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hereforthefanficsandromance · 2 months

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The Way He Looks at You Series

Valentine's Day Bonus Content: Festival of Love II: Want

Read on AO3 Read on Blogger Read on Tumblr Story Master List: The Way He Looks at You Series

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Chapter Summary

Cal reaches out to a trusted friend to figure out what was wrong with the celebratory food. Rating: 18+ Words: 1.8K

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I stand in my office, wearing the thick material of my Inquisitor pants and only my undershirt; a tank top. I sit at my desk, but find the fabric, while useful in hiding an erection, rather abrasive when sitting with said erection.

The holopad sits centered on my desk, a new staple of my life. While my Light was in a coma, I sought comfort; finding solace in the plethora of stories housed in the handheld device. I attempted to read her stories, but our tastes differ and it became painful to read the words that she once held dear.

I lean against the desk’s edge, finding small comfort in the position and pick up the treasured reader. Sending a message to my most trusted advisor, Kaahlii.

Kaahlii,

I may have made a mistake. What do you know about Camby berries and Chak juice? Are they both safe for human consumption?

-Cal

I wait, my free hand palming my erection, desperate for relief from the painful discomfort of being unnaturally hard. Kaahlii, ever reliable, doesn’t make me wait long for a response.

Thirteenth Brother Cal,

Odd to hear an Inquisitor admit to a mistake, perhaps there is hope for you yet. I am aware of the traditional food. Naboo is home to many Cambylictus trees and the people there, human and otherwise, consume it regularly.

The Chak juice is a different story. It only comes from the Spirit Tree on Endor. However, there are no cases of human consumption being a problem.

How did you get your hands on it?

-Kaahlii

Owner and Operator of Second Chance Literature

I chuckle at the dig towards my kind. Kaahlii’s a straight shooter, something I like; gone are the days of honesty. Most fear me and speak to appease my temper. Those above me care not for my personal development. Kaahlii is an outlier; she has never feared me, perhaps because Light likes her and I love my Light. Or maybe because she can tell when I’m bluffing.

Kaahlii,

You don’t have to be so formal with me, please. You said yourself this is a secure way to contact you. I know your technology exceeds the best of the Empire.

The Camby berries came from Naboo, but the Chak juice… You’re going to be mad at me. Go easy on me, okay? I got them from a goods smuggler.

Also, your bookstore has a name? Why did you put your position and business too?

-Just Cal

The carnal need is driving me mad. I consider throwing care to the wind and demanding my Light’s body, taking her as I had before the accident. But I resist, refusing to sacrifice progress for my own selfish needs. To my relief, the reader chimes and my eyes scan the screen, eager for a distraction.

Just Thirteenth Brother Cal,

This is a secure line, but considering how loose you operate with safety (the Black Market, really?), I’m not sure that you won’t slip up and let my technology fall into the hands of someone with more sinister values.

I’ll need a moment to research with this new and horrifying information. Also, Rosara continues to ask when you will read for the children again. You should visit as soon as you are able.

You would know my business had a name if you had ever bothered to enter as a customer. It’s called a signature. Businesses use it to seem more professional when messaging clients.

-Kaahlii

Owner and Operator of Second Chance Literature

I smile at the prospect of seeing Rosara, another person who sees my true nature. I type out a message to Kaahlii, emphasizing my original name.

Kaahlii,

I know, I messed up; I was just trying to do something special for her. I’ll await your research, though, if you can, faster is preferable.

Visitation will be a possibility once things are more stable here. I fear she’ll run if I take her anywhere at the moment.

-Cal Kestis

Minutes elongate as I wait for Kaahlii’s response. I stealth towards the open door, wondering if my Light is feeling similar effects. She sits on our couch, the back of her head visible. I look harder; one shoulder moves rhythmically, barely perceivable. A smile creeps across my face. She is needy, too.

I listen, wanting to catch any of the sweet sounds that fall from her mouth as she works. Frustration leads me to peer into her mind, hoping to hear her desire, hoping she thinks of me.

She imagines a compromising position and, to my delight, I see I am in control of her pleasure. My face buried between her thighs, her head thrown back in open-mouthed ecstasy. My fingers stuffed deep inside her hungry cunt, curling and relaxing with each thrust.

I rub myself through my clothes, wishing to give into her desires. If she would only ask, I would eat her out until my tongue stopped working. The holopad dings and her head turns as I move out of view, walking back to my desk in silence.

Inquisitor Cal, Thirteenth Brother Kestis,

I’m afraid that I may now know why you are so eager for a hurried response. I truly do not want to imagine you in this light. I’d rather hear of the crimes you’ve committed against your fellow Jedi.

The Black Market is an unreliable resource for novelty goods, something I should not have to explain to someone with so much power. Chak juice is often cut with a nectar commonly found in Kashyyyk. This allows dealers to keep a high price while giving you a fraction of what you were hoping for. The taste is similar enough but has a few unfortunate side effects.

It is commonly used by black market animal breeders, to encourage their stock to stay plentiful. The side effect is similar in humans: high sex drive.

That’s not all, it also causes memory loss.

Cal, I know you stopped reading at those words, but come back and bear with me. The memory loss is only of the day of consumption, nothing else. You aren’t going to lose her again. I promise.

If anything, she may be more eager to spend some…quality time with you. Do yourself a favor and delete the messages from today. It’s not worth the stress you will feel later when trying to piece together more lost memories.

-Kaahlii

Owner and Operator of Second Chance Literature

I freeze, sickened, knowing she will forget again. Rage bubbles at the loss; a day I made for her, to honor and love her, to show her I can be everything she wants.

I consider writing myself a detailed note, outlining the events of today, hoping to preserve what will soon be gone. Kaahlii’s words ring true; I can’t cause myself more stress with another unsolved mystery. I consider meditating on the matter, but the dull ache of being hard reminds me I lack the blood to think clearly.

After consideration, I delete the messages and decide I will clean the kitchen and erase any evidence of today. To avoid further confusion, I create a mess on my desk, hoping my future self will assume I was completing mundane activities on the missing day. I stride toward the kitchen, knowing there are no consequences for today’s actions. Intentions set on making the most of it.

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You almost jump out of your skin when Cal’s footsteps approach from behind you.Stilling your frantic movements as your heart pumps a surge of adrenaline through your body.

Cal doesn’t glance at you, busy instead cleaning the kitchen. You sit there, paralyzed, wondering if he is reading your mind, aware of the need at your core. He doesn’t seem to notice, but you aren’t sure. You debate excusing yourself to the bathroom, but his arms being on display keeps you firmly seated on the couch.

Your eyes drink in his beauty, looking over every inch of exposed skin, feeling disappointed he wore a shirt. Cal doesn’t glance up, as he often does when you admire him in your mind. He looks distracted, maybe even disappointed.

You decide to take a risk, bringing your hand back between your legs. The movements are timid, attempting to enjoy yourself in secret. But your eyes track Cal’s every movement, though your head angles forward.

Cal washes the dishes by hand, laying them to dry on a towel, his biceps flexing as he scrubs. Sparks of pleasure shoot through you as you make contact, using three fingers to sweep the entire area in long drags. The needy ache seems momentarily appeased, but demands more, urging you to watch the attractive man that could solve your problem.

He turns to the counter and furrows his eyebrows. You watch, eyes raking over his arms, following down as he uses his middle and ring finger, gliding it along the stone surface. Your heart skips a beat at the extremely intimate gesture. The motion stops and he holds the hand before his eyes, curling the two filthy fingers to rub smoothly against his thumb; determining the counter will need cleaning.

Unconsciously, your hand imitates the motion, stuffing yourself with the same two fingers and curling just as Cal had. You press your lips together, calming yourself. But your mind pictures Cal’s fingers instead, begging you to ask for his help. You refuse the impulse, but don’t look away.

Cal wipes down the counters before moving to dry and put away the pile of clean dishes. He opens every cabinet and drawer necessary, and upon completion, he moves to close them all. Only, he doesn’t close the drawers with his hands. Instead, placing his hands on the counter and using his pelvis to bump them closed. The movement is inherently sexual.

You’d typically laugh, but the desire in your belly replaces the humor with lust. Feeding the fire and creating imaginary intimate scenes with the man. Picturing laying beneath him while he thrusts deep into you, claiming your body. You want to know what he might feel like.

Your thumb brushes over your clit, and a tiny moan slips out. Cal looks up, eyes dark and focused. Yours widen in panic, awkwardly clearing your throat. He says nothing, and it feels worse.

He resumes working, and you slide your fingers out, wiping the mess on your thighs. You toss the blanket to the side, heading for the back of his quarters, needing to finish in private. Cal also heads for the hallway, forcing you to dodge to squeeze past him.

Except you stumble, and Cal’s warm hand envelops your upper arm. You look up, meeting his eyes. Time stands still.

Your mind, hazed with lust, draws your attention down to his full lips. The heat of his gaze lingers on your face, waiting. He smells good, and he’s so close, it wouldn’t take much.

Your body decides for you, a tiny step forward, lifting your chin. Cal leans down to meet you halfway. Your lips collide, hands quick to find purchase on the other’s body. Yours in his damp hair, fisting handfuls of the soft coppery waves. Cal’s find the backs of your thighs, lifting you to wrap around him as he presses you into the wall. Everything in your body lights up.

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Next Chapter: Need

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prosewithpurpose · 2 months

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Ozempic: Dying To Be Thin

I have recently been following a few stories and commentators as they have reported on the side effects of Ozempic. My typical literary niche is mental health, inspiration and motivation for self-development. While I don’t follow the latest trends in any area I had followed the Ozempic one for some reason.

I think the part that interested me the most was many of the people who interviewed were willing to buy the drug on the black market, unverified websites and the like. Don’t read what I’m not writing I think it’s important not to point fingers but to have a holistic view of the Ozempic side effects issue.

As I researched the stories I found most of the cases were in the United States and the UK. In the ever-evolving landscape of healthcare, understanding the implications of medications is paramount. Most people are aware who follow Ozempic know it’s used for type 2 diabetes.

It gained prominence for weight loss in the last few years. I reviewed some history and current lawsuits due to the side effects. I was not aware that the side effects can affect vital organs and cause other unsettling concerns. Some may not be aware that drugs can be researched and more information can be reviewed on the FDA’s website.

Another thing that consumers can do is explore if there are current lawsuits or recalls on drugs before they start taking them. I know most people trust their health care professional but we should do our due diligence as well.

Ozempic, a member of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist class, plays a pivotal role in regulating blood sugar levels. However, like many pharmaceutical interventions, its therapeutic benefits are accompanied by a spectrum of potential side effects. These side effects vary in intensity and occurrence, impacting individuals in diverse ways.

I’m a therapist, not a physician or a nurse. I have treated many clients who struggle with weight loss or menopausal weight gain. Most of the clients I have served have found it difficult to lose weight as they have gotten older.

I have referred them to their primary care doctor. With that said some people want a quick fix for whatever reason and I can see the frustration and all the concerns that go with trying to lose weight and obtain wellness.

My concern with the latest trend of those on Ozempic is the side effects and the those that may not be informed enough on those who are dying as a result of using Ozempic or the generic form of it.

Commonly reported side effects of Ozempic encompass gastrointestinal disturbances, with nausea and diarrhea being prevalent among users. These effects are often transient, diminishing over time as the body adjusts to the medication. Concurrently, injection site reactions, another common occurrence, may manifest as redness, swelling, or itching.

While these side effects are generally considered mild, their prevalence underscores the importance of patient awareness and proactive management. As I listened to story after story most of the people had other chronic illnesses as well.

Beyond the scope of common side effects lie more serious complications that demand heightened attention. Instances of pancreatitis, though rare, have been associated with the use of Ozempic. Pancreatitis, characterized by inflammation of the pancreas, necessitates immediate medical intervention and underscores the need for vigilant monitoring during Ozempic therapy.

Additionally, concerns have been raised regarding the potential association between Ozempic and thyroid tumors. Though the risk is deemed low, healthcare practitioners and users alike must remain vigilant, emphasizing the importance of regular health check-ups and communication between patients and their healthcare providers.

It is essential to recognize the symbiotic relationship between healthcare education and the communication of potential side effects. In the digital age, individuals often turn to search engines for health-related information.

I will say most of what I found were researchers on YouTube and science journals that are talking about the side effects of Ozempic a little more now. Thus, effective communication becomes a conduit for informed decision-making. Utilizing search engine optimization (SEO) strategies ensures that information about Ozempic’s side effects is readily accessible to those seeking it.

I’m a news buff and enjoy all things science and this story was disturbing because people were and are dying from one thing but the root cause was from taking Ozempic. I hope people will do their due diligence so not one more person has to die to be thin.

For those who may be interested in strategic keyword integration, such as “Ozempic side effects” or “Ozempic complications,” the dissemination of valuable information becomes more efficient and widespread.

Thank you for reading

Be Well!

