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kingofdesert · 4 years

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Legs rested on the table, a chalice in hand and its content swirling as conducted, a starlit sky his audience and company, and of course, his loyal right-hand man. A glance towards the object of recent obsession, The epic of Gilgamesh, a sigh passing smiling lips and the thoughts roamed free.

“ Do you think Gilgamesh deserved immortality, Daz? ” He had waited for the other to read it, for the other to participate in his musings, even if Daz was more of a listener than speaker.

“ No. ” Came the response that urged genuine laughter, a sound as rare as two identical grains of sand. He valued his honesty and straight-forwardness, the man wasn’t bothered by the same questions Crocodile was after all, and his interpretations unlike of many others mattered to him.

“ Because he was considered a violent king? Because he raped women? Because he defied the will of gods? Or because no one deserves immortality? ” Velvety liquid rolled on his tongue before being drank, leaving a pleasant taste in mouth. “ And yet the proof of his immortality is still right in front of us, his epic tales told for centuries. It just isn’t immortality he had wished for. Gilgamesh struggles with the concept of his own death, gaining wisdom on his journey to discover immortality and painfully realises that his goal is unattainable. His grim outlook on life forces him to accept his worst fear – that someday he will die. A life of luxury abandoned for years in search of unattainable it makes me wonder why Gilgamesh sought so strongly to be immortal when his life as a king, a judge, and an adventurer was ultimately gratifying. ”

What is it about immortality that people craved it so much in the first place? Why do they fear death? Then again, even Odysseus elected to return home to Penelope rather than remain in an island paradise with the beautiful nymph Calypso and become immortal. He was someone who was handed what Gilgamesh craved, and yet he found something much more important. Would Crocodile himself had gone for immortality if he had the chance? Or would he crave something else, something unattainable like he did before?

A look towards the outside as he stopped, sardonic smile on his lips. If that wasn’t a real question though. Why had he also searched for unattainable when he was aware he couldn’t have it? Was it just human nature at its best, was it arrogance or wish to chase after something? Even if it wasn’t possible, if there were no regrets and the person hadn’t given up, was that enough to make one’s life worth living? Would that have made him satisfied? Was that the idealistic thinking he had before? What a joke.

Everyone was afraid of something. Gilgamesh was of his death, Crocodile was...

“ Sometimes in order to overcome something, be it fear or your own twisted view on reality, you need the actual reality to hit you in the face. Only in that moment of lost hopelessness are you able to come to terms how wrong you actually are, and how little you actually matter. All beings are equal in death. Even if you can’t choose your own, in that instant moment when you die, when your brain shuts down, you’re the same as everyone else. A king and a slave die the same, gods and people die the same. If Gilgamesh had come to terms with this earlier, he could’ve spent the rest of his days ruling Uruk in fake happiness rather than depressing wild goose chase. What a foolish king. ”

Daz watched him walk towards the balcony, Crocodile’s arms resting on the balustrade and watching the city below, while the man’s eyes focused on the golden hook he left on the table. He was again thinking his boss let a whole weight behind every time he took it off, as if the golden hook that set him apart from the rest was a burden of previous regrets, or perhaps his own reminder of his own mortality. Most times it was hard to even guess what went in the man’s head. “ Fake happiness... Interesting choice of words. Because he didn’t have anyone to share it with? ”

Crocodile scoffed, what a simple way of understanding. He didn’t hate it though, that was how Daz was. It was what he liked about him. “ He had plenty of people to share it with, but the most important and valuable person to share it with wasn’t there anymore. ” Even if he had called him out for mourning his friend, he could never truly blame him for it. It was the most humane Gilgamesh was in the whole epic.

“ What happened to your Enkidu? ” Question that tickled the part of his brain he didn’t want unlocked, a reminder of pain he had felt and loss he had suffered. But he would indulge his friend, if only with bits he wanted to share himself.

“ Just like in the epic, Enkidu died. He died fighting by my side as my best friend and my brother-in-arms. Ever since I could remember I chose who to consider trustworthy and who to regard as a mere tool. My own family was just pebbles in my way, but not him, not my friends, not even those working for me. They all had value. ” He turned towards his friend, took the last sip of his wine before turning the golden chalice into dust. “ Your loyalty to me is most admirable, you should never tarnish it. You’re my friend, Daz, but you’ll never replace him. Nor do I want to replace him. As long as I’m alive he’s living in my memory palace, I still hear his voice, I still feel his touch. ” I still miss him, I still dream of him.

Daz nodded, he didn’t even ask for more, he was quite content with the friendship he shared with Crocodile in the first place. He smirked though, cherishing this rare moment when Crocodile would show his humanity. “ You’re softer than you look. ”

A hearty laugh in response, back against the balustrade and he focused on the city again, the light illuminating it and cheers of people. “ I just value the ones I deem worthy since I love the splendour of human soul. That’s all there is to it. ”

A moment of silence between two friends, a moment to think of the words uttered and their meaning, a peaceful moment that didn’t need breaking until Crocodile decided to break it, intruding on whatever thoughts Daz might’ve had. “ If you want to sit in a position where no one can sit, you have to withstand the feelings no one can withstand. I think Gilgamesh would agree with this. ”

After all, he knew why he loved and hated the epic of Gilgamesh. It felt like reading about himself, his own mistakes and failures, his own happiness and riches, the luxury and the fall. Yet, after all those losses he was still there, still alive and much wiser. A wiser king to rule his subjects, to start once again with goals he knew he was able to reach. A man who wouldn’t see a snake shading and think it was becoming younger, deluding himself in his own beliefs of something which doesn’t exist, or a man who wouldn’t grasp and eat the acquired plant when it would grant him what he desired, hesitating in the crucial moment.

Through his experiences he was able to reach that. That was all there was to it.

#♛ ʳᵘˡᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵈᵉˢᵉʳᵗ ⌜ ᶤᶜ ˢᵗᵃᵗᵘˢ ⌟#♛ ᶤᶠ ʸᵒᵘ ʷᵃᶰᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵖʳᵒᵗᵉᶜᵗ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰᶤᶰᵍ ᵖʳᵒᵗᵉᶜᵗ ᶤᵗ ʳᶤᵍʰᵗ ⌜ ᵏᵉᵉᵖˢᵃᵏᵉ ⌟#♛ ᵗʰᶤˢ ᶜᵒᵘᶰᵗʳʸ ʷᶤˡˡ ᵇᵉ ᵐᶤᶰᵉ ⌜ ᵐᵘˢᶤᶰᵍˢ ⌟#♛ ᶠᵒᵒˡᶤˢʰᶰᵉˢˢ ᶤˢ ᵃ ᶜʳᶤᵐᵉ ᵖᵘᶰᶤˢʰᵃᵇˡᵉ ᵇʸ ᵈᵉᵃᵗʰ ⌜ ᵖʰᶤˡᵒˢᵒᵖʰʸ ⌟#epic of gilgamesh #drabble #long post #tw: rape mention #[I really had to cut down on a lot of things because it would be easier to write a fic]#[he still loves this epic and hates it]#[he can finally go yap about other books]#[even though he'll probably get back to Gil again lmao]#[I am lazy to add my green format]#[just to be sure trigger warning is there]

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guinevere01 · 2 years

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TMA artists beware! I’m taking part in @fandomtrumpshate this year (a charity auction for fandom stuff, benefiting progressive causes) and I’ll be offering image descriptions! Have you been interested in making your art more accessible but aren’t you sure how to do it yourself? Do you have a huge backlog of posts but simply not the time or energy to go back and describe it all? Here’s your chance! I’ll describe 10 posts per $15 bid, for a maximum of 100 posts, though you’re of course welcome to bid higher. Bidding for the action is possible from February 23rd to 27th, but the auctions are already visible since yesterday (February 20th).

Here’s the link to my auction page.

This particular auction is for the fandoms: The Magnus Archives, Rusty Quill Gaming, and musicals. We can of course work out your preferred description format/amount of details together!

I’ve shown a few examples of my descriptions (as originally posted on my sideblog @mag170) of digital arts below (link with examples of physical and traditional art here). I asked and received permission from the respective artists to add each of these works to this post.

ID: a sketchy digital drawing of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood from The Magnus Archives. Jon is thin with long hair in a braid, a scruff beard, and wearing a fringed poncho. Martin is fat with shoulder length hair in a ponytail and wearing a t-shirt. Martin sits on a couch, holding a book in both hands and reading it aloud, a fond expression on his face. Jon sits sideways on the couch, his back against Martin’s side and his legs over the armrest. He has one hand in his lap, the other under his chin. His head is tilted backwards, his eyes are closed and he’s smiling. End ID

Art by @lo-fi-charming, description by me, original post here.

ID: a digital drawing of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood from The Magnus Archives shown from the waist up against a light grey background. Jon has brown skin, several scars, long wavy black hair with lighter streaks at the front, and a short beard. He wears a green sweater, a dark blue jacket with an ace and nonbinary button on the lapel, and an ace ring. He holds up his right middle finger, the one with the ace ring on it, to the camera. His head is tilted slightly backwards and he wears a lazy smile. Martin has light freckled skin, short wavy ginger hair with lighter streaks at the front, red round glasses, and a short beard. He wears a pale orange sweater, a brown jacket with tan fur at the neck and sleeve cuffs and an ace and trans button on the lapel, and an ace ring. He stands behind Jon with his right arm over Jon’s shoulder and gives the finger towards the camera. His other hand holds a steak knife, pointing upwards and glinting dangerously. He looks at the camera with a challenging, slightly smiling expression. Large white text at the top and bottom reads: “Yeah, we ace. Keep scrolling.” End ID

Art by @yellowvixen, description by me, original post here.

ID: a red toned digital drawing of Sasha James from The Magnus Archives against a dark grey static background. Sasha has brown skin and dark curly hair. She wears a necklace and an orange sweater tucked into red pants with a belt. She holds a book in one hand. Her face is completely hidden by glowing red spirals that originate behind her back. Over her chest is the text “What… What was she like?” Over her hip is the text “Who am I even sad for?” Both lines have a light, semi transparent background and are vertically mirrored, as well as shown another time beneath the text with a slight offset. End ID

Art by @bagginshield, description by me, original post here.

ID: a digital drawing of Jonathan Sims and Martin Blackwood from The Magnus Archives shown from the hips up. Jon is thin with brown skin, several scars, square glasses, and chin length wavy brown hair streaked with grey. He wears a dark green sweater and grey trousers. Martin is tall with light skin, short wavy ginger hair, and round glasses. He wears a pale yellow sweater vest over a button up and brown trousers. Martin has his arms around Jon, one hand on his lower back the other on his shoulder blade. Jon holds Martin’s head with both hands, one around each ear, and leans towards Martin. Both of them are laughing with their eyes closed. End ID

Art by @singersalvageart, description by me, original post here.

ID: a digitally drawn collage based on MAG 170 of The Magnus Archives. The background is a swirling blueish purple, the different shades forming fog-like tendrils. In the top left, dark tendrils against a lighter background form the silhouette of Martin, he has short curly hair and red round glasses. At the top right is in white the text “I am not lonely anymore.” Beneath it is a coloured drawing of Martin’s face, he has light skin, white hair that’s brown at the root’s, and slight stubble. He looks sad but determined. To the left of him is the text: “I want to have friends-” “I- No, I have friends.”

Then in the center, Jon’s hand grabbing Martin’s. Jon has warm brown skin, a white sleeve can be seen peeking out from beneath the green sleeve of his sweater. Next to Jon’s hand, at the very edge of the image, is the text “I’m in love.” Then, following the curve of their hands, “I am in love, and I will not forget that.” And in a larger font “I will not forget.” The word “not” is underlined.

The full quote is “I am not lonely anymore. I want to have friends- I- No, I have friends. I’m in love. I am in love, and I will not forget that. I will not forget.” End ID

Art by @thoriffix, description by me, original post here.

#the magnus archives #tma #accessibility #image described #charity auction #martin blackwood #jonathan sims #sasha james #fth #fth 2022 #reblogs are much appreciated!!

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helioark · 4 years

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A Guide to the Amber Woods

This blog, its writings, and its characters are all copyright to the author of this blog. All opinions and ideas expressed within are not guaranteed to be factual and are the product of the blog owner’s research and creativity. Trust not the Fae.

…

Where Am I?

Welcome to the Amber Woods. Currently located in the midst of the verdant depths of the Willamette Valley, the Amber Woods are the haunting grounds of an ancient, secretive Archfaerie, fallen from grace and on the run from his past. He answers to The Warden (or Cecil, if you’re on good terms) and he lives in a strange-looking cabin by the river, selling trinkets made of amber and glass for unusual forms of payment. The sun is red in the sky, and the shadows of the trees are long against the ferns. It’s hard to concentrate with the sound of the river so loud in your ears, which is odd, because you’re nowhere near it. You keep walking, because you came here for a reason.

What was it again?

Who’s Who?

The Author

Hi! My name is James, I’m the (very human) author of this blog. I hail from the misty locales of Oregon, where the rain is our sunshine and you end up in the town center of TIllamook no matter how many times you think you’ve left it. I’m a self-diagnosed mythology nerd and a semi-consistent creative writer with a love for horror and fantasy. I run this blog to practice my writing, interact with people who enjoy the topics I write about, and to give myself an outlet to express my love for the weird shit I find on the internet. Most posts that are not focused on faerie mythology, eldritch/occult stuff, or similar are the things that I post. Almost all of that content can be found under the hashtag [# not the warden], or if I’m lazy, no hashtag at all. If you want to ask me about my research, creative story lines, or just tell me about your day, my inbox is always open!

The Warden

The Warden is the character I run this blog as. He is my original creation, though he is heavily inspired by several Celtic, Irish, and British folkloric legends. In the Amber Woods canon, the Warden and I are separate people that exist at the same time. Almost all of the content that The Warden deals with is tagged [# the warden speaks].

The Warden will answer asks about the Fae, his past, or the occult, and does business through the inbox. It is not necessary to do business in order to ask a question, and asking a question does not require payment. If you wish to buy amber from the Warden, he will expect you to give him something valuable in return. The Warden will make a post with the hashtag [ # restocking] to announce that the inbox is open for amber selling, and a post with the hashtag [ # out of stock] to indicate that it is closed. As with all transactions with the Fae, mind your manners and your words. The Warden is kind but will not hesitate to rob you. General offerings are also appreciated, and will be used to make lunch. As with all faeries, follow the rules. Additionally, never mention crows.

