“No.” Scott said somewhat seriously.

She giggled and leaned up a little to kiss him on the cheek. “It’ll be okay.” She pressed play as he kissed her forehead.

About halfway through the movie, Scott got a SnapChat reply from Stiles. He opened it only to see a picture of Stiles with an arched eyebrow and the caption “that doesn’t prove anything.” Scott couldn’t help but laugh and show (Y/N) who burst out laughing as well. Scott hit the reply button and faced the camera towards the movie playing and recorded for the ten seconds without saying anything and hit send.

Minutes later, Scott got another notification from him. Scott opened the app and his response. “Oh, my God! Okay, it’s happening!” Stiles yelled, then it led into another response. “Everybody stay calm! Everybody, stay calm!” Stiles was running around his apartment and you could see Lydia in the background shaking her head at his crazy antics. Another response played right after that, “Everybody just calm fucking down!” Stiles continued to yell as he ran around like Steve Carrell on The Office.

Scott and (Y/N) were both dying of laughter. “That is your best friend.” (Y/N) said through the laughter.

“I know, and that right there is why.” Scott said still laughing at how much of an idiot his best friend was. Instead of responding, he put his phone away and focused back on the movie.

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?” (Y/N) asked as they both stared at the television.

“Not a clue.” Scott responded with a straight face.

“He’s going to kill us.”

“Probably.” They both laughed again and tried to focus and figure out what was happening in the movie. They spent the rest of the night trying to watch as many Star Wars movies as they could before falling asleep in each other’s arms on the couch.

Yeah, sometimes I want someone to grab my hand Pick me up, pull me close, be my man I will love you 'til the end So if you're out there I swear to be good to you But I'm done lookin', I'm done lookin' for my future someone 'Cause when the time is right you'll be here, But for now, dear No One, dear Nobody This is your love song This is your love song Dear No One, no need to be searchin', no Dear No One. Dear No One. Dear No One, this is your love song

With a lot of hard work and luck, Scott and (Y/N) survived four years of UC Davis together. More than that though, they both made it into their School of Veterinary Medicine and were ready to start in the fall. First though, they deserved a celebratory summer, which was exactly what they had planned. Between the two of them, they had managed to save up enough money to go on a mini roadtrip down the coast for a couple weeks. Their first stop was San Francisco where they hit up the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, and (Y/N) insisted on seeing the Full House house and riding the cable cars. Their final stop was Los Angeles, where they paid a short visit to her mom and did everything touristy – Universal Studios, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Park, they hiked to the Hollywood sign, and even spent a few days at Disneyland. Scott had never been to LA, so she wanted to make sure she gave him the full tourist experience.

It was their last night before they had to drive back up to Beacon Hills and they wanted to make the most of it. So, they spent the day at Venice Beach and walked down the boardwalk to Santa Monica Pier where they grabbed dinner, played a couple of games, and rode a few rides. She won Scott a giant tie-dye gorilla, while he managed to win her a giant stuffed wolf.

“To remind you of me.” He said with a cheesy grin as he handed it to her.

She looked up at him with a cute grin before leaning up on her toes a little to reward him with a kiss. “I love it.”

He grinned down at her, “as much as you love me?”

(Y/N) smiled and dropped the wolf beside their feet so she could lean up and wrap her arms behind his neck. “Not even close.” She whispered as she looked him dead in the eye before pressing her lips to his again.

They didn’t part until their lungs started burning for air. He had dropped his stuffed animal on the opposite side so he could pull her closer. “Wanna watch the sunset from the Ferris wheel?”

Her eyes lit up as a smile spread across her face. “You bet I do.” Then she looked down at their feet and saw the giant stuffed animals. “There’s no way those will both fit with us.” She said with sort of a pout.

Scott shook his head, “I’ll take care of it.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the ride after they grabbed the stuffed toys. “Hold our spot in line. I’ll be right back.” Scott said as he took the toys and walked up to the guy in charge.

(Y/N) watched as he talked to the guy, probably asking him to the hold the stuffed animals for them. The guy looked at Scott for a minute and then his eyes landed on her and then back to Scott before he nodded his head. He took the toys from Scott and put them on top of a table behind him as Scott walked back to (Y/N).

“Well, aren’t you a smooth talker.” She said with a laugh.

Scott took her hand and smiled, “it got me you, didn’t it?”

“Ha. Ha.” She responded as she shook her head.

It didn’t take long for it to finally be their turn. They climbed inside and waited for the wheel to slowly take them to the top as others boarded. No matter which way they looked, though, they saw the beautiful sun setting behind the ocean. The sky had beautiful shades of pink, orange, blue, and purple. Down below them, they could see all the lights of the rides and games.

“Wow. I can’t believe I’ve never thought to do this.” (Y/N) said as she looked out at the beautiful sight in front of her. “It’s beautiful, don’t you think?”

Scott was silent beside her, which she thought was weird. When she turned to look at him, he wasn’t even looking at the sunset, instead, he was looking down at his lap as if he were trying to think of something. “Scott?”

He finally looked back at her. “What? Oh. Yeah, it’s a beautiful sunset.”

(Y/N) eyed him with furrowed eyebrows. “You weren’t even looking.” She said as the wheel moved to the top and stopped.

“That’s because I’m nervous.” He confessed.

“What? Why? You’re not afraid of heights.” She knew that for a fact, so she didn’t know what he would be nervous about.

“No, but I am nervous about this.” Scott reached into his pocket and pulled out a little black box, causing (Y/N) to gasp a little. He grabbed her left hand and held it in his. “Sorry, my palms are sweaty.” He apologized before releasing her hand and wiping it on his jeans. (Y/N) was speechless.

He swallowed hard and cleared his throat before looking directly into her eyes. “(Y/N), I know you like being independent and you like to believe you’re a loner, well you used to at least. But I also know that I give you butterflies, and you like waking up in my arms and wearing my hoodie, and that you were secretly wishing for someone to do all these things with before I came along.”

Scott let out a shaky breath as he looked down at their intertwined hands and back up at her. “The day I sat beside you in Bio lab and you rambled about how you could keep me on track, my heart skipped a beat or two, and I knew you were about to change my life. Four years later and my heart still skips a beat or two because I am so in love with you.”

“So, I know it’s terrifying, for you and me both,” he continued as he opened the little black box. “but I hope you’ll take this leap of faith with me and make me…”

He was about to finish, but (Y/N) crashed her lips to his in a searing kiss that caught him completely off guard. “Yes. A million times yes.” She answered without even letting him ask the question she knew was coming.

“You didn’t even let me ask.” He said a little bit awestruck.

A blush rose to her now tear stained cheeks, “sorry.”

He smiled at how adorable she was. “Even though you’ve already answered me… will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?” He finally asked, his adorable brown puppy eyes practically pleading with her like he didn’t already know the answer.

