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sexybritishllama · 8 months

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in further neopets discord news, oh boy is there drama in my awful virtual pet game website today. strap in if you want way too much information on neopets’ broken economy

for some context, an event has just launched called the faerie festival. this is the first event to be run by the ‘new’ TNT (aka. the neopets team aka. the staff) since the leadership change, and they've said in recent editorials that this year’s faerie festival is going to be a combo of two previous popular events:

the faerie quest event, wherein people can get a free quest from a faerie every day in exchange for a reward (something that’s normally limited to random special events and therefore quite rare)

the charity corner, a highly requested event that hasn’t run since 2020, where you can donate random items to get points that can then be exchanged in a prize shop

there’s a LOT of ultimately worthless items on neopets that people gather from doing dailies and things, but charity corner actually gave a use to hoarding all of these, so people have wanted it back for ages. people have been going out of their way to hoard extra junk items for like 2 months now, after TNT teased the event in an editorial

this event was originally meant to start on 20th august, but got delayed 2 weeks, presumably because of issues behind the scenes. people were generally a bit disappointed but relieved if this meant they were going to get a proper, well prepared event without bugs

flash forward to 2nd october, the actual start of the event. nothing actually opens up for several hours on the day- that’s somewhat waved off by the fact that staff presumably need to be in the office to launch everything, a midnight launch isn’t expected

but, eventually, it opens!

well… kinda. there’s one page with one dialogue scene available and a link to an event page for spending neocash (the premium currency that costs irl money). the faerie quest page is giving out free daily quests, which is nice, but literally just the same as they did back in 2020. where’s the item recycling part? did this really need 2 weeks of delay?

the next day, the FAQ page for the event is published neopets support site (but not announced via news). still no sign of the actual event starting- seems like that might not be until moday?

as well as multiple grammatical errors, the FAQ had a few… concerning elements. most notably:

only 10 items could be donated per day

points would be awarded based on the rarity of the item, with the maximum rarity being r200-500, worth 15 points each

this meant people's hoarding of junk items for months was... essentially useless

r200-500 items basically means either hidden tower items (rare, expensive items that can only be bought in an account age locked shop with a purchase limit of 1 per day) orrrr….. neocash items. In other words, players could either spend an exorbinate amount of their in-game currency to buy up items to donate, or they could just hand over their credit card and pay to win

people were Not Happy about this

not long after info spread and the outcry started (and a sizeable number of people cancelled their premium membership in protest), the FAQ was quietly updated to remove mention of donating neocash items. that took away to pay to win element at least

however, now there was a new problem. a tombola man problem.

i mentioned already that the highest rarity items are pretty rare and expensive. one of the least expensive of these is an item called the Squeezy Tombola Guy Toy. you can probably see where this is going already

because you can only buy a maximum of one tombola guy per day from the hidden tower, your only option if you want to buy more than that in a day is to go to user shops. however, in light of the event, people had already started buying and hoarding tombola guy toys. equally, others were buying them purely to sell at a profit. this made the perfect storm and caused the price of the tombola guy toy, which was normally 110k NP, to explode up to 500k, 600k, even 700k within just one day

BUT THEN THE FAQ GOT UPDATED AGAIN. surprise, you can now donate 30 items per day! also they just got rid of the highest rarity tier altogether. the maximum you can get for an item is now 8 points, for rarity r102-r179.

this has now made the squeezy tombola guy toys useless. unless you’re a collector they don’t serve any function beyond that of a normal neopets toy (of which there’s thousands of much cheaper options). the price has now plummeted down to BELOW what it originally was and many users now have piles and piles of the dolls sitting in their inventory, mocking them

so what now? well, because no one ever learns, everyone is now flocking to what is now the cheapest high-rarity item eligible for donation. most are going for omelettes, which have a few different options at r102+. these have also inflated by like 400% from before the event, but unlike the squeeze tombola guys, these are only worth a few thousand neopoints, so not as bad a potential loss in comparison

it’s worth noting that while all this is going on in preparation for the recycling event, neopets is also experiencing insane inflation in a lot of other items right now, including those required for people to complete faerie quests. for example, a Griefer, which cost 5000 np just last week, is now worth selling for 1 MILLION

So yeah. 3 days into the event and that’s where we are so far. who knows what tomorrow might bring

#eloise talks #neopets #long post #neotag

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tiberius-kirks · 7 months

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was watching a video and suddenly felt very out of touch with what an impulse purchase costs? so

#for context im a huge cheapskate and the most expensive impulse purchase ive made was $75 concert tickets #in the video she casually mentioned a $300 impulse purchase and i nearly fell off my chair #polls

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lookingforcactus · 3 months

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A big cost and concern for many seniors in the U.S. is the price of prescription drugs and other healthcare expenses—and this year, thanks to The Inflation Reduction Act, their costs may go down dramatically, especially for patients fighting cancer or heart disease.

I learned about the new benefits because my ‘Medicare birthday’ is coming up in a couple months when I turn 65. I was shocked that there were so many positive changes being made, which I never heard about on the news.

Thousands of Americans on Medicare have been paying more than $14,000 a year for blood cancer drugs, more than $10,000 a year for ovarian cancer drugs, and more than $9,000 a year for breast cancer drugs, for instance.

That all changed beginning in 2023, after the Biden administration capped out-of-pocket prescriptions at $3,500—no matter what drugs were needed. And this year, in 2024, the cap for all Medicare out-of-pocket prescriptions went down to a maximum of $2,000.

“The American people won, and Big Pharma lost,” said President Biden in September 2022, after the legislation passed. “It’s going to be a godsend to many families.”

Another crucial medical necessity, the shingles vaccine, which many seniors skip because of the cost, is now free. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters, that can be followed by chronic pain, and other complications, for which there is no cure

In 2022, more than 2 million seniors paid between $100 and $200 for that vaccine, but starting last year, Medicare prescription drug plans dropped the cost for shots down to zero.

Another victory for consumers over Big Pharma affects anyone of any age who struggles with diabetes. The cost of life-saving insulin was capped at $35 a month [for people on Medicare].

Medicare is also lowering the costs of the premium for Part B—which covers outpatient visits to your doctors. 15 million Americans will save an average of $800 per year on health insurance costs, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Last year, for the first time in history, Medicare began using the leverage power of its large patient pool to negotiate fair prices for drugs. Medicare is no longer accepting whatever drug prices that pharmaceutical companies demand.

Negotiations began on ten of the most widely used and expensive drugs.

Among the ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation were Eliquis, used by 3.7 million Americans and Jardiance and Xarelto, each used by over a million people. The ten drugs account for the highest total spending in Medicare Part D prescription plans...

How are all these cost-savings being paid for?

The government is able to pay for these benefits by making sure the biggest corporations in America are paying their fair share of federal taxes.

In 2020, for instance, dozens of American companies on the Fortune 500 list who made $40 billion in profit paid zero in federal taxes.