If you would like to hear it, below is part of The Warden’s story. Also found below is the tag directory and some necessary disclaimers. I hope you enjoy your visit to the Amber Woods! If you don’t, well, that’s hardly our fault, is it?

. . .

The Warden is an ex-Archfaerie of the High Court of Summer, where he ruled at the right hand of the Midsummer Queen herself and was responsible for defending the Courts of Summer against defamation and attack. He hails from one of the first generations of the Aos Sí, born on the edges of the last great war between the Fomorians and the Tuatha Dé Danann, rescued from near certain death by Ghillie Dhu and given to his sister for safekeeping. He is the eighth child of the Last Great King, younger sibling to the seventh daughter, the powerful sídhe who would eventually come to rule the Summer Courts.

He ruled as commander of the armies of midsummer and guardian of the great emerald woods of the hills for nigh on six thousand years, becoming known to many humans as The Green Knight. The story of his downfall is not mine to tell, but after committing a great act of treason against the Queen, he fled the Summer Court and wandered the edges of the feywilds for another three thousand years, acquiring enemies and friends alike, hiding his face, never speaking his own name. Some say that the legend of Crom Dubh stems from this period, but the Warden denies this.

After some time, The Warden wandered a little too close to the edges of the world and discovered the truth of his past, hidden from him by his sister. He chased these threads of history into the twilight hell of the Gloaming Courts, and he currently refuses to tell anyone anything else about what happened then besides the fact that he stole an artifact of great power and barely escaped with his life. Using this artifact, the Amber Woods were created, and the Warden finds himself now haunting the forests of the Pacific Northwest, exchanging the bereft dreams and wishes of humans for amber. He hides from the Queen of Midsummer yet, but he swears that someday, he will reclaim his inheritance. How, I do not know.

…

How to Navigate the Woods

Taglist:

[ # the warden speaks]: Denotes a post that the warden has reblogged or added onto.

[ # not the warden / # the author speaks]: Denotes a post that I have reblogged or added onto out of character.

[ # machinations of the fae]: Denotes a post that describes an action, creation, or person belonging to faerie lore that isn’t about the warden.

[ # abominations of the fae]: Denotes a post about non-faerie cryptids, beasts, or other affronts to sensibility.

[ # teaching the mortals how to speak with faeries]: Denotes a post where someone breaks a rule of faerie etiquette in the ask box.

[ # under hill / # under hill and stone]: Denotes a post about the feywilds or faerie geography, usually.

[ # four courts under hill]: Denotes a post about the seasonal faerie courts.

[ # tales of the tuath de]: Denotes a post about or concerning Celtic, Irish, or Gaelic mythology.

[ # the unspoken rules of the amber woods / the unspoken rules]: Denotes a post that is part of the Unspoken Rules series, either about the Amber Woods or a mundane place

[ # amber sales]: Denotes a post about the selling of amber through the ask box.

[ # restocking]: Denotes a post about opening the inbox for amber sales.

[ # out of stock]: Denotes a post about closing the inbox for amber sales.

[ # fear not! / # be not afraid]: Denotes a post about angels.

[ # nicene lore]: Denotes a post about specifically Christian or Catholic lore.

[ # eldritch thread]: Denotes a post that interacts with several other eldritch or occult blogs.

[ # sigilcraft]: Denotes a post about the Author’s sigilwork.

[ # ____ cw]: Any content warnings will follow this format: (thing i’m content warning) cw. If you would like me to content warn a specific thing, message me.

[ # blogname]: Denotes a post specifically interacting with a blog.

[ # f scott fitzgerald’s reanimated corpse]: Denotes a post about F. Scott Fitzgerald’s reanimated corpse.

[ # hillkeeping]: Tagged onto any post that details changes made to the blog, its workings, and/or its lore.

I will add more as necessary.

…

Hillkeeping

This blog sometimes interacts with @thetatteredveil and @normal-horoscopes. It was inspired by both of these blogs and does not claim any canonicity within said blogs. Both blogs exist within the Amber Woods canon; none of their content is considered my intellectual property.

If you would like to create a blog or character within the Amber Woods canon, message me! I would love to work with other creators and writers.

As stated above, all information and creative licence posted within this blog cannot be considered consistently factual. I have done surface-level research on the common Gaelic, Irish, and Scottish folklore and mythology that forms the basis of my characters and stories. Check your facts and consult with experts, of which I do not consider myself one.

Finally, friends, be kind to each other and the world you live in. You have no idea what listens to you when you think you are alone.

#the amber woods masterpost #the warden speaks #the author speaks #long post cw #the amber woods lore

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spikemelikeavolleyball · 4 years

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iii : rules ( part two ) ( high low )

high low ; miya atsumu x fem! reader

i. ii. iii. iv. v. [masterlist.]

───── ❝ high low ❞ ─────

[name] [surname] was off limits--

except miya atsumu finds himself

flirting with danger and becoming

rapidly addicted to the sparks between

them.

what osamu doesn’t know won’t

kill him. will it?

───── ❝ high low ❞ ─────

tags; mafia au, sexual content,

violence, strong language, blood,

gore.

this chapter: alcohol,

miya atsumu (because he needs his

own warning label), suggestive content,

some violence.

───── ❝ high low ❞ ─────

three ; rules ( part two )

Your arrival in Japan, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed. While your guard detail--see “glorified babysitters”--had reassured you that the press wouldn’t have a chance to corner you into an interview, there was still some concern over people seeing you and hurting people in order to get close to you. It had happened once, before, the hour predating your first official collaboration with Wisteria. Your guard had gotten a black eye so awful that it had lasted for weeks. He had gotten a very hefty bonus for the trouble, though.

“I should have worn something more incognito,” you mumbled to yourself. The private jet’s bathroom mirror was floor length, so you had a good idea of how your outfit looked and what kind of presence it would give off. Most of the time, you would wear something cute or flashy to fuel your fan club’s activity--you were a sucker and liked browsing through their twitter feed on a private account--but today you weren’t feeling the energy for it. “I forgot I even had these.”

After rummaging around in your bags for something that was comfortable, and not sky high heels or chiffon or silk or outrageously expensive t-shirts and jeans, you had come across a pair of Osamu’s old Inarizaki High volleyball sweatpants. You hadn’t even thought twice about throwing them on and rolling the ankles up to suit your height, even though the name printed on one leg and the jersey number on the other would have your fans tracking him down like the bloodhounds they were. You matched them with a black hoodie, socks, and a mask to hide the irritation underneath your nose, but even then you still stood out like a sore thumb.

It had to be the way you stood, you thought, adjusting your stance to seem more lazy and laid back.

It didn’t work.

With a sigh, you exited the bathroom and found that your things had already been unloaded for you by your glorified babysitters. All that was left was your purse, which you snatched up and hooked over your shoulder, and your phone, which you glanced at and shoved into your pocket. It sunk down so far in the sweatpants pocket that you felt it bounce against the side of your thigh as you walked.

“Nice pants,” one of your guards teased, poking fun at the name printed on the leg. “You sure you don’t want to change them and avoid the media scrutiny?”

“I’m too tired to go back and find something else,” you hummed. One of the guards--there were three in total, at the request of Ushijima-san herself--held out a hand and helped you down the flight of stairs that were a bit too steep for your jetlagged brain to walk down in confidence. “What are we driving in today, my good men?”

“Might I suggest the classic Phantom?” one of them joked, falling into formation when you began walking down the flight portal. “Just kidding. We’re taking the Audi today, since you want to be low profile this afternoon.”

“Good.” You had missed riding around in your trusty Audi; not that a Ferrari or Lamborghini was something to scoff at, but you missed the frugal lifestyle you had when you were in highschool. Once your career took off, you rarely struggled for anything and college had been a breeze. Though, you had no clue what you were going to do with a nuclear engineering degree now that your modeling gig paid more than that ever would. “Make a stop for some cheap drug store coffee and we’re all set.”

“I’ll add it to the memo.”

Before you could open your mouth once more and ask if you could stop by a nearby pastry shop and stuff yourself full of crepes and cake, you entered the main terminal and were immediately bombarded by cameras flashing and people yelling.

“[Name]-sama! We love you!”

“I LOVE YOU!”

“What do you have to say about Wisteria’s latest lingerie line? Do you think these styles should be changed to reflect Japanese standards?”

“[Name]! What are your thoughts on the funding cuts to the women’s centers all around the world?”

That last one caught your attention. You continued to smile behind your mask and wave, shoving a pair of sunglasses over your eyes, and mimed blowing kisses to the adorable teenage girls holding posters that had ‘you’re my idol’ scrawled over the front. You spotted Kuroo and Sayaka standing somewhere near the back, mostly due to Kuroo’s giant rooster hair, and blew double handed kisses to them as well, although the fanboys in the front thought it was for them and nearly fainted on the spot.

You watched them sway with a chuckle, then watched Sayaka grab the kisses and press them to her heart with a goofy wink.

“Hey, Julio?” You didn’t look at the guard as you made your way to the revolving doors in front, watching Kuroo and Sayaka make their way outside to where your car had been parked out of view. “Remind me to send a donation to that women's wayhouse charity by the end of today.”

“Isn’t that a job for your assistant?”

“Nope. I fired her.” You shrugged when the guard fixed you with a bewildered look. “What? She stole my nice Louboutins. And had a gangbang in my house in Calabasas, but we don’t talk about that incident.”

The cleaning crew you had send to bleach down that place had cost you a pretty penny--but Daishou had been kind enough to text you the number of his go-to cleaners (you didn’t ask why, nor did you want to know, but you had an inkling) and had requested that you send him the number of one of your cute co-workers as payment. Needless to say, you had, and that girl had come to work brighter than a lightbulb on Christmas, unusually chirpy and walking just a little bit funny. Your text to Daishou later that day had been along the lines of,’Dear God, Daishou, what did you do, break the poor girl’s hips?’

His reply had been typical of him. ‘It wasn’t anything she didn’t ask for ;)’

Your face of disgust had been timed perfectly. You had been sitting outside, eating a parfait--vegan, of course, due to your diet that you planned to ignore in favor of eating all of the meat you could get your hands on (pun might not be intended)--right in front of someone taking candid shots of you for a drama magazine. Your face had been plastered all over Twitter, with some people going as far as to send hate to the nice place you had gotten your dessert from. You had nipped that little situation in the bud, clarifying it was a text that made you make that face and not the dessert, although you didn’t help things when you had been forced to eat a green tea flavored one to prove that you weren’t lying.

The forced smile you had made to the starstruck owners had been enough to sear it into your memory for eternity.

“[Name]!” Sayaka’s high pitched exclamation knocked you out of your fantasies of parfaits and coffee. She nearly knocked you down with a hug strong enough to make your spine pop. “I missed you so much! You have to tell me how Moscow was! Did you have a good time? And oh my gosh, you just have to see Osamu’s shop, it looks amazing!”

You smiled guiltily at her at that last part, but didn’t say a word. Osamu had asked you to pick out the tiling and countertops, unwilling to trust his own sense of color theory--it was really just awful--and even the tables, which you discreetly paid for and blew off as an anonymous donation. He knew it was you, of course, because who had enough money to pay for genuine marble tables, but he had been kind enough not to say it to your face. Yet.

“One thing at a time, Sayaka,” you laughed, returning her hug with gusto. You then moved on to Kuroo, who wrapped an arm around your neck and scrubbed his knuckles into your once perfectly curled hair. “Damn it, Kuroo! What was that for? I just wanted a hug!”

The former Nekoma captain fixed you with a mischievous grin. “That was for dropping twenty thousand dollars into our account without asking for permission.”

Ah--another one of your random acts of generosity at three in the morning while slightly tipsy. You had Kuroo and Sayaka’s banking passwords and they had yours in case anything happened to them or you, especially with the connections the former Yakuza member had and still kept to this day. You had written them into your will, as well as Osamu, and your fortune would be split between the three of them if you died or wound up missing. Even the contract all of you signed was legally binding.

“What can I say?” You shrugged when Sayaka looped an arm around your waist, tugging you to your Audi. “I saw that you’d been getting a little low and your college bills were running high. I decided to chip in, like the good friend I am. And no, you can’t give it back.”

“You know I don’t like taking your money,” Sayaka whined. “I can make my own just fine.”

You sent an accusing glance her way, followed by a glance to her stomach when Kuroo shook hands with one of your guards. She had the sense to look ashamed at not telling you, at least. “A waitress gig won’t take care of that. And while I’m sure Kuroo makes enough for both of you, I’d like to be a responsible woman and at least pay for your wedding.”

From behind you, Kuroo laughed. “Who said we’re getting married?”

“Yeah,” Sayaka said, her tone slightly dimmer than before. You patted her back in comfort and turned your head around to glare at Kuroo, who was only mildly taken aback by the ferocity--he only realized what he had said as you were collapsing into the backseat of your car, squeezing into the opposite window seat as your two friends followed.

When neither of them opted to break the silence that had developed, you unlocked your phone and shot Osamu a quick text.

'Osamuuuu, what are you doing?'

When he showed no sign of replying, you sighed and locked your phone again, turning your gaze to the couple sitting awkwardly beside you.

“Hey, driver, can we stop by McDonalds?” You waved your hand towards the giant yellow ‘M’ down the street--which was also, coincidentally, packed with people. “I want something to eat.”

“Yes ma’am,” he replied, switching lanes and jerking Sayaka into Kuroo. You grinned at him through the mirror and he did it again; you loved it when your guards pitched in on your plans. “Drive-thru?”

“No, I think I’ll eat inside,” you winked, and his turn into the parking lot was rough enough to jostle all three of you. “Coffee and hot fudge sundaes, here I come!”

By the time the guards signaled you that they were done arguing maybe an hour and a half later, you had--admittedly--stuffed yourself far too much on ice cream and piping hot syrup. It would require a harsh workout to get all of the calories off, which you knew Wakkun wouldn’t mind helping you out with since he had a game soon, but you couldn’t bring yourself to regret it as you popped a french fry into your mouth on the way out.