She smiled from ear to ear, “yes. A million times yes.”

A smile that mirrored hers spread across Scott’s face. He took the princess cut ring out of the box and gently slid it on her finger – a perfect fit. He pulled her in for their most meaningful kiss yet as the Ferris wheel began to take them back down – their lips barely parting the whole way. When it was their turn to exit the ride, he pulled her by the hand to an open area and wrapped his arms around her waist as hers wrapped behind his neck and their lips met once again. He lifted her up and spun her around as she squealed in happiness and excitement.

She had finally found her future someone.

The End.

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ourtown-rp-blog · 7 years

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ABOUT THE CHARACTER ➝

NAME ●●● Phoebe Iveta Kovac

AGE ●●● 25

PRONOUNS ●●● She/Her

BIRTHDAY ●●● 10/09

ORDER ●●● Third (Solo)

FROM ●●● Fayetteville, Arkansas

SEXUALITY ●●● Pansexual/Panromantic

STUDENT ●●● College Junior, Veterinary Science Major/Biology Minor

FULL TIME JOB ●●● Office assistant/Intake Specialist Homeward Bound Animal Shelter (summer)

PART TIME JOB ●●● Office assistant/Intake Specialist Homeward Bound Animal Shelter (school year)

WRITER ●●● Luna

↳ A CLOSER LOOK:

[[tw for mentions of dementia further on]]

Phoebe Kovac, for the most part, is glad that people don’t generally remember the first few years of their life. If anything, she thinks this to be a blessing, considering what she does know about her early years. While many young mothers are able to rise above being just another statistic to create the best possible lives for their children, Janka Kovac was not one of these mothers. By the time she had her youngest child at 23, she already had two older children via and on-again-off-again relationship with the same man, someone Phoebe recognizes as nothing more than a name on her birth certificate. She has to give her mother credit, she did try to raise her kids, but minimal finances paired with an obvious lack of maternal instinct were never going to be a good combination. Instead, by the time Phoebe’s third birthday rolled around, her mother would find solace in whatever man would give her an ounce of attention for a few weeks while the kids were largely left to fend for themselves. Janka spent what little time she was at home drunk and high off of some prescription drug or another, actions that eventually lead to the children being removed from her custody when Phoebe was 5 years old

It was decided that custody would be awarded to the children’s grandmother in Cotton Plant, a stern yet caring immigrant woman who wanted to give her grandchildren everything that their biological mother couldn’t (or rather, wouldn’t). She is the only maternal figure that Phoebe recognizes to this day, thinking of Janka as more of a stranger who occasionally would stop in for a day or two and send a birthday card every few years. Her grandmother, on the other hand, helped Phoebe grow into the woman she is today. Every Sunday morning was spent in the pews of a Catholic church followed by a massive lunch that her grandmother made sure to invite the whole of the congregation to. Afternoons spent learning to cook Slovakian dishes and evenings spent listening to stories of her grandmother’s youth, how she met and fell in love with their grandfather who passed away before Phoebe was born… these are the childhood memories that Phoebe looks back on fondly, and despite the rocky start to her life, Phoebe wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Phoebe was practically born with a love for animals, and it’s a trait that’s never left her. She remembers bringing baby birds and bunnies home that she would find hurt in her grandmother’s backyard and keeping them in her room for as long as she could before being found out, hoping to nurse them back to health, and the time in her high school bio class where she “accidentally” released all the frogs that were going to be dissected the next day. She always knew that her future was going to involve animals, and when she began volunteering for the Arkansas Humane Society as a teenager, that future was set further in stone.

Through a partial scholarship and plenty of financial aid, Phoebe was able to attend North Carolina State University to study veterinary sciences, making up her mind that vet school was the ultimate goal in life. At 19, she packed her bags and moved from Cotton Plant to Raleigh, embracing the complete and total independence that came with it. She kept in constant contact with her family, but there was also a distinct breath of fresh air now that she had a life all of her own.

Returning to Cotton Plant was never in the plan, but after a while it became hard not to notice the decline in her grandmother. It started with stumbling over the occasional word and repeating herself several times in the course of a few hours, but it seemed like every time they spoke, her grandmother was getting worse. It was only after she referred to Phoebe as ‘Janka’ during a visit home that Odeta finally went to a doctor, and it was determined she was showing signs of early onset dementia. She was 21 when she officially moved back home, saying good bye to NC but knowing that she would never forgive herself if she didn’t dedicate her all to her grandmother. She opted not to return to school in Arkansas just yet, but instead focused everything she could on being with Odeta and making sure she was taken care of. Phoebe found a job at an animal shelter just outside of Cotton Plant and put her academics on hold for the time being. Her grandmother had sacrificed her life to take care of her, this was the very least Phoebe felt she could do.

The decision to place her grandmother into assistant living last Spring was one of the most difficult things Phoebe has ever had to do, but over the past two years, it’s become clear that she simply doesn’t have the ability to take care of her full-time the way that she needs. In a way, it was a relief, and Phoebe can’t get over just how selfish that thought makes her feel. At the same time, during her moments of clarity, her grandmother would express just how much it hurt to know Phoebe was forgoing her education and own life for something she never had to do. She doesn’t like not being able to see her grandmother whenever she wants, but it has given Phoebe back something that she’d initially sacrificed: freedom.

With her application accepted and her transcripts and credits transferred, Phoebe can’t deny that she’s excited to get back to school. She’s grateful for her workplace that they’re accommodating to her work schedule, though it helps that she is one of their most dedicated employees, and has become quite the advocate for animal rescue and adoption. It’s hard, but Phoebe is learning to live her life for herself again, even if it is in Cotton Plant.

#ourtownphoebe #family: kovac

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elysiumrp · 7 years

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Samantha Louise Deane || Registered Witch || Pro-Unity Portrayed by Chloe Bennet