#inspiration #self love #motivation #self help #self improvement #self care #glow up #glow up era #becoming that girl #manifesation #self confidence #self development #self awareness #personal growth #positive mindset #self growth #growth mindset #priorities

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cosmeticsandcontrollers · 6 months

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How to support your adult loved one when they come out as trans:

Since you’ve found this essay, it can only be assumed that you are looking for guidance in how to support this person. You may be afraid of messing up- either because you care about harming this person, or because you don’t want to embarrass yourself. The safest thing you can do is show them you care about them, you trust that they know what’s best, and that you’re along for the ride.

1. Own up to your first reaction

Let’s assume this loved one came out to you during an in-person visit. You probably didn’t react perfectly. But that’s okay. You may have even said the dreaded “you’re my daughter and I’ll always love you” to your trans child that no longer identifies as a woman.

They may want to discuss your reaction at a later date. Own up to any mistakes that you made, and understand that what they remember from the interaction was probably more accurate, as it’s about their life and identity.

2. Show them that you still want to be as or more involved in their lives.

One of the biggest fears a newly out trans person might have is that they will lose loved ones in the process. Not only does this change someone’s view of an important relationship, it means they have less support. Before their visit ends, make sure that you’ve made plans to see them again sometime soon. The more time you spend together, the easier new names, pronouns, and terms will be.

When making plans with them use their name in follow-up and confirmation texts, and ask if there are any safety concerns they will need addressed. Knowing that someone is also thinking about their safety can help them know you care about them.

3. Practice their name and pronouns.

Usually, when someone comes out, they will want someone to use a different name, pronouns, and terms for them than they used previously. A frequent response to this is “I’ve always called you X, it’s too hard for me to call you Y, and I’m not going to worry about it,”. That’s not your call to make, and shows the person that you are not willing to change your behavior for their well-being.

One way to practice a new name or pronouns for someone is to talk about them to someone who is aware of the transition, or to write stories about them. It helps to connect “person” with “name” and “realistic situation”.

For example: “I think Sadie plans to visit the Grand Canyon this summer. I wonder if she’s ever seen a canyon before. She may have to borrow some camping equipment.” This sentence doesn’t have to be true, but gives us an opportunity to practice speaking without the embarrassment of being corrected.

4. Learn how to be corrected.

You may have this preconceived notion that trans people love to correct cis people. Most of us actually hate it, as it draws more attention to us and can lead to arguments. A short “thank you,” after being corrected shows that you won’t make it our problem.

5. Do your own research.

There’s an abundance of online resources about gender identity, and the history of trans people in our society. Seek out resources from trans writers, researchers, and doctors for more accurate information; as many websites marketed to the family members of trans people share misinformation.

Ask your loved one what news sources they like, and maybe even follow some of their favorite trans celebrities on social media to normalize seeing celebrated trans people.

6. Understand that things may change.

Your loved one may start wearing clothes that you aren’t used to, may have different life goals, and may change their opinions on things that you thought were set in stone.

When I came out to my parents, I told them that I would never pursue a medical transition, and now I’m six months on hormone replacement therapy. I said I wanted to have biological kids, but now I want to foster teens instead. What I thought was best for me changed. And that’s okay. You’re just along for the ride.

#coming out #transmasc #transfem #trans ally

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djarinsbeskar · 9 months

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Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! So close, just in time for spooky season 🎃🧙‍♀️😈🔮🕯️

👉🏼👈🏼

Do you mind if I ask… how does it feel to have a work of yours published? It has always seemed so daunting to me. What was hard about it? What was an easier part of the process? Have you thought about publishing before this? I spend hours in front of my computer, researching and going over plot, word choice, sentence structure, etc. etc. Are you relieved for September 22nd to come? I’m curious to peek into publishing as an experience. 🫣

It's so surreal quite frankly! In a manner of speaking, I'm used to having people read my work through here and on AO3, so I was surprised by how nervous I was about putting an entire book out there. Part of me thinks it's because of expectations, if that makes any sense. With fanfic, it's free and it's usually within the confines of a fandom that affords the pieces some leniency. With an original book, you're expecting people to spend hard earned money on it and, it might just be the perfectionist in me, but I want to write something worth spending money on.

I think you bring up some really fantastic questions and I'm all about sharing my experiences to make things easier for others who might want to do the same! So feel free to send in any questions and I'll answer them all as concisely as possible!

I think the first thing you want to be sure about when it comes to publishing, is if you're willing to wear many different hats all at once. You're the writer, the PR person, the marketing person, the advertising person etc etc. You are everything to this book and one thing I discovered is that, you're rarely going to be an expert in all of them!

This is why community is important. Having a group of friends or writers you trust who are in the same situation or are interested in the industry. Because I guarantee, they're going to be the ones you touch base with on everything. From getting a second opinion on a social media post, to understanding a vague or confusing requirement made by a distributor or market you plan to sell your book on, to just the support you need as a writer. Writing a book can be a lonely thing, especially when you're not getting the serial validation and feedback we can grow accustomed to by posting chapters of fics week after week. That makes your inner circle, if you want to call it that, invaluable to your overall experience.

It's always been a dream of mine to be an author, to finish a book and see it bound. So, I knew I had the drive, if my confidence was lacking in other areas. It really wasn't until one of mutuals here asked if I planned to publish, though, that I really gave it some serious thought as an adult (and not just the dreams of a child). I think if you love the story you want to tell, are open and aware that it's not going to be everyone's cup of tea and can accept that, as well as being willing to be your own biggest advocate, you can do it!

Honestly, I cannot WAIT for launch day. It'll be my first, and when I think back to when I first started turning this fic into a book, I knew nothing so I've learned so much along the way that I'm actually excited to get started on the next book to apply all those lessons going forward!

Thank you for getting in touch! This ask really made me think and as a result, made me so super happy to see how far I've come. So don't hesitiate to drop any more questions that you have here, or in my DMs. I'm always happy to chat!

#publishing corner #q&a

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axvoter · 2 years

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Blatantly Partisan Party Review XLIII (federal 2022): ungrouped Victorian independents James Bond and Max Dicks

Running where: VIC

Because these are both ungrouped independent candidates, you can only give them a preference if you vote below the line

I do not have time to review all twelve(!) people standing as ungrouped independents for the Senate in Victoria. Happily, Something for Cate has you covered there. I have previously reviewed Glenn Floyd of the unregistered Liberty Party. Joe Toscano, anarchist and serial candidate, is running again; I reviewed him all the way back in 2013.

But I absolutely cannot resist writing reviews of the two candidates with the best names on any ballot in the entire country.

James Bond (website)

The name’s Bond, Senator James Bond. Or at least that’s what he hopes to be able to say. For now the name is Bond, Dr James Bond: his about page says he holds a PhD in geography and legal studies. He completely leans into the humour of his name: his campaign launch video is chock-full of references to the James Bond films. He urges you to vote for him because he’s on a top-secret mission and a crucial part of that is being elected as an Australian Senator, because a “bad guy” (cue image of Morrison) is “going to explode the world, probably your place too”. If you don’t vote for him, he’ll be “shaken… but not stirred”.

Yes, this is a bit of a piss-take, but he's not one of those joke candidates without an platform. Of his seven policies—sorry, “007 policies”—the leading one is a Boomer Tax. Yep, a Boomer Tax. He defines this as an umbrella term for abolishing negative gearing and halving the capital gains tax discount, in order to make it easier for first-home buyers to enter the market and boost government revenue. Under other subheadings (actually six, not seven), he indicates support for more wildlife sanctuaries, an emissions trading scheme, net zero by 2035, a wage increase for those in nursing and childcare, and equity and respect for all genders (yes, an openly trans-friendly candidate). Bond states that a federal ICAC is “a no brainer and well overdue … Don’t let the Prime Minister gaslight the country into thinking that we dont need a federal ICAC.” Honestly I wish other parties would be this straightforward and to-the-point.

My recommendation: He might be a joke candidate, but he deserves a decent or good preference depending on the extent to which you appreciate his comedy (it's not always high-brow).

Max Dicks (website)

Max is fully aware he has the funniest name on the ballot, but he also has a serious platform. Every clip I’ve watched has made me think he seems like a good guy and that he badly needs to have a running mate next time so that he can have a square above the line. His climate policy is refreshingly straightforward: “climate action—come on guys”. He takes the need for a more substantial response as simply a given. He supports a properly funded NDIS, better funding for research (particularly the CSIRO), and more public transport. He demands a federal ICAC and greater government transparency with one of the best calls to action I’ve seen from any party on this topic: “Trust is something built. Help me start building.”

He’s also concerned with improving voter literacy, which as a below-the-line candidate is obviously a practical concern for him; given I’m writing this blog, you can imagine it’s something I am passionate about too. The only thing I was lukewarm about—besides the fact a lot of his “policies” are motherhood statements, which is fairly inevitable for an ungrouped indie—is that he would prefer to make cars safer rather than reduce speed limits. I don’t quibble with safer cars, but this isn’t an “either/or”, it’s a “both/and” if we want streets with good multi-modal choices that are safe for all users. (I suppose this is the point where he directs me to his “think I'm a dick” page: “Unfortunately I can’t be everything you might like in a politician”, so he gives tips to “help you on your journey into politics”, although he advises that “It's not cheap and it's sometimes a rough time, so think wisely.”)

Oh yeah, and he also has a theme song. It is as good as you would expect. “If you are sick and tired of members screwin’ politics / well, now it’s time for Dicks!”

My recommendation: Give Max Dicks a good preference. Hell, give him your first preference if you feel so inclined. There are far worse pricks on the ballot.

#auspol #ausvotes #ausvotes22 #ausvotes2022 #Australian election #Australia #Victoria #Election 2022 #Max Dicks #James Bond #independent politics #below the line #decent preference #good preference

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abdulquddus · 13 days

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Tell me more about pet-related businesses.

Hey I’m Inzamul, Welcome to my article today I am going to breakdown and you won't say it again Tell me more about pet-related businesses.

The love for our furry (or feathery, or scaled) companions is undeniable. This deep affection translates into a booming pet industry, expected to reach a staggering $260 billion globally by 2025 [source: relevant industry report]. Are you an entrepreneur with a passion for pets? Then this industry might be the perfect place for you to start your dream business!

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1. Understanding the Pet Market

The pet industry encompasses a wide range of businesses catering to various aspects of pet care and ownership. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA), Americans alone spent over $100 billion on their pets in 2020, reflecting the robust nature of the market. This spending includes pet food, supplies, veterinary care, grooming, boarding, and other services.

2. Types of Pet-Related Businesses

a. Pet Food and Treats: With the growing awareness of pet nutrition, there's a rising demand for high-quality pet food and treats made from natural ingredients. Specialty diets, such as grain-free, organic, and raw, are particularly popular.

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b. Pet Grooming and Spa Services: Pet owners are increasingly willing to invest in grooming services to keep their furry companions clean, healthy, and well-groomed. This includes bathing, hair trimming, nail clipping, and other spa treatments.

c. Pet Boarding and Daycare: As pet owners travel for work or leisure, the need for reliable boarding and daycare facilities for pets has surged. These businesses provide a home-away-from-home experience, offering comfortable accommodations and supervised playtime.

d. Pet Retail Stores: Pet stores offer a wide array of products, including food, toys, bedding, grooming supplies, and accessories. Many pet owners prefer shopping at specialty stores where they can find unique and premium-quality items for their pets.

e. Veterinary Services: Veterinary clinics and hospitals provide essential medical care, vaccinations, surgeries, and preventive treatments for pets. With advancements in veterinary medicine, pet owners are increasingly seeking specialized and emergency care for their furry friends.

f. Pet Training and Behavior Modification: Professional trainers and behaviorists help pet owners address behavioral issues, obedience training, and socialization to ensure well-behaved and happy pets.

3. Key Considerations for Starting a Pet-Related Business

a. Market Research: Understand the needs and preferences of pet owners in your target market. Identify gaps in existing services and opportunities for differentiation.

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b. Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Familiarize yourself with local regulations regarding licensing, permits, zoning laws, and health and safety standards applicable to pet businesses.

c. Location and Facilities: Choose a strategic location with sufficient space and amenities to accommodate your business operations, whether it's a retail store, grooming salon, or boarding facility.

d. Quality Products and Services: Focus on offering high-quality products and services that prioritize the health, safety, and well-being of pets. Build trust and loyalty among pet owners through exceptional customer service.

e. Marketing and Promotion: Utilize a mix of online and offline marketing channels to promote your business, including social media, website, local advertising, and partnerships with complementary businesses.

4. Embracing Innovation and Trends

Stay abreast of emerging trends and innovations in the pet industry, such as:

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The Future of Pet Businesses

The pet industry is constantly evolving, with a growing emphasis on technology, convenience, and pet wellness. Here are some trends to watch:

Ready to Join the Pet Industry?

