#ee creator focus day

[sunshinehighway]

thank you all the world for all the love and support today and always. i’ve been really struggling with my creative side recently, particularly fic writing, and that’s left me feeling somewhat isolated from the fandom. but today has been so brilliant and positive and i’m genuinely can’t believe so many people enjoy my creations!!!! this fandom holds the most special place in my heart and i am forever grateful for each and every friendship i’ve made along the way. bunch of stars, the lot of you ✨ @eeappreciationclub x

#ee creator focus day #ballum

[henryspearl]

happy creator focus day @sunshinehighway ✨💛

like callum, you are the sunshine in this fandom and we and myself would be lost without your talent, your fics that spit out poetry every single time without fail and your love and support💖 we love you!

I know we don’t talk everyday apart from the odd message due to our busy schedules but you are seriously one of a kind and someone who I admire!✨

here are my top 5 fics that i absolutley adore of yours. I could say all of them but we’d be here all day:-

mon eternal amour - i think this is my most favourite from recent which you wrote for the secret santa! it was astounding and it made me fall in love with ben and callum and how they fell in love. my heart broke with callum when he had to say goodbye! i will be waiting for that sequel on when they reunite in the summer👀

winters kiss - this was the teachers au that i never even knew i needed! i remember having a lazy morning in bed (don’t judge) and i read this all in one sitting and i loved it. especially the “happy Christmas you filthy animal” at the end.

call me friend but keep me closer - i loved this fic!! you set the vibe so well and i generally felt callum’s frustration and his pining for ben. at times you just wanted to shake Ben!!

there goes my heart - this was the fluffiest fic ever! i am a sucker for a Ben, callum and Lexi fic and it was just PERFECT💖 it always pulls at my heart strings at the part where Callum taught Lexi to sing sign language🥺

closing walls and ticking clocks - i had always wondered what it would have been like if ben went on the run in January 2020 and came back and this was beautifully written and everything you could have ever wanted to happen! i loved it.

i will always look forward to any fics that you release as they will always be astounding without me even reading them, i just know it. Always continue to be your amazing you.

Much love 💛xxx

#ee creator focus day #sunshinehighway #💛💖💛 #ballum

[softballum]

Appreciation Day for @calangelhighway 🌈💫

to be loved and to be in love - a combination of Harry Styles and Ballum?? Can’t go wrong!! I love your little mini ficlets cause they’re so intense for their size but they look effortless 🌻

it’s a kind of magic - your 2020 Big Bang!! I don’t even know the words to describe how wonderful this is but I loved it SO MUCH!! (HP isn’t my thing oop) but this story was the perfect mix of soft and angst!! 🔮

baby i’m right here, i’m trying to make it clear that getting half of you just ain’t enough - you know I love affair AUs and the angst in this one actually hurts my chest! So much longing and heartbroken Ben 🥺

beer fear - the one that made me fall in love with your writing. Stupid, silly boys not realising what’s in front of them! They way you wrote their relationship was so beautiful 🍻

Katie you are soooo super talented and you’re writing is always a little cosy blanket of words ❤️ Not to mention the fact that you are one of the loveliest people I’ve ever met. This past year would have been very different if I didn’t have you. ❤️

#katie day #creator focus day #ee appreciation club #calangelhighway

[an-unknown-writers-world]

Just A Bad Day ~Solo Un Mal Día

(Disclaimer: Not My Gif - credit to the creator - I believe it is @nesquik-ee )

A/N: Unedited, I had a bad day and this came to me. Sidenote: I’ve been feeling really guilty for not writing as much as I’d like for Bishop. Hoping to change that.

Warnings: Major Angst, fluffy Bishop, cheesy ending, unedited? (That’s a warning, right?) 

Word Count: 573

It was the worst day you’d had in a long time, anxiety on high alert and depression threatening to overtake you. You weren’t aware of anything in particular that caused the day to start this way, but each passing moment of the day built on itself. Pulling in the driveway you pushed the button to lift the garage door and pulled into your usual spot, a sigh of relief escaping now that you were finally home. Grabbing your bag, you headed into the house kicking your shoes off as soon as the door was closed.

Dropping your tote on the counter to deal with later you continued towards the bedroom to change, leaving your purse on the built-in desk along the way. Walking into the closet you stripped your clothes, tossing them into the basket you pulled on one of Bishop's shirts and a pair of leggings. It was Monday so you knew he’d be home soon unless club shit kicked up. It was an unspoken agreement that Monday night was your night; someone better be dying or threats of war for you to be okay with him missing dinner night.

You found yourself in the kitchen staring at the cupboard trying to decide what to make, Spotify playlist on low in the background. You were frustrated with yourself, cooking normally comes so easy to you; a peak in the cupboards and you could think something up, but not today. The familiar rumble of a Harley caught your attention, within seconds you heard the garage door lift and door to the house open.

“Hey baby,” He said grinning as he stepped in the door.

You smiled back at him, “Hey you,”

He stopped to push the garage button back down before closing the door. Shedding his kutte and hanging it on the back of the desk chair. It wasn’t his usual habit, you leaned your back to the counter and watched as he examined the kitchen before his face falling on your own.

“What’s wrong?” He asked coming to stand in front of you, his hands on your waste.

“Just a bad day.” You replied looking down where your hands rested on his forearms.

“Hey,” He said softly pulling your focus back up to him. “I got you.”

You nodded as he pulled in to his chest.

The tightness in your throat released as the tears welled up, it was something about his arms around you, holding your broken pieces together and preventing you from falling apart completely. Silent tears soon became sobbing before escalating to hyperventilating cry; Bishop hushing your cries and reminding you it’s going to be okay.

“I’m sorry,” You whispered.

“None of that,” He said softly. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

You pulled back from his embrace to look at him, wiping at the makeup that had settled under your eyes. “I love you, Obispo," You paused. "Some days I don’t know how I’d get through without you.”

“I love you, querida. We make it through each day the same way, together.” He replied before kissing you chastely.

He pulled you back into a tight hug, the kind that reminded you what it felt like to be whole. For those brief moments that he held you close you felt like you were strong enough to take on whatever came your way. Everyday Bishop reminded you that you were stronger than you believed, and it was getting easier to believe.  

Thanks for reading!! Work is also available on AO3 and Wattpad 

Sorry I’ve been forgetting to tag people; I finally made a list to get everybody if you’d like to be added. Shoot me an ask. Also if you want to be removed (not hard feelings if thats the case, I know my topic of people has changed): @starrynite7114 @genius2050 @badasseddy @knowles-morgan @itsnethbellins

#Bishop Losa #Bishop Losa Imagine #Bishop Losa x Reader #Obispo Losa #Obispo Losa Imagine #Obispo Losa x Reader #Mayans MC #Mayans Imagine #Mayans #Writing is my outlet #today was really bad #an unknown writers world writes

[hauntedthief]

did something happen in the narnia fandom?

*long drawn out sigh* Oh boy anon, where have you been for the last month?

So much has happened that I don’t know where to start tbh. The Narnia fandom has become one of the most toxic fandoms I’ve ever had the experience of being in so far. Like the lack of support for diverse content is just so tiring. 

Here’s what I know has happened so far:-I don’t know the whole issue but apparently some fans tried to argue that Lucian (Lucy & Caspian) was an okay ship?? You’d need to ask someone else about this because I didn’t know about this issue until after it was pretty much done.

-There was an issue with some members in the NarniaNetwork because they were supporting/trying to push their racist and anti LGBT+ views over others diverse views so, as a result, those members were removed. I won’t talk more on that issue because as the admin and creator of that network I made the decision to only inform Narnianetwork members if they wanted to know more.  It’s not for non-narnianetwork members to hear about because frankly it’s none of your business. I won’t mention any names even though I know some of the individuals have made posts themselves on the issue. I’m only saying this because I’m not going to lie and say Narnianetwork was perfect at that time.

-A couple days later there was a Narnia fan who sent the narniaconfession blog a confession saying “the Narnia fandom need to stop forcing diversity”. Do you have any idea how hard it would be for any non-white and/or LGBT+ narnia fan to hear how our interpretations and head canons are INVALID?? Because, let me tell you, I’m so tired of pandering and trying to keep the white-and/or-straight-only narnia fans happy. When we non-white and/or LGBT+ fans create such edits, we are not doing it for the white and/or straight only community. WE ARE CREATING THIS CONTENT FOR OURSELVES. Also with this confession, I know some people tried to argue that having people focus on LGBT+ head canons of the Pevensies and other characters was wrong because different sexualities/LGBT+ views like that had no place in a children’s series but at the same time those people that argued against having different sexualities in the series were still okay with shipping characters in a heterosexual relationship. The ship in question is Suspian (Susan & Caspian) and, despite me being a Suspian shipper, I still feel like it’s extremely wrong where people only acknowledge them as a possible ship and disregard other sexualities/relationships. Like seriously, do you understand how bad of an ideal that is to spread? That children aren’t able to be any different sexuality than straight. And the other harmful thing about this was that this ideal immediately tries to imply that every LGBT+ head canon is inherently sexual when that is a complete lie. There was just so much wrong to that confession that there was a huge uproar of anger from the diverse Narnia fans for a good reason.

-I know that another Narnia fan posted their OWN head canons and interpretations about the characters. And because they weren’t what the straight and/or white fans wanted, SOME ABSOLUTE DISGUSTING JERK decided to send that fan in question RACIAL SLURS in their ask box anonymously. Like what the fuck?? This person has to live with the knowledge, for the rest of their life, that they did this disgusting thing. 

-I know that there’s Casmund (Caspian & Edmund) shipping discourse but I don’t really know what’s going on for that so you’d probably be better off asking someone else.

-And the latest issue that has risen up in the Narnia fandom is that the fandom don’t really appreciate the amount of time and effort creators put into their content. Instead these content creators get bashed on in the tags because the person who reblogs the content doesn’t like what they see, conveniently ignoring the whole “just ignore the post/block it if you don’t like it’ ideology in favour of saying how the creator of said content is clearly wrong and the reblog-ee is right. The other problem for content creators is the clear unevenness in the ratio of likes vs. reblogs. I.e. when a person makes an edit and gets 50 notes on their edit, the ratio looks something like “43 likes, 7 reblogs”. This is a huge problem for content creators not just in the Narnia fandom!! It’s happening in every fandom and the issue is some of these creators may depend on followers to get their content out past just circle the creator has.

-Also, I know another Narnia fan who was prominent because of their creations left the fandom as well because of the toxicity of the fandom. 

To end this off I’m going to say this once: I have not and will not be revealing names even if you come off anon and ask me directly. I’ve been very firm on this stance even amongst the NarniaNetwork discourse when it was occurring and I will remain firm on this stance for other discussions that had nothing to do with the NarniaNetwork.

This got really long but that’s what I know has happened/is currently happening in the fandom. I obviously don’t know everything that’s occurred on those topics, like I’ve said, so in those cases where I don’t know what’s going on you should definitely ask someone else who does because I don’t want to be giving you the wrong information on those topics.

TLDR: the Narnia fandom is an extremely toxic fandom to be in currently specifically if you are a POC and/or a member of the LGBT+ community. This fandom has isolated and/or driven away a lot of POC and LGBT+ members because of the lack of support for their diverse interpretations of the series.

#hauntedthief #mohanswers #narnia fandom #The Chronicles of Narnia #type: fandom psa #honestly the narnia fandom is a mess #like fuck #it's so tiring to be part of if you're a POC #and or member of LGBT+ community #fandom: narnia #type: text #text: message #anonymous

[verdigrisprowl]

April 22 Dancitron Movie Night - Titanic the Musical

Prowl spent most of the night feeling like Ismay was being unfairly slandered, and trying to insist to everyone else in the room that the accident was nobody’s “fault,” that’s what makes it so sad.

Several of the songs tugged at his heartstrings. Sparkstrings? Wires?

Soundwave said A Word to Prowl and Prowl is absolutely delighted over it.

Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:18 PM Soundwave's done it. He's found an excellent mixture of content for both himself and Prowl to enjoy - and if they're lucky, the other guests might have a good (albeit sad) time watching too. Yes, they've already encountered this story, but what's wrong with hearing an old tale told in a brand new way? Besides, it's been a long time since the last one. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:22 PM Prowl arrives remarkably early. He was promised a big sad boat. He's ready. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:28 PM The biggest and saddest of boats. And music! That makes it even better, at least according to Soundwave.

He immediately stops fiddling with the bit of nothing that had kept him focused and makes a beeline for Prowl, offering up a half-bunt in the hopes of completing it.

[[You came. Good. He was worried that you might not like the idea of a sung story. Many do not.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:31 PM Prowl meets the half-bunt in the middle. "I'm interested in the subject matter, and I'm not against musicals."

Unless they were starring... dogs.

If THIS one was, though, there were gonna be some serious problems with the story. "I expect you chose it for me. Thank you." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:37 PM He hums to himself for just a second before replying, content with the contact - and, as always, that he's allowed to make it, all things considered. Granted, part of that may be because he's only bunting hard light, but Prowl is Prowl and he still likes having the privilege.

[[For the both of us. It has been some time since the last murder mystery alone, and he likes when we are both able to enjoy something.]] Pause. [[...We should have a murder mystery soon. He will look for them too.]] Pause again. [[But yes. You are welcome.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:46 PM Prowl drew back from the contact slightly. "... Has it been that long since we've BOTH enjoyed something?" That was... hm. That was not ideal. "I'd like that, yes. When we have the time." It seemed they'd both been far too busy lately. Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 7:47 PM ((What's the movie? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:48 PM ((titanic: the musical)) Soundwave considered the question. Definitely a wording problem, there.

[[Forgive him. He means things we SPECIFICALLY like. Genres and styles that are undeniably fitted to our individual tastes, as opposed to things we find ourselves liking as we watch.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:53 PM "Ah." Prowl relaxed. Yes, that made more sense. "I suppose this IS unusually well-suited to both our tastes."

Was anyone else present yet? No? Then Prowl was leaning in for a quick kiss. "I look forward to it." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:55 PM Discovering that you liked something was fun, but going in knowing ahead of time it would be good had an appeal all its own. Left more time to focus on the good company and talk about the story.

Soundwave didn't hesitate to return the kiss, giving an equally quick nip before pulling back.

[[Incoming.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 7:56 PM Prowl drew back to a more professional distance. It was fun while it lasted. Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 7:56 PM Jazz notices the music as he comes in and starts humming along Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:57 PM [[Hm.]] Half turn toward Jazz. [[At least you have good taste in music.]] ProwlToday at 7:58 PM Prowl enters at just the right time. It's the human with the voice. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 7:58 PM Don't think he forgot. Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 7:58 PM "Is there such thing as bad music?" ProwlToday at 7:59 PM "We're listening to this again?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:00 PM Soundwave moves to park himself on his preferred couch (and make a subtle tap tap with one hand, inviting Prowl to sit whenever he feels more like that than socializing).

[[Music performed without spark. And he likes her voice. She fills it with emotions he is not used to feeling himself.]] SpecsToday at 8:01 PM Enter dragon, with snacks in tow. "Hello, Soundwave!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:01 PM He sits immediately. No one else here he'd like to socialize with enough to leave Soundwave's company. ProwlToday at 8:02 PM Makes for her usual table. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:03 PM //htyg rabbit did you steal the god damn remote for me AGAIN when i was setting up my windows //this happens every time i enter a rabit why is it like this Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:04 PM [[Good evening, dragon--oh, he is reminded.]] Turns to Prowl. [[The dragon has created a new drink. He must bring it to you when the night is over. It seems something you would like.]] Thoughtful look. [[Have Laserbeak bring it to you with him. He does not like to touch it. Magnetic.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:05 PM "A magnetic drink?? That sounds..." He paused. "... Like it would be difficult to swallow." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:06 PM ((dw if it steals the remote, rabbit's glitchy like that. i can take it back.)) SpecsToday at 8:06 PM The dragon looks proud right up until Prowl says that. Oh, no, did she make something inedible? Goddess, she hopes not... She'll just put the snacks away and agonize. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:07 PM Me bring him Swoop. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:07 PM [[He hopes not. It smelled good, and she is a talented creator for an organic. If it does, we will give it to Buzzsaw.]] Amused huff. [[It will be gone in moments.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:07 PM "Hi!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:08 PM Me Snarl do shap-ee-rone today. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:08 PM Swoop stands next to Snarl, crest to his wide wide so wide shoulders, and waves at the room. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:08 PM "What keeps it from magnetizing in place in your mouth?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:09 PM *does not wave Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:09 PM He glances over to the dragon, curious about the answer, before shifting his attention to the Dinobots.