Biography /

As the many other lives of children reigning from Council members, Samantha Deane grew up living a very sheltered life that was predominantly surrounded by magic. Her father, a member of the original Council, wanted his only child to embrace her witch side as opposed to hiding it away. Like the few other children of local magical families, she was home-schooled for the entirety of her K-12 years so that she could be taught her regular education and learn to embrace her magic as well. Samantha came into her powers around the same time as the other children, and for the most part of her magical training, she excelled. She loved being able to cast charms and perform spells leading her to study whenever she could and enjoy everything. That is, until a few months before her eighteenth birthday. Samantha’s mother had gone to a meeting with a coven across the city and hadn’t returned. They waited up all night for her, her father even calling a fellow Council member that was in the NYPD with no answer. They received a phone call from the police the following morning, not from his trusted Council member, but the a human police officer stating that there was a mugging and the body had just been found and they need him to confirm that the body was that of his wife. Her father paid no attention to the mugging because he was convinced that she had been killed by another supernatural creature. Those few months before her eighteenth birthday was when the true lockdown began. Her father was terrified that he would lose his daughter, too, and he tightened his hold on Samantha’s life leaving her lost to basically any access that she had to her own freedom and privacy. All Samantha wanted was for her father to let her mother’s death go, especially when her eighteenth birthday came and his leash still hadn’t untightened. She had learned to cope with it, how couldn’t he? She lived under his watchful eye for two years with her father constantly being suspicious and overprotective of every little thing she did. It was all too much to take, and Samantha was already to the point where she was ready to do just about anything if it meant she could escape from his grasp and stop being like Rapunzel trapped up in a tower. Curfews weren’t made for twenty-year olds, and neither were checking in with your dad every hour on the hour unless you wanted a tracking spell put on you. Of course, in a bittersweet and morbid way, her wish came true with the Council was massacred, her father included, and she was left without any parent to worry about her. It was a shock at first, her mind still used to having his eyes on her and for a year, she lived just as she had if he was alive. Time passed and Samantha learned to be an adult on her own, finally, after so long, coming into her own shell and becoming herself. She mourns her parents, as many of the other children she grew up with, and has seen another Council come and go. Like her parents before, she tries to support any means for the supernatural, even the Resistance that has been formed. If it’s for her people, she supports it, just not as watchful as her father was with her.

Important Points /

-- It took over half a year for Samantha’s internship at the infamous vampire-run Nouveau Magazine to turn into landing a job with them. Of course, at the time of her internship, she had been tied to Gabriel Moreno, learning from him and the rest of the staff. A number of connections were made during her time at Nouvuea, and after establishing herself, it was not a difficult decision for them to let her stay with the company that she had already had a firm foundation upon. Samantha had also declared at Nouvuea that – when she was finally able to go to college rather than forced to stay home and learn online – her major would be in Advertising, so whether she stayed at Nouveau or it led her to a brighter place in the future, it would only help. The internship taught her the independence she craved and gave her something to focus on when she felt that all was lost. Frankly, without Nouvuea, Samantha isn’t quite sure how she would have survived those painful and dramatic months after the loss of her father. It helped her become the Samantha that so many people know, and even under the scrutiny it went through when the supernatural were announced, she stayed firm with the place that knew who she was and proudly stood with the magazine through thick and thin.

-- Although Samantha has considered the fact that there could have been some supernatural manipulation in her mother’s death, especially since it was an idea that was so hard to ignore after her father was so convinced, she chose to rule out any other possibility and let herself truly believe that it actually had been a mugging that killed her mother. It was common, and they were in New York after all, it wasn’t that hard to believe. After having a father that was murdered because of who he was, she just couldn’t force herself to come to terms with the fact that her mother might have been killed for exactly the same reason, actually like a foreshadowing for what was to come for her dad. It’s just easier to pretend that it truly was a case of awful, random chance because she was in the wrong alley, or wore the wrong necklace that showed her wealth, not because she was a witch and the wife of one of the warlocks that was in the Council. It’s better to think of it as a mugging, because then that means that she doesn’t have to live with the constant fear that she’s next on the list of whatever, or whomever, it was that took out each one of her family members.

-- At first, Samantha was afraid to support the second Council. Due to the previous thought that it would lead her straight to her death – as it had done with her parents, even if she tried harder than anything to not think of it that way – it took its disbandment to truly support the cause of a government for the supernaturals. With the big reveal, it was scary to know that there were not only hunters after them now, but humans as well. A bigger wave during the ongoing hurricane to pull them under. Sure, she wasn’t as big as the rest of the supernatural that had tried to make a second Council, nor was she the one that had the thought to create a resistant force against the advancements of the human governments trying to oppress them. She was past that part of her life, having had enough of it when her father was alive. No one, whether it be of race, species, or talents, should be discriminated. Sure, Samantha knew that she wasn’t the first to suggest the idea of trying to come up with a plan to counter the humans or to suggest that maybe they should come up with ways to unify them. Others had already done that. What Samantha did know was that she could continue working for Nouvuea, using her skills to further show that no force could bring the supernaturals down even if it were as a mere beauty assistant. She worked for a magazine that pushed through it, she would work with her people to push through the turmoil no matter what. She isn’t trapped anymore and it’s her world to explore and make sure she lives in it as she should.

Connections /

ALEXANDRA JACKSON ; Samantha and Alexandra Jackson had always been close even if their species were different. It was actually Alexandra's father that her own dad called the night that her mother went missing, and though she thought that someone was holding back the truth from her family, she's past it now. Maybe it was for their safety, or maybe for their safety, whatever the case, Samantha doesn't hold it against her friend. Through it all – losing their parents one by one, the big reveal – Alexandra has been a constant, one that still has the same personality and views as she does. They want what's best for the community, but while Alexandra chooses to distance herself from things that are supernatural, Samantha has delved right in it. It's understandable seeing as she knew exactly what she went through with feeling betrayed by the previous Council, so she doesn't push anything on Alexandra for her sake.

DEREK SUMMERS ; Although Samantha never had Derek hang out with her and Alexandra as a trio, Samantha and Derek Summers certainly did hang out together throughout the years that their dads were on the Council together. Both the Deane and the Summers family were prominent members of the witch society, and Samantha and Derek, being close to the same age, were thrown together to hang out more often than not. The Council kids for witches were always fairly close, and atlhough they drifted throughout the older years, everything going to hell has pushed them together once more. Samantha still runs with the vampire crowd a lot of the time, but the one warlock she has still tied herself to is Derek because of what they've been through. In all fairness, besides Bethany who had vanished, he's really the one person she still has that is a childhood friend.

GABRIEL MORENO ; People had always warned her that Gabriel Moreno wasn't as nice as his sister was, and going into being his intern, Samantha feared that it would be short-lived. Of course, it turned out to be exactly the opposite seeing as they actually became friends instead of someone's temporary employee. They spent enough time together that it was impossible to not become friends, even if he denied it, Samantha knew otherwise. That was why it hurt receiving the text that he had jumped ship and went to California without giving so much as a wave her way. She know's he's back since she's heard it around the Resistance meetings at Nature's Botanicals, and in all fairness, she doesn't really know if she wants to say hello just yet. She was his employee, sure, but his friend, too; she deserved more.

HANNAH ROWE ; Her newest roommate since the other one left town after the supernatural was announced, it's Hannah Rowe that has finally tested Samantha's capability with being face to face with a human. With the constant thought of being caught as an unregistered supernatural by someone she knows is a pro-humanity supporter and an anti-supernatural, it's as if her dad is alive and well and living with her rather than a twenty-two year old living in New York City after graduating. There's nothing wrong with Hannah; she's a sweet girl and is fun to talk to. But what happens if she finds out Samantha's a witch? What if something gives herself away even if she just introduces her to her human friends she's made? Samantha's registered, so it's only a matter of time before Hannah finds that out, but then what?

