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#may 2017 be full of happiness and fulfillment
scotianostra · 2 years
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Happy Birthday James “Midge” Ure born October 10th 1953 in Cambuslang.
Born to a working class family Ure attended Cambuslang Primary School and Rutherglen Academy in Glasgow until he was 15 years old. For the first 10 years of his life he lived in a one-bedroom tenement flat. After leaving school Ure attended Motherwell Technical College and then began to work as an engineer, training at the National Engineering Laboratory (NEL), in nearby East Kilbride.
Midge started playing music in a Glasgow band called Stumble in 1969, before joining Salvation, a Glasgow-based group that became the bubblegum band Slik in 1974. Upset in the change of direction, Ure left the band to join the Rich Kids, a punk-pop group led by former Sex Pistol bassist Glen Matlock. The Rich Kids only released one album, 1978’s Ghosts of Princes in Towers, before breaking up later that year. Ure spent a brief time with the Misfits (not the American band) before forming Visage with drummer Rusty Egan and vocalist Steve Strange; he left the group to replace Gary Moore in Thin Lizzy, who had left in the middle of an American tour. After the tour was finished, Ure fulfilled an agreement to join Ultravox as the replacement for John Foxx.
Once he joined the band in 1980, Ure helped make Ultravox a mainstream success; during this time he also worked as a producer, making records with Steve Harley and Modern Man. In 1982, Ure released a solo single, a cover of the Walker Brothers’ hit “No Regrets”; it climbed into the U.K. Top Ten. Ure and Bob Geldof formed Band Aid, a special project to aid famine relief efforts in Ethiopia, in 1984. The two wrote the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and assembled an all-star band of musicians to record the single; it sold millions of copies over the 1984 holiday season.
In 1985, Ultravox was put on hiatus and Ure began to pursue a full-time solo career. Recorded entirely by Ure, his 1985 solo debut, The Gift, launched the number one single “If I Was,” as well as the minor hits “That Certain Smile” and “Call of the Wild.” The following year, he recorded the final Ultravox album; in 1987, the band broke up and he began recording his second solo album. The resulting record, 1988’s Answers to Nothing, was less successful than The Gift in the U.K., yet it charted in the U.S., which is something Ure’s previous album failed to do. Three years later, Ure released his third album, Pure; while it didn’t do any business in America, the album featured the Top 20 British hit “Cold, Cold Heart.” He attempted a comeback in 1996 with Breathe, which went ignored by both the American and British markets. Four years later, his score for the Jon Cryer drama-comedy Went to Coney Island was issued by the Evenmore label.
Ure’s recording activity during the 2000s began with Move Me, which featured some surprisingly hard rocking material. A few years later, he published an autobiography, If I Was, and then, with Geldof, arranged the Live 8 concerts.
Following the release of the covers-oriented 10 IN 2008, Ure participated in an Ultravox reunion and continued to record as a solo artist. Fragile was issued in 2014, and featured the Moby collaboration “Dark, Dark Night.” In 2017, he collaborated with composer Ty Unwin on the album Orchestrated, which featured orchestral reworkings of Ultravox songs, as well as songs from his solo career.
In 2020  Midge released an album Soundtrack 1978-2019, he was one of the lucky artists to have completed his tour promoting this in February that year. 
Midge is currently in the middle of doing his  Voice & Visions tour and is currently in Germany, he has a night off for his birthday but is playing Berlin and Leipzig tomorrow and Wednesday before hitting  Sweden, Benelux, italy, Austria and Poland.  Gigs next year include nights in England and Wales as well as The Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Glasgow Barrowlands and Aberdeens Music Hall in May.
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emoji-spells · 2 years
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⭐️ Masterlist ⭐️
   Here are all the spells this blog has handled, bar some that have “expired” (2018-only, for example). Please take a look through this if you’re considering requesting a spell; there may already be one that can help you!
  * Note: This list is sorted by month/year rather than by topic, since it would have taken me a lot longer to sort.
  Last update: August 30, 2022
➜ JULY 2017
• For better sleep regulation.
• For better luck in obtaining money.
• For receiving more kin memories.
• For less drama in friendships.
• For better luck with your love interest.
➜ AUGUST 2017
• For rekindled love.
• For remaining focused on schoolwork.
• For pets to stay at home.
• For finding a nice, affordable home.
• For someone to unblock you, and realize you were just trying to help.
• For the person you’re thinking about to message you.
• For less stress taking care of a pet.
• For past, present, and future abusers to drop dead.
• For a life full of happiness and opportunities.
• For becoming close to someone again.
• For moving to London and becoming a successful actor.
➜ SEPTEMBER 2017
• For all animals/insects who have passed to be in a happy place.
• For someone to be nice and friendly to you.
• For growing taller.
• For everything to go well during the school year.
• For having a productive and fulfilling September.
• For a friend to survive their suicide attempt.
• For breaking up a horrible relationship.
• For luck applying to college.
• For rekindled friendship.
• For banishing embarrassing memories.
• For school to be cancelled tomorrow.
• For luck in a long-distance relationship.
• For trusting people and opening up again.
➜ OCTOBER 2017
• For keeping trans men and women safe and happy.
• For luck getting a job.
➜ NOVEMBER 2017
• For becoming a pro at soccer.
• For finding happiness again.
➜ DECEMBER 2017
• For getting a promotion.
• For someone to think about and message you.
• For getting accepted into college.
• For protection from toxic friends.
• For good and improving dental health.
• For passing all exams.
• To have cute interactions with someone.
• For passing your road test and getting your driver’s license.
• For attracting romantic love.
• For attracting platonic love.
➜ MAY 2018
• For quitting smoking.
➜ JUNE 2019
• For recovery and good mental health.
• For overcoming challenges.
• For stopping heavy menstrual bleeding.
• For ensuring graduation.
• For preventing people from reading your mind.
➜ JULY 2019
• For healing a broken heart.
• For strengthening your relationship with a loved one.
• For healing from illness, and warding off potential future illnesses.
• For helping someone through depression.
➜ JULY 2022 (yeah BIG jump)
• For overcoming alcoholism.
• For being accepted into medical school.
• For having a healthy work environment and friendly coworkers.
• For pets to be safe and happy.
• For self-love and acceptance to come easily to you.
• For people to tell you the truth and not lie to you.
• For getting back motivation to practice a hobby.
• For either you or your partner to have a successful pregnancy.
➜ AUGUST 2022
• For peaceful sleep.
• For commitment in romantic/platonic/familial relationships.
• For your ex to move on and find someone that’ll make them happy.
• For consistent and flourishing intimate relationships.
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About/Prices/FAQ
Making a pinned post for the sake of mobile viewing
About:
My name is Rachel/Nyx (they/them), and I’ve been sharing art online since 2017. I took art classes in high school and have some design experience, but I largely consider myself “self-taught.” Engineering is my day job, so art is largely something I do on the side for fun.
I have been making emotes, promos, layouts, and thumbnails for streamers/youtubers since 2021. You can contact me in DMs, via discord (@dragon_nyx), or by emailing [email protected]
Prices:
All Prices USD Emote Commissions:
$15 - 1 emote
$40 - 3 emotes
$100 - 10 emotes (closed)
animated emotes may cost more
Emote Commissions Include:
1000x1000 pixel PNG
112x112 pixel PNG
56x56 pixel PNG
28x28 pixel PNG
Thumbnail Commissions:
Bring your own assets: $5-10
Custom/Illustrated: $15+
Backdrop Commissions:
$15-40 depending on complexity
Additional fee for animated backdrops
Group Commissions:
< 3 people: $40
3-6 people: $50
7-10 people: $60
11 < people: $70+
Background: $5 - $30
Pets/Familiars/Mounts = ½ person
Character Commissions:
$15* - Bust (Extra Character +$10)
$20* - Half-Body (Extra Character +$15)
$25* - Full-Body (Extra Character +$20)
Background: + $5 - $25
Animal: + $5-15 *An extra cost may be added for complex character designs
*An extra cost may be added for complex character designs*An extra cost may be added for complex character designs
FAQ:
How do I contact you?
You can reach me via DMs on any social media, by messaging me on discord (@dragon_nyx), or by emailing [email protected]
How do I pay you? 
I will send you a PayPal invoice, which works best using an email connected to a PayPal account (other payment options through this invoice may be available depending on your country). I will never share or send messages to this email, it is purely for the invoice. 
When do I pay you? 
Once we agree on a product/price, I’ll send you an invoice. I usually will not begin the commission until it is fulfilled. If for some reason you cannot pay the full amount up-front, let me know and we can discuss other options. 
Can I tip you? How?
There’s two ways to tip me! 
When I send an invoice, there will be a “tip” option, where you can place an amount right from the invoice itself.
Through my Ko-fi! All of the funds support me directly
Can you animate emotes? 
I am not an animator, but I can do some simple effects. If you’re interested in an animated emote, feel free to tell me what you want and I can tell you if I can do it! Animated emotes may cost more than stationary ones. If you want me to animate a pre-existing emote, ask your artist for the photoshop (.psd) file if possible.
How do I know if Commissions are open? 
I list my commission status in my Discord “About Me” and announce openings in my discord server. I also will edit my bio on Instagram and Twitter. Occasionally I will make announcement posts on those platforms if I don’t fill all of my slots through discord.
Your commissions are closed. Can I still commission you? 
Most likely, no. 
When will you reopen? 
I’m a full-time uni student and can rarely predict when I can reopen commissions. If you’re interested in grabbing a slot right as I reopen, DM me! I’ll be happy to contact you right when I reopen. 
Can I commission you to make something not listed here?
Depends on my availability/what product you want. Feel free to DM me what you’re thinking and we can discuss options/prices if I’m able to do it! 
Can you edit/recolor one of my existing emotes?
 Most likely! DM me for details, but usually these are quick and easy.
 Can you draw NSFW content
Slight nudity and gore is okay, otherwise I’m not your artist. 
Can you draw furries? 
I don’t consider myself a furry artist and can’t guarantee that I can replicate the style, but if you’d like me to draw your sona/anthro characters I’d be more than happy to!
Can you draw detailed characters/backgrounds?
My prices assume the approximate level of detail in my example images. Additional details may come with a greater cost which will be communicated to you before I send you an invoice.
Do you have a refund policy?
If you require a refund, reach out to me directly. Listed below is my general policy, but every situation is different and I’m always willing to have a conversation if needed.
If you reach out to me before I have begun work on your project/in the sketch phase, you are entitled to a full refund
If you reach out to me later in the process, you may be entitled to a partial (50%) refund. 
If I have failed to deliver your piece within our agreed timeframe, or within 90 days from the invoice’s fulfillment (whichever is sooner), you are entitled to a refund equal to all parts of the commission I have failed to deliver (ex: if you order 3 emotes and I only deliver 2, you may be refunded the cost of 1 emote commission)
If you would like the progress on the refunded piece, I will happily send you the work I was able to complete
I offer multiple sketches and revisions throughout the commission process. As such, I do not offer refunds for completed pieces. 
Can I see the piece in progress?
Yes! Generally, I will always send a progress sketch and will send other stages of the drawing upon request or as needed for the commission type. These are typically the best times to request major form edits. Once I’ve completed the coloring and shading, I’ll send the piece again for minor alterations. You can always request a status report and I will send you my current progress. On occasion and with your permission I will stream commission progress on Twitch. If you happen to be in chat and I ask your approval to move on from the sketch, your approval in chat counts as written approval and I may move on immediately without sending you the sketch directly. I keep a private record of my VODs and chats to cross-reference such information. Providing consent to stream does not mean your piece will be streamed. Depending on my schedule, my workflow may benefit from offline work.
I need to change the information I submitted to the Google Form. Can I do that?
If any information changes from your form submission please reach out to me directly so I can be aware and mark down the changes!
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hardynwa · 1 year
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Presidents do not need to travel abroad for medicals anymore – Aisha Buhari
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The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, on Friday, in Abuja, said the newly inaugurated N21bn Presidential Wing of the State House Medical Centre will end the need for future presidents and their family members seeking medical treatment abroad. She said this when she joined the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and other dignitaries for the commissioning ceremony of the facility situated in the premises of Presidential Villa, Abuja. Mrs Buhari revealed that she first nurtured the idea of a Presidential Wing in 2017 after her husband’s extensive stay in London for medical treatment. In May 2017, The PUNCH reported that the president departed to London for a medical pilgrimage lasting 104 days; his longest since assuming office. With the facility ready for use, the outgoing First Lady said Nigerian Presidents and their family members may only fly medical experts over to Abuja to assist their colleagues, rather than going on expensive trips. She said “I’m quite happy, feeling fulfilled. Though we are leaving but all the same, we thank God the project has come to reality. Read the full article
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ethanb123 · 1 year
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digital literacy and why it's important in our society.
Digital literacy has become an essential skill in today's increasingly digital world. With the rapid advancement of technology, many aspects of modern life now rely heavily on digital tools and technologies. Being digitally literate is essential for success, from personal communication to professional work and accessing information and services. Digital literacy encompasses not only the ability to use digital technologies effectively but also the ability to critically evaluate digital content for accuracy and credibility. As such, developing solid digital literacy skills is becoming increasingly important for individuals from all walks of life. In this essay, we will explore the different aspects of digital literacy, its importance, and how individuals can develop their digital literacy skills. Digital literacy has numerous positive aspects that can benefit individuals, communities, and society as a whole. Firstly, digital literacy can enhance access to information and services, " Improving ICT infrastructure will also increase the ability for people to access programs and integrate digital skills into their daily lives." ( Romina Bandura and Elena I. Méndez Leal, 2022) which is particularly important for those who may be geographically isolated or have limited physical mobility. With digital literacy, individuals can access information, resources, and services from anywhere in the world," Possessing digital literacy allows you to improve the efficiency, access to things, fulfillment, and happiness in your life." (techboomers, 2022) improving their knowledge and opportunities for learning and growth. One negative aspect of social media literacy is the potential for negative social and psychological impacts. Social media platforms can create an environment that fosters negative behaviors such as cyberbullying, harassment, and online hate speech." (suko widodo, 2017)This hate speech issue is getting more serious when many cases of violence are caused by provocations via social media." This can have a detrimental effect on individuals' mental health "computer access has a greatly pronounced increase in mental health symptoms in the early stages of the pandemic" (Thomas E. Metherell, Sakshi Ghai, Ethan M. McCormick, Tamsin J. Ford & Amy Orben, 2022) and emotional well-being, particularly for young people who are still developing their social and emotional skills.
https://news.unair.ac.id/2017/04/12/digital-literacy-strategy-responding-hate-speech-social-media/?lang=en
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tat22 · 2 years
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Weekly Blog
Week 2
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The sari-sari store business is one of the pillars of our society. Unusually, no other countries in this part of the world have this large number of sari-sari stores elsewhere. Even in our barangay, there are many sari-sari stores, and since we were young, this has been the standard layout of a sari-sari shop where people may interact and share ideas and opinions.