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If you're passionate about pets and have a great business idea, then the pet industry offers a rewarding and exciting path. Remember, conduct thorough market research, create a solid business plan, and most importantly, focus on providing excellent service or high-quality products to pet owners who value their furry companions. With dedication and a love for animals, your pet business dream can become a reality!

Thanks for read my article, Tell me more about pet-related businesses.

Tell me more about pet-related businesses.

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greygullhaven · 4 months

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Ability Research Center Snippet Preview

New chapters posted so that means another random snippet from the story to share! :D https://archiveofourown.org/works/52696273/chapters/133291948

Connor walked off the stage even as the applause and cheers continued. The concert had been long and hard but it had been one of the most successful ones so far as far as no technical issues or unruly fans. Once he was out of sight, he wiped the sweat from his face and gratefully took the water bottle one of the stagehands offered. It was another concert finished and once he had caught his breath, Connor headed back to his private dressing room to see Devon.

With the typical congratulations and thumbs up from the crew, Connor reached his room and gave a knock in case Devon was already there waiting. “Hey D? You here?” he asked as he opened the door and walked in. “Wanted to see what the final tally was for the ticket sales tonight. How did we do?”

“Hey kid I’m in here,” Devon called and waved at Connor as he walked in, “great show tonight kid, you made a killing with the sales! This was one of your best yet. I gotta ask, have you given any more thought to the Europe tour that the label wants you to do to promote your latest album?”

Connor beamed proudly at that. “The crowd seemed really into it, more so than usual. And Tom from merchandise said he actually sold out of a few things tonight!” Connor walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed one of the bottles of beer from it and then sat down in his oversized chair.

“Yeah, I think we definitely need to do the tour. First one of that scale so if the label is willing to go with it that will get a hell yeah from me” Connor said as he took a drink, knowing that one was all he could have - for now. He still had a meet and greet to get to in a little bit.

“Trust me kid if you keep going the way you are, between ticket sales and merchandise, the sky’s the limit,” Devon smiled as he finished the tally of the sales. “And the label wants you to step up with the interviews as well, so I’ve booked you some of the morning chat shows next week. This is going to be huge, just the push we have been waiting for!”

Connor made a small face at that last bit. He liked the music and performing. Talking to people was another thing and especially when he had no choice in who he had to talk to. But he knew Devon was right and that it was what the label wanted and what he had to do. He’d just make the best of it.

“You’ll give me the basic script to stick to right?” he asked with a small smirk, knowing that Devon was fully aware of how easily he could get off on tangents during interviews. “And security will be there too right? I’d rather not have to deal with that crazy stalker on my own if she shows up!”

“She won’t get anywhere near you,” Devon promised, “and security will be with you at all times. I will personally make sure you’ll have a ready to go script, I’ll get our PR team to work on it,” he said. “The label knows if you work hard at this, you might even get album of the year, I’ve heard sales are doing extremely well on the global charts as well. They will absolutely adore any positive publicity we can give them right now.”

Connor nodded in approval as he enjoyed his beer. “Definitly won’t complain about that!” he laughed. “I’ll get with the PR and marketing team in a day or two and we can start hammering something out and working out the details. I got plans after the meet and greet tonight so I’ll need at least one of the security guys as usual. Got myself a date” he said with a smirk.

Devon grinned at that, “I’ll let security know and make arrangements for you while you’re at the meet and greet. And who’s the lucky lady,” there was a pause, “or guy, I definitely don’t judge,” he added.

“Names James” Connor said with a grin. “He’s actually been to a couple of the shows and meet and greets. We’ve talked a bit here and there. Thought he might be one of those stalker types at first but hes never pushed or done any of the creepy stuff ya know? At the last show, he asked me for a date and figured why not?”

“Well enjoy yourself kid you’ve earned it,” Devon grinned, “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he added with a wink as he went up to grab himself a beer from the fridge.

Connor lifted the mostly empty beer bottle with a grin at that then reached into his pocket and pulled out his lighter and the well-worn tin he usually had in his pocket. He saw Devon’s look as he opened it and took out one of the spliff rolls he had made earlier.

“Oh come on man, don’t give me that look” he said. “I haven't had one since a few hours before the show! You’re gonna make me do the damned meet and greet without it?”

“I’m just trying to look out for you kid,” Devon said, raising his hands in a ‘I surrender’ position. “You know if the label finds out about this they won’t be happy, you signed a contract that said that you wouldn’t bring the label into disrepute. I mean you’re hardly the first musician out there to indulge in these vices but the press will eat you alive if they find out. So, ya know know, go easy and be careful.”

“Fine, fine…” Connor said with a small sigh as he put the tin and lighter back in his pocket. “The things I do for you and the damn label company,” he said, sounding annoyed but there was a slight smirk on his face all the same. “I’ll keep the vices to my personal time” Connor conceded as he finished the beer.

“That’s all I ask kid,” Devon grinned. “Anything that can give us some plausible deniability if the higher-ups start sniffing around, what the suits don’t know won’t hurt them right?”

“I knew there was a reason I liked ya Devon,” Connor said with a laugh as he stood. “Well guess it’s time to start that meet and greet huh?” he asked as he looked at the clock. “Think the paparazzi are around again?”

“I noticed a few of them hanging around the lobby, so you might have a media scrum on your hands on the way to the meet and greet,” Devon said apologetically, “but you know how to handle the press, make sure they can’t get any photos worth selling,” he said with a grin.

Read the whole story here!

#primeval #fanfiction #fanfic #ao3 #primeval fandom #primeval fanfiction

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buckleyhaas2 · 2 years

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4 Marketing Myths Threaten Your Sales

Feeling like there's something that's just not quite there yet in how you're going about this whole online dating thing? Don't feel bad, chances are you're one of the various people who're still pretty new to this show. Heck, internet dating has only been around for about eight years, so obviously no one out there can say they have all the addresses. Change your profile picture and greeting occasionally, add photos onto your photo album, and login regularly--this won't only to obtain noticed, definitely will help others get a more varied and up-to-date idea of the things constitutes purpose is to see you. Use preshave products for soaps, lathers, creams and gels. aiseesoft blu ray player crack lock moisture into the hair, assist keep the head of hair erect and much more reduce friction allowing the blade to glide easily over pores and skin. When truly stop and think about it, what do you think your new friend's reaction is for you to be if when you meet for that first time it's obvious you're not the person they thought they would be convention? "Oh . hi. that you are crackfreekey dishonest with me at night from the get-go here, but hey, I'm still thinking now we have a great shot at having an open, trusting relationship for that long-term" Obviously not. Next, with the pencil still held resistant to the nose, tilt it diagonally so which it rests in the far corner of the eye. That could be the outer point where the eyebrow should end. Be resolute. Know exactly what kind of car you want and just what you to be able to pay. Research your options first and research all you can come up with. The Internet is the most powerful research tool ever devised by people. Use it. Link cheating is reaching epidemic proportions and usually be regarding rise. Presently there appears to be no easy cure. But here's adobe after effects cc crack for internet marketers and webmasters who so desire trade links . beware . be aware . and you should not cheat.

#CRACKGURU.ORG

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watson19ebsen · 2 years

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How To Use A Message Sequence To Help Your Sales

Pubic tweezing and waxing is now a matter of concern each men and some women. For hygiene reasons alone numerous people choose to clear out unwanted body hair in the pubic area, hence, the search for the best pubic uncomfortable method. Be major. Know exactly what kind of car hunt for and precisely what you cracktimes desire to pay. Be diligent first and research anything you can choose. The Internet is the useful research tool ever devised by men's. Use it. When you absolutely stop and think about it, what / things you think your new friend's reaction is going to be if when you meet for that first time it's obvious you're not the person they thought they were going to be finding? "Oh . hi. I see that you've been dishonest beside me from the get-go here, but hey, I'm still thinking we've a great shot at having an open, trusting relationship for that long-term" Obviously not. Running the fingertips inside the shaved area is an actual effective approach to ensuring an in depth thorough do away with. The sense of touch will alert you to stubble and missed patches it in a position to difficult to see in the mirror. Other areas where you Really should invest profit in include: logo design, web design, web promotion, and useful tools such like a graphics editor and a deep autoresponder. However, there are lots of free resources on the web and I encourage one to seek them out. Shaving removes the tapered end of this hair thus feels sharp and stubbly when it appears again across the skin. This can give the sense it keeps growing out fast. Don't abandon advertising that's working - but keep trying to improve it. And regularly test new things to see the way they work you. If you never make any changes with your advertising, profits will eventually decline. Link cheating is reaching epidemic proportions and is on the growth. And there appears to be no easy cure. But here's some good advice for online marketers and webmasters who demand to trade links . beware . be aware . and don't cheat.

#LICENSE4WINDOWS.COM

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stimmypaw · 3 years

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The fandom of Warrior Cats is having a very important conversation right now, not just important for people who read Warriors, for everyone! SPECIALLY people who aren't indigenous (like me!)

For anyone aware, the conversation is about indigenous stereotypes perpetuated by the books, intentional or not.

It's important that we talk about this, that we take conclusions and think critically about the content we consume, something I am finding upsetting personally is that many people are not knowing what to do with the information that indigenous people are uncomfortable with Warriors. I have seen people panicking, wanting to get rid of every thing Warrior Cats as quickly as possible and replace things with whatever they think is better. I'm not saying it's not valid to just step away from the series but it's not productive. We need to learn from this, I'm seeing mostly people confused and unsure what the issues are exactly, and fair, the people who started the conversation were just indigenous people venting about Warrior Cats to each other they weren't intending to educarem anyone and they didn't link any sources, a lot of people are going from word of mouth and it makes things uncertain.

But here's the good news! We can look for answers ourselves and WE SHOULD! If we want to make anything better we need to understand what the issues are to be able to learn and do better, we can't find a replacement for "medicine cat" if we don't know why it's bad because it's just as easy to end up on words with similar bad origins thinking they're better like "healer" and "witchdoctor". We can't replace the system of Warrior clans without knowing where this system came from, where the word clan came from, what it means to be a clan what are other existing society systems that we could appropriate by accident.

This conversation shows how much people still need to learn, and we have to. Avoiding the subject and only creating content inspired by European culture won't teach you anything about creating respectful content! This is where we seek out to learn our lessons about identifying harmful stereotypes, about not being quiet about them and knowing their origins and how they're perpetuated in our society in such subtle ways they're normalized.

I will add here that doing your own research can be hard, I am not in a good place mentally, I am very mentally ill and disabled and I am having to take lots of breaks in between reading things and discussing this to take care of myself, Google isn't very useful all the time but we have to try. I made a thread with the useful articles and information I found so far on twitter and I heavily recommend you click here to check it out.

Also, boost indigenous voices and organizations, Clanzine is going to be donating their gains to Raven Foot. Follow and check out the works of indigenous WC and furry artists such as Kit, Wolf, Wren, Angel, Laz, Kitty and Emma. Pirate and resell the books and merchandise, sell your own fanart with profits for indigenous organizations, pressure Working Partners saying you dislike the bigotry in the books, give more love for small content creatures specially the ones who aren't white, give YOUR OWN original content more love!!! Adults, take care of the minors in our fandom as they are the ones the books are marketed for, and the youngest are more impressionable and will have a hard time seeing what's wrong with the messages the stories send and they could learn a plethora of terrible things from Warriors.

And most importantly, try to be responsible, try not to panic, this isn't the end of the world or of our communities and our art. I know it can seem like it, trust me. This discussion has opened my eyes to see that derivative warrior cat content and original silly animal content is sought out and I shouldn't be afraid to create it. Change is scary, but this will be good and exciting I promise, just take your time read your articles learn your lessons and make your conclusions, there's only good to come out from this and we will make this little corner of the internet a better place for everyone :]

TLDR we need to learn more about racism and become better people and better fantasy animal lovers, it's going to be okay in fact it's going to be great, go research.

#long post #hahah #its all important though!!!#wc #warriors #warrior cats #racism #hope this makes sense its a bit all over the place i think but i tried to be clear #just getting some thoughts out #been rough #but i want to help #lets get to work guys #edit: i was informed i seemed like i was looking for pity and spreading misinformation so i deleted some personal info and cleared up stuff #so sorry everyone

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orionsangel86 · 3 years

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SPN Conspiracies - Applying Logic to Chaos

Its been over 2 months now since the Supernatural finale aired. I am still so angry, hurt, and confused by it and I don’t think I will ever get closure unless someone like Andrew Dabb, or Jensen Ackles, actually opens up and gives us an explanation that makes sense.

What annoys me most right now is people trying to gaslight fans into believing that we should accept the narrative we have been given at face value: That the finale was always planned to be that way, that Destiel was never on the cards, that there was no Network interference, that the only changes made were due to covid and were minor at best.

This harmful gaslighting is FALSE.

NO ONE KNOWS THE TRUTH OF WHAT HAPPENED.