“Are we done?” You asked, grinning at Kuroo and Sakura from between your guards. You could practically feel the stares from two men sitting at the outside tables, one of them on your legs and the other right on your face. “Then let’s get going. I need a nap before I can do anything else.”

As you gave Sayaka and Kuroo their food--both of them grinning at you and nudging you playfully--you locked eyes with one of the men sitting at the table.

And, unknowingly, you had just broken one of Osamu’s most important rules.

You just didn’t know it yet.

#haikyuu #haikyuu!!#mafia au #miya atsumu x reader #miya atsumu #miya atsumu x you #miya atsumu x y/n #one sided #miya osamu x reader

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crooked-sleep · 4 years

Text

Day 12 - Beginning of the End [Pt. 2]

hello!! last gift today (anonymously, at least) — man i can’t believe it’s over! i have had so much fun this year and it’s honestly been so great, and i really hope we can become friends after this!!!

warnings: nsfw; top!dean and bottom!sam; more fluff than you know what to do with. apologies if there are any formatting errors, btw, i wrote this one in my notes app because my wifi is total shit today and i’m leeching off my dad’s hotspot.

—

Dean is putting the finishing touches on the chicken he’s just taken out of the oven when he hears the characteristic rumble of the Impala’s engine. Good, Sam’s home. and hopefully he remembered the pie and the beer. The rest of the grocery Dean can go without — who needs that much milk anyway? — but pie and beer are absolutely crucial.

He hears the bunker door clang shut, and a moment later Sam calls out, “Dean?”

“In here!” Dean yells back, sprinkling the last of the garnish on the chicken.

Two seconds later Sam appears in the entrance to the kitchen, hair messy and cheeks pink from the wind outside. He’s got two brown bags balanced in one arm and a plastic-covered platter of pie in the other, and Dean immediately makes grabby hands at it. “Gimme!”

Sam hands it to him, rolling his eyes, and Dean sets it down on the counter before taking the rest of the bags from Sam. Sam clears his throat expectantly, tilting his head, and it takes Dean a second to remember what he’s supposed to do. “Right, yeah,” he mumbles, and then kisses Sam’s cheek.

Sam beams, satisfied, and then says, “Chicken looks great.”

“It better, the seasoning was a pain in the ass,” Dean says as he puts the grocery away. “How about you go get rid of your coat and then we can start, huh?”

“Um,” says Sam, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I’m good, man, I’m starving. Let’s start now.”

Dean frowns. “You sure, man?”

Sam nods so quickly his hair flies. “Yeah, yeah I’m sure,” he rambles. “Chicken looks amazing, man, why wait? Let’s have it right now.”

Dean narrows his eyes at his brother. “Yeah?” he says. “I don’t know, man, I’m smellin’ a rat. What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Sam says at once.

“I don’t believe you,” Dean tells him squarely.

And then Sam’s coat meows.

There is silence for a few moments, during which Sam’s face goes from “I am innocent please believe me” to “Oh no I see you getting suspicious” and finally settles on “okay okay fine I might be a little guilty.” Dean narrows his eyes further and crosses his arms, waiting Sam out. Sam bites his lip, eyes impossibly wide and soft, and Dean feels himself beginning to go weak at the knees.

Don’t, he tells himself. He wants you to give in. Resist, dammit!

But fuck, not even the most monstrous creature on the planet could resist Sam when he looks this fucking sweet and innocent, and Dean is only human.

He’s just about to give in when Sam’s coat meows again, and that, for some reason, makes Sam cave first. “Okay, okay, fine!” he says, and pulls out an honest-to-God kitten from his coat pocket. It’s so impossibly tiny that Sam’s hands cover it completely, almost as if he’s afraid Dean’s gaze will vaporize it.

“Sam?” Dean says, deadpan. “Were you seriously trying to smuggle a whole-ass kitten past me?”

“I couldn’t not rescue him, okay, he’s so small!” Sam says defensively, cradling the kitten to his chest. “It’s so cold outside and he was all alone and I didn’t see his mom anywhere and I felt bad, okay!”

“Sammy,” sighs Dean. “You brought home three dogs last month. The month before that it was a fucking rooster. And now a cat? You wanna make our home a zoo? Is that what this is?”

“He’s so tiny, Dean,” Sam says earnestly. “He won’t survive on his own. I couldn’t just leave him.”

The puppy eyes have been upped to 11. Dean hadn’t even thought that possible. The last time Sam had looked like this he’d been literally five and begging for ice cream. Dean’s knees are weak again, dammit, even though he’d told himself a rooster and a puppy ago that he was going to be stronger the next time.

“Please?” Sam says, and has the audacity to stick his bottom lip out a little. “I promise he won’t bother you, Dean. You won’t even know he’s there.”

“That’s what you said when you got Alan,” Dean reminds him, referring to the rooster. “Now he wakes me up every morning by screaming. It’s also what you said when you got Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I didn’t say a thing when you gave them all geek names, and now there ain’t a single slipper unchewed in this house.”

“Well, Bruce won’t scream or chew your slippers, I swear!” Sam says.

“Bruce?” Ahh, fuck it, Dean is disgustingly weak. “You named him after Batman?”

Sam nods. “Yeah. Wanna see?” He holds his hands out, letting Dean look.

The last of Dean’s resolve crumbles at the sight of the kitten, so damn small and — fuck it, adorable. He is so dark that he looks like a little piece of the void, resting in Sam’s hands, tiny body rising and falling with each breath. His eyes are bright green, and despite himself, Dean finds himself falling in love.

“Can we keep him?” Sam asks softly.

Bruce looks up and lets out the tiniest of yawns before stretching and settling again in the palm of Sam’s hand. Dean notices the look on Sam’s face as he watches the kitten, and sighs inwardly. No way he can refuse something that makes Sam look like that, so genuinely carefree and happy.

“Yeah,” he says in the end. “We can keep him. But no more strays,” he adds.

“Promise,” Sam says at once, and then beams at Dean. “Thank you, thank you so much!” Covering Bruce with his other hand, he leans in and puts a messy kiss on the corner of Dean’s mouth.

“Yeah, yeah,” says Dean, already knowing that this isn’t the last stray, not by a long shot. Damn Sammy and his soft spot for all lost and helpless things. “That cat better behave, or it’s your ass on the line. Come on now, let’s eat before it’s cold.”

—

Dean’s lying in bed reading when Sam enters. Without looking up he asks, “Everything all right?”

“Yeah,” Sam answers softly. “Alan and the dogs love Bruce.”

“Good,” says Dean distractedly, still mostly focused on the article he’s reading about Chevelles. “You gonna come to bed now?”

Instead of responding, Sam plucks the iPad out of Dean’s hands, locks it, and puts it aside. That succeeds in getting Dean’s attention. He looks up, and immediately his mouth goes dry.

Sam is naked, hair damp and curling around his face, and he’s got that soft, needy sort of look in his eyes that Dean can never resist. Without waiting for Dean to respond, he climbs up on Dean’s lap, straddling his thighs, and hooks his fingers in the waistband of Dean’s pajama pants.

“Can I?” he asks, before going any further.

Dean swallows, and nods.

Sam smiles down at him, and pulls down his pajama pants. Dean raises his hips a little to help Sam. His cock is already half-hard, his body responding to Sam’s weight on him.

Sam leans in and kisses Dean, hands already working on stroking Dean to full hardness. “Thank you,” he whispers between kisses. “You never say no to me. For anything.”

“Can’t,” Dean confesses, placing his hands on Sam’s waist and stroking his thumbs up and down Sam’s hipbones. “Never could say no to you, baby.”

Sam smiles, small and intimate, and kisses the bridge of Dean’s nose. “I appreciate it, you know,” he tells Dean. “I always do.”

“I know,” Dean tells him with a crooked grin. “That’s why I’m getting laid right now.”

Sam laughs at that. “No, that’s not why,” he tells Dean, and then puts his hands on the headboard, bracing himself as he raises his hips off Dean’s lap.

“Wait, don’t you need prep?” Dean asks, hands still on Sam’s waist as he positions himself.

Sam shakes his head. “Did it already,” he tells Dean, and then sinks down, taking all of Dean in one go. Dean moans at that, head falling back against the headboard. “Wanted to be ready for you,” Sam says, and wriggles a little.

“Too damn good to me, you know that?” Dean groans, tilting his head forward to kiss Sam’s collarbone. “Always know what I want, what I need. I never haveta say a damn word.”

Sam rolls his hips, earning a bitten-off groan from Dean. He’s tight, always is, just the way they both like it, and no matter how many times they do this, to Dean it never stops feeling like he’s coming home. He trails his hands upwards from Sam’s waist, caressing his sides, and brushes two fingers lightly over one nipple. Sam sighs at that, his entire body flushing. All these years and it never ceases to amaze Dean how sensitive Sam still is to his touch.

“Dean,” Sam says, sounding a little breathless. He hasn’t stopped moving since he sat down on Dean’s cock — rolling his hips, bouncing a little, arms bracketed on either side of Dean’s head. His cock rubs against Dean’s shirt, leaving a damp trail of precome that Dean just can’t bring himself to care about.

“Yeah, Sammy,” he says, grabbing Sam’s waist again and holding it so he can thrust up and meet Sam halfway. “Yeah, baby.”

Sam presses his lips together as he bows his head, hair falling into his face. He bites out a moan when Dean thrusts up into him again, and that’s how Dean knows he’s hit Sam’s sweet spot.

“Again?” he asks.

Sam nods. “Please,” he says, so close to begging already. “Please, Dean.”

Dean kisses him, long and slow and absolutely filthy, pressing his tongue into Sam’s mouth and taking control. Sam lets him, his hands falling to Dean’s shoulders, and Dean lightly flicks one of Sam’s nipples, grinning when Sam moans into the kiss.

He could gladly do this all night, he thinks dazedly. Just sit here and tease Sam, coax these lovely reactions and those gorgeous moans from him, inch him to the edge until he’s sobbing Dean’s name and begging to come. They’ve done it before, on lazy days and lazier nights, no hurry and no rush, no obligation to the world outside or even any awareness of it. These moments always make Dean feel like the two of them are the only people in the world, and no one else matters.

No one else could ever matter, he thinks, compared to Sam, his beautiful, sweet Sammy. For the rest of their lives, for all the rest of eternity.

He steadies Sam with a hand on his hip and then thrusts up hard into him, taking control of their movement. Sam lets him, giving himself over completely, and Dean tangles his free hand into Sam’s hair, pulling a little as he fucks into Sam. His little brother loves it, head thrown back as he moans, loud and uninhibited, and the sound goes straight to Dean’s cock.

“God, Sammy,” he breathes out. “So beautiful like this, you know that? So damn pretty.”

Sam doesn’t look capable of replying with words. His hands tighten in the fabric of Dean’s shirt at his shoulders, and his legs are shaking, thighs quivering around Dean’s waist, and Dean knows he’s close.

“It’s okay, darlin’,” he tells Sam, kissing the side of his neck. “Come.”

“I’ll ruin your shirt,” Sam gasps out. His eyes are closed and he seems lost in pleasure, cheeks flushed and nipples hard, lips bright red and parted.

“Mm, don’t care,” Dean tells him, fucking him hard and fast and taking care to hit the spot that he knows will make Sam come apart. “Come, Sam.”

And Sam does, spurting hot and sticky in the space between them, making a mess of Dean’s shirt as he predicted. His whole body seems to contract, tightening further around Dean, and that’s more than enough for him — one thrust, two, then three and he comes too. Sam whimpers at the sensation of Dean’s come inside him, Dean’s hand still in his hair, and then goes boneless, collapsing on top of Dean.

“Hey,” Dean chuckles, wrapping his arms around Sam and kissing the side of his head. “Get up, Sasquatch, you’re heavy.”

Sam mumbles something inaudible but he rises, sliding off Dean’s softening cock and off to the side. Dean takes his shirt off, using it to clean up Sam’s belly, thighs and ass, and then throws it to the ground. “C’mere,” he tells Sam as he slides down the bed so he’s lying down, and wraps an arm around Sam from behind, pulling him into his chest.

Sam lets himself be wrapped in Dean’s embrace, his fingers tangling with Dean’s on his belly. His body is loose, relaxed, his head heavy, and Dean knows he’s half-asleep already. That’s one thing that has never changed in all these years — there’s no better sleep aid for Sam than some good old-fashioned fucking.

There’s one thing Dean wants to know, though. “Hey,” he says.

“Mm?”

“You said this wasn’t just to say thanks,” Dean reminds him. “What was it for?”

“‘S our anniversary,” Sam tells him sleepily.

Dean frowns. “No, that’s not today.”

“No, not us,” Sam clarifies, wriggling backwards until there’s no space between his back and Dean’s chest. “Retirement. Been a year.”

“Oh.” Dean blinks. He had no idea it’d been that long already. “Man, time really flies, huh?”

“Mm-hmm,” Sam hums in agreement. “Let’s hope we get many more.”

“Yeah,” says Dean, and tightens his hold on Sam. He doesn’t say it out loud, but even if Billie were to come for them tomorrow — or, hell, right this instant — he’d die a happy man. He’s lived his life, he’s done his part, and now he’s got nothing to do but live. And maybe this isn’t the conventional apple pie life he wanted, but it’s real, and he gets to spend it with the love of his life, his damn soulmate — and that’s better than anything he could ever have asked for.

—

And he doesn’t reconsider it even when Sam brings home a fucking parakeet two months later, though he’s sorely tempted to. Still, he figures, watching in resignation as Sam tries to train Joshua the parakeet to say “Cristo” — it’s still perfect. His life, despite the alarming amount of animals in it now, is perfect.

And then Sam catches him looking, and smiles, wide and so beautiful and bright and radiant, and Dean thinks, fuck it. There’s not a damn thing he would change about any of it. There’s not a damn thing that needs changing.

They’ve got all the time in the world.

—

so there it is!! i’m not gonna say the end, because i really do not want it to be. instead i’m just gonna say thank you, for all the fun i’ve had and for how much you’ve made me smile with your wonderful comments and your general sweetness. i really truly hope we can continue to be friends even though wincestmas has now come to an end.

lots and lots of love, wincestmas anon (who will soon not be anonymous at all) ❤️

____

@thelegendofwinchester MY FRIEND! I’m so glad we found each other! This was the most amazing end to Wincestmas that I could have asked for! I just need one thing. What did Bruce look like? Was he orange and striped by any chance? (I’m j/k. But really, I DO want to know.)