                As a student, I was asked to interview the owner of one of the sari-sari stores in our neighborhood. I came to know Aling Ester, a 61-year-old who has had a sari-sari shop for about 5 years and is our neighbor. As I describe her store, the exterior has a grill or shield for theft prevention, and there is a small table outside for customers to eat their food. It is a common and traditional sari-sari store. I asked random questions about her and her business. At first, I asked about the background of her business, and according to her, she began creating a little sari-sari store in 2017 as a hobby and at the same time to make some money by selling various things that their neighborhood needed. “A sari-sari store is a good small business for me, as long as you manage it very well. And I believe this kind of business is not only a one stop shop providing locals with everything from daily food necessities to cleaning supplies, but this is a colorful, cultural icon that brings together the community” she said. We can really tell that she is not just an ordinary sari-sari store owner but an extraordinary one because she also wants to preserve or embrace our culture, which is important to us as Filipinos. My second question concerns her manner or her "Diskarte sa pamaligya." "Of course, my product display is very affordable and convenient, and being a friendly Tindera is a big asset to make sales," she replied with confidence. And I've seen firsthand how friendly and diligent Aling Ester is in my role as a neighbor. Despite her manners and awesome personality in creating business, I also asked her about the challenges or problems that she had encountered upon doing her business, since the start up. According to her, starting a business is not simple because you have to get all necessary business permissions, make sure to meet all requirements, and have the required money available for this sari-sari store and it is absolutely critical and risky since you might not be aware of all the possibilities. You must also be persistent in doing this and create a plan beforehand, so you can have a profitable business. Last question I’ve asked Aling Ester is one that is captivating because in the future, I also want to have a small business. I asked about the benefits in creating a business, what makes her persevere and stay in this kind of business after all these years. “I can say that, I hold my time and I'm the boss here. And I enjoy selling, so I have more bonding time with my family. I learned to socialize with different types of people, and monitor my small profitable sari-sari store. Well, not all businesses succeed but if you have determination, perseverance and are willing to take risks and be happy with what you do. You can achieve your business goal.” She clearly answered.
                Interviewing a sari-sari store owner is a complicated but an exciting challenge for a student. We all understand that this is a small business, but it is essential because without hard work and dedication, your firm will not succeed. You will be able to claim full credit for the rewards if your business's success is the product of your labor of love. Nothing in business provides as much fulfillment and satisfaction as achieving your objectives through your initiative, perseverance, and hard work
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hobixboo · 3 years
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Autumn Leaves Appreciation
PREFACE
There are four themes for this month’s Words By Bangtan: Self-fulfilment, Memories, Festival, and Victory. Once again, while I am sure there are plenty of other words spoken and/or sung by Bangtan that conveys this message, I am going to be focusing on the song “Autumn Leaves (Dead Leaves)” from their 2015 album The Most Beautiful Moment in Life, Part 2. This is just a paper expressing my appreciation for the themes and messages in the song, and so if my thoughts and connection seem confusing, I apologize. As before, I will try to stay as formal as possible and if anyone has any challenges to what I am going to say in this paper, please reach out to me.
Kennedy (Ken)
@hobixboo
Autumn Leaves is a song produced by SUGA (and Slow Rabbit) and was released in their 2015 EP, The Most Beautiful Moment in Life Part 2. It could be that the most beautiful moment in life is youth since the album is a part of the Youth Trilogy, but it is also possible that the most beautiful moment in life can happen at any moment, even in the present (a very important theme to be talked about in this paper). My mention of SUGA being the producer of this song is important to the meaning of the song, whether intentional or not, the connection still exists.
Min Yoongi was born on March 9th which makes his birth flower a larch. In RUN BTS episode 99, when talking about Yoongi’s birth flower, the larch, they obviously bring up that it reminds them of the song “Autumn Leaves/ Dead Leaves” (00:06:01). At first, I was confused as to why they brought up the song Autumn Leaves. Since I don’t know Korean, I thought it was just because Larches are deciduous conifers; plants that normally shed in Autumn. It was not just because larches are literally “autumn leaves” but because in Korean “Larch” translates to 낙엽송. 낙엽, meaning falling leaves (which happens during autumn), and 송 which is konglish for “song”. The joke seems to be that it was fate for Yoongi to make a song about dry, autumn, falling leaves. According to Genius’ title description of the song “the actual title, “고엽 ” (ko-yeop), literally meaning dry dead leaves, is not a commonly used word. It sounds very formal, and very gloomy, and reminiscent of few dry brown dead leaves remaining at the end of autumn”. The term reminiscent was used so naturally, I looked more into that word as well. To reminisce means to indulge in enjoyable recollections of past events. Revisiting memories for the purpose of improving current mood and gaining optimism is what the song Autumn Leaves is about. The song is also about being able to go back in time, before you completely lost every bit of yourself so that you can enjoy that time, because in the present you may be barely holding on, like leaves on a tree before the end of autumn.
The song uses the connection that leaves have to a tree and almost personifies it to refer to a relationship that a person may have with most likely a significant other (indicated by the terms of endearment: “baby”, and “my/ this love” in the post-chorus). It is unknown who the significant other is but using the context that BTS has made this song, it’s possible that ARMY being an endearing significant counterpart to the lives of BTS, might be the relationship that is being referred to here, but this can have many other interpretations such as general relationships between people or the relationship within oneself. Despite the interpretation of who the speaker may be talking to, the lyrics express how hard it is to hold on given the inevitability of falling.
The reason I say falling is inevitable is not only because all leaves fall eventually in Autumn but because in BTS’ 2017 hidden track song “Sea”, there is the repetition of “wherever there’s hope, there’s despair” (doolset). Although the majority of the song pleads to not leave and to not fall, to hold onto positivity even if it is fading, Namjoon acknowledges that “my love must fall in order to rise”. I could connect this to the theme “Self-fulfilment” because this line could be saying that some relationships might need to be broken in order to improve oneself but again, the “love” being referenced in the lyrics could depend. Could the love talked about be their love of youth? Is it that letting go of the baggage from youth could make you more prosperous? While there may be hope that holding on can turn out to be worthwhile in the end, there will always be despair to tag along, but it may be more straining and stressful than letting go.
The most obvious connection that Autumn Leaves has to the Words By Bangtan themes is to the theme “Memories”. It is a word used explicitly in the lyrics (“inside my memories I become young again”- RM) but the idea of a memory is said implicitly as well (“The subtle (ambiguous) difference from how it was before”- SUGA). The song is not just about memories, but more so, positive memories that come from a particular season: Autumn Nostalgia. Nostalgia, as defined by David Ludden, is the “bittersweet emotion we experience when we think back to a past experience that was better than the life we’re currently leading”. It is possible that the fall season serves as a “retrieval cue” to bring about feelings of nostalgia (like the weather changing from hot to cold or the smell of pumpkin spice in the air). The reason I say Autumn Leaves is more positive in its recollection of memories, despite the lyrics talking about a lack of strength to hold on, is because the lyrics acknowledge that the past was better. With lines such as “I can’t catch you anymore”, “your words and expressions that become cold… our relationship is fading”, “Compared to before, tonight is much quieter”or “I want the you that wants me again”, the speaker is longing for the relationship that was warm and full of life, like the season before (relationship again being left up to interpretation (ie. longing for a self that is more full of life, whose words were less cold towards others, etc)). While remembering that there are good things in the world (and in yourself) is a good thing, it is not what Namjoon is saying we should let go of (since those memories can be self-fulfilling).
I believe Namjoon is saying not to dwell or hold onto things you know you are supposed to eventually lose. We shouldn't let our past, whether good or bad, stop us from living in the present and making new beautiful moments. This could also be why the last line of the chorus is saying “Don't go far away” instead of just “Don’t go away”. It accepts that one may have to leave but as long as they don't go far, they will be able to return. By revisiting memories and not getting caught up in them, one may be able to catch themselves from hitting the ground and completely shattering. Nostalgia can be a good thing if it makes you happy when you are feeling low, but being stuck in an unchangeable past, or on a “branch that does not shake”, one may “constantly fall on their own”. All nostalgia can do is “dampen sadness” momentarily but life still goes on. Even if life were to continue on as bad, it won't be as bad (Ludden) and like the lyrics suggest, even if you fall, you won’t fall far.
It is almost as if after acknowledging that one may need to fall in order to rise again, the repeated “never fall” at the end takes on a new meaning. Towards the end it seems more self-encouraging, almost to say “even if the present is difficult, never let yourself get to the point of shattering. Remind yourself of the most beautiful moments of your youth, but don't stay there”. With a message like this, it makes more sense as to why the song was included in the Young Forever Compilation album but also why it was placed as the second to last song on the original album (House of Cards being the outro surrounding what happens after this realization in Autumn Leaves). Right before the end of youth, BTS are reminding others (and themselves) that while youth may be over, and trials in life may seem like they are getting worse, never fall and keep yourself together a little more (House of Cards) as there is another season to look forward to.
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jayceparkblog · 2 years
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Happy New Year Wishes for Friends, Family & Loved Ones
Are You Excited to Send Happy New Year Wishes to Friends Family and Lover? We are providing you a collection of the Latest Happy New Year which you can send to every close person in order to make their New Year more enjoyable. New Year is a time when you celebrate the joy of happiness and bonds with your friends and family. It is at that time in the year when everyone goes crazy and becomes happy no matter how busy they are in their life. It does not see any religion, caste, and gender.
The vibes of beginning everything with a lot of energy and joy touch everyone uniformly. The New Year is an eve that needs to be celebrated with a lot of joy and happiness, because if you are not happy in the beginning then how will you be for another 365 days. 
This post contains links. Thank you so much for your support and for helping keep this blog running!
Wish You A Very Happy New Year
One more year passed away. And a new beginning is here to start. Welcome the coming year with love, joy, and peace. The new year is a fresh start to all your planning, activities, and tasks that you want to accomplish in the coming year. Start the new year with a desirable goal and see it achieve within the year by your hard work and smart work.
The new year is the time when we all are excited about the new opportunities which are going to knock at our doorstep. It is time to forget all the past bad memories and move forward with a positive outlook. On New year’s Eve, people gather together and celebrate the evening in their own way. People throw parties, hang out with friends, some plan to sit at home, and enjoy themselves together with the whole family.
The following day which is New Year, the first day of the year, people worship God and plan a holy visit. Each one of us prays to the almighty to shower their blessings upon us. And with the wish, we start our new year.
It is always an amazing experience to celebrate it with the people who you like, Share Happy New Year Wishes for Friends, Family, Loved Ones, and make them a part of your celebration. Let’s have a look at the most amazing & cheerful Happy New Year Wishes Images.
Happy New Year Wishes
“Wish you lots of happiness on this New Year. May balloons of joy & bliss be in your life as flowers bloom in your garden. Happy New Year my love”
“New is the year, now is the confidence in us, new is our resolution, and new is the spirit. So here are my warm wishes just for you? Wish you a promising & fulfilling New Year.”
“May the coming year bring you a lot of achievement & success which you truly deserve. May the coming year be more awesome & wonderful for you. Happy New Year dear”
“The best thing about you is you are the source of a smile in my life and you’re never afraid of sharing joys & sorrows with me. Happy New Year to you my love”
“Wave goodbye to the old & welcome the new. Remove all the darkness & add the brightness of hope & light in your life. Happy New Year”
“Sending you wishes from the bottom of my heart, wish you a prospering year full of health, love, and plenty of happiness. Happy New Year my beloved”
“I wish you the best to reach your fondest goals enough time to rest harmony and fulfillment sweet new year my dearest friend.” ― Happy New Year
“Wishing you all the best for this New Year, Let all the troubles melt in the flame of candles, And all the good things come into your life.” Happy New Year
“My Wishes for You, Great Start for Jan, Love for Feb, Peace for March, No Worries for April, Fun for May, Joy for June to Nov, Happiness for Dec. Have a Lucky and Wonderful Year!”
“Remote of your life is in your hands. Switch the bad channels into good channels and move forward. Wish you a very Happy & Prosperous New Year ahead.”
“I wish that as this year comes to an end it also ends all the difficulties and as the New Year dawns it brings all the successes and happiness for you and your family. ― Happy New Year
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
“Every year leaves a trace, Something is given and something is taken away, I wish you bright days and joyful thoughts.” Happy New Year
“Let’s welcome the year which is fresh
Let’s welcome the year which is new,
Let’s cherish each moment it beholds,
Let’s celebrate this blissful new year.”
“Friend, neighbor, confidante: you have improved my life so much that, as we enter a new year, I wish for you all the love you have shown me.” ― Happy New Year
“May your new year be full of success. You are my best friend, always reliable and polite. May your life gets even better, having all the best. May you always feel love, happiness, and delight.” Wish You a Happy New Year
“This New Year I wish you, my friend, to have delightful little surprises, the sunshine of happiness, moonbeam of peace, and oodles of love.” ― Happy New Year
“Happy New Year, may the fortune and renewed creativity help you to make the right decisions in your professional and personal life.” ― Happy New Year 
Happy New Years Eve!! I know 2019 was full of ups and downs, but remember that underneath it all, love is our constant. It’s what unites us.” ― New Year Wishes
“Happy New Year! Never forget greed is powerful but our vision of a world based on economic, social & environmental justice is more powerful.” ― Happy New Year
“I want to receive the new year holding our hands each other to compromise us in a kiss which means that our love will last forever. The happy year my love.”