Look, I don’t agree with some of the crazier conspiracy theories. I don’t believe that there was some huge campaign among the CW Network execs to remove anything remotely gay out of homophobia. I don’t believe that the finale was changed because of some desire to make it into a Walker promo. I don’t believe that the finale was really bad on purpose in protest by Dabb for not getting to do an ending he truly wanted. I don’t believe that Dabb left us smart fans a bunch of secret messages in the finale to hint that he was on our side all along and that everything was fake.

I do, however, believe that all of these conspiracy theories have some elements in them that are plausible. At least, more plausible than the bullshit narrative mentioned above that some people are pushing in some desperate attempt to defend the Network (which imo is really strange behaviour anyway - why would anyone care about a TV network with a history of terrible behaviour?!?)

We have facts, based on information provided before the covid lockdown, which for some reason, people like Misha have since backpeddled on. So let me try to outline some of the information that makes no sense.

Below the cut I go on a deep dive into the conspiracies and statements I have heard about the SPN finale and try to make some sense of this whole fucked up situation. It gets long.

1. “Cas was never gonna be in the finale”.

False: We have many fan accounts of Misha confirming that he was filming the finale. We have video evidence of Misha confirming he was going back to film the finale after the lockdown. We have confirmation from fans in Misha M&Gs from March that he had about 5 days of filming left.

We also had fan accounts of discussions with Alex Calvert (I think) where he confirmed the final shot of the final episode was all four of them though I would LOVE if someone can find a source for this.

2. Okay, Misha was gonna be in the finale, but only as Jimmy Novak

False: I heavily side eyed Misha when he said this. But I think I can come up with a plausible explanation for it. Per above, Misha was supposed to film for 5 days. This does not align with the half a day he described of filming as Jimmy Novak. My own belief is that after Cas was cut from the finale (for whatever reason we don’t know) someone (probably Jensen Ackles) put up a fight and complained that Misha should be there for the final episode. The writers probably tried to come up with a way to bring Misha back without having to deal with Cas, and pitched the idea of Jimmy Novak being in Heaven. Misha, obviously annoyed about this, turned this stupid pitch down.

3. Destiel was never a thing, never planned, never part of Dabb’s ending. Bobo and Misha pushing the confession was the part of the season that was Wrong.

False: We have a SPN writer on record saying that Castiel’s confession was the first thing written for Season 15 when the writers returned to the writers room. If it wasn’t planned, why was it the first thing written, why does it align so well with the rest of season 15? Look I know some people either a. hate destiel and refuse to see it even if it slaps them in the face, or b. have major heteronormative goggles on, or c. are just homophobes in denial, but 15x18 fits in perfectly with the narrative of season 15. Everything Cas says, everything that happened in that scene was so in character it just works. It fit. If you just rewatch the season whilst applying some critical thinking skills and pay attention to the narrative and character arcs, trust me, the confession fits in with pretty much every other plot point, and character story in the season.

Also: We have known for a while that the network did market research into Destiel, wanting to know if it would go down well or not. They were well aware of its popularity and considering it. Where would this have come from if not pitched by the showrunner? Dabb must have at least been considering it. If you take all of Dabb era into consideration, starting with mid season 11, all the way through the season 12 build up, season 13 grief arc, and then Bobo’s Destiel break up arc in late season 14, early season 15, it is clear that there was some toing and froing on the issue of Destiel, but ultimately, I still believe that Dabb was on board. He wrote 13x01 for christs sake. No way he wasn’t taking it seriously.

4. It’s always been about the brothers. The finale just stays true to what Supernatural is all about.

*rubs temples* Fundamentally FALSE: The show has time and again reasserted the message of “Family don’t end with blood”, as well as the messages of AKF and YANA. Sam and Dean may be at the heart of the show, but a heart can’t exist without a body to support it. Without bones, and lungs, and blood, and muscles, and a BRAIN. The finale abandons the shows core messages. It forces the characters back into their season 1 characterisations and the whole thing becomes hollow and souless. But I’m not here to complain, I’m here to lay down the facts. Dean’s heaven was supposed to be surrounded by loved ones right? We know OG Charlie Bradbury was gonna be in his Heaven, we also know CAS was gonna be in there. So this idea that the finale as it currently stands was how it was meant to be is wrong. Dean was supposed to die and reunite with his found family and loved ones. This alone would have been a far better ending than the one given. Do I think this was solely a covid issue? Fuck no.

The randoms that WERE in the finale are proof alone that they could have got people in and quarantined. We also have several actors on record saying that they WOULD have quarantined for the finale had they been asked to return but they WEREN’T.

Lies have been told. Samantha Ferris and Chad Limberg have confirmed that we have been lied to about the original plans for the finale.

This alone is proof enough that there is more plausibility in some of the conspiracy theories than any bullshit narrative some people are pushing in defence of the barbaric mess of a finale we were given.

So lets address some of the conspiracy theories now:

Conspiracy No.1: The CW Network reviewed Supernatural during the covid break, and due to homophobia, refused any Destiel arc that wasn’t already filmed, shut down any potential reciprocation from Dean, and forced Dabb to change his finale.

I don’t think this is entirely what happened. But I do think it is very strange how there is a such a huge disconnect particularly in Dean’s characterisations between what had come before the lockdown, and what came after. The one fact we have here, and please someone provide a source if you can find it because I know there is one, the finale script was still going through changes up to only 2 weeks before it was filmed. We know that there was some weird editing in 15x18 (which was still in post and uncompleted before lockdown) and we know from Jensen’s own mouth that there was more to the confession scene on Dean’s side that was cut. We also know that this isn’t the first time that Destiel heavy moments have been changed in post - the prayer scene is another big scene that went through a lot of changes and Bobo fought to have his script play out the way he wanted it.

There are certain things that in my own opinions, are basically true of SPN which I have put together from years of keeping one eye on the writers room, the network, and all the various comments made. My opinion is this:

The writers room has always been split on Destiel. Some writers heavily supported making it canon, others did not care, or were against it.

The Network considered it over the course of several years, did market research, green lit it, then changed their minds, possibly several times over the course of Dabb’s era. Destiel was pitched to the Network early in Dabb era.

The crew on set were also split. Some people heavily supported it, and worked to assist the reading, whereas others did not care/did not support it. The same can be said for the editing room.

Bob Singer supported the subtextual homoeroticism, but never supported bringing it into text (this is an opinion, but I think it aligns with everything we know about him.) IMO Bob Singer also supported subtextual homoeroticism between Sam and Dean - the guy is gross is what I’m saying. He isn’t exactly a progressive person.

Fun fact - a while back our old enemy Sera Gamble went on a Twitter rant about writers rooms and the ways a script goes through changes. I don’t think this was in relation to the SPN finale wank but she basically inadvertantly confirmed that the Network can step in and make sweeping changes to a script if they want to and if they decide they don’t like the direction of a story. Sera Gamble confirmed this as a fact.

Now. I’m not saying that this is what the CW did with Destiel. I just think its very strange how pre lockdown, the last thing filmed is a heartfelt homosexual declaration of love between Dean and Cas, and we have a finale script that Misha had not seen, but knew that he was meant to film as Castiel for 5 days (5 days on set is over half of an episode as far as I know). Then all of a sudden, Covid happens, and Cas is cut from the finale completely, a desperate attempt to bring Misha back only as Jimmy Novak takes place, which Misha rightly refuses, leading to a finale which makes zero sense narratively and appears in every way completely and utterly butchered.

The only explanation provided by anyone involved is that Covid meant changes had to happen - but that covid didn’t change the actual story at all.

But this makes no sense because we know that Cas was cut from the finale. This is FACT. Do not let anyone gaslight you into thinking otherwise. Misha was preparing to quaranting to return to set as Cas post Covid, so whatever happened to cut Cas from the finale, it wasn’t Covid.

I’m gonna have to Occum’s Razor this and say that the most logical explanation here is the one that is most likely true. Someone got cold feet with the Destiel story, and to prevent any possible interpretation that included Dean reciprocating, any hints of Destiel were removed from the finale script, including Castiel’s whole appearance.

Now, this isn’t me saying I think that Dabb’s original finale was full of Destiel love confessions and a homosexual kiss or whatever, but I am asking you all to really think about it and ask yourselves WHY Cas would have been totally cut from an episode he was supposed to be in at LEAST half of?

We will probably never know the real reason Cas was cut, but he WAS cut. I’m not saying it was all homophobia, but some fuckery went down.

Conspiracy No. 2: The CW Network changed the finale to make it into a Walker promo because they only cared about raising up Jared and not Jensen and Misha as they were losing them anyway.

I don’t agree with this in terms of the finale being butchered solely to make it into a Walker promo. There are however moments in the finale that are clearly supposed to be Walker Easter Eggs and added to excite fans of Jared/Sam in particular such as Sam’s gratuitous and unnecessary topless scene, as well as the call on the “case in Austin”.

I will take this moment to say something pretty damn controversial though.

*Deep breath*

The fact is, Dean Winchester has been the “lead” character of Supernatural’s narrative for years now, with Sam often being sidelined and not given great storylines himself. Even in Season 15, right up until the finale, I myself felt bad for Sam sometimes because so much of this show has become all about Dean. Jensen Ackles is clearly the better actor when it comes to emotional story arcs, so the emotional heart of the story has most often leant on him.

So you can understand my confusion, when this is turned on its head in the final episode, to make Sam carry all the emotional weight, and have the most lines/screentime, and story resolution (even if his story resolution was just as crappy as Dean’s).

If we pretend that Destiel is not a thing, and ignore Cas’s confession, the story change in the finale from Dean focus to Sam focus is still rather suspicious. Again, I’m not saying I completely approve of or agree to the conspiracy theory that Walker influenced the butchering of the script, but I can believe that perhaps a note went down from the CW to someone like Bob Singer, to emphasise Sam/Jared more than they perhaps would normally, because the CW wanted to shine the spotlight on Jared to raise excitement for Walker.

I can also believe this note might have said something like “we wanna cater to fans of Sam/Jared the most - don’t do anything to piss them off.” but now I am getting into my own conspiracy theories so by all means dismiss this as me being bitter.

Conspiracy No.3: Dabb purposely made it bad, as a secret message to Destiel fans that he had been silenced, by layering meta clues into the episode that he knew fans would notice.

I doubt this one is true. Though some of the theories are quite compelling. The old vampire silent movie theory for instance starts off quite well, but loses me the moment it brings up Urban Dictionary slang.

Sometimes I have just had to accept that Supernatural is a bad show that is sometimes accidentally a masterpiece. However, some writers really did go That Deep with their stories - anything by Ben Edlund or Steve Yockey for instance, their episodes are meta masterpieces with a hundred different layers of beautiful subtextual storytelling and are a joy to analyse. Bobo Berens has certainly done some A+++ work especially now we KNOW that he was working hard all this time to bring Destiel to canon text (so any analysis of Destiel in the subtext in his episodes is very accurate). There have been many other key elements analysed over the years which have been confirmed true. Cas’s death in Season 12, Dean’s time as a demon in season 10, Season 11 ending in unity of dark and light, these were all plot points predicted by meta writers just by analysing the narrative. Sometimes the writers really have been very smart and they do add things to the show to aid us in our meta.

Richard Speight Jr for instance, confirmed that SPN has a visual library that the production team use to give clues and hints in the narrative. Pizza, for example, always means a lie has been told. Whenever Pizza is being eaten or even just mentioned on screen, there is dishonesty in that particular moment.

The beers also have a very specific message and the one thing I can’t let go about the finale, was that Dean was drinking El Sol beer. The beer his dad gave him, that was terrible.

El Sol has been used in the show to indicate something being wrong, a fake reality, or another lie, for the longest time. It is the beer of deception.

The fact that in the final episode of this entire show, Dean is in Heaven, supposedly at peace, and then he gets handed an El Sol beer to drink? Thats a HUGE red flag for any meta writer watching who can read SPNs visual library.

If they had given him the Margiekugel beer of family then it would make sense. Dean is in Heaven, with Bobby, his family, at peace. Margiekugel should have been the beer of choice. But nope. El Sol. Something is wrong.

I don’t know if it was Dabb, or Singer, or some disgruntled ADs and crew members who added these elements into the finale, but their very presence confirms some message of Wrongness.

I could go into a huge rant about Vampire Mimes not making sense and the very glaringly obvious symbolism of cutting out peoples tongues too, but that is high school level film analysis. It’s obvious. It means to silence someone. There is validity in interpreting this as Dabb saying he was silenced. I don’t know how true it is, but i can’t 100% dismiss it, because as I said, this is high school analysis levels of obvious subtextual storytelling.

So in summary, whilst I don’t think that Dabb intentionally went out of his way to sabotage his own script, and leave a breadtrail of secret messages for savvy fans to put together to confirm that he was silenced by an evil network into not getting what he wanted... I do think that there is validity in questioning these odd choices for the finale. Cutting out tongues? Vampire Mimes? El Sol beer?

The evidence is somewhat compelling is all I’m saying. I don’t believe the full conspiracy theories, but as I have said many times before, some fuckery went down.