Starting in 2023, U.S. corporations are required to pay a minimum corporate tax of 15 percent. The Inflation Reduction Act created the CAMT, which imposed the 15% minimum tax on the adjusted financial statement income of any corporation with average income that exceeds $1 billion.

For years, Americans have decried the rising costs of health care—but in the last three years, there are plenty of positive developments.

-via Good News Network, February 25, 2024

#united states #medicare #healthcare #healthcare access #big pharma #prescription drugs #health insurance #us politics #good news #hope #seniors #aging #healthy aging

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tootiecakes234 · 8 months

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Yes Day

Katsuki Bakugou agrees to a yes day for your birthday and he’s really wondering how he got himself into this situation.

Morning starts off with you asking for dessert for breakfast just because you know it’s gonna bother him

Next is asking him to go shopping with you, specifically shoe shopping just cuz you know he hates it

Asks him to pay the almost $500 for all the shoes you liked

You do take pity on him for lunch and go to your favorite place. He perks up a little thinking the worst was over

WRONG!!

After that you’re heading to a movie. One you’ve been wanting to see ( Kats isn’t a fan of the movies due to feeling enclosed as well as not liking to be still for long periods of time… hes just so used to being on the move)

He’s most comfortable driving (due to you being a shitty driver) so you ask him to drive his very expensive sports car. He’s pressing the imaginary brakes on the passenger side and gripping the door handle😂

You make it home after stopping by the store cuz you asked him to cook you dinner.

He makes your favorite meal and you’re just in the kitchen for entertainment reasons (really just to further annoy him)

After dinner you guys shower together and he thinks things are about to get all steamy but NO!!

Lol you make him participate in your full skincare regiment with you. He finds himself on the couch with you, with face masks on watching your favorite show.

You guys end up going to bed all cuddled up and you’re so content.

Kats acts like he was miserable for 90% of the day but watching you enjoy yourself and smile and laugh the entire day made him so happy. Went to bed just as content as you were.

#bakugou drabble #bakugou x reader #imagine #katsuki bakugo mha #mha fanfiction #bakugo headcanons #drabble #bakugou katsuki x reader #fluff #bakugou katsuki

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scremogirl · 8 months

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✧✩🜚𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐈𝐂 🜸𖤐✰

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮

Yandere! Nerd x Academic Rival! Reader

Mentions of depressive behavior/thoughts of suicide. AFAB! Reader: is called “Ms”.

Annoying.

A know-it-all smarty pants that was simultaneously the worst pain in your ass. Not that he meant to be of course; you couldn’t really blame him. Sure, some people are just naturally smart; but not him. Following you around like a lost puppy no matter where you went. He was toying with you on purpose and you knew it! You just couldn’t understand why he decided to make your life worse.

Now, the relationship you have is more one sided. You’d make subtle jabs and throw cheap shots his way but all he ever did was laugh it off. He never fought back. From what you’ve gathered, he just prefers to stare. And when I say stare I mean straight into your soul type stare. Every time he gets annoyed or is thinking really hard about something that’s what he does. Stares. It’s really creepy and unsettling, all the times you caught him or tried to, he would just look away blushing, trying his best to hide behind his shaggy hair. Eyes burn holes through the back of your head five out of the seven days of the week. However, even the two days you aren’t in school, the feeling of eyes on you never seems cease. You feel chills crawl up your spine and always look over your shoulder wherever you go only to find nobody there.

You’ve always strived to be the best. Your home life was like the equivalent of being tossed in solitary co finemente and being left to rot. It seemed as if your parents only cared about your academic life. Therefore, they were always super strict about your grades. You knew it came from a place deep within their hearts, they just wanted you to do good in life; but it still hurt. You wanted to make them proud. Wanted to feel loved by the people who were supposed to be closest to you. So you pushed yourself to limits nobody could ever reach. From winning spelling bees to holding the spot of Vice President on your school's student council team. Schools were already offering you all expense scholarships in freshman year!

You were an all rounder. One of the most involved students in your grade. You were in various sports and academic clubs, always helped in school fundraisers, and even have 500(+) SS hrs.

“ Apologies, Ms. (L/N), but there’s nothing we can do about this. You’ll have to get a tutor in order to pass,”

Technical engineering.

Your worst subject. You excelled in physics and math; some would say the best. You got the formulas down to a T and knew everything there was to know. It was more so the building aspect of things. There were just so many damn parts! Who even needs an electriconic digital caliper anyways?!

“I’m sorry, (Y/n), but that’s just the way things turned out. You need this credit to graduate, but you needn’t worry. Miylo is the best at this. He’s perfect for the job,”

Miylo Reneritzer. A 6 foot, dead eyed, pale skinned dork. He’s never stood out to you. He wasn’t popular or a scholar. He didn’t play sports and wasn’t in any clubs. He didn’t participate in the annual dances and didn’t attended school games. He was just there. A regular student with a knack for technicalogical architecture. You were in 11th grade at the time. You needed to get all your credits out the way so you didn’t have to worry about them senior year. Not that it was a problem for you seeing as all of them were already completed. Well… except this one. You’ve been putting off for so long. You had to face it sooner or later. Too soon for your liking.

You would meet with Miylo twice a week; you were place in the same tech class so the first meeting didn’t really count. He was a great teacher! A little quiet and very monotone, but very thourough none the less. By the end of junior year you ended up with a A-. You parents hammered you for not making it a plus but you’ve come to terms with it. He saved you. And you were grateful. You ended up losing contact the transitioning year and just never interacted again; almost completely forgetting about him.

He didn’t forget about you though. How could he?! You were the most beautiful girl in the entire school! Nobody could compare to you. What you didn’t know about him was he was s everely bullied and even contiplated ending everything. That was until you came along. Someone finally wanted to talk to him. Even if it was just for help getting a good grade. Taking to a pretty popular girl and getting money and an increases on his report card? Sign him up. That one day changed the entirety of his life, he owes his life to you.

All he remembers is being called down to the counselors office; parents ready waiting and giving him the most bone crushing hug. Everything seemed like a blur from then on. But what he can remember is how he got there in the first place.

“A friend of yours, (Y/n) (L/n) had some concerns about your health. She said she’s been paying attention to you for awhile and noticed your self destructive behaviors,” says the counselor.

What? Before he started tutoring you he thought you were a teachers pet and hog all the chances for others to answer questions but if saves him the embarrassment of public speaking he doesn’t mind. You’ve noticed him? In more than just at tutor-tutee way? Nobody ever notices him. Not even his own parents. It’s evident with the amount of shock on their faces and all their “why didn’t you tell me’s” and confessions of love. He’s mad at you at first. He spends at least 3mths in that looney bin because of you. He hated it at first. All the questions and discard for privacy. But… slowly he changes. He becomes healthy and happy again. His mind drifts back to you. The way you would answer questions when you noticed the teachers eyes land on him, the way you would always do the presenting part in group presentations, the way gum and smiley faced erasers would apprear on his desk on a particularly hard day. You cared. You did this for everyone you saw struggling. Not that he took that into account, in his mind, he was the only one. You thought he was special. And he wouldn’t let anyone take his spot in your heart.