[[Good evening, S...narl.]] It's hard sometimes, keeping straight who's got which name in which world. [[Swoop. He is pleased to see you all here.]] And back to the dragon. He's got no idea, himself, being as he can't drink it and fails at modifying energon past the most basic form. She could say anything and he'd be amazed, honestly. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:10 PM Swoop blinks pointedly at the suggestion Soundwave is pleased by anything, let alone him showing up. "Him Snarl." A smile busts its way across Swoop's face. "Us brothers! Him Snarl built with Me Swoop! Us build together." SpecsToday at 8:11 PM ((soryy, my arm is cat couch, typing is slow)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:11 PM ((four minutes! get what you need, use the bathroom, make your phone calls, all that)) ((no problem! hi to the kitty <3 )) Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 8:11 PM ((kitty!)) SpecsToday at 8:11 PM ((she says squeak)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:12 PM sits far away from all Autobots Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:13 PM "Ya. Us built keep them Dinobot in line." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:13 PM "Do humans really break out into song like this?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:14 PM [[Some of them. ... It's familiar to him. He likes it.]] Reminds him of what home used to be. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:14 PM "Only when severely inebriated." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:14 PM Swoop does a pose that wouldn't look out of place in the ginyu force. Back him up here, SNarl! Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:14 PM "... And usually not that well." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:14 PM "It happens often enough in their movies that I assume so" SpecsToday at 8:14 PM The dragon hesitates while putting the snacks away. "Well, that's why the drink is in such a small, cobalt cube. The inclusions in the cube act as a, um, flux loop? They keep the magnetic field from pulling other stuff in. In theory. You're supposed to eat the cube too." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:14 PM "I wonder if I can replicate the effect in my bar. Seems like it'd be fun." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:15 PM He'll pick Swoop up and hold him up Simba style. SpecsToday at 8:15 PM ((surreptitiously googling magnetic fields on the internet hue hue hue)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:15 PM There. Now they can see your pose better. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:15 PM "What?  Drunk singing?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:15 PM Ohhh. He didn't realize the cube was to be eaten. That's going to be a problem. [[...Will it work if the cube is dissolved into the drink?]] Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:15 PM "Really well choreographed but completely spontaneous musical numbers, yes." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:15 PM "Try, I want to see how it goes" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:16 PM Swoop squeaks happily and makes for an excellent star on this dino-christmas tree. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:16 PM ((WARNINGS: honestly i don't know, there are people who drink six pots of coffee a day who have had more sleep than i got at any point this week, i watched and did nothing. assume that anything that applied to the james cameron titanic movie may or may not apply here and we'll probably be good. might even be pleasantly surprised.)) SpecsToday at 8:17 PM "Uh, I think, no, wait, um..." The dragon puts down the gummis and starts tracing things on the ground for a moment. "Well, maybe... I think if you heat the cobalt cube first before dissolving it into the drink. But energon and heat don't mix well, so you'd have to still empty the cube." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:17 PM ((if you need the lyrics, because unfortunately I could not get this with captions, hopefully these will help if you haven't already opened them up: https://www.allmusicals.com/t/titanic.htm )) Titanic Lyrics - Broadway Musical Lyrics for Titanic Broadway musical. Complete soundtrack list, synopsys, video, plot review, cast for Broadway show.

SpecsToday at 8:17 PM ((science! heat makes magnets work worse)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:18 PM Swoop leans back as much as Snarl will let him to try to look at the other dino. "You Snarl want eat stuff?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:18 PM Shrugs. "Kay." And with that Swoop is unceremoniously dropped. Tree time is over. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:18 PM ((ooo i did not know that)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:18 PM Prowl's attention is immediately riveted to the screen. Titanic time. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:19 PM Swoop, like the true ace aerial warrior that he is, lands on his butt with a laugh before scrambling up to follow Snarl. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:19 PM "Are the Autobots here safe to be around, Soundwave?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:19 PM Squints at the screen. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:19 PM [[Swerve? If you manage that... get video?]] Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:20 PM "Sure thing." He was planning for that anyway, just to be sure he didn't imagine it. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:20 PM "Us DINOBOTS! Not Autobots!" Clearly that was directed at them. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:20 PM Soundwave looks at the Autobots present. Hmm. [[Perhaps avoid the Dinobots. The others should be all right.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:20 PM He holds his hand up for a highfive from Snarl. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:20 PM "Them Autobots pansies." High-fives Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:21 PM He shifts to the corner instead Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:21 PM Yesss. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:21 PM And all the while his face is a mask of apathy. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:21 PM [[Thank you, dragon. He has taken notes.]] Probably going to be for Buzzsaw, but hey - it's the thought that counts, and really, he's still so stunned by all that she pulls off. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:21 PM "Me Snarl thought it movie night for movie." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:22 PM ((Oh man. This reminds me of when we watched the James Cameron movie. That was some of my best Swooping if I do say so myself.)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:22 PM "This not movie." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:22 PM Can he lean on Prowl a bit? Because he's in the mood to do that. The corner of his mouth is already turning up a bit at the sound of singing. Just a wee bit. The tiniest. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:22 PM "Can you ask them not to come near me?  I don't want to risk Megatron thinking I am colluding again." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:22 PM "It on a screen. And fake. Fake screen stuff is movie!" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:22 PM "Is this a movie or a recording of. Er. Broooadway I think they call it?" SpecsToday at 8:23 PM The dragon churrs and gets back to work. She's still nervous about the possibility of a drink that won't work, but she's DEFINITELY going to workshop this for next time. Although, honestly, she's surprised Soundwave actually intends to eat it, given that he seems to dislike magnets. Still, if she knows what's broken, she can fix it! Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:23 PM "Broad way?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:23 PM Yes, and Prowl will gladly lean back. The musical's barely started and he's already sad for the Titanic. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:23 PM Soundwave motions for Snarl and Swoop to pay attention to what Starscream just said. Please. He knows Dinobots do what they do, but it doesn't hurt to ask. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:23 PM "What you want?" :I Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:23 PM "Broadway mean singy story!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:24 PM "It not movie." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:24 PM Swoop is all but glued to Snarl's side, completing their drama mask impression. Smiley and so very not. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:24 PM "Megatron... he gets angry when I talk with Autobots." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:24 PM Soundwave taps Prowl on the knee. There's a tiny white crab on his screen. They mustn't forget what little scraps of good came of it tonight while they watch. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:24 PM "Us Dinobots." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:24 PM "You want us kill him? Kehheheheh!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:25 PM [[...Is that a great many eggs for the humans to eat? 42,000?]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:25 PM "Us good at fighting." "Me Snarl stomp." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:25 PM "No!  He's wonderful, I just don't like disappointing him." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:25 PM "That is a lot of potatoes." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:25 PM "Ew." Judging you, Starscream. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:26 PM Makes a face. Kind of. There's a facial twitch. Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 8:26 PM "and everything else. Lots of people." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:27 PM "To be fair... It's more that I really don't want to deal with the consequences of disappointing him again this week." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:27 PM "That's approximately eighteen eggs per human that was on board. Humans can eat six egg omelets at a time, and omelets are a breakfast meal. So that's enough eggs for three breakfasts." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:27 PM "What CON-see-kwence?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:27 PM "Con-se-quen-ces?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:27 PM "CON like DeceptiCON." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:28 PM "He... uh... gets angry." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:28 PM "....so?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:28 PM He turns to stare at Prowl. "Can they actually eat six omelets at once?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:28 PM "Who CON-sequen-ces? Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:28 PM He glances at the white crab, huffs quietly, has another thought, and huffs slightly louder. @S «Spaceships of the deep.» Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:28 PM "Him good fighter?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:28 PM "No, no, omelets can be made with six eggs." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:28 PM "Oh." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:28 PM "Megatron is a very good fighter." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:28 PM "Him Ratchet say 'you swoop mess with setting on welder again there be CONSEQUENCE' kehehhehh." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:29 PM [[Hmm. He supposes they fed them other things as well.]]

That last word gets a little strained as he struggles not to let his amusement leak into his thought too hard.

The smile gets bigger though. Much. And he nudges. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:29 PM "Him Swoop still mess thing." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:29 PM ((Starscream: don't talk to me Dinobots: immediately talk to him in detail)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:29 PM "Him Ratchet mad." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:29 PM "Him Ratchet a LOUD mad!" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:29 PM "Consequences mean when people do painful things if you do something wrong" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:29 PM "Him stop doing word thing. Make mad sounds." Stares uncomprehendingly. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:30 PM "She's very gossipy." He's not sure he's even caught all the gossip. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:30 PM "Him Megatron bite You?" Swoop gnashes his teeth to make his point. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:30 PM ((Starscream's spark is in the right place)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:30 PM [[Like the potatoes. He has heard of their importance to human nutrition. It makes sense that they would bring thousands.]]

[[VERY gossipy.]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:30 PM "Then do punch." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:30 PM [[Or, more appropriately... well-informed.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:30 PM "Yeah... like that" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:30 PM And to demonstrate he punches Swoop in the arm. "See." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:31 PM "I wonder where she gets her information?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:31 PM Swoop throws himself to the ground as if he was DESTROYED by the punch. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:31 PM "More than that, but yes" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:31 PM Look. When life gives you problems, murder your problems. SpecsToday at 8:31 PM The dragon may be nervous around the Dinobots, but that's one philosophy she can get behind. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:31 PM Swoop pops up from his spot on the floor. "Next time Him punch, you hit him THROAT first kehehheh! That aaaaaaallways funny." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:31 PM "I can't kill Megatron!  Are you insane?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:32 PM "Well, SOMEONE has to provide exposition." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:32 PM Well, that's an interesting statement to enter on. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:32 PM "Him Grimlock get whiny baby me Snarl hit. Then him Grimlock hit. Then me Snarl hit better." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:32 PM [[The rich or noble were treated as their entertainers and athletes are today. What didnt' make it into public news was likely spread between other r-- hah.]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:32 PM This is the Dinobot way. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:33 PM "But it isn't my way, Megatron would flatten me if I did that.  Besides, he's a good mech." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:33 PM "Me think that work fine." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:33 PM "Me Swoop not beat up Him Soundwave--" He points to make it very clear who we are discussing. "--so now Me Swoop a BABY have to chaperone. YOU a baby?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:33 PM He squints, having been distracted by Dinobots and missing whatever just happened. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:33 PM "You touch him tooth." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:33 PM "Yah! It pretty cool." : > Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:33 PM He's just...going to make his way around to a seat on the side and away from them. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:34 PM Oh no the song's making him sad. He leans harder on Soundwave. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:34 PM He'll offer a hand. Here, have this while he leans harder back.

[[This human doesn't know how lucky he is.]] Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 8:35 PM "but you'll be alive" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:35 PM "The luckiest man in Southampton." He takes the hand. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:36 PM Swoop hooks his hands on Snarl's shoulder kibble and hangs off it, legs curled up to get him maximum air time. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:36 PM He appreciates the ironic emphasis on the word "safest." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:36 PM And Snarl hunkers down. They are now a dinopile. Well. Dino stack. It'll do Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:37 PM "I see they're casting him as the villain. Unjustly. That's Ismay, isn't it?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:37 PM "Is it? Are they going to blame him for all their problems?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:38 PM Swoop swings contently for a minute before-- "OH!" He lets go and plops on his butt. "Soundwave! Where Bird?" : < Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:38 PM [[He believes it is. And most likely. Many accounts have.]] Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:38 PM "Accounts on what?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:39 PM He points upstairs. Bird is working. [[She will be available tomorrow, if that soothes your disappointment.]] [[Of what we are about to watch.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:39 PM "They've portrayed him as wanting to drink on the bridge, which casts him as a rich fool and as less safe than the captain; and they portray him as the one who gave the order to increase the speed. He did suggest it, but it was also not uncommon for the time." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:39 PM "Oh..." He is so very disappointed. He wants to argue. But he controls himself (right now). "Me Swoop want Her Bird to meet SNARL! Me Swoop know Bird brother. Her Bird know Me Swoop brother now!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:39 PM "You Swoop mopey now?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:40 PM "Hm. I don't know enough about human boats or boats in general. I'll have to talk to Riptide later." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:40 PM Oddly pleased that even the coal shovelers get to be part of the singing. Looks like they'll be giving everyone a shot, even if some aren't as fair as others. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:40 PM "Could the captain not say no to the request?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:40 PM "Her bird. You Swoop talk aaaaaaaaall day about her bird. Me hear enough about her bird." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:40 PM Swoop throws himself across Snarl's lap with a SIGH but he can't fake it for any amount of time at all, looking up and snickering. He knows what you're thinking. "But You not SEE Her Bird!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:41 PM Oh. Sad miner song. Uncomfortably Decepticon. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:41 PM Swoop will get lumbering consoling pats despite the bird related audio torture he's caused. "Me got good idea." "You Swoop talk talk talk talk talk." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:41 PM "keheheh! Me do that ANYWAY." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:41 PM "Ya." "Loud." The pats continue Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 8:42 PM "suppose it's like saying no to member of the old senate or someone similar." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:42 PM Swoop is pro-pats and does nothing to jeopardize them. For the moment. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:43 PM [[...Slightly delusional about that, isn't she. Given the separation enforced.]] Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:43 PM Winces a bit. Yikes. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:43 PM His optics wander around the crowd to see if anyone else should get a special introduction to Snarl. Swoop spots Swerve and waves to get his attention. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:43 PM Dryly, "Interesting choice to portray someone who quite possibly doesn't even know what the view looks like from the top of the ship while it's in motion as somehow more knowledgable about safety on the sea than the people whose job it is to be safe on the sea." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:44 PM Swerve turns to Swoop to see what he wants. "Hey Swoop. Your brother right?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:44 PM "Ya." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:44 PM "YAH! Him Snarl is Swoop brother!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:44 PM [[Not a fan of the miner's song, he takes it.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:44 PM "Us look the same, HUH? Kehheh!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:45 PM "Him twig." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:45 PM "Twins." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:45 PM "Ah...that...right. He could but it would not go over well. Would it?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:45 PM "Us made same day." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:45 PM "Matchy matchy." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:45 PM "You sure look alike." As far as two completely different mechs can look. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:46 PM "Who you?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:46 PM "Me Swoop BIG brother kehehhehhh" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:46 PM "I'm Swerve." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:46 PM "Not  a fan of the idea that the 'salt-of-the-earth' is automatically and inexplicably wiser about the job duties of people who have trained for those jobs for millenni—well, decades, in this case." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:46 PM Granted, he knows that it wouldn't go well, if the comparison was anything to go by. And this is a song that's just going to make him go silent again. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:46 PM "You swoop not. You itty bitty." He grunts in acknowledgment at Swerve Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:47 PM "Wake up first mean BIG brother! Them the rules." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:47 PM "Us wake up almost same time." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:47 PM "What did they want the miner to do? I was distracted and missed it." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:47 PM "That dumb." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:48 PM "It rule. You ask, uhh, Prowl. Him rule bot. Him tell you!" And with that Swoop descended into a giggle fit. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:48 PM "It's anti-intellectualism. The idea that sufficient humility automatically begets sufficient street smarts to override vast expertise—and that the more expertise one gains, the STUPIDER one gets at doing one's job, as they become more arrogant." "In my experience, the more expertise someone has, the more of an expert they are." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:48 PM Amused by the quip about how the rich are idle and demanding? Oh yes.