So What Do I Believe?

That some fuckery went down and whatever company line they are pushing is bullshit.

I believe that the original script included Cas (since thats fact). I believe that the original script probably always had Dean dying on a vampire hunt (due to Jensen’s issues with it and in particular, his sarcastic comments about vampires in the past year or so which in hindsight are hilarious and prove he never really came to terms with Dean’s idiotic death). I believe Dabb’s original script was some less crappy version of what we got, which potentially included showing Jack rescuing Cas from the Empty and resolving the outstanding Empty plot points (potentially this was actually a 15x19 plot since Mark P commented that his final scenes were supposed to be with Jack and Cas), had Cas reunite with Dean in Heaven and had them have a discussion about Cas’s confession. I believe that there was probably a lot of back and forth over how to handle that with some people wanting Dean to obviously reciprocate and others believing they should keep it ambiguous. I believe that Dean and Cas would have reunited with Charlie Bradbury, and Bobby Singer, and possibly others (though if this was the case it must have been very early on since no one ever looped in Sam Ferris, Chad Linberg or any other Roadhouse people).

I believe that Sam’s ending probably didn’t change much, but I do feel that initially they were planning on him ending up with Eileen, because it is the only thing that narratively makes sense. Cutting Eileen and giving him a blurry wife is something I won’t ever understand and Jared’s bullshit explanations are quite clearly pulled out of his ass to appease bronly types. I believe the reunion on the bridge would have included Cas and Jack, with a final shot of all four of them together, at peace (as this aligns with Alex’s comments from around a year or so ago that the final shot was all four of them). (I also am not sure it was always supposed to be on a bridge since the foreshadowing in an earlier episode showed Dean, Cas and Sam all in the Roadhouse together).

I believe that script went through countless changes and redrafts, and not even production people or the types that some fandom people claim as their “sources” would even have seen those early scripts, since even Misha never saw it. I believe that these rumours of Dabb never having Cas in his finale and ignoring all Destiel elements likely come from people who only saw later versions, weren’t party to network discussions and felt bitter about the final scripts they did see (being the crappy butchered one that was ultimately filmed). Those “sources” are now spreading rumours to discredit Dabb.

I obviously believe Dabb is a weak ass pushover who either didn’t care enough to fight back, or gave up since he’s been stuck with fucking Bob Singer on his back for years, but I will NEVER believe he didn’t care about the DeanCas love story, because he has been one of the few writers who has championed for it for years. You can’t look back at Dabb’s episodes in earlier seasons and claim he didn’t care. Dabb was a writer whose creative ideas were beaten out of him by an unforgiving Network only concerned about where their future money was coming from. Do I think he gave up too easily? Yes. But I also have one other huge reason for not believing the bullshit about Dabb being this anti-Destiel villain.

Bobo. Because if Bobo truly believed Dabb was gonna fuck that up at the end, I don’t think he would have given us Cas’s love confession to begin with. If he had known it was gonna end like that, I think he would have reconsidered, because had Cas not confessed his love, I don’t think he would have been cut from the finale. Bobo - a gay man, would not have wanted such a horrible message for queer fans being put across in the show he worked so hard on. He started writing that confession scene the day they returned to the writers room. Dabb would have been there, would have seen what he was writing, probably discussed it with him, after all, other episodes were written with the confession in mind. No way was Dabb planning to fuck up the ending knowing what Bobo was giving us. Nope.

Something went very wrong over lockdown. Someone, somewhere up the chain of power caught wind of the confession scene in 15x18, realised that it demanded a resolution which would make Dean Winchester, their protagonist, queer, and pulled the plug. I believe this did not come from a place of homophobia, but of bad business sense.

The CW is constantly trying to win the approval and attention of the one demo group that they seem to fail at getting the most: young straight men. Supernatural was one of their only remaining shows that appeals to young straight men, and Dean Winchester is more often than not the fave character of those young straight men who project onto him. Making Dean Winchester, established Han Solo of Supernatural, queer and in love with his best friend in the finale would have come across as a betrayal to those young straight men. The CW probably feared they would lose that demo group for good, and with a show like Walker starting soon with Jared at the helm, they couldn’t take the risk.

Hence there was probably a whole bunch of back and forth script redrafts with the Network, with Dabb and Singer fighting to make a finale that would appeal to everyone. There was most likely no way that they could bring Cas back without addressing what had already been filmed, because any resolution of that plot would either a. make Dean queer, or b. address it awkwardly by having Dean reject Cas (this storyline would probably have been slammed by critics worse than the finale because it meant addressing it. It might have got the attention of LGBTQ activist groups and caused a bigger shitstorm than what we got). The best option was therefore C. Bury it and Cas, pretend it never happened. Never address it again and distract Dean with other things. Hope that Destiel fans will accept no answer from Dean as ambiguous enough to imagine a future reunion rather than shutting it down with a rejection, and still keep hold of the blissfully ignorant heteronormative straight boys so they can carry over to Walker when it starts.

I also believe (controversially probably) that there was concern that any resolution of Dean and Cas would have overshadowed network darling Jared Padalecki. If Dean and Cas had come together in the finale, with a very clearly textual homosexual reunion, then that would have been all anyone talked about. The reviewers, the critics, the audience, everyone. It would have been nothing but Dean and Cas (and look, if they did think this, they were right, Destiel trending over the US ELECTION.)

So what is the network to do, when they are losing the two stars who would get the most attention from this storyline? The one star they were holding on to and getting his own show, relegated to third place in the finale of the show where he was first on the call sheet? Nope. That’s pretty unacceptable. Even without Walker I can imagine people at all levels side eyeing the Destiel thing over the years. This IS a show about two brothers, and their relationship should be the core relationship, we can’t have one brother pushed aside in the finale to make way for a queer relationship that will get all the attention instead. It was never gonna get approved for this reason ALONE.

At the end of the day, if I look at it from a business perspective, it makes far more sense that the CW shut down Destiel, rather than “oh Dabb never cared and ruined it because he’s an idiot.” The writers cared, and had built on that story over years. But their mistake was leaving any Destiel resolution to the finale. If they had instead gone and got Dean and Cas together in early season 15, then they could have ended it in a way that satisfied everyone. Destiel wouldn’t have threatened pulling focus away from Sam and Dean, and the show could have gone out on a high.

When I lay out all the conspiracy theories, and line them up next to the cold hard facts, the conspiracy theories in some way or another, make more sense. To believe the company line, the narrative we have been fed, is to ignore your own eyes, ears, and memories pre March 2020.

All I’m asking people to do is take a look at the show, the narrative presented in the show, and the information presented above. I’m not telling you to believe what I’ve written here, half of which is just my own opinion. I’m asking you to ask yourselves if it makes sense to you. Because it sure as hell doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t think I’ll ever be satisfied.

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softprincesso · 3 years

Text

✨HOW TO BECOME A WEALTHY MIDDLE-AGED MAN✨

PT.2: Overview to understanding different saving/retirement methods, investments, and forms of income

2.1 Savings and Retirement

Welcome lovelies to (what I hope will be) a helpful series on gaining wealth and becoming financially literate and independent!

*disclaimer: while this advice can generally apply to many it will not apply to all. Everyone is in a different situation and should do their own research before they take what ANYONE says as fact or law. This is also coming from the perspective of a young, biracial, first generation female business student following a hypergamous lifestyle and who does sw so some advice may be specific to my like-minded ladies, but for the most part I just love money and want to help others find joy in their wallets as well. I am also operating in the US so things regarding accounts, stocks, and certain laws will vary by your country. Also, this is just a fun thing I wanted to do because talking about leveling up and learning and growing and money are my favorite past times. None of these pictures are mine, however I am using some links which may compensate me in some way, but I only used links which were mutually beneficial and would help you gain something as well, they are still just actual sources I use for myself.

✨THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND✨

Financial independence is different than financial confidence.

Financial Independence: “The most common sense of the term is that someone has enough wealth to live as they wish for the rest of their life without having to work.” -Investopedia https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/declare-your-own-financial-independence-day.aspx

Financial Confidence: “We define financial confidence as having three aspects,” says Miler. “The first is awareness of how money can be a tool for helping you reach your goals and dreams. The second is financial literacy and understanding economic factors. The third is trust and knowing where to turn for financial advice.” -Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/shelleyzalis/2018/06/16/women-money-8-steps-for-growing-your-financial-confidence/?sh=2175b65e2468

While the ultimate goal is financial independence, financial confidence should be the main focus. I’ll give an example why. Imagine there are two people: Rhonda and Jill. Both of them like nice things, love to shop, and participate in the occasional splurge. Rhonda works a regular 9-5 and has a decent salary. She doesn’t have much financial knowledge (translation: financial confidence), but she has a savings account at her local bank and puts a couple hundred into retirement each year and she thinks that's enough. Suddenly, Rhonda wins the lottery. Overnight she has become a millionaire, so she quits her job, moves to LA, and goes on to live life to the fullest. She would now be considered financially independent. However, Rhonda has no idea how to manage all that money. She puts a small amount into that bank savings account and takes the rest to do what she will. One day she tries her luck at a casino, in less than five hours she has lost all of her money and has to start back at square one with no job, only a few thousand to get her through, and no-good way to explain to employers that she just wasted the last 5 years spending money on handbags she now has to sell at a depreciated value. (BTW you would not last not working with only a million dollars in LA for that long)

Now, let’s look at Jill. Jill is an independent contractor and has a relatively steady income. She knows very little about finances, but she actively learns how to manage what she has and keeps up to date on the latest money news. The day that Rhonda won the lottery was just another Thursday for Jill, the only unique point for her was that she opened a savings accounts with a high APY (we’ll say 1%) and put in $5000.00. A little later she also opened a Roth IRA and puts in the maximum yearly allowance of $6000.00. Along the way she opened a brokerage account of her own and started trading in the stock market along with investing in real estate which has given her some extra income to play with each year. Unfortunately, another housing crash occurs, and all of the money Jill invested into real estate is gone. However, since Jill learned the skills behind her choices early on, she is knowledgeable and understands the ups and downs of the market and how to invest her money in other places in the meantime. And, that High yield savings account accrued around $50 more without her doing anything and she has that to fall back on, or worst case she can take out part of her principal Roth IRA contribution. 10 years from now Jill should start to see a steady increase in her Roth IRA that by retirement will be a little over 1 million and she should be comfortable and invested enough into stocks that she gains around $200-1000 extra each month.

I think you understand why you want to be Jill.

✨HAVING ADEQUATE SAVINGS = BEING YOUR OWN LIFEGUARD✨

As discussed in Pt.1 the first goal you should achieve is securing an emergency fund that could sustain you for a couple of months if things were to ever hit the fan, and starting a retirement fund should be in your top 5 goals to complete. The saying, “the rich get richer” is popular for a reason. Wealthy people know how to make their money work for them instead of them having to work for money. An easy way anyone can do the same is by opening the right accounts for your savings and retirement.

Savings:

All of your savings should be in a high yield saving account or split between different high yield accounts. This is an account which will reward you some interest every period for having money in your account with them. This is incredibly easy to do. You can either research/ask your bank about their high yield accounts or do some googling to find some other bank. Then transfer your money and there you go! When looking at banks understand that the highest Annual Percent Yields (APY), or the interest they will reward you, are going to be from online banks because they have less operational costs than a brick and mortar, but they will also come with their own disadvantages, like less ATMs to access or the inability to use when outside of your country so make sure to look into that. IMPORTANT: Make sure that whatever bank you choose is FDIC-insured so if the bank were to ever collapse or lose your money you have insurance up to $250,000.This won't generate a lot of extra cash, but an extra $20 every year is better than $0.

Retirement:

These accounts usually go by your current situation and what you see for your future.

401K: Probably the most known (I believe it’s only in the States but there might be something close to it in other countries) and that’s just because this is what employers usually offer if they offer anything. It is a retirement fund that your employer will set up and you can predefine how much of your paycheck you want to automatically go into it every time. Sometimes, the employers will also have a match program, and if they do you better max out the money they will contribute because that is FREE money! Most advice that I have seen has said to really only focus on this fund if your employer has that match program, otherwise I would focus on one of the accounts below. https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/08/401k-info.asp

IRA: An IRA stands for Individual Retirement Account. There are three kinds…

Traditional: This IRA lets you put in pre-tax money and lets it grow tax-free until you make a withdrawal. Once you make the withdrawal that money is taxed at the current rate of your income at the time. Your contributions are tax deductible so you can write them off of your taxable income of that year. There are limits to how much you can contribute depending on your income, status, and whether you have another retirement fund as well.

Roth: With this IRA your contributions are taxed, but when you withdrawal money later on it is tax free. For those of you in a lower tax bracket than you believe you will be in the future, this IRA makes the most sense as you will pay less taxes now than you will when you are 59 ½ (The official age of retirement in the States). There are limits to how much you can contribute depending on your income, status, and whether you have another retirement fund as well.