When he got out, he decided he was a changed person. Senior year would be his redemption arc and you would finally be together. You already were in his mind; you were just to scared. He saw straight through your act. That’s why you would do all that stuff for him instead of just coming out and saying it. He needed to pull himself together and become a better person first. He wanted you to be proud of him. He wanted you to see him for all he’s worth. He joined all the clubs you were in and surpassed all expectations. He became popular, inserting himself into all your social circles and even became a student council member beside you. Or should I say infront of you? The President. And the validictorinan.

Ugh! Since when did he become so…so great!? You don’t have any clue where this change in him came from and you want him to go back to the way he was. You were the best! You didn’t work this hard for your parents approval for nothing. They would always compare you time him. Miylos the student council president they’d say. He would never get an A-, he would never miss a volleyball game because he was overwhelmed with school work, he would never feel how school was the only true escape from an emotionally disabled household. He would never understand. Oh, but he did.

He’s been in your house plenty of times to know what’s going on. Not that you’ve know of course. That explains all the missing panties. Hmm, maybe that explains where all of your pens have gone too. And your half eaten food, and the Polaroids you’ve take of yourself, and your rose to-… Regardless! You’ve had enough of this! You needed him to know just exactly how you felt. What other way than asking him to meet you under the tree on Fri before school ends?

“I already know,” Hm?

“Good. I couldn’t hold this in any longer. You do know just exactly what I feel,”

“Oh my love but I do,” ….my love? What is he taking about.

“What am I talking about? Oh sweetheart, don’t play coy with me. It’s okay; I’ve always know the real reason behind your aggression towards me. Your just shy is all. I just want to let you know that I love you too. More than you could ever know,” he steps forward and arms outstretched and expecting a hug. He push on his chest and stare up at him in confusion. Love him? You don’t love him, you despise him! He chuckles.

“Like I said, it’s okay to be open about how you feel. That’s why you brought me here isn’t it?” What! This wasn’t some sort of confession. Well…technically… but not one of love! He was here to understand how much you loathed him. He had to not like you either, that’s why he did everything you did right…Right!? He hated you. He had to!

“Hate you? (Y/n), I could never hate you. After all you saved me,” at this point you thiught he was joking with you. Furthering your suspicions of his true feelings. You tried marching pasted him only for him to grab you arm. You tried to shuck him off but his grip was strong. All those clubs really built up his physice. He wasn’t the same scrawny little geek you remembered. He was larger, seeming as if he grew a few more inches. He filled out his uniform more, and his eyes became brighter and more emotional. If your affliction for him didn’t exist you’d think he was cute. The only thing that seemed hadn’t changed about him was his unwavering love and loyalty to you. He huffs out an exasperated sign, snapping you out of your thoughts.

“I get that your shy my love, but that’s there’s no need to be so rude. We’ll work on a more conventional way to express your emotions,”

“Do I have to spell it out for you! I don’t like you, you creep! You’ve been following me around every since the beginning of this year. You’ve taken everything from me. Clubs, student records, student president! Do you know how hard I’ve worked to get here! You act so laid back and relaxed about everything and it drives me nuts! I hate you!” You push past him again, angry tears forming from all the supressed emotional turmoil. He doesn’t grab you right away which makes you think he’s finally got the picture. Didn’t anyone ever tell you no to turn your back on the enemy? You’re suddenly grabbed and thrusted into the base of the tree. He tsks at your behavior before sighing again. Hands have now moved to your shoulders and apply slight pressure keeping you in place. If that didn’t do it, the way he's looking at you would’ve have; fierce and warning, and yet, filled with so much adoration.

“We need to fix this little attitude of yours, don’t we?” It’s rhetorical. You know that but you feel the urge to snap back at him. Before you could get a word out, you can her the distance ringing of the school bell signaling the end of the day. His phone rings on the last ring. He gives you a hard glare telepathically telling you not to move. He stands straighter and picks it up. With what you heard, the student council meeting is starting soon and the others are wondering where you two are. Saved by the bell. He sighs before grabbing his bag that he placed down as long as your hand before sighing.

“Unfortunately, we can’t continue this conversation my love. Lucky for us, it’s Friday. We’ll have the rest of the weekend to work it out of you,” he throws a coy smirk your way and grabs at his belt, readjusting it a bit. God, what will you do?

Hey loves! Hope you enjoyed. I’m thinking about making apart to of this. I wasn’t really confident in it and decided that I should give more explanation to Miylos behavior. This could just be his introduction and I’ll expand on it. Let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!

-Love, Sos❤️

#yandere x you #yandere x y/n #yandere x reader #yandere! nerd x reader #✧✩🜚𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐈𝐂 🜸𖤐✰

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capricorn-0mnikorn · 10 months

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You know what makes me sad?

It makes me sad, and not a little bit mad, that there are disabled people -- even those who are Disability Advocates -- who hate Disability Pride Month because they're convinced it was invented by normate people to make themselves feel better. I suspect that's because it follows directly after June's Queer Pride Month, and, if you are young enough to not remember the history for yourself ('cause we all know it's not being taught n schools), it can feel like a leftover crumb. But it is so, so, not.

If I were Queen of Calendars, I might move Disability Pride Month to April, to commemorate the 504 Sit-in of 1977, especially the occupation of the regional offices of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Fransisco, by over 500 people, mostly disabled (with their personal care assistants). The Occupation lasted 28 Days -- the longest protest occupation of a federal building in U.S. History. Since Queer Pride Month commemorates a protest, maybe Disability Pride Month should, too. The biggest knock against April is the weather is still iffy in much of the country for pride parades and outdoor gatherings.

(Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was the legal predecessor of the ADA. And no, that's not a typo. Most of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was passed in 1973, but the one section that outlined rights for the disabled was put to the side, and ignored for four whole years, because it was deemed to be too expensive and confusing to extend civil rights to disabled people. It was the Sit-In in 1977 that finally pushed President Carter to sign it, and make it law).

Here's a retrospective report on the Sit-In from CBS news, that aired in the '80s (Auto-generated captions):

youtube

(the video is 6 minute, 12 seconds. But the news report ends at 5 minutes 42 seconds)

#disability pride month #disability history #U.S. History #civil rights protest #CBS evening news (vintage)#Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 #504 sit-in #youtube (auto generated captions)#Youtube

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memories-of-ancients · 2 months

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Just curious, why do you think Rome fell?

OMG do you really have to ask such a big question right before I was going to bed anon? Well, here are the primary reasons IMO as a Roman history buff.