“This Is A New Year, A New Beginning And Things Will Change.” ― Happy New Year 
“We will have a new year full of much happiness because we are together. I love you and I wish you the best of this year.”
“Year means everything new, that’s why I wish you to make a lot of new acquaintances, visit new amazing places and experience new exciting emotions this year. Happy holiday” ― Happy New Year 
“Leave all sadness and grief behind, because I personally promise you an unbelievable year full of joyful moments. Cheer up, buddy, and be ready to have a good time.” ― Happy New Year 
“As you gear up to greet the New Year with a grand salute, dear friend, I wish for you to have a New Year as hopeful as the dawn, as energetic as the sun, and as peaceful as the dove.”
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
“May God favor you with an adoring soul this New Year eve, May each eve kisses her Adam, and each Adam meets his eve.” ― Happy New Year 
“I realized that each year our love becomes bigger. I wish that we could have a happy year to live our love.”
“The love I wish with my entire heart that you have a new year full of much happiness, you will see that all of our plans will come true. I love you and I will show you, my love, every day.”
“They say what happens on the New Year’s day, recurs all through the year. All I wish is to start the New Year in your arms and seal it with a kiss.” ― Happy New Year
“New dreams, new hopes, new experiences and new joys: wishing my new love a very Happy New Year ”
“All my wishes, all my hopes, all my dreams, and mostly all my love for a Happy New Year”
“This New Year I promise to fill each day with loving memories to string them in your heart forever.” ― Happy New Year 
“Another year pertains to an end as well as I would like to thanks with all my heart for making it worth your whole trip. Anticipating one more excellent year with you!!!” ― Happy New Year 
“I wish the Νew Year will give yοu millions of mοre reasons to celebrate as well as remain Ηappy.” ― Happy New Year 
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
“When yοu are Ηappy, smile Αnd celebrates; Βut when you are sad, Αgain celebrate to Βring a smile tο others. ”― Happy New Year 
“May God bless you with all the happiness and joy in your life in this New Year ”
“Maintain The Smile, Forget The Tears, Chuck Out The Bad, And Love The Good All Through The Year.” ― Happy New Year 
“When you said you’d be my girlfriend, I never thought it would come to this. Happy New Year to my friend, my lover, my wife.” ― Happy New Year 
“This New Year, I feel I am the happiest person on earth to have been cherished and by you.”― Happy New Year 
“Perfect romance begins on New Year’s Eve. That’s the night we danced, the night I’ll never forget.” ― Happy New Year 
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
“Youth Is When You’Re Allowed To Stay Up Late On New Year’s Eve. Middle Age Is When You’Re Forced To.” ― Happy New Year 
“My New Year gift for you – my heart wrapped with love and passion – hope you treasure it for years to come!” ― Happy New Year 
“This New Year, all I wish is to be enveloped in your love and spend my days under your tender loving care.” ― Happy New Year 
“This year has been wonderful and all because of your love and company and I’m sure that the next year will be more awesome. Congratulations on this new year my princess.”
“I am grateful for another year that was given to all of us. It is indeed a perfect time to have a fresh start, to begin a new life, and to be a better person. Let us hope for more blessings and opportunities this year.”
“Have a fun-filled year, everyone!  Welcome the New Year in style and commit yourself to look your fashionable best this year!” ― Happy New Year 
“We hope your year is full of fun, just like the New Year bash you had last night!” ― Happy New Year
“As the calendar turns a new leaf over, I wish you, dear friend, to have the key to all the happiness of the world and the ladder to climb up to the highest pinnacle of success.” ― Happy New Year 
“Just as a new bloom spreads fragrance all over, this New Year let the fragrance of our friends keep us happy and satiated.”― New Year Wishes 
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
“Everything which inspires You, Everything which means most 2 You, Everything that makes you smile& brings you joy is Love, Happy New Year My Dear Friend”
“We will open the book. its page is blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
“This year has been wonderful and all because of your love and company and I’m sure that the next year will be more awesome. Congratulations on this new year my princess.”
“I am grateful for another year that was given to all of us. It is indeed a perfect time to have a fresh start, to begin a new life, and to be a better person. Let us hope for more blessings and opportunities this year.”
“Have a fun-filled year, everyone!  Welcome the New Year in style and commit yourself to look your fashionable best this year!” ― Happy New Year 
“We hope your year is full of fun, just like the New Year bash you had last night!” ― Happy New Year 
“As the calendar turns a new leaf over, I wish you, dear friend, to have the key to all the happiness of the world and the ladder to climb up to the highest pinnacle of success.” ― Happy New Year 
“Just as a new bloom spreads fragrance all over, this New Year let the fragrance of our friends keep us happy and satiated.”― New Year Wishes 
“Everything which inspires You, Everything which means most 2 You, Everything that makes you smile& brings you joy is Love, Happy New Year My Dear Friend”
“We will open the book. its page is blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”
New Year’s is the perfect occasion to celebrate Love, friendships, and all the good things in life. Let’s take the time to appreciate what this year has given us and what the new one is about to bring! A new year means new beginnings, love, chocolates, warm wishes for your friends and family.
The perfect time has come to wish all your dear ones. New comes with new hope and new light. This is a great opportunity to send Happy New Year Text Messages to your loved ones. Cheer up your motivation and happiness and create a surrounding of love and joy for yourself, family, and friends. When you give a positive start to your year it will go on very well. You will find here the best collection of All these Happy New Year Wishes that will give a peaceful start.
New Year is the time when we all are extremely excited about the new days to come with new hopes and opportunities. It is the time when we start planning and preparing for new tasks and activities. We should welcome this time of the year with a cheerful mood and a positive attitude. Love all and greet all with a happy smile and good prospering wishes.
Read more: https://cupdf.com/document/happy-new-year-2017-wishes-best-new-year-wishes-quotes.html
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superlinguo · 3 years
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Linguistics Jobs: Interview with a Developer Advocate
I often talk about how Linguist Twitter is a great place to hang out. Twitter can be a big, confusing, noisy platform, but I’ve enjoyed building a little world full of linguists, and one of those excellent people is Rachael Tatman. It has been great to follow Rachael as she completed her PhD, got a job in data visualisation with Kaggle, and then moved on to chatbot maker Rasa. Rachael is not only a great linguist, but a thoughtful linguistics communicator. Her blog Making Noise and Hearing Things has a wonderful back catalogue covering data science, professionalism and emoji. You too can follow Rachael on Twitter (@rctatman).
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What did you study at university?
My BA is in Linguistics and English Literature (I double majored) from William and Mary (in Virginia, USA) and then I went to the University of Washington for grad school. I got my PhD in linguistics in 2017, and my dissertation was "Modeling the Perceptual Learning of Novel Dialect Features". Over the course of my PhD in particular I moved more and more into natural language processing, although I was still pretty much calling myself a computational linguist.
What is your job?
I'm a senior developer advocate for a company called Rasa. We make an open source framework for building chatbots/virtual assistants and free software for improving your assistant over time. (If you're a business using the free software and want additional fancy features, we also have a paid enterprise version.) Developer advocates are basically peer-to-peer technical educators. Our job is to help make it as easy as possible for developers to use whatever product it is that we support. So my day to day involves a lot of developer education–things like writing blog posts, giving talks and making videos–as well as providing technical support and product feedback. Because I have a research background and Rasa has a research team I'll sometimes help out with research projects as well.
How does your linguistics training help you in your job?
It helps me every day! One great example is that it's given me a good idea of the typological diversity of languages in the world. Since Rasa is a language-agnostic platform (we want to be able to support as many languages as possible) knowing what sort of differences there are between languages is very helpful. My linguistics training also taught me how to communicate complex topics succinctly and accurately which is a huge part of developer relations and related fields, like technical writing.
Do you have any advice do you wish someone had given to you about linguistics/careers/university?
Be really kind to yourself, especially when you're on the job market. There's a large emotional regulation component to searching for jobs that I don't think gets talked about enough. Find something that helps you disconnect from thinking about work or looking for work and commit to doing it often. That could be something as simple as following along with yoga videos in your room or setting up a weekly time to play video games with your friends or just taking a walk outside every day, maybe with your children if you have them. Building a brain break into my routine and keeping it stable really, really helped me both in graduate school and when I was on the job market.
Also: your goals and identity will change over time. You may think of yourself as an academic now but won't in 5 years. That's ok. It's normal. And it's also normal for those shifts to come with a grieving process, especially if you weren't expecting them. Give yourself grace, and time, to feel your feelings. And know that you can have a rich, happy fulfilling life that looks nothing like what you're planning for yourself right now.
Any other thoughts or comments?
The great thing about studying and having a fascination for language is that it's everywhere. Your linguistic training will give you a set of lenses you can look through for the rest of your life, and that's a thing to celebrate and cherish in its own right.
Related interviews:
Interview with a Product Manager
Interview with a Senior Content Project Manager at Transparent Language
Interview with a Linguistic Project Manager at a Language Tech Company
Recent interviews:
Interview with an ESL teacher, coach and podcaster
Interview with a Juris Doctor (Master of Laws) student
Interview with the Director of Education and Professional Practice at the American Anthropological Association
Interview with a Research Coordinator, Speech Pathologist
Interview with a Dance Instructor and Stay-at-Home Mom
Check out the full Linguist Jobs Interview List and the Linguist Jobs tag for even more interviews  
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Top 25 Larry fics of 2019
It’s that time again!
You may be familiar with these lists:
Top 25 Larry fics of 2016
Top 25 Larry fics of 2017
Top 25 Larry fics of 2018
As always, I read a lot of fic and the majority of it is Larry. I like making lists and I like Larry so I thought I’d do some minimal research of the top 25 larry fics published/completed in 2019 in order of least to most kudos (with links). All of these fics are top notch so you should all check them out! 
25.) Foolishy Laying Our Hearts on the Table by @runaway-train-works (11k)
“You think Harry wants that?”
“Dunno. Maybe. Wanna make him happy.” Harry takes advantage of the red light he’s pulled up to turn and look properly at Louis’ face. He’s not even looking in Harry’s direction though, focused instead on something out of his side window, head drooped, mindlessly playing with the string of his hoodie between his fingers, lost in his own world somewhere. For some reason, it makes Harry’s spine straighten.
“Because he’s your best mate?” Harry questions carefully.
“He’s my boyfriend.”
He couldn’t have heard him right. “What?”
Louis releases a deep breath, still not turning around. Harry wonders who he thinks he’s talking to right now. “He’s so pretty. Want to kiss him all day long. And buy him a big house and give him presents and marry him.”
Or
The one where Harry is in love with his best friend Louis but doesn't think he stands a chance until some wisdom teeth and a rather unusual confession might just change his mind.
24.) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices by @toomanydreamers (126k)
A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they're forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.
23.) all we can do is keep breathing by @avocadolouie (310k)
“Harry, I-I’m so sorry…” Louis stutters out, trying to keep his voice level and even, to portray a depiction of strength, but with the way Harry is looking at him, staring at him like he has a personal passage way straight to Louis’ soul, it’s so hard, nearly impossible.
That simple opening phrase, that short introductory acknowledgement that is often rushed out so easily, painlessly, at a safe distance. Giving a doctor the ability to portray empathy without true emotion, without feeling the full brunt and sheer force of the underlying pain itself.
But Louis feels it, he feels the crushing agony laced behind the phrase, he feels the weight of the painful words slipping from his lips, the cause and effect that the three-word expression holds. The distantly empty “I’m so sorry” that doctors throw out in self-preservation, isn’t at all empty for him. Louis recognizes it, he understands it, he feels it.
--
a fated story of two broken and battered boys who barely survived the unimaginable and how the love of one little brave girl defies all the odds and somehow puts them back together.
22.) Raise a Glass to the Four of Us by @2tiedships2 (25k)
Louis stared at his luggage.
Well. Apparently not his luggage, because the clothing he was looking at currently was a: worth more than everything he currently possessed, b: not his size at all, and c: more suited for a fancy ass lawyer than a holiday in NYC with his best mates.
“Ooh, nice loafers,” Niall said as he pulled one out of the suitcase. “I love the rainbows.”
“Okay,” Liam began. “What do you want to do first? Eat, shop for new clothes, or spend hours on the phone with the airline?”
Louis continued to stare at the luggage.
21.) You Have to Retreat to Advance by @2tiedships2 (18k)
“What am I going to do, Perrie? I can’t go on this retreat by myself. My boss literally said he wants to meet my omega.” Harry paused. “Okay, not literally but he definitely expects me to be bringing him.”
“Don’t people go on these things by themselves?” Perrie asked.
Harry shrugged. “Of course but that’s not the point.”
“What’s the point?”
“My boss is expecting to meet my omega! I don’t have an omega!”
“Is this a paying gig?” Perrie asked.
“You mean paying an omega to spend the weekend with me? I’m sure the resort has nice amenities. Does that count?”
“I take that as a no,” Perrie said with an eye roll. “It’s okay, Louis might be willing to do it for free.”
“Who’s Louis?”
Or the one where Harry is expected to bring his longterm omega to the company's mountain retreat. Since he hadn't told anyone that they'd broken up months ago, he now has to find someone willing to play the part.
20.) A Darker Shade of Love by LittleSpoonStyles94 (750k)
Louis is a 30 year old multi-billionaire with a very dark past. He is violent and is a sadist with a taste for pain. Harry Styles is a 19 year old student who sets out to London after being kicked out by his homophobic father to follow his dreams. He wants to go to the best University to study but he needs a lot of money so he starts to work as a part time stripper at a gay club to support his studies and his life. The club he works at, Garland's, is part owned by Louis Tomlinson. When they meet, its life changing for the both of them.
19.) You Still Make Sense to Me by @amories (37k)
Harry, Louis, and their family navigate life together through the years.