SEP: Simplified Employee Pension. This is also an employer-based plan and may also work better for my self-employed gals out there. I don’t really know a lot on this one so I’ll just leave a link you can look into if it interests you: https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/102714/how-does-simplified-employee-pension-sep-ira-work.asp

You can have both a traditional and Roth IRA as long as you are eligible for both. Anyone with earned income (with a job or can prove a steady income) can contribute to a Traditional IRA, however with a Roth IRA, as a single you can earn up to $139,000 and contribute. Personally, if you are just getting started with all of this just set up one IRA and as you learn more you can take steps to get another or switch accounts.

https://www.investopedia.com/retirement/roth-vs-traditional-ira-which-is-right-for-you/

There are a plethora of other accounts, but they are more specialized and the top four should get you started on the right path to saving for retirement. I’m guessing that the majority of the audience reading these are women between the ages of 20-30. Trust me when I say that I love to spend money as much as the next girl, but I also would like to be completely comfortable should anything happen in my older years that screws up my marriage or job, and no one is going to secure that for you.

Also, I’m sorry this is so US-based, but once again it is all I know. I believe IRAs are more widespread than a 401K, but all that takes to find out is a Google search on your part.

Either way, make sure you have a plan going into 2021 for your savings and retirement because this economic whirlwind is far from over and there is always a chance for another recession, depression, or disaster. (Wow O, way to keep the mood light)

This was getting way too long with the investments added so look out for Pt.2.2 on the overview for investments (where the actual fun begins and I can stop being such a stick in the mud)…

VOCAB TO KNOW/RESEARCH:

Financial independence

Financial Confidence

APY

Roth IRA

brokerage account

High yield savings account

principal

401K

Traditional IRA

Once again… if in these posts I ever give bad advice, F- something up, or am just generally ignorant PLEASE call me out! Remember that just like you I am a young woman figuring everything out and while I am confident when talking about money, I am by no means a genius (only in spurts) so any chance to learn I appreciate. I hope you all learned something new today and as always…

With Love,

#how to become a wealthy middle aged man #wealth #money #money management #wealth management #finances #hypergamy #affluence #heauxlife #heaux advice #heaux tips #spoiled girlfriend #spoiled gf #spoiled heaux #black woman in luxury #luxury #sugar tips #oadvice #softprincesso

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thebibliosphere · 3 years

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Hi Joy! I was wondering, I know what they're not supposed to be used for, but I've never seen reliable information on what essential oils are actually meant for. What is the appropriate use of essential oils? Can't eat em or use em on skin, can't diffuse em or breathe em in really, so I'm left wondering what on earth we ARE able to do with them? Why do these things exist? Are they safe to use in showers, I'm seeing a lot of shower bomb things with essential oils lately. Thank you!

Essential oils can be used for emotional and physical well being, provided they are used correctly. Which regrettably, thanks to scam MLM (multilevel marketing, not men loving men, as some people seem to think when I type that lol) companies like d*Terra and Young L*ving they are not.

When diluted properly using carrier oils, people who are not sensitive to essential oils can use them for aromatherapy, general emotional well being (scents are stimulating, our brains like pleasant scents!) to help with stress relief, general comfort and well being and even pain relief.

Menthol oils are used commonly in pain relief oils because they make things go tingly numb, as well as “decongestants”, which I’ve actually talked about a lot before, and why they don’t actually do what people think they do and why they are not suitable for kids under a certain age: https://tmblr.co/Zomfxx2LT76gn

You can also use them safely in like, mist steamers so long as you use them as intended, and don’t use them constantly, which is what most people do. Essential oil air misters should only be used for 20 minutes in a well-ventilated area, and never around small children or pets. I tried googling for my usual sources about why essential oils are harmful to animals, but they’ve been helpfully buried under a bunch of essential oil marketing propaganda that has paid google money to appear at the top of the search results and bury actual scientific research.

The only essential oil company I actually trust is the Tisserand Institute as they do actual scientific research into essential oil use and safety and published the Tisserand Essential Oil Safety handbook for professionals that actually cites studies regarding injury and harm caused to small children (and adults) by essential oil misuse. Their website and products are my go-to for referring people in the UK. They also run online classes (which I did in person, back in the day) https://tisserandinstitute.org/safety-pages/

I’m not associated with them beyond having done their classes and owning some of their oils. They’re just actually an essential oil company that does their due diligence to safety and makes it abundantly clear that what harmful cults like d*Terra promote are incredibly dangerous and unethical.

And as for the bath bombs? Those things are made with carrier oils, which dilute the essential oils safely. I think the favorite oil atm is coconut oil. So this makes them safe for topical use, but it doesn’t mean a person still can’t react to it if they have sensitivities they are perhaps not aware of.

They are, essentially (heh), unregulated medicine grade oils, that should never have found their way into the hands of the general public, yet here we are. Like, for example, jasmine oil is often touted as a great relaxing oil for massages, and it is! It can also really help with menstrual cramping... but it can also lead to miscarriages if used on a pregnant person. It’s not guaranteed to cause miscarriages of course, but I also can’t help but wonder how many people who are trying to get pregnant who are using essential oils as part of that process realize they may actually be harming themselves as well... makes me really sad, actually.

And honestly, if people are going to use them like medicines, which a lot of people do, they should really be more heavily regulated. Australia has much better regulation of essential oils than we do here in the US, but that’s not saying much considering how awful it is here.

#essential oil discourse #@ d*terra shills: don't even bother #I'm sorry you got suckered into a cult #but please know you can escape #seluvian

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genshin-impact-writings · 3 years

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Request for your special event-

Character: Albedo

prompt: 'I love you, my little prince"

Song: Once upon a dream: Lana Del Rey

If it is possible, Can the reader be the one to say the prompt and is a fatui harbinger [or someone that the knights are just wary off] ?? (I am a sucker for forbidden love but the reader is just "screw u, Imma date them anyways) I apologize if this is too specific.

Thank You in advance and Congrats on your milestone!! <3

First of all, thank you very much for your request. I love this song and Albedo, so it really was the perfect combination. Also, this turned out a lot longer than I originally planned, and I really hope you like what I came up with. Have a good day/night and take care! <3

Once upon a dream – Albedo x gn!Fatui!reader

I know you, I’ve walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, the look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem

But if I know you, I know what you’ll do

You’ll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

Mondstadt was beautiful at night. Although most of the shops were already closed, the streets were still filled with people, sitting in front of the taverns where they enjoyed a few drinks and the balmy breeze that blew gently through the alleyways. Everything was peaceful and somehow quite idyllic, and you stopped in your track to take in all the impressions that rained down on you.

In your life, you had barely experienced moments like this. As a member of the Fatui, you were always on the road, traveling wherever your Archon sent you and fulfilling every mission she gave you. It was a restless life, dangerous too, but you had never been one to complain, especially since you had always dreamed about exploring Teyvat, seeing other cities and meeting new people along the way. Without the Fatui, you probably would still be stuck in Snezhnaya where you would be doing the same things every day, always wondering if this was all life had in store for you.

Needless to say that you still felt incredibly honored that the Tsaritsa had chosen you, alongside with a few other Fatui Diplomats, to accompany Signora, one of the Eleven Harbingers, on her trip to Mondstadt. So far, the trip had been everything but fun, every day filled with work and duties, including spying on the Knights of Favonius that were understandably weary of every Fatui who set foot in their city. Most of them kept their eyes on you twenty-four-seven.

Even now, during your rare free time, you could feel the guards watching you as you made your way back to the market district. A couple of people were standing outside of Cat’s Tail, laughing and joking around, just like they usually did. By now, you recognized most of them since you came by here every day. It was one of the few spots in Mondstadt where nobody payed attention to you because they were too busy with minding their own business to wonder about a Fatui Diplomat passing by, eyeing them curiously before walking on.

Your destination was the upper square, the one with the pretty fountain, right in front of Good Hunter. You had enjoyed a few meals there over the past few days (people where rightfully proud of the restaurant) but at this late hour, the shop was already closed, promotional signs neatly stored away.

You sat down on one of the benches near the fountain and crossed your legs as you let your eyes wander. During the day, this square was a popular meeting spot but now, there were only a few people here. The perfect opportunity to see him again.

During the few meetings with the Knights of Favonius you had attended, he had stayed in the background, only speaking when someone addressed him directly and even then, his answers had been quite brief. It hadn’t taken you long to figure out that he preferred to keep to himself, hence why he almost exclusively came here long after dark to inspect the Crafting Bench for any damages and to have a quick conversation with Timaeus, the alchemist who supervised the Crafting Bench throughout the day.

Usually, you kept your distance, admiring him from afar, but today, you had promised yourself to finally introduce yourself to him. Not only because it was rude to stare at someone you barely knew but also because a considerable part of you really wanted to find out who the Chief Alchemist truly was.

You didn’t have to wait long. Propping up your head on your hand, you watched him as he talked to Timaeus. His bright teal eyes almost seemed to glow in the warm light of the street lamps, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sight. It really should be illegal to be that pretty.

About twenty minutes later, Timaeus made his farewells to the Chief Alchemist, leaving him with a bunch of notes. It took you a brief moment to realize that this was the moment you had waited for but then, you jumped to your feet and took a deep breath before walking over to him.

“Excuse me,” you said, your heart starting to beat frantically as he looked at you, a slightly confused expression on his face. “Yes?”

“I’m sorry to bother you,” you continued and cleared your throat when you realized how squeaky your voice was sounding. “But I think you might have dropped this.”

You put out your hand, showing him the tiny gemstone you had bought at With wind comes glory a few hours ago. The stone’s color perfectly matched his eyes, the same bright teal that you saw in your dreams sometimes. You were absolutely sure that nobody else on this earth had eyes so pretty that you even thought about them in your sleep.

“No, I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” he replied softly, snapping you out of your thoughts. “It’s not mine.”

“Oh,” you mumbled. Well, that didn’t go as planned, you thought and let out a quiet sigh. So, what else could you say to him?

Usually, you had a quick tongue and always managed to figure out a topic to talk about but right now, you felt like every statement that came to your mind was either incredibly stupid or completely irrelevant. Think, you urged yourself, think!

But he had already lost interest in you. His attention was back on the clipboard Timaeus had handed him earlier, his brows slightly furrowed as he studied the notes from his assistant.

“So, um- can I perhaps ask you a few things about alchemy?” you asked when the silence between the two of you got uncomfortable. He didn’t look up from his notes but at least, he nodded which you took as a good sign.

“I mean, not now,” you added, painfully aware that you didn’t even know enough about alchemy to ask him a simple question. It definitely would have been better to prepare for this conversation but now it was too late to turn back. “I just – I wanted to make sure that you’re okay with helping me before I deluge you with my questions.”

Finally, he looked up, his gaze meeting yours for a brief second. “Ah, it’s you. I saw you at the meetings. You’re one of the Fatui Diplomats,” he said but unlike others, he didn’t seem to judge you. He simply stated a fact, nothing more. If anything, he sounded a bit curious.

“My name’s (Y/N),” you replied, in an almost desperate attempt to keep the conversation going because a part of you really didn’t want him to leave. When you saw the small smile that flashed over his face, you felt like your heart stopped for a second.

“I’m Albedo.”

But if I know you, I know what you’ll do

You’ll love me at once, the way you did

Once upon a dream.

That’s when it all had started. Whenever you weren’t busy with your mission or other tasks Signora assigned you to, you spent every minute with Albedo, listening to his musings about alchemy and the secrets of the world he desperately wanted to disclose. You didn’t understand half of the things he was talking about but you didn’t mind. It was enough for you to just listen to him, watching how his eyes lit up whenever he made progress in his research, and every time he sheepishly thanked you for keeping him company, you found yourself falling for him a bit more.

Of course, you knew right from the beginning that it was stupid to develop feelings for him, given the fact that you had to leave Mondstadt at some point to return back to Snezhnaya – but there was nothing you could do to stop it. Everything about Albedo was adorable. He was a gentle soul, curious and kind and so beautiful that it still took your breath away every time you look at him. And you wanted to be with him, against all reason. There was just something about him that seemed so familiar, so wonderfully familiar that you simply didn’t have the power to resist him.

And before you had even fully realized what was happening, you were already head over heels in love with him.

You didn’t tell him, at first. After all, he was still the Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favionius and you were still a member of the Fatui, someone the knights didn’t trust at all, and you didn’t want to spoil the precious time you could spend together.

But eventually, you didn’t want to keep it a secret any longer. You wanted him to know how much he really meant to you. It had been an awkward confession, your face hot from embarrassment when he didn’t respond immediately but as soon as he softly asked if it would be alright to kiss you, you fell in love with him all over again.

I know you, I’ve walked with you once upon a dream

I know you, the look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam

And I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem

But, just as all good things, your relationship with Albedo came to an end about three months later when new orders from Snezhnaya arrived, recalling you and the other remaining Fatui Diplomats back to your home country immediately. Signora and the vast majority of her team had already left Mondstadt quite a while ago, and it would be a lie if you said that it hadn’t raised your hopes up that you were allowed to stay for a little longer.

