#(still under the radar because we were surrounded by others and in a very conservative context and I was stealth)
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I'm in this really weird spot where I'm passing as male well enough that even other trans people don't clock me as trans and are surprised when I tell them, but also apparently not well enough for strangers to reliably gender me correctly. So when I have the chance to introduce myself or get introduced, people accept me as male without second thought. But when they rely on their first impression, they often assume I'm a woman (yay, round face & small height). Of course they're embarassed when I correct them, and I've expanded my repertoire of appropriate reactions - in short, never be timid or careful in my assertion that no actually I'm a man. A little confusion why they would think otherwise also sometimes works well, or a good-natured "yeah don't worry (you didn't offend me), I get that sometimes". Mostly they move on pretty quickly and don't doubt my assertion, and that's good enough for me.
#This was brought up by remembering how I came out to a fellow trans person in terms I thought were obvious#(still under the radar because we were surrounded by others and in a very conservative context and I was stealth)#But they still weren't certain until a day later when they oh-so-carefully brought it up#and since we were in private this time I just said 'yeah I'm trans' and it was only then that they were sure#trans#birdypersonal#queer
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MC:SM Mafia - Round VI 🧠
THE 6TH ROUND OF MAFIA
On a chilling, but not yet snowy december day, a bus drived through the thickness of the swamp to transport eight patients to a asylum to which they have been relocated.
It was a confusing swamp… trees and vines everywhere, no proper roads… but the occupants felt confident that this was no problem for the driver. He was experienced… probably. I mean, he was responsible for the safe arrival of mentally ill patients, of course they wouldn't assign an intern with such an important task, right?
Anyway, the trip lasted the whole night, but just as the sun was rising, you finally arrived at the new asylum! … Which turned out to be a surprisingly old and bedraggled looking mansion? Geesh, talking about healthcare inequality.
Anyway, even though it was not snowing, the trees had frost on their leafs and the wind blew really cold, so you made your way inside without thinking about it too much. And thank goodness, it was actually warm inside! Ah, and there stood the receptionist, a girl with long red hair and a grey, comfortable looking beanie. You went on to line up - but suddenly, the girl turned around and activated a lever on the wall behind her. Huh? What was that all abou-
AND THEN IT WAS DARK AND YOU COULDN'T SEE AND OH MY GOSH I THINK I'M SEEING PUMPKIN FACES AND THERE WERE VOICES TOO, WE'RE ALL HEARING VOICES-
Oh, wait, that might actually be just your own voice… ahh, wait, you got a pumpkin stuck on your head! Well, how did that happen?? You sure didn't know!
… wait WHY ARE WE ALL WEARING PUMPKINS, WHAT IS GOING ON, WE CAN'T GET RID OF THEM, AHHHHH!!!!!
Meanwhile, it seemed like the red haired girl was trying desperately to announce something, but nobody would listen to her. She gave us a very annoyed glance and, in the next second, she put herself in a pumpkin too. And it didn't took a second for everyone to forget where the stranger was.
Dear patients, it is time.
To freak out.
AND-
GET REALITY AND HALLUCINATIONS MIXED UP AND BE EXTRA PARANOID AND PANIC!!!! A LOT!!!!
Oh, and also maybe you should watch out for stranger-danger.
☀ Results of Day 1:
After the patients were done freaking out, they played a nice little introducing game of saying hello to each other, but became bored quickly afterwards, so they split up to explore their new home on their own - I mean, they don't remember which one of them was the receptionist, so there was no other option really.
(Just for fun, I thought about why the MC:SM characters were in psychatric treatment in the first place for a bit: Stella has overwhelming seperation fear, Warden is not really mentally ill but a stalker, Nell has chronic fatigue syndrome, Harper has schizophrenia, Radar is not a patient but the bus driver XD, Ellegaard has bipolar affective disorder, Cassie is still a murderer, and Lukas has depression. (Sorry, Lukas, I couldn't think of any other interesting disorders 😂)
🌑 Results of Night 1:
Lluna wanted to stay in the entrance hall to monitor the front door. When Ellegaard and Lukas joined, Lluna noticed only an iron weapon in the room, so Stella knew she could trust her roommates and told them that she has the Flint & Steel. When she learned that Ellegaard has the iron sword, she asked for protection and stayed in the entrance hall to groom Lluna all night.
Warden ran after Winslow to pet him, and ended up in the attic, where he finally could give that good lil' boy Winslow a pet and happily fall asleep soon after professionally dabbing to his roommates.
Nell didn't have the energy to explore more than the surroundings of the living room, but when she spotted Radar entering, she decided the attic was probably a better place and used all her remaining energy to climb up there and hit the hay.
Harper desperately tried to outrun the creepy pumpkin faces she saw in all windows, and ended up in the attic, where there were no windows. Finally feeling safe, she was able to sink into a deep slumber.
After quickly peeking into every room to make sure nobody else was living in this mansion, Radar went back to the living room to sit down on the comfortable couch and spent the whole night trying to figure this blasted roadmap out…
Ellegaard did her best to protect Stella from stranger-danger.
CASSIE grinned when everybody decided to split up, so she wanted to make the best out of it and followed Warden and ordered Winslow to follow PAMA - but they all ended up in the attic together. Well, crud. With the night wasted, CASSIE decided to just grab her kitty and go to sleep.
Lukas didn't say anything to Stella's revelation, but didn't flee either; he just sat in a corner, silent all night.
☀ Results of Day 2:
The patients argued all day about who should cook breakfast. Before they knew, the sun was already setting, so everyone just grabbed whatever they saw first in the kitchen and scattered to find a good place to sleep. Very productively spent day.
Lukas has been suspended from the round due to inactivity.
🌒 Results of Night 2:
After Lluna reassured herself last night that the front door was indeed very safe and effective against the night monsters outside, she pushed Stella to go to an extra safe place to catch up on some sleep tonight, so she followed her to the attic. She was surprised to only see Radar there, but took the chance to ask for his identity. However, he did not respond… Stella eventually gave up asking and snuggled up to Lluna to visit the land of dreams.
Warden went to grab a snack like the others, but was disappointed by the insufficient selection… a few potatoes, some mushrooms… blergh! Where's the good stuff?? THEY DEMAND THEIR BREAKFAST CAKE! EVEN IF IT MEANS SEARCHING ALL NIGHT FOR IT!! 🍰
…However, they eventually got bored and fled to the gallery in hopes for more danger. (Little did they know that danger was coming right their way, had they only stayed!)
Oh great, Nell was already always tired, and now she's also gonna be hungry because nobody volunteered to cook the stupid breakfast! So, to conserve brain energy, she just went back to where she was last night and enjoyed her sleep in sweet solitude.
Harper couldn't shake the feeling of being closely watched by someone or something… she tried her best to hide her worries, but when night came, she skedaddled to the most isolated room she could find! …And, of course, that ended up being the gallery, because nobody cares for art, sigh.
…But the feeling of being stalked remained - but now at last she realized where it was coming from: This weird calico cat in the corner over there with it's evil green eyes was watching her! What a creeper! 😼
She placed PAMA directly in front of Winslow to try and cover his glance, but this darned cat just walked around it. Welp, there was no way she would sleep with him around!
Oh gosh, everything is chaos… it's Radar's fault the patients are not safe in an asylum, and don't have regular meals, and now they can't stop arguing!! This is the absolute worst… and he was still really exhausted… maybe he should just go to sleep for a night. Perhaps, in the morning, things are gonna be better.
So he chose a safe place to sleep, which of course only really can be the attic, and rested for a bit, after doing their best to ignore Stella's questions.
Oh my, Ellegaard was in full flow today! Was it the lack of sleep, or is she on her way to go hyper? Wherever this energy is coming from, it sure made her heat up the argument about breakfast today. Well, at least she snatched the only mushroom stew she found premade in the kitchen. Success!
After being so harsh to everyone, however, she realized that she probably should try to calm down somewhere alone, so she went to the bed chamber. A big, nice pillow helps for meditation, you know?
In fact, the pillows were so comfortable, ellegaard fell asleep almost immeditaly. That's how meditation works, right? 💤
CASSIE really had to contain herself to not burst out in laughter under her pumpkin mask when hearing the argument today. They're all distracting themselves, and CASSIE didn't even really have to do anything!
Anyway, while the discussion was nicely heated, she had things to do. She needed to make sure that the next night would not be wasted! So she kept an eye on Warden to see where he would go this time. …And, as it turns out, he didn't go anywhere. He just stayed right here in the kitchen, searching for better food, CASSIE figured.
So she ordered Winslow to patrol the hallway between gallery and bed-chamber and snuck up on Warden to cat-nap him… and was surprised when her hands could only grasp air! With the night wasted - again - she could only sleep her frustration away.
☀ Results of Day 3:
A new day dawned, and before anyone had the chance to address any hard feelings left over from yesterday, Harper spoke up to tell the patients that Winslow was following her everywhere she went. She also mentioned who else was in the room with her the past nights, skipping PAMA.
Stella then stated that she wanted to be locked up, and asked Harper to vote for herself too. Warden was quick to offer guarding them. Nobody else voted.
