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veronicatheslayer · 6 years

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Wake And Bake Sale || Reed and Veronica

When life gives you lemonbars, don’t eat them.

Veronica couldn’t remember the last time that she had been to the high school. The truth was she had been fourteen at the time and her parents had been considering taking her out of private tuition and placing her in public school. However they had quickly decided that it wasn’t for her. Being here on the common, for an event surrounding said high school and the other schools in Ashkent Creek was certainly odd. To be perfectly honest, education that wasn’t supernaturally related was hardly Veronica’s biggest concern. But Reed had invited her and she had reluctantly agreed. Bridget was always reminding her how she needed to get out more, and she was sure that she hadn’t meant her nightly patrols. Parking her car by the side of the common, she did her best to leave most of her weapons in the car. She kept her daggers tucked comfortably into their sheaths at the base of her back, but everything else she left. After all, surely nothing would happen in broad daylight? Stepping out of her car, she sent Reed a quick text. “Where are you?” Hopefully he’d respond soon, there was already a woman with a stall full of cakes that was practically waving her over and Veronica wasn’t about to allow saturated fats and sugars back into her life.

With all of the surplus in activity, work was spiking more than it should for the early start of November and Reed’s head felt like it was floating from being pulled this way and that by colleagues and people in town. Based on everything he read online and heard about, there wasn’t as much vocal pushback towards the school-related fundraiser compared to the neighbourhood watch; he had a few guesses as to why. Still, he wanted to check it out, maybe see this Helen person and he had shown up not too early because he didn’t want to appear too eager (or, odd). A single text from Veronica made him stop his search for the apparently very elusive Helen and hasten towards the other end of the common. Mid-rush, he shot a quick text back: Coming. Will find you. Red hair, that’s what he kept a look out for, that and a certain air of presence that she carried with her. Thinking that he spotted her, Reed called out a, “Hey! Right here!” And waved both of his arms, careful of the people around him as he continued towards her. “I am so glad to see you!” He blurted when he was close enough, “It feels like so many people are backing out on me these days, so— uh— thank you. Means a lot.” He grinned brightly at her then gestured around and looked back towards the row of stalls, saw the woman waving them down. “Anyways...” He looked back at her, gleaming still, “You ready to get this party for two started?”

The ‘blood drive’ and the bloodmobile practically had the vampires in the town chomping at the bit and Veronica’s kill count had risen by more than she could have anticipated. Obviously it wasn’t anything that she couldn’t take into her stride, especially now that she had stopped holding back. But this was a part of her job that she felt was necessary, after her ball she had become all too aware of how vulnerable public events like this were. Checking her phone once more, she saw his text and decided that it would be best to stand still and wait for him. Finally, she found him. She’d managed to avoid the gaze of several mothers who were obviously far too keen about their roles in this fundraiser. “Reed,” she purred as she glided over to his side and placed kisses on either side of his face in the traditional french style of greeting, “it is a pleasure to see you, I’m sorry that it has been so long but the summer was a very pressing time for us all and I’ve been busy with the vampire problem that this town has.” She noticed the strange look that someone gave her, but she didn’t particularly care. Discretion had come and gone in this town without anyone batting an eyelash, it was obviously too late for this lady to receive the memo. “You don’t have to worry about me backing out of anything, I am as good as my word,” she promised with a smile, before looking down at the chocolate covered everything that was offered at the first stall. “I am ready, well, as ready as I’ll ever be, is there somewhere specific that you want to start?”

“Oh— Wow— Okay.” Reed’s body froze entirely briefly, surprised by her chosen greeting then tried to make up for his reaction by offering his hand to shake before quickly changing his mind and raised his arms for a hug. Moving on from that, he found that he was still taken aback — she definitely spoke with the same air that she walked with. Formal and proper. She was always so nice too, he liked that. Nodding in understanding and appreciation, “No need to apologize, I’ve been pretty busy myself and this town can be one hell of a handful at times. Or,” A sigh, “All the time.” Then a pause to look around once more at everyone nearby before he said, “Never a dull day in Ashkent Creek.” And there was a chance this one would be no different (and for what it was worth, he hoped it would go smoothly). People, mostly of the mom variety, were definitely keen on eavesdropping and throwing twisted looks at any mention of foul language and questionable phrases — the latter of which was more likely for them both than anything else. Reed turned his body as if inviting her to join him on a stroll through the area and presented his arm to her, and hummed, “Everything looks really good up front but I’m more interested at what’s going on towards the back.” He began walking, “I think I saw some tart cookies over there—” He pointed high over the heads of hyperactive teenagers and children rushing passed, “All the boring and too-healthy looking stuff looked really good to me.” He glanced over at her, wondering what interested her, “You?”

Raising an eyebrow gently at Reed’s reaction, Veronica did her best to indulge him by hugging him, she even patted him on the back gently. Honestly, she didn’t understand how people could go through their lives without learning the proper etiquette, however she wasn’t about to question him on it. She knew that she wasn’t exactly the easiest person to talk to, not to mention she was sure that there were a number of people that felt intimidated by her status as a slayer. Regardless, she took Reed’s arm and allowed him to show her around the stalls that were scattered about the common. “I think you were right with your second attempt,” she commented with a smile, “there hasn’t been a dull moment in this town in the last thirty years, at least that is what I hear. Perhaps that is what is driving these people to suddenly become proactive about their safety.” She smiled gently at a mother who was giving them an odd look, she wondered what it was that concerned the onlooking parent. As a gaggle of minors zoomed past them, Veronica found herself being taken through the common towards the stalls at the back, “There was a stall that sold home made honey and barley cakes that I thought looked intriguing, otherwise the fruit punch takes my interest…” she shrugged, “even though I don’t work as a personal trainer anymore, it is difficult to give up the habits of checking the nutritional facts in everything, which makes me wonder how much sugar is in each one of these reasonably priced treats. Not to mention the condition of hygiene in their kitchens…” she bit her lip, doing her best not to be a judgemental bitch, “what about you? Do you have a preferred poison… so to speak.”