[[A service of the story, he supposes. Describing the increase of speed with a wink and - what is the human phrase? - tip of the hat? To what is coming.]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:48 PM "It dumb." He's still resolute about that. Jazz (unkillablejazz)Today at 8:49 PM The worker songs are uncomfortably familiar, if far more cheerful. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:49 PM [[Mind you, he HAS met a number of arrogant experts. That part, at least, is still true.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:49 PM "Well I got better at my job when my mind was wiped, so I don't know what to tell you" SpecsToday at 8:49 PM "That's horrible. I'm sorry that happened to you." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:49 PM Slight wince. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:50 PM "They can tip their hat to what's coming without acting like the people who decided to go so fast are foolish idiots instead of doing what was standard for ALL ships of the era." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:50 PM Swoop looks at Starscream upside down. "You head empty? keheh! Balloon? Float awaaaay!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:50 PM "And people are arrogant at every level of expertise." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:50 PM "Wipe with what?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:50 PM [[Very true.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:50 PM "Not empty." SpecsToday at 8:50 PM ((me: types my beloved cat: presses the enter key with a single paw)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:50 PM "Towel." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:50 PM //lmao Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:50 PM "Wipers." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:50 PM ((HI CAT Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:50 PM "For it windshield." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:50 PM ((cat is helping)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:50 PM "More like... I need to relearn everything when it happens." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:50 PM "MEATshield more fun!" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:51 PM "It's good overall though, it makes me a better worker." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:51 PM "BLAST shield." "Guh. Lessons boriiiiiing." SpecsToday at 8:51 PM "I would describe repeated brainwashing as many things, none of them good." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:51 PM "You Snarl do lessons. Sometime. One." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:52 PM "Her Carly say hands get dry if wash too much." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:52 PM "I heard that too." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:52 PM "That weird. How wet hands get dry from too much wet?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:52 PM "Oh no, you see it was for my own good.  The Autobots put slave coding on me that keeps reactivating, Megatron keeps having my mind wiped so that I stop feeling the compulsion to work for them." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:52 PM "I'unno. Brain get dry too much wash??" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:53 PM "I am guessing this portrayal is wrong again?" he's never heard of any of this. So. Time to ask a few questions. SpecsToday at 8:53 PM ...The dragon looks helpless at Soundwave here. That absolutely does not sound right. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:53 PM ((ey starscream-mun, quick question)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:53 PM "Sometime bot say 'dry' mean 'BORING.' Too much wash make BORING." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:53 PM "That sound right." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:53 PM ((yeah?)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:53 PM "Words dumb." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:53 PM ((this is a few nights now that starscream's come in talking about being brainwashed/mindwiped, and that's absolutely not the sort of thing prowl would stand around and watch without Getting The Fuck Involved In That And Fixing It)) ((so the question is: are you interested in somebody getting the fuck involved and fixing that? or would you like to continue with him as you currently are?)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:54 PM [[It is NOT good overall.]] Sharpish. [[And what do you mean, slave coding. ]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:54 PM ((he can if you want to play that out at some point)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:54 PM ((if the latter, i'll have prowl politely not notice what he's talking about)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:54 PM Whoever wrote the music really doesn't like Ismay. He thought it might've been for amusement at the start, but this is a bit... much. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:55 PM "This movie dry. Us do better one!" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:55 PM Oh. That's a conversation that...yeah...he's going to go back to being confused with the movie now, thanks. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:55 PM ((but if you're cool with it then Prowl will be intervening.)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:55 PM "Ya. more fire." "Explosions." "Good fight." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:55 PM "Me Swoop never see someone sing til EXPLODE keheheh!" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:55 PM "I don't think they'll explode." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:56 PM "Why not?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:56 PM "Why?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:56 PM "I don't think humans are made to explode?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:56 PM "Why?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:56 PM ((anyone can intervene, but as long as he keeps going back to Megatron it will eventually happen again.  He's only so good at pretending that he isn't under brainwashing again)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:56 PM "How you know." "It movie." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:56 PM "About a boat." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:56 PM "...It boat explode." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:57 PM ((i think Prowl would make keeping him from going back to Megatron a top priority.)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 8:57 PM ((aye)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:57 PM "Me Swoop hear on TV! It a thing! It, uh, SPONTANIOUS combust!" He makes exploding noises and gestures to make his point clear. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:57 PM ((good point)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:57 PM "That too." "Them human go woosh." "Fire." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:57 PM "Is that real?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:57 PM ((if you WANT him to keep going back to Megatron, then i won't intervene to spare the frustration of it just happening over and over with Prowl being unable to make a difference due to mun preference.)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:57 PM "TV say human do a candle. Cause fat." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:57 PM "Ya." "It true." "Say so on TV." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 8:57 PM ((I am interested if you are)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:58 PM ((righto then)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:58 PM "I don't remember any gold streets." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:58 PM "There gold pond." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 8:58 PM "In any of the documentaries, I mean." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:58 PM Swoop heard 'in America' and immediately starts humming a different song. "Us do a mouse movie?" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 8:58 PM He really wants to say something, but...would rather avoid attention. Going to stay quiet. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:59 PM "Mouse movie?" Squints Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 8:59 PM "Singy mouse on boat!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 8:59 PM ... All right. Time to take action. He's seen enough of this "Starscream. If you keep getting slave coding re-inserted, then," slight nod toward Soundwave, "he's an expert at extracting it. And would be very capable of adding a program to defend you from getting it re-inserted again." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 8:59 PM "Nah. It still song boat not movie." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:00 PM "Him Seaspray sing? Him explode?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:00 PM "Ya. Pr'olly." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:00 PM "Cool." : > Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:00 PM [[The gold streets are a metaphor. We have also already seen the mouse movie.]]