18.) Like Water Over Fire (Like Water On Fire) by @mcssymon (119k)
“I’m sorry your highness, I think I misheard you, did you really say that you are hoping to meet your husband?” Oh god, Louis panicked. Was Prince Harry gay? Was he even allowed to be gay? Surely he wouldn’t be allowed to have a selection from a group of men, right?
Prince Harry looked partly like he wanted to laugh, but also very, very nervous about what he had just admitted, “Yes, sir, you heard correctly”
Or Prince Harry has 46 men and 13 weeks to find the husband of his dreams, Louis has a limited amount to time to live out a royal fantasy. They might just be exactly what the other needs.
17.) waiting for the tides to meet by @nauticalleeds (59k)
Louis lets out a deep breath, thinking about Harry’s soulmate. Thinking about how Harry’s soulmate is probably as beautiful as Harry, some person that Louis cannot compare to, and how the universe has chosen them to be Harry’s. Fuck the universe. “Fuck you,” he calls out to the universe. He’s aware of how crazy he sounds.
Maybe he is crazy, with how he’s falling for Harry. And fuck that, too.
Soulmate AU. Everyone is born with heterochromia — one eye is their own eye colour, while the other is the colour of their soulmate's. It's only when they meet their soulmate for the first time that their own eyes match properly. After a hazy night at a frat party, Louis wakes up to blue eyes and the shocking realization that he had met his soulmate, without any sober recollection. Seven years pass where Louis comes to terms with the fact that he'll never know who his soulmate is. Then one fated summer, a beautiful green-eyed photographer arrives at Louis' workplace, with promises of endless laughter and a familiar feeling in Louis' heart.
Featuring a lovely cup of OT5, a road trip down the coast, and a scene where Harry eats a whole head of lettuce. Don't ask why.
16.) Call Answered by @vondrostes (249k)
The day after his 27th birthday, Harry Styles attempts suicide. Louis is flown to his bedside to unravel the mystery of why he did it after a flash drive is found with a note attached, addressed to Louis. On it are a collection of 78 songs, all written for different dates from their past.
15.) Counterbalance by @louandhazaf (44k)
Harry Styles loves two things: teaching ballet and racing motorcycles. Those two worlds collide when his greatest rival on the track, Louis “Tommo” Tomlinson brings his tiny siblings to Harry’s class.
14.) Everywhere and Nowhere by @2tiedships2 (16k)
Niall took a seat and said, "Apparently Louis' downstairs neighbor is a fan of giving Louis creepy gifts. Maybe I should go introduce myself and tell him that Louis actually prefers food."
"What has he given you?" Liam asked.
Louis shrugged as it were no big deal. "There was a rabbit's foot keychain on the door a little after he left from introducing himself and there was a small teddy bear sitting by my door tonight. Obviously I can't prove it's from him, but they seem to have his scent. I could be wrong though."
"Wow," Liam said, looking deep in thought. "That's old school."
"What's old school?" Niall asked. "Giving creepy gifts?"
"I've never known an alpha to do it, to be honest, but he's courting you."
Louis couldn't contain his look of disbelief directed at Liam. "He's courting me. Like some sort of romantic shit they'd do in the 1800s or something?"
13.) Swallow The Knife by whoknows (76k)
“You came,” Louis says, still breathless, clinging to Harry, uncaring that his sweat is getting all over Harry’s presumably clean dad shirt, or that he’s making Harry hold up all of his weight.
“Of course I came,” Harry says. He shifts, one arm curled underneath Louis’ arse, the other spreading wide in the middle of Louis’ back. “If I ignored you every time you pissed me off we would have stopped being friends a long time ago.”
Louis already knows that, of course. It doesn’t do anything to stop the pleased squirm in his belly every time Harry proves it, though. They fight like nobody’s business, both of them too stubborn to pull their punches when they’re arguing, and it used to get them in trouble, but they always make up.
Adrenaline makes Louis loose-lipped, and they both know it. He tightens his arms around Harry’s neck, buries his face in his hair. “I missed you,” he confesses, quiet. “Doesn’t feel the same up there by myself.”
12.) and oh, all of your saturdays could end up in woe by ihavetoomuchfreetime (70k)
a fic in which louis' in a long-term relationship with an abusive asshole, niall, zayn and liam are so far but not really, and harry is that all too friendly guy who works in sainsbury's.
11.) thinking about the t-shirt you slept in by @absoloutenonsense (52k)
Harry's alpha fraternity donates to a local thrift shop (because of Liam's latent crush on a cute beta in his lecture). Louis' financial situation (and confusing omega instincts) lead him to make some interesting fashion purchases. Lots of pizza, feelings, and not-really-lying.
10.) Consequences by @allwaswell16 (78k)
Two years ago Harry let his powerful family come between him and the love of his life, something he deeply regrets. Louis has tried to move on from their devastating break up. Sometimes, he even thinks he has. It only takes one moment to freeze them back in time.
An amnesia au
9.) Strawberries & Cigarettes by @dimpled-halo (76k)
Harry looks up and immediately freezes. Next to Ms. Archie stands the boy from just the other day. The boy with the leather jacket and chipped black nails, that might or might not be sketched in the very book Harry has just placed on the table in front of him. The leather jacket is missing today, probably because they aren’t allowed as part of their required uniform attire, but Harry can still see the fading black nail polish on his nails, and eyeliner around his eyes. Harry’s mouth goes a little dry. This boy is so intriguing to him.
“Ye-yes, Ms. Archie?” Harry tries to play it cool, but he’s almost positive that his cheeks are burning red, and he’s relieved neither of them can tell how fast his heart is beating in his chest.
The boy seems to also recognize Harry, because his lips curve into a knowing smirk.
“Harry is at the top of his class. He’s your best bet at getting familiar with things around here.” She explains.
Louis nods, his smirk still very prominent on his face. “Thank you Ms. Archie. I’ll be sure to take advantage of young Harold here.”
*
Summary: Two stories, eleven years, and the two boys that never stopped loving each other.
8.) Pain makes people change by Deidei (113k)
An organization called Canis Lupus existed solely for changing humans imprisoned in their wolf form back to their human form. Some people after experiencing some traumatic event can only ‘’protect’’ themselves from the pain by forgetting everything. To do that, to feel safe, they shift into their wolf form.
Which they'll be stuck in forever should no one intervene.
Louis Tomlison went through a traumatic experience at the age of twelve in which he lost his mother, to make the pain go away he shifted into a wolf and fled. He survived in the wild as a wolf for five years until Canis Lupis caught him... Though he wasn't alone, he had a pup at his side.
7.) Pretty Please (With Sugar On Top) by @angelichl (113k)
Harry is a sugar baby omega who cons rich alphas for a living. Louis is a rich alpha with too much self-control.
6.) Enemies with benefits by ssii8 (267k)
Where Harry is captain of basketball team and Louis is captain of football team and they hate each other. But somehow this doesn't stop them from having sex.
And everything is perfect until they start to feel something more.
5.) Ready To Fall by whoknows (21k)
“Ninety and rising,” Nick says triumphantly, as though making Harry’s heartbeat pick up by thrusting an obscenely attractive person in front of his face is any kind of success. “Louis Tomlinson has just walked into our control room and suddenly our dear Harry Styles has lost all ability to speak. Could this be some kind of strange coincidence?”
“I hate you,” Harry hisses, forcing his eyes back into Nick’s direction, uncaring that the mic must have picked it up. “I thought we agreed that you were going to play fair.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Nick denies, except he’s holding up a picture of Louis’ face now, sharp cheekbones prominent, soft lashes nearly sweeping against his cheeks as he looks down, and his fucking mouth –
“A hundred and two!” Nick crows, all but clapping his hands together in glee. “The highest it’s ever been!”
“To be fair, I did bend over the desk on purpose,” Louis’ voice comes crackling in the headphones. Harry practically breaks his neck whipping his head around at the sound of it, gaping at him through the glass panel. “You can’t really blame him for getting a little excited about that, can you?”
4.) Close to Nowhere by @angelichl (34k)
“I will kill you in your sleep,” Louis threatened as he quickly stepped out of his jeans.
“I don’t think that would work very well baby, seeing as you talk to dead people all the time.”
“I’ll kill you in your sleep and ignore your ghost. And don’t call me that.”
Louis and Harry are psychics who kind of hate each other. They go to Tennessee to investigate a haunting.
3.) Play Pretend, Find a Friend? by @angelichl (40k)
They had to pull back for air. Louis surveyed the guy’s face, in awe of his blown pupils and sharp jawline, the way their shared spit glistened on his lips.
“Hi,” he breathed. He blinked, and came back to himself a little bit, blushing at his own boldness. “Sorry. Is this okay?”
The stranger removed his right hand from the curve of Louis’ waist in order to cup his jaw, tilting it up to the angle he desired. He pressed their lips together, murmuring, “Definitely.” And then he kissed harder.
When Louis sees his ex-boyfriend kissing a random girl at a party, he acts out of blind jealousy. He kisses the first guy he can find. It turns into a thing.
INSPIRED BY CLOUDS.
2.) Let Me Feel Your Heartbeat by @angelichl (34k)
Harry is 98% sure Louis hates him. So he feels like his bewilderment is justified when the omega offers to help him through his rut.
1.) All My Colours by IceQueenRia (267k)
Green… yellow… red. Red! RED!!!
Some people were born Dominant and others submissive. Sixteen year old Louis Tomlinson was a submissive and was proud to be so… until he was forced to his knees for the first time. The man before him was every subs nightmare, an abusive Dom, the kind who didn’t believe in the colour ‘red’ unless it was in the form of blood.
There were others, but Louis was the ‘favourite’ and he was the one the Dom liked to ‘play with’ the most. In fact, when the rescue team arrived, Louis was the one currently providing ‘service’ to the Dom.
Or
Louis, Zayn and Niall are abused subs. Liam Payne is their devoted new Guidance Counsellor who just wants to make Niall smile and hear Zayn speak. As for Louis, he knows his guidance won’t be enough to help the boy heal. No, Louis Tomlinson needs something very special and very specific. He needs Harry Styles.
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realmadridfamily · 4 years
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“I want everyone to know how brave a woman she is”
“It's true, we feel privileged - we have a good financial situation and I play for the most famous football club in the world and everyone knows me - but this doesn't change the most important thing: we are ordinary people. Like everyone else, we have better and worse days, difficult and beautiful moments, cares and joys. We are strong but also vulnerable. The fact that today we have three wonderful children is largely due to my wife Vanja. I want everyone to know how brave a woman she is. When I think about the situations she had to face, my field worries are meaningless.”
Ivano
"... before my second season in Tottenham Hotspur Vanja and I started talking about getting married. We've been together for almost five years - over four years of which we've lived together. We both wanted to get married and legalize our relationship. During such discussions, we also established one important thing - we both wanted to have a child, or at least three children! One day Vanja was waiting for me at our favorite Italian restaurant in London. I didn't even wonder why she wanted so badly to go there. When I got inside, I noticed that she was nervous, which was unusual for her. I took my seat and Vanja said why she invited me here: "You're going to be a daddy!" It's hard to describe this moment with words. It was one of the best messages I have ever received! My beloved Vanja wanted to convey this to me in a special way. Even though she was tired of morning sickness, she tried to make this moment special. At home, I didn't even notice what was happening to her! She hid everything from me to make sure she was really pregnant. We really wanted our children to be born in Croatia ..." "... we returned to Zagreb on May 9, right after the Premier League ended. Vanja was resting, and I still had to fulfill two obligations with the Croatia NT. From May 24, I was free again and was able to be with my wife. These days were very warm, so I had the idea to go to Zadar and visit my family. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't want her to travel before the birth, so after the conversation we decided that I would go to my parents and sister alone. On the second night in Zadar, I heard my father. It was after five in the morning. Vanja called me but I didn't hear the phone! "Son, wake up! Vanja is going to the hospital!" In one second I woke up and was on my way to Zagreb! I felt bad about not accompanying her that night. Fortunately, her mother lived nearby ..." "... when I spoke to her on the phone I was very close to the hospital. "Vanja, I'll be right there! Please, wait if you can!" But she couldn't. Our first baby was born at 8:10 am and changed our lives forever. The moment when I saw my son for the first time and took him in my arms was one of the happiest in my life. I hugged Vanja and we promised each other that when she got pregnant again, we would definitely be together during the birth - and we kept our word! But then it was our first time, and we had no idea what was waiting for us - besides, Vanja was going to have a caesarean section. We couldn't have anticipated that it would all start three weeks earlier. Vanja and the baby had to stay a few more days at the clinic. I wanted to be part of everything that happened from then on, so I spent a couple of nights with them. For the first four days, the nurses would come to me every morning and ask : "Do we already have a name?" We couldn't make up our minds. Vanja was most concerned with the name Ivano. So I agreed. "Ivano! My little boy and great love ..." "... after two weeks, we were able to go home. Our families were very happy and I was enjoying the days when everything in my life was beautiful and had its place. One day Vanja said that something was wrong, she didn't feel well. At first I thought it was nothing serious and advised her to rest in the bedroom. After a while we heard the sound of a fall. I quickly ran to the second floor. I was shocked to realize that my wife couldn't breathe! We quickly took her to the hospital. Vanja felt a pain in her chest. The doctor admitted that he suspected a blood clot in the lungs and took care of it immediately. I calmed down a bit, but none of us could sleep that night. The blood clot was caused by the body's reaction to pregnancy. The situation was serious, but luckily everything ended well. How badly Vanja was, was evidenced by the fact that the next morning she forgot that she had a son! For the next month, I took her to the hospital every day, and she continued to take anticoagulants for another year and a half. Unfortunately, it wasn't over ..." "... a year has passed since the birth of Ivano. Vanja had migraines, and sometimes she had the feeling that the left side of her face was going numb. But she thought it would pass. One day in 2011, she told me concerned that she had stopped hearing in her left ear. She went for an MRI and there she was diagnosed with a tumor in her ear. At first, we were terrified, but the doctors explained that this was a problem to be solved. In the end, it was decided that gamma knife treatment would be the best option - but it turned out to wait ..."