Reed nodded, flicking his eyes towards one direction and another as he waved and tipped his head at anyone that made eye contact with him, “I think it’ll be good,” He mused with an optimistic tone, “They— We need it.” Everyone here appeared as they were to him, what they knew, what their skills were, what they thought about the new changes — there was an underlying vulnerability, a certain level of unknown. “I was told some odd months back that if I wanted to survive and live a life here, I’d have to be armed with at least the basics,” Reed admitted, lowering his voice whenever shoulders got too close as strangers brushed by. Telling Veronica that felt like some kind of political move across the chessboard for him but she had always been easy to talk to, so he didn’t mind despite it being a free for all for anyone else that was listening. “I think that could benefit everyone else too.” Slowing his pace down even more, Reed looked around and all over heads and hats for the booth, “Wanna go there first?” He asked her with a gentle nudge to her side as if telling her to take the lead and added, with a teasing smile, “Consider this a cheat day and you can blame all the bloating on me afterwards. As for me, my only goal is to stay away from cakes and cookies, the last time I went all out at a festival like this, I...” He stopped, thinking of how to say it given his profession, “Got high... And gave a lot of the same thing to my colleagues too, so... The lemonbars looked good.” Then with a firm nod, “Healthy and safe.”

“If I knew that everyone was seeking knowledge to survive, like you are, then I’d agree with you, but I don’t trust the neighbourhood watch movement for one second, not after the liberation and everything that followed that…” Veronica trailed off as she considered the point that he was trying to make. “Have you ever considered moving?” she suggested, “I’ve got a reason to stay, my family and the fact that this is my home, but you could just as easily set up your life anywhere else. Not that I’d want you to move of course, but you’d certainly be safer.” She did her best to avoid everyone’s gaze. After all, she didn’t want to cause a scene and there were people who wouldn’t take kindly to a Babineaux being here. There were still fools who thought that vampires weren’t dangerous. “Besides, not everyone is ready to be made aware of everything that you’d need to be aware of to survive, many of them outright reject the fact that they’ve been attacked by a vampire and that is after I’ve saved them and put a bandaid on their neck where a vampire’s fangs had previously been…” she trailed off as she felt her slaydar go off, but it was still far away, implying it was someone in a house looking onto the common. That wasn’t enough for her to get involved, at least not just yet. “I’ll follow your lead,” she said with a smile, “although I’ll abstain anyway, I have something much more interesting in mind for my cheat day, something that will taste better than these home made attempts at desserts.” She looked up at a mother who had heard her say that. “No offense,” she said with a shrug before continuing browsing. “Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me that you got high, although I suppose a lemonbar can’t do too much harm…”

Reed listened, his only knowledge of the liberation was limited to what people told him and whatever he managed to find through newsletter and police archives. He understood the concern and was wary as well but still hoped this could had good intentions and wouldn’t turn out like anything they experienced in the past. Sometimes, he had to remind himself frequently as involved as he was in the supernatural community, some things that happened were just normal too. He chewed on his bottom lip in thought, decided to save that portion of their conversation for a later time, and said, “I did for a while after...” An uncomfortable chill ran down his spine as he revisited that point in his life, hesitated for a little bit to explain before nodding, “My mom wanted me to too after— but...” He shrugged then, “I can’t bring myself to leave and I don’t think I’d want to, I care about everyone in this town, I love my job and I don’t want to abandon ship just because I have a higher chance of dying here.” He noticed the wide-eyed look from a mom passing out gumdrop sugar cookies, another one froze momentarily too and all that did, along with what else Veronica said, was reminded of the brief conversation he had online with someone and being left with the impression that his suggestions were more or less brushed off. He was sure he had incidents similar to Veronica’s as well but talking about his starter kits was the most recent. His easygoing smile fell down into a frown, “A lot of them may not be,” He agreed albeit feeling more like a disappointed father when he did, “But my strategy here is to market it differently so it appeals to them.” Nearing the lemonbar stall, wondering what the more interesting thing would be for her cheat day and if it was anything like the deserts Adrien mentioned before, Reed waved his hand at her, “No offense taken.” Then made a beeline for the stall, Reed pulled out his wallet and made small but polite conversation with the vendor as he picked out three center-piece lemonbars (one was for his mom). “Oh— No— You don’t have to do that, keep the change, please.” He murmured to the gentleman as soon as Reed saw him open the cash box to make change for a twenty dollar bill, being here was in the spirit of supporting the school district and raising money. After thanking the vendor, Reed turned his attention back to Veronica, offered the extra lemonbar he bought despite her pass before before grinning, “The most harm it’ll probably do is be a touch too tangy.” Taking a corner bite and chewing, he remarked after swallowing and being pleasantly surprised, “Not bad, has a pretty good amount of lemon flavouring too. I like it.” Had a smidge weird taste to it but it wasn’t so offensive to make him toss the treat (and if it did, he’d wait until he got home to discard of it anyway). Looping his arm with Veronica’s again, he motioned with his elbow towards the crowd of people, “I’m ready for stop two whenever you are.”

“Well, I wouldn’t ever presume to judge you Reed, but I sometimes wonder whether you’re giving this town a bit more credit than its worth. Besides, no one would judge you for trying to save your own life.” Veronica wondered whether he realised how easily this town could chew him up and spit him back out. Sighing gently, she tried to keep her reservations to herself. Reed didn’t need anyone else being down about what he could or couldn’t do, after all, it was hardly her place either. “Well, market it all you want, as long as it keeps people safe then who am I to complain…” she just hoped that people kept it for defense and didn’t start going out with more nefarious schemes in mind. As Reed offered her a lemonbar, Veronica could feel the eyes of the mothers still on them. How many of them were witches or werewolves who understood exactly what they were discussing? As Reed held her snack, Veronica decided that it would have been rude not to take the snack. Holding it delicately, she broke a small chunk off and chewed on it, brushing the crumbs from her lips. As the zesty taste spread through her mouth and settled on her pallette, Veronica had to admit that she was pleasantly surprised. “Well, that is surprisingly pleasant,” she smiled at the man behind the stall who seemed somewhat offended by her honesty, although he did seem a bit confused about whether she’d meant it as a compliment or not. Her vision almost seemed to swim before her eyes as she chewed, and despite the fact that she blinked several times, she couldn’t help but stumble backwards slightly. “Yeah,” she said, regaining her footing, “stop two, do they have a bar? I could use a drink.”