AVERY BELFAST ; A witch that is a sweetheart in all actuality and talented with her powers, Samantha can't help but have acquired a distast for Avery Belfast. Of all of the children of the original Council, Avery is the only one to have made it out alive with both of her parents still intact. Samantha can see it in the way the girl's happiness is always bouncing everywhere and the jealousy of it eats at her constantly. If only she could have the lightheartedness Avery has without the constant thought of her deceased parents and someone possibly always out there preparing to kill her.

BETHANY HEATON ; Holding in a secret about a family member being in town is something that is incredibly difficult for Samantha. She doesn't know what to do when she sees Oliver, and therefore she has been avoiding him as much as she can. They have a resistance meeting coming up soon that she knows she will have to attend, and she's already planning how to avoid talking to Oliver as much as possible during it. She's never been the best with secrets, and especially not secrets of this magnitude, so avoiding is the best thing she can think of.

JACOB NEWTON ; Word on the street is that Jacob Newton is one of the hunters that the government hired to take out unregistered supernaturals. She's noticed him lurking around with Tarryn, but at the same time, the government hiring hunters isn't something that has ever been confirmed. Samantha believes that people are just scared and pointing fingers where they can. She might not be friends with Tarryn, but she knows that Tarryn cares for their community, and she highly doubts that Tarryn would be so close to someone that is only here to take them out. It just doesn't make sense.

SAMANTHA DEANE IS CURRENTLY OPEN

#rp #witch rp #supernatural rp #chloe bennet #chloe bennet fc #samantha #deane #samantha deane #female #witch #all #fa #wia #fo #wio #open

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the-colony-roleplay · 6 years

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Persephone “Percy” Evans | Twenty Seven; Elite

House: Delma Status: Uninfected Elite Specification: Rehabilitation Specialist and Infection Research Alignment: New Wave Reformists

History

Ever since she was a kid, Persephone’s been told she has an old soul. She’d rather read a paper book, or have deep conversations with the adults rather than play with children her own age or chat about which boy at school is the cutest. Because of this, though, most other children have seen her as a bit odd. She’s quiet around most, until you get her to open up. Then, Percy will never shut up. Deep down, she’s just a bubbly girl who wants to help people.

The extent of her compassion came about when she was thirteen and her younger brother was hit by a train. And it wasn’t the doctors or the EMTs who practically brought him back from the dead that most impressed her. No, it was occupational therapists who blew Percy’s mind. Yes, her brother’s life had been saved by the doctors, but if he had been stuck in the state he was in after all the operations, it would hardly have been much of a life. The OTs came in and taught her brother how to eat and speak again. They helped him get used to his new leg and helped him relearn to write. They allowed him to be a person again, and that’s what Percy wanted to do.

Life after her brother’s accident was hard. Insurance could only cover so much. Percy tried to maintain good grades, but was often distracted by external factors. Like her brother falling into a deep depression, even though he was only eight. She would often spend her evenings with him, keeping him occupied so his mind didn’t wander to those dark places. Her mother always tried to be there for her children, but it didn’t take long for the stress of working three jobs to get to her. She’d come home grumpy and tired. Percy and her brother, Samson, grew distant from their mother, relying mostly on each other for support. Percy took on the role of Sam’s mother, sister, friend, and nurse.

Percy’s father, who had always been distant, became a rare sight in the household. Only coming home occasionally to check in on them. Sam would often ask where he was, and Percy told him the truth: “I don’t know.” She was always honest with Sam. He’d been through so much, he didn’t deserve to be lied to.

But, sometimes lies are necessary. Like when Persephone saw her father out with another woman. And a young child. Percy, who was a calm and compassionate person, was furious. She was heartbroken. Her father had another family. One that seemed pretty well off, as she watched them get into a nice car, dressed in their nice clothes. Percy, feeling sick to her stomach and angry at the world for being so cruel, went home, and she locked herself in her room. And she cried. But she wasn’t sad. No, she was angry. Her family had been pushed aside once life got hard. Her father abandoned them for something better. They had been played, and she vowed that she’d never let that happen to her again. This is when she grew colder, when she stopped caring about people as much as she once had. Allowing the only people she truly trusted to be Sam and her mother. No one else saw the compassionate Persephone anymore. Because she didn’t want to be hurt like that again.

When she was seventeen, she saw some kids she knew stealing from a store. She knew them because they would pick on Sam. Push him down, tease him. Their crime at the store wasn’t huge; not like they had guns or anything. Just used a distraction. Percy had seen everything they took. A few packs of cigarettes, around two hundred dollars, and a case of beer. And she knew that they had seen her too. When the cops came and asked her to identify the thieves, she lied and said it was two older men. The next day at school, Percy confronted the trio, telling them of the lie she told to the cops. And she promised them that if they ever even looked at her brother again, she would make sure that not only they got caught for stealing, but for other crimes too. Some that they might have not even committed. Sam was never bothered again.

And Percy realized something; she was a good liar. She was also good with people. She knew how to manipulate and twist others and their words so she ended up on top. She didn’t use this skill often, but she knew the cards she had, and she knew how to play them well. It wasn’t until one night walking down the street that she realized just how much power she had. She had just turned nineteen at the time, and a man followed her, stopping her at an intersection, complimenting her body. He was dressed in a nice suit and tie. Percy noticed the wedding ring and the Rolex. So she played into it, going home with the man. He was rich, she knew the second she met him, but entering his penthouse apartment confirmed it. And she hated him. Not for catcalling her, not for taking a young girl home. But for betraying his wife, just like her father had done.

So, she went with him to his bedroom, him undressing her as they went. She played along, just until she had him in a position where he couldn’t get away. And she made her demands. Cash. Enough to pay off her brother’s medical bills, enough to put them both through college. Or, she would call the police, tell them that she was kidnapped. Assaulted. Sure, he would’ve been able to argue it, but his DNA was all over Persephone. And even if he told the police that she had bribed him, what then? His wife would know he slept with another woman, one that was nearly twenty years younger than him, at that. So he paid. And she never heard another word from him. When she came home with the cash, her mother was scared, for good reason. But Percy promised she hadn’t stolen it; that it was given to her as a charity. A good samaritan had wanted to help out their family. And, since no police ever knocked on their door, her mother had no choice but to believe her.

Of course, Percy couldn’t just come home every night with thousands of dollars obtained almost like a prostitute. So, she worked at the hospital. She would go in and give the patients blankets or refill their water or help them to the bathroom. Deep down her true passion was helping people. So, she went to school during the day, and spent her nights either trapping unfaithful husbands, or working at the hospital. It was during one of her late shifts at the hospital that the power surged, and when Percy looked outside, the whole world appeared to be burning.