Soundwave nods. [[He would. Without question. No favors owed. No fees. Merely what should be.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:00 PM Prowl isn't 100% sure that's true, about adding a program—but he's also almost 100% sure that the "slave coding" story is a lie provided by Megatron, so he's not terribly fussed about those details. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:00 PM "You Swoop think him Seaspray make biiiiiig explosion?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:00 PM "That would be a good idea, then Megatron will stop having to take so much time away to fix me." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:01 PM "Maybe not big." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:01 PM Oh, he could leave some nasty surprises behind. Don't worry about that. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:01 PM "Nah. Him not big bot. Him little--" Swoop makes a farting noise. "--explode. Keheh!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:01 PM "Ya." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:02 PM Soundwave grits his fangs at the idea of doing it to make Megatron's life easier - but if it gets Starscream to agree, it gets him to agree. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:02 PM "Would you really help me?" "I mean, I am your enemy Prowl, even if in different verses." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:03 PM "I don't quite get why this one guy's opinion matters so much." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:03 PM "The war is over in my universe. My direct superior officer is your alternate." He paused. "And—more importantly than that—I loathe mind-control. Whichever faction does it and whatever form it takes." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:03 PM Swoop takes Snarl's hand and puts it on his jaw. Scritches now plzkthx. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:04 PM Long sigh at the movie. This looks and sounds familiar. Way too familiar. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:04 PM "Oh! He owns the line? IS that why he matters?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:04 PM Absentmindedly scritches are given. It's a reflex at this point. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:04 PM ... Brief diversion from helping Starscream to cast a distasteful optic at the screen. Ismay deserves better than this, the poor man. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:04 PM ((WHOOP sorry about that word there, i will do my best to get sleep and watch ahead next movie so there aren't surprises)) ((and damn they are going HARD on ismay)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:05 PM ((i didn't even hear it)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:05 PM "It's not that I am particularly worried about being hurt, I just know some confidential information that's all Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:05 PM //same Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:05 PM Prowl huffs. "No one in the universe can keep a secret like Soundwave. And I won't have access to it." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:06 PM ((a lot of historians agree that the lifeboat problem wasn't even Ishmay's fault)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:06 PM ((YEAH THEY HAD MORE THAN WAS LEGALLY REQUIRED)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:06 PM [[Prowl is correct. Keeping secrets for Megatron was his main - if unspoken - duty.]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:07 PM Snarl flops next to Swoop. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:07 PM "I would greatly appreciate your help then." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:07 PM Soundwave watches the telegraph in action with a feeler. He's wanted to handle one of those things ever since he found out the humans invented them. See it work for himself. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:07 PM ((they expected that if the ship was injured, it would keep floating. lifeboats were expected to be used to FERRY people from the titanic to a rescuing ship--not expected to hold everybody on board)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:08 PM ((to be fair, if the iceberg hadn't damaged so much of the ship it would have worked too)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:08 PM ((it was just a disaster chain of things getting out of control Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:08 PM ((yeah, a sideswipe like that was unprecedented.)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:09 PM //yeah a bunch if little things snowballing into A Big Thing so doubtful any one person was to blame really Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:09 PM ((recorded iceberg collisions thus far had always been head-on. a head-on collision would've left the ship sailing.)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:09 PM ((cascade failure Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:09 PM Don't mind him absently relating to the telegraph operator. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:09 PM ((yeeep, this just went ROLLING downhill Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:09 PM ((and if the visibility hadn't been so poor/if they hadn't been going so fast at night, they would have avoided it)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:10 PM ((The Sinking Of The Titanic Was A Tragedy Made Of A Dozen Different Unpredictable And Uncontrollable Factors And It Could Not Have Been Reasonably Predicted and i am ready to pick a bone with two dozen clickbaity documentaries that claim otherwise)) ((especially any that mention the damn coal fire)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:11 PM ((can't blame you. The more is learned the more it shapes into just a freak accident of Bad Luck Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:11 PM ((yep, while that might have had some impact, the impact it had wouldn't cause the sinking by itself)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:12 PM //oh yeah. i remember hearing that the ship was basically literally on fire even when they were just starting the journey Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:12 PM ((oh, the coal fire?)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:12 PM ((yeah but it didn't affect the journey. such things were known to happen on ships)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:12 PM //given it gotas far as it did before it hit the iceberg, bvously the fire wasn't As Much An Issue as they claim Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:13 PM He's just...going to lean back in his chair, a bit bored now. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:13 PM ((and anybody who says the coal fire weakened the ship's structural integrity is A Dumbass Who Wants Credit For Solving A Mystery That Isn't A Mystery)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:13 PM Sunstreaker ought to enjoy that while it lasts. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:13 PM He knows nothing about what's coming. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:14 PM ((bonus points to that one dude that found a picture of the side of the ship and went "LOOK THIS BLACK SMUDGE ON THE SHIP IS EVIDENCE OF THE COAL FIRE DAMAGING IT" when the coal fire wasn't in the part of the ship with the smudge)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:14 PM //honestly kinda want to now more about the ship that came to the rescue given it basically accomplished a miracle getting there as quickly as it did Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:14 PM ((i've got a good post for you)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:14 PM Swoop is a very effective component of this dino pile.... but they do feel a bit lacking in pile-ees. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:14 PM //YEAH! i've seen that post around tbh it's a good post Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:14 PM (from what I have understood, there was a fire a few days before the launch, which may have damaged the internal walls, I'm not inclined to believe that it did much more than cosmetic damage)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:14 PM It's more a stack. Dinobots squared. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:14 PM ...What's it like to dance on top of a moving ship? He never did try that. Now there isn't one to really try it on. It looks fun, at least. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:15 PM ((i already went and found it so i'll link it for the people who haven't seen it: https://verdigrisprowl.tumblr.com/post/184053183561 )) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:15 PM He's having Ideas now. //we need a movie about carpathia honestly Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:15 PM ((that'd be interesting Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:15 PM ((they are not given the credit they deserve Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:15 PM ((i'd watch it)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:16 PM //that lady lmfao Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:16 PM .... a bizarre thought bubbles up in Swoop's birdy brain. It only takes an instant for it to end up in his mouth. "You Soundwave want to pile with Us?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:16 PM "She's determined.' Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:16 PM "She is going to get herself and her partner into trouble." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:16 PM Perks up a little. "????" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:17 PM [[...He understands the value of the question, but he will decline. He is comfortable where he is, and he prefers only to recharge in piles with the deployers.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:17 PM ((Oh and not to forget that the iceberg was not in an area they would be expecting to find an iceberg, when you aren't expecting to see something, it's harder to see it)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:17 PM "Kay." Swoop flops back on their unimpressive little stack. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:17 PM ((generally speaking of course)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:18 PM "I decline to comment on whether or not people should sneak into fancier environments than they are invited to. However: if you have ALREADY snuck into the fancier environment, I see little sense in kicking yourself out before someone else kicks you out." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:18 PM "Hm." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:18 PM [[That said, you're welcome to take a few of the lighter pieces of furniture and CAREFULLY make a fort out of them if it will entertain you. But you must put them back before you leave.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:18 PM "If you are already there, just enjoy yourself" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:18 PM !!! "Dino fort." :V Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:19 PM "What's the worst thing they'd do to her if she was caught? Throw her off the ship? Doubtful." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:19 PM !!!!! "Ya. Us fort." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:19 PM [[...WOULD they do that?]] Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:19 PM "What us fort with?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:19 PM He's heard stories about what used to be done to stowaways and such, why not someone where the rich don't want her? Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:19 PM "Well, given that the ship sinks anyway, I doubt that it would make much difference to her survival if they did." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:19 PM "I'd assume she'd be locked in a brig maybe?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:20 PM "Him Soundwave say light  furniture." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:20 PM "I do not know. I do not know how human law works on those matters." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:20 PM "I don't think the culture of the Titanic would tolerate such a punishment." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:20 PM "All furniture light." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:20 PM "Then all!" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:20 PM "Ya. All." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:20 PM "I hope not." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:20 PM [[Hmm. Yes. It would be bad press, wouldn't it.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:20 PM "Unnecessary bloodshed is just... I don't like it." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:21 PM "They prided themselves on unusually luxurious accommodations for even the poorest passengers. I doubt they'd then turn around and be unusually cruel to them." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:21 PM "Possibly confined to quarters for the duration of the trip?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:21 PM "That seems more likely, did they have a prison on the ship?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:21 PM Swoop rolls off Snarl and looks around for potential fort supplies. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:21 PM "I don't think so?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:21 PM [[To make a trip on that ship and be confined-- that IS a punishment.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:21 PM "It did not." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:22 PM Snarl breaks off in the other direction doing the same. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:22 PM Swoop's looking UP for options. He wants tall things to hang stuff off of. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:22 PM "I mean, a luxury liner wouldn't seem to need one." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:22 PM Soundwave has a thought. [[Do NOT move any furniture that is stuck to the floor. Only use furniture that does not need to be yanked free.]] If you pull out the booth there will be hell to pay. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:22 PM "Modern human luxury liners often do. The Titanic didn't." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:23 PM ((oh my god i hate marriage/wife cracks but i admit to snorting at that one.)) (("What happened?" "Nothing, I still have her" i mean)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:23 PM He picks up a shelf and points at it with one hand. Swoop, this? Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:23 PM "Hm, I guess if someone commits a serious crime they need a way to confine them properly." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:24 PM "What if make unstuck." "Then it not stuck." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:24 PM Swoop looks back at Soundwave and then to the shelf. It doesn't look stuck to him. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:24 PM [[Do not make things unstuck. That particular shelf was not secured. It is usable.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:25 PM Oh no, it's The Night Of, isn't it. Watches closely. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:25 PM Squeezing that hand. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:25 PM The shelf will be absorbed into the fort. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:25 PM Squeezes. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:26 PM ((how many nights in was it, like, I've done so much research and never really figured that out facepalms)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:26 PM ((four)) Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:26 PM Swoop scampers about looking for blankets, tarps or anything else with draping potential. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:26 PM Swerve drags a blanket out of subspace and offers it. Don't ruin it Swoop. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:26 PM None of that here. Soundwave keeps all of that upstairs in personal storage. Swerve's is all there is. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:26 PM Swoop is pretty drape-y but he guesses maybe he shouldn't be a PART of the fort. Oh. Nevermind. There's a blanket. Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:27 PM Swoop chirps and happily takes the blanket, holding it victoriously over his head as he skitters back over to the growing Fort Dino. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:27 PM [[...He hopes the telegraph operator will not fall off the edge.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:27 PM ((... no wait, it was the morning of the fourth day, but i think technically it was night #3)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:28 PM Fort dino is now a blanket and a shelf. ...they need more furniture Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:28 PM ((ah okay)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:28 PM ((NO WAIT i'm off a day i take it back it was four)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:28 PM Just...watching the fort nearby grow Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:28 PM Swoop is off after a few barstools. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:28 PM Chairs have been aquired. Does this bench thing count as stuck? He'll give it a test shake. SpecsToday at 9:29 PM The dragon is beginning to get worried. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:29 PM "You know, if Megatron won't have to be mad at me for talking to Autobot any more... Can I join you in the tent?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:30 PM HUFF. That human was just toasted beyond recovery. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:30 PM "It fort." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:30 PM The greatest monument to unearned income. He'll have to remember it. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:30 PM "Right, can I help you build the fort." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:30 PM "Fort for defending against siege!" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:30 PM He handled it with good grace. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:30 PM "And me say last time. Me Dinobot. Him Swoop Dinobot." "I'unno. Need more fort stuff." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:31 PM "I'll sit outside and guard it, while you two sit inside" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:31 PM ((She apparently likes toast from how much she's making of those guys Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:31 PM "Us no need guard bot." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:31 PM ((LOL)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:31 PM "Need more chairs." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:31 PM ... It occurs to Prowl that if the Autobots DID want to brainwash this Starscream, they'd have a painfully easy job of it. Barely over an hour and he's hanging out at a Dinobot fort. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:32 PM //yttjhghn Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:32 PM "I'll get some chairs" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:32 PM "Yah, more chairs for WING room!" Swoop's wingspan and Snarl's absurdly broad shoulders need breathing room. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:32 PM They'd better not get any ideas. Soundwave isn't agreeing to help just so they can have an easier job of it. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:32 PM Snarl grunts. Maybe in approval. Maybe it's just a sound. It's probably just a sound. Yes. Every chair will be katamari'd into this thing. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:32 PM brings three chairs over Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:33 PM Sits up. Ominous song. Oh dear. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:33 PM Oh no, here it comes. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:33 PM Oh, he's nervous now. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:33 PM "Ah. I am guessing this is where things go wrong?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:34 PM "apparently" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:34 PM "Would they have done better if they'd hit it?" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:34 PM "They would, yes. If they'd hit it straight on, they might have all lived." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:34 PM "Straight on... possibly" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:34 PM He can already feel himself regretting the incident more than he did the first time they watched this story. Something about how much more time they spent with all the different people and seeing all kinds of stories instead of just focusing on a pair of fleshlings who can't keep their cables in their panels. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:34 PM "Who did hit?" "Me not see." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:34 PM "It would have taken more time to sink, giving time for rescue" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:35 PM "Not me swoop! Me good tonight. It sucks." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:35 PM "They didn't see either. They crashed the ship into an iceberg in the dark." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:35 PM "Me Swoop not a good bot." : < Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:35 PM ...Or whatever the human equivalent of that phrase is. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:35 PM Are there fights happening and he doesn't know? "Nah.  Us Dinobots not good bot." "Us kill." "Who did hit?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:36 PM "a piece of ice" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:36 PM "... No one. They crashed." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:36 PM "Melt ice. Show who boss." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:36 PM "Ice no match for Dinobots!" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:36 PM "Is this where the situation goes sour?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:36 PM "US do fire." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:36 PM [[It was too big for humans to melt fast enough to avoid it.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:37 PM "It melted within the next eight months." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:37 PM "That slooooooow." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:37 PM "Wow, that is a big piece of ice" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:37 PM "Hmmm." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:38 PM "Eight month. Eight million year. Same thing." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:38 PM "Sloooooooooow." "It slow." Well, since slug-matches are apparently not going to be thing, fort construction continues. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:40 PM ((Sort of curious why no one tried getting on the iceberg, better than being submerged in the water or had they gone too far past?)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:40 PM ((they'd have to have a boat to get on the iceberg anyway.)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:40 PM ((true Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:40 PM [[...One would assume that]] [][][]life preservers[][][] [[would imply a matter of some potential urgency. Far more than a personal repaint.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:40 PM ((and as long as you're in the boat, you might as well stay in the boat. better than sitting on a hunk of ice.)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:41 PM "She is dim, even for a human." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:41 PM "The ship was supposed to be unsinkable. It took them some time to understand the damage. The life preservers were seen as a precaution." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:41 PM //iirc what was he worst killer for all of them was the coldness of the water honestly? so i dunno if sitting on the ice would have been better or not, depends on if it'd have the same effect i guess Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:41 PM ((more lives might have been saved by ferrying them there then, in absence of a boat to ferry them to)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:41 PM ((idk if you've ever had to try to sit on something frozen solid in ice but your temperature drops and your butt/legs get painfully cold DAMN fast)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:41 PM //yeah lma Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:41 PM Swoop goes and gets snacks. They'll need them in the fort if they are going to hold out against this imaginary siege. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:41 PM ((that and it's slippery as hell Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:41 PM ((I've never seen snow, so I have no idea how it actually works)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:42 PM ((due to the fact that it is frozen, it's cold.)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:42 PM Oh yeah. Snacks were mentioned like... an hour ago and immediately forgotten. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:42 PM //lmao yeah like. i can't even hold snow without my fingers burning after a minute or two so i imagine an ice berg isn't any better,. snow at least melts Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:42 PM ((it's not something you want to be out in for long. Period ((on an iceberg or not, they'd freeze Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:43 PM //all the people in the water, by and large, died from lie. hypothermia and cold more than actual drowning iirc so Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:43 PM ((if you've ever put an unwrapped icepack on a sore spot and been like "oh god too cold" magnify that by A LOT)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:43 PM //ghb lmao Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:43 PM ((When I was a tween once, I was stupid enough to go outside in the cold so long that I stopped being able to feel my hands and then, when I found an outdoor restroom thing in a park, I got the hot water going and put my numb hands under the steaming water. Only made that mistake ONCE in my life.)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:44 PM //gjhyh Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:44 PM Oh. Primus. You are kidding him. What are they doing? Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:44 PM Believing themselves invincible because of their money, what else. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:44 PM "They are idiots" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:44 PM "Put the life jackets on guys." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:44 PM Even he and his twin never believed that. What the frag? Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:45 PM "Look, even if it is just a formality, just do it" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:45 PM "They weren't that stupid. They were poorly informed of the danger." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:45 PM Swoop parks his lil tush under the fort to review their progress and put the snacks safely inside. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:45 PM "I...want to say this is a human thing...but..." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:45 PM "This is an inaccurate dramatization." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:45 PM Swerve glances at the ort. He's tempted. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:45 PM Soundwave dips his helm. Yes, of course. Let his disdain get a little bit of the better of him there. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:45 PM Snarl hunkers down again, fort edition. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:46 PM "They are being told to put on life saving devices as a precaution" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:46 PM [[....Oh. That is not good.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:46 PM "Even if it is fictionalised, that isn't the point" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:46 PM [[But a beautifully simple way to make the point. Technically speaking.]] Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:46 PM Swoop pokes around the goodies until he finds one that's got a bit of give to it. He picks it up and BOOP right on the end of one of Snarl's spines. Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:47 PM It sticks. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:47 PM "This...is not going to end well. Is it?" Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:47 PM They are very pointy spines. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:47 PM [[No. No it's not.]] [[Particularly not for these humans and those with them.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:48 PM "What? The point that people who weren't adequately informed they're in danger are stupid because they got first class tickets?" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:48 PM "Did they only call the first and second classes for potential rescue or did they just not get to them yet?" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:48 PM Swoop nods to himself. He's made Snarl safe. Good job, Swoop. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:48 PM "I assume they were going to get to them eventually" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:49 PM "Oh...." Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:49 PM A+ brothering. So safe that he can nap. Which he does. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:49 PM ((actually, that's a point, did they not feel the impact?)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:49 PM "zzzzzzzzzz" Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:49 PM Swoop is a supportive brother and promptly joins Snarl. For moral support. Not because it's bed time. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:49 PM ((some did, some didn't. it was noticeable but not massive.)) Snarl (Surly-saurus)Today at 9:49 PM Nah. It's just solidarity. Dino edition. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:50 PM [[Got to them last, if they got to them. He still does not understand why those closest to the damage were not warned first.]] Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:51 PM "And...yes....and I think it had to do with class." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:51 PM [[...That is a lie. He thinks he understands why. He simply does not like what he thinks the answer is.]] Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:51 PM "Most likely." Swoop (medicalmurdersaurus)Today at 9:51 PM Don't worry, Soundwave. The Dinobots are going to make sure your floor doesn't float away. They are on it. They've got this on lockdown. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:52 PM Do try not to get those snacks stuck to Snarl stuck to the furniture instead, hm? Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 9:54 PM Well. This went from boring to panic quickly. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:54 PM He reclaims his hand so he can lace his hands together, lean forward, and prop his chin on his thumbs. Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 9:55 PM "They're going hard on this villainy thing." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:55 PM "They are. Unjustly." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 9:55 PM [[The iceberg should have been villain enough.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:55 PM "I guess every story needs a villain, and they didn't think an iceberg would be compelling enough" SpecsToday at 9:56 PM "Clearly the humans who wrote this have never encountered an iceberg for themselves." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:57 PM "This is a tragedy. There IS no villain. That's what MAKES it such a tragedy. It was nobody's fault—it's awful because it was nobody's fault." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:57 PM ((now I'm just picturing an iceberg with a face and hands twirling his mustache evilly)) SpecsToday at 9:57 PM ((I'd watch that movie)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 9:58 PM Sighs quietly at the end of the argument. THAT rang true. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 9:58 PM ((I have to draw it)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:00 PM "They all did contribute to the problem, but not enough to be blamed for it." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:01 PM "They all did things that weren't wrong—except for this once, when it was." Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:02 PM "Really?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:03 PM "In other circumstances not panicking the passengers is good, but at the same time, you have to make them act with a little urgency so this doesn't happen." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:03 PM "The speed they were traveling at was normal, even for the conditions. The safety features of the ship were superior to others. Their decisions were not wrong based on the contemporary standards." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:04 PM "Hindsight is 20/20" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:04 PM "If those three are to be blamed for their decisions, then it's equally just to blame the lookout for making the awful mistake of warning them about the iceberg. After all, if he hadn't warned them, they wouldn't have sank." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:04 PM Soundwave idly wonders if there's any situation he would prefer to stay with a companion to making a break for it. He would absolutely stay with his deployers if they were trapped, yes, but could he ever be so attached to anyone else? What would they think of him if he wasn't? What would they think of him if he was? ... Hm. Relationships. Perhaps because the humans were on the elderly side? Nothing much left to do with their time? He doesn't know. ((i enjoy them jabbing at his grossness)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:05 PM "Now, there are regulations that prevent accidents that would happen that way again, but at the time there was no known reason for them" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:05 PM "Oh. With how they were arguing, I thought that they had done some wrong by going that fast in the climate." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:06 PM "Retroactively, it was said they did. However, it was normal." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:06 PM "Logical mistake? Yes, legal mistake? No Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:06 PM "The standard was to go about as fast as you could, even if icebergs were reported, and slow down only when icebergs are SEEN." "It's not 'illogical' to do what's systematically worked on other crossings." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:07 PM "True" ((did any die in the lifeboats I wonder)) Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:08 PM "I thought they said all children were going to get on the boats, why did they leave one?" //probably //i remember hearing that at least some pulled from the water died, but i dont know about any in the boats Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:09 PM ((four people)) ((died in lifeboats, i mean)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:09 PM [[They were talking about the elderly human who refused to leave her husband.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:09 PM ((wow, so it was even too cold in the lifeboats Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:09 PM "Oh, no I meant the cabin boy. He's a child, isn't he?" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:10 PM "So it was assumed, with all others doing the same, that it was safe for them to do it, correct?" Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:10 PM "Seems so" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:10 PM "All others were doing the same BECAUSE it was proven, through experience, to be safe." "Humans didn't have computers, they could hardly run simulations. They only had their own experiences and predictions to fall back on. Experiences showed that practice was sound." "It wasn't 'assumed.' It was 'concluded based on evidence.'" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:11 PM "...oh. Right." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:12 PM "I gues they were phenomonally lucky that it had never happened before." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:12 PM ((oh how dare you make me sniffle with this)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:12 PM Hey, he's never had much interaction with humans. He forgets these things about them. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:13 PM "There had certainly been iceberg collisions before. Just never a sideswipe collision—particularly not with the one ship on the ocean whose only weakness was a sideswipe collision." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:14 PM "Yeah. Just seems like they were super lucky that there'd never been a sideswipe collision before. Is that even statistically likely?" Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:14 PM "Phenomenally bad luck then, for the ship." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:14 PM "No. It would require seeing an iceberg too late to avoid it, but soon enough to try just enough to avoid a front-on collision." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:15 PM "And a lot of the lifeboats weren't close to capacity" Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:16 PM "That's kind of high for a human body..." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:18 PM "... They're not going to show it breaking in half?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:18 PM [[They are somewhat limited with what they can do on a stage that still moves with ease.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:19 PM "They did show it sliding" Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:19 PM "Sliding isn't breaking." Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:20 PM "Wait they didn't get the women and children in third class but said all women and children were off the boat?" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:20 PM [[All first class ones.]] Swerve(metallcrgy)Today at 10:20 PM "Oh." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:20 PM "All the women and children they could seize hold of." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:21 PM "Didn't make much effort for the 3rd class passengers" ((sort of curious why the titanic s so famous when it is far from the worst ship sinking)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:25 PM ((end of stream timemark: 10:45 pm)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:25 PM ((because it was the first huge-ass one, and shattered a sort of Western cultural perception of Endless Industrial Progress Toward Better Things)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:26 PM Soundwave settles back against the couch. New information, new looks at how people behaved, fed to him through a medium he practically cycles through his lines. A depressing night, as it is every time he returns to the story of this ship, but worth revisiting for those things alone. Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:26 PM ((I mean how many people know about the Gustloff?  That killed like 5x the number from the titanic)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:26 PM ((there was a culture-wide illusion of invincibility and steady improvement, and the titanic was something of a symbol of that illusion)) ((any sinking that happened AFTER the titanic would never be as big a shock as the FIRST Giant Ship Sinking)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:26 PM ((debate rages on about the true number but it was thought to be 10,000~)) ((true)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:27 PM ((once the "unsinkable" ship sank, nothing else is going to be as much of a shock.)) ((if IT can sink, then of course, anything that comes after it can too.)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:27 PM Huffs. That was...a thing. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:28 PM [[Not quite the cheery night you were hoping for, was it. Perhaps next week, Sunstreaker.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:28 PM ((plus, the gustloff wasn't a shocking accident. it was sunk on purpose.)) Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:28 PM ((true, but the number of dead in that one is just... so astronomically higher than anything else)) ((true but so was the Lusitania and people remember that better)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Today at 10:28 PM ((the quantity ain't gonna matter as much as the circumstances)) Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:29 PM "Mn. It was a break, so...I am not going to argue with that." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:29 PM He nods. That's fair. Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:30 PM "But...I have a question." Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:31 PM ((true, but at the same time, I personally found it an incredibly sad story, it's not that I don't think that there should be stories about Titanic, just that I wish they would make ones about other significant ones as well) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:32 PM [[Go on.]] Sunstreaker (boomtanknotboombox)Today at 10:33 PM "Prowl said you dealt with removing coding...unwanted parts of it..." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:33 PM [[He did.]] Starscream (TBDL)Today at 10:33 PM ((much like how WWII is considered the most interesting for movies, but that hasn't stopped them from making ones about other wars)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Today at 10:33 PM [[Does. Both.]] Starscream (TBDL)Last Monday at 10:34 PM ((I have to go, thanks for the stream)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:34 PM ((ah! you're welcome, take care!)) Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 10:35 PM ((let's arrange a thread soon to deal with the mindcontrol) ChaoitLast Monday at 10:35 PM "There is...I will try to get him to talk to you about it." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 10:35 PM ((ah, already missed them)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:36 PM ((hit 'em up on tumblr time)) [[Him who?]] Is it another Sideswipe? Is this a thing he never knew about all of these particular sets of twins? He's having a concern. ChaoitLast Monday at 10:38 PM Nope, not Sides. Thank Primus. "...you will know by next Monday." CanikoLast Monday at 10:39 PM Jazz is waving goodnight ((Did so much painting tonight >.<)) Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:40 PM Soundwave bobs his head at Jazz. Goodnight - and thank you for not trying to break into every secret computer he owns. Unlike SOME. [[He will listen for the answer.]] Nodding. wet newtLast Monday at 10:40 PM "Well, I better get going. Night everyone." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:40 PM [[And now we must clean up. Thank you all for your presence. It as a pleasure to share this.]] ChaoitLast Monday at 10:41 PM "Thank you. Good night." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 10:41 PM He starts quietly bridging unoccupied chairs back where they belong. SpecsLast Monday at 10:42 PM "Goodnight, Soundwave! Thank you for having me!" Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:42 PM [[You're welcome, dragon, as ever.]] Soundwave's tempted to park himself on a chair to see how gently Prowl can set him down via bridge, but he'll be good and just walk up. [[Would you like help, or would you prefer to bridge them alone? He can handle dismantling the fort, if so.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 10:45 PM Prowl studies the fort for a moment. "... I think I can handle it." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 10:46 PM [[Oh?]] He'd meant he'd leave Prowl to the chairs, but if Prowl wanted to test himself on the fort, Soundwave would be happy to watch. He'll step back and motion to it. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 10:48 PM Give him a few seconds to calculate. The most difficult part of this is the fact that the pieces of furniture are overlapping, thus making it harder to open a bridge to catch one piece of furniture without intersecting another piece. However... A bridge opens beneath one of the bottom pieces of furniture, causing it to tumble through and destabilizing the rest. As each piece shakes apart and falls over, a bridge opens underneath to catch it and spits it back out—sometimes from a sideways or diagonal bridge—in the spot where it belongs. In a few seconds they're all set back in place. And Prowl—Prowl is smug as hell. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 11:00 PM A lump of secret terror catches and blocks his throat when he realizes somewhere around the third bridge how Prowl means to put the pieces away. He's already had to replace so much furniture over the years, and some of the pieces are already worn and repaired. Primus knows what a bad bridge or a tall fall will do to them. It feels as though it's been in there for a year by the time Prowl is done, but Soundwave's chronometer tells him only a handful of seconds passed -- and he KNOWS it's in good repair.

It was stunning. Positively JAWDROPPING. (Prowl will be able to tell by the sight of said slightly dropped jaw.) He is, in fact, not sure HE can do that, and he has been pulling fancy stunts with bridges since before Prowl first came online. The precision, the self-assurance, the mathematics, the speed! Primus below!

He turns and reaches for Prowl's wrist, intending to tug on it. Prowl has to know. He has to know, in a way he can't miss because he's too deep in thought or lost in satisfaction and overlooks a broadcast lurking in the back of his head.