“Maybe I am but I have to have hope,” Reed shrugged. It can’t all be bad, that’s what he kept telling himself even on the days when he was least convinced of its truth, even now with so much resistance about the neighbourhood watch. Nigel told him a couple of years ago that this town would kill off that bright light in his eyes; and he realized he probably ran out of fingers and toes to count how many times he has had this kind of conversation. The old-age question being why would anyone move and willingly stay here? Reed didn’t have that answer but sometimes it definitely felt like there was a draw pulling him deeper, like curiosity was the thing that was what was really making him stay. Perhaps it was that way for everyone else that wasn’t born and raised here too. Without saying it, he understood the risks of living here, knew that the statistics were higher than even cities like Detroit and Chicago, knew there would be a tray variety of loss too, and Reed knew he also sounded less grounded in reality with his mention of hope. Fair chance. Helen could be good or bad or somewhere in-between, but which one that was has yet to be seen. “Thanks. As long as we look out for each other and keep each other safe, we can weather everything Ashkent throws at us.” A glimpse at Veronica turned into him trying to, somehow, brace himself to catch Veronica in case one wrong step back sent her falling when she stumbled. “Hey—” are you okay?, “Yeah, you said there was—” He began looking around for the stall she mentioned earlier again as he spoke, “—some fruit punch somewhere.” His eyebrows crinkled downwards just as the effects claimed ahold of him too. It felt like his mind was twisting around itself and his vision was getting caught up in that as well, it was disorientating. Everyone looked askew and duplicated. “Um—” Reed was paused for a really long time, like he were looking for the words and what to say but it escaped him so he began tracing their steps back towards the other stall. “I hope there are chairs.”

“Hope isn’t going to keep you alive, pragmatism is. Don’t let stupidity kill you. Especially when you’re so obviously not stupid.” Veronica bit her lip thoughtfully. Reed was too much of a good guy for this town. She used to be idealistic like him, she used to kill vampires when she could prove they’d done something wrong. Now she didn’t take the chance, it wasn’t worth it, especially when it could potentially kill you not to take every precaution. “You’re welcome, and yes, I like the optimism, I am sure that we’ll be able to survive if we can stick together.” She smiled gently as she regained her footing, placing a hand on Reed’s shoulder she tried her best to reassure him. “Don’t worry, I shouldn’t have worn heels for walking through grass, I think it was just my heel sinking into the dirt…” she never finished her sentence, because just as she thought that she had gotten over the shock of the hallucinogenic effect that these lemon bars apparently seemed to have, it hit her several times harder. The world seemed to fold in on itself in a bright swirl of colours, at least for a moment, and then suddenly everything was swirling in front of her eyes and she was struggling to keep herself upright. “Chairs seem like a good idea,” she admitted, looking around her for somewhere that they could sit, “if we could make it to my car we could sit there, or maybe there is a bench or something…” glancing around her she finally spotted it. Smiling gently at her own great work she pointed. “There,” she said, the colours of the grass all but leaping out at her, “that should work….”

Squeezing her shoulder when she did the same to him, Reed nodded once with half of a grin, “I know how to read a situation.” He knew better than to let hope totally blind him. Reed swallowed and blinked several times, trying to keep focused by looking into Veronica’s eyes, uncomfortably aware of his attention drifting away from the moment. “I won’t give anyone the chance to kill me. Not again.” And speaking of nixies, a pale blonde head in his peripheral caught his attention and made him snap his head in that direction. His heart began pummeling hard against his chest while he stared wide-eyed and in a trance at the woman. Azul. When she whipped around, cones with fluff on top in hand, Reed jerked reflexively back. “Fuck,” He blurted and felt his face flush with heat as he saw a countless amount of pairs of eyes glaring intensely at him, “Crap— I mean crap. It’s a no brainer.” Their faces look distorted, almost melting or slipping off, and less convinced that he meant that so he stammered out, “I- I’m PG.” It felt like an infinity of time passed by the time he thought he got his bearings together and he forgot what he said just seconds ago. Then his gaze dropped to where Veronica was pointing and brought his hand up to shield his eyes, “Christ, that’s bright.” Facing Veronica, he cupped both sides of his face with his hands and asked after sucking in air through his teeth, “...Are they still staring?” He stopped talking after someone walked passed with a cup of pomegranate-looking something. Fruit punch, some tiny part of him that was sober realized. “Hey!” He pointed, struck with a repeat idea, “Let’s go get something to drink.”

Veronica’s mind went into overdrive. The lemon bars must have been spiked and anger overtook her at that moment. Biting down on her lip to try and focus through the blur of colour and swirling lights. Normally she didn’t rely on emotions, they were a weakness that caused her to focus to shift and people had capitalised on that before, Heath, her father, too many people had taken advantage of her emotions. But for once they actually helped her gain a little bit of clarity. As she leaned against one of the stalls, she wrapped her slender fingers around a wooden beam that held up a tent, it was only when she heard the cracking noise from it that she realised that the wood was splintering beneath her fingers. “Make sure that you don’t, I would hate to have to go after someone because they hurt you, I’d much rather just avoid that altogether. If that is okay with you of course.” Stumbling towards the stall of fruit punch, Veronica pulled a splinter from her palm and watched as it spun away, growing in size before her eyes before it was a stake plunging through a vampire's heart. Blinking several times she found herself staring at the ground before stumbling towards the fruit punch. “I’m not convinced this is going to fix whatever is going on.”

Nodding determinedly, Reed rushed as best as he could towards the stall while simultaneously completing a warped obstacle court from his days in police academy. “It’ll help us,” He said automatically still bobbing his head up and down, eyes focused on the gallon of fruit punch, its colour a bright fuchsia though the closer he got, the darker and redder it appeared and the more hairs across his forearms and nape stood on end. Barely a couple of feet away, Reed watched another clear cup be filled halfway with the fruit punch, its viscosity looked closer to blood than fruit punch to him now. To the vendor, he asked, “Actually— Do you have water?” A shake of the head was followed up with a sorry and suggestion on where to find bottled water, and Reed watched in horror as their face twisted into a flesh-coloured spiral. Defeated, he turned around, “Well, I’m not going to drink whatever that is.”

As they stumbled over to the vendor who was selling a punch that had something bobbing in it, though Veronica had to admit that she wasn’t sure whether the things bobbing in said punch were cherries or eyeballs, it was almost as if every time she blinked something changed. The thick punch swirled in front of her and she was immediately put off by it. “Y’know,” Veronica said, reaching for her phone and tapping the uber app, which she was pretty sure grew teeth and snapped at her, “I think that maybe we should just go home, there was obviously something in those lemonbars and they are really fucking with me…” she rubbed her eyes exhaustedly, the colours of everything merging and jumping out at her. Whatever the hell was in those lemonbars was killing her. “I’m getting a cab home, you can crash on my sofa or in one of the spare rooms if you want, at least until this wears off, I don’t think we should be on our own.”