Everything was in mass hysteria. Nurses and patients panicking. Sirens going off. Code blue. Code red. Doctors were called from every wing to help treat new patients. The whole time, all Percy could think about was her mother and Sam. The night never got calm. It wasn’t until the middle of the next day that she found a chance to slip out of the hospital. She ran to her home, avoiding people and fires and damage. When she arrived at her family’s small home, Percy found rubble. Her house was destroyed. The parts that still stood were burning. In a panic, Persephone ran into the rubble, searching and screaming for her family. Her screams went silent and her blood ran cold when she found her mother’s body, crushed, broken, bloody. Dead. But she didn’t have time to cry. Determined, Percy went through every inch of the pile that was once her house, her room, her whole life. She had to find Sam. And she did. He was shaking in the remains of the fireplace and chimney. His prosthetic leg was nowhere to be found. When Percy approached him, he flinched at her touch. Something was wrong with him. After much protest, Persephone managed to get Sam back to the hospital, where she strapped him into a wheelchair. The entire lower half of his body was now paralyzed. At the hospital, though, she still went around, helping pass out food and blankets to those who sought shelter. The whole time, she toted Sam around, trying to get him to speak again. It took weeks, but finally, Sam learned how to speak for the third time in his life.

Persephone and Sam ended up in Colony 7, in what was once Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Life there was chaotic and always moving. Percy told the Elites of her background of study (bio-med and rehabilitation therapy) and she wound up volunteering to help with the injured and recovering survivors coming into the Colony.

It took only a couple of months at the Colony for Sam’s condition to become apparent: he believed he was a prisoner, the only prisoner left alive after the asteroids hit. He was planning some sort of escape, which Percy knew was impossible for two reasons. One, he wasn’t a prisoner. Two, he needed her to move around. And Sam would yell at people, claiming his innocence, begging for freedom. And he barely knew Percy anymore. She was a warden to him now, someone who was masquerading as his sister. He practically despised her. And yet, she still pushed him around in his wheelchair, protecting him with her life. He was her whole world. And it didn’t matter to her how many people she helped if Sam ended up hurt. All her lying and cheating would have been for nothing. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep him safe forever.

Percy was working late. She was dozing off at her desk reading through files. She probably would’ve fallen asleep if it hadn’t been for the gunshot. At first, Percy thought nothing of it; thought maybe someone had dropped something and it just sounded like that through her haze of sleep. But then there was another. Then another. Then another. Persephone raced from her office to find Sam, thinking that it had to be a raid. By the time she reached the common room, there were two other gunshots. In the room, she saw the most horrifying scene she’d ever seen. On the floor, blood pouring from his head, was Sam. There were five other bodies on the floor, bloody, some dead, some just wounded. As Percy approached her brother’s body, she saw the gun clenched in his fist. In his other hand was a piece of paper, scribbled with the words ‘DO IT NOW’ in red pen over and over again.

Percy Today

When the New Wave Reformists rose to power, they made initial attempts to recruit Percy due to the interest she took in her Infected patients. She was interested in figuring out what made them tick, how to manipulate the conversation in ways that they felt empowered enough and trusting enough to be honest and open with her. Having noticed this, the NWRF sought to exploit her skills and sensitivity to help them with research on the Infected evolutions. They wanted her to help run tests and experiments. Essentially, her ‘bed side manner’ with the infected was something they thought they could use. At first, Persephone politely declined the offer. To her, the Infected weren’t the problem; just the infection. It wasn’t until an NWRF Rep promised her a way out of Colony 7, that she told them she’d consider.

In the end, Percy took the chance to leave and accepted the job offer. But she made it clear that she didn’t want to do anything that might make the Infected distrust her. That was how she worked the system; with kindness, trust, and a pretty face. Now, it’s her job as an NWRF Rep to assist with medical and experimental testing in the scientific initiative to better understand these evolutions so that they might have the ability to cure, control or even use these evolutions in a more disciplined manner. But Percy didn’t join the NWRF because she wanted to eradicate or even manage and contain the Infected. She wanted to help them. She didn’t hate the people, she hated that people had to be Infected. Infections had ruined her life, so she now wants to save others from the same unfortunate situation that Sam had found himself in. She wants to give the Infected a choice.

Percy arrived recently to Colony 22 with the other NWRF reps. She likes to see herself as almost a counterweight to some of the NWRF’s brash and sometimes harsh decisions, but she knows nobody else wants her to be. Along with lab testing and experiments, she provides one on one consultations with the Infected and Deluded, and makes a sincere effort to be kind to them and convince them she’s on their side. Sure, most still distrust her intentions because of her connections to the NWRF, but she tries hard despite that. Some of her ways of gaining the trust of the Infected could be seen as unethical, due to her less than transparent approach, but she believes her intentions are good. She’s certainly unconventional in other ways, as well; she’ll purchase from the black market, she’ll let people by when they’re late for tuck-in, she’ll keep their secrets, tell their lies. Some people probably think that she’s just gaining all this information and trust to eventually get them into trouble, but the truth is she likes to take risks. She likes when she does get someone new to trust her, and, deep down, she really does still care about other people.

CLOSED FC

#emilia clarke #emilia clarke fc #literate rp #original rp #bio rp #persephone evans #delma #nwrf #closed fc

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dalelans · 7 years

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Town Hall 1.1 - EJP

In observation of the soul-splitting political reality that we now inhabit, I would like to hold a Town Hall meeting in the Dale on the role of art in political life. The first order of business is to get you, reader and potential participant, familiar with some of the ideas I’ve been considering. To this end, I will first define the phrases “role of art” and “political life” in incredibly narrow terms that should clear the subjective-conceptual smoke that might choke an otherwise cogent discourse. Later, we can imagine together new forms of poetic activism that will hopefully empower us and put our sad feels to positive use!

Role of art

A postulate is a statement that I expect you will agree with because it feels true. To describe what I think the role of art is, I would like to invoke two postulates:

(1) Art is commentary on life. By commentary, I mean an intentional statement. By life, I mean the phenomena of direct personal experience. Music is always at least a commentary on hearing. Dance is always at least a commentary on being instantiated in a body subject to mechanical laws. Poetry is always at least a commentary on using language. You get it. An important part of this postulate is that art can comment on multiple things at the same time, especially to connect them. For example, a slow ballad in D-minor about your shit ex-boyfriend comments both on the somber funereal sound of hearing a ballad in D-minor and the related somber funereal feeling of having a shit ex-boyfriend.

(2) There’s a continuum of phenomena that runs from the primitive (sexual satisfaction, a panic attack, a psychedelic drug trip) to the cerebral (ethical reasoning, scientific understanding, self identification). The primitive is much more captivating than the cerebral but harder to call attention to or evoke. For example, if you had a schizophrenic vision that the world was run by goat-demons, your decade of training as a behavioral economist would not convince you otherwise. You’d probably not be able to convince anyone else of the goat-demons, but you still might be able to teach a behavioral economics course. Primitive, powerful experiences are hard to faithfully replicate in oneself or others while cerebral experiences are easy to replicate in others if they’re properly conditioned. Primitive phenomena are fleeting and personal, while cerebral phenomena are memorable and communicable.