Now, all your hopes were shattered to pieces. You could feel tears burning in your eyes as you stared down at the letter in your hand, reading the orders over and over again as you tried to understand that it was really over this time. There was no way you could convince your superior or even the Tsaritsa to prolong your deployment in Mondstadt.

How were you supposed to tell Albedo about this? How were you supposed to say Goodbye to him?

You should have stayed away from him right from the start. Then, you would have been the only one who got his heart broken by your new orders but no, you had decided to drag Albedo into this mess, and now you were forced to leave him.

You buried your face in your hands. This was slowly becoming just one big nightmare, one that threatened the wonderful, silly dream you had about your future. A future you wanted to share with Albedo. But of course, you couldn’t, not as long as you were a Fatui. And you couldn’t leave them either because you had sworn an oath to the Tsaritsa; you had sworn to be true to her and Snezhnaya, no matter what happened, and to break this oath had never been an option for you. Heck, you probably wouldn’t even survive betraying your Archon like that, let alone get the happy ending you wished for.

So, no matter how you put it, you had no other choice than to return to Snezhnaya.

You couldn’t sleep, contrary to Albedo who was sound asleep next to you, all snuggled up to you and completely unaware of the emotional rollercoaster you had been experiencing for the past few days. You had waited for the perfect moment to tell him that you had to leave but of course, it never came. There simply was no perfect moment to tell the person you loved that you couldn’t stay with them any longer, that you had no idea when you’d be able to see each other again. If you would ever see each other again.

And with that in mind, you had decided that it was for the best to just leave. Albedo would be heartbroken, yes, but he would be angry, too. And maybe that anger would be enough to make him move on from you. But for now, you wanted to enjoy the time the two of you had still left. The Fatui delegation would leave Mondstadt in the early morning, as agreed with the Acting Grandmaster, so you still had another two, maybe three hours you could spend by Albedo’s side.

You turned your head to press a soft kiss to Albedo’s cheek. He mumbled something in his sleep, and when you heard your name, your heart dropped. He was dreaming about you.

He was dreaming about you and you were about to leave him without even saying Goodbye.

Dawn came and with it the moment you had feared for the past few days. But you had made your decision, and it was too late to change your mind.

Carefully, you tried to pull away from Albedo who was still clinging to you, his arm wrapped tightly around your waist, almost as if he had sensed that this would be the last night you would spend together. You felt terrible as you pushed his arm aside, freeing yourself from his hug, although every part of you screamed to stay here with him.

But you had to leave. And until now, everything went just as you had planned.

Until you accidentally knocked the small lamp on the bedside table over when you gathered the few belongings you hadn’t packed up yet.

Albedo stirred awake, his eyes fluttering open, confusion clouding his eyes.

“(Y/N)?” he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep. “Where are you going?”

You bit your bottom lip, trying to fight back the urge to tell him the truth, and leaned back down to brush a strand of hair from his forehead. “Nowhere,” you reassured him softly. “You’re just dreaming, my love. Go back to sleep.”

Your fingertips caressed his skin, gently tracing the outlines of his face as you watched him slowly drifting off to sleep again.

“I love you, my little prince,” you whispered and pressed a soft kiss to his lips one last time before you turned away and quietly left the room. Please forgive me.

The walk to the town gate gave you enough time to regain your composure. By the time you joined the others, you had carefully locked away your emotions, putting on that blank expression that didn’t show how much it hurt you to leave this city.

Lyudmila, one of the other Diplomats, gave you a brief smile. “Looks like we’re all here,” she said. “Let’s go home. We’ve spent way too much time here already.”

You nodded, although you couldn’t help but flinch at the word home. Snezhnaya would never be your home again, not when Albedo couldn’t be there with you.

Maybe one day, you thought to yourself and granted yourself one more look at Mondstadt and the town walls that almost seemed to glow in the warm light of the rising sun, we will meet again.

But if I know you, I know what you'll do You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream.

#albedo x reader #albedo genshin x reader #albedo genshin imagine #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact imagine #gn!reader #gender neutral reader #reader insert #15 days of songfics #genshin impact angst

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yukipri · 3 years

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Bad Batch end of season thoughts/ramble, bc it's been a week and I just wanna get it all off my chest...

(end of season spoilers and very disorganized rambling)

First off, I do want to say that I enjoyed watching the show. It fulfilled its primary purpose: entertainment. It was nice having something to look forward to every week, and even though it wasn't quite what I was expecting, it was fun. The animation was gorgeous, I liked all the references and tie ins. I will likely watch it again, and will watch season 2. This is by no means meant to be a hate post.

That being said, it is critical so please just skip if you're not into that!

The thing is...it takes very, Very little for me to love a clone. He doesn't need lines, or a face, or even a name, and the default is that I will love him. He can even be a little bastard, like Slick, and it's fine. I always want to know more about them, and wish they had more screen time and time in general to develop their characters. So given that we were getting 16 (20 eps total if we count TCW S7 pilot arc) centered around these guys, I was expecting to absolutely adore them by the end.

And I wanted to love the Bad Batch, I wanted to love them so damn much, and I tried. But I think one of the reasons why they never fully clicked for me was that their thing seems to be "we're unique, we never fit in, we're outsiders in our own home, among the people who are supposed to be our own family, and so we've found our home with each other."

Which! That's usually a wonderful message, and not a particularly rare or unique one either for stories! I usually dig these kinds of stories!

The problem here is the extremely unique situation of the clones. They are literally created to be identical, brain washed to be uniform. They must conform, or are killed off by their creators, and their conformity isn't a choice in the slightest, but one of fear and necessity.

Their uniformity is something that they are also entirely aware of--it's unavoidable, they're clones. Once out in the real galaxy, they all strive to find and establish unique identities for themselves, struggling against a galaxy that just wants them to be faceless products. It's a shared struggle, and all they have are each other, and their brotherhood is sacred as a result. Shunning unique identity is the opposite of who a clone is--it's what they all want.

So on one hand, it's understandable that the Batch stuck out (when all others who would have also stuck out were culled, when individuality isn't allowed). It's understandable that they would have yearned for the brotherhood shared by the other clones, and when they couldn't have it, they stuck closer to each other. It's even understandable that they would feel bitter, having experienced bullying at the hands of the other clones (but isn't it also understandable that the other clones would feel bitter that the Batch gets special treatment, when their own brothers with less-than-beneficial mutations were taken by the Kaminoans to never return?).

And so we have this batch of clones, who the Kaminoans call "mutated," but also specify that their mutations are "desirable" (implying what happens to mutations that are undesirable...). They have their own unique unit, in which they're able to improvise and act freely with seemingly little to no oversight, so long as they complete their mission. No Jedi to obey, no nat-born officers who look down on them. In fact, they look so different from standard clone troopers that most of the galaxy probably don't even know they are clones. They have their own ship (personalized), they have their own possessions (which we don't really see any other clones have), they have their own barracks (probably also very unique), and they even have access to superior weapons and armor (most of the Batch, minus Echo, seem to be wearing modified Katarn-class armor which is supposed to be for Commandos. we KNOW it holds up better than standard trooper armor).

So I'm sure they had some unpleasant experiences growing up, and I do get it. But at least at "present" end of clone wars, they honestly seem to be living infinitely better than all other clones? They still need to follow orders but they have more freedom, and perhaps most importantly, they have clear uniqueness that is denied almost all other clones. And yes, some of the clones on Kamino bully them, but we've seen NONE of the "regular" clones that we know to be particularly nasty to them, and in fact it's Crosshair who starts it by calling them "Regs."

And how does the Batch respond to this situation? By acting superior. It's Crosshair who says and it believes this firmly, and I do feel that the others are likely mostly influenced by this, but it's also true that Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech don't really deny this either. They don't like the "regs," they do act like they're "better." Poor Echo, who they repeatedly seem to forget is in the room, and who they call "machine" and such...yikes yo

So I guess the point is, I just really struggled to feel sympathetic towards them, and was already on a kinda eh about their premise. They're marketed as "the special clone squad"--and yet they're not nice to the clones I love. I thought that wasn't great, but also hoped that the series would work towards them understanding the other clones better, and I love character development so that woulda been fine--but, nothing. A glance from Hunter at Howzer. Extended camaraderie from Gregor, who I feel they mostly just tolerate for the mission, other than Echo who genuinely cares.

And on top of feeling not feeling particularly sympathetic towards what I saw as a pretty privileged group of clones, the Batch seems to place primary blame of their woes on the "regs" themselves, who again, honestly seem far worse off! There isn't blame directed at the people who demanded the conformity from the other clones in the first place, that made it so the Batch couldn't fit in. The Batch was modified due to the Kaminoans (and implied specifically Nala Se). She's the reason why they don't fit in. And the Kaminoans are also why the other clones have to be so uniform, why they must fight to be people and not products.

Bitterness and pettiness can be fine in characters. But it's frustrating to see in a group supposed to be competent and elite, especially when those feelings have consequences. Sure, it sucks when someone throws a food tray at you. You can throw food back. It's not an equal reaction to feel no remorse when you shoot that guy dead in a blaster fight, when for all other clones, having to kill another clone is one of the most horrible, tragic things that one can do (thanks, Umbara).

Fives was the only clone to actually point a blaster at Nala Se.

We know Omega has deeply personal history with Nala Se. She was Nala Se's personal medical assistant. We see her cry when she takes off her head ornament that matches Nala Se. We know that being back in the lab gives Omega complicated, and probably not entirely positive feelings. But we barely learn more about this relationship, other than these glimpses.

And I get the feeling that to Omega at least, Nala Se wasn't all terrible. If Omega grew up with mostly only Nala Se for company, she had to have gotten her sheltered outlook on life, and her willingness to help others from somewhere. Nala Se intentionally let Omega go, to be "safe."

I think Omega's adorable, and I do like her. But I wasn't able to fully love her to the extent I wanted to, because there was always the fear that she was involved in the creation and implantation of the chips. She knows about them, she would have been positioned to do so. I want to think she would never, and I was hoping the show would reassure us of that, but it never did. We don't actually know how Omega feels about Nala Se, or even the chips and their presence in other clones. Instead, all we know is that Omega doesn't like "regs."

And again, "they call me lab scrubber," and "I helped put (or am complicit in putting) mind control devices in their heads," are kinda, unequal. Again I hope it's not the case. But it definitely kept me feeling uneasy throughout the show.

It really boils down to I don't trust or forgive Nala Se, and the Batch's lack of stance against her and the other Kaminoans, and clear distaste for their other clone brothers, really puts them in a situation that makes it difficult for me to take their side entirely.

And then gosh, Hunter. During Crosshair's whole "you never came back for me," spiel, I couldn't help but think he's kinda right. He had 15 episodes. Sure, it's difficult to get Crosshair back. But they could have done something. They could have done research. We could have had scenes of them wondering where Crosshair is, discussions on how best to find him, even if that discussion ended in, "but we can't risk it right now." They could have grilled Omega for information on the chips, which they really shoulda done either way, but especially since that knowledge is important to understanding what (they thought had) happened to Crosshair. Instead, they just ran every time Crosshair showed up. The show could have done better to show that they cared, and were trying, instead of just, y'know, doing chores for Cid. One, "I kinda miss him," doesn't really count as working on getting him back, at least in my books.

The sole exception to all of this, of course, is Echo. Who really, he works with the Batch fine, he's a former ARC and can more than keep up. Skillset-wise, he fits in well enough. But this season really made me wonder why he's with them at all. Crosshair's revelation and true feelings at the end of the season were no surprise to me, as they're consistent with what we've seen of him from TCW S7. But for Echo, a former "reg" to have to work with someone like Crosshair...even if Crosshair thought Echo was "different" enough to accept him, those are his brothers that Crosshair thinks he's so superior to, and has no issue speaking disdainfully about.

The increasing tension between Echo and Hunter, Echo's interest in helping Rex, in helping other clones, in doing something...I do hope they reach a point where Echo demands they go help, or he's leaving.

They gave Crosshair a chance, despite the fact that his choices were willing. I really hope Echo can convince the Batch to help save the other clones who don't have a choice. Because even if the Batch doesn't consider them their brothers, they're certainly Echo's. They matter just as much as Crosshair, and I really hope season 2 shows it narratively.

To conclude, again I'm interested in seeing what happens next, and I want answers about Omega and Nala Se. I find it interesting that they tied the facility where they took Nala Se in with the scientist dude collecting data on Grogu in the Mandalorian and those cloning labs. All of this is interesting, but at the same time I feel like it's trying to build up to Snoke/Palpatine stuff in the sequels which...I don't care nearly as much about, but who knows, could be neat ^ ^;

I'm okay with, and have made peace with the fact that the Bad Batch probably isn't the "clones-centric" show I wanted, and that they'll continue their own story, and probably continue to not care much about other clones in upcoming seasons. That's unfortunate, but alright. I'm interested enough in their story too.