Lots of Civil Wars --- The Romans going way back to the days of the Republic were constantly fighting over who was going to be boss. Sulla fought a civil war and took over Rome and declared himself dictator, ditto Julius Caesar, and of course Octavian did the same and became the first emperor. During the empire there were many civil wars over who would be emperor as the Imperial system often lacked rules for succession resulting in dynastic struggles and civil wars. Not that it would have mattered if they did, as they probably would have just ignored the rules. In the 3rd century the empire underwent a 50 year period of near constant civil war known as the Crises of the Third Century. Constantine became emperor after killing all his opponents in a civil war. The later half of the 4th century had more civil wars. Even in the 5th century factions were fighting each for control of an empire that was collapsing all around them. No side wins a civil war because they are bloody, destructive, there are no spoils of war. There is only self destruction, they are about as helpful to a country as would a person shooting himself in the foot. All the money and resources that went into fighting civil wars and rebuilding after the war was money and resources not being used to maintain infrastructure, maintain public works, regulate the economy, defend from outside threats, and maintain the government.

2. Political Instability --- Most emperors did not die of natural causes, most emperors were murdered, or committed suicide, or died in battle, or died in a prison cell. Roman government was chalk full of power hungry psychopaths who were willing to murder their way to the top. Sometimes emperors could come and go quickly, with reigns lasting 2-3 years or less in the 3rd century.

youtube

Roman political history was rife with intrigue, assassinations, and coups occurring all the time. It was like Game of Thrones except instead of lasting 8 seasons it lasted 500 years.

3. The Army Became a Powerful Interest Group --- If you were a Roman emperor the army was a double edged sword. They were good in that they maintained peace and order in the empire and protected it from invaders. They were bad for you in that they could revolt and murder you, replacing you with someone they liked more. Even your own guard, the Praetorian Guards, couldn't be trusted as they could easily slit your throat in your sleep and declare someone else as emperor. To make sure the army was happy, you gave them big pay bonuses called donatives. Basically official bribes paid to keep the soldiers of the army loyal and happy. With each successive emperor the annual donative became bigger and bigger and thus a greater strain on the Imperial Treasury. If an emperor didn't pay up, he could be murdered by his own soldiers. Thus a lot of public money was paid just to keep the army happy so they didn't end up starting another civil war.

4. A Fucked up Economy --- Maintaining a large standing army to defend a large empire is expensive. Fighting civil wars is expensive. Rebuilding after civil wars is expensive. Constant regime change is expensive. Political intrigue is expensive. Eventually it got to the point where there just wasn't enough money to pay for all that. So emperors just minted more money, decreasing the silver content and minting more copper coins until eventually Roman money became worthless.

Today Roman money is still worthless. Go on ebay and find the cheapest Roman coins you can buy. Except for rarer collectibles Roman coins are still very plentiful and thus very cheap to collect. Worthless money made trade and commerce difficult, and thus the economy suffered. Not to mention constant bloody and destructive civil wars were damaging the economy. Political instability also damaged the economy.

5. Growing Disparity in Wealth --- Over time with civil wars and political instability the rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Eventually wealth became so concentrated in the upper class that the middle class disappeared entirely by the late 4th - 5th century. By then the average Roman was in a bad way. They had no opportunities and most Romans were forced to live as tenant farmers, essentially sharecroppers.

6. A Corrupt Tax System --- Meanwhile the wealthy became so powerful that they were able to wield that power so that they did not have to pay taxes. They could exploit loopholes, manipulate laws in their favor, or bribe their way out of paying. To try to make up the revenue, tax collectors attempted to squeeze the lower classes, which of course, didn't have any money. Thus by the late 4th - 5th century the empire was severely underfunded. This resulted in the degradation of infrastructure, public works, the army, the weakening of the government, and less investment in the economy and commerce.

7. Patronage --- By the 5th century the average Roman was out of opportunities and the middle class was gone entirely. More and more the lower class Roman was being squeezed for tax money, money which they didn't have. So in order to survive, Roman lower classes sold their services to a wealthy patron. The patron would house you and protect you and take care of your tax problems. If you were lucky and had special skills like a craftsman or artist you could make a good living under a patron. If not, you probably ended up a tenant farmer tied to the land of the patron, essentially a sharecropper, a serf, or a peasant. Due to this change in the socio economic system power was drawn away from the Imperial government and was redirected to the wealthy patrons. Thus the empire was becoming decentralized.

This would become the basis for medieval feudalism.

8. No One Wanted to Join the Army --- Why would you? You're dirt poor and have no opportunities. If you joined the army you may not even get the opportunity to defend the empire, as you're gonna get killed in a stupid civil war fighting a fellow Roman who is also dirt poor and has no opportunities. Your government is corrupt, your emperor is a snobbish entitled incompetent dipshit who was out of touch with reality, the tax man is trying to squeeze you for money you don't have, you have no rights, you've been forced to become a peasant to a proto-feudal lord, and it is clear the empire is dying. By the mid 5th century most Romans were like, "let it fucking die". As a result, the army suffered severe manpower shortages. Right at the time when Goths and Franks and Vandals and Huns are going to start swarming into the empire.

These to me are the primary reasons for the fall. Anyone have anything else to add in addition to this?

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globalrebrand · 7 months

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Wedding Bells pt. 1

Proposal and Engagement Headcanons for Vil Riddle & Malleus! Wedding + Honeymoon headcanons coming soon!

A/N: I'm back...for now 💜

Warnings: GN! Reader, fluff

Vil Schoenheit

The Proposal

Who proposes is the primary question? Vil would adore it if you proposed, but at the same time he has such a perfect vision in his mind of what his proposal to you would look like.

He loves you and won't critique your proposal per-say, as long as its sufficiently meaningful, romantic and well thought out, but a lazy proposal would be unforgivable. Do you not know him at all?!

Quite honestly, the best move is buy an engagement ring for Vil and wait for him to propose to you, and don't worry it'll happen sooner than you think and it will be pretty easy to tell what he intends to do when he invites you to join him for a drive and requests that you get dressed to the nines.

One late summer evening Vil will take you on a surprise outing. You'll arrive at intricately sculpted ivy cover iron gates that open as Vil drives up a winding tree lined road with your hand in his. He'll pull up to a beautiful mansion that had to be well over 150 years old, with warm beige brick, stained glass windows and iron balconies. The architecture is indicative of traditional manor home styles in the Shaftlands large and towering. The home sits right on the lake near the largest for celebrity filled metropolis in the Shaftlands, but not right in the hustle and bustle of the city.

Together you tour the property and beautiful surrounding gardens. Vil tells you that there's 500 acres of land and that he intends to develop it to start his perfume and skincare line. Naturally you question about the purpose of this beautiful manor and Vil tells you that he'll answer that question in just a second.