This has been the MOST fun! I’m so glad we became friends on this amazing journey. You are stuck with me forever. And now, of course, I’m going to write a “just because” fic for youuuuu. (So let me know what you like!)

This was honestly the sweetest thing and I’m so happy that I participated in this challenge. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making my start to 2020 so fun and Wincesty! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

#wincestmas #12daysofwincestmas #I finally get to meet my santa and they are AMAZING #wincest #wincest fic #wincest curtainfic #all the wincest feels #submission

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sonata-ffxiv · 5 years

Text

Rhapsody - LFRP - Mateus

Rhapsody Takatsukasa - Mateus

**Bard - Archaelogist - Researcher **

Age: 24

Birthday: 1st Sun of the 6th Astral Moon

Race: Au Ra - Raen

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Heteroflexible

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Marital Status: Single

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE –––

Hair: Green with red highlights

Eyes: Left - Violet/Right - Teal

Height: 5’7

Build: Slender, muscled.

Distinguishing Marks:

• Sigils of black hue on her back and downward around her hips and belly - not always visible in normal vision but hidden.

Common Appearance: Long duster of grey hue, gloves, and fedora or other hat usually worn when on the job. Bow usually worn with lute also slung over a shoulder at times as space and work allows. Cadel, her small dragonet, is usually perched on a shoulder.

PERSONAL –––

Profession: Bard, Archaeologist, Reader of Cards

Hobbies: Music, Dance, The Way of Tea (Ceremonies, etc.)

Languages: Eorzean, Doman

Residence: Under the Stars, laboratory, whatever Inn she finds locally when travelling.

Birthplace: Small valley in the far east.

Religion: Private

Patron Deity: Oschon, the Wanderer

Fears: Being consumed by one of the artifacts that she pursues and studies, much like her sister might have been.

RELATIONSHIPS –––

Spouse: None

Children: None

Parents: Both are alive and living in the small valley where her clan resides.

Siblings: Brothers and a sister.

Pets: Cadel, her small dragon.

TRAITS –––

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between / Inpatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION —

Smoking Habit: No

Drugs: No

Alcohol: Occasionally/Socially

RP HOOKS —

- Relic Hunting/Tomb Raiding/Artifacts - She is interested in these for finding and studying various artifacts of interest, no matter what the cultural background or other origins might be in most cases. She also has been known to tomb raiding, though is sure not to disturb spots better left as sacred to someone or something (in most cases).

- Bardic tradition/skills - She loves to collaborate with other musicians, dancers, actors and anyone into music and the arts. She also collects stores/tales of the world and people for her own interest, to preserve knowledge and as song material.

- Other stuff is possible so if you have an idea, just suggest away. I love plots and other things.

RANDOM DETAILS –––

As a bard, she tends to wander as is and with artifact research as well... she travels. Rhapsody left the Far East regions of Hingashi (and Doma) with a small group originally that served the Shogunate that her family was tied to. Some things occurred, and she did not return home with her brothers, but stayed here after being given a mission of sorts by her missing sister. She was fascinated by the world of the 'west' and the stories to be found there. She currently works for Liberty Industries as a researcher with offering her skills toward archaeology and anything else that might be in her skill set. Her current project is seeking a ring that has gone missing and should be retrieved before it falls into the wrong hands.

Her personality tends to be serious about her work and when needed. She has a good sense of humor and an appreciation for the such, especially even at her own expense. With the dangerous nature of her tomb raiding at times, she has found that life is too short to be entirely full of one's self.

CONTACT INFORMATION –––

You can PM me on Tumblr @starlogica or @rhapsody-ffxiv, and I am also on discord. If interested, just ask me for that information for an add, and let me know who you are too.

I am also in game at the same name as the character on Mateus for FFXIV.

(Note - Some of the formatting of this post might look awkward as I realize on retrospect. My apologies!)

@mooglemeet

#Character Background #Character Traits #FFXIV RP #Final Fantasy XIV Roleplay #Mateus #Mateus LFRP #Mateus RP #Rhapsody Takatsukasa #Rhapsody-FFXIV #Starlogica #lfc #CHARACTER; Mateus #FFXIV LFRP

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deeperforme · 6 years

Text

Reviews of Five Hypnosis Books You Can Buy for Kindle (+ Douche-O-Meter)

I wrote this a few years ago on my blog, reposting because @ragezdasta asked about some of these books and because I’m proud of this effortful writing, from when I was living among the mountains of Italy with no IRL access to hypnotic community. Luckily my life is very different now! But glad I did the reading (I also reviewed Mind Play, Look Into My Eyes, Hypnotize Your Lover, and Hypnotic Realities).

My Voice Will Go With You: The Teaching Tales of Milton H. Erickson

- Edited and with Commentary by Sidney Rosen

Tone:

Folksy, paternalistic anecdotes and worshipful commentary

Valuable for:

Another dose of Erickson and his powerful approach to the unconscious mind, although little that can't be found in a better form in Hypnotic Realities.

Some nice stuff if looked at purely as folksy life wisdom: "When dealing with a problem of difficulty make an interesting design out of it. Then you can concentrate on the interesting design and ignore the back-breaking labor involved."

Many examples of Erickson's conversational, storytelling method of therapy, where the patient's unconscious absorbs the point of sometimes apparently pointless stories (there's some good examples of confusion and boredom being used).

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

4. I have a hard time with Erickson's quite explicitly paternalistic orientation. Richard Bandler writes, "He only had five goals for people to get well: get out of the hospital, get a job, get married, have children, and send him presents. That was his definition of a cure." It's nice to believe in all-wise gurus, who will forcibly steer your life for your own good, but with statements like "acne can be cured by removing all mirrors" and that he got someone to win an olympic gold medal by telling them "It would be all right,” to do so, he was at least partly full of shit. And that's in an account from inside the cult! One from outside (reported by Bandler): "Virginia [Satir] had met Milton and thought he was creepy and didn’t want anything to do with him." More than a couple of the stories he tells involve a woman getting her breasts out during the session - and he makes sure to remark on the attractiveness level of almost every single female patient.

I could only find one story Erickson tells where he did not effect a miracle cure: a woman who came to him about weight loss.

In the case of the woman who was not motivated, this was also easily determined when she would not follow the simple suggestion of climbing Squaw Peak. Erickson had already guessed that she was lazy and self-indulgent when he saw her general demeanor, which included the ostentatious, artificial fingernails. ... After she had left, the group was interested in why Erickson had asked her to climb Squaw Peak. Did he want her to “get in touch with her own feelings”? Did he want her to accomplish a task successfully? His answer, surprisingly, was “So she would obey me.”

Since the book uses his own words, I could at least get a hint of his calm mastery and charisma. But as his transcriber writes, "Erickson was really quite comfortable with power."

Hypnotic language example:

“Did you know that every blade of grass is a different shade of green?”

The bottom line:

Good reading when you've run out of other Erickson books, and have braced yourself for the plunge into the cult of personality.

Richard Bandler's Guide to Trance-formation

Tone:

Half university lecture, half ego-tastic rant.

Valuable for:

Step by step therapeutic devices, e.g. "Changing Feelings by Dissociation", usually in the form of a series of visualizations. I doubt that they all work as powerfully as advertised, but they're set out in good detail so you could try for yourself.

A nice glossary/manual of Ericksonian techniques at the back (which you can get from Hypnotic Realities, but not as organized - very much unlike Erickson, he is a systematizer)

Lots of powerful hypnosis advice. "the truth is, you speak in a monotone if you’re going to speak incongruently. If you speak congruently and slowly and inflect your voice downward where you give commands, people will respond much more intensely."

Bandler is the source (loudest if not the first) for a number of ideas we now teach as fact, like about the unconscious not processing negations.

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

5. I was put in mind of L. Ron Hubbard for the level of dubious self-aggrandizement: he describes himself as a mathematician and computer scientist as well as a psychologist, and he brags about curing allergies, schizophrenia, and holocaust trauma. Having tasted blood with NLP, he introduces his freshly trademarked Design Human Engineering (DHE) and Neuro-Hypnotic Repatterning (NHR). He's extraordinarily bitchy to Erickson, who Bandler asserts never did the handshake induction correctly: "Since he was paralyzed, he couldn’t have carried out the movements as smoothly and as rapidly as is required. But I do credit him with giving me the idea."

Hypnotic language example:

“You’re sitting back in the chair, your feet are on the ground, your hands in your lap . . . and you can start to feel more relaxed.”

The bottom line:

Something of a greatest hits collection from a master, who it seems is second only to Erickson in constructing the foundation for modern hypnosis - and yet before reviewing my notes, I mostly remembered the bad impression.

Monsters and Magical Sticks: There is no such thing as hypnosis?

- Stephen Heller and Terry Steele

Tone:

Bragging and hectoring.

Valuable for:

The message that hypnosis permeates daily life and interaction - at least by their definition of hypnosis as "any transaction and communication that causes an individual to go into their own experiences and call upon their own imagination in order to respond". They write:

hypnosis is a form of education. Ideas, beliefs, possibilities, fantasies, and much more, may be “suggested” and, if accepted, and acted upon several times, they may become a conditioned part of your behavior.

The authors argue that we spend most of our lives reacting in an unconscious way. To be more functional we have to learn to detect these patterns, and when necessary, break them.

A lot of interesting material about people's different modalities (e.g. visual, auditory), and the idea that therapeutic ends can be reached by moving people between modalities. This is one of a number of specific technical procedures that are described, as in Bandler's book.

Douch-o-meter (1-5):

5. Full of hero psychiatrist stories, more dubious than the other books. There are soberly presented anecdotes about parental mistreatment causing someone to become a homosexual (when, after playing doctor with a girl, a boy is beaten, he learns "It is bad to do this with girls, but it is OK to do it with boys.") or a slut (when a girl told her mother "no", her mother said, "Don’t you ever say ‘No’!" so now she can't say no to men) And this from a book published in 1987! And these authors may be the two unfunniest people in the world: "I am now going to go out on a limb. I hope that you will refrain from sawing it off while I am perched upon it." Finally, I consider their attempts to use to use dumb NLP devices on the reader extremely tacky. ("You may wish...now...to utilize the above example..." etc)

Hypnotic language example:

"Can you remember a time you took a ride by yourself and really enjoyed the scenery or a time you were working on your hobby and felt pleased. That's a nice feeling isn't it."

The bottom line:

Read to me like a photocopy of a photocopy of Erickson, except nearly illiterate (a chapter title is "Reality...Really???"), but with something to say about the unconscious.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Hypnosis

- Roberta Temes

Tone:

Basic, and reassuring.

Valuable for:

A lot of basic information that checks out with everything else I've read and experienced. It's a curious book for how it specifically tells you not to hypnotize people (not without a degree of some kind), and yet provides step-by-step instructions that would help to do it. But ostensibly the focus is on self-hypnosis, and on preparing you for a visit to a hypnotherapist (and incidentally promoting hypnotherapy). So there's much that is useful for pre-talk.

There's a lot of nice imagery and language for guiding someone in a positive way, and more accessible Erickson than maybe can be found anywhere else. There's definitely an emphasis on writing and word choice, since her approach involves constructing a script alongside the client and then just reading it to them in trance. While I have doubts whether simply giving someone a list of suggestions like this could really change their longterm behaviour, I like how this collaboration process emphasizes trust and consent.

I like that unlike every other hypnosis book I've read, the author mentions scientific experiments to support certain points - of course this is of limited value without citations. (in some cases she provides a name and affiliation, which would usually be enough to look up the study)

Since the theme of the book is, "hypnosis can help with a lot of things", there's material about how to approach bad habits, work patterns, medical procedures, parenting, social anxiety, and more, that I haven't found anywhere else.

Doucho-o-meter (1-5): 2.

Only a little - there's a part at the end of the book where, after scaring her readers away from amateur and stage hypnotists throughout, she gives a list of her hypnotherapist friends, including their office phone numbers. But in general it's warm and helpful. There are chapters on very questionable topics, like past life regression, but she adds an appropriate amount of disclaimers. She does tell a few "hero psychiatrist" tales - I wish one of these books would talk about problem solving with a client, where the first thing doesn't necessarily work. Even with as much hypnosis as I've done I know she's leaving out a lot.

Hypnotic language example:

Have you noticed how

tranquil

the ocean is today?

The bottom line:

Not a bad first book about hypnosis, both for hypnotists and people who want to be hypnotized. For more advanced practitioners, if you can look past the title, the dumb cartoons, and all the other busy affectations of the "Complete Idiot's" editorial style, there are some fresh perspectives.

The Easy Way to Stop Smoking

- Allen Carr

Tone:

Happy fast-talking 1950s salesman, with something actually helpful to sell.

Valuable for:

A wonderful case study in suggestive language, creating expectations, and reframing, all employed in the "shotgun" approach also described by Erickson. Carr didn't know what approach would stick with a given reader, so he fires off all of them, so many ways of hitting his core messages: quitting is easy; you don't like cigarettes since they're gross, you're just addicted to nicotine; and you will love being a non-smoker. Personal stories, powerful sensory images, semi-scientific facts, and straight up commands.

He uses many devices us students of hypnosis will recognize. The biggest one is his instruction to keep smoking while reading it, and not stop smoking before you reach the end. Which of course is an implicit suggestion that you will stop smoking when you finish the book.

Douche-o-meter (1-5):

2. Although this book is full of promotions for other products of his, and disses of other approaches to quitting smoking, Carr is so full of genuine joy and enthusiasm that it's infectious (which is kind of how the book works). He literally encourages you to say to yourself, "YIPPEE! I’M A NON-SMOKER!" I also enjoyed his old timey language, as in "All smokers know in their heart of hearts that they are mugs."

Hypnotic language example:

"Go to a party, and rejoice in the fact that you do not have to smoke. It will quickly prove to you the beautiful truth that life is so much better without cigarettes."

The bottom line:

Well worth a look - especially if you're trying to quit smoking.

#hypno book reviews #original content

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creideamhgradochas · 6 years

Text

Thanks to the lovely @green-eyeddragonfanfiction for taking the time to answer these! Get to know more about her, go give her a follow and then show her some love!