Ema
"... we packed our own things that had to be taken to Madrid. Vanja took care of this in her second pregnancy. All the problems during the transfer negotiations, moving, adapting to work at Real Madrid and living in Madrid - all of these things we faced during her second pregnancy. I'm not sure Vanja wanted me to carry all these things myself. She didn't feel comfortable with being felt for her health problems ..." "... as you know, after Ivano was born, Vanja suffered a pulmonary embolism, so we were all very worried about her when she was in her second pregnancy. We moved to Madrid, where she was under constant medical supervision and took regular anticoagulant medicine ..." "... the day before the due date of delivery, we played in Dortmund. Coach Mourinho gave me a day off so I flew to Zagreb right after the match. The birth of our daughter was the second of our most beautiful experiences. Everything was fine and we dealt with the name quickly. We both liked short names, so Vanja made her decision - Ema! After a wonderful son, a beautiful daughter was born. The next day I had to go back to Madrid. I had my phone with me all the time! I was able to look at Ema every day until they joined me in the Spanish capital ..." "... in early 2014, my wife decided to fly to London for surgery. She was accompanied by her mother and cousin, because unfortunately I couldn't. It was terribly hard for me to concentrate on football, but I didn't want to talk about my problems. Our fight was our private fight. I didn't want to tell my wife anything because I knew that it’s difficult for her and she tries to hide her fear from me. I had to be strong for her and the kids. We faced everything with a positive attitude ..." "... after returning from London, Vanja had to stick to a special order of the day. I helped her in everything I could. The symptoms went away, which was a good sign. After six months of waiting, she went for her first checkup. The study showed that the tumor began to shrink - today it is four times smaller than it was when it was discovered. Vanja visits the doctor regularly and she feels very well ..."
Sofia
"... after several years of full stabilization, we enjoyed our happiness with Ivano and Ema and the successful stage of my career. And then Vanja, in a moment of weakness, told me something that I believe had been on her mind for a long time: "Luka, I wish we had a third child!" She was fine and after Ema was born she had no complaints, but I didn't even want to hear about it at first. She always said she wanted three children. I had a similar dream: three or four children in a big and happy family. This, however, was before the new circumstances emerged. Vanja had risked her life twice already, and I didn't want this to happen again. She consulted doctors in London about the possible awakening of the tumor as a reaction to the pregnancy. They told her the chances were half and half. She also spoke to doctors in Zagreb, asked them how high the risk of a new blood clot was, but they only told her that despite the appropriate treatment, the risk was always there and only she could make the right decision. So in the end we heard what we already knew - that it could be okay, but it could also end very badly ..." "... but Vanja was determined, and I realized it when she confessed : "You know what, you give it the best in football and I'll give it the maximum for the family!" And so on October 2, 2017 Sofia was born! I came to the hospital in Zagreb from Rijeka, I was present at her birth and everything went well - both Vanja and our second princess felt great ..." "... but a year later, a new nerve arose in Madrid. Vanja was at home and at one point she noticed that her hand went numb and turned a dark blue color. She already knew it was a clot effect because she had learned to recognize the symptoms. She kept a cool head and called the doctor who lived in the neighborhood with whom she had a very good relations. The doctor confirmed her suspicions and immediately took her to the hospital. After all possible tests and studies, they concluded that Vanja should take adequate injections throughout her life ...” "... my wife's resolve in fighting for dreams of three children, despite the risks involved, showed her strength. She recently told me that her gynecologist, after Sofia was born, said: "Vanja, such courage is rare today. If I were you, I would not have decided to have a third child. You are really amazing!" The mother's gust of heart was stronger than anything else. I faced all these crisis situations and nerves, but I was not allowed to show weakness when she was so strong and brave. Thanks to her, today we feel happy and blessed with a wonderful family ..."
(source of quotes - Book “Luka Modric - My Game”)
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egelantier · 3 years
Text
Yuletide Recs
Having had two days of more or less nothing but reading fics, I come bearing recs!
First of all, my amazing gifts:
The Goblin Emperor
For Thy Principles
The nohecharei of Edrehasivar VII were unparalleled in their defense of his person, but there were limits to even their prowess. When Maia first developed the fever, Cala quickly determined that it was not the end result of a magically-based assassination attempt – and from there it had to be left to the court physicians.
Maia falls ill, and Csethiro protects him as best she can.
Beautifully gentle Maia sickfic, with Csethiro holding him together. For me all for meeee.
Benjamin January Mysteries
Dry as a Bone
“Oh. Well, I’ve been better, maestro, been a hell of a lot better to tell truth.” Shaw stared at him for a long moment, and he was stunned to see honest to God grief in his eyes. Even when Shaw had just lost his brother he had been so much more himself than this lost man currently standing before him. “Not that I mean to put anything extra on your shoulders, I’m sure you’ve got enough of your own shit going on at present moment, but it seems like I’ve just lost my job.”
Shaw loses his job, and finally confronts Ben about trust (and lack thereof) between them. It’s GREAT.
The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards
A Distraction Worth Losing
They may never be together, but the gods would have to move heaven and earth to split Rune and Brand apart.
Brand, Rune and The Kiss incident. (Poor messed up babies, somebody save them.)
And fics of the collection:
17776, Astreiant, Raksura, Frederica, The Gentlemen, The Goblin Emperor, Hades, Innkeeper Chronicles, Jeeves, Kate Daniels, King Arthur the movie, My Next Life as a Villainess, Nirvana in Fire, No. 6, Psmith, The Secret Garden, The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty, Swordspoint, The Tarot Sequence, Teixcalaan Series, The Temple of the White Rat verse
17776: What Football Will Look Like in the Future
so far, so fast
When Manny gets a craving for some fancy meal he had once, over ten thousand years ago, Nick decides he’s gonna fulfill that craving, no matter how hard it is. Because real romance is about making the impossible happen for his husband.
Goddamn transcendental.
Go Get It
Sometimes you start out just planning to get some groceries with your husband, and next thing you know, you’re committing to join the most hopeless team in college football.
Nick and Manny decide to play. It’s perfect.
Afterlife
A young man dies six months before the end of human death; his loss saves five lives, which end up much longer than anyone expects. (A series of worldbuilding vignettes about original characters in the 17776 setting.)
Made me cry, in a very cathartic way.
Astreiant Series - Melissa Scott & Lisa A. Barnett
April dressed in all his trim
A quiet evening in spring.
Sweet little slice-of-life with lovely sensory details.
Books of the Raksura
The Second Consort
“When Glow arrives, be friendly and welcoming,” Ember said. “Not scary.”
“Why does everyone think I’m going to scare him?”
Chime said, “They can see your face when you look at him.” He paused, glancing over at Moon. “That face, that’s the one.”
Ember sighed. “I remember being in his position. It’s pretty nerve-wracking coming to a new court and not knowing what’s going to happen to you there - whether they’re going to welcome you or shun you, whether you’ll make new friends, whether a queen is going to claim you…” He came and put a sympathetic hand on Moon’s shoulder. “Glow is probably worried about all of those things, and missing his home and clutchmates, and it’s our job to try and help him relax.” For a moment Moon thought he was just being soft-hearted, until Ember added, “He won’t open up and tell us what’s really going on unless he’s relaxed.”
Jade takes in a new consort, on Moon’s permission, and everybody is delightfully adult about it.
Frederica
Lady Alverstoke
Frederica commences her first Season as a married woman by planning a ball, promising most straitly that her husband will have nothing whatsoever to do …
Sweet and funny slice-of-life post-happy-ending for canon.
**The Gentlemen (2019) **
Even
The week after he intercepts Fletcher, that squirrelly little cunt, outside the London Miramax office, Raymond reluctantly ventures down to Brixton.
Under normal circumstances, Raymond tends to give this part of Brixton a wide berth, but he has unfinished business that needs attending to. Of course, that doesn’t mean he has to like being accosted by the overwhelming smell of greasy fish and chips when he pushes the car door open, doesn’t mean he has to be pleased about stepping into a piece of chewed-up gum the moment he sets a foot on the kerb.
But then, he can always take a shower after an errand in Brixton. The deep-seated discomfort of unfinished business doesn’t wash off that easily.
Raymond tries to pay Coach back for saving his life, and it doesn’t quite go as planned :D
The Goblin Emperor
The Archduke’s Discovery
Prince Nemolis goes on a journey, and learns a bit more than he wanted to know.
Really great point of canon divergence, and true and precise character voices.
Hades
all the spaces between us
For a place full of the dead, crammed with ghostly shades and nothing but the endless lull of eternity unchanging, gossip sure travelled fast in the Underworld.
Or, Zagreus mulls over his relationship with Thanatos while the rest of the Underworld get overly invested.
Slow, slow, slowest of burns.
Innkeeper Chronicles - Ilona Andrews
A Quick Trip
“It’ll be a quick trip,” Maud said, more to herself than to Arland. “No one will even notice we’re gone.”
Pirates are plaguing an ally, just outside of vampire space. Maud and Arland don some aesthetically beat-up armor and try to get more information from the pirates themselves. Of course, plans only last until you meet your enemy. Or your enemy’s giant alien attack boar.
Excellent canon voice, action/adventure sprinkled with badassery and hilarity.
Jeeves & Wooster
August Thirteenth
Discovering that this is not the first August thirteenth that he’s lived through, that certainly was a head scratcher. Luckily Bertie has the stalwart presence of his man’s man, Jeeves.
Very, very great and satisfying use of the time loop.
Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews
lookin’ like a snack (cake)
It took Barabas a while to figure it out, because he wasn’t used to not being taken seriously.
Barabas considered several ways to phrase it, and finally settled upon, “Do you have a thing for twinks?” Christopher knocked his head back against the headrest: once, then again. “Is that a yes?”
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
When Goosefat Bill finds himself in a difficult situation, the last thing he wants is the King to show up and “help”, in his own unique and unexpected way.
Goosefat Bill does not need to be rescued by his King. But he might just enjoy it a little.
My Next Life as a Villainess (Anime)
All I Have To Bring Today
Catarina and Sophia had been discussing the latest in the Devilish Count series, and Sophia had mentioned how romantic the surprise picnic the count had planned for his lover was and how she wished for someone to surprise her like that.
“What about you, Catarina? Have you ever wished for someone to sweep you off your feet?” Sophia had asked.
Catarina makes a choice! As sweet and as hilarious as the canon.
Nirvana in Fire
Adverse Event
What a pitiful man must he have become, if the only thing he could provoke in bed was a monologue on his character flaws.
: or, the famous strategist mei changsu plays xanatos speed chess against truth serum: the fic.
Mei Changsu gets hit with an accidental truth serum; it doesn’t stop him from lying to himself, but it does buy Jingyan a clue.
Records of the Land of Xiang
There was something of Xiao Jingyan there, in the firmness of his jaw, the unforgiving slash of his brows, and most clearly in the eyes that neither saw nor conveyed deception. But Long Zhan was not Jingyan, could never be, no matter how much Changsu might wish otherwise, because Jingyan was dead.
In service to a very-much-alive Prince Qi, Jingyan dons a Jianghu-typical disguise and infiltrates the Jiangzuo Alliance to suss out this Mei Changsu fellow and see if he might be useful in helping them re-open the Chiyan conspiracy case. Basically, a slightly ridiculous premise where everyone is running around the Jianghu with masks, multiple identities, and secret agendas.
Fascinating and fun AU scenario that delves, among other things, into Mei Changsu the jianghu chef, not Sir Su the court schemer.
suffering as I suffer you
The first time Jingyan stays the night at Su Manor, he discovers an uncomfortable truth about Mei Changsu.
Excellent extrapolation of Mei Changsu’s illness into his nightly routine - with Jingyan watching…
Here, In Our Arms
With the world put to rights, however briefly, Xiao Jingyan and Mu Nihuang take the opportunity to make a fuss over their beloved Lin Shu, and will not take no for an answer.
Sweet moment of comfort.
Find the Coals Amid the Ashes
Despite Changsu’s assertions, Lin Chen is a well brought up person. He would never violate his host’s privacy during a social call. It would be inexcusable, for example, to break into a marquis’s private alchemy lab in the middle of said marquis’s birthday party, in order to search said alchemy lab for certain hard to find medicinal herbs, which one has reason to believe can be found therein. These would be the actions of a man without honour, of a man who has only desperation to his name.
Lin Chen crashes a party and makes a new friend.
The best team up ever :D
Dead Letters
Mei Changsu isn’t the only schemer in Da Liang.
Fei Liu fixes things, in the most Fei Liu way imaginable, and it’s great.
No. 6
All Good Things
In the midst of a crisis for No. 6, Nezumi returns to Shion’s side.
A reunion! And cuddling.
Psmith
The Psky Is The Limit
“As this ship’s Orator, my mission is still as it was in the beginning and shall ever be, world without end. It is to hail any message sent by comrades from outer space and pass it on to you verbatim. Well! The hour, I say, has come. The Word has come into being. Here comes Psmith, bearing news of great mirth: the intercom has spoken.”
(A Mike and Psmith Space AU)
Psmith in space! Hysterically funny Psmith in Pspace, at that.
Psmith Pops In
Psmith reached over and solicitously loosened Mike’s scarf, his fingers brushing the skin of Mike’s neck, and that young man, to his horror, felt heat creeping up from where gloved fingers brushed his bare skin. Really, this blushing nonsense was getting out of hand. Ever since Psmith had tried to take the blame in the case of the painted dog, Mike had developed an inexplicable habit of turning hot and cold around him, and these odd responses had become more and more frequent.
Very funny! And then very tragique! And then jussssst right.
The Secret Garden
The Space Garden
When Meri La Nix was sent from the Mars colony to live with her aunt at Missiles Wait Manor, nobody said she was the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. But some of them thought it.
Beautifully inventive space retelling - with gardens, still.
The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty
The sky spinning above him
In which there’s a jewellery thief on the loose, Tang Fan plays dress up, gets a mild concussion and also a boyfriend.
Frothy, sweet, well-grounded and hot. Also hilarious (check the end note!)
truth in fiction
Three days after Wang Zhi leaves the capital, bits and pieces of his extensive library begin arriving at Sui Zhou’s house.