You ascend to the second floor of the empty manor and you start to hear a string quartet. Vil leads you through a bedroom to a large terrace that is covered in fresh florals with a table set for dinner.

He pulls out your chair and the two of sit together for dinner, but before that can even happen Vil begins his speech as he motions for the server to bring an open aubergine colored velvet box with the most tastefully massive engagement ring you've ever seen, from a storied jewelry brand Vil recently received a major endorsement deal with.

"You've taught me what true beauty looks like and I know that I am only at my most beautiful when I can love and be loved by you. Would you do me the immense privilege of being my spouse?"

Of course you're crying at this point but you don't forget you original plans as you shakily reach into your purse with an airy laugh and pull out a matching aubergine velvet box and say "I couldn't agree more" and lean forward to present him with an engagement ring of his own.

Vil is absolutely stunned and quite literally squeals with delight as tears threaten to spill from the corners of his eyes.

He tells you the ring is absolutely perfect, (you asked his father for help because you knew you could not get it wrong) but first affixes the one he got you on your finger before holding out his hand and allowing you to place yours on his lithe ring finger. Then he pulls you up and brings you into a passionate kiss as the string quartet plucks away under the moonlight and the server begins to pop the champagne to celebrate your upcoming nuptials!

The Engagement

Buckle in. If you thing Vil was serious about the others affairs in his life, he's possible even more so when it comes to wedding planning.

Suddenly you get invited to a reoccurring bi-weekly meeting with Vil and one of the most noted wedding planners in all of Twisted Wonderland.

In the Shaftlands it's good luck to get married a year to the day of the proposal which puts everything on a very, very, very tight timeline.

Vil's impulse is to do something extravagant and glamorous...and expensive. You urge him to interrogate why he thinks you both need a destination engagement party and weeks long destination wedding to celebrate you love for each other. Your preference would be something elegant and still quite luxurious but considerably more modest in scale and cost. Not to mention will make that year timeline attainable.

After some thought Vil concedes that you're right, he admits that he has so many magazines that want to cover the affair that he felt pressured to so something truly spectacular, but you're the most important person to him and if that wouldn't make you happy, he doesn't think it would be worth the effort. Don't think this will stop him from being a bridezilla though.

So you both agree that you'll work on renovating the beautiful new property Vil purchased for the two of you and hosting your wedding on the extensive grounds with a considerably more modest amount of your friends and loved ones.

But now you're completing home renovations and planning a wedding which was quaint on paper but actually a logistical nightmare in reality.

Now there's a chance Vil is the only one working so you have the time to focus on organizing the wedding with the planner and figuring things out with the contractors and interior designers.

But say you're also a model or performer, or just very committed to your field of work and don't have the time for planning, things become a bit strained.

You and Vil hardly see each other between his work and yours, or if you're a kept partner, even just him being preoccupied but still wanting to call the shots even though it feels like you're doing the majority of the work is enough to cause a bit of tension.

But you and Vil couldn't have gotten to where you are without good communication so you express to him your anxiety about planning a wedding and a house and he enlists his father to support you when he can't, which proves to be a pretty good fix. You don't have to worry about Vil not liking a choice you made because his father will tell you exactly how his son will feel about it.

And Vil is still has involved as possible, you go furniture shopping often with the interior designer and are slowly working your way through configuring everything for both your home and you wedding.

After a lengthy engagement the details will finally be ironed out, your wedding will be held by the lakeside of your new home and the reception in the vast landscaped lawns. The hope is that your guests will also warm your home, the doors will be open so late summer air can filter through the space along with your loved ones joy and laughter. Drama is the theme, black dahlias and burgundy striated lilies. The ceremony will be held at dusk and the goal is to party with friends as long as energy is bright and inviting.

Malleus Draconia

The Proposal

Malleus moves quickly to lock things down. He wants a forever partner to save him from his loneliness and build a happy family with. He is not fucking around when it comes to marriage. Malleus moves fast on a human time scale but with absurd quickness on a fae one.

His family members are dubious when he tells them of his plans to propose, after all he's only known you five years which is basically a fae month, but after meeting you their fears are assuaged and his grandmother give him her blessing to propose shortly after, letting Malleus knows she thinks you'll make a lovely consort.

The proposal itself will be rather unconventional.

Malleus will likely take you to some ruins. He doesn't have a good sense of human traditions and his understanding of romance is rather limited. After all, he intends to devote himself to you wholly and completely, what could be more romantic than an undying love?

But don't worry it won't be the glitz and glam of the other suitors but it will still be exceedingly romantic in the most natural and effortless way.

You'll traverse the ruins at dusk together, your pathways lit by fireflies and the gentle chirps of the nightbirds in Briar Valley providing musical accompaniment.

You and Malleus will talk about everything and nothing, he's always found you the most compelling conversationalist and while he's feeling a bit more emotional during this night hike it doesn't stop him from getting lost in conversation.

Malleus adores you but normally is much more discrete with his compliments, tonight they seem to be free flowing. He's deeply reflective about your relationship saying that you a precious little human have taught him more about love and life in his limited time getting to know you than in his entire hundred+ years of life. (Lilia would take great offense at this but Malleus means every word)

After hours of meandering that seems to pass in moments for the both of you Malleus will take you by the hands and deposit a ring in your hand that he seemingly conjured out of thin air.

He tells you it was his mothers ring, and that his grandmother gave it to him you that he could propose.

As you look into your hands you realize you're holding a truly ancient piece of jewelry, a large luminescent emerald flanked by intricate silver work. It's history makes it priceless.

You question why he would give you something so precious and he make short work of clarifying his intentions.

"You are most precious to me child of man. [Name] I wish to devote myself to you entirely for the rest of your days. Please accept this ring and with it, all of my love. Marry me, beloved."

You start to cry and Malleus is taken aback, he thought you would be over the moon at his gesture but it seems you're not? He asks if you're ok and you emphatically nod declaring you accept his proposal.

He questions the tears and you tell him that humans are soft emotional creatures who cry when overwhelmed and that his love has overwhelmed you.

He tells you that his pleases him to hear and he was well aware of the hyper emotional nature of humans, its one of the things he loves best about you.

The Engagement

It's a royal wedding! Which means shit loads of planning. Much to Malleus’s chagrin, he can't simply marry you the next day. A ceremony must be planned, guests and foreign dignitaries invited. There's quite a bit more at stake considering his status, but Malleus couldn't care less. He's rather impatient to get to the ceremony. He just wants to be married to his child of man today! Is that so much to ask?

His grandmother is deeply involved in the wedding planning. So is Lilia, but more so for moral support and less for help with making aesthetic decisions. They both guide you on the traditions and expectations of weddings in Briar Valley.

You'll find Malleus has lots of opinions about how the wedding should look. Usually he defers to your tastes but if he has strong objections he will surely let you know.