These questions are from this list. You should check it out, there’s 50 questions all together and they’d be great to ask your favorite fic writer!

1) How old were you when you first starting writing fan-fiction?

Around 20, I think.

2) Do you prefer writing OC’s or reader inserts? Explain your answer.

Reader inserts, definitely. I don’t mind throwing OC’s in there if I need to, though. I really like reading reader inserts. I think it’s really fun and engaging to imagine yourself in a story.

3) What is your favorite genre to write for?

Super Heroes! Although I really adore fantasy. If I were to write a book, it would be fantasy.

4) If you had to delete one of your stories and never speak of it again, which would it be and why?

I’m… not sure. I s'pose it’d have to be One Mistake, simply because I think it’s worst piece.

5) When is your preferred time to write?

Whenever I actually find the motivation to write, which usually ends up being around 1-4 am. Aka I’m a Mess: Part 1

6) Where do you take your inspiration from?

Have you seen this man?

I suppose I also draw inspiration from comics, movies, TV shows, and video games where applicable.

7) In your Winter’s War Series, what’s your favorite scene that you wrote?

Out of the entire trilogy? Dang, that’s tough. Maybe in Ghosts of War when Bucky, Reader, and Nat are sitting together, sort of like some messed up little family? If not that, then it’s probably in Winter’s War when Reader, Steve, and Bucky reunite after the Azzano goes up in flames.

8) Have you ever amended a story due to criticisms you’ve received after posting it?

I don’t think I’ve ever received “criticism.” I’ve received very polite corrections of some of the German in WW from some native speakers, but that’s about it (I haven’t corrected any of it yet because I’m a lazy pos).

9) Who is your favorite character to write for? Why?

Bucky Barnes. Because he’s Bucky Barnes.

10) Who is your least favorite character to write for? Why?

I don’t really write characters that I don’t like. Even villains are fun to write, even if I hate them. If I had to choose, I guess it’d be Ashley Williams, from the Mass Effect series. I’ve only written her once, but she’s a damned space racist and I hate her, even if I didn’t hate writing her.

11) How did you come up with the title for the Winter’s War Series?

Winter’s War was named with the final scene of the first book in mind, as well as what reader and Bucky would be turned into for the second book; Winter Soldier(s), and the war that led them to being created. And because they “die” in the snow and ice. Ghosts of War because that’s what Reader and Bucky are in the second book. Ghosts. Shells of themselves. War torn and weary. Weapons. War of Attrition because, in the third book, they fight tooth and nail for every scrap of memory, personality, humanity, and they don’t always win. They’re going to hit a lot of roadblocks, mostly in the form of other humans, their past and their guilt, and sometimes each other.

12) How did you come up with the idea for Winter’s War Series?

I always liked the thought of a Bucky x Reader series where they both ended up as Winter Soldiers. Everything kind of grew from that. It follows very closely to the canon, so everything was trying to figure out the most believable way to weave a reader character into the existing story.

13) Do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

“Abandoned” is a strong word…. *stares guiltily at The Way I Do and Two of a Kind.* I just haven’t found the inspiration to write them recently, but I do plan on finishing them… eventually.

14) Are there any stories that you’ve written that you’d really love to do a sequel to?

I plan on doing a second part for A Night to Remember when October rolls around. I also plan on adding more monster!Bucky’s to The Monster Series. My other series are complete or in progress and I don’t plan to add more to them (except to finish them in the case of the WIPs).

15) Are there any stories that you wished you’d ended differently?

I don’t think so, no.

16) Tell me about another writer(s) who you admire? What is it about them that you admire?

@angryschnauzer writes absolutely divine smut. I absolutely hate writing smut, so I wish I had her skills. There are others, but she’s the first one that came to mind. If I listed out every single author on here that I admire and why I admire them, we’d be here for another ten paragraphs!

17) Do you have a story that you look back on and cringe when you reread it?

I only started writing back in August. Anything written before that’s been lost to the Great Laptop Death of 2017. So, luckily, most of my writing is relatively recent and cringe-free.

18) Do you prefer listening to music when you’re writing or do you need silence?

I prefer listening to music (I love loud music and hate silence), but it’s distracting. My brain sometimes can’t process correctly so it tries to write the words I’m hearing instead of what I actually want to write. RIP me and my stupid brain. Aka I’m a Hot Mess: Part 2.

19) Have you ever cried whilst writing a story?

Haha. No. I’m dead inside. I very rarely (if ever) cry when reading, too.

20) Which part of your Winter’s War Series was the hardest to write?

Oh god the entire Agents of SHIELD part of War of Attrition. That show is so dense and woven so intricately into the MCU that it was difficult as hell to figure out where to put the reader so that it’d be relevant and set up for the next parts of the story. I love that show, but it was so hard *sobbing*.

21) Do you make a general outline for your stories or do you just go with the flow?

I almost never make outlines. WoA has been the exception because, as stated above, the content was way denser and I needed a clear path to be able to write them from point A to point B. That being said, I’ve only gotten as far as just after AoU. I haven’t decided what to do with Civil War or Infinity War yet.

22) What is something you wished you’d known before you started posting fan-fiction?

A) How Tumblr worked and B) that it’s a terrible, terrible site with horrible coding that, if it were a person, I would shoot as a mercy. Other than that, I read a lot of fics on here before I started posting some myself, which meant I had a pretty good idea of how to format it to be reader-friendly. Still had to google a lot of stuff, though.

23) Do you have a story that you feel doesn’t get as much love as you’d like?

Hmmm. I’m lucky in that I think I have a lot of readers/followers who leave lots of likes/comments/reblogs, but if I had to choose one? I think it’d be my recent Steve x Reader fic, Promise.

24) In contrast to 23 is there a story which gets lots of love which you kinda eye roll at?

Oh god. Again, I’m grateful for every like, comment, and reblog I get, but By Chance. It’s by far my most popular one shot at a staggering 1,925 notes. I like the a/b/o verse, but I posted it pretty early on in my writing career and it skyrocketed which completely blindsided me. The same thing kinda happened with Dumped, Drunk, and Angry. I wrote a one shot in a day or two because inspiration hit me like a freight train, and somehow they’re both over a thousand notes now.

25) Are any of your characters based on real people?

I s'pose Reader is always based off of me, just a little bit? Every other character (except the rare OC) has an established personality, but if I made reader a completely faceless, bland being it wouldn’t be that fun to read, would it? So even though I’m always careful to never describe reader too much physically, s/he always ends up with at least some of my personality.

26) What’s the biggest compliment you’ve gotten?

Oh goodness, I don’t know. My readers are amazingly kind people. I get a lot of asks and comments saying very, very nice things all the time. I don’t think I could choose just one if I tried..

27) What’s the harshest criticism you’ve gotten?

I was told very politely I spelled some German words wrong/used the wrong German words.

28) Do you share your story ideas with anyone else or do you keep them close to your chest?

I word vomit on my real life friend sometimes if I’m really stuck. It’s not always super useful because she doesn’t follow/watch any MCU stuff. Mostly, ideas just bounce around in my head until one sticks.

29) Do people know you write fan-fiction?

Yeah, most of my real life friends know. The friend I mentioned above writes fanfic, just not for the MCU. The rest are big nerds, too, so they don’t judge me.

30) What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

I loved writing Ran Shen and Mila Hitzvig for The Bitter March arc in Ghosts of War. As far as OC’s go, Dean from my series Time is probably my favorite.

31) What spurs you on during the writing process?

Interest in the source material has a lot to do with it. For example, I was writing easily 4k+ words a day when I was writing about the events of Captain America: the Winter Soldier. Other than that, I wait for the urge to hit me… which sometimes means I don’t write for a few days and sometimes a week depending on what’s happening in real life.

32) What’s your favorite trope to write?

So far? Soulmate. A/B/O was also fun and I’ll probably write it again at some point.

33) Can you remember the first fic you read? What was it about?

Oh jesus, no. I have the worst memory ever. I’m lucky if I can remember things a week ago, much less years ago.

34) If you could write only angst, fluff or smut for the rest of your writing life, which would it be and why?

Uhh… Not smut, I know that much. But I have this bad habit where I can’t write fluff without some angst and vice versa? I don’t think I could deal with writing cotton candy fluff for the rest of my life, though. So…. angst, I guess? But I wouldn’t be happy about it.

#milestone celebration #ask the author #green-eyeddragonfanfiction

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penny-lovely · 3 years

Text

I never stop breaking out and have so much hyperpigmentation. What is wrong with my skin routine?

My skin routine in the morning is wash face with just natural mineral water or with garnier skinactive 3in 1.

At night i wash my face like the morning and then i apply acnecide(benzoyl peroxide around my whole face) and then currently i use a lancaster sunscreen as a moisturizer because i was too lazy to buy a mositurizer .

Notes : I dont use any sunscreen and i think i will add it , because it will help my hyperpigmentation reduce .

Note: I change pillowcase often

note: I live in London , before i moved here my skin wasnt too bad with this routine

note: My beutician told me to begin using green clay mask twice a week , havent bought them yet becauase she thinks my skin has too many dead cells and its way too oily

note: my gp told me i can move from acnecide to something else slightly stronger which contains benzoyl peroxide and something else not sure what it was

note: i avoid using the tap water on my face cause its very hard

Is there something wrong in my routine , why am i breaking out so often

https://preview.redd.it/5qaqbng4khm71.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a09391a648194d1bceb0f90676a57a7b22757d30

https://preview.redd.it/jeqzwng4khm71.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8df29fd2d4a9e61468ea9da693a951409e6058b

https://preview.redd.it/f25rvug4khm71.jpg?width=3880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5065dd62cb25a637b0c6a17101b3bf624deb0da4

https://preview.redd.it/0onwfeh4khm71.jpg?width=3880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4bc8a80db5695641780255bc4dbe4b83a7ddd043

https://preview.redd.it/5jmccyg4khm71.jpg?width=3880&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2408d572886c7a04e7209b32fd47087d07a4504a

https://preview.redd.it/oa4kfwg4khm71.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c721164d9b279a3286a2175f38abe0684012dbf6

submitted by /u/nosocialbatteryleftt [link] [comments]

from Acne https://ift.tt/3DZz23R

0 notes

siberiablog · 3 years

Text

Mountain Altai, country of the spirits.

Greetings, my dear reader! Today I would like to tell you on my blog page about the region of the country that is popular in Russia and is loved by all Siberians — the Mountain Altai. Perhaps in this difficult time for the whole world, we need reasons to distract from sad thoughts, to dream about future trips, when the Covid-19 epidemic will finally be defeated by humanity and all roads and borders will be opened to us again.

So, this is a post about natural and tourist attractions. A kind and dreamy topic that I would like to write about in my blog first of all.

Everyone loves the Mountain Altai. Perhaps outside of Russia this area is not as well known as for example the same lake Baikal or other business cards of tourism in Russia. Or am I wrong, and this is a fairly well-known topic? My dear reader, feel free to write about it ;)

In any case, I hope you will be interested to learn something new. Or just look at photos of nature. This is a review post, it will not contain much specifics, if you want to find out more, write to me, and I will try to cover the topic that interests my reader in more detail.

Mountain Altai is an amazing and very beautiful region, about which many enthusiastic words have been said and written. Golden mountains-this is how Altai is translated from the Turkic languages. Mountain Altai is located in Central Asia, Siberia and borders countries such as China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The capital of the province is Gorno-Altaysk. The most popular place to start a trip to Mountain Altai, where there is a major transport hub and an international airport — the city of Barnaul.

Residents of the European part of Russia sometimes confuse the Mountain Altai with the Altai country. These two regions border in the Siberian Federal district, but they are quite different: mountain landscapes are typical for the Mountain Altai, but the Altai country is green steppes and Terry hills.

Mountain Altai is probably one of the favorite vacation spots of my countrymen.. About 700–800 kilometers from my hometown is just a day’s drive away. You can have time to go to the Altai for some long weekend. It should be noted that Mountain Altai is one of the cleanest regions of Russia. There are no industrial enterprises or Railways. Only infinitely beautiful and fascinating nature. It seems impossible to remain indifferent to the natural beauty of the Altai mountains.

The nature of Altai is not just diverse, it is extremely contrasting. Taiga forests quickly give way to dry steppes, low mountains and hills change to snow-capped peaks, among other things the highest in Siberia, and rivers and lakes here change their color depending on the time of year. The weather and climate in the neighboring valleys can vary greatly — Altai is striking for its variety of nature and landscapes on a relatively compact area of the planet, which is of course extremely convenient for tourists.

At the same time, the tourist infrastructure is relatively well developed (in the whole Eastern part of Russia). First of all, of course, tourists should count on an inexpensive and unpretentious level of tourist bases, especially far from civilization. But there are also more expensive hotels for the demanding traveler. I am glad that here you can arrange a vacation at any level of available funds, while the prices IMHO are the most honest and balanced in Siberia.

It is worth noting that the Altai mountains with their natural attractions are included in the UNESCO world heritage list.

This is the Land of seven thousand lakes, turbulent rivers and silent landscapes. Here rises the largest mountain in Siberia, and passes one of the most picturesque roads in the world, archaeologists find ancient artifacts in mounds, and shamans conduct their mysterious rituals in places of power.

In ancient times, the paths of nomadic tribes crossed in the Altai mountains. Hundreds of thousands of years ago, people already lived in this area, and traces of them are found throughout the territory: unique rock petroglyphs, burials in places of power, and Parking lots.

For centuries, this harsh but picturesque region was part of the great Mongol Empire: the horses of Genghis Khan’s army trampled the delicate bowls of Edelweiss in the valleys and overcame steep mountain passes.

Altai is an ideal place for eco-tourism. The main value of the region is its nature, and the path to the most picturesque places is often thorny, but the effort is worth it. Here you can organize a week-long hike, swim in one of the crystal-clear lakes, go fishing or pick berries.

Another format of travel in the Altai is ethnographic excursions. For example, in the Yurt-gallery of Kalambina Zheltkovskaya, guests are introduced to traditional felt products, and in the ethnomaster “Aychus” they are told about Turkic patterns, learn to make amulet dolls and play national instruments: Komus and Topshuur.

national musical instrument Komus:

national handmade guardian amulet Aichus:

And, of course, extreme tourism! Ascents to the peaks, rafting of any level of complexity on rough rivers, skiing: there are good trails on the shore of lake Teletskoye, and the resort “Manzherok” is not only the slopes, but also the first professional Bike Park outside the Urals.