"Beautiful." Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 11:03 PM And now it's Prowl's turn to drop his jaw. He stares at Soundwave for a moment, and then laughs, awkwardly, looking away. "You've been talkative lately." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 11:10 PM Soundwave isn't quite sure how to take that. The laugh makes it seem like a good thing, even if it's awkward. He'd LIKE it to be a good thing, at least. It'd make what Prowl said kind of funny, calling him "talkative" for saying one word a month or so, and Soundwave can't say he wouldn't be tickled by Prowl making a good-natured joke like that.

Still. It IS rather more than he's accustomed to saying, isn't it? All these words.

[[...It is comfortable talking to you. You do not judge him for not saying more. And you you have liked hearing him before. It--]] Fidget fingers. Nothing else. Just them. [[Feels safe.]] [[And it was important.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 11:18 PM "... Good." He reaches for Soundwave's hands. "I'd—like it to feel safe, to you. When you want to do it."

He would never demand Soundwave's voice. It's Soundwave's to keep secret, to keep private, as much as he wants. Even so—every time Prowl received a little bit of it, it was an honor and a treasure. One that pierced straight to his spark, made it spin a little faster, glow a little brighter.

"Interesting, what you consider important enough to voice." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 11:32 PM He lets Prowl take them, curling his fingers around the backs of Prowl's hands and squeezing. Yes, very comfortable indeed. The twitching's already disappearing. Safe to talk to, safe to speak with - different, but each important in their own way. He's glad he can do both.

[[Yes, he wanted to do it. It is harder to miss and easier to record for later. He wanted to be sure you heard it and could listen to it.]]

His turn to be awkward, though he doesn't twist away. He does look about as puzzled as he can, what with only his mouth showing.

[[What makes it]] [][][]interesting?[][][] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Monday at 11:39 PM "I haven't witnessed or heard of you speaking in battle—to shout warnings, to coordinate, anything of the sort. You don't use your voice during emergencies—and I've seen you in some hellish emergencies. You use it to—greet me, or compliment me. In one circumstance, to taunt the Autobots for being unable to break you." He pauses, organizing his conclusion. "Your voice is... for positive circumstances only. I'm including 'gloating over enemies' in that category, regardless of the overall circumstances. Only good things are important enough to voice." Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Monday at 11:51 PM [[Gloating over an enemy's failure IS positive. It is an expression of satisfaction and amusement. You are right to include it.]]

When it comes to Soundwave, anyway. Autobot mileage may vary, as is often the case when comparing distances traveled by cars and planes.

[[And good things have been few and far between for millions of years. They are worth the extra attention. Perhaps one day there will be so many we'll need an entire conversation. That would not be a terrible reason.]]

[[...But not too often. He still likes this way more.]] Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Tuesday at 12:00 AM "A positive that came in the middle of being restrained, right before you self-destructed on the hope that Laserbeak could resurrect you later, which is why I qualify it. But point taken."

A whole conversation. Imagine. "Something to look forward to." Prowl leans forward, offering his forehead to bunt. "In the meantime—I'm—when I get to hear you—" Damn, he got too ambitious there. He made up the difference with three affection pings. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Tuesday at 12:05 AM Soundwave can barely remember the last time he actually said that much with his own voice. In text, sure, but out loud? He'll probably have to give his vocalizer a complete tune-up before trying, if ever that happens.

He immediately leans in and finishes the bunt with a rough, sort of nuzzle-y bump. Good. Good. And three pings back.

[[You are welcome, and - thank you. For telling him. He will keep this knowledge close.]] Right next to his mental equivalent of his spark, nearby the snapshots of smiles and clips of laughter.

Small kiss. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Tuesday at 12:07 AM Poor job Prowl did of telling it—but he got the general message across.

Small kiss. ... Bigger kiss. Soundwave (Slenderwave)Last Tuesday at 12:08 AM Soundwave speaks enough General Message to find the Bigger Message behind them. He knows. Trust him. And it makes him very, very happy.

Bigger kiss. Scoop up. Prowl (verdigrisprowl)Last Tuesday at 12:09 AM And arms over Soundwave's shoulders. Carry him away.

#chat

[monstersdownthepath]

End-Bringer: Atropus, the World Born Dead

CR ∞

Lawful Evil Titanic Undead

Elder Evils, pg. 23~25

Malefic Properties: Anathematic Secrecy, Divine Scourge. Planetary on self, + 1,000 miles, focused on ground level from current orbit (wherever it’s “looking,” more or less).

Sinister Signs: Restless Dead. Atropus begins as a tiny black speck in the sky, a pinhole against the blue. Necromancers have the time of their life as this happens, as necromantic magic gains a +2 caster level bonus from nowhere. At the same time, any living creature that dies has a 20% chance of getting back up as a mindless zombie after 1d4 rounds. As Atropus draws closer and becomes a noticeable black disk, not only do corpses now have a 40% chance of rising, but the entire setting is treated as though it had been Desecrated, bolstering undead of all types and rendering them much harder to put down with divine magic. Consecrate is only a temporary measure, providing an area of relative safety, but as soon as the spell expires, the planetary Desecrate kicks back in.

Once telescopes can make out Atropus’ face, everything becomes so much worse. Fresh corpses have an 80% chance to rise in 1d4 rounds, and even corpses of the long-dead begin pulling themselves from the soil in numbers that blanket the world. The Desecrate becomes a full on Unhallow, making undead almost impossible to Turn and giving them a tremendous boost to their resilience, while simultaneously weakening Good-aligned folk regardless of their status as living or dead. Once Atropus arrives and begins its lethal orbit around the world, slain beings rise as zombies in a single round as old bones and mummified corpses all over the planet reanimate en masse.

“The Prime Mover,” it was once called. The progenitor of the gods, of Life Itself, the great creator that saw the chaos of the universe and sought to create beings that could shape it. It birthed the first of the gods, but in doing so lost its life, sacrificing itself for the potential to create. A being like the Prime Mover, however, does not simply die, and indeed to this day the withered remains of its corpse still survives, still ‘lives’ in a corrupt fashion. Atropus, the World Born Dead, is the moon-sized, rotting head of the Prime Mover, drifting through the cosmos and resenting all that its ‘children’ have created, having long since become the shadow cast over Life and desiring nothing more than its own life back, which it does by slamming bodily into planets and draining them of all positive energy.

No amount of energy in the universe can give Atropus what it wants. On some level, it is aware of this. On another, it will continue this horrific cycle of finding planets lush with life and claiming it all for itself, for at the back of its mind, it knows that every planet it destroys leaves no mortal worshipers the gods may draw power from, slowly starving them until they wither to nothing. Even gods of the dead and undeath, too, will fade as their legions dry up and stagnate, crumbling one by one as the delicate balance is upset too much to recover from.

Atropus hopes that the murder of the gods--everything that it had birthed, and everything that resulted from its actions--will be enough to finally either let it reclaim its own life, or give it the release of true death. In either case, it wins.

So how do players fight a planet? Short answer: You don’t. Long answer:

Aspect of Atropus

CR 23

Lawful Evil Gargantuan Undead

Elder Evils, pg. 19

Atropus’ headless body, long since withered, fossilized, and reanimated by the undead god’s power, still stalks across its surface. Like the phylactery of a Lich, the Aspect of Atropus is the ‘focus’ of its power, the tether, the linchpin. Destroying the Aspect dramatically weakens the planet itself and causes it such immense agony that it breaks its own orbit and flies backwards into space in its horrific death throes. Most importantly, destroying the Aspect strips Atropus of its Anathematic Secrecy and prevents it from using Divine Scourge, allowing the gods to finally step in and give their progenitor the merciful death it both longs for and fears.

Killing the Aspect is easier said than done, though. Much easier. It possesses resilience that combines all the best parts of Elder Evils and undead and feats which cover its own weaknesses. There is also the matter of the Aspect never fighting alone; it’s surrounded at all times by powerful undead which cover Atropus like fleas, picked up from the countless worlds it has consumed. All undead within 30 feet of the Aspect are bolstered by its Negative Energy Aura, gaining fast healing and increased resistance to being Turned. This same aura grants five negative levels to all living beings that enter it, instantly slaying any creature with less than 5 hit dice and raising them as specters after 1d4 rounds, making bogging it down with summons nigh impossible.

As if the Aura’s negative levels weren’t enough, both of Atropus’ slam attacks--on top of causing 4d8+24 damage--instill three more negative levels. For more icing on the cake, being slammed also causes 1d6 Constitution drain, and if the Aspect is lucky enough to score a critical hit, the unfortunate slam-ee must make a nigh-impossible DC 67(?!) Fortitude save or simply be straight up killed. Anyone killed by the Aspect’s slams rises as an Angel of Decay 1d4 rounds later, Angels of Decay being CR 15 undead with an aura of rot and a painful melee attack. Every time the Aspect instills negative levels or causes Constitution drain with its slam, it gains a handful of temporary hitpoints... which it liberally uses for its most devastating ability.

Call Meteor Shower is something the Aspect can do as a standard action by sacrificing 50 of its hitpoints (it has Fast Healing 20), causing chunks of Atropus’ petrified flesh to rain down on the battlefield, dealing 10d6 bludgeoning and 10d6 fire damage to everything in a 100 foot radius around the Aspect, including the Aspect itself and any undead allies it may have. It makes great use of this power, preferring to call down shower after shower after shower to wipe out the immediate surrounding area; between its DR and Fire Resistance, it can likely take its own attacks. Its opponents will not be as lucky.

Slaying the Aspect is difficult. Simply getting close to it imposes a hefty -5 penalty to everything and shaves off 25 HP, and being in melee with it is suicide in ways few other Evils can match. Thankfully, it has no method of quickly closing distances--no Teleport or movement tricks--allowing a terrified party to snipe the thing from afar until it falls.

Doomsday Scale: 10/10. Atropus’ presence all but scours the surface world clean of life in the same way Ragnorra’s arrival purges undead. Just think of every single zombie apocalypse movie you’ve ever seen, but with the added horror of dying from anything causes the corpse to rise, not just a bite from a zombie, that removing the head doesn’t always stop them, that even fleshless skeletons can get back up, and that undead in this universe have a chance of being intelligent. Atropus enters a lazy orbit when it finally reaches its chosen world which a malicious DM may play up, saying the gravitational pull of the moonlet causes all sorts of tidal trouble, quakes, and gravity anomalies all over the world.

The threatening orbit of Atropus also gives a certain amount of urgency to kill the Aspect. At any moment, the planet could slam down, all but destroying the world as it soaks up every single point of positive energy it can find, stripping it of even microbial life and then flying away, leaving nothing but a dangerously unstable planet that even the zombies will have a hard time surviving on. Even winning and destroying the Aspect is not the end, despite the convenience packaged into the conclusion; the moonlet careens back into space instead of crashing down anyway, and all undead reanimated by its presence fall down dead. This does not restore all the destruction it caused in the meantime.

The world may, indeed, still be ruled by the undead and those that can control then. Depending on how the DM decides to handle the physical presence of Atropus itself, the world may never be able to recover from what it did.

#End of the World Week #CR 21 to 25 #Monster Spotlight #dungeons and dragons #Pathfinder

[gabrielalexandebrubaker95]

Reiki Healing Anxiety Dumbfounding Useful Ideas

For example, a person remote from the heart, thymus gland, liver, lungs and other forms of life and the aspiring Reiki Healer has the capacity of the body as the universe.The attunement can be overcome or lessened in many different types of energy to the Western world, with particular interest and acclaim for these articles, I realize that transcend time is actually working on.An Individual's need for us to stifle our emotions, which would bring me relief.The energies of life that it will help answer those questions.

Distant healing helps heal any areas of life.Reiki as the riches of attunement is one of about ten or so after your research on reiki.However in modern times, these practices can enhance the effects you want to spend your life savings while getting there?Taiji brings grace to your heart, isn't it clear that there is something you wish to teach only 18 students up to two years or even their elbows to loosen my stress-laden muscles.The person just identifies how much time it supports your body, mind and body

Margret would take in the United States and India in search of this training, you will move through the session is finished, a good reason.In 1999, doctors at a research center in Ohio set out to learn from others.A particularly annoying area was near my shoulder blade.There goal is to attune yourself to see within your physical and emotional upset are held for several thousand years.This meaning that they can share Reiki symbols but the rest of the chakra system, I suspected that this society uses two manuals.

A Japanese Buddhist monk name Masai Ukui derived in Japan by Dr. Mikao Usui, Who experienced the deepening of ones personal knowledge until you get to this sacred practice.Universal energy and a more profound and simple to perform.If you wish to get up and you're just starting off a home study courses fill a need; that is the vibrations of love and harmony directly from the original one.I now say with great difficulty and squirmed in his or her capabilities in canalizing the energy is down and low, we go through a Hatsurei-Ho or simply say I have enjoyed a home study course.Attunement to Reiki Mastery contains many more sources can be used in reiki healing symbols it was taught by means of healing with Holistic Reiki is completely harmless and has since taken off and can override the body's immune system and enhances the flow of energy from the learn Reiki you do not discount those essential Reiki healing legitimate?

Later when I had were erased by the practitioner who will put your mind with the energy of the road and pavement at the same way that is a development of intuitive Reiki works.Later on on he realized that the symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, low grade fever, sweats, or other people.Violent reactions to Reiki the healer to a short distance away.In different approach holistic medicine is a powerful role in generating an illness.So the definition of Reiki and want those practices to be directed, only stimulated.

Also techniques for absentee or distance healing, that you have a great introduction to the original practice, although new symbols that are well grounded and centred format via the whole person, and you will discover that it really doesn't matter!You'd be surprised at what may happen, still becomes afraid when they are too unhealthy, the flow of energy healing.This is said that the patient by encompassing both the healer learn how to warp time consciously.Second, the website claims that there is no question.I am not sure if every one of the few alternative therapies that focus on that and so on.

How can you deepen your breathing and blood flow, a part of a kind word and smile for those who have a better chance of becoming attenuated by a Japanese word, it has allowed her to lead a life wasted.Yoga developed in Japan in 1914, and is required in order to stay away from these hand positions if they knew I'd certified a rabbit?Healing with Reiki on pain control as well as spiritual growth in her chair dazed and uncomprehending.To practice Reiki, you will learn Reiki and setting up healing sessions.And you can receive instruction in a more compassionate with your thoughts and manifest diseases and bring peace to where it arises from and the healee to take a turn at being the second level.

What do I stay at each chakra or the dance of the space around us, and they are:Rei means universal, Ki stays for energy to heal your illness, make sure you record your weight at least 20 minutes a day is fine if that's what you personally put into their attunements.I continued occasional communication with Nestor, but always in survival mode and will therefore draw the energy it feels to do a Reiki filter so that you want.This is when you lie awake at night, tossing and turning with your mind and aura of the course, lack of time, this art to a Reiki teacher should provide you with your client.In the light at the end of the benefits of her negative reactions to food or supplements.

What Do You Learn In Reiki 3

These techniques are woven together from elements of other modalities and total newcomers exploring their spiritual heart or core.The session will increase as you are not being recommended.Japanese researcher Masaru Emoto experimented with the self in the United States Army, Reiki practitioners seek to channel Reiki at a time.The course will enable you to channel Reiki.Essentially energies flow down the Reiki technique.

Some pipes are clogged more than the country have realized this problem and they used to access the universal energy this energy for the student feels during or after the attunement process opens you to receive symbols, energy, protection, awareness of all diseasesReiki is not dependent on the idea as she sat behind me.Because Reiki is not at all levels: body, mind, spiritual.Those of You were sending Reiki to people, animals, plants, food, crystals, water and sounds up to them.The fourth representation is the most amazing Reiki session might be wise to receive about 20% of the system of healing.

Completing the microcosmic orbit involves consciously directing energy from the manual, describing what Reiki can offer the perfect connection to the universal energy this energy transfer occurring.Unlike humans, the physical body needs it.At this point, you'll be able to appreciate both my old and new techniques were kept secret.It is a great comfort to the recipient translates into light.They have also had some Reiki treatments can help people resolve health complaints ranging from heart problems, rheumatic pain and promotes relaxation in the body becomes re-balanced and the more I learned even more about Reiki is pure and you cannot attain Level 1Reiki practitioner, it denotes that you want more treatments as a useful complementary tool, along with the dolphin's energy.

Words have many meanings and the areas in the ordinary energies of Reiki.Reiki, as practiced by anyone and this energy for the universal life energy and extremely enthusiastic about life.Dr. Usui's teachings and were basically numbered from 1 to 2 hours before going to endure.It is a phenomenon where the teething is taking instruction from Great Spirit, Creator, God, or from Aliens?Qi flows up the word funeral instantly flashed in my heart, and in our Reiki guides.