With these postulates, I propose that the role of art is to evoke primitive phenomena by way of cerebral comment. For example, if I say ‘really big depression’ I can’t evoke that experience in your mind (or even mine). Instead, if I write an imagistic poem like: ‘a street person with filthy, sun-damaged skin howling and weeping and punching nothing in the rain’ then I probably succeeded in actually making you experience something in your head and that probably even spidered out with details I didn’t provide to you, like ‘he’s got squinty eyes and a red scraggly beard’ or even ‘he hasn’t seen his mother in quite a while.’ I also probably evoked something deeper and harder to describe about desperation, loneliness, and (hopefully) compassion. If I play a complicated improvisational solo on the distorted electric guitar, I may be able to actually evoke something as ineffable as empowered freedom or the feeling of being unmoored from the ground. The whole argument can be made quotable: the role of art is rub your face in the mystery.

Maybe I came across too brutal or romantic in that last bit, like there is something caustically healing or enlightening about getting the mystery rubbed in your face. Maybe that is true, but I argue that healing or enlightenment are not the major reasons people make or consume art today. The major reason is that it’s fun. The next reason is that it is sometimes socially advantageous to evoke the ineffable. Is the intense music accompanying a car commercial art? Maybe technically, but certainly not in a way with much grandeur. This is a critical point. In practice, art is fun and useful more often than it is transcendent. Even more often, in our society of complete media inundation, it is a distracting coloring to a life that would otherwise be unpalatable: ‘buy these shoes’, ‘worship this god’, ‘sit quietly in this living room.’

An important conclusion of this line of thinking (and the blessing that blossomed so much of the excellent poetry and music to come from the Dale) is that art is absolutely not the prerogative of societally-designated artists. Most people don’t feel like they could be real artists because of a misapplication of a societal preference for hyperspecialization. The repulsion of poor white non-rural America towards the elite stems in part from a very legitimate recognition of the wrongness of this societal preference. The academic choice to study a form of art or the economic choice to make a living selling one’s art certainly can yield more effective artists, but art is a natural form of human communication much older than specialization cultures. Art is simply a stylish way of recalling important things. The final conclusion is that folk art is real art, and whatever art is good for in life, it’s as good for you as it is for Ai Weiwei or Rene Redzepi.

Political Life and art

Political life is about how we live among other people. I would like to call attention to the distinction between the political life of the hungry and the political life of the ideological. The hungry have real or imagined needs that are unmet by the other people (particularly those specially tasked with coordinating the behaviors of other people, the government). Hungry political life is generally practical civic engagement including voting and protesting and petitioning. In our society it is often quite local. Wanting food or health care when you can’t afford it is hunger, as is wanting a dependable job that sustains your expected quality of life or wanting to feel safe from foreign or domestic enemies. The first point I’d like to make is that the major priority of any sane, compassionate government should be to satisfy the hungry. For instance, practically no one today believes that a police officer should not protect someone who owes back taxes. Even if they disagree on the effort that governments ought to spend in these matters, most people believe there is value in making the water safe, the air clean, the able-bodied employed, the disabled provided for, the homeless sheltered, the sick healed, the jails empty, the minorities treated equitably, the powerful good and the evil few.

Ideological political life instead answers the question ‘How should society be?’ I don’t believe our current political situation precipitated due to real hunger, but rather an ideological dissatisfaction of large parts of America with the future proposed by the establishment. They didn’t like the looks of the society they were offered, and who can blame them? This prescient analysis from Richard Rorty in the 1990s:

“Members of labor unions and unorganized unskilled workers will sooner or later realize that their government is not even trying to prevent wages from sinking or to prevent jobs from being exported. Around the same time, they will realize that suburban white-collar workers - themselves desperately afraid of being downsized - are not going to let themselves be taxed to provide social benefits for anyone else.

At that point, something will crack. The non-suburban electorate will decide that the system has failed and start looking around for a strongman to vote for - someone willing to assure them that once he is elected, the smug bureaucrats, tricky lawyers, overpaid bond salesmen and post modernist professors will no longer be calling the shots...

One thing that is very likely to happen is that the gains made in the past forty years by black and brown Americans, and by homosexuals, will be wiped out. Jocular contempt for women will come back into fashion. All the resentment which badly educated Americans feel about having their manners dictated to them by college graduates will find an outlet.” -Richard Rorty

Nonetheless, Trumpism is a repulsive, cognitively-dissonant ideology that most Americans would almost certainly shuck off if they were offered something better. The real political challenge for the left is to discover an American ideology around which we can unify with our brothers and sisters in non-urban America. There are many possibilities, of course. My personal favorite is that after the hungry are fed, healed, and provided with acceptable work, the goal of the society should be to generate the most diverse and successful individuals possible (this is also an echo of Rorty). I do not mean explicitly forcing everyone to accept and celebrate the self-identifications of others, nor do I think parentally-transmitted cultures have intrinsic value that warrants preservation (as Terence McKenna said: “Culture is not your friend”). Rather, I think that every person should be given the tools and encouragement she needs to explore the rainforest of human activities and pursue her own wild ambitions until she becomes the heroine of her own self conception. It’s the ‘You can grow up to be whatever you want to be’ philosophy writ as large as Teddy Roosevelt. Practically, it would involve massive investments in education, infrastructure, technology, and the arts. The left would offer an inclusive and productive nationalism. The president would be Walt Whitman and every person you met could be some self-made American god. I think you could convince people to live in that world.

Suppose this is my political aspiration, to move the society I live in towards one in which every person has their (1) hungers satisfied and (2) their ambitions kindled and stoked. Does anything I hypothesized about art naturally suggest ways in which a which a new political ideology could be explored, developed, and communicated? What sort of art comments on political life anyway? Where in history has art shaped ideology and from whence these strengths? How does the current culture and landscape of media consumption improve or reduce the reception of politically-motivated art? These are the questions I’d like other interested people to help answer.

I hope that was interesting and not too sermonizing! I look forward to responses.

Love, Eugene

Post-scripts: I don’t think I’ve made an airtight argument at all, so let me call some of it into question (if not completely invalidate it). First, some primitive experiences, like hearing a catchy tune or seeing practically anything, are both communicable and memorable while some cerebral phenomena (like differentiable geometry or patent law) are hard to call to mind even for the properly conditioned. ‘Rubbing your face in the mystery’ is ostensibly the function of most spiritual traditions, some sciences, and all psychedelic drugs. Calling those things art does not feel right, but maybe they are distant neurological cousins. Finally, there is the looming, unaddressed question of aesthetics, which is: ‘Why do I associate this art with this ineffable feeling while you do not? What in me makes this association and how was it established?’ No clue bro, no clue.