What to see in Altai? Cascades of rivers, mountain tops, crazy passes. What to do in Altai? Wake up with the sunrise, wash with cold water from the stream, admire the views from the car window, conquer the mountains, breathe deeply, listen to the legends about the eternal lands that the locals love to tell in the evenings.

Who is suitable for a holiday in the Altai mountains?

This region is for those who are willing to sacrifice comfort in order to see the incredible landscapes and pristine nature with their own eyes. There is often no net, you can only drive an SUV, and from the nearest village to the next lake or mountain you need to walk for several days. But it is in such places that you relax from the city, put your thoughts in order and get charged with energy!

The best way to explore the Altai Mountains is to travel by car along the Chuysky tract. This is a Federal highway with a length of 968 kilometers that crosses the region from Novosibirsk to Mongolia, it is called the most picturesque road in Siberia, and the magazine National Geographic Russia even included the Chuysky tract in the top 10 most beautiful roads in the world!

In places, the remains of the old road remain near the new highway. The Chuysky tract has existed for many centuries and in ancient times was part of the Great Silk Road from China to Europe!

ancient and modern photos of the preserved section of the old Chuysky tract:

In the year of Gorny Altai is visited by about two million people! Today I’m talking about what is interesting in this region and where to look for the most-the most places.

The mountain Devil’s Finger

On the way from Biysk to the Seminsky pass, make a small stop and climb the Devil’s Finger. The ascent will not take much time, but you will get a stunning view — it is not for nothing that it is included in almost all the lists of “What to see in the Altai”.

There are many such “magic fingers” all over the world — a giant rock ledge on a mountain, pointing to the sky. But ours is also with a marigold, so they love to look at it in the Altai.

According to legend, this is the finger of a villain named the Devil. He came to these lands to capture them, but one of the brave Altaic warriors was able to fight back. The devil was trampled into the ground, and only his petrified finger remained on the surface. According to another version, the enemy was repulsed by the Moon itself — it descended to the Earth and drove our enemy so deep that only a finger and a nail remained.

The Devil’s Finger is really an amazing place — esotericists believe that a great power is stored in the rock, which can cure infertility and energize. Do not be lazy to go up and see what kind of view opens from the observation deck: the valley of the Katun river and the entire Altai at a glance.

the rapids of a mountain river:

How to get there: from Biysk through the village of Souzga about 114 km. The reference point will be a telephone tower installed near the mountain.

The Katun river — the hostess of Altai

“Mistress” — this is how its name is translated. The largest river of the Republic originates at the slope of Belukha and rushes away for 688 kilometers. On its way there are rapids and boulders, which then turn into flat areas, and the total height difference along the course of the current reaches two kilometers! This is due to the” restless nature “ of Katun: it flows softly, then rumbles between the stones. The river crosses all types of Altai landscape, so the animal and plant life along it is very diverse.

In the area of Biysk Katun meets Biya — the confluence of these rivers is considered one of the most picturesque in the Altai! Katun changes its color throughout the year, acquiring the famous turquoise hue in early autumn.

Hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to Katun every year: some-to relax on its banks in a tent or at a recreation center, others-to test their strength by rafting on the river. Most rafting routes start in the Katun nature reserve.

rafting on the Katun river:

Katunsky reserve is a border area, so you need to get a pass in advance before visiting it. To enter the reserve, you also need to get a permit — you can do this in its administration, which is located in the village of Ust-Koksa. Most of the river downstream has free access.

The coordinates of the source of the Katun: 49.779 318, 552 86.592.

Chike-Taman Mountain Pass

Mountain pass… ract. Now a new, good road has been laid here. At the same time, the preserved old trail, which zigzags along the neighboring slope, almost overgrown, adds color to the already gorgeous view of the huge Terektinsky ridge, which opens from the observation deck.

the old road of the Chike-Taman mountain pass, it is still possible to drive along it. It is part of the ancient Great Silk Road:

How to get there: the Pass is located on 685 km of the Chuysky tract, 320 km from Biysk and 75 km from the Seminsky pass. The ascent, as well as the descent, is four km.

sightseeing tour of tourists on horseback along the preserved from ancient times section of the Great Silk Road from China to Europe in the area of the Chike-Taman pass:

Geyser lake

This small lake, located near the village of Aktash, does not freeze even in winter. Its water has an unusual pattern formed by circles of blue clay-they are carefully “laid out” on the bottom of the underwater keys. The drawing is not static and changes throughout the day.

Now the lake is the property of the camp site “Little Paradise”, which recently leased it for 20 years. Every year this place becomes more and more popular with travelers, so you should come here early in the morning to catch up before the arrival of tourist groups. And it is best to stay for a day at this camp site, then you can easily choose a time period for viewing the Geyser lake more convenient. The camp site is not expensive, spending will not hit your pocket. Passage to the lake is paid: about 50 rubles (less than one Euro), guests of the camp are free of charge.

Coordinates: 50.290 140, 87.673 125.

The Ukok high plateau — is a mysterious place of power

It is located in the very South of the Altai Mountains, near the border crossing of four countries: Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Here, at an altitude of more than 2200 meters above sea level, 150 archaeological monuments were discovered: prehistoric rock paintings-petroglyphs, deer stones, burial mounds of the Pazyryk culture, Scythian graves.

In 1993, archaeologists unearthed a mound that perfectly preserved the remains of a female mummy more than 2,500 years old. She was named the “Princess of Ukok” and taken to the soran Museum of archeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk. In 2012, the “Princess” was returned to Altai, and since 2014, the local Council of elders has been seeking to re-bury the find: according to the elders, natural disasters have struck Altai because of the mummy being disturbed.

On the territory of the plateau there is a natural Park “Ukok”, which is divided into three zones: one of them prohibits any activity other than scientific, the other allows only limited and regulated access, and only the third is available to travelers. The fauna of the plateau untouched by civilization is very diverse: here you can easily see a wild horse, a wolf, a Fox and even a snow leopard! And in the sky above the silent landscapes soar eagles, Golden eagles and black storks.

Walking tours and yoga tours are organized on the plateau, esotericists often come to this place, and shamans conduct their rituals here.

Coordinates: 49.360 813, 88.76 642.

Lake Teletskoye

Perhaps the most popular attraction of the Altai mountains. It is the largest lake in the region and the second largest freshwater reservoir in the country after lake Baikal. The depth of the Teletskoye reaches 325 meters. Three small villages Nestle on its banks: Yaylu, Iogach and Artybash. To relax and swim, choose one of the hotels on the southern shore: in summer, the water temperature rises to +17°C — + 20°C, but in the North, in the area of Artybash, the lake remains cold even in hot weather-about +10 °C.

The water in Teletskoye is so clear that even at a depth of 15 meters you can see the stones lying on the bottom. You can set up a tent on the beach or enjoy the scenery of the lake by going for a ride on the ferry: it follows from Cape Kyrsay, which is on the southern coast, to the pier in Iogach — 78 kilometers of the way along the water surface will give you a pleasant experience and gorgeous photos!

Coordinates of Cape Kyrsay: 51.363 980, 87.760 251

Teletskoye lake is famous for its cold water at any time of the year, its gigantic size, many types of fish and amazing landscapes. Here you can come to one of the camp sites or savage, you can fish, go on excursions to the nearest mountains, admire the cascades of waterfalls or even meditate-choose what you like, just do not forget to take warm clothes! Despite the fact that Teletskoye lake is one of the most popular places in Altai, many travelers are forced to avoid it if they choose attractions only along the Chuysky tract. Those who get to Teletskoye lake do not regret the time spent on the road. Even hotels and camp sites that have grown up like mushrooms on the coast do not violate the special atmosphere of this place — it is easy to let go of worries, forget about sorrows, and learn to recharge from nature.

The locals consider the lake Holy and call it the Golden lake-Altyn-Kel in the local dialect. Esotericists believe in its magic power, tourists come from all over the world to Altai, just to see Teletskoye lake and experience its magic for themselves. Do you want to see what this place does to you?

Golden lake-sunset on lake Teletskoye:

Most of the lake is included in the Altai State Natural Biosphere Reserve, so to visit it, do not forget to issue a pass — it is easy to get it in the village of Artybash or the village of Yaylu.

What to see in the surrounding area: Korbu and Chodor waterfalls, Karagay Bay, Chulyshman valley, zoo and ethnopark in Artybash village, Tilan-Tuu and Kokuya mountains (the latter can be reached by lift).

How to get there: the most convenient way to get to Teletskoye lake is from Gorno-Altaisk-it is 269 km to the nearest village to the lake, Artybash. regular buses run along the route. You can get to the South Bank by ferry, which runs from Artybash a couple of times a week, or by a beautiful circular road through the entire Chuisky tract and the terrible Katu-Yaryk pass. The last part of the path is accessible only to all-terrain vehicles.

Multinskoe lake

So we got to the most popular place among tourists in the classic lists of “What to see in the Altai” — the Multin lakes. There are five of them: Lower, Middle, Upper, Transverse and Strong (very logical, Yes). Most often, tourists include the first three in the route. At the same time, the most popular is the Lower Multinskoe lake. It is the largest, it is easier to get to it, there are camp sites nearby and everything you need for a comfortable stay by the water.

The most beautiful thing is waiting for you between the Lower and Middle lakes — this is where the water cascade “Multinskiye shumy”is located. Then the road leads to the Upper lake. It is located on the territory of the Katunsky reserve, so you will need to pass through the cordon, coordinate the route with the Rangers and pay a small fee.

How to get there: from Biysk to the Multin lakes 535 km through the Seminsky pass.

Take care of your documents in advance! Don’t forget to take your passport — there is a Kazakh border near the lakes, they can check your documents. Citizens of the Russian Federation need only a passport, but guests of the country will also have to get a pass. It is issued on request in the Department of the Federal security service of Gorno-Altaisk.

The Petroglyphs Of Kalbak-Tash

A large complex of ancient rock paintings has more than 5 thousand images. According to scientists who have studied Kalbak-Tash, the drawings were created by people who lived here from the Neolithic era (IV-VI centuries BC) to the middle ages (VIII-X centuries ad). on the stones you can see figures of animals that inhabited the Altai several thousand years ago, hunting scenes and various, including solar, symbols. The people who carved them on the rocks used both stone and metal tools. Researchers refer well-preserved runic inscriptions to the ancient Turkic epoch. Some of the depicted stories can be easily correlated with the well-known Altaic myths.

How to get there: the rock art complex is located on the right Bank of the Chui river near the Chuisky tract. After the “723 km” mark, turn left between the fourth and fifth poles of the power line and walk about 20 meters to the rocks.

Katu-Yaryk Mountain Pass

Ready for the most spectacular serpentine ride of your life? The pass is only thirty years old — until 1989, there was only a steep horse trail, now there is a dirt road. Climbing it is wildly scary, but all this will be forgotten as soon as you can look at what opens from above — the winding path of the road, colorful mountains, stormy mountain streams, waterfalls and the tops of centuries-old trees. It’s breathtaking!

Katu-Yaryk in numbers:

Height from the bottom — 892 m;

The average slope of 18% (10°);

Slope steepness-70% (35°);

Length-3.9 km;

The number of turns is 9.

How to get there: by ferry across lake Teletskoye (the cost of crossing one car is 10,000 rubles). Then go along the Chulyshman valley for about 20 kilometers. The second option is from the village of Aktash, which is located 100 km from katu-Yaryk. Accordingly, this road leads to the southern shore of lake Teletskoye. It is desirable to go in high-traffic vehicles. Low cars often lose their bumpers on the road, and non-four-wheel-drive cars are not able to climb to the top of the katu-Yaryk mountain pass on their own due to too strong a slope and rocky obstacles on a narrow road cut through the rock. However, in the tourist season, a four-wheel-drive truck from the nearest tourist base is always on duty at the bottom of the pass,which for a small fee will drag the monoprivod car up.

Big Chulchinsky waterfall or Uchar

The highest and most unusual waterfall in the Altai mountains! Its waters loudly and spectacularly cascade down from a height of 160 meters. It is located on the territory of the Altai State Reserve.

“Uchar” is translated as “unapproachable”, and the waterfall justifies this name: the way to it through the picturesque expanses of the reserve takes about four hours and requires good physical training — the trail is quite steep, some sections are duplicated by safety cables. However, you can often meet children and elderly people at Uchar. No special skills are required for visiting.

Coordinates: 51.118 079, 88.91 675.

Shavlinskoe lake

They were formed as a result of the melting of ancient glaciers. The lakes are located in the heart of the North Chui Mountain Range and are considered the most picturesque in the entire Altai! Their water has a fantastic bright turquoise color, and from the banks there are incredible views of three Altai peaks at once, whose names are Dream, Beauty and Fairy Tale.

You can get here as part of walking tours organized by companies in Biysk and Gorno-Altaisk. The route starts from the village of Chibit and lasts about a week.

Coordinates: 50.106 689, 87.410 589.

Kek-Tash cave is one of the deepest in the country

Kek-Tash, translated from the Altai means “Blue stone.” This name was given to the cave because of the unusual gray-blue color of its limestone vaults. Bizarre stalactites and stalagmites, labyrinths of caves with dead ends, lakes-inside Kek-Tash a whole underground world with fantastic landscapes! There are several large halls that are connected by narrow passages. This is the deepest cave in Siberia, its length is 2.3 kilometers, and the tunnels go deep into the mountain for 350 meters.

Kek-Tash is located in the North of the Shebali district, and you need good physical training and special equipment to visit it. Basically, come here if you like sports, tourism, diggers and explorers.

The coordinates of the entrance to the cave: 51.728 933, 85.656 417.

Belukha mountain is the main peak of the Altai

The highest peak in Siberia got its name because of the non-melting snow cap on the top. The locals also call it Uch-Sur — “Home of the Three Gods”. This mountain can be seen on the coat of arms of the Altai. The famous Russian traveler and esotericist Nicholas Roerich depicted its southern slope in one of his paintings. He was sure that the entrance to the mythical land of Shambhala was hidden here. “Lady of the Altai” — so the artist called his mighty snow-covered Muse.

the chapel under Belukha mountain:

The beauty of Beluga is best viewed from the Akkem lake. Climbing to the top with a guide costs about 30 thousand rubles per person. You can also see the mountain from a bird’s-eye view by participating in a group helicopter tour from Gorno-Altaisk. It lasts 7–8 hours, and the cost per person is about 28 thousand rubles.