Reed just stood there, believing he got the best results by keeping his weight and balance even on both feet. Everything was still shifting around for him, taking on different forms while certain colours grabbed his attention. Hues of red and silver burst out and all he could do was connect it back to his work and Azul. It upset him, really. He wasn’t high but he was definitely experiencing some kind of trip. Turning slowly back around towards the vendor, Reed wondered if the fruit punch was really fruit punch or whatever it was he was seeing. He wondered if everything here was just like the lemonbars. Did Helen know about and approve that or was someone trying to give her a bad name? “You can go,” Reed said, “I should probably go have a talk with that other guy who sold me the lemonbars...” It was a challenge trying to see passed the demonic things going on in front of him and trying to think clearly. Weren’t trips supposed to be...not mortifying? Or did that just mean he had a lot of skeletons in his closet? “He shouldn’t be selling that here.” It explained the weirds they got before.

Veronica paused for a moment, before rolling her eyes. Reed had to take such pleasure in doing the right thing, couldn’t he just be a real person for once and do something that was selfish, something like going home and riding out this trip. Her finger hovered over the confirm request, before she sighed and tucked her phone back into her pocket. “Well, I can’t let you do that on your own, if they’re not above spiking cakes that could end up with children then they’re almost certainly not going to just give it up because you asked them to do so politely.” She sighed and cracked her neck and her knuckles. “Come on, lets get this over with,” she turned and took a moment to compose herself before making her way back towards Mr Lemonbar, which was easier said than done considering she was pretty certain that the ground was melting away beneath her feet, not to mention the fact that her legs were jelly. Not a helpful combination when you’re trying to get somewhere, especially in heeled boots.

Reed looked back at Veronica, halfway shocked that she was truly committed to sticking by his side while halfway wishing she would take that cab home, though his actual facial expression must’ve looked exaggeratedly different from how he felt. His mouth quirked up into a small and forgiving smile. “I’ll confiscate them,” He assured her as he tried yet struggled to walk with brisk purpose, “He’s not taking those bars home or anywhere else for that matter.” Each step sent a vibration up into his body that made his vertigo chime like the church bell. Though it was only movement, it felt so loud and the effort it took to focus was incredibly crowded in his head. “After that’s done, we’ll get you home and off your feet.” And Veronica looked to be struggling a lot more than he was which resulted in Reed wrapping his arm across her shoulders and offering her his free hand up to her as a form of stabilizing support. They weren’t in the best mind to deal with this and Reed wasn’t volunteering on behalf of the station. Biting the inside of his cheek for a moment, Reed reconsidered what his mission was here against how well their bodies and minds were reacting to whatever was corrupting them. “On second thought, I’ll get security to confiscate it and we’ll get that cab.”

The ringing of the church bell in the distance was enough for Veronica to lose focus again, she felt a slight surge of panic as the bell tolled loudly, the sound seemed to engulf her in an echo chamber and suddenly she was almost certain that she could see the waves of sound cascading down towards her in a cacophony of noise, as Reed wrapped an arm around her she acted on instinct, her leg swiping out from underneath her. It was basic self defence. Knock your opponent off your feet. But as she made contact with Reed and watched him begin to tumble backwards, her mind suddenly cleared and she reached out and grabbed his hand. Normally she would’ve felt embarrassed or at least amused, but she couldn’t say that she felt anything other than annoyance at the fact that they’d been spiked. She was sure that this didn’t happen anywhere else. “Sorry,” she confessed though she didn’t feel particularly sorry but etiquette was important to her, “that was habit normally when people do that it’s not because they’re trying to help, but I am starting to agree with you.” In this state she could easily act on instinct and get someone hurt, not that it would bother her but she didn’t need the hassle. “Let security handle it, I’m going home.” She called an Uber, which headed for the wrong side of the common much to her displeasure. “You can tell security on the way,” she said as she began to make her way across the common.

“Whoa, shi—” Reed felt the ground be kicked out from beneath him like the tablecloth during a magic trick; tuck and roll, outcried his mind as he tried to brace for an inevitable faceplant but as quickly as the ground looked to be approaching him, he was pulled back like a featherweight at once. He didn’t register her hand on his, didn’t really mind so much this time around as he focused on steadying himself; his legs felt like jelly, they felt wobbly and like they might give out beneath from him at any moment now. Feeling overwhelmed, Reed pressed the palm of his hand against his forehead as if that would stop the dizziness, “It’s fine. I really just wish I wasn’t...high.” His voice was layered thick with disappointment as he came to terms with the current condition he was in. He huffed and looked for faces he knew he would recognize before waving down a volunteering officer and pointed back towards the lemonbar stall. Afterwards, he caught up with Veronica as best he could.

#p: reed #para #touchofchatzy #touchofpotw #wake and bake sale

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hysterialevi · 6 years

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In the Smoke pt. 31 (Cobblebats)

From Bruce’s POV

THE CATACOMBS

Skulking my way through the dank tunnels, I searched every inch of the crumbling tomb for a certain sniper as my heart hammered in my chest, threatening to leap right out of my rib cage. It had been a long time since I felt this type of fear, and the latest memory I could recall where I experienced the same thing was way back during the debate.

I let out a sigh. Things were so much simpler for me then. I had a single goal in mind, I knew who my enemies were, and nothing was holding me back. For once in my life, I actually had a clear vision of where I was supposed to go. Now though, it was like trying to navigate a blizzard. I couldn’t see more than two steps ahead of me, my feet were stuck in the ground, and with every passing day, the bone-biting winds only grew stronger. Even if I did manage to kill Gideon, I didn’t know where the hell we would start cleaning up this mess.

Pushing my way through a thin layer of cobwebs, I eventually found myself standing in front of what looked like to be an underground chapel. There weren’t any seats in sight, but an ornate altar stood proudly on the other side of the room, dimly lit with a collection of tall candles. There were also a few, intricate stone sculptures watching over the secluded sanctuary, and in the center, I spotted Gideon himself, sitting against the altar while clutching a fresh wound. Blood stained his hands as well as the floor beneath him, and judging by his fading breath, I could tell he wasn’t going to last much longer. I guessed Vicki wasn’t the only one who got hurt during their fight. I carefully approached him.

“...Gideon...?” I softly called out, pointing my gun at him. He glared at me.

“...well, well,” he weakly coughed, straining in pain. “Look who it is. ...Bruce. Fuckin’. Wayne. You certainly got a habit of showin’ up where you’re not wanted.”

I gestured to his wound. “What happened to you? Did Lady Arkham do that?”

Gideon laughed, shaking his head. “She couldn’t do this to me if she tried, and she sure tried her damnedest not too long ago. No, it was the goddamn traps that got me. Opened a door when I wasn’t paying attention, and a spike went straight through me. I limped around for a while, hoping to find a way out, and ended up settling down here. Then you arrived.”