One of the key traditions is that the ceremony begins at night fall and lasts until dawn. Seasonally winter is the preferred times since dark fae enjoy long periods of night. Additionally the customary color for wedding attire is surprise, surprise, black. A white dress or suit is entirely out of the question is you want to respect fae traditions.

Malleus's grand mother informs you that the expectation is that there will be a lot of entertainment for guests and that you and Malleus need to decide on a suitable theme and various acts.

There's also the matter of your preparation for the role of consort. You'll need to endure near round the clock etiquette courses and lessons on the history of Briar Valley so that you can be a worthy consort the a king.

You certainly signed up for a life with Malleus but you didn't know about all of these other matters you needed to attend to...

Now when Malleus sees you crying he asks if you're overwhelmed with happiness or saddens. This time you tell him its frustration, you don't feel equipped to be his spouse, all of this royal wedding planning and preparation is daunting.

Malleus desperately wants to alleviate your frustrations so he takes a more concerted role in the wedding preparations and your lessons.

This helps quite a bit, with Malleus as your teacher you feel more connected to him and his ideas on the various options for the wedding make it easier for you to make a decision.

Together you decide on a midnight winter circus theme. The wedding will of course be held at the royal castle, but with magic guests will be able to traverse the grounds comfortably at night in the dead of winter. The royal will be covered in winter blooms, like crocus and snowdrops. The decorations will largely be monochrome and the jovial nature of the theme more subdued. The gardens will become festival grounds with all kinds of magical entertainment for guests and of course ample spaces for dancing.

You quickly learn to appreciate the fae and their fanciful approach to weddings now that Malleus is your guide and you certainly can't wait for the festivities. Just keep telling yourself the every completed lesson means you're one step closer to marrying the fae of your dreams.

Riddle Rosehearts

The proposal

Riddle is a traditionalist and his proposal will be very much in line with that aspect of his character.

He will at the very least book a private room in a high end restaurant with your favorite cuisine. Normally he doesn't drink much if at all, but his nerves are getting the best of him. Of course he knows you love him, you supported him through his medical licensing, put up with his nightmare of a mother with grace and poise and you've been living together for over two years and seriously dating for four. The time seems right, you are both settle and you mentioned something about buying a house together in the next year. So obviously you don't want to go anywhere...right?

You might actually not get the sense that this particular dinner is about to be a proposal because Riddle frames it as a celebration for his acceptance into his residency. Which you're more than happy to celebrate, he'll have also booked tickets to you favorite type of theater, whether its a play, musical, symphony or opera. He wants you to feel known and thats why he's worked so hard to orchestrate the perfect evening.

Now course after course will pass like normal, and by his third glass of wine, Riddle will finally have the courage to make his move.

He'll steer the conversation in the direction of your futures together and it fills him with confidence to hear you gush about the house you want together, and he chuckles when you say, "as far from your mother as possible."

Riddle tells you that he'd like to make all of that a reality for you and then gets on one knee, pulling a small red velvet box from his suit jacket pocket.

"[Name], I cannot conceive of future without you, you are my heart. Please marry me."

He keeps it short, simple but heartrendingly earnest. He's not the best with long soliloquies so please don't be offended by his brevity, he means every word.

Of course you say yes, leaping into his arms, and tackling him to the ground in the private dining room. He's incredibly red and this is the main reason he opted to do things in private, he would be horrible embarrassed if anyone saw him blushing so profusely!

He slides the ring on your finger and its a precious heart shaped diamond. Riddle tells you if your think its too sappy you can both go back and select a different one but you assure him it's perfect and that it will always remind you of him.

The show you attend after dinner is wonderful and you two cuddle with each other in Trey's bakery, drinking champagne, nibbling on a strawberry cake, and planning for your future as Trey makes himself scarce as he closes up shop.

The Engagement

Congrats, you're marrying the love of your life, but that means you're also gaining quite possibly the most terrifying of mother-in-laws in the process.

You're familiar with her controlling antics and her general disapproval of your entire existence. You could be the most accomplished person in any field and she still wouldn't think you were good enough for her son. It's like that, passive aggressive and sometimes openly hostile comments about your inadequacy whenever Riddle isn't around.

You and Riddle both made sure you'd saved up a good amount of funds for your wedding so you wouldn't have to rely on help from his parents at all. The last thing both of you needed was his mother thinking she had any legitimate claim to your decisions in the wedding planning process.

Riddle defers to your judgement for most details relating to the wedding. He makes sure he attends all of the related appointments you would like his attendance at, venue tours, meeting the caterer, cake tastings, etc.

His mother isn't including in the decision making process, but his mother finds a way to become outraged by essentially every decision you make once word gets back to her.

You decide to go with Trey's family bakery for the dessert? Are you fucking crazy? That much sugar will absolutely poison all of the guests! What about the plant based baker she offered? Do they get no consideration?

You make a point to not invite her to your dress/suit fitting but she'll find out your selections through tiresome needling, and obviously false promises of not making any judgements. She'd likely find your dress immodest or your suit selection tasteless.

Riddle does his best to act as a buffer and he's considerably more confident and adept at dealing with his mother but he can sense that things are taking a serious toll on your mental health so he issues an ultimate in a fit of rage after you come to him in tears after no longer being able to tolerate being berated by his mother.

"[Name] is the love of my life and if you have cannot treat them with kindness then you have no place at our wedding. Am I understood?"

Hearing Riddle tell off his mother on your behalf was a huge turn on and also very vindicating! Without her interference it was amazing how smoothly everything went. You can Riddle decide on a spring wedding in a celebrated botanical garden in the Queendom of Roses for your wedding. Trey's family bakery has been conscripted for the desserts and cuisine will be sufficiently light and healthy seasonal spring affair. The attire for the guest is semi-formal and the colors are warm pinks, yellows and lilac. The guests have been invited and thankfully all of Riddle's most cherished friends from school will be in attendance.

Now that all the details are ironed out, you and Riddle eagerly anticipate the big day!

#malleus x reader #malleus draconia x reader #malleus draconia #twst malleus #malleus #vil #vil schoenheit x reader #vil schoenheit #vil x reader #twst vil #riddle rosehearts x reader #riddle x reader #twst riddle #riddle rosehearts #riddle

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dduane · 9 months

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That paprikahendl recipe

So the first thing to be said is possibly the most important: this is a paprikahendl recipe. (And in this case, it was made with duck, because we were out of chicken... so it's probably paprikaentl, if anything.) :)

Everybody's mom or grandmother would've had her own version of this, which would naturally be the best one in the mind of the person you were talking to. The original dish, though—as @petermorwood has pointed out—would have been a peasant dish of the use-a-moderate-amount-of-flavorful-and-spicy-meat-to-season-a-lot-of-noodles-or-whatever kind. If you're a peasant, after all (and maybe even if you're not, of late...), meat is expensive, so in dishes of this kind it's used as more of a seasoning for what you have plenty of—in this case, the tiny flour-based noodles-or-dumplings called spaetzle. (In its rural beginnings, of course, the meat probably would've been a laying chicken that was too old to lay any more... or even a cockerel that had started shooting blanks, and whose morning racket was starting to get on your nerves.)