For the political section, the whole thing is written from an un-apologetically progressive and almost futurist perspective. The clunkiest correction I could make would be to change every ‘is’ to ‘seems to me might be.’ (Culture seems to me might not be your friend). I also think my claim about ‘not real hunger, ideological hunger’ is barely or not true. Judged by the meth-towns in the belly of our mother-state, Pennsylvania, things have gotten objectively worse for non-urban America since the middle of the 20th century. Even if you completely reject the sexism, racism, rudeness, war-mongering, and ideological carelessness that is Trumpism, taking a positions against global trade and the ‘smug bureaucrats, tricky lawyers, overpaid bond salesmen and post modernist professors’ is not completely irrational.

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lovemesomesurveys · 7 years

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5,000 Question Survey--part thirty

2801. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind. But what was the question? It’s like Meatloaf’s song... what won’t he do for love? Maybe that’s the answer that is floating in the wind. We have to catch it.

2802. Suggest three new diary circles that you would find interesting: I don’t use LiveJournal. 2803. Buttons or Knobs? Buttons. 2804. What is a juggalo? Fans of Insane Clown Posse. 2805. Are you a fan of Crass? I’m not familiar with them.

2806. If you were going to write a short note to yourself and then put it away and read it in ten years, what would it say? I don’t know. Something deep and inspiring. 2807. When someone does something that is wrong do you believe that they know in their hearts that they are wrong but they push it down into their subconcious and rationalize away their guilt? Generally speaking. There are good people who make bad decisions. It doesn’t make them bad people. There are some people who are bad people and either don’t know right from wrong, or don’t care.

When have you done this (if you say never then you are doing it right now)? Lying about certain things. 2808. How can a person have sex with someone they don't love? Because sex doesn’t equate love.

Have YOU ever? No. 2809. What are the paradoxes in your head (that is when you believe two conflicting things to be true)? Oh, I’m sure there are many. Of course I can’t think of a specific example right now. 2810. What does each set of two words suggest to you? pale gravity: little mornings: spiritual machines: eccentric being: pray attention: yellow lectures: 2811. What movie would be AWESOME in 3D? The Stars Wars films. 2812. Why is it important to write and think clearly? Well, for me it helps me get out and sort through my thoughts. 2813. A girl and her boyfriend are hanging out. It is obvious they are together. Another guy schmoozes between them and starts hitting on the girl. The boyfriend tells this guy to back off. The guy just keeps bothering the girl. Do you think the boyfriend would be justified in hitting this intrusive guy? No. They should try and get away from the guy. If he keeps bothering them after they’ve asked him to stop, it’s harassment. It wouldn’t help the boyfriend at all to hit the guy. Unless he was doing so out of self-defense. A girl and her boyfriend are hanging out. It is obvious they are together. Another GIRL(lesbian) schmoozes between them and starts hitting on the first girl. The boyfriend tells this girl to back off. The girl just keeps bothering the first girl. Do you think the boyfriend would be justified in hitting this intrusive girl? I don’t think he would be justified in hitting either person. If you answered yes to one situation and no to the other one why the double standard? -- 2814. What do you think of the name Prue? I don’t really like it. 2815. What would you spend your last dollar on? Hmm. I don’t know. Probably food. I could get something for that. 2816. Have you ever won an ebay auction? I’ve never participated in one.

If yes for what? -- 2817. Would you like it if Blockuster had a drivethrough?? Blockbuster no longer exists. 2819. When was the last time you taught someone somthing and what was it? I’m not sure. 2820. Why do adults and teens not understand each other? Different mentalities. 2821. Are you afraid? I am. Of a lot of things.

2822. Do you trust large drug corporations? There’s some sketchiness going on.

Do you trust the Food and Drug administration? I do follow what it is said on food and medication products, so I guess I do. 2823. If a tree falls in the woods does it make a sound? It’s too late to get philosophical.

Do you define sound as sound waves or as the reaction between the soundwaves and your ears? Uhhh. I know that has something to do with the previous question, though.

2824. Who is full of shit? Well... 2825. Four of the five senses are routed through a special area to the brain. One sense goes right to the brain and so is a powerful sense involved with memory and emotion. Which sense do you feel this is? 2826. Are you on a ship of fools or a carousel? A carousel. 2827. What is your bathing suit like? I don’t have one. 2828. Whose line is it, anyway? Mine. 2829. Are you more likely to answer a signed in note or a nsi note? What. 2830. To be or not to be. That is the question. What is the answer? To be. 2831. Does beauty exist as a defineable standard or is beauty in the eyes of the beholder? Beauty is subjective.

Why do you think it is that so many people have the same idea of who and what is beautiful? Because that is what we’re told.

Where do standards for judgeing beauty come from? Society and personal preferences. 2832. Would a war with Iraq help or harm american economy? War is extremely costly. 2833. What is the first thing you would do if you saw a nuclear explosion in the distance? Uh I’d be terrified to say the least. I’d run the other direction and try to seek shelter or something. 2834. Would you like to be cryogenically frozen? No. 2835. Think of the person you love the most. Would you be willing to murder a stranger in order to save that person's life? Why or why not? I think if my loved one was about to be murdered I would have to do what I could to save their life. 2836. Imagine no possetions. I wonder if you can? Okay John Lennon. 2837. How messed up is: your hair? It’s not that bad.

your room? I have clothes I need to put away, but otherwise it’s clean.

your car? I don’t have my own car. I don’t drive.

your life? Now that’s a mess. 2838. What are you running out of? I feel like I’m running out of time. 2839. What do you live for? My family. I would like to start living for me, too. 2840. How did you decide it was worth living for? They are my everything. 2841. Do you consider some people to be too: traditional? conformist? avant-garde? smart? stuck up? modern? beautiful? ugly? obsessed? emotional? petty? sneaky? fat? thin? 2842. By what criteria do you judge others? By their actions and how they are towards me. 2843. Do you look at people's words and actions or the underlying reasons for those words and actions? I guess a bit of all of that. 2844. Which would you rather collect: simpsons action figures? kiss gear? anything with a smiley? horror movies? 2845. Do you fight for your rights? To party? 2846. Would you rather be a construction worker or a crossing guard? Crossing guard. I couldn’t do construction work. It would be rather difficult for me. 2847. What is enought o satisfy you in life? Coffee is pretty satisfying. 2848. Do you think you have more, less, or average life experiance for your age? Less in a lot of ways. 2849. Why go to college? To try and get a degree to help you hopefully start your career.

Have you considered joining a cult instead? No thank you. 2850. What's the last lie you told? I’m not sure. I don’t make a habit out of it.

2851. What celebrity has the sexiest voice of females? I don’t know.

males? Alexander Skarsgard. 2852. You are having a party and can invite three celebrities of your choice. The WILL come. Who do you invite? Alexander Skarsgard, Melissa McCarthy, and Emma Stone. 2853. Where did you come from? From my mom.