I stepped closer to him. “Why did you even come to the catacombs in the first place?”

Gideon peered at me with an expression that told me I should know. I remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

“...Mayor Hill and your father used to operate down here,” he said. “Always did the dirty work where no one could see them, and this place was perfect for that. It was secluded, away from everyone’s sight, and it blocked any signals trying to break through. No one ever suspected a thing.”

Gideon’s face drooped with sorrow and his eyes scanned the area, almost like he was re-watching an old memory play in front of him. He frowned.

“...Do you have...any idea...how many people Hill killed in these catacombs? How many he tortured?” He scoffed, glancing at the ceiling. “And the GCPD were worried about the people upstairs.”

I was now only a few feet away from Gideon, and with my gun still in hand, I felt the urge to just finish him off right there, but a part of me wanted to know what else he had to say. I decided to hold off the execution for a little longer.

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here.” I replied. Gideon paused for a moment, clearly reluctant to tell me his secrets. He pointed an almost lifeless finger at his scars.

“Eight years ago, I used to guard this place. That’s right. I was a damned security guard for that bloated pig, Hill, and my job was to watch the prisoners he locked up down here. It was my only option back then, and it paid enough to keep me and my family fed, so I never questioned it. No matter how many people begged me to let ‘em out, or give them some extra food, I just stood where you’re standing right now...all damn day...waiting to go back home to my wife and kid.”

“What changed?” I asked. A wave of bitterness spread across Gideon’s face.

“Hill kidnapped my wife -- that’s what. I dunno what I did to piss him off so much, but I clearly fucked up somehow. He suspected that I had told the GCPD about his secret prison, and as a result, dragged my wife down here as punishment. Threatened to use her for a number of their experiments.”

I lowered my head in sympathy, trying to avoid eye contact. “...I assume... she didn’t escape?”

Gideon’s nose crinkled in anger. “Nothing I said or did was able to convince Hill to let her go. So I finally gave up, and simply told him to take me instead. The last thing I wanted was for my wife to be alone, but there was nothing else I could do. He accepted the offer, and kept me in the catacombs as his personal lab rat for almost an entire year. I don’t know what happened to my wife after that. She was alive last I saw her, but that was ages ago. She could be dead now, for all I know.”

Gideon suddenly hissed in pain, still suffering from his injury. “I managed to escape after Hill injected me with this certain...chemical. I don’t know exactly what it was -- and I don’t think he knew either --but it made me resistant to a variety of things, which allowed me to break free. I immediately went straight home after that, and killed a lot of people in the process of doing so...only to find a new family living there. My wife and little girl were nowhere to be seen. I suspected he had taken them into the catacombs also, but I never got the chance to search for them. And now, seven years later, I’m finally back in this goddamn tomb, trying to find something that doesn’t even exist anymore...and you’re going to kill me.”

Gideon laughed in a dark tone, gritting his teeth at me. “Those are the type of men your father protects, Wayne. Those are the men controlling this city, and soon enough, you’ll become one of those men yourself. I hope you enjoy it while it lasts.”

Kneeling next to the dying sniper, I lowered my gun for a second and put a hand on his shoulder, a bit worried that he’d jump at me at any minute -- but nothing happened. I let out a breath.

“Gideon,” I nearly whispered, “I’m sorry you went through all of that, but it’s not over. Not yet. Your daughter...she’s still alive.”

His head perked up at me, instantly hooked with interest. He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean she’s still alive? How the hell do I know you’re not just bullshitting me?”

I looked him directly in the eye. “I wouldn’t lie about something like this, Gideon. Her name’s Eva, right? A nine-year-old girl who used to be kept prisoner by Hill’s men, and escaped recently. I did some research.”

Out of nowhere, the sniper grabbed me by the collar with an iron grip and yanked me forward until our noses were nearly touching. I could feel his hands shaking slightly.

“You know about Eva,” he growled. “Where is she!? What did Hill’s men do with her?”

I remained still in Gideon’s grasp, not wanting to provoke him.

“I don’t know,” I answered. “I just know that she’s still alive, and most-likely, probably looking for you. We don’t have to be enemies, Gideon. I can help you find her, if you’ll let me. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to get a hold of Eva, but I can at least try to figure out where she is.”

Releasing my collar, Gideon fell back against the altar once more, his body even weaker than before as he tried to stay conscious.

“There’s no point,” he sighed. “I’m gonna die today, and I accept that. I’m already half-dead thanks to this wound, and it’s only a matter of time before I bleed out -- or before you kill me. I was hoping I could lead the Children of Arkham in a better direction -- which is why I turned against Vicki -- but we lost this war ages ago.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gideon’s hand inching towards Vicki’s staff.

“The best I can do now...” he groaned, “...is go down with a fight.”

Jumping backwards, I managed to dodge what would’ve been a fatal attack as the violent lightning crackled mere centimeters away from my face, practically lighting up the entire chapel single-handedly. Gideon was back on his feet again despite his severe injuries, and before I even had time to react, he was already swinging wildly at me, determined to take me down.

Making my way around the chapel, I tried to distance myself as much as possible from the deranged sniper currently trying to kill me as bolts of energy singed into the walls around me, sending small rocks flying. There was no telling how old these catacombs were, and I had no doubt that if our fight carried on, we would soon be buried with it.

If I wanted to get rid of Gideon, I would have to do it fast.

Adjusting my mask, I took out both of my weapons as Gideon charged towards me with his staff raised in the air, preparing to slam it directly onto my head. I had no idea how he was moving around so eloquently, considering his numerous wounds, but the man was a tank with feet. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be nothing more than a pile of ash before the end of the day.

Firing a few, carefully aimed bullets at Gideon, I quickly switched back and forth between my two main attack methods, swinging my axe anytime I saw an opening. It was difficult to get anywhere close to the man, what with all the lightning and electricity, but I decided to use the chapel’s crumbling state to my advantage and began baiting Gideon to damage certain weak points.

There were a couple times when Gideon’s lightning bolts nearly burned right through me, or a giant boulder almost crushed me, but after running a few laps around the chapel, I managed to send a number of small pillars toppling down towards him. Of course, with my luck, none of them actually landed on Gideon, but it was still enough to hinder him a bit. And myself, as well.

Hopping out of the way as another rock plummeted from the ceiling, Gideon prowled in my direction, staff still in hand while the rest of the chapel collapsed around us and the statues began to tilt.