Later, though, a small tender chicken (or two) was seen as preferable. Paprikahendl became very popular in Hungary and other parts of central Europe, and in the process—over time—got taken somewhat upmarket. The recipe I used as my basis for this version is one that apparently was (and who knows, maybe still is) served at one of Vienna's famous Sacher establishments. As a result it contains elements I'm none too sure about—such as the last-minute apple—but otherwise seems to me to hold water.

The full recipe is here. Now let me tell you what I did to with it.

(inserting a cut here, so those who don't want to watch a bunch of video clips of things frying and cooking won't have to...)

Normally in the initial stage of this recipe, you'd cut up a whole small chicken (or two) into pieces, color them in your preferred frying fat (in Hungary, possibly lard, but at very least butter) and then set them aside to make the sauce. In this case, since the meat I had to work with was duck, I cooked that as directed and put it aside while we went off to do some other stuff. I also made spaetzle to go on the side, as it's the kind of thing you'd be likely to run into regionally. These we can fortunately buy ready-made, like most other kinds of pasta. Or you can make them from scratch. Since I now have a Magic Spaetzle Machine to do this, I'll show how that's done some other time. (Or you could look at this video...)

youtube

Then, to make the sauce, I pulled together:

The zest and juice of a lemon

Half an onion or more, chopped fine (I have to be careful with onions, as too much will set off my IBS)

Off to one side, I asked Peter to do the dry paprika mix for me. This was two very heaping tablespoons of paprika, and about half a teaspoon of cayenne, to mock up the heat of the hotter paprika that would have been used in small villages in the Carpathians.

Then I clarified some butter in the microwave, about three tablespoons of it (you melt it in a tall glass and set this aside until the milk solids settle out, then pour off the clarified butterfat) and dumped that in the big cookpot along with the onions.

When those had hit the cooked-until-translucent point, I cut the duck up into chunks and got them ready to go in: then added the paprika and (when that had fried a little) the lemon juice. (Paprika can taste a little raw in a sauce if you don't fry it a bit first.)

Then in went 125 ml of rose wine (I'd have used white if I'd had any, but whatever...) and about 500 ml of chicken stock, and everything got stirred very well together.

After that, the duck got chucked in and the pot was covered and left to simmer for 45 minutes or so. Normally this would be the time a raw chicken would need to cook, and naturally the duck was well cooked already: but it seemed to me that another 45 minutes getting even more tender couldn't hurt it.

So that was what happened. At the end of 45 minutes, the duck was removed and set aside while I got busy with finishing the sauce. You lower the temperature in the big pot until the pre-sauce liquid is just barely simmering. Then to thicken it, you use about a cup of the thickest sour cream you can lay your hands on, with a third of a cup of flour beaten into it very well with a fork. At which point you should be able to do this with the fork:

Now you find a big balloon whisk and start whisking this mixture into the pre-sauce, sort of a tablespoon or two at a time...making sure each dose of sour cream + flour is very well beaten in, leaving no lumps, before adding the rest. When it's all in there, you very gently raise the heat, stirring or whisking occasionally, until the sauce starts to thicken. Then add the meat back in and let it warm through in there for a little while longer: ten or fifteen minutes should do it.

Assuming that people are ready to eat, you heat the spaetzle (and toss it with some butter), plate it up, and add the paprikahendl on top. And dig in.

...Anyway, that was my take. If you go googling for "paprikahendl", you will find many, many more recipes: some far less complex than this approach, some far more so. Pick one that suits you and see what you make of it. This one worked really well, though: so you might like to take a shot at it.

If you do: enjoy!

#paprikahenldl

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littlewigglers · 26 days

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Okay I’ve never asked on tumblr but I just found your page and I’m OBSESSED!!! I want to get/make a Vivarium/bioterrarium for millipedes and isopods and I can’t WAIT!! Please please if you have any advice at all, I’d love to hear it! Where to get supplies, the buggies themselves, how to handle them, what do you do if they get sick, how much space to they need for how many there are, etc? Your buggy babies are so cute!!

First off thank you! I love all my little guys as well <3

I ramble kinda a lot so I'll put this under a read more.

For advice I'm still very much a novice when it comes to keeping but I'll tell you what I can!

For tanks I got my glass ones second hand or ones made my the store I buy used to buy my millipedes from, you'd be surprised how cheap you can get a nice big one! For Acrylic THESE are the ones I've had the best luck with not warping BUT they sometimes have kinda blurry parts on the plastic, but still I'd say good for the price if you can't afford glass. I tape up some of the ventilation holes to keep more moisture in.

For soil that ISN'T bought from a specialist stores(Sometimes I can't afford it) I use Peat free compost, paired with leaves and rot wood I buy off ebay stores that sell bug/reptile products, I mix them together with some water and leave them in a tub for 1 week to soften up the leaves. Some people go out and get their own leaves and wood but I'm not really in an area to do that so I can't give advice on that. It's important to keep it moist BUT NOT WET!

Heat mat! You want one to put on the SIDE of the tank and not under it, just one would be enough. I have a timer plug for mine so they're on a few hours a day on and off all day. If you REALLY wanna spoil them then I've seen a few people use reptile headlamps.

For moss and plants I again just buy it off ebay in sheets and give it a cheap over to make sure there are no hitchhikers on it before I put it in the tank. It needs watered and looked after for a while for it to take to the tank. Carpet moss is mostly for looks while sphagnum moss is used to keep moisture in areas and should be water/sprayed often. I have a little fern plant in my tank rn they seem to leave alone. I know a lot of people use fake plants as well for decor!

You should make a point to put a little temp and humidity monitor in your set-ups as well. The special reptile ones can be expensive so I just but the little ones you put in rooms and have had no issues with them.

Don't forget to give them hides! Cork wood/bark or coconut shells are nice and cheap. You can also use man made items just make sure they can handle the moisture and aren't made of anything toxic to your new friends. Also give them little sticks and things to climb up on. Just make sure the lid is secured so they can't escape.

For food I just use kitchen scraps like carrot peel, cucumber, apples and melon, give them a cuttlefish bone and some dried tiny shrimps in small amounts once a week or so, but you can also use fish flacks instead. But remember! Leaf litter and rot wood is meant to be their main diet for most species.

For the millipedes I would recommend Ivory millipedes as a good starter one, they're lovely in colour and are often up top, hardy as well, and usually you can get them captive bred which I've had much higher survival rates with vs wild caught. For each species you'll have to look up their needs yourself though, there isn't a 100% catch all set up for all species. Woodlice/isopods I'd suggest dairy cows as they're lovely and also very easy to get a hold of. I will say species of Armadillidium(roly poly/pill bugs) are my fave and I'm very biased and want 500 of them.