Climbing Belukha will not be easy, but the tests will pay off with a vengeance — on the way to the top (height-4506 m) you will meet blue lakes with crystal-clear water, unique plants — at the foot of the mountain there are dense coniferous forests, birches, tundra lichens, berry bushes and flowers that are included in the Red book.

The best season to climb the mountain is summer, but even in July, be prepared to get caught in snow. The climb will be difficult and exhausting, and if you are not lucky with the weather, it will be delayed. Yes, it is better to go on such a trip with an experienced instructor or group.

Apart from the road to the bottom of the mountain and the time for acclimatization, the ascent takes about two days. On the first stage, pass the “Watermelon” glacier, Delaunay pass and Mensa glacier, and on the second day they already storm the top.

The coordinates of the vertices: 49.807 679, 023 86.590.

How to get to Altai?

From Moscow to Gorno-Altaisk. Almost all domestic airlines have direct flights to Gorno-Altaisk, and if you buy tickets in advance, you can snatch quite profitable tickets even for direct flights, and with a transfer so much the more. The flight duration is from four to five hours.

From Moscow to Biysk. An option for romantics and lovers of sleeping under the sound of wheels: by train to Biysk, the road will take almost three days, but when did this stop us? When you look at the ticket prices and calculate how much you will save in comparison with the plane, do not forget to add the expenses for food on the road. And in General, familiarity with Russian Railways will expand your horizons and prepare you for difficulties :)

From Saint Petersburg to Gorno-Altaisk. There are no direct flights to Gorno-Altaisk, so you will have to go with a transfer in the capital. If you can snatch cheap plane tickets (in the spring of 2020, there are many such offers), it will be both fast and profitable. If there are no successful plane tickets, then choose a train — one night, and you are there.

Via Novosibirsk to Gorno-Altaisk. This option is ideal for tourists who start their journey not from Moscow — flights fly to Novosibirsk from almost any city in Russia (and besides, they fly for cheap!), and then you can get by plane or bus to Gorno-Altaisk.

Especially worth noting is Barnaul — the largest transport hub relatively close to the Altai Mountains.

Going on a trip to the Altai is easier than it seems — in Biysk, Barnaul and Gorno-Altaisk, you can rent a car (with or without a driver), roads to the main tourist sites are paved, camp sites, hotels are built, and camping sites are equipped. This world is waiting for you!

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ixtaek · 6 years

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25 Days of Cookiemas - Day 11

You might have noticed, I’m super lazy. It’s why I can’t format for a hill a beans (I’m so sorry to the lovely @gettothestabbing who has been reblogging these like a champ regardless <3). But when it comes to the holidays, especially the “I have two finals next week and I am so tired I can barely spell my username, its Iktaex right?” kind of holidays, you might need some “easier” cookies to get you through.

These cookies and icing from TogetherAsFamily look amazing and start from a cake-mix base, plus you don’t have to roll them.. thank goodness. I promise to start posting some more “serious” recipes once I get past my final... maybe. Day Eleven - “Five” Ingredient Sugar Cookies with Icing http://togetherasfamily.com/2017/11/no-roll-5-ingredient-cake-mix-sugar-cookies/ For Cookies: 1 box (16.25 oz) white cake mix, DO NOT prepare

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar (for rolling cookies in)

For Icing: 1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tablespoons half & half or heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

red & green food coloring **

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper or spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.

Sift boxed cake mix into a large mixing bowl. If you don't have a sifter, just pour cake mix into bowl and stir well with wire whisk to break up clumps.

Add flour, oil, sour cream, and eggs into the mixing bowl. Use a hand held blender to beat until everything is combined and smooth.

Add the 1/2 cup sugar into a separate small bowl.

Roll dough into balls (about the size of a golf ball) and then roll dough ball in the sugar. Place 12 to a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will be pale and puffy.

Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and let cool completely. The cookies are soft but will set up as they cool.

TO MAKE FROSTING : Beat softened butter in a mixing bowl until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract. Blend together until a thick, but spreadable, frosting forms. You may have to use more or less powdered sugar/milk deepening on desired frosting consistency.

Frost cookies and add sprinkles on top.

#25 Days of Cookiemas #Recipe #cookies #christmas

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exovidioreview-blog · 5 years

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A Comparison Of Video Editing Software

Hello there! Are you brand new to video editing? If you're, you are probably confused by the huge array of video editing software applications out there on the industry.

When I started out in movie editing, nobody gave me A suitable comparison of movie editing computer software applications. So I experimented with my own.

I attempted using Microsoft Movie Maker and Other free applications. As time passes, as I gained confidence in the editing process, I proceeded on to commercial applications like Adobe Premiere and Corel VideoStudio.

In this Guide, I'd like to give you a contrast Of those greater movie editing software programs on the market so that you may get more creative with your own productions.

1. Beginner Level

Let us Start in the fundamentals. If you are a newcomer and haven't done much video editing, then I recommend you that you simply begin with a free video editing package such as Microsoft Movie Maker. This permits you to comprehend the movie timeline, dividing, cutting and how to incorporate basic effects to your own production.

As soon as you've some simple expertise, receive a fantastic beginner video editor such as MovAVI. I utilize MovAVI a lot nowadays to rapidly edit and burn off / upload my videos into YouTube.

MovAVI Assessing the majority of the post-production procedure for me. I just import my movie, pick a default theme and the program does the rest. This saves me a great deal of time, particularly if I have a lot of state, holiday videos at which I'm too lazy to perform editing that is detailed.

2. Intermediate Level

OK, Continuing to the intermediate level computer software. These apps have basic video editing features for novices but also contain innovative functionalities for people who wish to be creative.

Within this class, my personal taste is Corel VideoStudio. I have used its rival products such as Adobe Premiere Elements and Pinnacle Studio earlier, but I come back to VideoStudio due to the rich set of templates it's and the intuitive program interface.

Corel VideoStudio allows me to do things like chroma key (removing green displays from a movie so I could overlay another desktop ), add names, trades and control sound. I also enjoy that I can export my audio in a massive range of formats, such as uploading them on the internet to YouTube seamlessly. Here is the software I use most frequently for editing chosen video jobs where I want a quick standard workflow but have any space for imaginative work.

Advanced Level

There are more sophisticated level video editing software packages like Adobe Premiere, Sony Vegas and Final Cut Pro. While I really do like their attributes (and all these are industrial-grade attributes used by film makers) - I find them too pricey. Something such as the complete Adobe Premiere package will easily put you back by nearly $1000. I am not paying that much cash for a movie program unless I'm doing so full time.

For amateurs, I strongly suggest using Intermediate level computer software. The innovative features in pro-level packs such as Adobe Premiere are normally rarely used. As soon as you've done many video jobs and wish to go pro, then those packages make sense.

4. Online Applications

OK, Thus far we have done contrast of desktop video editing program. However, you ought to be aware that there are additional online video editing software popping up throughout the store.

One which particularly caught my attention is Animoto, and it can be a fantastic online program.

This Is a sound, intuitive online video editor which permits you to only upload your job and employ a collection of automatic effects and edits. Again, very helpful stuff for those needing a fast workflow without a great deal of fuss.

5. Mobile Applications

Finally, If you are on a mobile device such as the iPhone or possess an Android apparatus, you will know about a ton of video editing software emerging on your program shop.

I especially enjoy Game Your Video For your iOS. This little program permits you to import movies from the mobile library, then spice them up with effects such as slow motion, Charlie Chaplin comic strips, in addition to a wide range of other cool things. Do try it out.

If you do a comparison of cellular movie editing applications Using their desktop opponents, you will find them lacking in features. However they make up for this with regard to portability. Simply whip out your telephone, take the movie and edit. It is very quick and easy in contrast to your desktop strategy.

Additionally, There are, of course, other movie editing Programs on the market. You can try surfing beneath the"Featured" or"Top Charts" classes on your own iPhone or even iPad to see that would be the best programs In the present time.

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keto · 7 years

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Keto Authentic Indian Dishes I had a request over on the main Keto sub to provide some of my authentic Indian dishes that I find fit well into my keto lifestyle. Below are my go to recipes and I've included some tips and alternatives before the recipes as some additional info. If anyone has questions or thoughts please feel free to comment or PM! There are a lot of vegetarian dishes that can be keto friendly as well so if you're interested let me know and I can get those together too!I am going to preface this with the fact that I eat these dishes while fasting 16 hours so really this is my only meal in the day which means I have a little more room to play with in term of carbs. I also split these recipes over 5 days worth of meals which makes is keto friendly for me. I love my Indian food and for me these are incredibly filling and flavorful but not something you can eat as part of a three meals a day keto plan unless you're SUPER careful about your carbs for the rest of the day :-)All of the ingredients listed below can be found in an Indian grocers or online. Patel brothers is a good online grocer that we used to use before making the decision to just drive down to Boston once every 6 weeks or so. If you don't want to purchase ginger garlic paste you can of course make your own by buying ginger and garlic at the supermarket. I tried to call out what ingredients are NOT essential that would need to be purchased at an Indian grocers, such as tamarind paste. It definitely adds to a dish but if you don't want to bother getting it it's not going to be a huge deal. That said kasoori methi is absolutely essential to a good chicken tikka and it's cheap so if you can get to an Indian grocer I suggest you do.I usually have these over cooked cauliflower or cooked broccoli, I am usually too lazy to rice the cauliflower but if you want that rice feeling you can totally do riced cauliflower! I have actually found frozen riced cauli at my local Sams club!Variations on the below dishes;I like to add chopped bell pepper to my chicken tikka every once in a while, adds a little different flavor and bulk esp if I miscalculate how much chicken I've got left in the freezerthe same base recipe can be used to make paneer (vegetarian) versions of both the tikka and the korma. You can find paneer either fresh in blocks that you cut into squares or frozen already cubed in a lot of Indian grocers.Here come the recipes!Goan Pork Vindaloo2 lbs of boneless pork½ cup apple cider vinegar (you can use white if you want either works)2 tbsp ginger garlic paste1 pod brown cardamom (crushed open but left whole)1 tsp cumin seeds1tsp poppy seeds10 whole black peppercorns4 whole cloves1 tsp mustard seeds1 stick of cinnamon, halved1 tbsp tamarind paste (if you don't want to purchase this it's ok to leave out)½ tsp turmeric4 or 5 Thai green chiles (or 2-3 jalepenos)1/3 cup of your oil of choice2 large red onions sliced1 tsp steviaSalt to tasteToast cumin seeds, mustard seeds, poppy seeds, peppercorns and cloves in a dry pan until they start to pop. Toss pork, vinegar, salt, toasted spices and one tbsp. of ginger garlic paste in a glass bowl. Let sit at least an hour, overnight if you can. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat, add chopped garlic, ginger garlic paste, brown cardamom pod and onion, cook until browned lightly – about 5-7 minutes. Stir in pork AND the marinade until the paste starts to brown, about another 10 minutes. Add salt to taste and 1 ¼ cups water (you can use a broth instead if you'd like) Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered, stirring occasionally until pork is cooked through and tender. Depending on the heat of your stove this could be 45min – 1hour. It's next to impossible to overcook this.Chicken Tikka Masala2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thigh2 -3 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or otherwise doesn't matter, can use white or cider vinegar if you don't have any on hand, you just want the acidity)2 + 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste1 can tomato paste16 oz container of heavy cream2 large red onions diced4 tbsp Tandoori chicken masala1 cup of plan full fat yogurt2 tsp garam masala1 tsp turmeric1 tsp ground cumin1tsp ground coriander3 green Thai chiles (or a couple jalepenos – and to your taste)1 tsp whole mustard seeds1 tsp whole cumin seeds~ ¼ cup of Kasoori methi (can be found in Indian grocers, looks like dried clovers and smells like horse hay but ESSENTIAL to this dish)1/3 cup cooking oil of choiceChop chicken into bite size pieces. Mix yogurt, lemon juice/vinegar, 2tbsp ginger garlic paste and tandoori chicken masala together and add chicken. Marinate at least two hours, preferably overnight. In a skillet heat oil and add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add diced onion, chopped chiles, ginger garlic paste and remaining spices (EXCEPT the kasoori methi, save this for last) and cook until onions are browned. Add can of tomato paste and about ¼ cup of water just to thin it out and let things marry properly. Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium low to remove the acidic taste of the tomato. Add chicken with the marinade to the base then enough heavy cream to create a good gravy. It doesn't need to be exact, make to your taste. Cook covered on low for 45 min to 1hr until chicken is cooked through and the gravy is nice and thick.Chicken Korma2 tbsp ginger garlic paste2 tsp garam masala1 tsp turmeric1 tsp coriander powder1 tsp cumin powder1 tsp cumin seeds2-3 Thai green chiles (or jalepenos – to your level of spice)½ cup almonds¼ cup cashews2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs¾ cup plain full fat yogurt2 tbsp tomato paste6 green cardamom pods (crushed open but left whole)¼ your cooking oil of choice4 tbsp butter2 large red onions diced1 can of coconut milk OR equivalent heavy cream with flaked coconutChop chicken into bite size chunks. Grind almonds and cashews until fine. Mix yogurt, 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste, tomato paste, ground almonds and cashews and cardamom pods in a glass bowl. Add chicken and cover, marinate 2 hours or overnight preferably. Heat oil and butter in a pan, add cumin seeds and cook until they pop. Add 1tbsp ginger garlic paste, onions and green chiles and cook until onions have browned slightly. Add the remaining spices and cook an additional 2-3 min on medium low heat. Add chicken and its marinade to the pan plus can of coconut milk or heavy cream & flaked coconut and cook on low covered until chicken is cooked through.Apologies in advance if there are any typos, I totally wrote these up while sitting on conference calls all day today :-P reach out with questions!EDIT: Formatting & left things out!