Without much space left in the catacombs to run around, I had no choice but to stand my ground, and face Gideon one-on-one as the floor beneath my feet threatened to break apart at any second. The other man didn’t appear to be any more fatigued than before, and as our vicious battle carried on, I couldn’t help but wonder what type of drugs Hill had injected into him all those years ago. Was it possible that it was a modified version of the drug Lady Arkham used? Gideon certainly contained the superior strength that it came with, but unlike other victims, he was able to retain his own mind. That was the dangerous part.

Suddenly, before I could even stop it, Gideon had bludgeoned the staff directly into my face and sent my mask flying across the chapel, causing me to fall backwards. For a moment, the world spun around me like a whirlpool, and all the noises in my head echoed aggressively against the walls of my skull. By the time I was able to return to reality, Gideon had already grabbed my neck and lifted me up from the floor, strangling me mid-air. I could see his eyes piercing through mine.

“Your father did nothing to stop Hill when he took my child away,” Gideon snarled as the staff’s zapping tip got closer to me, “so now, I’m going to take his.”

Before Gideon could move a single muscle however, a Batarang hurled itself right into the sniper’s hand, causing him to drop me along with the deadly weapon. Though, as soon as I hit the ground, one of the toppling statues slammed on top of my lower body, trapping me in place as I desperately tried to crawl away from its restraints. I could hear Dad’s voice projecting throughout the chapel.

“Batman,” Gideon chuckled as he tore the Batarang out, “I knew I’d see you again. I just didn’t expect you’d choose now to show up.”

Batman stood protectively in front of me.

“Leave him out of this.” He demanded.

The sniper shook his head. “You’re defending the wrong crowd, Batman. This...” he gestured at me, “...innocent boy you’re tryin’ to save...has probably taken more lives than Lady Arkham herself. You can’t be a hero if you protect villains.”

Batman took out a smoke grenade. “The only villain I see here is you.”

Not even a second later, the whole chapel had been shrouded by smoke, and the only things I could hear were the sounds of battle as sparks illuminated the thick fog, revealing both my father’s and Gideon’s silhouettes fighting behind the screen. In the midst of all this chaos, I patted my hands around the stone floor, frantically searching for something to grab onto that could possibly pull me out from under the statue. As soon as I reached my hand out however, another chunk of rock came raining downwards, causing me to retract my arm.

There was nothing around for me to use as leverage, but to my right, I spotted my gun resting not too far away from me, just within arm’s reach. Stretching my hand outwards, I practically dislocated my spine as I attempted to get a hold of the pistol, my fingers desperately straightening in hopes of extending my grasp.

Just then, with a stroke of luck, the impact of a nearby falling boulder caused the gun to bounce off the floor and right into my hands. I hurriedly reloaded the firearm, and squinted my eyes as I peered through the smoke, trying to aim for Gideon’s head. It was tricky to get a clear shot with all the constant movement, but eventually, Batman managed to hold Gideon in place, allowing me to shoot directly at his forehead.

The bullet ended up hitting him a bit lower than I anticipated, but it still caused a great deal of damage and buried itself into his neck, causing blood to gush down his shoulder. For what felt like ages, Gideon stumbled around weakly on his feet, clutching the side of his neck as he gaped at Batman, his expression softening with relief once he realized he had been defeated. With one last wave of strength, he uttered out a series of final words, his breath faltering with every syllable.

“...Go ahead...and smile,” he wheezed out, collapsing to his knees. Both my father and I simply watched in shock, slightly in disbelief that we actually got him.

“...Your mask ain’t hiding shit...” Gideon was now on all fours, nearly face-down on the floor, “...Thomas...Wayne.”

And with that said, the sniper finally fell limp, his dead stare landing on me as the life drained out of them and they gradually rolled into the back of his head, leaving me and my father alone in the chapel.

He knew all along, I thought to myself. He knew who Batman was, and he knew that I was his son. Why did he wait until now to reveal it?

Oh, well. Those questions were for another time. At the moment, the catacombs were about ready to crumble right on top of us, and with this statue locking me in place, I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. My father rushed over to me.

“Bruce, grab my hand! We gotta get you out of there!”

I glanced at the ceiling, unsure of what to do. “I’m stuck, Dad,” I exclaimed. “If you wait for me to escape, we’ll both die! Just run while you still can!”

Thomas strengthened his hold on me. “You are not making me listen to this nonsense. Now, grab my hand and let me pull you out! We’re leaving this place. Together. I didn’t come down here just to have you die.”

Latching onto my father’s arms, the two of us used as much force as we could, but the bone-crushing weight of the statue proved to be incredibly adamant, and wouldn’t budge.

And as if that wasn’t enough, I saw a particularly unstable boulder above my father getting ready to smash the floor beneath it. Judging by the way it trembled, we didn’t have long until we were both nothing but mush, but that didn’t stop Thomas. He only continued to tug at my arms, hopelessly trying to slide me out of the statue’s unrelenting grip.

“I’ve almost got you,” he encouraged. “You’re gonna be all right.”

“Dad--”

“--I said you’ll be all right!”

The boulder was now dangling by a thread, and I could tell that it was about to drop at any moment. Out of fear, I pointlessly began pressing my hands against the statue in an attempt to push it off, but my energy was dwindling. Even with all the adrenaline rushing through my veins, and the anxiety pumping my heart, my body couldn’t keep up with its demands. Unless my father somehow got me out, I was stuck for good.

Just then however, as if by miracle, I suddenly felt myself crawling free from underneath the statue and into my father’s arms, but the relief didn’t last long.

With one last look at the sky, Thomas saw the aforementioned boulder plummeting directly towards him, seconds away from mashing his entire body. Just before it was able to hit the ground though, he gave me one strong shove, throwing me out of harm’s way while he stayed behind to face his demise.

“Dad!” I shouted, but it was too late. The boulder had already landed, and underneath it, I could see a morbid splatter of blood beginning to spread. He was gone. Just like that.

Quickly getting back onto my feet, I limped towards the chapel’s exit, desperately trying to find a way out as I leaned against the walls for support. Oz was nowhere to be seen, and thanks to the thick, stone walls of the catacombs, it was impossible for me to contact Alfred for help. My survival depended on no one but myself right now, and if I didn’t pick up the pace, I would soon be sharing my father’s fate.

Retracing my steps, I slithered my way through the narrow tunnels as the structure collapsed behind me, nearly catching up at several points. The entire escape probably only lasted several minutes, but to me, it seemed like an eternity. With all the dust, rocks, and cobwebs, my vision was more than impaired, and the fact that my legs had just been crushed certainly didn’t help matters. Thankfully though, I was able to find what looked like a ray of sunlight not too far in the distance. That was my way out.