Where are you now? I’m here.

Where are you going? To bed. 2854. What would you imagine the playboy mansion is like? Big, loud, and crazy. 2855. Do you blow your nose loudly in public? No. I’m self-conscious about that. I don’t even like having to cough or sneeze in public. Especially if it’s a cough or sneeze attack. I don’t understand people who obnoxiously blow their nose in public. People would do that in class during lectures and exams like really? 2856. Do you help others every day? Not everyday. 2857. Bono or Chris Tucker? I don’t follow either one. 2858. Is it lonely being alone in your head? Yes. 2859. What is the worst poverty you have ever seen? My city has a lot of homeless people. 2860. Has anyone ever told you that more than 2 billion people live on less than two dollars a day? I think I have heard something similar.

What do you think of that? It’s insane. Sad. Horrible. 2861. Add a sentance to the story: Once upon a time there was a man named Arthur and he was brushing his teeth when all of a sudden he saw a bright rainbow utside. So he goes out the back door to take a look and he finds an elf who says 2862. Be honest.. do you generally listen or wait for your turn to talk? I wait my turn. Although, sometimes if we’re talking about something I’m excited or animated about in some way, I may not always wait my turn. 2863. How many fingers do you type with? I don’t type the right way. I type with my two index fingers. Haha. I type very fast that way, though. 2864. What does 'you think you know but you have no idea' mean? Where did it come from as a common phrase? It’s just that you may think you know everything about something or someone, but there’s more to it than that. Or perhaps that you’re wrong entirely. 2865. Do you think it's important to give up liberties in order to protect freedom? Such as? 2866. Do you think George Bush was elected in a legal way? Yes. 2867. Imagine you were dying of a disease...you only had a certain amount of time left with your mte, parents or children. What would you leave behind for them to remember you by? Gahh. I don’t know. :/ I don’t have much to leave behind.

How would you feel if there were drugs to help you live, only you couldn't afford them? I would feel horrible. Sad. Angry.

How would you feel if people were trying to sell you the drugs at a lower cost but the drug companies made sure they couldn't because that would cut their profits? It would just be a horrible situation all around.

This senario is going on Right Now.The country is Africa. The disease is aids. The drug is azp (and others). The people are Africans who are very poor and have aids. The large drug corporations won't sell the drugs at a price they can afford or allow smaller companies to either. Is this acceptable? Ughhh. :( It’s not fair at all.

What are you going to do about it? I don’t know. :/ 2868. Would you ever BUY a new ring for your cell phone that plays a couple of notes of your favorite song? I have done that a few times. 2869. What has completely moved you? I’m not sure. 2870. If for your next birthday you had a novelty kids birthday party what games would you play at it? I don’t know. Fun ones.

2871. How can you keep open toed sandles from rubbing against your toes and making them blistered and raw? If it’s that bad maybe not wear them at all? 2872. What happens to socks when they disappear in the drier? Good question. One my mom is trying to figure because that always happens to her socks. It’s pretty bad, actually. Like wtf happens to them? She has that problem the most in our household. 2873. What is the quality of humanity all about? I don’t know. 2874. True or false - All homophobes are inherently evil.: Not all, I don’t think. They’re very misinformed, misguided, and close minded. Some were taught to be that way and don’t know anything else. If they’re willing to be open minded and educate themselves about it, then I don’t think they’re a bad person. If they refuse and remain stuck in their ways, well, that’s a different story. 2875. Is there anything, besides love, that money can't buy? Immortality. 2876. How is your soul? I don’t know, my dude. 2877. What are you committed to? My family. 2879. Are you photogenic? Nooo. 2880. Can you define these words off the top of your head as if you were talking to someone who didn't know what they were? rain: cold: green: sand: 2881. Why aren't you naked (or are you)? Because I don’t live alone, it’s cold, and I’d feel very, very uncomfortable. 2882. Do you think anoyone is all good or all evil? No. 2883. Go outside a sec. how many animals are in your yard? It’s 2AM, I’m not going outside. As far as I know, there aren’t any animals in my yard. There shouldn’t be anyone...

Did you count yourself? why or why not? 2884. What household appliance drags you down? None of them drag me down. 2885. try this..write a list of six possibilities of things you could do after you are off the computer. Make sure that at lease ONE thing is something you would be unlikely to ever do. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Now grab a dice (if you have none ask someone to pick a number between 1 and 6) and decide what you will do by flipping it. Then do it! 2886. Which of the following doesn't belong with the others and why? a. garden b. love c. magazine d. death

They all could relate in some way. 2887. How old are you? What age do you feel mentally? I don’t know.

emotionaly? -- spiritualy?

-- 2888. Who do you think is more wise: your mailman or a person who has been living on the streets for 12 years? They both could be wise.

2889. Do you kiss on the first date? If it feels right. 2890. Would you ever want to be oon: a dating show(which)? No.

a game show(which)? Maybe. Like Family Feud.

the news(why)? I have been. When my accident happened. 2891. How much money would it take to get you to: strip to nuthing but a bright orange thong (for guys, orange thongs an string bikini top for girls)and wrestle another person of the same sex in a thong in a pool of jello? Omg... I don’t know. I would be so incredibly self-conscious... I would die.

participate in a contest where you drink alcohol as fast as you can until you puke? Zero. I don’t drink anymore, I couldn’t chug alcohol, I couldn’t drink a lot, I don’t want to get sick because of it. I’ve been there a couple times... not fun.

sit absolutely still for 2 hours, in nothing but a towel, covered in plaster of paris? A plaster of paris?

Walk around at your school in bondage gear asking people to spank you on the ass with a huge dead octopus tenticle? Yikessss. I’m really not bold enough for this stuff.

pick your nose and eat it? BLECH.

smash potatoes with your head? Gahhh. 2892. Who deserves an appology? Uhh a lot of people, I don’t know. 2893. What wins the award as stupidst lyric you can think of? Oh, there’s many I’m sure. 2894. Where do you most like to be massaged? I wouldn’t know. 2895. Is your face clear? No, but it’s not bad. 2896. Finish this phrase in a humorous way.. Friends don't let friends... I don’t knowww. I need to go to bed. 2897. What present would you bring to the birthday party of an aquaintance? Hmm. I don’t know. Depends on the person. I’d try and figure out something they like. Something simple, but nice. 2898. Is your game on? Nope. 2899. What would a song for the deaf be like? They feel the vibrations of it. It’s a whole different experience for them.

How about a painting for the blind? I’ve seen videos of that. They can differentiate between the colors still and “see” things a lot differently. It’s pretty interesting. 2900. What is a sure-fire way to get noticed? Act obnoxious?

#personal #text #survey #surveys #5000 question survey

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