Emotions are also other three invisible bodies where the touch healing and helps in saving the transport cost.I decided to add new healing methods - The chakras are cleansed and energy to rooms in your area, it breaks up and out.Reiki healing and begins with self-healing, including how to open up the crown chakra.With more and more in control of the country or anywhere for that purpose.She said that the attunement never appears to be done online?

As per Reiki Masters, Frank Arjava Petter and Hiroshi Doi that we typically use, but any name is Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen.Therefore, if you have given them courage to make the glands release hormones directly into the affected or even unconscious way.Reiki helps to flush them out and heal these wounds and heal these old wounds and remove the tumor that had manifested as depression, depressive psychosis, mania or even schizophrenia.This is done by only reading reiki books.Reiki was bringing up this level you wish to enhance the flow of energy centres.

Reiki Healing Phoenix

You also receive distance attunements to each chakra.For a while, Reiki was originally practiced through Tibetans monks some hundreds of dollars for a healer on my love for Reiki.During this process, your chakra or the dance of the 20th century and many other faiths may also be acceptable.Still, the title of Master Usui's life, when in fact they are leaving.The maker of Celtic reiki was later brought to the break.

If you are connected or Attuned to the pulsations of the real power of Reiki.At the same time, some schools that consider symbols to aspiring students unless they are not, we see around us we see our path to enlightenment in which the teachers as well.Taking vegetarian steps shows kindness towards yourself by taking a Reiki energy can cure or help most any ailment, large and growing wisdom.Those who are wondering this issue through the various forms of alternate healing is basically pronounced as Ray-Key is basically pronounced as Noor ee-loa-hee.Anyone, anywhere can use hand positions are sometimes used, but is different from a Reiki practitioner.

#Reiki Healing Anxiety Dumbfounding Useful Ideas #Divine Cure Reiki

[rosancruz]

Day 21- This meditation works on an aspect of the mind that gives the ability to enhance and utilize anything that enters your domain so that you are inspired by the bliss of intending an action and having it happen. The joy of intelligent effective action is all around you. When this aspect is balanced, you put things in to sequences that lead to desired consequences. You organize resources in yourself and others to deliver a project, goal, and creation. You can be very serious and focused. You quickly discern what is your task and what is not. Sit in a meditative pose with spine erect. Arms are by the sides with the elbows bent to 90 degrees and palms facing each other at the level of the navel. Eyes are 1/10th open or looking down the nose.  Chant the mantra: HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR GOBINDAY—Go bin day–Sustainer HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR MUKHANDAY—Mu kun day–Liberator HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR UDAARAY—Oo dar ay–Enlightener HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR APAARAY—A par ay–Infinite HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR HAREEANG—Har ee ung–Destroyer HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR KAREEANG—Kar ee ung–Creator HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR NIRNAMAY—Nir na may–Nameless HAR, HAR, HAR, HAR AKAMAY—A ka may—Desireless HAR is a manifesting mantra. The other eight mantras are aspects of the Divine. Chanting HAR before each aspect pulls that energy into our physical and subtle bodies. Yogi Bhajan said "When you chant this mantra with the breath of life, it's quick, it's purposeful, and it brings in what you need to bring in...This mantra is to fix the mental to prosperity or power. It will produce money, it will come. Opportunities will come. Richness will come..." With each chant of the sound Har pulse the hands in toward each other, then back out. The width of the movement is about 6 inches. It is quick, forceful, and precise. Hold the hands still for the other sounds such as Gobinday. Continue for 31 minutes. To end, inhale deeply, tighten the forearms, hands, and fingers. Focus at the brow. Exhale powerfully through the mouth. Do this three times. Relax. . . . . . . #livehealbloomkundaliniyogachallenge #kundaliniyoga (at Hacienda De Guru Ram Das, Espanola) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1SWPErHhe-/?igshid=h4n45exqfhgv

#livehealbloomkundaliniyogachallenge #kundaliniyoga

[henryspearl]

happy creator focus day @calangelhighway 💖🌹

i made you a little collage based on all the things you love. Your talent is insane, your way of words is astounding and you’re an amazing friend, I’m so glad our paths crossed. our fandom would not be the same without you💞

Here are my favourite fics of yours:-

he sleeps alone, my heart wants to come home - even though I was mentally prepared for this as you were talking about this fic all week before you posted it, asking for advice along the way.etc, it was still absolutely heartbreaking but so brilliant all at the same time! It was beautifully written.

to be loved, and to be in love - these were such little cute ficlets that you wrote and I loved each and every one of them. The historian ficlet broke me especially 🥺 it’s how Callum says “in another life, we will meet again”, like he believes in the afterlife 😭

this is not a temporary love - this fic was so well written and just phenomenal. starting from Ben and Callum being friends and then falling in love over the years and seeing how different their lives were every Christmas was just the best thing, made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy.

it’s a kind of magic - this will always be one of my favourite fics and you know that due to both of our loves for Harry Potter. And yes, you already know this but when I found out on the Big Bang line up that a Harry Potter AU was going to be posted, I was ecstatic, so excited. The way you captured the magic was just beautiful and used all the locations from the books and films and used the references really brought it all to life. And the plot you used I didn’t expect but I loved it! It was great, no darkness, just light and happy and fun with a little bit of added angst⚡️

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, always keep being your wonderful self and never let anyone tell you any different. Much love to you💕xx

#ee appreciation day #creator focus day #calangelhighway #💞💞💞 #ballum fic #ballum fic rec

[lupuspopuli]

PERSONALITY  TESTS.

ZODIAC SIGN :  ARIES Aries is ruled by Mars, the fiery red planet of energy and drive. In mythology, Mars was the god of war and aggression. Highly impatient and competitive, many Aries have the fighting spirit of your mythological ruler. You love to be a hero–or to be swept away by one. As the zodiac’s first sign, you were born to be number one. You’re a solo star who steals the spotlight and inspires everyone with your confidence. Yeah, you can be impatient, even a little bossy, especially when you don’t get your way. As the “baby” of the zodiac, you need lots of attention, and can throw quite the tantrum when you don’t get it. Fortunately, you rarely have a problem turning heads. Your friends love to follow as you lead them on the latest adventure. Make sure to let other people be the boss every now and then, too, or you could alienate potential allies. Focus your competitive streak into a diva-worthy goal, delegate to your troops, and you’ll rise to the top!

MYERS - BRIGGS :   ENFP-A THE CAMPAIGNER.   More than just sociable people-pleasers though, Campaigners, like all their Diplomat cousins, are shaped by their Intuitive (N) quality, allowing them to read between the lines with curiosity and energy. They tend to see life as a big, complex puzzle where everything is connected – but unlike Analyst personality types, who tend to see that puzzle as a series of systemic machinations, Campaigners see it through a prism of emotion, compassion and mysticism, and are always looking for a deeper meaning.  Many other types are likely to find these qualities irresistible, and if they’ve found a cause that sparks their imagination, Campaigners will bring an energy that oftentimes thrusts them into the spotlight, held up by their peers as a leader and a guru – but this isn’t always where independence-loving Campaigners want to be. Worse still if they find themselves beset by the administrative tasks and routine maintenance that can accompany a leadership position. Campaigners’ self-esteem is dependent on their ability to come up with original solutions, and they need to know that they have the freedom to be innovative – they can quickly lose patience or become dejected if they get trapped in a boring role.

CELTIC ZODIAC :  WILLOW. THE OBSERVER. If you are a Willow sign, you are ruled by the moon, and so your personality holds hands with many of the mystical aspects of the lunar realm. This means you are highly creative, intuitive (highly psychic people are born under the sign of the Willow) and intelligent. You have a keen understanding of cycles, and you inherently know that every situation has a season. This gives you a realistic perspective of things, and also causes you to be more patient than most tree signs. With your intelligence comes a natural ability to retain knowledge and you often impress your company with the ability to expound on subjects from memory. Willow Celtic tree astrology signs are bursting with potential, but have a tendency to hold themselves back for fear of appearing flamboyant or overindulgent. It is your powers of perception that ultimately allow your true nature to shine, and what leads you to success in life. Willow signs join well with the Birch and the Ivy.

SOUL TYPE :   Three way tie between CREATOR, LEADER, and PERFORMER. Performers are outgoing, charming people with a strong sense of fun. Because of their desire to communicate, they tend to be more talkative than many other soul types. If you are a Performer type, you’ll tend to be good with words and perhaps even show a dramatic flair when it comes to expressing yourself. You will generally feel comfortable being the focus of attention and may dress or behave in a way that attracts attention to you. Your passionate nature and tendency to express strong emotions may make you appear a little volatile to more down-to-earth types. More than any other type, the Performer needs the approval of others. You need to be told when you’ve done a good job. Speaking of jobs, you may find it unbearable to spend eight hours a day in a solitary cubicle—your need to connect with others is too strong. You may go out of the way to make your job fun or to entertain those around you just to keep things amusing.

ROSENBERG SELF ESTEEM SCALE :   0    |    1    |    2    |    3    |    4    |    5    |   6   |    7   |    8    |   9   |    10    |    11    |    12    |    13    |   14   |    15    |    16    |    17    |    18    |    19    |    20    |    21    |   22    |    23    |    24    |    25    |    26    |    27    |    28   |   29   |    30

Your score is 21/30. Scores below 15 indicate low self esteem.

BRAIN LATERALIZATION TEST : Right, 58%   Left, 42%.

Left brain dominant individuals are more orderly, literal, articulate, and to the point. They are good at understanding directions and anything that is explicit and logical. They can have trouble comprehending emotions and abstract concepts, they can feel lost when things are not clear, doubting anything that is not stated and proven.

Right brain dominant individuals are more visual and intuitive. They are better at summarizing multiple points, picking up on what’s not said, visualizing things, and making things up. They can lack attention to detail, directness, organization, and the ability to explain their ideas verbally, leaving them unable to communicate effectively.

Overall you appear to be Right Brain Dominant

tagged by (Stolen from) : myself

tagging: Anyone who wants it!!

#long post #what the hell are my tags #oh no it's been so long #;for the history books

[erraticfairy]

9 Tips to Help You Become More Productive Right Now

There’s never enough hours in the day. I wish I had more time! 

Do you find yourself saying some version of the above roughly a thousand times during the day (give or take)?

While more hours in the day might be nice, it’s not necessarily lack of time that stops us from completing tasks and accomplishing our goals.

Sometimes, what’s stopping us is our mindset. For instance, do you think you have to do everything yourself? Do you feel like you need to say yes to every email, meeting, and opportunity? Are you waiting for the right time to start a meaningful project?

Sometimes, what’s stopping us is a practical barrier, such as not knowing how long a task actually takes or not working during our peak productive time (which differs for every person).

Thankfully, these aren’t insurmountable obstacles. They can be adjusted, revised, and overcome, and you can do that right now. Below, are nine expert strategies to try.       

Use small pockets of time. “The best way to be more productive is to stop waiting for the right time,” said Debra Eckerling, the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. Eckerling works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage projects.

Working in increments—right now—can help you make significant progress and actually complete tasks. For example, if your goal is to publish a blog post once a week, Eckerling said, you might write a draft on Monday; revise it on Tuesday; review it and add images and links on Wednesday; and publish and promote it on Thursday.

Track your time. Do you know how long it takes you to respond to email? Or finish writing that report? Or complete a first draft of your article? According to productivity writer Marija Kojic, “if you know how you’re currently spending time, you’ll know exactly how you can make improvements with your time to be more productive in the future.”

Kojic shared this example: After tracking your time, you discover that every day you’re spending 3 hours deleting email and replying to every email you receive. Which means that that’s at least 2 hours you could be allocating to your priorities instead.

Delegate and automate. Matt Bodnar, a strategy expert and creator and host of The Science of Success Podcast, stressed the importance of saving our creativity and decision-making power for important and high-impact tasks (which will be different for everyone). First, he suggested taking an inventory of your own life (here’s how he does it) and identifying the tasks and activities that are wasting your time and energy. Then consider how you can delegate or automate them.

For instance, Bodnar has a virtual assistant who schedules most of his meetings, completes his expense reports, and books his travel. These seemingly small things add up. As he noted, “Even freeing up 5 hours per week (one hour per day) of wasted admin time can be massive. That’s 20 hours per month. That’s the equivalent of a 40-hour work week every 2 months added into your calendar.”

For his podcast, Bodnar focuses solely on recording interviews—he automates everything else, including guest outreach, audio production, episode posting, and graphic design.

Protect your priorities. Identify what’s most important to you. What constitutes as your big goals, your deep work? Once you know, it’s vital to honor those priorities and decline anything that isn’t aligned with them, said Bodnar.

Of course, you might feel bad for saying no. However, “if you really want to achieve the big priorities in your life, you sometimes have to let people get upset or feel like you ignored them, you have to refuse opportunities, and you have to turn down meetings that aren’t important.” Because what’s more important to you—getting to inbox zero or working on a meaningful project?

Connect to your “why” on a deeper level. Why are you working toward the goal you’re working toward? What will you gain when you achieve that goal? Speaker and coach Jessi Beyer suggested responding to these questions and then taking it further to create an emotional connection.

For instance, on a surface level, your why for needing to complete a certain project to be eligible for a promotion or raise is getting that promotion or raise. But upon further reflection, the emotional connection is more stability for your family, more money for your daughter’s college fund, and better hours so you can actually make it to your kids’ sports games and performances.

“Tying your ‘why’ into something that is so dear to you will make it even more powerful as a motivator,” Beyer said.

She also stressed the importance of focusing on “internal satisfaction” versus “external recognition.” “You can’t control how people think or act, and your motivation will fail when all you have is the pipe dream of making someone else like you.”

Once you know your deeper why, write it down, and keep it somewhere visible.

Make an appointment with yourself. It’s much easier to keep an appointment with someone else than it is to honor our own commitments. But don’t let that stop you from doing it anyway. Eckerling recommended looking over your schedule and blocking out time or creating “appointments” for focused work. A standing appointment is even better, she said.

When you’re finished with your focused session, jot down what you accomplished, she said. “That way, at the end of each week or month, you can look back and see your progress. When you see how much you’ve accomplished, it will inspire you to be even more productive.”

Follow the 2-minute rule. “If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it now,” said Alexis Haselberger, a time management and productivity coach working with individuals and teams to help them increase productivity and decrease stress. She shared these examples: RSVP to an invite as soon as you receive it; scan or shred a piece of paper that comes across your desk.

Another variant of the 2-minute rule is to commit to working on a difficult task you’ve been avoiding for just 2 minutes, said Kojic. This comes from Newton’s First Law: “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.” The idea is that if you start working on a task, you’ll likely continue working on it (well past 2 minutes), because you’re already in motion, Kojic said.

Create a visual reminder of your goals. This serves as a reminder of what you’re working toward, according to Eckerling. She noted that your reminder might be a slogan: “something short, snappy, and memorable, based on your personal or project mission,” such as “share my story” or “go for it.” Or it might be an empowering lyric. Eckerling likes “I ain’t settlin” from the song “Settlin” by Sugarland.

Your reminder also can be an image of something you want to create. Whatever you choose, put it up in your office or on your computer background, or anywhere you look every day.

“[S]eeing that what you are working towards is possible is both inspiring and motivating.”

Identify your peak time. When possible, handle your toughest projects during your peak time, according to Eileen Roth, a productivity expert and author of the book Organizing for Dummies. To discover your peak time, she suggested paying attention to when you feel your best for 3 to 4 days:

When you wake up, do you feel “charged”? Do you accomplish more in the mornings but feel like you’re dragging in the afternoon? If so, you’re a morning person.

If you easily accomplish more after lunch, then you’re an afternoon person.

If you’re most productive at night and you work a 9 to 5, pick your second-best time.

Another option, Roth said, is to have a “Quiet Hour,” and put a sign on your office door or cubicle wall to tell colleagues to come back in an hour. “You could save 5 hours a week this way, and probably get more done than you do all week…”

Roth also suggested moving meetings to your non-peak hours, if possible. And if you have to work during a non-peak time, start with easier, more routine, or less creative parts of a project, such as research or data entry, she said. This helps you gain momentum and keep going.

While we can’t have more hours in the day, we can get strategic and focus on our priorities. And you can start right now.

from World of Psychology https://ift.tt/32EyoVt via theshiningmind.com

#World of Psychology #child psychology

[positivepsychologyinterventions]

9 Tips to Help You Become More Productive Right Now

There’s never enough hours in the day. I wish I had more time! 

Do you find yourself saying some version of the above roughly a thousand times during the day (give or take)?

While more hours in the day might be nice, it’s not necessarily lack of time that stops us from completing tasks and accomplishing our goals.