Forcing myself to ignore the pain, I charged through the crumbling catacombs like a wild horse and squeezed through the shrinking walkways as rocks began to fill them up, threatening to trap me in here forever, but I wouldn’t let it. Instead, I took a leap of faith and reached for the exit, climbing out as fast as humanly possible.

I felt like I was moving at the speed of light, but the minute I set foot outside, the entirety of the catacombs had fallen apart within a heartbeat, sending a large cloud of dust through the air while I stood by, witnessing all this chaos.

Despite the happiness I felt over Gideon’s death, a part of me couldn’t help but feel regret for what happened to my father. He sacrificed himself to rescue me, even after all the horrible things I’d done -- and if that didn’t define what a true hero was, I didn’t know what would. But there would be time to mourn him later.

Right now, I finally had a moment to take a breath, and just savor this short period of peace. The battle between the Children of Arkham and Gotham’s people was finished, and with the end of Lady Arkham came the end of the most difficult chapter in my life.

It was all over.

It was all finally over.

#cobblebats #batman telltale #bruce wayne #oswald cobblepot #harvey dent #fanfic #story

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daveywankenobie · 4 years

Text

I will get the obvious out of the way.

I’m NOT feeling down.

There’s not a single fibre of my being that’s blue, malcontent, irritable, sad, annoyed, dissatisfied or irascible.

I have my mojo back and I’m workin it baby!

Part of my mood is (as always) attributable to a calming (and creative) nearby presence, who – while I write – is creating her own unique little pieces of art and beavering away with pliers and metal next to me.

It’s not at all unusual to see these little ‘jump rings’ floating around the house (occasionally the hoover finds more than it’s fair share) and in a radical departure from how things used to be I now find that I live in a world where (for the very first time in my life) I’m considering and appreciating the aesthetic merits of all kinds of jewellery.

This used to be something I wasn’t particularly keen on.

I have always viewed people (male or female) that were dripping in jewellery as materialistic. I didn’t understand why they needed such (usually golden) things, and for the longest time (mostly because I wanted simplicity but also because I had fat sweaty wrists) I never even wore a watch.

When I make the first tentative attempts to connect with my other half and we began to learn more about eachother I shared my thoughts on such matters.

She replied outright that she had a weakness for jewellery.

My honest thought at the time was ‘uh-oh… I hope she’s not high maintenance…’ but it turned out that nothing could be further from the truth – unless that is you count the endless cups of tea required to keep her running smoothly.

What I didn’t realise at the time was that she made a large amount of the jewellery that she wore herself – and what she didn’t construct with her numerous tools and materials was usually purchased frugally from very individual and bespoke suppliers.

I realised very quickly when we became closer that the items she owned were pretty much never made of precious metals or set with rare stones (many are constructed with things like Lego!) but each and every item reflected her unique personality and tastes.

Tonight, while I’ve been creating this post she created this chain mail bracelet – and it just blows me away that I have such a quirky and inventive little soul next to me whenever I need cheering up.

I can’t just expect her to deliver my good mood whilst I give nothing in return though.

At times this can be hard and I feel like I’ve struggled a bit in the last few weeks. I’ve had to lean into my partner and other people more than I normally would (which is a natural part of life) but this week I finally feel like I’m making headway again.

As I’ve mentioned in my last few blogs my mindset recently has been a carefully cultivated one that’s taken a lot of effort to turn into something that is once again positive.

After burying my head in the metaphorical sand for a while and packing a good few pounds back on in the process I decided that the only way to tackle the issue I’d created was head on.

I needed to work hard, try at all times to be a ‘can do’ person and follow the Slimming World plan, which for me means no longer giving myself free reign to eat like an idiot.

It also means moving my arse more because not doing so has been a big contributor to my weight gain recently.

So in an effort to change I’ve explored all around Warwickshire this week, and in doing so discovered that despite the cold and grim weather there are still many flashes of colour or interest to be found when you’re out and about.

For a start there are mushroom rings everywhere!

I love that there’s always something new to find when you’re out walking. The natural world changes all the time – and the only thing I never seem to find when I’m outside in it is boredom.

It’s not just the natural world that holds joy and interest mind you.

Getting out and about regardless of where you go is good for the soul because there’s life of many different kinds of life to be found everywhere and lots of people to talk to or just watch as they pass by.

On Friday I walked into Coventry Market with a friend and we spent a while combing through the fruit and veg stalls where the variety and quality of produce puts most supermarkets to shame.

Around one third of these items are completely alien to me. I’ve never cooked with them, and I wouldn’t know where to begin in some cases (particularly with the bitter melon) but I love that we live in such a culturally diverse society that all of the Chinese, Indian and English sellers that were in the market have space for their wares and ALL of them seemed to have a bustling, diverse and above all engaged clientele.

There’s life inside that run down looking building that you can’t find in a supermarket.

Within its walls you can interact with, touch, smell, feel and examine items that aren’t everyday objects – or at least they aren’t to me.

In this environment my childhood returns to me – because a greengrocer was (back then) a daily reality in which potatoes were covered in dirt, cucumbers curled like springs and apples were different shapes colours, tastes and sizes.

Fruits and vegetables had bumps, knobbles and imperfections which I loved and shopping back then didn’t require removal of leaves and mud.

You got to see the way that items looked when they’d been pulled out of the ground – without them being sanitised and shoved in clear plastic to put under 24×7 spotlights.

I absolutely love the naturalness of this scruffy little place – and I can’t believe that until six months ago I’d never ever been there before.

If you haven’t visited yourself then leave your car (or bus) at War Memorial Park and take a walk into town (it’s only a mile away – you can do it!). If you have an Ikea Family card then you can also get a free tea or coffee in their nearby cafe.

If you don’t purchase anything you still get a cheap day out and some exercise – which I’ll admit was the main reason for this discovery in the first place.

This brings me neatly onto my next topic – because If you’re not in calorie deficit and moving about as much as possible then you won’t lose weight.

In my Apple Watch stats I haven’t failed to hit all of my daily exercise goals for over two years – but during the last few months I’ve gradually done a little less every day and eaten either the same amount or more.

My life is a pretty fine balance due to my reliance on rather large portion sizes, and I’ve had to accept recently that I simply cannot get away with eating huge volumes of (very good non processed and natural) free food without then immediately burning it off.

The truth is that although my stats look good they have to be viewed with a bit more of an inquisitive eye.