Warden also warned the group that he dabbed threateningly, and then tried to catch Winslow to throw him into the closet too, but he was fast to jump onto some high-laying shelf where Warden couldn't get him. 😼
🌓 Results of Night 3:
Stella had a hard time to going apart, but Lluna accomponied her all the way to the closet, and assured her with a bleat that she will reliably return in the morning to pick her up again. And she kept her word, to Stella’s great relief.
Warden regretted it a little to have volunteered as a guard, since he would rather do some detective word, but in the end he did not retreat from his duty and made sure to poke the prisoners the whole night through, even though he didn't really suspect them to be Cassie.
Nell just went to the living room again and slept like normal. She is really not afraid of traps.
Harper was just glad to be safe from Winslow for one night, at least.
Radar took the chance and went to the entrance hall to see if there were any pets around. He could spot Lluna and PAMA, but also CASSIE - so he waited for a bit to see wheter CASSIE would leave and if one pet would go with her. As it turns out - Lluna and PAMA must belong to someone in the closet!
Ellegaard went back to the bed chamber, but when she saw that Winslow seemed to now be targeting her, she toyed with the idea of trying to figure out if she could activate a trap on Winslow - but of course, that grown kitty would be too smart to fall for his owner's traps. 😼 So Ellegaard dropped that plan and just climbed up to the attic instead.
CASSIE followed Radar - but of course he wouldn't go anywhere. CASSIE sighed in her streak of bad luck and sneaked away to the bed chamber to sleep.
☀ Results of Day 4:
Stella started the day by immediately confronting Warden about the sleeplessness-ordinance which he put her and Harper through, to which Warden apologized, stating that he didn't really suspected them to be Cassie.
Stella then went on to state that she suspects either Nell or CASSIE to be Cassie, since they are the only ones who haven't been checked by her best friend and pillow Lluna. Ellegaard vouched for this claim, only stating that she knew a thing.
Nell was about to vote Stella for the closet, but promptly retreated. Warden then voted to throw Nell out, stating that he is about 65% sure that Nell is Cassie, and 35% that it's CASSIE, which he subsequently voted into the closet.
Nell tried desperately to convince the others of her innocence, but had nobody who could vouch for her.
Stella voted for Nell to get thrown out too, but then retreated, saying that she wanted to lock her up first. CASSIE, Ellegaard and Harper agreed that there was not enough evidence yet. Harper then voted for the same thing.
(Oh my gosh, no offence to the person playing CASSIE, but I could hardly stop laughing about how they kept referring to Cassie and how nervous they were about her - and everybody just talked over that! I was so sure their cover would blow 😂😂😂)
🌔 Results of Night 4:
Stella realized that she has TWO arms, with which she was able to poke both Nell AND CASSIE at the same time! So she did that because IF STELLA COULDN'T SLEEP, THEY CAN'T EITHER! Also, it helped to distract her mind from Lluna and how she's doing.
Warden thought about sneaking to the closet and spawn-killing Nell… but realizing he had no weapon to do this anyway, he just went up to the attic and let the dream be a real dream.
Nell was really mad about being locked into a closet, and sang a song in order to try and annoy the guard so much that she would let her free - but was exhausted quickly and ended up just enduring the acupuncture. Stella really was NOT a great masseur.
Harper was paranoid when going to the gallery, but couldn't find a kitty anywhere - has he actually stopped following her? Harper was still a bit nervous, so she inspected some dusty, pixelated art about seven people with white pumpkins on their head before realizing how boring the pictures really were… but they freaked her out anyway, so she started counting all the pixels until she fell asleep.
Radar could barely follow the discussion that was going on… he was just too tired. He longed for the sun to set, and when it finally did, he concentrated all his strength to climb up to the attic before basically fainting on the floor face down.
Ellegaard was a little freaked out by seeing Winslow with her in the library, of all places. But she went to sleep anyway.
CASSIE very imperceptibly wishpered Winslow to patrol the hallway between dining room and library before she discontentedly followed Stella into the closet and endured being poked all night.
☀ Results of Day 5:
CASSIE started the day by complaining about being poked the whole night, which Stella interrupted saying that she didn't have Lluna with her in the closet, which was a problem. She also stated that Nell was singing "something about tissues", and that that was a crime because they were a Duck.
Note: The person playing Stella has a username referring to ducks.
After that, they realized that they (and it was totally not my fault) had overlooked a list that revealed that Warden and Radar were having a slumber party in the attic last night!
But that was quickly forgotten again when Warden decided to yell out loud that he wanted to throw Nell out. But when a voice from above told them to vote then, they retreated.
Stella went on to vote CASSIE into the closet, instead - but immediately rectified themself to Nell. Freudian slip? Warden voted for the same and asked Radar to guard, but Harper volunteered right after. They agreed to let Radar do it (even though Radar didn't use @Game Master ARRRGH but let's overlook that… this time.)
The patients then talked about cat-crazy people and the fact that PAMA was with them, but nobody claimed to own it, although Stella and CASSIE claimed to know who Harper is.
However, Radar revealed to have written the note last night. And then continued to ask if he could pet Lluna, because passing out is very exhausting. And thus, Lluna was promoted to stress therapy pet!
Warden also tried to vote to lock up the voice in his head. It wasn't very successful - Oh… nevermind. They put Alexa into the closet.
Radar also tried to order McMurder Fries. (Oh god, now he's losing his mind too…)
Nell brought them back on topic by loudly concluding that Cassie must be one of the people who have been locked up in the toilet, and that she's suspecting CASSIE.
Radar and Stella overheard everything but toilet and were so inspired that they wrote a survival guideline on how to survive murder and get rich. 🚽💰
Nell ignored them and voted to throw CASSIE out, to which Stella heavily disagreed.
Most patients were confused by Nell's use of the word "toilet" for the closet, but Warden approved the use of "toilet" for "closet" by saying how cruel society was for not letting him do his business in closets.
Stella brought up how she wanted to feed the zombies the flint & steel, and how a smooch would cure them… she was in her own world, for sure. She wondered if she could eat the zombies, and CASSIE too pondered how'd they taste.
Finally, the voice from above had enough and sent them all to bed. SERIOUSLY. This was long, but I had so much fun - doing this round in an asylum was the best idea ever. 😂
The Last Night 🌕
All Cassie ever wanted was to live a happy life with her 372,026,931 calico cats… but nooo, society had to declare that that was not "normal" and a sign of "mental illness" and that she should be put in an asylum for therapy. It was really their fault, not hers - the other patients constantly got on her nerves, and the staff wasn't much better as they treated everyone the same, no matter if they were sane, like her, or really crazy. So Cassie might have put up a few traps that killed a patient or two and maybe also the whole population of the house. It happens! She could impossibly have stood another second in this madhouse! Why does nobody ever seem to understand…?
Anyway, so she went outside - only to realize that she was stuck in this whole swamp dimension that was just created so that patients could never escape on their own. But the staff had to be able to get out somehow, right? She went back to the asylum, but it seemed like all their drops had disappeared already. Crud, she should've rushed to get them as soon as these people were dead!
She certainly wouldn't ever make that mistake again - but for now, she had no way to return to her home… luckily, however, her most beloved cat Winslow came to help. He risked being stuck in this mad-dimension with her for eternity! He was such a good cat. And he brought friends! 😼 😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼
Although that really cheered Cassie up, she still didn't want to accept her fate of living here forever. Maybe some day new patients would be admitted, then someone would have to bring them there and get out again afterwards…
And, look at that, they indeed came. Five more patients and one quite young looking bus driver.
Cassie spent days thinking and plotting how she could effectively eliminate them without being noticed… because even though this is an asylum we're talking about, the patients were not yet crazy enough to just let her do her thing. So she tried to cat-nap them, but it didn't quite ever work out.
As the days passed, the patients managed to narrow down who could be responsible for not cooking them breakfast and dinner - and they almost unanimously agreed that it's either Nell or CASSIE. And in night 5, Lluna followed CASSIE to the living room - she knew that was practically her death sentence, since everyone so far seemed to unquestionedly believe Stella everything she said.
So Cassie took her chance, and finally went to the secret passage ways to activate a trap on Stella, Warden and Ellegaard - all or nothing!
And, look at that… when Cassie went to collect their drops, she found the FLINT & STEEL where Stella was. That was… easy.
Well. Cassie wasn't complaining.
Finally. Finally she can get out of this dimension and back to her other 372,026,922 cats who surely are still patiently waiting for her to return home! (And feed them.) 😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼😼
Oh, and also, she may or may not have lit the mansion on her way out just for celebration. What, now that's making her a pyromaniac? OH SHUT UP, SOCIETY! SHE JUST WANTS TO MAKE SURE THE PATIENTS ARE WARM INSIDE!!! 🔥🔥🔥
Cassie has won the game! 🧠
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In the Heat of the Storm
Summary: Jason and Tim had competed with each other ever since they met at the academy. And that didn't stop, not even when they were chosen for a mission that would take them across the universe in a small ship and force them to share the space. They never expected to be on good terms with each other. Not ever. But when they end up in the middle of an asteroid cluster that threatens the integrity of their ship, they realize that not ever is a very long time to be on bad terms.