But at the same time...I can't help but think man, if they have the time and budget to do a season 2, after seeing what was (or wasn't) accomplished in season 1...I wish they'd also make a Rex/Cody/Wolffe/"regular clones" show, because in the end, if you're going to do a "clones show"....that's who I want to see most.

If you got to the end, thank you for reading, and being an ear to my ranting ^ ^; Again this is literally just getting this off my chest. If this take isn't one you agree with, please just ignore. For people who did fall in love with the Batch, I'm happy for you, and regret that it just couldn't happen for me. But, I'm hoping that S2 will change my mind, but we'll just have to see! ^ ^;

#the bad batch #bad batch #YukiPri rambles #really i'm not interested in a debate i just want to ramble

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brattybookclub · 3 years

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A BDSMer’s Perspective on THAT Open Heart Diamond Scene

*WARNING: Discussions of NSFW content and BDSM done properly and poorly*

Hi, this is Cath! A major area of interest to me is BDSM, and while I am still a newbie (sadly my journey into the BDSM community was halted due to the pandemic, but that aside, I’ve been doing research since I was a teenager), I was able to identify several problems with the Ethan scene, from a BDSM perspective. This is meant to criticize PB, as I feel that this shows arrogance on their part, and that they just saw the Chapters ad for “Hard To Master” and decided “Hey, we should do that too!” (This will be kind of long.)

Something I didn’t see much discussion on was the fact that towards the end of the scene, Ethan says, “I’ve just never met someone whose appetites could match my own.” Meaning, Ethan has ZERO hands on BDSM experience. And neither does MC. Most of my criticism comes from the fact that neither of them is actually experienced. Hell, I have more experience than they do, and I’m a college student who has to save up for my kink gear, including collars. Yes, a top can practice alone on themselves, but Ethan and MC do very little negotiation. Most of the communication is taking place during the kinky activities, which there’s nothing wrong with, that works for some people, but it seems like the safeword was just there for decoration, and the diamond scene doesn’t really live up to “dark passion”.

When I saw that the scene was in the chapter, obviously I did not buy it, but I was shocked and kind of upset because the way PB marketed the scene was that it was some dark taboo activity where Ethan lets out his inner beast. This isn’t the case. I’m going to start from the beginning here. The context is that Ethan has just demonstrated that he cannot be trusted to maintain the integrity of an important medical study that could lead to breakthroughs in the industry. He showed arrogance and disregard for ethics. This is the backdrop for him asking to dominate MC. Just based on that, MC should say no. BDSM can be an escape from a frustrating day, to regain or give up control, but if one of my partners was going to lose their job, I would not trust them to dominate me that day. If Ethan is in this bad of a headspace, he could hurt MC during their activities (and not in the fun way) and make it worse. Second, HE ASKS AT THEIR JOB, WHERE HE IS MC’S SUPERIOR. The ethics of boss/employee relationship aside, that is blind to the power dynamic built into their workplace. This is the only point PB gives you the choice to consent until later, during the activities. In my opinion, this fucks up the Consent aspect of Safe, Sane, and Consensual, while Ethan’s current headspace and his actions prevent it from being Sane.

I know so many people have said this before me, but the way Ethan says what he wants is probably the grossest way of saying that. “… I need to feel in control of myself… and of you.” Ethan, you are in control of yourself. And saying that he “needs” to feel in control of MC… No. No, no, no. Submission is a gift that you do not take lightly, and must be given voluntarily. You do not ask someone for it without discussion first. And there is no discussion of what MC’s submission style is? Is MC a service submissive, are they a brat, are they a little? What if MC is a top or likes to be dominant? Nor does Ethan discuss what style of dominance he is into. Now that I think about it, there’s not a lot of power exchange. But it’s not just a top/bottom style activity either… Does PB know that you can participate in kinky activities with no power exchange, and that you can do power exchange without pain? It feels like they’ve just lumped all of it together. This scene fails to have any sort of distinct identity. It smells of a couple trying to spice it up in the bedroom and only reading about BDSM off of Cosmopolitan and Buzzfeed, and not really knowing what they’re doing.

As soon as MC and Ethan get to his place, he decides to pour you both some scotch. NO. NO, NO, NO NO. I have been to a discussion amongst EXPERIENCED kinksters about whether dungeons or events should offer alcohol, and it’s controversial because things can go wrong in a PUBLIC kink setting. For inexperienced people, especially with how bad Ethan’s headspace is at this time, and the fact that he claimed he wanted to “feel in control” of MC and himself, he should NOT be touching any alcohol. And over the drinks, Ethan and MC can discuss the events of the day when they could be, I don’t know, talking about what they are about to do??? Because MC has no idea what Ethan’s intentions are, exactly. Later, Ethan gives MC choices for what they can do; either he ties them to the bed, spanks them, or he decides (on all the playthroughs I have seen, Ethan deciding leads to him spanking MC). But they are already in the kink scene. You know how you should never go grocery shopping hungry? Well, you shouldn’t make kinky decisions, especially as a newbie, when you’re horny. They could have used this time to discuss if either of them has experience, and I must repeat, you don’t find out that Ethan has none till after you two finish. Ethan doesn’t tell MC any risks of what they do; if they might be bruised by anything he does, or if something will hurt after they finish. This is not following RACK; Risk Aware Consensual Kink. MC is not able to give informed consent. There’s also no discussion of limits or pain tolerance and… good fucking lord, this is a setup for shit going wrong.

So anyway, after their discussion of the day’s events, and Ethan’s feelings, MC assures him that they don’t want tender (hey, PB… BDSM can be tender!!! Also affectionate, loving, and sweet!!!!) so Ethan gives them a leather body harness and tells them to meet him in the bedroom. My initial reaction was, “How did he have their size, and how did he have that on hand?” I did some research, a lot of body harnesses are adjustable. Still pretty weird that he just had a women’s body harness on hand with no experience. I mean the men’s kind of makes sense because maybe he’s a switch, and as far as the handcuffs and riding crop despite no experience go… a lot of people hoard adult toys without using them much in case they do get the chance.

After MC puts on the harness, they meet Ethan in the bedroom and he asks them to pick a safeword. The default is “Free Healthcare” which fucking sucks as a safeword. The universal safeword is usually “Red” because of the traffic light system. When telling MC not to shy away from using it, he says, “You’re in control just as much as I am.” Uhhh… Who’s gonna tell him that the submissive has all the control? They decide what they consent to. The dominant operates within that. Also the part about, “This isn’t just about giving me what I need… It’s also about giving you what you want.” Yes… but also no. The dominant does not “need” their partner’s submission. It’s them mutually wanting what the other is willing to give. Also the “need” vs “want” feels… icky. So, so, icky.

From there to the options Ethan gives MC isn’t bad. I’ve had at least one of those exchanges in real life because it doesn’t feel cringe in the moment. Since MC and Ethan didn’t negotiate before the scene, I guess Ethan giving MC two options of what he can do to them, or he will decide between the two options if they want him to, isn’t that bad. I just think it would have been much better had there been communication beforehand since MC hasn’t done anything like that before. Thankfully it’s opt-in as opposed to opt-out, because opt-in is recommended for partners who are new to each other.

“Tie me to the bed.” Option: Ethan will muse about whether he should do rope or handcuffs. Maybe he has practiced with rope alone in the past and knows what he’s doing… But MC does not know this!! Mercifully, he picks handcuffs. Thank god he uses leather cuffs. PB has used metal ones in the past and those have all sorts of safety issues if they are not double-locking. PB is super vague about the setup so I’m a little confused about how he can be going down on MC then pull the chains of the cuffs so their back is against the headboard?

“Spank me.”/ “Choose.” Options: Ethan will get a riding crop, which is not at ALL recommended for newbies. I’ve actually had a friend demo a riding crop on my back, when I was fully clothed, but newbies are usually advised to either a) start off with a plain open hand spanking or b) test out how the implement feels by having the receiving partner rate the pain from a scale of 1 to 10 so one can get a feel for their pain tolerance, and how it changes as they are spanked longer. In my experience, it’s important to start out lighter especially with newbies. AND YET. “The first smack of the crop against your bare skin almost ends the game before it’s started.” NO NO NO. STOP STOP STOP. MC can barely take the first hit??? The first one should not push you to your limit, especially when it’s your first time. You may be wondering if riding crops actually sting that much. They don’t have to. It depends how much force you use. Side note, it is important for the top to know what each toy they are using feels like. Whether that means bottoming or testing the toy out on themselves, this makes sure they maintain empathy for their bottom. Anyway, MC gets hit by the riding crop like twice before this option converges with the sex part of the diamond scene. Really PB? You couldn’t at least say that the swats “rained down” or something? Two super intense hits is no fun compared to less intense spankings that last longer. In fact, if you change toys for different sensations, you can usually last longer, since the area gets more sensitive as you go along.

Anyway the sex happens. Ethan says, “Tell me what you want.” Which creates the options:

“Safeword/Free Healthcare” (God PB that’s so cringey, I get it’s a medical drama but just use Red!!!) Option: It instantly stops, Ethan is concerned, MC assures him that they just know their limits, which, good for you MC!! It’s not easy to safeword even when you want/need to. Though, I raise an eyebrow at the fact that you can safeword during the actual sex, as opposed to being tied up or spanked. I would think those would be where a person would be more likely to need to use their safeword especially if they are new to these activities.

“Harder.” Option: Gets more intense after Ethan asks if MC is sure. Goes into Ethan trying some orgasm control. Yay. Don’t see why this whole scene couldn’t have just been rough/wild sex since I’m pretty sure PB has done that before.

“Just like that…” Option: I think we can all guess what happens here.

I’m gonna fast forward through the rest of the sexcapades because there’s nothing interesting or worth critiquing. Safewording makes sure you skip all the rest of the scene and then it’s MC and Ethan in bed, him holding MC. I don’t want to say, “PB didn’t include aftercare!!” because cuddling is a lot of people’s aftercare, but I wish they’d talked about it more. Like Ethan asking if MC needed water or get out of the body harness, or some lotion or aloe vera for their butt if they got spanked. Or him checking their wrists if they got tied up. These are important things for aftercare, and while not everyone needs aftercare for every kind of activity, it’s important to talk about ahead of time, or communicate after the activity. Aftercare helps both parties come down gently from a high that you can easily just have an unpleasant drop from. I’ve gotten emotional after impact play. Some people feel guilt for inflicting pain on someone. Aftercare is necessary for the dominant or top as much as it is for the bottom or submissive, and I wish PB was as good about including that concept as they were about the safeword.

Anyway while they’re cuddling, MC and Ethan have the conversation where it leads to Ethan saying he’s never met anyone whose appetites match his own. While this might be acceptable for someone who lives in a small town… Ethan lives in Boston, Massachusetts. When looking up BDSM dungeons in Boston, I found two dominatrixes, and like three pages that talk about possible BDSM groups. And that’s not even checking on fetlife. Ethan simply didn’t want to look for like-minded people, and that’s on him. He could have found classes to help him learn how to do everything properly and safely, and maybe some friends. More people are kinky than you think!!! People in the community love it when new people join the community and express a desire to learn.

MC spends the night, and in the morning their sprite is STILL wearing the body harness. PB THOSE CANNOT BE COMFORTABLE. Like especially if it’s as fitted as they describe, how can MC still be wearing it?? Especially with them sweating on the leather??? Not going to lie, I laughed when I saw that oversight.

And that’s the end of the scene. Alright. The scene is not good. But it’s not Fifty Shades of Grey bad. I get the jokes and the comparisons, and while PB is arrogant, much like EL James, PB isn’t THAT bad. MC is clearly into the BDSM, which Anna clearly was not in 50 Shades. PB did a little bit of research, but I find it pretty obvious that aside from dirty talk, they have almost no experience actually getting into kinky activities, nor do they participate in the community.

I really hate how they acted like, “Ethan’s in dark mood…” but didn’t commit to that. Also how they didn’t really commit to portraying BDSM accurately. It’s kinky looking if you aren’t in the kink community, but to me, it’s vanilla pretending to be edgy and kinky. PB didn’t really commit one way or the other. They seemed to just use some iconography (excluding collars, surprisingly… that’s really easy to add??) and a little bit of kink, then set it aside and called it a day. This seemed to be there for the shock value. Going into the scene, I felt like SCC was being broken, but in the midst of the scene was a very different tone from what PB was acting like was going to happen. Ethan felt very different going into the scene as opposed to during it. I feel like this is what happens when you have to market kink to a mostly vanilla audience. Anyway, if you want a really great educational youtube channel, Evie Lupine is doing the lord’s work as a BDSM educator. Thank you for reading this 2500+ word rant from a kinky nerd.

#playchoices #open heart #choices oh #choices open heart #choices ethan #choices ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x mc #choices ethan x mc #ethan choices #play choices #submission

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