Sui Zhou is really committed to research and accuracy in Tang Fan’s porn. It’s delightful.
Time don’t fool me no more
“The electrician is a Tang dynasty spy,” he says, dumping some of his eggs in Tang Fan’s bowl.
Tang Fan nods, shovels more food in his mouth, and starts talking again.
Past or future, Tang Fan has Priorities. And Sui Zhou is weak.
Meeting at the End
Sui Zhou knew he never should have let Tang Fan go alone. He knew he should have gone with him.
Really, really great and desperate whump. Super satisfying.
clever boy
Tang Fan never spares a smile for any of the girls at Wang Zhi’s establishment, he’s noticed. That’s alright, though. It means Wang Zhi gets his attention for himself.
Wang Zhi falling, falling hard; it’s delightful.
a bold and brilliant sun
“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.
Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”
Space AU! Most excellent space AU condensing all there is to love about the canon in one perfect package.
Blind Taste Test
Wang Zhi invites Tang Fan to evaluate Joyous Brothel’s chefs — but it’s Tang Fan and Sui Zhou who are really being tested.
Wang Zhi, ever helpful :)
Authorial Intent
Sui Zhou and Tang Fan end up in hot water yet again. Kinky sex ensues.
Hilarious, kinky, heartfelt, and in character.
Swordspoint Series - Ellen Kushner
Chrysopoeia
It struck Alec that this would have been much easier if their positions were reversed. Richard would have known what to do if he’d been dragged back here with a hole in his gut. He was quite simply not supposed to be the one on this end of the equation. In fact, it was possible he had done something very bad to deserve this.
Richard is wounded, and Alex is coping. Excellent h/c and excellent bloodplay and sharp, painful slice of Alex’ POV, excellently rendered.
At first — this was just like him — he thought he was hearing god. But it was only the man in the bed, whose face had turned toward him on the ragged pillow.
The Tarot Sequence - K.D. Edwards
Third’s a Charm
Addam asks a favor of Brand.
Addam asks Brand for help, which ends up being exactly what Brand and Rune need.
Pretty good
Five times Brand crawls into Rune’s bed and one time Rune crawls into Brand’s.
Brand and Rune, through the years.
Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine
Also in the Act of Reaching
When Three Seagrass arrived at Lsel Station, she was, officially at least, traveling as a private personage. She had missed Mahit and the possibilities they’d both chosen to turn away from. She also had– would always have– a gaping hole in her life where Petal had once stood.
It was simply that, left on her own, Three Seagrass wouldn’t have let either absence drag her to the ass-end of beyond.
Reunion, metaphors and realigment. Subtle and clever and just right.
The (concept of the) World Was Wide Enough
Yskandr Aghavn comes to the world like a drowning man comes to shore, but he is living on borrowed time. Teixcalaan has so many wonderful things to choke on.
Teixcalaan has had his heart for all of his life, has elevated him, corrupted him, and discarded him.
It is Lsel that he thinks of as he dies.
Temple of the White Rat Universe - T. Kingfisher
If Grace Is Too Much
Zale is given a case by Bishop Beartongue which turns out to be more complicated and personal than a holy advocate-priest would prefer.
Clever and sweet and carefully shocking, but in a very right way.
Outreach
“We don’t generally assess the… cursédness… of objects, trees or otherwise,” Beartongue said.
Utterly delightful.
26 notes · View notes
kationella · 4 years
Text
Timeline of the Persona franchise (5/5)
Here for Part 1
Here for Part 2
Here for Part 3
Here for Part 4
2016
Between January and April
- Igor and Lavenza are attacked by Yaldabaoth. Lavenza is split in two and Igor is sealed away (apparently Philemon doesn't give a fuck)
- Morgana is created at the last moment before Yaldabaoth takes full control to help Akira
- Akira intervenes when Shido harasses a woman. In the end, Shido manages to place the blame on Akira
- Yaldabaoth grants Akira the potential to use a Persona
- Rise publishes her new album, "Sapphire"
March ?
- Futaba stops attending school
- Kasumi dies due to pursuing Sumire in a hit and run
March 25
- Sumire starts to go to therapy with Maruki, who "helps" her by making her think she's Kasumi using his Persona
April 9
- Akira moves to Tokyo to fulfill his probation and live in Sojiro's coffee shop, Leblanc
April 11
- Akira's first day of school at Shujin
- Akira and Ryuji travel to the Metaverse for the first time
- Akira awakens to his Persona
- Akira and Ryuji meet Morgana, who helps them escape
April 12
- Sumire gains a scholarship at Shujin as Kasumi
- Akira and Ryuji decide to uncover Kamoshida'a crimes
- Ryuji awakens to his Persona
April 14
- Kamoshida sexually assaults Shiho Suzui
April 15
- Shiho attempts suicide
- Kamoshida threatens to expel Akira, Ryuji and Mishima
- Ann awakens to her Persona
May 1
- Akira, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana steal Kamoshida's heart
May 2
- Kamoshida confesses to his crimes before a school assembly
- Shiho transfers to another school
May 5
- The Phantom Thieves of Hearts are formally founded
May 6
- Mishima creates the Phansite
May 7
- The Phantom Thieves first visit to Mementos
May 13
- Maruki becomes a counselor at Shujin to write an essay proving his research was true
May 19
- Yusuke awakens to his Persona
June 1
- Rise releases a new song about "mature love"
June 4
- The Phantom Thieves steal Madarame's heart
June 5
- Madarame confesses to his crimes during an interview
June 6
- Makoto is tasked with finding out the Phantom Thieves' identities
June 11
- Makoto tasks the Phantom Thieves with changing Kaneshiro's heart
June 20
- Makoto awakens to her Persona
July 8
- The Phantom Thieves steal Kaneshiro's heart
July 9
- Kaneshiro turns himself in to the police
August 20
- The Phantom Thieves help Futaba accept her Shadow
- Futaba acquires her Persona
- The Phantom Thieves defeat Cognitive Wakaba
August 21
- Futaba destroys Medjed
September 9
- Kobayakawa is killed by the Conspiracy cause he tried to be a snitch
September 13
- Morgana leaves the Phantom Thieves
- Morgana meets and teams up with Haru, who awakens to her Persona
September 17
- Morgana and Haru join the Phantom Thieves
Between September 19 and October 9
- Haru awakens to the full power of her Persona
October 3
- Sumire awakens to her Persona, but she declines to join the Phantom Thieves
October 10
- The Phantom Thieves steal Kunikazu's heart
- Sojiro finds Futaba's calling card and he is revealed about the identities of the Phantom Thieves
- Akechi kills Shadow Kunikazu
October 11
- When Kunikazu was about to reveal the identity of those behind the mental shutdowns, he suffers one himself and dies
October 29
- Akechi blackmails the Phantom Thieves to join
November 18
- Maruki leaves Shujin
November 20
- Shadow Sae is convinced to assist the Phantom Thieves
- Akira is arrested and interrogated by Sae, convincing her of the Phantom Thieves' justice
- Akechi kills Akira, not knowing it was a cognitive copy, with the real one escaping
- The SIU Director is killed by the Conspiracy
November 30
- Rise takes another small hiatus to help her grandmother
December 17
- Akechi disappears inside Shido's Palace
- The Phantom Thieves steal Shido's heart
December 18
- Even though Shido won the elections, he confesses to his crimes on national television
December 23
- The public's distortions make everyone shrug off Shido's change of heart, fire Sae and stop believing in the Phantom Thieves' existence
December 24
- Maruki publishes his final essay, but it is rejected once again
- Mementos merges with Tokyo
- Yaldabaoth reveals himself. Lavenza is fused back together and Igor is freed (not a single fuck was given by Philemon)
- Akira saves the rest of the Phantom Thieves from the Velvet Room
- The Phantom Thieves defeat Yaldabaoth
- Sae asks Akira to turn himself in for a testimony against Shido, but Akechi appears to turn himself in instead
2017
January 1
- Maruki warps the human dimension so everyone can live in ignorant bliss with their deepest wishes granted
- Akechi is released from prison
January 2
- Akira, Akechi and Sumire team up to find out what's going on
- Maruki reveals Sumire's backstory and gives them a deadline to accept his reality, taking her as a hostage
January 9
- Akira finishes to snap his teammates out of Maruki's illusions
- Sumire is rescued
January 12
- Sumire's true awakening to her Persona
February 3
- The Phantom Thieves defeat Maruki and his reality is erased. Yay, another happy ending!
- With reality as it should be, Akira has turned himself in since December 24 and Akechi and Morgana have still been missing
February 13
- Akira is released from the Juvenile Hall
- Morgana returns due to everyone believing he belonged in their dimension
March 3
- Ken graduates from Gekkoukan and rejoins the Shadow Operatives
March 15
- Makoto graduates to become a police comissioner
- Haru graduates to obtain the skills necessary to open her café chain
- Ryuji transfers to a school closer to his physical rehabilitation facility for his last year
March 19
- Sae quits her job at the prosecutor's office to become a defense attorney
March 20
- The Phantom Thieves drive Akira back to his hometown, now that is probation is lifted. Morgana decides to go with him
April ?
- Futaba starts attending Shujin as a first year
2018
March 15
- Ryuji graduates
- Ann and Mishima graduate from Shujin
- Yusuke graduates from Kosei
2020
March ?
- Futaba graduates to study cognitive psience
Jesus Christ, you read it all? Ok. Conclusion? Too many fucking people know about Personas and shadows. Heck! Even the japanese government is involved!
Also, the Phantom Thieves are babies compared to the rest.
OTHER TIMELINES EXCLUDED FROM THIS LIST:
- Whatever universe the spinoffs take place in. This is due to the fact that some take a step back from the plot and others lack continuity
- Trinity Soul, since it specifies that it is a parallel universe T_T
- The one where Akemi DID use his Demon Summoning Program and fucked up the world
- The one where Tamaki is the sole survivor of her school
- The one where Tamaki only escapes with a friend
- The one where Tamaki saves the day but doesn't learn the juicy backstory
- The one where Maki is killed by one of her fragments
- The one where the Snow Queen freezes the world, leaving the Naoya Crew to live in a wasteland
- The one of what happened in the Innocent Sin timeline after the Tatsuya Squad made their deal with Philemon (aka another apocalypse one)
- The one where the FeMC exists in Persona 3
- The one where S.E.E.S. forgets everything and The Fall happens
- The one where the fog extends beyond Inaba and shadows feast on the world
- The one where Souji becomes Adachi's accomplice
- Every "we failed to save the person" from Persona 4
- The one where Akira accepted Yaldabaoth's deal
- The one where Akira accepted Maruki's deal
- The one where Akira was left to sleep forever by Maruki
- Every "we failed to steal the treasure" timeline from Persona 5
- The one where Akechi actually kills Akira
- You get the idea
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marcilled · 4 years
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5 years
It was 5 years ago today that a humble little minecraft server first opened its gates. 5 years ago, I started @quixol​ with a team of 8 friends. Today, only 4 of those original friends are still on our Staff team, and the server is a shadow of its former self.
There’s a lot I could talk about with Quixol, but before I get into it, I just want it to be known that this is a highly personal post from me. This isn’t an official announcement, but seeing as I’m an admin, it’s definitely of pertinence if you are someone who is a part of the Quixol community.
If you’re new to following me, or just don’t know what I’m talking about: Quixol is a trans-friendly minecraft server started by me and a few pals back on November 16, 2015. It’s primarily populated by folks from here on Tumblr, and is an LGBT+ only community. Over its 5 years, it’s gotten over 1600 unique players. And... Well, there’s a lot of history that took place during and after that, I can’t hope to summarize it here. You can see more on the about page on our blog.
So, yeah. Today is the 5-year anniversary of Quixol. Pretty big deal! And... we have nothing in store for today to celebrate that huge milestone. Pretty big bummer. The prior 4 years, the anniversary was the single biggest celebration of the year. We typically tried to schedule large server updates to coincide with the anniversary, just to make it feel that much more special. So, on the day that marks a whole half-decade of being online, why do we have no plans? It’s a long, complicated story. I’ll only be able to tell you my side of it. Everything written below is from my perspective, and doesn’t necessarily reflect how others think or feel.
Regardless of the lonely feeling on the server now, I just want to say, I’m really glad I could host such a fantastic community for so many years. Thank you everyone who has made the past half decade so special.
Long retrospective below (plus, discussion about Quixol’s future):
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Where to begin... All I can say at the start here is, don’t expect anything coherent, I typed this up while sleep deprived just the night before posting this, without much forethought of what I’d say in it. I just feel I need to get these feelings off my chest before I can mentally move on, you know.
Before I delve into this, I just want to put this sort of disclaimer at the top here: Despite how gloomy I make things sound throughout this post, Quixol is and was an amazing place, that I’m so glad to say I got to play such a pivotal role in. I wouldn’t trade my time here for anything. It’s been an honor to serve as an Admin over such an incredible community. I’ve seen countless new friendships forged, plenty of laughs and fun times to be had... I’ve even known several couples that met through their time on Quixol, I’ve known several people that came out or discovered more about their identity/gender/sexuality while on Quixol. It’s a great community, despite its flaws, and what we did over these past 5 years is nothing short of spectacular. I’m forever thankful for everyone who helped make this place as special as it is- you’ve all been such great friends. Thank you.
While I may speak a great deal about some of the lowest lows that happened on Quixol, you better believe it had some of the highest highs as well. Keep that in mind, so you know why I’m spending this much time and effort to commemorate this server that I’ve called home for so long.
I’ll start here with a rough timeline of Quixol... I’ll even include some screenshots for you all.
Old World (Nov. 2015 - Mar. 2017, mc 1.8 - 1.9)
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Quixol began back in 2015 like I mentioned- whitelisted at first, but moved on to being unwhitelisted at a later date (I believe it was summer of 2016). Hundreds of people joined after the whitelist was removed, in just the first month or so. We owe that initial success to how much our blog post about the server got shared around, it served as a nice advertisement for the server. It was only posted to tumblr, so everybody who joined then was from the same sort of social sphere of 2016 tumblr. It was pretty lively, and we made lots of friends very quickly. A lot never logged in again after the first initial burst, but a fair amount stuck around.