For handling just be gentle! I wear gloves in a lot of my videos but that because I've incredibly sensitive skin and can't stand soil under my nails. The worse they can do to you is them staining your skin(not all species), or give you a little nibble. Make sure if you're handling to wash your hands off BUT be careful what hand soaps you use! Wash hands after as well some can be toxic to bugs from what I've heard.

For tank size hmm that's hard, usually you want soil as deep as their body but that can be hard, 10-15cm is what I aim for my BIG boys and 7-10cm for my others, deeper is better but sometimes you'll also just never see them again! You'll want a tank at least a few times longer than your pets body or at least big enough for them to filly stretch out in if you get really big millipedes like giants and a 120cm tank is just kinda unrealistic haha.

I do not have a lot of advice for if they get sick sadly, it's kinda of hard to tell honestly and usually when you can it's too late. I would just say don't beat yourself up too much if some pass away sometimes bugs just do that especially if you don't know their history.

Where to get them depends on where you're from and what you want. A ton of reptile/specialist stores will have wild caught which isn't great but they will have the largest range of species and usually also sell all the stuff you need to tank care of them. Ebay is where I've gotten most of my captive bred and I just message people if I've questions about their bugs there.

I think that's everything I can think of,

Again I'm a big novice when it comes to bugs, @onenicebugperday and @crevicedwelling likely know way more than me, though idk if they're open to questions but they likely already have a lot of info on their blogs.

#bug babbles #again! I'm a big novice still so please also do your own research online about this #just googling some things can help find some sites #more sites that sell them will info pages about the species you're buying as well

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strangebiology · 7 months

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Is living in a city worth it?

Conversation I had with a DC resident:

DC person: "I could never live in Boulder. Not enough stuff to do."

Me: "Like what?"

"City stuff."

"Like what?"

"Entertainment."

"Like what?"

"Restaurants."

Friends, there are probably over a thousand restaurants in Boulder, Colorado. And more things to do than you could ever do, especially if you remember it's right next to Denver and tons of amazing outdoor opportunities.

If you're paying $2k+/month to live in an "exciting" place, are you SURE you're excited by it? Did it take you three entire "like what's" to even be able to identify what you liked about it? How often do you go to these restaurants? How important are they to you?

I encourage you to have this conversation with yourself if you want to move and think you need a city. If you are paying $2k for an apartment you would have to pay only $500 for elsewhere, and you're doing it just for the restaurants, and you eat out once a month, that means you are paying $1,500 per restaurant meal (plus the cost of the meal.) You could drive two hours to save $1,500 each month.

I know that many things go into a choice as to where to live, but if you're undecided, I think you ought to consider how much of an impact "exciting" city life will really have on you, and if it's worth the costs. Money costs, quietness and privacy costs etc. If you have a job and even a passing interest in anything outdoors-related, or anything portable (like reading or art or most hobbies,) or friends or family with you, I doubt you'd be bored living more rurally. Look inward a bit.

(And yes, I've loved NYC and all the cities I've lived in too! I just worry that this idea of all non-cities being "boring" is too pervasive and based on weird logic that's not relevant to everyone. A lot of people spend their weekends in big, expensive cities drunk--guess what, we have alcohol here in Nowheresville too!)

#not biology #urban vs rural

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violettduchess · 14 days

Text

A/N: My first Ikevil fic! I loved Harry's route and figured why not ease into writing him by starting with a kiss 💋

Harrison x Reader

WC: 500

Note: I only tagged people who have previously asked to be tagged in everything. If you want to specifically be tagged in Ikemen Villains fics/headcanons, please let me know!

You might think that if you found a man reading by firelight, settled into an expensive leather Ottoman the color of burnished copper, he would be drinking whiskey. Or maybe wine. A rich Irish single malt or perhaps layered, velvety Merlot.

But not your Harry.

He’s drinking strawberry milk.

The sight of it has laughter bubbling out of you, a soft, almost musical sound and he looks up, his wintergreen eyes suddenly bright as he watches you set down your evening clutch and approach him. The missive he was reading slips from his long fingers, flutters down onto the thick burgundy carpet. There are other, far more important matters that require his attention now.

He reaches for you, strong hands gripping the line of your waist as you boldly straddle his lap, your voluminous maroon skirt spreading across him like a blossoming flower. His smile is slow and unhurried when you lean down, touching your forehead to his. You lock your fingers behind his neck, breathing in the familiar, tangy scent of mint.

“They kept you out far too late,” he murmurs, his voice enveloping you like the softest of cashmere.

“I’m here now,” you answer, falling into the pastel tenderness of his gaze, struck for the hundredth time by just how beautiful he is. You glance over at the glass of pale pink milk he’s set down on the end table. “How’s your nightcap?” You’re teasing him and he loves it.

Gently pulling you closer, his eyes flutter closed like a butterfly closing its brilliant wings. “C’mere and have a taste.”

His lips are sweet, like strawberries kissed by summer sunshine. His palms slide down to feel the curve of your hip through your skirt, his grip tightening, pulling you closer still. Your hands unlock and you wrap both arms fully around him, melting into the hard planes of his body. He kisses you slowly, as if he has all the time in the world, a hedonist indulging himself in the most heady of pleasures. He savors each kiss, languid and almost lazy in the movement of his lips, the slide of his tongue against yours.

“Harry…” His name, that cherished and precious word, is a whisper, a twinkle of starlight in the night. Twin tendrils of the softest affection and the brightest desire are twined around it. He drops his head, burying his face into the warm curve of your neck, pressing his lips against the place where your heart is drumming just for him. He doesn’t need to open his eyes because in your arms, there is nothing but truth. He feels it in the way your fingers push their way through his tawny hair. He hears it in the stuttering breath that escapes you. He tastes it on your lips and smells it on your skin.

He rises, effortlessly lifting you into his arms, holding you close against his chest as his long legs swallow the distance to your bedroom. You cling to him, press a kiss to his cheek as he carries you, not caring where you’re going.

After all, in his arms, you are always home.

Taglist: @alexxavicry @queengiuliettafirstlady @bellerose-arcana @thewitchofbooks @aria-chikage

@redheadkittys @tele86 @dear-mrs-otome @olivermorningstar @writingwhimsey

@mxrmaid-poet @silver-dahlia @wendolrea @nightfoxqueen @myonlyjknight

@ikesimpleton @ikemenlibrary @namine-somebodies-nobody @cellophanediamond @whatever-fanfics

@justpeachyteastea @chirp-a-chirp @got7igot7family @kookie-my-little-sunshine @mastering-procrastinating

@portrait-ninja @starlitmanor-network

#ikemen series #ikemen villains #ikevil #harrison gray #ikevil harrison #kiss fic #ikemen fanfiction #ikemen fanfic #otome fanfic #violettwrites

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