#keto #ketogenic #ketosis #healthy #lchf #low-carb #lowcarb #ketodiet #weightloss

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fanfic-collection · 7 years

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In a Name: Ch 5

The people: @hannah-caitlynn @graysonmalfoy @falltoashes @solsticestorm @bingewatchingmylifegoby @elenoranave @incadinkadoo @melanin—senpai @juuliiaa05

You sat on the healer’s cot as she finished poking and prodding you. “I don’t see anything wrong with you dearie.” She glanced over at Nox, “No curses either. I do have some crystals that might help if you were, though.”

You scoffed lightly. You worked with science and actual chemical ingredients, not healing crystals and magic that came from charms with no real power behind them. You knew the magic Loki worked was different than what this woman was capable of. And you were also certain he hadn’t cursed you. “Thanks Syltha, but I’m good. Just checking to ease my friend’s worry here.” Nox glared at you but remained silent. Syltha, the healer, pursed her lips. “Very well then.” You and Nox left Syltha’s hut, both agreeing that you should skip work for the day. “Ava wanted to thank you for your help.” Nox said as he led the way to your home. The two of you decided to spend the day hunting in the woods. Nox had even saved you the trouble of retrieving your weapons from the jailer. Also, if you caught any fresh game, you’d be able to sell the furs for money. - - Loki returned to the palace shortly after he had parted ways with you. He was exhausted from the long day and disheartened by his failed attempt to follow Frigga’s advice and gain a friend. Glancing down at the book in his hands, he smiled, at least he had an excuse to return to you sometime. “Loki! Brother! Where have you been?” Thor yelled as soon as he caught sight of his younger brother. Loki looked up from the book, apparently he hadn’t been as stealthy as he thought, sneaking back to his room. Sighing, Loki moved the book under his arm. “I was looking into a disturbance that had been reported in one of the outlying towns.” “You what? Personally?” Thor asked. Loki shrugged, “The complaints had been frequent and it required a subtle approach, I figured I would handle it.” Thor frowned, “Why not have brought me? I could have helped.” “It was subtle, dear brother.” Loki smiled ruefully. Even if they rarely saw eye to eye, there was no denying the brothers cared for each other. “Did Father say anything?” “He asked where you were. Mother said you were on a personal errand and refused to add anything else.” Loki smirked, a surge of fondness welling up for his mother. Mentally, he made a note to get her flowers or perhaps one of her favorite sweets. “So what came of it?” Loki shrugged again, “There was a fight, I intervened, those involved were arrested and I oversaw what was necessary.” Thor looked at the book under Loki’s arm, “What is that?” “It is a book.” Loki replied evasively. “Is it the one you were looking for the other day?” Loki’s eyes widened in surprise. This time it was Thor’s turn to smirk, “Even if I think such things are boring and tedious, I am capable of remembering what you speak of.” Loki smirked back, “I’m sure there was something sentimental in that sentence, brother.” “You know I love you.” Thor beamed. “Give us a kiss then,” Loki retorted. Thor burst out laughing, “Come brother, have you eaten yet? I was just going for my noonday meal.” On cue, Loki’s stomach rumbled, “Alright then. Lead the way.” - The next several days passed, regularly and without any excitement. Then one night, Loki was jolted awake by the sound of loud ringing alarm bells. He lurched to his feet, magicking his armour on, when a loud pounding came from his door. “Brother, are you up?” Thor yelled through the door. Loki was at it in an instant, wide awake. “What happened?” “Alfheim is at war. Our assistance is needed urgently.” Loki nodded, “All of Asgard?” As Thor replied, the two brothers ran to the war room. “Just our standing army. No reserve forces, it shouldn’t be too serious, initial reports are saying.” “We’re not going in overconfident, are we?” Loki frowned as they ran. Thor chuckled, “Ever the pessimist, I see.” “Realist, brother.” “The war meeting is to confirm it, we won’t do anything foolish. Father hasn’t held his seat on this throne for so many decades with poor decision making.” The two arrived at the war room doors and Odin looked up. He nodded at his sons, motioning for them to join him and the other generals. “Thor, Loki.” Odin greeted sternly, he turned back to his advisors, “Alright, continue.” - - The bells at the town hall began tolling, rousing its citizens from their sleep. You banged on Nox’s door until he answered it, still half asleep. “C’mon lazy bones.” The two of you ran to the town square, joining the throng of civilians who had gathered to hear the news. The bells signaled important announcements, but only the heads of houses were required to attend. Other, more urgent bells, signaled a greater assembly, luckily they were not tolling today. An announcement was made, Asgard would be involved with a war for her allies. A collective breath of relief went out as it was made clear that no new soldiers needed training. The king and his advisors had already ascertained that there was no severe threat to Asgard itself. Pithe would gather in the morning to send the warriors off with loud cheers of support. You briefly thought of Sif, your cousin would certainly be at the forefront, fighting with the others. Then your thoughts strayed to Loki, the young prince. He would undoubtedly be leading portions of the army. You swallowed hard, suddenly concerned for his safety. The chieftain dismissed the villagers, telling them not to worry but to stay informed. “War…” Nox mused as the pair of you returned to your homes. You nodded silently, still thinking of Loki. “If we had joined the Einharjar, that would’ve included us.” You nodded again. After a long stretch of silence, you asked, “Do you still think we should?” Nox hesitated, you stood outside his house, talking in the dim moonlight. “I don’t want to force you. But I really want to. At the same time, I don’t want to without you.” Nox finally replied. You thought again of Loki, of living at the palace. While you would be a guard and busy with those duties much of the time, on vacation days, you might be able to read with Loki. “I’m considering it.” You muttered finally. The life of adventure and being a warrior still called to you. The possibility of seeing more of the mysterious ‘dark’ prince would be a perk, but to fight for your realm… “It’s not just idle words Nox, I think I might be ready to.” Nox’s face lit up, “Really?” “I’m going to start looking into organizing the affairs of the shop, and we’ll see what happens with this war. But I think it might be time for us to experience some real excitement.” “This will be fantastic!” Nox started to yell excitedly. You held up a hand, “Calm yourself, friend, I still said there are some things to take care of, and I still have to think of the consequences of selling this home. But I’m not just saying it to humor you now, I mean to think of it as my own decision.” Nox nodded, “Alright.” He breathed deeply, trying to calm himself. “Right, I’ll see you in the morning then. Good night.” - In the morning, before first light, softer bells chimed again, once more rousing people from their beds. This signaled the approach of soldiers. People, yourself and Nox included, hurried to gather along the main road. Everyone brought gifts of food and small supportive trinkets, boosting the morale of those who would soon march through. You hurried into your shop, searching for a potion to aid adrenaline. You knew from your limited magic experience that seidr drained body and mind in ways that physical battle could not. With that knowledge, you hoped you might see Loki and be able to gift it to him. It was custom for the townspeople to make gifts for their favorite soldiers, some people even to find potential spouses. That thought was far from your mind as you grasped the delicate vial. You thought of the kindness Loki had shown you and longed to return it. Children often gave gifts baked with their families; usually to the soldiers they knew personally. There were a number of civilians who also baked to ensure no warrior went without emotional support. Popularity just ensured the better gifts. Nox had retrieved a haunch of dried venison, intending to give it to the youngest and freshest faced warrior he saw. He clearly hoped that someone might reciprocate the action if he ever went to battle. Around midmorning, the soldiers could be seen in the distance. Cheers rang out, bolstering the fighters’ spirits as they worked to maintain their morale for battle. Your eyes strained the army’s formation, trying to spot the younger prince on his pitch black horse with its gold horned champron. You figured he would wear his distinctive green cloak, with gold and green armour, and his almost famous golden horns. - - “A true king is the first into battle, and the last to retreat.” Odin said to Thor and Loki as they oversaw the assembly of warriors. The brothers nodded. “I am getting on in my years.” Odin continued. “Don’t say that, father.” Thor was quick to reply. Loki nodded in agreement. “It’s true. You are the future king of Asgard, Thor. And Loki.” It sounded like an afterthought and Loki tried not to read into it, but he knew better. Either way, he remained silent. “Thor, I wish for you to lead. Your companions will ride behind you. The heavy infantry will follow close behind. Then the senior generals and I will follow shortly. They will be dispersed among their respective ranks. Light infantry will be towards the rear.” “And me, father?” Loki asked. Odin pursed his lips, “You have your skills in sorcery. I,” He hesitated, thinking of Frigga. The queen constantly tried to remind Odin that Loki was no less effective in battle. Loki was cunning and had great effect in his ability to move independently; to be useful where he saw fit and communicate within the ranks. ’Both of you were born to be kings’, Odin thought of his words. “Loki,” the words were difficult to say, but Frigga’s constant reminders overruled his own doubts. “I trust you to act as you see fit. You will fill the ranks as necessary. I will remind the soldiers that your orders stand as prince, under penalty of doubting me.” Odin gazed at Loki sternly, trying to impress the gravity of his words on his son. Loki inclined his head shortly, knowing better than to show his excitement. Inwardly he was whooping in delight, soaring with the happiness of earning an important position from Odin. He knew he could easily tear up with this wonderful news. Finally a chance to prove himself to his father. “Thank you father.” Loki murmured quietly. Thor clapped Loki on the back, “Fantastic brother!” Odin nodded curtly, “Do not disappoint. You know your places, prepare yourselves.” - Loki rode on the edge of the soldiers, moving his horse about, sometimes riding ahead, other times moving back to ride among the rear troops. As he moved past them, shivers often went down some of the soldiers’ spines. They tried to hide their nerves of the dark prince and his frequent ill temper; because they knew to show open fear would bring about his wrath. Loki remained quiet, knowing the reputation he had forged for himself. There was no point altering it. But he knew if they feared his displeasure more than the enemy, their fighting would be stronger. Slowing to the very rear of the procession, Loki moved with the army as it began to enter Pithe. He watched the children run between the soldiers, giving the center ones gifts. On the edges, he watched the pretty girls trying to catch the eyes of the more rugged and handsome soldiers. Oftentimes, after such battles, the soldiers would return heroes and be lucky enough to find girlfriends for themselves. Some just wished to keep the soldiers company for a night or two, others actually forged relationships and even families. There were a small number of female warriors amongst the army, and some of the men as well looked for them, seeking to woo them with pretty trinkets or gifts in general. It was usually the women in relationships who remembered to make useful items for those warriors. Loki couldn’t help but feel slightly amused by that. Even still, he kept his expression serious. As the rear of the army neared the apothecary shop, Loki’s thoughts turned to you, remembering the night spent reading beside you. He didn’t recall who had fallen asleep first – perhaps it was at the same time – but there was a fondness he felt that you held no fear of him, even with his reputation. You were proud, but not vain, willing to stand your ground against someone in a clear position of authority, but also act with the deference expected of your social class. Such a balanced personality fascinated him. Loki found himself scanning the crowd, wondering if you had your eyes set on one of the soldiers, perhaps looking for a potential suitor. The thought sent a twinge of unheeded jealousy through him. It was a slight surprise, that feeling. Loki didn’t like it. Then he paused his train of thought, perhaps you were already seeing someone. It was clear you saw Nox as nothing more than a friend, but your good looks ensured that someone would notice you; not to mention the charm of your personality. And worse yet, he hadn’t seen you for some time, perhaps you no longer thought of the prince or the book he had borrowed. He had finished it almost immediately, pausing only to stare fondly at your bookmark. There had been a small sense of longing, realizing that you didn’t know its fantastic ending and wanting to discuss it with you when you found out. Loki’s frown darkened. Mentally he kicked himself, allowing some peasant to completely occupy his thoughts. But really, you weren’t just some peasant. You were clearly a warrior of sorts, and skilled in your trade. On top of that, your personality made him enjoy your company. Loki wanted to growl in annoyance, but he knew it would simply draw unwanted attention towards him. Then suddenly, his thoughts were forced back to reality as he saw you eagerly scanning the crowd. Clearly you were searching for someone. Feeling his heart sink, Loki slouched down in his saddle, not wanting to look at you. - - As soon as the procession started past the town, you began searching for Loki. Thor was visible immediately, leading the army on a chestnut horse. He proudly waved his signature hammer around, urging people to cheer. The villagers happily complied, Nox included. You clapped along, desperately trying to find Loki. The old saying of a leader being the first to battle and the last to retreat crossed your mind. Something told you that Loki wouldn’t quite be the leader. Not that he lacked the skills, but his approach would certainly be more subtle. You watched Odin riding along in the middle. Then finally your gaze fell upon Loki’s signature golden horns. He rode near the rear, weaving along the side of the soldiers, ready to position himself where needed. You smiled, realizing he would be able to put his versatility to use. You were certain his seidr made him versatile anyways. At the very least, his cunning would be better used not charging directly in. You gripped the vial tighter, trying to figure out how to get it to him. For a second, Loki seemed to notice you, but he quickly looked away. When he finally drew near, you yelled out, “Prince Loki!” Loki’s head shot up, his gaze fixating on you as he met your eyes. He briefly slowed to a stop and looked down at you, trying to maintain his imperious gaze. You couldn’t help but notice a faint sense of happiness in his eyes. You pushed forward and lifted the vial up to him. Loki stared at it in confusion. “It’s for rejuvenation.” You explained hastily, “I understand it to help with energy and for magic.” You tried to smile but suddenly felt nervous. Loki reached down for it, a genuine smile at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you.” He murmured. Before you let go, you looked him in the eyes, “Come back safe, please.” Loki nodded, “I will.” “Promise?” You didn’t know where the adamancy came from, just that you needed for him to be safe. Nox was nowhere in sight, so for that you were grateful. “I promise.” Loki replied, nodding slightly, his smile finally spreading across his face, lighting up his eyes. As you pulled your hand away, your fingers slid along his and you swore you felt sparks. You briefly wondered if he had felt the same strange sensation. Then all too soon the army was moving away. Loki looked up, noticing this. Affording one last glance at you, Loki turned and kicked his heels into the horse’s side, urging it to rejoin the ranks. As Loki moved away, it occurred to him how much he liked you saying his name. He felt as if he would never tire of it. Trying to ignore the feeling, he urged the horse even further forward, not allowing himself to look back. However, riding forward, he felt a proud surge of confidence that he rarely felt in his life – if ever. It took all his willpower to hide his expression from his soldiers, but he still sat up straighter in his saddle, vowing to return from this battle unscathed.

#loki x reader #multi chapter

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