The server started on minecraft version 1.8, which was before the end update that introduced elytra & all the controversial combat changes. Most people never even saw the server on this version, though, since it was still whitelisted when we updated to 1.9. The world we used back in 2015-2016 eventually got deleted at a later date, however we did provide an archive of this old world to download, it’s... somewhere on our blog, you can go find it if you poke around a bit. (Assuming the download hasn’t been removed from the website I uploaded it to, which would make sense since it’s just 20 gb sitting on some server doing nothing).
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While there was plenty of merriment, there was also the fair share of drama. I can’t even hope to recall all the drama that happened in 2016, but one of our og mods got banned completely after the rest of the staff sort of woke up to the realization they were incredibly abusive. There’s lots of other stuff that happened then- I wish I could tell the “full tale” as it were, but it would be so long-winded that almost nobody would bother to read. Plus, my memory isn’t very good, so I would need to dig through old blog posts, discord messages, screenshots, etc etc to jog my memory... way too much work.
Protos (Mar. 2017 - Nov. 2018, mc 1.11 - 1.12)
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2017 came around, and that’s when we updated the server to 1.11 and created a new world (Protos). That update happened on March 26, 2017- I remember because march 26th is my birthday, and the other staff made a cute little celebration for me on that day and I literally cried from how happy I was. It was the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in a long time. (God, I miss those times.)
A lot more happened during this time period, and honestly I’d consider the period in which Protos was our main, active world to be the most consistently active the server has ever been. It wasn’t always exploding with activity, but the people who joined and played during this time were consistent. And we had a relatively consistent influx of new players.
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There was a lot more drama that happened during this time... More staff members left, mostly of their own accord (but never on a wholly positive note). Drama amongst some of the veteran/long-time players, arguments over how to interpret and enforce our rules.
Regardless of the troubles, I’d say this period was overall quite positive for Quixol. We even brought in our first batch of new staff members during this period.
Ghalea (Nov. 2018 - Present, mc 1.13 - 1.15)
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I believe late 2018 was when we updated the server from 1.12 to 1.13. We rushed the update to this version quite a lot, which was a shame since it ensured the server had an egregious amount of bugs to work out, and lots of missing plugins/functionality. With this update, we made another new world (and, our current main world): Ghalea.
Regardless of buggy behavior, we managed to hit what I believe is the all-time peak concurrent player count we have ever gotten, which is something like 54-56 players playing at the same time. The server chugged so hard, I’m surprised it didn’t crash. All of those parties were so stressful to put on, but at the same time, incredibly fun and fulfilling to see when lots of people showed up and had a good time.
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Funny, though: despite the success of the server, 2018 and early 2019 are the closest the server has ever gotten to absolutely tearing itself apart from internal staff drama. By early-mid 2019, several staff members ended up getting banned one after the other. So that left us with very few staff by that point (only 6 active staff, myself included, if I remember correctly).
2019 should have been a great year for Quixol, seeing as it was what many people referred to as the “minecraft renaissance”, “the great minecraft revival”, etc etc etc. However, the drama amongst the staff, coupled with drama in our personal lives, and just an all around lack of staff members to kick things into gear, resulted in a pretty lackluster year compared to the previous 4 years.
Despite all of that, we worked tirelessly to complete our greatest project yet, Chroma Park, just before our 4th anniversary on Nov 16th, 2019. It took a whole team of builders to complete, and several months in preparation/building.
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With such a grand project completed, you would expect it would result in a flurry of new activity on the server... unfortunately, it ended up being almost the opposite. Because we called upon our “build team” to help with it, (several talented veteran players who volunteered their building skills), nearly all of our active players suffered some serious burnout after the major project they just completed. Lots of people just weren’t feelin’ up to minecraft anymore... And, that spelled the beginning of the end, really.
The culmination of this was that, going into 2020, activity on the server just... plummeted. Then, we all know what a shit year 2020 turned into. That just furthered feelings of burnout. I made another personal post about this, back in April- explaining why I had been relatively absent from the server for a while. It goes into more detail about the “hiatus” at that time, what caused it, why it continued so long, and how my personal feelings were at that time. Give it a read if you want. It even goes more in-depth about some of Quixol’s former staff, and how toxic behavior from them may have negatively impacted the community (especially in 2018-2019).
So, basically nothing has happened on Quixol in 2020... I took the time to update the server from 1.14 to 1.15 back in July, just so that the server was on a more stable version of minecraft- but all the effort poured into that resulted in basically nothing happening. Barely anyone even noticed, because it was such a minor update focusing on bug fixes. I hoped it would get the ball rolling again, but it just wasn’t enough.
While I wasn’t ready to throw in the towel just yet, I decided it was for the best if I put any plans on the backburner for a while, and focus more attention on building infrastructure back up again. I spent some time researching sysadmin stuff, and looking into upgrading my PC. I set up a new discord bot that we’re currently using on Quixol, & have in a few other discord servers I’m active in.
Then, I got tossed one of the most difficult months of my life in a long time pretty recently. It’s very recent/fresh, but suffice it to say, a decent chunk of what made it such a horrible month was related to drama within the Quixol friend group, particularly... me being a shitty friend. I made another post about this a while back, but I won’t link it since it’s a bit vague and not super relevant to what I’m talking about here. Just know, September this year pretty much demolished any feelings of hope I had for continuing work on Quixol.
So, that leads us to... Today. The 5th anniversary of Quixol.
Where did it all go wrong?
Now that I’ve laid out as quick a summary of the past 5 years as I could, I want to talk about some of the mistakes we made along the way. The people that made Quixol what it is, and how that history always seems to tie me down.
To tell you the truth, saying that “it all went wrong” sounds horribly pessimistic to me. Sure, I felt pessimistic going into writing this, but... Just looking back on everything we’ve accomplished, there’s never really a point where it “went wrong”. Moreso, Quixol has had its fair share of flaws baked in from the very beginning. But, perhaps those flaws are what made it what it really is. I can’t go back and change the past, and neither can you. Perhaps the best we can do is just accept Quixol for what it is, and acknowledge its shortcomings while allowing ourselves to feel happy about the good memories we do have.
While I’m not going to cast away every pleasant memory I have of Quixol, I must admit I find so many of them tainted and forever changed, just because of how many people entered this community, made their stay known, then left or were cast away on a sour note. There are countless people that were a huge part of Quixol, of my life, my friends, that I don’t speak to anymore. People that hate me. Maybe even some that I hate.
If I go back and think fondly of those times, I remember how the people in those memories largely don’t think fondly of me anymore. I remember all of my mistakes, all of the ways I could have avoided that outcome. All the ways I could have worked with those friends, to work out our differences, to just fucking communicate. Sure... some of those friends, there was nothing I could do for them. Nothing I could do to make things work. But, all the same... it stings, thinking of everyone I used to know. Not knowing who is still a friend, or who simply has no need for me anymore...
So much of Quixol’s history is tied up in knots this way. Complicated webs of emotion, suffocating in the tethers to its past. So many things built on the server, just wasting away, never to be touched again... New players won’t even know it. They don’t know, can’t know the history behind those blocks that were placed. It sounds a bit silly talking about it this way, but that’s how it feels to me. There’s real history behind each of these blocks, all of the little farms and structures and silly signs. So much of it, nobody even knows. But it wears on my heart, knowing all of that history, and feeling so disconnected from it. Feeling cast away by the people who forged those memories.
It’s a disconnect that’s always hurt, to me. Maybe I’m just too sentimental, nostalgic. Maybe I cling to the past too much. But it feels impossible to ignore... So much of what made Quixol what it is today was left there by people who want nothing to do with me, us, anymore. What does that say about Quixol? About me...? About our group?
There’s a lot I could say about this, but it’s stuff I’ve mentioned before. I hang on too tightly to the past, and am often too critical of my own mistakes. But, sometimes the past is just the way it is, and there’s not much that can be done about it. Regardless, I find myself feeling regrets about every little thing that went wrong, and thinking about where all those people are now... Maybe one of them is even reading this right now. If you’re out there, hey. We can still talk. I’m not going to hold a grudge on you forever. It’s ok.
My influence
Since Quixol began in 2015, I’ve tried my best to be nothing more than an “Admin” of Quixol... not the “owner” or “lead admin” or “founder”, just “admin”. I hoped I could encourage the other admins to be leaders in their own rights. While each of the admins we’ve had has been great leaders in their own respect, I feel that every one of them has been, unfortunately, tied down by my influence to some extent.
In most aspects of life, I’m a very timid, indecisive person. I’m incredibly anxious, and lack confidence to a worrying degree. However, a different side of me can be seen in the safe, comfortable environment that Quixol provided for me. Surrounded by friends and people who I felt really got me, I became comfortable enough to show some level of confidence in myself... In all honesty, for a long time, I was never able to recognize this self confidence for what it was. I really was not, and mostly still am not, used to feeling confident in myself or my own abilities. Like, at all. So when I actually feel good about myself, like I actually know what I’m doing... Well, for a really long time, I didn’t even process it as such. I just felt like I knew the right answers, and that was it.
On Quixol, this often manifested in a specific way... Being proud of my own knowledge & skills with minecraft, I would insert myself into any discussion about Minecraft, the server, or just anywhere I could, and offer up my knowledge, opinions & help. This hardly sounds like a problem, but... The problem was just in my unwavering presence. I was everywhere on Quixol, you couldn’t escape me. I dominated the space with my presence. Not that I interrupted people (usually...?), I just would try to put myself anywhere a conversation was happening, assuming it was, like, appropriate for me to do so on some level.
Whenever I chimed in with my thoughts, eventually there became this sort of air of almost... superiority about it. This feeling that my word was “final”, or that I had some layer of expertise on everything, and that if I said what you said was right, that was a pretty good indicator you were on the right track. I didn’t pretend like I was infallible, and I don’t think anyone ever saw me as that. But the perception was generally that if Vivian says it, that holds weight to it. Perhaps this is somewhat unavoidable of a staff member, but... it was this way even amongst the staff.
I never really realized that I was creating this environment within the community, because it happened rather slowly. But as things moved along, other staff began to pick up on this (perhaps subconsciously). Including even the other admins. Quickly, my own insistence on doing things a Specific Way, became “the Right Way” to do things on Quixol... Whether I intended it or not.
Now, this is something I didn’t know until quite recently, but I actually have OCD (undiagnosed, but it’s glaringly obvious to me at this point). My ocd comes out in minecraft, and specifically Quixol, quite a lot. I have very ritualistic ways of doing things, whether it be while building a project in-game, to managing specific parts of the server- we have a very detailed format in which update logs are written, and I have very specific rituals related to updating plugins on the server, taking backups, etc. Even just the way I play survival minecraft has sorts of rituals in a way, like specific patterns in which I place torches. I’m not too educated on ocd, so excuse me if I’m using some terminology of this wrong, or if I’m spreading some sort of misinformation about it. This is just my experience.
Anyhow, with the extremely regimented way I manage things on the server, coupled with my constant presence in things, you can understand how this might lead to other admins, who have their own mental illness issues, to become very averse to doing a lot of admin-related duties. After months and months, years, even, of this sort of stuff... and... yeah. That leads to where we are now.
With my selfish behavior in the past, I’ve unintentionally created this staff environment where people are reluctant to make their own decisions, show their own creativity, etc. And that must feel incredibly frustrating if you actually want to do something to make a difference on Quixol...
I’m not even accounting for all the times I’ve butted heads with the other staff before, either. While much less frequent, I’ve definitely had arguments with folks in the past. And with the great amount of influence I hold over the server, it takes a lot of courage to stand up to what I say.
I’ve always resented that I hold this position of power over everyone else, and tried many times to address it. However, I don’t think I ever quite had a full picture of why things were this way. Now, I think I understand it better. Sadly, it feels too little, too late to make any significant changes without uprooting pretty much everything we have set in place already. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe I’m being too pessimistic here... But, this is how I feel at the present moment.
I’m sincerely sorry to any current or former staff members, who have wanted to do something great for Quixol, but felt they could never convince me to go through with your idea... Or who felt pushed away from doing something they otherwise would’ve liked to, just because the attitude I gave, the environment my presence created, made you feel like you weren’t good enough or qualified enough to do it. You are good enough. I’m so sorry that my actions made you convinced otherwise...
I will say, this sort of mindset of mine, that I have to be the Most Right about anything relating to minecraft, or any hyperfixation/special interest of mine, has caused problems elsewhere, too. I talked about this in another post I made. I’ve only really come to realize all this stuff within the past few months, but I’ve been a really terrible friend to a lot of people. I never even realized until recently just how often I struggle with empathy, and how that’s colored so many of my friendships. Needless to say, it’s affected things on Quixol before, sometimes without me even realizing it.
My influence over the community also means if anybody’s relations with me in particular ever become marred, it must inevitably result in them leaving the community because there’s simply no escaping me. There’s not really anything I can do about this, though, aside from doing whatever I can to become a kinder, more
I’m far from a perfect person, and my imperfections seeped into so much of what made Quixol what it is. However, it’d be silly to suggest that I’m the singular reason that Quixol is flawed, if anything, that would be another form of arrogance- assuming that I singlehandedly shaped the way Quixol took form. No, it was always a team effort, and every single staff and community member held great influence of their own.
The Future
This part is probably why many of you clicked on this post... You want to know what’s going to happen to Quixol. You likely noticed I’ve been referring to Quixol in the past tense a lot in this post. Honestly, I’m not sure why I did that, it just felt the most natural to type it that way. But, I will be honest- the future of Quixol right now isn’t looking very bright.
This is a personal post, so I don’t want to deliver any sort of formal announcement about plans for Quixol here, especially since I haven’t run this post by the other staff before posting it.
For the past 2 and a half months, I’ve been taking a very long break from Quixol. Much greater than any previous break of mine... I’ve neglected to even log in for weeks at a time. I still keep an eye on the discord server, and check the mc <-> discord bridge channel to see which players have been logging in. But I have little to no motivation to play, even just casually.