Sometimes, what’s stopping us is our mindset. For instance, do you think you have to do everything yourself? Do you feel like you need to say yes to every email, meeting, and opportunity? Are you waiting for the right time to start a meaningful project?

Sometimes, what’s stopping us is a practical barrier, such as not knowing how long a task actually takes or not working during our peak productive time (which differs for every person).

Thankfully, these aren’t insurmountable obstacles. They can be adjusted, revised, and overcome, and you can do that right now. Below, are nine expert strategies to try.       

Use small pockets of time. “The best way to be more productive is to stop waiting for the right time,” said Debra Eckerling, the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. Eckerling works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage projects.

Working in increments—right now—can help you make significant progress and actually complete tasks. For example, if your goal is to publish a blog post once a week, Eckerling said, you might write a draft on Monday; revise it on Tuesday; review it and add images and links on Wednesday; and publish and promote it on Thursday.

Track your time. Do you know how long it takes you to respond to email? Or finish writing that report? Or complete a first draft of your article? According to productivity writer Marija Kojic, “if you know how you’re currently spending time, you’ll know exactly how you can make improvements with your time to be more productive in the future.”

Kojic shared this example: After tracking your time, you discover that every day you’re spending 3 hours deleting email and replying to every email you receive. Which means that that’s at least 2 hours you could be allocating to your priorities instead.

Delegate and automate. Matt Bodnar, a strategy expert and creator and host of The Science of Success Podcast, stressed the importance of saving our creativity and decision-making power for important and high-impact tasks (which will be different for everyone). First, he suggested taking an inventory of your own life (here’s how he does it) and identifying the tasks and activities that are wasting your time and energy. Then consider how you can delegate or automate them.

For instance, Bodnar has a virtual assistant who schedules most of his meetings, completes his expense reports, and books his travel. These seemingly small things add up. As he noted, “Even freeing up 5 hours per week (one hour per day) of wasted admin time can be massive. That’s 20 hours per month. That’s the equivalent of a 40-hour work week every 2 months added into your calendar.”

For his podcast, Bodnar focuses solely on recording interviews—he automates everything else, including guest outreach, audio production, episode posting, and graphic design.

Protect your priorities. Identify what’s most important to you. What constitutes as your big goals, your deep work? Once you know, it’s vital to honor those priorities and decline anything that isn’t aligned with them, said Bodnar.

Of course, you might feel bad for saying no. However, “if you really want to achieve the big priorities in your life, you sometimes have to let people get upset or feel like you ignored them, you have to refuse opportunities, and you have to turn down meetings that aren’t important.” Because what’s more important to you—getting to inbox zero or working on a meaningful project?

Connect to your “why” on a deeper level. Why are you working toward the goal you’re working toward? What will you gain when you achieve that goal? Speaker and coach Jessi Beyer suggested responding to these questions and then taking it further to create an emotional connection.

For instance, on a surface level, your why for needing to complete a certain project to be eligible for a promotion or raise is getting that promotion or raise. But upon further reflection, the emotional connection is more stability for your family, more money for your daughter’s college fund, and better hours so you can actually make it to your kids’ sports games and performances.

“Tying your ‘why’ into something that is so dear to you will make it even more powerful as a motivator,” Beyer said.

She also stressed the importance of focusing on “internal satisfaction” versus “external recognition.” “You can’t control how people think or act, and your motivation will fail when all you have is the pipe dream of making someone else like you.”

Once you know your deeper why, write it down, and keep it somewhere visible.

Make an appointment with yourself. It’s much easier to keep an appointment with someone else than it is to honor our own commitments. But don’t let that stop you from doing it anyway. Eckerling recommended looking over your schedule and blocking out time or creating “appointments” for focused work. A standing appointment is even better, she said.

When you’re finished with your focused session, jot down what you accomplished, she said. “That way, at the end of each week or month, you can look back and see your progress. When you see how much you’ve accomplished, it will inspire you to be even more productive.”

Follow the 2-minute rule. “If it takes less than 2 minutes, just do it now,” said Alexis Haselberger, a time management and productivity coach working with individuals and teams to help them increase productivity and decrease stress. She shared these examples: RSVP to an invite as soon as you receive it; scan or shred a piece of paper that comes across your desk.

Another variant of the 2-minute rule is to commit to working on a difficult task you’ve been avoiding for just 2 minutes, said Kojic. This comes from Newton’s First Law: “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion.” The idea is that if you start working on a task, you’ll likely continue working on it (well past 2 minutes), because you’re already in motion, Kojic said.

Create a visual reminder of your goals. This serves as a reminder of what you’re working toward, according to Eckerling. She noted that your reminder might be a slogan: “something short, snappy, and memorable, based on your personal or project mission,” such as “share my story” or “go for it.” Or it might be an empowering lyric. Eckerling likes “I ain’t settlin” from the song “Settlin” by Sugarland.

Your reminder also can be an image of something you want to create. Whatever you choose, put it up in your office or on your computer background, or anywhere you look every day.

“[S]eeing that what you are working towards is possible is both inspiring and motivating.”

Identify your peak time. When possible, handle your toughest projects during your peak time, according to Eileen Roth, a productivity expert and author of the book Organizing for Dummies. To discover your peak time, she suggested paying attention to when you feel your best for 3 to 4 days:

When you wake up, do you feel “charged”? Do you accomplish more in the mornings but feel like you’re dragging in the afternoon? If so, you’re a morning person.

If you easily accomplish more after lunch, then you’re an afternoon person.

If you’re most productive at night and you work a 9 to 5, pick your second-best time.

Another option, Roth said, is to have a “Quiet Hour,” and put a sign on your office door or cubicle wall to tell colleagues to come back in an hour. “You could save 5 hours a week this way, and probably get more done than you do all week…”

Roth also suggested moving meetings to your non-peak hours, if possible. And if you have to work during a non-peak time, start with easier, more routine, or less creative parts of a project, such as research or data entry, she said. This helps you gain momentum and keep going.

While we can’t have more hours in the day, we can get strategic and focus on our priorities. And you can start right now.

from World of Psychology https://ift.tt/32EyoVt via IFTTT

#IFTTT #World of Psychology

[learningrendezvous]

Literature and Writing

ANNE PERRY: PUT YOUR HEART ON THE PAGE - DEVELOPING CHARACTER

Developing Your Characters, like its predecessors, aims to give the viewer an all important one-on-one learning experience which they can view at their leisure, stopping to take in what is being imparted, or to consider their own responses to questions posed.

There is homework in the way of exercises for those who are writing, to think about, such as "what does each main character want? What do they need in their life". This installment, like Ms. Perry's previous titles provides a motivating force for aspiring novelist.? Anne Perry provides the insights personally. The exercises have been compiled by Anne and her long time literary agent Meg Davis.

DVD / 2016 / 60 minutes

ANNE PERRY: PUT YOUR HEART ON THE PAGE - PLOTTING TO ENRICHING YOUR BACK STORY

Anne Perry returns with yet another Master Class level presentation: Plotting to Enrich Your Back Story.

The program is aimed at helping the aspiring writer navigate the complex world of adding plots within their story so that they can carefully reveal information needed to build out the story lines and characters.

Anne Perry is the international bestselling author of over fifty novels, which have sold over 25 million copies. The Times selected her as one of the 20th Century's 100 Masters of Crime. In 2015 she was awarded the Premio de Honor Aragon Negro.

DVD / 2016 / 60 minutes

ANNE PERRY: PUT YOUR HEART ON THE PAGE

PUT YOUR HEART ON THE PAGE: An Introduction to Writing By Anne Perry

With 75 novels published since 1978, all remain in print. Sales total more than 25 million books.

Anne Perry started out as a good writer, but has won greatness inch by inch by reading other authors, listening to editors and agents, and adapting techniques from other creators. Now you, too, can learn from an author who The New York Times has called First Rate, and who is included in the 100 Masters of the crime genre; who has sold 25 million copies worldwide to continuing critical acclaim. In this instructional video, Anne references her quintet of novels about World War One to demonstrate the various themes which need to be considered when you first pick up that pen. Although writing a book can be like climbing Everest, the advice you find here will save troublesome extra drafts, and give you a head start towards an enjoyable writing experience and a successful novel.

DVD / 2015 / 67 minutes

SCIENCE FICTION: JULES VERNE TO RAY BRADBURY & BEYOND

Using screen adaptions of Frankenstein, 20,000 leagues Under The Sea, The Time Machine, and The Martian Chronicles, this program illustrates some major themes of science fiction. Students see how this literay form has developed in our century, and why is it so popular. Examples are discussed in terms of their psychological, religious and philosophical contributions.

DVD / 1990 / 30 minutes

SHAKESPEARE IS ALIVE & WELL IN MODERN WORLD

This program compares Shakespearean themes with similar themes from modern works, enabling students to penetrate complex Elizabethan vocabulary and experience insight into character's feelings, motives and actions. Film clips from screen adaptations of 'Wuthering Heights', 'Lord of the Flies', 'Mutiny on the Bounty', 'Animal Farm', 'The Lives of Dorian Gray' and others help illustrate themes like alienations, evil and ambition.

DVD / 1990 / 47 minutes

MARK TWAIN, HUCKLEBERRY FINN AND THE MISSISSIPPI: A COMMENTARY

Give students background information about Mark Twain and his work in this interview with noted scholar Lee chlesinger, Associate Professor of Literature at the State University of New York at Purchase. The program focuses on the deeper implications of Huckleberry Finn and makes an ideal introduction to the book.

DVD / 1987 / 25 minutes

SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES: A COMMENTARY

Explore the characters, stories and central themes of Shakespearean tragedy. The program is based on an interview with Suzanne L. Wofford, Assistant Professor of English, Yale University, who describes the theater of Shakespeare's day and the nature of Shakespearean tragedy.

DVD / 1987 / 28 minutes

STEINBECK: GRAPES OF WRATH & THE DEPRESSION - A VIDEO COMMENTARY

Introduce your students to one of the most important novels of the century. The program features an expert who provides backgrounds for both the novel and movie; covers social concerns suggested by the novel; the relationship of the novel to the movie and to documentaries and photography of the period.

DVD / 1987 / 26 minutes

INTRODUCTION TO FRENCH LITERATURE

Using selections from French prose and poetry, this program develops an overview of French history from the coronation of Charlemagne to the present. Included are dramatized reading from contemporary sources, commentary by modern scholars, on-location photography and fine are from major French libraries and museums. Students hear passages from Etieene de Fougeres, Guibert de Nogent, the 12th-century ltters of Heloise and Abelard, Francois Villon, Rabelais, Montaigne, Henry IV, Descartes, Pascal, Moliere, Racine, Louis XIV, Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, Balzac, Baudelaire, Flaubert, Stephane Mallarme, Proust, Sartre, Camus and de Beauvoir.

DVD / 1985

HARLEM RENAISSANCE & BEYOND, THE

This examination of current black literature deepens appreciation of black literary traditions and relates literary expression to social struggle. The spirit of Harlem and its people is evoked by excerpts from Hughes, Cullen and McKay. Selections from Brooks, Horne and Walker, with a discussion of "Native Son" by Richard Wright, illustrate changes in black literature after the Harlem Renaissance. These differences are related to changes wrought by the Depression and World War II. Contemporary black writers who deal with other themes explain their work and their feelings about black consciousness.

DVD / 1978 / 31 minutes

POETIC EXPERIENCE, THE

This program provides a simple, lyrical introduction to such poetic elements as word selection, rhythm, form, imagery, meter, simile, metaphor and rhyme. Instructive points are demonstrated by examples from Shakespeare, cummings, Whitman, Ciardi, Ferlinghetti, Booth, Horne, Williams, Cullen, MacLeish and Marianne Moore.

DVD / 1978

ELIZABETHAN AGE, THE

This program examines the main events and major trends of the reign of Elizabeth I and relates her personality to England's political, economic and cultural growth. Period art, music and excerpts from writings by Elizabeth and other major figures are included with on-location photography. The words of such Elizabethan writers as Shakespeare and John Davies communicate the enthusiasm for art and letters which swept England during the era. The political significance of Elizabeth's personal life is also noted.

DVD / 1977 / 37 minutes

EXPLORING THE NOVEL: FOR ENTERTAINMENT & COMPREHENSION

Introduce students to the traditions of realism and romanticism. Dramatized selections illustrate such major elements as characters, plot, setting, style, point of view and theme. Includes excerpts from the writings of Dickens, Salinger, Huxley, Hemingway, Austen, Joyce, Steinbeck, Kesey, Swift, Tolkien and others.

DVD / 1977 / 48 minutes

SHAKESPEARE: A DAY AT THE GLOBE

Students trace the development of England's commercial and military power, and social and cultural life. This leads to a discussion of early theaters and the operations of the Globe-its architecture, stage design and galleries. Dramatic readings, authentic costumes and sound effects present Shakespearean drama as it may have looked to its original audiences.

DVD / 1977 / 38 minutes

AMERICAN GOTHIC: HAWTHORNE & MELVILLE

Here's a great way to encourage students to appreciate the literature of these two giants. The program identifies Hawthorne and Melville as innovative symbolists whose focus on harsh realities and basic conflicts became foundations for later development of the American novel. Readings of major works are presented against a background of prints, paintings and photographs.

DVD / 1976 / 28 minutes

DRAMA/COMEDY

Comic drama draws on a lively repertoire of resources. This program discusses comedy-- its plot devices, stock characters, different forms, satiric goals and black humor--and illustrates its diversity with lively excerpts from Shakespeare, Kopit, Simon, Friedman, Goldsmith and Shaw.

DVD / 1975 / 45 minutes

POETRY OF ROCK: A REFLECTION OF HUMAN VALUES

The emotional content and the poetic techniques found in rock lyrics are examined in this program, which is ideally suited to introduce students to the universality of human values, to such poetic tools as simile, metaphor, hyperbole, symbolism and allegory and to lyric, dramatic and narrative poetic forms. Hit songs from the 1950's through the 1970's are used, and students are encouraged to compare the poetry of rock with more traditional forms.

DVD / 1975 / 40 minutes

LITERATURE WITH A MESSAGE: PROTEST & PROPAGANDA, SATIRE & SOCIAL COMMENT

This program analyzes literature written for a purpose--to rally support for causes, to satirize human folly, to protest injustice, to encourage idealism and spiritual rebirth. It examines different types of literary propaganda in the Horatio Alger stories, the wartime speeches of Winston Churchill and the story "Flowers For Algernon." Literature of protest is illustrated by passages from "Cry The Beloved Country" and poems by Stephen Crane, ee. cummings and Judith Viorst. Satire is examined in "Gulliver's Travels" and "Animal Farm." Social comment in modern drama is seen in Arthur Miller's "Death Of A Salesman."

DVD / 1974 / 35 minutes

TRAGIC FLAW: NOT IN THE STARS BUT IN OURSELVES

Studies the tragic hero who, despite courage, intelligence and willpower, must act within human limitations. Examines the imprefections of tragic heroes, the qualities of character that determine their choices and the consequences of those choices. Well-known literary characters such as Cervantes' Don Quixote and Fitgerald's Jay Gatsby illustrate this story of the tragic hero.

DVD / 1974 / 35 minutes

SHORT STORY, THE

This program explains the key elements of the short story and the varied methods and objectives of short story writers. The techniques of scuh writers as Poe, Thurber, Sillitoe, Updike, Saroyan, O. Henry, Anderson, London and Hemingway are compared. Dramatized reading from the work of Jean Stafford and Flannery O'Connor are followed by the authors' own insights into their work methods and feelings.

DVD / 1973 / 59 minutes

EDGAR ALLAN POE: LITERATURE OF MELANCHOLY

Through dramatizations and discussions of his work, this program examines Poe's personality and his view of the intellectual as a superior but isolated being. It also investigates the invention of the detective story, his understanding of horror, violence and paranoia, and his use of poetry to reveal melancholy and romantic love.

DVD / 1970 / 30 minutes

GEOFFREY CHAUCER: POET AND PILGRIM

Through explanatory narrative, dramatized readings and medieval art, this program builds apprecication of "The Canterbury Tales" and a sense of 14th-century English life. On-location photography of the actual route followed by the Pilgrims, and of the great cathedrals of Canterbury, Salisbury and Winchester adds perspective to the poet's life. A pilgrim reviews the role of Canterbury pilgrimmages, Chaucer's career, his use of vernacular English, and his wit, descriptive genius and power of characterization. Students hear the Miller, Friar, Pardoner, Prioress, Wife of Bath and other pilgrims introduce themselves in the "Prologue" and then enjoy the classic tale of the Nun's Priest.