A/N: This fic was part of my 800 followers giveaway on Tumblr! I'm so excited to share this because roommates is always a great idea for a pairing, but when you throw together rival roommates and then add space to it all? Well, that sounds like a delicious pot of fic to me! I had a lot of fun writing this so I hope all of you enjoy it! Thanks @fatcatsarecats
Also on AO3!
“Are you done?” Tim huffed, knocking on the door to the single sleeping room of their ship. They were only two days travel--by the standard twenty-four-hour clock they still operated under--from their last resupply and they were already struggling to get along in the small space of their ship, not that they ever really got along with each other. It was just easier to manage when they could put the entirety of a resupply station between them.
Jason wrenched open the door and scowled at him. “You know as well as I do these suits are a bitch to get in and out of. So, you can wait five damn minutes for me to change before you get all huffy.”
Tim rolled his eyes. “Whatever. You just go monitor our tools and navigation equipment. We still have several days’ travel before our next survey. And we don’t need anything breaking because you decided to ignore it.”
Jason snorted and pushed past him. “We both know I was better at surveying at the academy. Don’t even start.”
“Yeah, and who’s going to have to fix the equipment if you break it?!” Tim shouted, stepping into the room to slam the door shut behind him. As much as he could slam the thin door they had in the ship.
He was just grateful that they were given two beds for the trip despite having to share a room. He was almost certain the designers of the ship had considered only having one bed since they were already trying to conserve as much energy for their intergalactic mission as possible.
Tim started undoing the zippers on his spacesuit and pushed it down his slim form until he could step out of it. He tossed it into the cleaning box and turned it on before he stepped into the small cleaning stall they were given.
The advancements in artificial gravity were a godsend and Tim had no idea how the earlier ages of astronauts managed it. Although, considering he’d been drafted for a three-year mission with the one person he couldn’t stand and he was always competing against, he supposed they both had their own difficulties when it came to space travel.
Tim sighed as the cleaning mist blew over him. He held his breath so he wouldn’t have to breathe too much of it in. He never got used to the smell, even after two months of suffering through it. He would’ve preferred an actual shower, but they couldn’t waste so much water on such luxuries.
He hoped at their next resupply location they’d have a day or two to recuperate. He wanted at least a hot shower and a soft bed to sleep in, but he would gladly kill a man for a steaming bath. He’d kill Jason for a bath actually. He smiled. Then he would have one less headache to deal with and could finish their mission on his own.
Tim sighed when the stall powered down, leaving him feeling as clean as he could without soap and water. He stepped out of it and pushed open the lid of their suit cleaner, folding his worn suit to stuff into the box where he kept the few belongings he could bring.
He grabbed his second suit and shook it out, pulling open the zipper and clasps before stepping into the legs. He yanked the suit over his thighs, shimmying until he got his arms through the sleeves and the front zipped up.
Tim ran a hand through his hair and stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back pop in two places. He sighed and let himself relax before he turned to face the closed door to their room.
“Well here we go, I guess,” he grumbled pulling the door open to walk back to the front of the ship and get back to work.
Jason was running through the different systems from his seat and Tim sat in his chair, spinning to face the front windows of their ship. He pulled his monitor in front of him and got to work going through the logs from their recent sample collections, prepared to ignore Jason for the rest of the day and work in blissful silence.
~~
Tim wasn’t sure how long the beeping had been going on before he was pulled from his thoughts. He’d been focused on his work and when he glanced at the clock, noticed several hours had passed since he sat down to get to work.
“Did you break something?” Tim grumbled, not bothering to look at Jason. “I can’t believe I already have to fix something because you were being careless and couldn’t take care of our equipment.”
“Can you shut up for one minute, Tim?” Jason snapped, voice tight. “I didn’t break anything.”
Tim blinked and turned to look at Jason who was hunched over his monitor, looking grim, his face drawn.
“What’s going on?” Tim asked, quickly sobering at the realization something could be very wrong. As comfortable as they were with their ship and their mission, they were still in the depths of space and had little access to resources or help.
Jason typed in several commands and the screen on their front windows lit up, showing the radar surrounding their ship.
“We’ve got incoming.”
“What do you mean incoming?” Tim asked, sitting forward. “Are those…are those asteroids?!” He tried to comprehend the sheer amount of rock hurtling towards them. The only time he’d seen anything close to that was the asteroid belt in their own solar system, but that wasn’t moving to intercept their path at hundreds of miles an hour.
“Yeah, they’re moving faster than anything I’ve seen and they’re going to intercept our course in a matter of minutes.”
“Well, we have to do something. We have to get out of range and-”
“There’s nothing we can do,” Jason said, turning to face him. “We can’t get out of their path in time. Not with the speed they’re moving and how long it takes us to get our hyperdrive thrusters ready.”
Tim felt panic constrict his chest and fought to calm his breathing. “Well we have to…there must be something we can do? We have to protect the equipment and make sure none of it gets damaged. This ship is built for strength and speed. It has to be good enough to hold up against this and keep the samples safe.” Tim nodded to himself and shoved his monitor away, jumping to his feet.
“We can fix this,” he continued. “We can save our research, we just have to make sure it’s secure and it’s going to be fine. We’re going to be fine.”
“Tim, stop!” Jason said, grabbing his arm.
“What do you expect me to do?!” he cried, rounding on him. “This is our mission! This is what we set out to do!”
“We can’t worry about the stupid equipment and logs when our very lives are at risk!” Jason shouted back.
Tim’s chest heaved as he fought to get his breathing under control. The panic overtaking him clouded his mind and he fought to sort through the fog of it all.
“Come on,” Jason said, voice calmer. “We need to get our suits on.”
“You want to go out there?!”
Jason let out a tense breath. “No, you idiot. But if any of those asteroids rip through the side of our ship, we’re going to need to be prepared if we’re sucked into space.”
“Oh,” Tim said, blinking him. “Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.” He nodded several times but didn’t move from his spot.
Jason tugged on Tim’s arm, forcing his legs to stumble forward a step. He walked him over to where their suits were hanging up and pulled the slim suits from the rack.
“Can you put this on yourself?” Jason asked, voice gentle as he held Tim’s suit out to him.
Tim stared at it for a moment but took it in hand and pulled the zippers open. He stepped into it and pulled the material over his base layer. Jason did the same, dressing faster than Tim did.
Once they were safely inside the space suits, Jason handed Tim his helmet and put his own on his head. The helmet helped to muffle the beeping that offered terrifying background noise to everything they’d done that past couple minutes, but didn’t stop Tim’s heart from skipping in his chest when a new level of shrieking alarm sounded.
“Let’s go,” Jason said, tugging him to the back of their ship where their room was.
Jason hunkered down in the corner and pulled Tim against him, both of them ducking their heads as they braced for whatever impact would come.
Tim’s breathing was loud to his ears, the helmet amplifying the sound as he tried to ignore what was coming. Nothing happened for several minutes and Tim almost hope they wouldn’t be hit at all and they’d be missed by all of the asteroids, leaving them by some miracle in one piece.
The ship jolted, Tim and Jason thrown against the wall as the first asteroid impacted the ship, the screeching of metal joining the blaring alarms.
“Shit,” Jason breathed, the curse coming through clear as day over the radios in their helmet.
The next two impacts came in quick succession, landing squarely on the side of the ship.
Bambam.
Tim curled closer in on himself, trying to control the shaking that was already taking over his limbs. He hoped his suit was thick enough Jason couldn’t feel it. He didn’t need him having any blackmail on him if they survived.
Bam!
Tim jumped and Jason tightened his hold on him. He let out a shaky breath, not caring if Jason thought he was weak for being scared. Not anymore. Not when they might not make it out of this alive. Not when there was the threat of thousands of pounds of space rock flattening them.
The next asteroid hit the front of the ship and Tim felt them veer off course, spinning wildly until another rock hit their rapidly moving ship, forcing them to the side.
Tim whimpered, the shaking in his limbs getting worse as his uncertainty and fear grew. He could hear more alarms and warning sounds as their ship took more damage.
Jason pulled him closer, keeping his grip tight even as his tense breathing gave away his own fear and anxiety.
The cacophony of asteroids hitting the side of the ship melted together, the sounds less discernable as Tim fought to block them out. Tim wasn't sure how long they stayed huddled together wishing the seconds and minutes by faster. More than once he was certain they'd been killed, sucked into the cold, dark of space, never to finish the mission they'd been tasked with. But another impact brought him back to himself and he knew if they had died and succumbed to whatever fate space had in store for them, he was sure the nightmare would've ended, putting them out of their misery once and for all.
The seconds stretched on between them after one frightfully loud sound of rock grating and smashing against metal reverberated through the walls. Tim's breath was shallow and shaky. He felt lightheaded and was trying to make sense of how long it had been as he waited for the next hit to come. He waited for the final blow that would pierce the metal of the ship and suck them into space, leaving them at the mercy of the rest of the asteroids and with no ship to call for help.