While I’d love to give you some fun cool news about how this hiatus is ending soon and I have a million and one projects planned, that simply isn’t the case. I’ve gotten to this point where I’m rethinking everything about myself, who I am, and what I’m doing with my life. Surely, I can’t dedicate all my time and energy to running a minecraft server for the rest of my life, even though I do care deeply about this community. But at the same time, it’s not really my call to shut down Quixol, and I’d hate to pull the plug just because of my own lack of motivation.
So, for the time being at least, you can probably consider Quixol to be on a sort of “indefinite hiatus”. I am generally the one to update plugins, do major server updates, etc., and I likely won’t be doing any of that any time soon. I fully entrust the other staff to handle that stuff if they really want to, and I’ve expressed that to them already. But as things stand, nobody else seems to want to pick up the torch right now. Shit is rough for pretty much everyone, and we’re all equally burnt out. We’ve all grown up quite a lot since Quixol began, too. So... Don’t expect anything anytime soon.
If there are any updates, they’ll come in our Discord server first.
As for me, personally... I just need time away from all of this. It’s clearer than ever to me that I have a lot of personal problems I need to work on, and I think that the cozy safe environment provided by Quixol didn’t challenge me enough to really address those issues. I need time to focus on myself & my own growth. At the same time, I also feel like I need more experience being a part of a team, instead of just running the show. I’m not getting the kind of enrichment I need from running Quixol, so I’m trying to turn my attention elsewhere.
I’m doing this not because I want to abandon you guys, or because I feel like I want/need to move on from this community. It’s just... Something I need to do, for myself. And I’ll still be around, I’m still gonna be posting to my tumblr & twitter and stuff, and you can still reach me on discord. I’m just focusing my time elsewhere for once.
What does that mean for the future of Quixol? I don’t really know yet. But, for now, it’s not going anywhere. It’s just... also not changing anytime soon. Not even a little bit. I’m sorry to give you this disappointing news, but I hope you all understand.
I miss the good times on Quixol, too. I really do. Maybe we can share them again sometime? Who knows...
For now, that’s all.
It breaks my heart that we don’t have anything glitzy and glamorous to do to celebrate Quixol’s 5th anniversary... But it would be asking far too much of the staff to set anything like that up right now. Maybe we can have some sort of celebration later...? I dunno.
I hope you’re all staying safe & healthy out there. Thank you so much for reading this. I love all of you.
Happy birthday, Quixol.
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promonetpublishing · 3 years
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THE ESTHETICIAN BOOK
It is the new release from Promonet Publishing, a full color and large print book for all those readers who enjoy this format to take advantage in beauty treatments. In May 2017 we published the first edition of this aesthetics manual, which in these three years of continuous promotion has received a great acceptance from the public of Spanish and English-speaking readers and translated into six other languages from the continents of Europe and Asia. We consider that the health and well-being of our dear readers is a sensitive and very important topic, so we decided to review its content to improve it with 24 additional topics that had not been included before, more graphics, in addition to adding an additional chapter at the end with relaxation therapies that summarizes in a concise and enjoyable way those concepts that complete a work in this field of beauty science. Another innovation that we apply in this version are the sections of “Key ideas and suggested activities” for instructors and students of aesthetics of specialized schools. Here the reader will find videos and audiobooks as exclusive teaching material, with topics that are included in this edition to strengthen the learning process. For all these reasons we celebrate this second edition with great pride and satisfaction.
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For this reason, this book was published for all those who see in the art of body aesthetics a way to use their time profitably. And like the female and male figures, they are part of self-esteem, which is the factor most related to mental health, personal fulfillment and happiness, it has several chapters that illustrate, define and explain many of the concepts and procedures which are necessary to work within an aesthetic clinic, or even manage it as your own business. The bibliography available on the Internet on the techniques and protocols of beauty most accepted at present, has been updated with this Manual that left nothing pending because all the topics and subtopics have been included that will complete any questions that may be had and are related to this field so recommended in our days.
Starting with chapter one where we address the origin and theory of Aesthetics from ancient Greece and compare it with contemporary rethinking. In the second entitled "Aesthetic subspecialties" we define its concept, intermediate relationships, its types and we highlight the healthy benefits that can be obtained from various types of therapies that combine natural and ancient techniques. And we will see how aesthetics also help people in more serious cases where facial trauma suffered by some accidents that disfigure our face with more invasive scientific methods.
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callmeblake · 5 years
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Frank Iero, New York, NY, June 2019 (X)
Aug 29, 2019, 09:10am
Frank Iero May Just Be His Own Puppet Master
Photo Credit: Audrey Lew
Interview below the cut
Derek Scancarelli
Contributor
Hollywood & Entertainment
I am a music journalist living in New York City.
Frank Iero is breathing deeply and fighting off nausea. This isn’t uncommon for the 37-year-old guitarist and vocalist, given his predilection for debilitating anxiety. But on this occasion, it isn’t pre-show jitters.
“Oh my god, I hate this f*cking boat,” Iero says, as the docked vessel on which he sits knocks against a pier in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Iero and his band, The Future Violents, just finished an intimate Saturday matinee show as fans sweat, sang and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty.
It had been about 16 years since Iero and his now defunct band, My Chemical Romance (the band broke up in 2013), first performed on water. In July of 2002, the band released its debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. In October of 2003, the soon-to-be emo heroes performed alongside New York Hardcore legends Sick Of It All at an aquatic gig booked by New Jersey college radio station WSOU. And in June of 2004, My Chemical Romance released Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, the band’s platinum-selling breakthrough record. In a matter of two years, Iero’s life changed dramatically.
In 2019, Iero still hasn’t found his sea legs, but a lot more has changed. He’s fathered three children, released three full-length solo records (including 2019’s Barriers), and survived a near-death experience. And as he gets older, he finds truth in life’s greatest clichés.
“Time flies, it just screams by,” Iero says. “You think you’re appreciating the time, but it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s a shame.”
But Iero is trying his hardest to pay attention to the little things, especially when it comes to family. He and his wife, Jamia, have three children together: nine-year-old twin daughters, Cherry and Lily, and a seven-year-old son named Miles.
“It’s wonderful to see them evolve and come into their own,” Iero says. “But it’s funny how personalities are innate. We shape the way they experience things or teach them the ropes, but for the most part, I’ve found that we are who we are when we’re born.”
From the start, Iero has seen an even split in the twins’ personalities. Cherry, he says, most behaves like her mother, whereas Lily possesses her father’s attitude.
“Some of the sh*t I hear coming out of my daughter's mouth,” Iero says laughing. “My God! It’s stuff I think but never say — they don't know to be ashamed yet! It's amazing and honest and pure. And I know exactly where she's coming from because I feel the same way.”
As part of fostering a relationship of trust and honesty, Iero has been age-appropriately transparent with his kids about the 2016 accident that almost killed him, his brother-in-law and guitarist Evan Nestor and his manager Paul Clegg.
While unloading gear from their van in Sydney, Australia, a city bus crashed into the group and their vehicle. In a 2017 interview with MTV, Iero recounted, in vivid detail, the moment he was dragged underneath the bumper of the bus, the screams of his brother-in-law, and the blood pooling from his manager.
Although Iero was able to walk into an ambulance carrying one of his friends, the scene was a spectacle overrun with emergency personnel — they even landed a rescue helicopter in nearby Hyde Park. Despite serious injuries, amazingly, there were no fatalities.
When Iero returned home from the hospital, he explained to his children that he was in a car accident, but that it was a singular freak incident.
“You don't want to lie,” he says. “They're getting older. Their friends and their parents are on the internet. They're asking questions. It does get back to them.”
Iero was as honest as possible, but avoided any gory details. He was also conscious that it wouldn’t be long before he would travel for work again — and he didn’t want to scare his kids any further.
Almost four years later, residual damage from the crash is impossible to ignore. Nestor has nerve damage in his leg that may never be corrected. Clegg’s leg and knee have undergone multiple surgeries, but are in poor shape. And Iero still has a tear in his shoulder that hurts every time he plays the guitar. Despite the pain, he’s afraid to undergo surgery.
“I was lucky enough to walk away and still play,” Iero says. “If I were to test fate again and go under the knife, if something were to go wrong… to let that be taken from me … no, I can't.”
On some days, the emotional toll of surviving such a traumatic accident weighs more heavily. Iero describes his recovery as non-linear: some days he feels collected and in control, other days the memory rushes back into his mind.
After his new band finished recording Barriers, Iero and his team went back to Australia for appointments pertaining to the accident and corresponding litigation. As soon as he exited the plane, Iero felt like he’d returned to the horrific scene. For the following week, he was barraged by an unending state of panic.
“You go through these instances of PTSD,” he says. “You never know what's going to trigger and send you all the way back to the beginning with recovery.”
Iero greatly underestimated how difficult his return to Australia would be. When navigating to a doctor’s office near where the accident occurred, he couldn’t bring himself to walk down the street. And suddenly, he felt surrounded by buses.
“I don't know if this is true,” he says. “But it felt like every other car on the street was one of these f*cking buses. They were everywhere. It was frightening. I couldn't do anything. I was shaking like a leaf.”
Despite the traumatic flashbacks, Iero continues to reflect on that day. In the promotional run for Barriers, he discussed the accident at length. And on the record itself, he addresses the complicated ripple effect it’s had on his entire sense of self.
“I don't think it needs to define me,” Iero says. “But it was something I needed to talk about on this record. It's not something I could sweep under the rug. But do I want to dwell on it every day and relive it? No. But I think about it constantly. I feel the pain constantly. It's on my mind.”
In recent interviews, Iero has tended to frame a few philosophical takeaways from his ordeal. In simple terms, the first idea is that he’s found a new lease on life — that everything happens for a reason and he’s been given an opportunity to seize the day. The second philosophy is much darker, a sort of survivor’s guilt compounded with fear and existential dread. The third and most abstract consideration is closest to Simulation Theory — where Iero has the ability to control his own artificial timeline.
Sometimes, Iero questions if actually died that day. He wonders: Is this all real?
“It’s hard. No one can tell you what to believe,” he says. “But you come to this realization, ‘Well, this is real to me, the hand I was dealt, so I have to make the best of it!’”
Through the acceptance of uncertainty, Iero surmises that he just may be his own puppet master.
“If this is a figment of my imagination,” Iero says. “If this is all in my head, then I am the master of my own destiny. If I want to do something, I can manufacture it. And if it's not the case, then at least it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe putting positive vibes out into the universe is beneficial. If we didn't make it and we're just going through this weird labyrinth in my mind, I can do anything I want.”
And lately, he’s been doing just that. Call it sorcery or the power of positive thinking, but Iero is motivated. For Barriers, he was able to assemble a dream band, The Future Violents (different lineups of his backing band have previously gone by The Cellabration and The Patience), featuring his brother-in-law Nestor on guitar, Thursday’s Tucker Rule on drums, Murder by Death’s Matt Armstrong on bass, and Kayleigh Goldsworthy on keyboard.
The theme of the album — and his own internal dialogue — mostly relates to tragedy and timing. Did the universe have a course set out for him? Or was he just some random victim?
“The crazy thing is that you didn't do anything wrong,” Iero says of the accident. “Yet, all of this stuff was taken from you and you have to make these decisions. You get angry a lot.”
He continues: “These random, abrupt, violent actions. Do they happen to us? Or for us? I wouldn't have been able to make this record if it didn't happen. And it made me realize a lot of things about myself. Am I happy it happened? No. But I'm happy where I am right now.”
Iero views Barriers as an exercise in vulnerability. If the aftermath of his accident taught him anything, it’s that success was meaningless to his character, but adversity helped him grow. For the first time, addressing childhood trauma helped Iero expose himself in a way that felt freeing.
“When you put something to song, it gives that memory weight,” Iero explains. “If you never talk about it, it's almost like it didn't happen. There's a fine line between relinquishing that power to this memory, situation or trauma, or holding that power over it and creating your own narrative from it.”
Barriers also intertwines Iero’s childhood experiences with his current perspective as a father. This go around, he felt comfortable writing about his parents’ divorce — the couple split when he was three and divorced when he was seven.
He looks back on the unpleasantness of the process and his consequential understanding of his mother’s issues with addiction, depression and mental illness. On his 2016 record, Parachutes, Iero first referenced his mother’s struggles and his own liability to inherit her traits. He’s still horrified by the idea of predeterminism.
“When you're a young kid being surrounded with it, it doesn't feel right,” Iero says. “You're not happy. You're scared. You're constantly concerned for your parent. It’s almost as if you become the caregiver.”
He continues: “Then you see yourself falling into these patterns that you were witness to and maybe in a roundabout way were taught. That addiction, that depression, runs through you. It's easy to fall off that cliff. I don't want that for my kids and I need to stop this cycle. Like this sh*t stops with me. Whether it be I get okay, or I f*cking turn my lights out.”
It’s this sort of tongue-in-cheek use of concerning language that keeps Iero’s fanbase enthralled, yet somewhat on edge. Take for example, in the comment section for his video “Young & Doomed,” some diehard fans are troubled by his repeated use of the words “hurt myself again.” While he’s surprised to hear about the response, he counters that the record is ultimately meant to feel uplifting and positive, even if addressing dark topics.
“I don't think that we should strive for perfection,” Iero says. “This idea that we should all have this perfect life and be pretty and purse our lips to post a picture on social media is bullsh*t. The things that make us unique are important.”
He continues: “Sometimes we're our own worst enemies and we hurt ourselves. Those scars, though, are important. They're beautiful. ‘Young And Doomed’ is a call to arms to celebrate the things people think are wrong with us.”
Now, Iero just hopes his story and music inspire fans to try, fail and try again.
“You don't find out who you are unless you get a scar and get hurt,” Iero says. “You should be hurt, hurt other people, and learn that it feels terrible to hurt someone else. You should feel sorry for it and make amends for it. These are important lessons to be a better person. You find out who you truly are by attacking things that scare you the most.”
Frank Iero is currently touring Europe with Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers.
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