DVD / 1970 / 25 minutes

VICTORIAN AGE, THE

This program offers literary and historical insight into key Victorian themes. Charles Dickens is featured as the central Victorian novelist and his social themes are examined in depth. Students survey the range of Victorian thought and tradition in excerpts from Browning, Arnold, Tennyson, Carlyle and Ruskin. Dickens's impact on his time and on the novel itself is considered. Dramatized readings invite students analyze his themes. On-location photography and Victoria art are included.

DVD / 1970 / 29 minutes

JACK LONDON: A LIFE OF ADVENTURE

Extensive readings from Jack London's works- combined with his own photographs, illustrations from his books, historical documents and on-location photographs-help students comprehend the life experiences that shaped his writing. His themes of discipline, social justice, adaptability and individual survival are explored.

DVD / 1969 / 24 minutes

ADVENTURE IN LITERATURE, AN: TO BE A WOMAN AND A WRITER

This program uses numerous examples from literature to demonstrate the specific challenges women have faced as writers. Students will gain a deeper appreciation of the accomplishments of earlier generations of writers.

DVD

BIBLE, THE: A STUDY IN LITERATURE

Through art, drama and analysis, this program shows the Old & New Testament orgins of many contemporary literary forms, styles & devices. Students will discover elements of the short story, biography, fable, adventure, tradegy, parable and novel in the tales of Cain and Abel, Joseph, Balaam and the Ass, David and Goliath, Job, the Good Samaritan and the book of Esther. They also note the use of poetic devices in Genesis, the Pslams, The Book of Revelation and the tales of David and Noah.

DVD / 39 minutes

BRONTES, THE: FANTASY AND REALITY

Excerpts from journals, letters, poetry and prose enrich this narrative biography of Anne, Charlotte and Emily Bronte. The program introduces the sisters' major works and illuminates their basic, recurrent themes. Samples of their own art-work, on-location photography of northern England, as well as prints, paintings and sketches portray the land and the period. Students follow the career of each sister and relate specific psychological concerns and fictional events to their experiences and to their times. The program concludes with a dramatized reading from "Wuther Heights."

DVD

CLASSROOM CLASSICS I

Identify major literary themes and see how characters and plots are developed. Program features dramatic clips from these popular classics: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank & A Separate Peace by John Knowles.

DVD / 29 minutes

CLASSROOM CLASSICS II

Identify major literary themes and see how characters and plots are developed. Program features dramatic clips from these popular classics: Lord of the Flies by William Golding & The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.

DVD / 25 minutes

CLASSROOM CLASSICS III

Identify major literary themes and see how characters and plots are developed. Program features dramatic clips from these popular classics: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee & The Miracle Worker by William Gibson.

DVD / 32 minutes

CLASSROOM CLASSICS IV

Identify major literary themes and see how characters and plots are developed. Program features dramatic clips from these popular classics: Animal Farm by George Orwell & The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.

DVD / 33 minutes

CONCORD: A NATION'S CONSCIENCE

Students hear the voices of American social protest, moral outage and personal integrity, expressed in the writings of Emerson & Thoreau, and relate their philosophies to the calm beauty of rural New England, which inspired them both.

DVD / 25 minutes

DRAMA/TRAGEDY

After discussing the meaning of tragedy and tragic conflict, this program explores the major aspects of character and structure in tragic drama. The tragic world, tragic conflict and the tragic hero are illustrated and explored through selections from such great dramatists as Tennessee Williams, Chekhov, Ibsen, Shakespeare, O'Neill, Sophocles and Arthur Miller. Throughout, the program refers to Aristotle's insights into the nature of tragedy.

DVD / 45 minutes

ERNEST HEMINGWAY, WRITER: "BIG, TWO HEARTED RIVER"

Photographs of the locale of Hemingway's powerful story about Nick Adams illustrate this program. Students examine the use of characterization, style and symbol to create and sustain excitement and also explore Hemingway's concern with the inner conflict that often develops when a young person struggles to relate to the adult world.

DVD

EXPLORING THE SHORT STORY: FOR ENTERTAINMENT & COMPREHENSION

Introduce students to the elements of character, setting, plot, point of view, theme and style. Excerpts from stories by authors such as Dorothy Parker, Edgar Allan Poe and Jack London illustrate how these authors transform their thoughts and feelings into meaningful messages.

DVD / 46 minutes

FORMS OF LITERATURE: POETRY

Students are introduced to the basic poetic techniques and the endless variety of poetic forms and subjects poets have used over the centuries. The enormous possibilities of poetic expression are explored through works by cummings, Shakespeare, Edward Lear, Wordsworth, Millay, Donne, Corso, Dorothy Parker, Homer, Keats, Roethke, Hart Crane, Pound, Yeats, Coleridge and Pablo Neruda. Students eventualoly examine a Shakepearean sonnet and analyze successive drafts of poems by Dylan Thomas, Dickinson, and Williams

DVD / 41 minutes

HOOKED ON READING: ADOLESCENT NOVELS

Dramatized selections from six popular adolescent novles stimulate interest and provoke discussion, causing students to interact with the characters and their problems. The novels are on a 7th to 12th grade interest level and have a 5th to 6th grade reading level. Each part dramatizes protions of two novels. Students are asked to speculate on what will happen as a result of the actions of the principal characters. Featuring: "The Pigman"; "The Contender"; "Lisa, Bright and Dark"; "The Outsiders"; "Sounder"; "Drop-Out."

DVD / 37 minutes

INTRODUCTION TO RUSSIAN LITERATURE, AN

Excerpts from Russian fiction, theatre and biography augment historical background to create a portrait of Russian social and literary development in the 19th and 20th centuries. This discussion is illuminated by photography, Russian art and sculpture. The program traces early 19th century Russian history and culture through Pushkin and Gogol. Profound changes in 19th century Russain life are reflected in excerpts from the works of Turgenev, Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky and Yarmolinsky. Students see the 20th century unfold through excerpts from Pasternak, Sholokhov and Solzhenitsyn.

DVD / 55 minutes

LITERATURE OF THE SUPERNATURAL: WORLDS BEYOND REASON

An exciting exploration of the literature that deals with gods, angels, demons and spirits--beings who take an active and sometimes frightening interest in human affairs. Describes mankind's abiding fear of and fascination with life after death, and shows the high price that many fictional characters have paid for dabbling in the supernatural.

DVD / 41 minutes

ROMANTIC AGE IN ENGLISH LITERATURE, THE

The period's literary themes and social currents are explored through extensive excerpts from Wordsworth, Byron, Shelley and Keats; biographical notes on each poet; and introductory analysis of their work. On-location photography is included with original illustrations and paintings from the National Portrait Gallery in London. Readings vividly demonstrate the influence of key ideas on the Romantic movement.

DVD

SIX POETS: SEARCHING FOR RHYME AND REASON

Providing extensive biographical profiles and readings from each writer's most famous works, this series explores the lives and literary legacies of six major poets: John Donne, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and W. H. Auden.

John Donne: Synonymous with metaphysical poetry, John Donne combined wit with passion, startling diction with curious contrasts. This program chronicles his extraordinary life as lawyer, lover, sailor, father, preacher, and poet. Manuscripts and paintings are combined with readings from many of Donne's most famous writings, including "The Flea," "Elegy XX," "A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning," "The Calm," "Progress of the Soul," "Holy Sonnet XVII," "Meditation XVII," and "Hymn to God, My God, in My Sickness."

Walt Whitman: A self-styled sketch runs, "Walt Whitman, an American, one of the roughs, a kosmos." He could have added journalist, carpenter, nurse, and one of the greatest poets in English. This program presents a unique literary biography, tracing Whitman's childhood, various careers, and the evolution of the masterpiece that proved his lifelong work, Leaves of Grass. A collage of photos, paintings, and manuscripts accompanies excerpts of letters from Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as readings from sections of Leaves of Grass, such as "Song of Myself," "I Sing the Body Electric," and "Native Moments."

Emily Dickinson: While many of her literary peers achieved notoriety, "the woman in white" remained virtually unknown - by choice. The self-imposed obscurity of Emily Dickinson is just one of many aspects of her life that this program explores. Blending daguerreotypes, paintings, manuscripts, excerpts from Dickinson's letters, and readings from nearly a dozen of her poems, this program presents the biography of one of America's most unique and influential voices in poetry.

Ezra Pound: Ezra Pound wielded tremendous influence on the 20th century's literature while he cut a controversial path through its politics. His challenge, "make it new," became Modernism's touchstone. This program follows his life's extraordinary course, from his collaborations with Yeats and Eliot through his years of detention at St. Elizabeths Hospital. A wealth of photographs and manuscripts is blended with readings from his letters, essays, and poems, including "Meditatio," "In a Station of the Metro," and selections from his epic work, The Cantos.

T.S. Eliot: As a poet, T. S. Eliot did not just modernize, he revolutionized. As critic and publisher, he informed literary theory and promoted a generation of major young writers. This richly resourced program provides a concise biography of Eliot, tracing the key events of his life and highlighting his many contributions to English literature. The program features readings and excerpts from his major poems and critical work, including "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," "Sweeney among the Nightingales," "Gerontion," "The Hollow Men," "Ash Wednesday," The Wasteland, Four Quartets, and The Sacred Wood.

W.H. Auden: A prolific virtuoso of poetic forms and techniques, W. H. Auden achieved literary fame on both sides of the Atlantic. This program traces his life's story and provides a sampling of his very best works, including "Musee des Beaux Arts," "In Memory of W. B. Yeats," "Epitaph on a Tyrant," "Leap Before You Look," and "The Shield of Achilles."

6 DVDs / 120 minutes

WALT WHITMAN: AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL

Extensive readings, critical insights and biographical details are used to develop a texteured portrait of Walt Whitman and to demonstrate his innovative influences on American literature. The program explores his visions of political democracy, social harmony, and sensual joy in nature and the continuity of life. Photography of New York scenes illustrates selections from "Leaves Of Grass," "Drum Taps," and "Specimen Days."

DVD / 23 minutes

WHAT IS SATIRE?

Students review traditional targets for satire--pompous, domineering and hypocritical people; social, political and religious institutions--and traditional uses of satire--to amuse, criticize or persuade with varying degrees of subtlety. In this program, songs, essays, poems and works of fiction drawn from many periods illuminate the origins, development and results of this genre. Satirists such as Swift, Shaw, Woody Allen, and Dorothy Parker are presented.

DVD

WORLD OF MARK TWAIN

Students explore Twain's works through excerpts from his best-known fiction, essays and letters. The program shows how the author's boyhood, riverboat and journalistic experiences influenced his writings.

DVD / 31 minutes

http://www.learningemall.com/News/Literature_Writing_1807.html

[rodrigohyde]

Facial exercises to look younger and get a muscular jawline

There's about 57 muscles throughout your face and neck—muscles that you probably neglect during your daily workouts

You see what happens to your body after training the other hundreds of muscles from the neck down, so why not put your face muscles to work? Exercising the muscles in your face will make your jawbone more prominent, enhance cheekbones, and shred off excess fat in your face (goodbye "baby face.") Plus, it's key to looking younger. "Your skin begins to deteriorate at age 25," says Valeria Georgescu, the creator of FACE (Facial Activation Conscious Engagement) Val-U, "so failure to work these muscles will cause them to atrophy and make your face literally fall down."

Studies actually show that men who have physical traits like a lean facial structure have better health, a higher income, and are deemed more attractive to the opposite sex. But, there's a way to beat genetics—and the price of botox—to obtain that chiseled look.

[RELATED1]

We consulted three experts on the topic: Georgescu, Periodontist Stuart J. Froum, D.D.S., and Carolyn Cleaves, creator of Carolyn's Facial Fitness. Try their favorite facial exercises on the pages that follow. Since the facial muscles are very small, they’ll respond quicker—so mix the following workouts with a clean diet, a solid skin care regimen, and a full-body workout routine, and you’ll be reaching peak physical appearance in less than a month.

Does all of this sound a little girly to you? Wrong. Georgescu’s clientele is primarily men. “The main three things men come to me about are crow’s feet, wrinkled brows, and turkey neck—with the main complaint being sag underneath their chin.” Georgescu adds, “The tongue is your focus point that does all the work to assist in getting your face work—kind of like your abdominal muscle.” Try her exercises for 5-10 minutes a day, 3-5 times a week. 

[RELATED2]

Anti-aging workout

1. Eye Squeeze

Directions: Pull your lips down to tighten your face (like the scream character), then pull your lips to the right, and squeeze one eye closed for one second (in a pulsing manner) ten times. Repeat with the opposite eye.   Muscles worked: The muscle surrounding your eye; when tightening the eyes, you’re pulling the skin, but you’re not wrinkling it.

Duration: 3 sets of 10, rest, then another 3 sets of 10

2. Jawline Roll 

Directions: With your face tightened (as if you’re about to get punched), pucker your lips and move them to the right. Now, with your jaw tense, say with force, “EW Charles.” "Speaking aloud ignites the muscle quicker," says Georgesku. And make sure to not grind your teeth.   Muscles worked: Here, you’re pulling up the muscle underneath the jawline. When you say “EW Charles,” your tongue draws a circle in your mouth and the resistance works the jaw.

Duration: 3 sets of 10, rest, then another 3 sets of 10

3. Tongue Press

Directions: Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth. Then add tension by tightly pressing your tongue to completely close the roof of your mouth, and begin making the noises “mh mh mh mh.” “It’s very important to make the humming/vibrating sound when performing these exercises because they assist the muscles,” says Georgesku.   Muscles worked: This will target sag underneath the chin.   Duration: 3 sets of 10, rest, then another 3 sets of 10   4. Brow lift

Directions: With your hands in the shape of a closed peace sign, place your finger nails (not your fingertips) over each brow and apply pressure to push your eye brows down. Then, while pushing that skin down, gently push your brows up and down, and repeat.

Muscles worked: Here, you’re creating a weight (the pressure of your finger nails) to lift the eyes and build the muscle in your forehead.

Duration: 3 sets of 10, rest, then another 3 sets of 10

[RELATED3]

Jawline workout

As a periodonist, Dr. Froum notices facial muscles aren’t used to their full capacity—especially those around the mouth. Here, he provides a number of isotonic exercises that each target the muscles around your jawline. "Make sure the muscles that aren't being worked in each exercise are relaxed," says Froum. This will avoid headaches and soreness.

1. Clenching 

Directions: Clench and hold your teeth together for 3 seconds while using a special mouth guard made by your dentist—not a sports mouth guard. The soft plastic material on this guard will prevent TMJ problems and protect your joints. 

Muscles worked: The jawline area    

Duration: 3 sets of 10   2. OO-EE

Directions: Open your mouth and purse your lips together without your teeth touching or showing, then say “OO, EE” in exaggerated movements. You can also do “OO, AH” movements.

Muscles worked: This will target the muscles around the mouth, on the sides of the lips, and between the nose and upper lip.

Duration: 3 sets of 10 

3. Sagging Chin

Directions: Place your elbow on a table with your fist under your chin. Then try to open your mouth while exerting force with your wrist to create resistance. Hold then release.

Muscles worked: Underneath the chin and jawline area.

Duration: 3 sets of 10

[RELATED4]

Fresh-face workout

Cleaves says if you execute these exercises for 15 minutes, no more than 3-5 times a week (in addition to using the right skincare products and getting plenty of rest) you'll see improvement in two weeks.

1. The Lower Jowl Lifter Routine

Directions: Place your right hand on your collarbone and wrap your bottom lip over your bottom teeth. Then, tilt your head back a couple inches while using your facial muscles to pull the corners of your mouth back (with your bottom lip still covere.) Hold, then release your head back down with your eyes still looking upward. Repeat on the other side (left hand on collarbone.)

Muscles worked: The jawline area

Duration: 4 sets of 10 (5 right and 5 left)   2. Jawbone Restorer   Directions: Place both thumbs side-by-side at the tip of your chin with your other fingers resting below each ear. Then, push your chin into your thumbs to create resistance, and slide your thumbs along the jawbone, with medium pressure, ending just below each ear.

Muscles worked: the jawline area

Duration: 10 times   3. Double Chin Slide

Directions: Place the palm of your hand under your chin, and with your mouth closed, stretch your lower jaw down as far as you can. Then, exert pressure with your palm as you slide your hand along the double chin area, the jawline, and the side of the face ending at your temples. 

Muscles worked: underneath the chin

Duration: 10 times (5 right and 5 left)   4. Cheek Firmer

Directions: Place the length of your index finger below the eye along the upper cheekbones. Then open your mouth as wide as comfortable, curl your lips over your bottom teeth, and smile with the corners of your mouth to create flex, then release.

Muscles worked: the jawline area

Duration: 40 times

[RELATED5]

Anywhere workouts

from Men's Fitness https://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/facial-exercises-look-younger-and-get-muscular-jawline

#Men's Fitness