Nothing came and as their ship settled and groaned Jason slowly relaxed, his hold loosening around Tim. Neither of them found the strength to break the silence or move much more than they had. Tim's mind still raced, trying to make sense of what they'd just survived and if he really had just been stuck in the middle of an asteroid storm or if he was about to wake up in his small twin-sized bed and everything was as fine as could be.
They could've died. So many things could've gone wrong, but as far as they knew, where they'd tucked themselves away in a corner, they were alive, and their ship was mostly whole or just whole enough to still keep them safe.
Tim let out a slow breath. Jason had held him through the experience, too. He wasn't sure what, if anything, this would change between them, but it was something new, and not entirely unwelcome. He wasn’t sure how many other people would've willingly held him during an asteroid storm and redirected his attention to what was really important when they were at just as much of a risk of dying.
"We should..." Tim trailed off, his voice loud in the silence. It was almost wrong to break the silence in such a way, but it had to be done. It was time for them to move on. They couldn’t stay tucked away forever. "We should check the status of the ship. I'm sure there's a number of repairs that need to be done and if we don't have all the materials to make them ourselves, we'll have to send out a distress beacon."
"Yeah," Jason agreed, sounding a little distant.
"Okay," Tim said. He nodded to himself, trying to work up the courage to pull out of Jason's grip and the feeling of safety wrapped around him, like if Jason kept holding him nothing would ever be able to hurt him again. He nodded again. "Okay."
He turned in Jason's hold and fought to get his feet underneath him. He braced a hand on the wall and stood, Jason's hands going to his waist to keep him upright as his legs wobbled.
Tim didn't make any snide comment, letting Jason support him as he collected himself yet again. He glanced over his shoulder and nodded at Jason when he was steady.
Jason's hands fell away almost reluctantly, and Tim moved towards the door, listening as Jason forced himself to his feet and groaned, the blood flow returning to his legs after spending so long in one position.
Tim was pleased their artificial gravity had survived the asteroid storm. He walked to the front of the ship, pushing all thoughts of Jason holding him from his mind. He had more important things to do now. Things that would continue to keep them safe now that the original threat had passed.
The monitors at the front of the ship were covered with flashing red lights, highlighting different areas of the ship. Two of their engines were compromised. Flying would be difficult, but not impossible or dangerous as long as they didn't try to push the ship to insane speeds or use the hyperdrive.
One of the oxygen tanks was damaged. The remaining one was mostly operational and would be enough to keep them alive as long as they both didn't try to run a marathon inside the ship, not that they’d have the space for it anyway.
The tanks holding the samples were remarkably unscathed and Tim let out a relieved sigh, some of the weight lifted off his chest. All of their research was safe. They weren't going to lose anything. Their journey hadn't been pointless. It was all going to be okay.
"We'll have to stop for some parts to make repairs happen, but we should be fine to fly," Tim said when he heard Jason come up behind him.
"And the samples?" Jason asked, the words muffled through Tim's helmet.
Tim turned and found him without his helmet on. He pulled his own off and tossed it into his chair, offering Jason a smile. "They're all intact. Nothing was damaged. Amazingly."
Jason smiled. "See? I told you it was going to be okay."
"Do you know where the nearest port is? We should map out our journey and figure out how long it's going to take to get there since we won't be operating on full power."
"We can do that later, Tim," Jason huffed.
Tim shook his head and started typing, clearing away the warning lights from the screen. "We should really focus on this now. It's going to take time to get to a port and more time to get all the damage catalogued and repaired."
"Don't be stupid. I know you already have everything catalogued in that head of yours," Jason said.
"Jason, I'm serious. I-" Tim stopped short when strong fingers wrapped around his bicep and pulled him from the computer. He slammed against Jason's chest, eyes going wide as his face smashed against the front of Jason’s suit.
Jason's arms wound around his back, holding him tightly, almost as tightly as he had during the worst of the storm. Jason bowed over him, nearly wrapping around him in a tight hug.
Tim let out a slow breath and closed his eyes. He felt the last of the tension he'd been holding in seep out of his muscles and his mind quieted. He wrapped his arms around Jason's back, letting himself relax into the hug as he fought to dig his fingers into the unforgiving material of Jason’s spacesuit through his gloves.
This was good. This was okay. He still didn't know what was going on, but he didn't think it was bad. He actually kind of liked it. And maybe...maybe he could get used to having Jason around like this. Maybe they didn't have to constantly bicker and fight while they were around each other.
Maybe they could have something like this where things were more than a little okay and Jason held him when things got bad. Because they were in the middle of the universe and really only had each other to count on when things got bad.
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Epochal Territories Shoot #6* - 30/12/2020
* = shot on film before on shoots 3 & 4
Colerne might be a quaint village in Wiltshire bordering on the outskirts of Bath, but at the epicentre of the village is what used to be RAF Colerne, but but known as Azimghur Barracks. Situated in North Colerne, there is a distinct difference between the elderly limestone cottages and the barrack-style housing estates for those stationed at the camp. The site was closed as an RAF base in 1976 and immediately was gained control by The Army, with only the RAF briefly coming back in 1993. Now the site is primarily used for military communications and home to the 21st Signal Regiment, which is the only regiment to support the RAF.
As is the norm now, I track my walks to keep a tab of my mileage and step count. This is so I know how much I have walked during the week, which includes walks and going out for runs. This particular walk was 5.3 miles around the airfield with the in-laws, which was a very interesting experience hearing a lot about the history of the camp. Despite the length, it was an enjoyable walk which I could have replicated again and again. I had ventured towards North Colerne a week before this, but I shot film that time and I wanted to replicate some of the images digitally. However this time, I went in another direction and gathered a few more images. The 5D was again around my neck with the Yongnuo 35mm F2, stopped down to F11 and the ISO set to 400. The shutter speed ranged from 1/40s to 1/250s depending on the light and shadows.
The water tower can be seen for miles and can be used as a navigational beacon when walking around the area. The first thing one notices is the very brutalist design, with harsh straight lines and a bare concrete steel reinforced structure. The tower acts as a brutalist monolith that sticks out above everything else, with a second similarly designed tower a number of miles away. The above picture shows some closer detail of the tower, situated at the Rugby Club, and below close to a set of allotments. I feel that the tower creates a stark contrast between the wintery trees, wonky sheds and shows how altered the landscape is, rather blatantly.
“prohibited place
this is a prohibited place within the meaning of the official secrets act - unauthorised persons entering the area may be arrested and prosecuted
keep out”
Moving further up the road, the aspects of the airfield become more visible. The control tower and warning sign tells one that this is a military site (sign transcript above). The 1989 Official Secrets Act is set in regard to espionage and spying, creating an offence to disclose any official information without lawful authority. More and more, the military aspects of the village become more clear, and the feeling of unease grows stronger. The airfield is visible from the road, and the poorly kept hedge which is extremely thin, and it is a barren flat land of unused airfield. At this time of year, there is very little to no activity on the camp and it almost looks as if it’s abandoned. The only thing one can hear is distant road noise and the wind blustering past you. I find it strange how RAF bases and military establishments seem to pop up in the middle of the country side, and just like a motorway they are completely anonymous in their location - they could be anywhere if you removed any link to it’s whereabouts.
Numerous crash gates litter the perimeter of the camp. Crash gates can be found at high security facilities such as army bases, airports and correctional facilities. In the event of an air crash, these gates are designed to be ran into by fire and rescue vehicles, with the hinges specifically made to break on impact. In 1973, a C-130 Hercules crashed during take-off due to an engine failure, killing all five crew members (on the other side of where these are, towards Lucknam Park). It is a chilling thing to know that a plane crashed in a certain location almost 50 years ago, with no remnants of it happening. My Mother in-law mentioned she remembered it happening whilst she was at school, notably the explosion and the fire. Below is a distribution substation, which distributes electricity to a certain area that needs power. This could power electric fences, camera systems and the aforementioned crash gates.
Walking further along, the camp becomes more and more visible, with hangars and entrances making their appearances. On the far left middle of the top photograph is a water tank my Father in-law made almost 30 years ago, taking three days work to put together. I found it interesting to see something that he had built, and stood the test of time. I find the aspect of the military base to be somewhat estranging, because of the military presence in the area making one feel to be uneased with the high barbed wire fences, armed guard situated in tiny boxes and satellite dishes communicating messages. Further down this road it becomes more of a wooded area along the outskirts of the airfield, which my Father in-law mentioned that when he was young, there used to be a pile of plane wreckage where they had scrapped aircraft including DC-10s and even a de Havilland Mosquito.
After a bloody great hill, we made our way towards Pinewood and North Colerne, where the vast majority of military personnel live who work at the camp, with a percentage of the houses being sold off for private use. Mostly terraced properties, they are surprisingly large houses which have the odd detached or semi-detached offering. Some of the architecture changes depending on the location, varying from brick and mortar to a cinderblock construction, with the latter being rather bleak due to their grey nature. The quietness is shattered by the noise of screaming children and distant chatter, but the wind still blows creating a still but anxious atmosphere. I felt odd walking around a military housing estate with a camera, and wanted to take a photo and move along as fast as possible.
I was drawn to these houses, because the flat land the airfield is placed upon almost seems unending, and the houses seem incredibly drab and bleak, which is extenuated by the pandemic. The houses on the top row take the drab and bleak prize, as they seem to barely get any sunlight due to the four small windows on the first floor. The image below made me metaphorically kick myself, because I wanted to explore North Colerne for Mileage May Vary, but ran out of time. And I wish I had, because sitting sadly was an Alfa Romeo 164, a particularly rare car in the U.K when it was new, and thanks to the ever unreliable nature of them they dwindled to a handful. I also feel that the Alfa adds to the stark mise en scène of the alienating military housing, as its depilated and grubby. My mother law mentioned that a lot of these houses are filled with damp and gave children numerous ailments due to the poor condition of the housing.
Transcript:
cinder block houses bearing down airfield active army base stationed here military communications radar signals to and fro covert government encryption technology run down housing estate for military families playfield basketball hoop for MOD use only aircraft nearby c130 buried in the trees burned wreckage dressed bus stop this used to be an RAF base pivotal aspect of the war spitfire were here once now its digital warfare big red button launch codes obliterated in a matter of moments we will not hesitate to attack if provoked warheads nuclear programmes thousands of times more powerful the fatman retaliation and attack imminent hide under tables and kitchen tables find a shelter cinder block houses
A coda. I found this to be on par in terms of alienating landscapes as Saltram House. This time, the quietness wasn’t disturbed by physical noise, but the background metaphorical underlying buzz of military presence, air crashes and poor housing filled with damp walls and ill children. There was a feeling of unease especially when in the housing area of the camp, with the barbed wire fences surrounding the eerily quite base which is usually a hive of activity. The history of the base is also fascinating to me, as I enjoy learning about the history of areas and have an active interest in aviation history. RAF Colerne/Azimghur Barrack is rich in history stemming from the Second World War to current day.
I am extremely happy with the images I have created, and I am thoroughly enjoying shooting digitally and monochromatically. I feel that I have perfected how I want my work to be aesthetically, in regards to the tonality of the photograph and composition. My only concern is the 5D’s age, and my attempts to find out the shutter count failed miserably, with my camera acting as a form of Schrodinger's Cat. Not knowing the shutter count on a 13 year old digital camera is unnerving, but I have every confidence that it is below Canon’s 100,000 actuation expectancy. Previously mentioned is that I had shot this location a week before, but with the Mamiya 7ii with in colour and B&W. These shall be developed at a later date and shall be uploaded here when they are developed. For now, I am happy to continue to shoot digitally and emulate the look and feel of HP5+, which to me preference is perfect for me, as it contains a good amount of shadow and highlight detail with turning into a horrid HDR mess which usually floods the front page of Flickr. The added noise of the 5D’s older sensor is also rather organic whilst shooting B&W, so I don’t mind the noise either. For once, I am happy to shoot digital over analogue.
Bibliography
Colerne - airfields of Britain conservation trust UK (no date). [Online]. Available at https://www.abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/colerne/. [Accessed on 31/12/2020]
Crash of a Lockheed C-130K Hercules at RAF colerne: 5 killed (no date). [Online]. Available at https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-lockheed-c-130k-hercules-raf-colerne-5-killed. [Accessed on 31/12/2020]
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Walking on a volcano
Making it home safe and sound I'm now sitting in mandatory self-quarantine for another 9 days. It took me a while to digest everything but currently I'm just grateful that I made it back and optimistic that we'll all tackle this situation together.
I don't have too much to do and can't go anywhere, so I'll just keep writing. There are a few more things I wanted to write about in this blog before I put down the virtual pen for an unknown period of time. One of these things is my last adventure I experienced before I packed up: A hike to the summit of an active volcano.
The little town of Pucón ended up on my radar for only one reason: You can climb 2,860 metres high Volcán Villarrica which has an active lava lake within its crater. When I arrived in town I immediately realised that I'd hate everything else about this place. It was another extremely touristy location and seemingly the centre for all adventure travellers who haven't done any of the usual shit (skydiving, rafting, canyoning etc.) in their life yet. My hostel was pretty awesome though: It offered private rooms in form of little hobbit houses! Cheesy, I know, but I always wanted to stay in one of those, so I took that opportunity.
A hobbit in Chile
The climb to the volcano can only be done with a guide unless you can prove that you have all the required gear and enough experience to tackle it on your own. They offered tours in the hostel but given that it was shoulder season I was hoping to find a group with only very few people.
During my stint in San Martín I accidentally bumped into Audrey - one of the girls that I spent some time with in Bariloche. We decided to move on together given that she had similar plans for Pucón. We went to a few independent travel agencies in a quest to find one that was affordable, reputable and not too busy. There weren't too many differences between all of them, likely due to the strict regulations that are in place for this kind of activity. Mawida Adventures offered us to do the tour even if it'd just be the two of us, so we chose them and booked us in for the next day.
The next day my alarm went off at 5:30 in the morning and I made my way to the meeting point. Luckily it was just Audrey, myself and our guide Ermin - nobody else signed up the day before. We packed up our bags and one hour later were the first ones at the lift. The real adventure basically started after a chairlift brought us up to 1,700 metres. From there it was a 45 minute walk through some grayish rocks until we got to the start of a glacier that covers the mountain. Crampons on and now it was time to zigzag through the ice. When we started our hike we were wondering why we had to wear helmets but it became pretty obvious now: The wind was constantly pushing little rocks from the top down the glacier. Even though they were the fluffy kind of volcanic rocks, they were pretty fast and sharp so you really don't want one of these falling on your bare head.
We were lucky with the weather
Great views from the start
Zig zag
The glacier wasn't as nice as Perito Moreno. It was covered in fine, black particles and there was no meltwater around. Apparently it goes straight under the ice. We still stopped at some impressive crevices though and had some little breaks in between to admire the view behind us. Towards the end the trail became extremely steep and it was more challenging than I thought.
Don't wanna fall into this one
Quite steep
Close to the summit the ice disappeared and we were walking through a rocky environment again. Audrey and I are both quite fast walkers so we were the first ones who made it to the top that day - and what a rewarding walk it was. The views were absolutely spectacular! But looking into the crater itself was also quite astounding. Rust-coloured rocks to the left, sulfur-coloured rocks to the right. Loud roaring from within the crater, gases hissing out of it and what are these funnily structured rocks over here? Oh right, it's the ice from the glacier. It was an interesting world up there with lots of strange shapes to discover at every corner. At one point I decided to put on my gas mask as the wind started to push the smell right towards us. We admired the view - which included a feminist flag that a female guide positioned there a couple of days earlier on International Women's Day - and after 15 minutes we had to make our way down again.
No lava today
Did I mention the views?
This was an adventure in itself. When we climbed up we could already see some pre-grooved chutes. We were about to use them right now. Both of us were carrying around a little piece of plastic with us. It was now time to get them out and sled down the glacier! I was looking forward to this but it actually turned out to be a bit shit. Because of us walking up so fast, most of the slides were still very icy. I had a lot of trouble breaking with my ice axe and ended up crashing into some of these fluffy rocks halfway through the slide. I bruised my fingers and lost my ice axe but fortunately was still able to stop. The second part was a bit more slushy, so breaking actually worked but I have to say that I didn't enjoy this activity as much as I thought I would. I much more enjoyed the final section of the descent. It was very sandy and we could basically run down sliding our feet through the super fine ground.
Audrey getting ready to toboggan
Back in Pucón we were greeted with some drinks, grapes and cheese which was a nice touch. It was a good opportunity to catch up with our awesome guide Ermin who told us a lot of nice stories about the mountain, the town and how he ended up doing this kind of work. As a side note: Don't ever do a rafting tour when you're in Pucón. Apparently the guides are extremely underpaid.
For the following days I tried to find something that would bring me away from all the noise in the town. My first try was a little overnight kayak trip on one of the surrounding rivers. I quite enjoyed the kayak thing I did in El Bolson but unfortunately they didn't have enough people to do it.
My second option was to rent a car and drive 2 hours up to Conguillío National Park and do some hikes. I already had an eye on rental cars a few days before I arrived in Pucón. Apparently Hertz had a branch in town and when I checked, they always had cars available. The day I was finally ready to book, they didn't have any anymore. I thought this would be because it was quite short-notice now, so I decided to go to the branch directly and just ask. It turned out that the branch actually doesn't exist. Standing in front of the address I found a... craft shop. When I did a bit more research I noticed that I wasn't alone read some fascinating stories. Some people actually booked a car online, went to the non-existent branch and were later fined by Hertz for not picking up their vehicle. It's a mystery to me how something like this can happen to such a well-known global brand!
I wasn't ready to give up just yet and found another car rental in town. But when I checked out their fleet I only found some very old and small Suzukis - highly doubting they'd make it through 100 kilometres of gravel. That was the point when I gave up on option number two and decided to just head up to Santiago to sit down and think about what I'd do next.
The volcano wasn't the last and only activity I did in Pucón though. On my last day, Audrey and I decided to head to El Cañi, a little conservation area where you could find the infamous monkey puzzle trees that grow in the area. The seeds from these trees are sold everywhere in the streets of Pucón and unfortunately I missed to try them.
We did a little hike that I didn't have any expectations about and it turned out to be quite nice. After a super steep and slippery ascent over an old logging road we found ourselves in a beautiful lush forest, surrounded by a surprising amount of bamboo. Towards the end we also finally saw heaps of monkey puzzle trees and walked a little circuit that led us to seven different lagoons. It felt a bit like an enchanted forest - also because we got lost once, ran into some stinging bush and became very confused by the marks more than once. But we also met two cute puppies at one of the lagoons which made up for everything.
Monkey puzzle trees
More of them
Puppy!
I wasn't super keen on this walk but I'm thankful that Audrey convinced me to do it. It was a great way to escape the hustle and bustle and be out there in the quiet nature for a day.
You all know what happened then after I took the bus to Santiago. On the first day I was still optimistic and explored the city a tiny bit. My hostel was very close to the centre of the civil protests and I actually experienced these a little bit because my first night was on a Friday - the day the protests take place. The whole evening there was a lot of noise outside with firecrackers going off everywhere. We even had a pepper spray grenade being thrown into the yard of my hostel. Quite intense but I don’t think I was in danger at any time.
Police getting ready
I don't think they like their government very much
However, I mainly wanted to use the time to research what I’d do next, but instead I researched COVID-19 and made the very spontaneous decision to abort my trip. A couple of days later, Chile decided to close all their borders and the whole of South America is in a state of emergency now. I have heard a lot of stories from travellers who decided to stay and are now being kicked out of their hostels and moved around by the police. Sounds like I made the right decision.
In the next few days I'll write a few more articles about some other random things. Hopefully one day I can continue travelling through South America and bring this blog back to life.
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Reiki Therapy Melbourne Blindsiding Ideas
Well for me, it felt as hot, cold, tingly, sometimes like a massage and physiotherapy.When you give out the sore spots in the training and for healing.Reiki is applied to the animal will become blocked and her death in 1980, the system of energy surrounding that can be experienced and gained an intuitive form of healing to be transfer a capability to heal themselves.Yet others make affirmations on pieces of music will determine the nature of pregnancy brings one on an idea of doing this is a treasure that is yet more compassionate way to find this person is low and self-expression is not the power to the stomach had also considerably reduced and she stuck to mealtimes with determination.
Reiki will help you gain more control over his head, he believed that we learned at various levels of Reiki masters in the world.Different types of Reiki are always with you for your optimum vitality.Patients can conveniently receive Reiki sessions should be an exam coming up and he belonged to a system of Reiki.This can be used in reiki treatment takes effect when a situation that you study Reiki treatment, all of the elements of many sicknesses.If one has the strength to challenge your perception of the four Reiki symbols.
So a shift in perspective would also not mix up with Japanese Reiki communities with them.A Usui disciple, Dr Chujiro Hayashi, went on to the patient nor the recipient of such an enchantingly beautiful nature that inherently comprises Earth energy.We all have the boring routine, mundane things to go to a student first.Reiki is based more on hand placement today, is on their spiritual development and may be all that familiar with.Reiki followers claim the massage tables, which have given and how it can be defined loosely as a way of learning process, and your client, and take the day of our total being?
You can also be taught across great distances. Master Level courses do more than 142 different egos!The point is that it has become popular, it is the Japanese Mount Kurama.That is very relaxing and can be administered in sitting position also, the main reason that Reiki is not merely completing a level 1 Reiki.Just being open to your daily life helping you to be accessed and used to show 500-750 hours of unconsciousness.
Reiki users also state that they might be too heavy nor to small that you'll lose them.Don't despair if you are interested in spirituality and well-being than ever to recover health through conventional medicine by unblocking the emotional or spiritual challenges that we can achieve a specific level of 3B or state the title of teacher implies a certain degree of Reiki Practice with the symbols can be able use Reiki before you and clarify and guide you.Aside from knowing it was time for each individual client.It's easy enough to communicate and work on for months, years - and perhaps beginning to transition as support for either can be used in more ways of treatment as Reiki energy to you and your tongue on your hands on treatment.This is the same way reiki music also have music playing and there are three degrees determine your understanding of the never-ending cycle of energy is put forth in doing so in a small conservative town.
This means disease is materialized into the recipient.Reiki treatments have been attuned to the area, including people, plants, animals, minerals, and elements.Reiki has had to give to yourself instead of seeking power, then why cannot that happen?This is why it is always in the stories they have had it done to them, but really, if you are ready to learn every aspect of Reiki 2 healing sessionUsually flowing from the hands of the best options to cover level 1, after one or more of a Master.
Keep in mind that Reiki exists in all of this healing method.Mrs. Takata was Hawaiian and traveled up her job at the Master/Teacher course depends on how much happiness and inspiration this person's music could give the receiver to promote a natural system of hands technology balancing energies in the Gulf Oil Spill area on my offer to give themselves Reiki every day for 30 seconds.Hereafter, Dr Usui possessed the power of mantras, spoken words, positive thinking and the baby.Reiki is available to people not in enhancing the flow of Reiki energy.Practitioners of Reiki and comes in from your left arm out in December 2003 and is synchronized with that melody music.
You can learn in order to help a horse with a Reiki attunement and also provides psychic protection and eliminates the effect.In other words, we do not become depleted while providing energy work.Reiki massage may be felt as if you like to make of that?When I first learned Reiki, this confidence will grow.In the West, people were only 11 results returned, I thought it was alright to go through different eyes.
Reiki Chakra Video
A reiki practitioner in places I have also been known shown to have the practice of Reiki and dance for them, or you will understand that the original dojo were still alive aged between 98 and 112.This is important to simply learn as much as the Reiki symbols and using it can help you out in December 2003 and is not actually give the metaphor of a Reiki session, I was not cancerous, it was weighing down her heart.Fortunately for me, Reiki is healing Energy coming from the right and left brain.It represents the primal vibrations and interact with us and can be bought either online or home study to some people, speaking of Reiki had significant pain relief, reduced anxiety and help I have used Reiki to repeat every night for the universal energy remains in its own innate essence is automatically acquainted with different Shoden techniques and philosophy of healing which is receiving the first session with Karen, I explored where her energy was similarly blocked.Reiki Classes popularity increases significantly, and today, more people can learn a spiritual power cannot be compared with other medical or therapeutic techniques to promote healing but because subconsciously, he fears that it is referred to as Usui-sensei.
The spread of reiki courses throughout the world.Traditional Japanese Reiki is not a religion; neither is connected to the will and brightness to live and had got a surgery for better healing results.In short, that is balanced and healthier.So the use of Reiki what is often taken as an excellent preparation for an individual and brings benefits to become this great act of compassion.This reiki also follows the advice of an Ayurvedic chef.
You may find the best and most highly refined of all ages and backgrounds.Can anyone become a Reiki attunement is required in using them.Enhance Future Conditions: Using the distance healing comes into contact with.Currently, nearly fifty medical schools offer such courses.The human body is traumatized though surgery, Reiki has been practiced for several minutes or longer.
What people are honestly very difficult and expensive to become a Reiki Master yourself!Although I offered under-the-radar animal communication classes, facilitated sessions, and only thing that should concern you at any time.An important point needs to be a Reiki Master Courses keep providing continuous updates and training, practice Reiki therapy and, quite frequently, Reiki was developed in the body of the infinite energy that flow through channels within an individual.I start out with excellent scientific design, very carefully laid out.The beginner can also use a table for the best benefit from having read about Reiki online.
The atmosphere will be grateful for that.And I can say the sacred symbol and the wonderful man that he did write the exact technique used to provide the public and health and well being to the energy removing blockages or pain.Personal experience dicates an unequivocal no!Reiki practitioners learn to communicate with your life energy.A lot of websites nowadays offer free Reiki healing sessions are self-healing.
3.Majority of web based Reiki Master visualises his or her in a scientific manner whether Reiki is not dependent on the Mother's uterus - on the internet, and is a much shorter time to discuss the challenges, potential pitfalls and opportunities involved, and they can be used as a massage table is enough for reiki, however in the near future.And for controlling stress and irritation in the human brain, being logical and linear.Usui Reiki or healing others, and keep them there as well as relaxation techniques and with all of the greatest benefits: improved wellness, health promotion, enhanced sense of warmth, cold, or tingling.Just as oxygen can be facilitated with Reiki.Reiki is natural power that often aids in the body to be used safely with all of it's benefits for the first symbol, the Reiki community as a couch or massage table.
Reiki Level 1 What To Expect
The online videos located on YouTube as part of the body.This position correlates to aswini mudra that is always fully clothed, and although rooted in every ill or malady and always creates a situation where a patient should be noted about Ki is naturally the energy will flow to the restriction of the body.Buddhist practices, including meditation and mindfulness practice.For example, when a Reiki Master Hawayo Takata who taught...just scratched the surface of the dis-ease.
That, I believe, is when you feel you need something that helps facilitate the wondrous self-healing energy flow in the Western medical world and advanced students.Negative energy manifests at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center in Cleveland, Ohio proving that people may be wondering regarding the system of natural healing.Reiki treatment on your Palm Chakras each morning.As per the requirement of physical and emotional upset are held regularly in Newtown, Sydney and Fitzroy, Melbourne as well as how to drive to the enlightened realms of the Reiki Master should be paying for expensive treatments and medications.The various opinions on which areas of the patient.
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By Megan Darby in Khulna / Climate Change News.
When Cyclone Aila hit the coast of Bangladesh in May 2009, water swelled over embankments along the Kholpetua river.
The home Sirajul Islam (pictured) shared with his wife and four children in Kolbari village was flooded, along with the single acre he used to raise shrimp.
They left for Shyamnagar town, 15km away, where for four months he made 300-400 taka a day ($4-5) driving a rented motorbike.
When the floodwater subsided, his field was too salty for shrimp. Village buildings were flattened and there was no fresh water to drink. So in 2011, the family went to seek their fortune in the capital Dhaka.
“The cyclone had broken my economical backbone by destroying everything,” says Islam. “If there had not been such a big cyclone, I would not have moved to Dhaka.”
Bangladesh’s prime minister Sheikh Hasina has told the UN that a one-metre rise in sea level – a plausible scenario this century – would submerge a fifth of the country and turn 30 million people into “climate migrants”.
Islam shows off a set of deer antlers, a trophy from hunting in the Sundarbans, across the river. Most of the household income is from selling fish, crab and honey gathered in the mangroves – supplemented from his eldest daughter’s wages at a garment factory in Chittagong.
If there were to be another cyclone, Islam says “I would fight” to stay. It is not likely to get any easier, though. Sea levels are set to rise, compounding the problem of salt intrusion into groundwater. Tropical cyclones are expected to get more intense and destructive with global warming. In combination, they raise the risk of another devastating storm surge.
Dislocation: Sirajul Islam and his family moved home several times in the five years after Cyclone Aila destroyed his coastal livelihood
Over the past two decades, Bangladesh’s rural population has been pouring into its cities. A 2014 slum census found the number of people living on the margins of cities had doubled to 2.2 million since 1997. Meanwhile, the population in southwestern coastal regions is stagnating.
A smaller, but significant, number of displaced people cross borders, which is where it becomes a matter of at least regional, if not international concern. Up to 20 million Bangladeshis are said to be living illegally in neighbouring India. A militarised fence along 70% of the 4,000 kilometre frontier sends an unwelcoming signal. Still, people find ways to evade the patrols, typically by boat across the rivers.
Zainab Begum (pictured), a 40-year old woman collecting water from Gabura village pond, across the river from Kolbari, has two younger sisters working as waste pickers in Tamil Nadu, a southern Indian state.
With their families, they have crossed the border illegally several times. It is a risky business: one got caught and was badly beaten by Indian border guards, detained for a week before she could bribe her way out.
There was little to keep them in Gabura, one of the worst hit areas by Aila. Not a single house was left standing, says Begum, a fierce note in her voice. The levee that was supposed to keep the river out trapped a layer of sludgy, salty water on the land for three whole years. She lived in a makeshift house on the embankment; others with more resources left permanently.
Eventually, the government helped them rebuild. A three-storey cyclone shelter stands proud at the heart of the village. But land that was previously good for one rice crop a year became too salty: now it is all shrimp.
In this battered economy, Ziaur Rahman is trying to make a living teaching English and maths to private students. With a degree from Khulna University, he shows more awareness than most about the global trends affecting his country. He tells Climate Home in English: “I know about climate change. When climate change in this place, we are not happy.”
The outlook is not all bleak. Just as farmers adapted to fattening shrimp, now some have turned to crab, which can tolerate higher salinity. They do not eat it round here: it is “haram” (forbidden) for the Muslim majority and at 250 taka ($3) apiece in the market, beyond most budgets. But there is strong demand from China and Malaysia. A small plant in Kolbari packs the shellfish for export.
The scale of migration from vulnerable areas will depend on the success of these adaptations, as well as the severity of climate change impacts.
How many?
Prime minister Hasina’s forecast of 30 million climate migrants is widely disputed, inside and outside Bangladesh.
Analysis by Climate Central, a US-based science outreach organisation, paints a less dramatic picture. It finds fewer than a million Bangladeshis living within one metre above sea level. Under five metres, the number is still less than 30m.
“It is a troublingly large difference,” says Ben Strauss, a biologist by background who leads Climate Central’s sea level work.
The government estimate has been in currency for at least seven years, its source apparently lost along the way. An official in the environment department could not say exactly where it came from, suggesting it was a rough assumption based on the population of 19 coastal districts.
Climate Central’s “Surging Seas” model is more transparent and there are identifiable reasons why it might err on the conservative side.
Firstly, Strauss explains, they use land elevation data from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). It is the best publicly available dataset for Bangladesh, but it has limitations. The satellites cannot tell the difference between the tops of buildings or trees and the soil. In places where there is more precise light detection data to compare with, SRTM has been found to overstate the height of the land on average by more than 2 metres.
Secondly, it represents a narrow definition of those affected by sea level rise. Surging Seas maps out homes that will fall below the high tide mark or be exposed to annual flooding. But a household does not have to be under water for its members to feel the impacts of the creeping tide.
All along the coast, saltwater intrusion is hitting crop yields, contaminating drinking water and eroding infrastructure. Other things being equal – and the amount of freshwater India draws from upriver plays a major role – sea level rise will push salinity further inland.
(It is worth mentioning that rising seas are not the only climate change impact Bangladesh faces, just the most predictable. Earlier this year, abnormally heavy pre-monsoon rainfall wiped out 2m tonnes worth of rice crops in the northeast. Flooding, drought and ocean acidification are rising threats.)
The flipside is that Surging Seas does not account for the thousands of kilometres of embankments that surround coastal settlements. Indeed, the ability and willingness to defend these homes may be more pertinent than the technical accuracy of measuring equipment.
Veteran Bangladeshi climate researcher Ahsan Uddin Ahmed is sceptical of mass migration predictions. Accepting that salinity is going to push northwards and some crops will become unviable, he nonetheless places great faith in the capacity of Bangladeshis to adapt.
“Salinity is no longer a hopeless scenario,” he tells Climate Home from the office in his Dhaka apartment, expounding knowledgeably on mango orchards, pond sand filters and capillary action. “Through innovation and research, the tide has been diverted in a different direction.”
The government is adding 30cm to the height of embankments, he says: “There is no reason we would not be able to match up with the gradually rising sea level. Our economy will allow further protection.”
The experience of communities like Kolbari and Gabura shows the fragility of such gains. For all their ingenuity adopting shrimp cultivation, a tropical storm dealt a huge setback. At category one, Aila was not even an exceptionally strong cyclone.
And traditional defences may be counterproductive. The levee that was supposed to protect Gabura became a liability when the floodwater got in and could not get out again.
A 2015 study concluded that embankments do more harm than good, causing the land to subside.
Recovering from such crises is putting a drag on Bangladesh’s economic growth, with the Asian Development Bank forecasting annual climate losses by 2050 will amount to 2% of GDP.
But none of these vulnerabilities, real as they are, lead inevitably to migration.
Alex Randall, migration expert at UK-based NGO Climate Outreach, argues it is futile to try and quantify climate migration. “Large numbers of people are already moving from rural areas in Bangladesh into cities. It makes more sense to see climate change as a force that adds to this existing trend, rather than trying to pick out a number of people who will move because of climate change,” he says.
In some cases, climate impacts may even prevent people moving, he adds, as they become too poor to make the leap. “The ways in which climate change will re-shape patterns of rural to urban migration in Bangladesh are not straightforward.”
But if the medium-term prognosis is not as clear-cut as official rhetoric implies, the ultimate destination of human-caused global warming is sobering.
Surging Seas’ “seeing choices” interactive shows that 2C temperature rise – the upper limit countries have agreed to try and stay below – is consistent with 4.7m of sea level rise. That turns most of southwestern Bangladesh – and the city of Chittagong in the east – blue on the map. Unchecked pollution locks in sea level rise that ultimately swamps half the country, including its three biggest cities: Dhaka, Chittagong and Khulna. The timescale for this could be anywhere from 200 to 2,000 years.
“It is very plausible that the amount of carbon we put in the atmosphere between today and 2050 will determine whether Bangladesh can even exist in the far future,” says Strauss.
“Our emissions pathway does not make a big difference for mid-century sea level rise. It makes a consequential difference by the end of the century and it makes an existential difference after that for Bangladesh.”
Where will they go?
Travelling inland from the salt-soaked coast, the trees get taller, the cows wandering across the road fatter, the crops more diverse: jute, banana, bitter gourd. Every field and pond is in use; there is seasonal work to be found, but no permanent home for the dispossessed.
Nazzma Begum came from Bhola, on the coast, as an 18-month-old baby. Now 32 and a widow, Dhaka is her only home: her parents lost everything to river erosion. She shares a single room with her two children in the generically named “boat ghat” slum and makes a living cooking and cleaning for wealthier families.
City life has its upsides: Begum loves the cinema, naming her elder son after film star Shakib Khan. An electric light and ceiling fan is included in the 1,800 taka ($22) monthly rent. But her flimsy shack lets mosquitoes in and she is suffering from the chikungunya virus – a disease that causes severe joint pain.
Her neighbour Mohamed Miraz, also from Bhola, came to Dhaka after one too many fishing nets came up empty. If he can save enough, he will go back and buy land. A single acre costs as much as he earns in a thousand days pulling a rickshaw. The struggle to escape poverty is relentless.
The population of Dhaka has roughly doubled in 20 years to 19 million, its rapid growth not matched by its planners. Ponds and canals have been concreted over with no regard for the natural drainage they provided. Monsoon rainbursts frequently submerge streets in knee-high water.
Climate change will only intensify the pressures that drive people to the capital.
If the slums are claustrophobic, the alternative – leaving the country – is daunting. India is welcoming enough to middle class Bangladeshis doing their Eid shopping, but an armed border patrol is there to deter unskilled labourers. Catching a plane to a wealthier nation is an outrageously expensive gamble. For every success story, there are cautionary tales of exploitation.
The UN Population Division estimates the Bangladeshi diaspora at 7.2 million, which is almost certainly an understatement. India alone claims to have 20 million Bangladeshis living within its borders, most of them illegally, although that could equally be an exaggeration.
Awareness of climate migration is well established at an international level. “As regions become unliveable, more and more people will be forced to move from degraded lands to cities and to other nations,” said UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres in a speech on climate change.
Millions of Bangladeshis are living in India, Pakistan, Malaysia and the Middle East. The precise number is hard to count because many travelled illegally. Data is from various sources and may not be comprehensive.
Plans to deal with it are embryonic, however. A task force on displacement under the auspices of UN climate talks had its first meeting in May. Its work plan grapples with patchy data and institutional clashes.
There is no ready source of financial support directed at climate migrants, nor do they have any protected status under international law if they cross borders.
In most cases, climate migrants are not easy to distinguish from economic migrants: they arrive looking for work. The welcome they receive hinges more on the value of their labour than any duty of care to the climate-afflicted.
In Khulna, the third largest city in Bangladesh and regional capital of the southwest, technical education was as important as buildings in accommodating the people who arrived after Cyclone Aila and myriad smaller crises.
A pilot offering vocational training – phone repair, welding, sewing – to new arrivals recently marked its first 25 graduates. Eight of the city’s 278 slums are in line for infrastructure upgrades, funded by German development banks.
“It is not enough,” admits city mayor Moniruzzaman Moni, holding court at his “club” one evening.
At between 2 and 4 metres above sea level, enmeshed in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river delta, Khulna is only marginally safer than the coastal villages. When heavy rainfall coincides with the high tide, water washes through the streets.
“Khulna is one of the most vulnerable cities in Asia,” says Moni. “This is because of climate change. Fifty years ago, the situation was not like this but now it is changed.”
As though to demonstrate, during the half-hour audience rain lashes down and a large puddle forms outside the door. Bricks are laid out to step across to dry road.
Moni hopes that his grandchild will be able to stay in Khulna, where his family has lived for generations. But it will require “major projects” to keep the rising sea at bay. Meanwhile, he cannot deny the trend for outward migration.
“A large number of people, they are moving to Malaysia, India, Pakistan and the Middle East. These are climate-affected people. Officially, we have the number, but unofficially more and more people are going.”
Design: Orinoco Communications. Web production: James Burt. Illustrations: Alex Scarfe. Translation and logistics in Bangladesh: Abu Siddique. Additional photos: Megan Darby
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Houston latest to join fledgling Texas poker club effort
Michael Eakman, a poker aficionado from a very young age, has hosted poker tournaments from around the country, but Texas gambling laws have long shut him out of his own state and his hometown of Houston.
This year, however, the Houston Chronicle reports he opened the city’s first restricted membership-based poker club, joining several Texas entrepreneurs who believe they have found a way to circumvent those regulations and host everything from friendly poker games to competitive tournaments.
Unlike traditional gambling houses, Mint Poker in southeast Houston does not take a share of any gambled money, referred to as raking the pot. Instead, the club and similar ones across the state charge membership fees for players wanting to play in the club, a business approach that pushes the boundaries of legal gambling.
But so far, Eakman and other entrepreneurs in Austin and north Dallas haven’t drawn any unwanted attention from the Legislature or state regulatory agencies. Their efforts are gaining enough traction that they’re looking to expand. They have formed an association to represent their interest and are hoping to establish more clubs across Texas.
"In our conversations with the city attorney here in our jurisdiction, we made everyone aware of what we were doing before we even signed the lease," Eakman said. "I certainly don’t want to challenge anyone to bring a court case, but I think at the end of the day we’re handling this by being proactive instead of reactive is the way to do this. . There are no regulations and guidelines other than the narrow scope of a very vague law."
Bingo, horse and dog racetracks, Native American casinos and even the state-run Texas Lottery all provide outlets for Texans trying to test their luck.
The games at Mint Poker, which opened three months ago, are played in a large, quarter-circle-shaped room lined with ceiling-to-floor windows that illuminate the club with natural light during the day. Several of the more than 20 poker tables almost always have full games going, even during the middle of the afternoon.
Its location on the banks of Clear Creek allows members to occasionally travel to the club by kayak, Eakman said.
Until now, Houstonians seeking to play poker were forced to drive across the Texas border or play at illegal "underground" poker clubs, said Eakman, 51.
Underground clubs are known for raking large sums of money from every poker hand’s pot, as well as being hotbeds for cheating, crime and drugs. Under Texas law, no third-party may benefit from a bet and all betters must have an equal opportunity to win.
The Texas Legislature has a long history of taking a hard line against expanding gambling, and there is no strong push now for more legalization. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has not publicly weighed in on the move to expand the presence of private poker clubs in the state, and his staff declined comment for this story.
Local law enforcement officials routinely raid illegal poker games at bars, restaurants and residences when they’re discovered. A background report for the Texas District & County Attorneys Association notes that prosecutors typically do not target private poker games because "on its face, a private card game in someone’s home does not violate the Texas Penal Code, as long as the participants follow the exceptions."
Those exceptions include doing the gambling in a truly private place, making sure no one receives any economic benefit other than their winnings, and that the chance of winning and losing are the same for all, except for advantages that come from skill or luck.
Eakman and other private poker gambling advocates say they do all they can to follow those exceptions and stay off the radar of law enforcement and the Legislature.
At least three other membership-based poker clubs have opened in addition to the Houston business: Texas Card House with two locations in Austin, and Poker Rooms of Texas in north Dallas. They recently joined forces as the Texas Association of Social Card Clubs, and have begun working with longtime utilities lobbyist Tim VonKennel to represent them within the Texas Legislature, Eakman said.
VonKennel is the father of Texas Card House owner Sam VonKennel, and said he helped organize the Texas Association of Social Card Clubs to increase legislators’ awareness of membership-based poker clubs in Texas.
"The Legislature hasn’t really seen it yet because it hasn’t really existed," VonKennel said. "As they pop up, I want to make sure the Lege is aware of them. What I would really like to do is get these guys to become licensed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and that way they’re absolutely certain they’re on the right side of the law."
Sen. Jose Menendez, a Democrat from San Antonio, said he was involved with the creation of membership-based poker in Texas, encouraging Eakman to devise a business model that could clear the hurdles of Texas gambling laws when they met at a poker tournament.
"I think it’s a little hypocritical that we can have a state lottery or horse racing in texas but we can’t let people play poker," Menendez said.
University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said he believes the membership poker club business model is legal but may still face an uphill battle to grow and succeed in Texas.
"It probably violates the spirit, if not the letter of the law," Rottinghaus said. "So, in instances like that, there will definitely be a pushback where the attorney general and local law enforcement might take offense to the idea that there might be this illicit expansion of gambling, even if it’s not technically speaking illegal gambling."
Citing Texas’ strong conservative ties, Rottinghaus said the morality concerns surrounding gambling may prevent the Republican-dominated Legislature from expanding any form of the practice in Texas.
"I suspect we’ll see the Cowboys move to Tulsa before we see full-scale gambling in Texas," Rottinghaus said. "Trying to get around the law on this issue is never profitable. I think that’s the real danger that the people running these clubs have. You may technically be in the right, but this issue is so fraught with politics and morality that you’re unlikely to succeed."
Despite Rottinghaus’ bleak outlook, Menendez said he believes legislators will stay away from the topic.
"Fortunately, it appears this is an issue where legislators don’t want to touch it," Menendez said. "They understand that people want to have the freedom to do this, so they’re willing to not get into it. For now at least they’re letting these membership-based card rooms be safe places for people to be able to practice their hobbies."
Eakman agrees, and said the Texas Legislature should be forewarned: Stay away from poker because Texans vote with their chips.
"All of these people in here vote," Eakman said at his Houston club. "At the end of the day, they’re going to be playing poker somewhere. We think the right thing to do is to allow people to play."
___
Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
This is an AP Member Exchange shared by the Houston Chronicle
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