My walking distance is great – and it’s remained constant throughout the year (now I swim as well) at about eight miles a day.

My average swimming distance shows that I do around 50 continuous lengths of the pool each time I swim, meaning I have great stamina. However what it doesn’t show in this average is that last month I went swimming less times in October than since I started in November 2018.

Bad Davey.

The stats that really can’t lie – and highlight the dip in the number of times I’ve swum are my active energy ones (kcal expended through movement above normal ‘just living and breathing’ levels) and my exercise minutes.

Whilst they’re probably higher than a lot of people’s daily burn they have (by my standards) tailed off lately, and in August (shortly after I handed over to the new MOTY) they pretty much said ‘enough of this sh*t – I’m staying on the sofa.’

As you can see in November I’ve begun to address this – and after a slow start to the month I’m once again cooking on gas. Since weighing in last Saturday I’ve managed to walk 80+ miles and swum 7.5km.

After taking a 12lb gain on the chin last weekend I had two choices – sort it out with activity and a positive mindset or deal with it by burying my face in the fridge.

I’ve therefore been very active and very outdoorsy.

I’ve also cooked every large, hearty meal from scratch and prepared the breakfasts, lunches and dinners for myself and my other half each day (I just love cooking for us both) with feeling satisfied and full in mind.

There have been no complaints from her – and looking back at some of the week’s pictures I think you’ll agree we’ve not gone hungry!

It’s fair to say though that in between these shots an awful lot of plums and carrots also died to service our needs to snack between meals.

There were also some more serious transgressions involved though – and on Thursday I hoovered up 200g of sweet popcorn in one very flexible evening that equalled 44 syns. I refuse to feel guily though. I really enjoyed it – and after some epic exercise genuinely felt I deserved a treat.

I felt absolutely zero guilt.

Neither of us has.

We’ve instead had a pact that’s revolved around promising eacother that we’d focus on our individual sabotaging behaviours and do our level best to support eachothers’ success – which we have.

My partner’s weaknesses and mine are quite different – but we’re the same in that (like most people) we fall down in times of stress or worry. Although it’s been tough for both of us to turn things around it’s also been really empowering to take our bulls by their horns and wrestle them to the floor.

This week – thanks to our individual commitments (and efforts with walking and swimming which have been mutually engaged in as much as possible) this has resulted in huge strides.

We both had big losses on the scales this morning and for the first time in a while since I got my new Slimming World book (which frankly looks like a complete mess to me with its gains and losses) I feel really proud of myself.

This morning I smashed out a 9.5lb loss!

Now – I don’t for a minute think that this is sustainable and I’m sure that at least half of this is fluid rather than fat. I know this because I can feel the bloat and swell when I’m not eating right.

If I change my habits then I pee like a racehorse for a day or two and then I’m magically a few pounds lighter. It’s only after the first couple of days that the real weight loss starts. With this in mind I’ve probably lost about 4-5lbs in real terms.

This is still a fabulous weight loss – but I’m not naive enough to think I’ll get this figure regularly.

I’ve been doing this too long now and I know my body.

When Angie asked my how much I wanted to lose by next week my reply was simply ‘a loss’, because to lose lose two weeks in a row with an initial spurt like that is no easy task and I don’t want to set myself up for a fall.

I don’t want to put anything on or maintain – just a loss is enough for me.

So that’s it.

The result of hard work.

Now to do it over and over again every week until I get back to target!!!!

Davey

Got my mojo back baby! OK I will get the obvious out of the way. I'm NOT feeling down. There's not a single fibre of my being that's blue, malcontent, irritable, sad, annoyed, dissatisfied or irascible.

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doedipus · 7 years

Text

Seasick Off the Sword Coast

The campaign went on hiatus for a couple weeks over the summer, and I’ll admit, I got restless pretty quick. I ended up writing a couple of... short stories? scenes? vignettes? based on events in the campaign to keep myself busy. This one takes place during the sea voyage from Athkatla to Waterdeep.

This was written a while after the session where Coy transitioned, however, at the time in the campaign neither the players or their characters knew what was up. I decided to use female pronouns for her in the narration, because I’d feel awful for knowingly misgendering someone (yes, even a fictional character, shut up :P), but the characters still see her as a dude and refer to her as such.

Anyway, I’m posting this because it might give readers a better grasp on the characters than simple greentext-style notes would. As usual, content under the break.

Constanza had never been to sea before, and after the last week, she never wanted to go to sea ever again. The gentle rocking of river boats and ferries she’d ridden before were nothing compared to the interminable and often violent undulation of the open ocean. She’d been plagued by terrible seasickness through the whole voyage. Behind her illusion, her usually rust-hued skin had taken a turn for the green, and she was having trouble keeping her meals down. While the rest of her companions had long since found their sea legs, Constanza still struggled to keep her balance. During the brief calm moments, she was filled with deep pangs of inferiority. She kept to herself, and barely left her cabin.

These sorts of moods were hardly uncommon for her. Growing up, her sister Lou was always by her side when Constanza needed her, and would always have a corny joke or amusing story that could take the edge off for a time. Since she’d left, it had become harder and harder to push past the voices telling her that she was less than or unworthy of their respect. Nowadays, she tried to focus herself on her faith, praying at a makeshift altar, or trying to parse the hefty tome her superiors had left her with. Self-help was a pillar of the church’s outreach, and sometimes they had the right ideas. It certainly offered many distractions she could focus on instead.

This morning, she was meditating on the story of Saint Fripp of Neverwinter. Fripp had been an acolyte of The Late Allfather Emerson the Immortal during the early days of the church, when Ascension was something that was still a serious area of study among the church elites. The ultimate goal of the church had always been to reach a state of open dialogue between them and the Great Ones, for knowledge and power, but they had never succeeded in the way they wanted. Emerson once saw a vision of a humanoid metamorphosing into a Great One, a process that came to be known as Ascension. His description of the process seemed incomprehensible and gruesome, but he and his followers were willing to sacrifice anything to be closer to their god.

Saint Fripp was born without eyes, but Emerson granted her true vision. Her eyes lay on the inside, and her insight earned her a permanent place at Emerson’s side. When Emerson received the Revelation of Ascension, she was first to volunteer to corrupt her very being in the name of progress. Early on, much progress was made, and though her veins became hardened from the injections, and her left arm quickly became necrotic and unceremoniously slid off in the night, she made amazing leaps and bounds in her mind, receiving vivid messages from the beyond at a frightening frequency, and the new arm that emerged from the socket had almost as many digits and also a nice tan.

As the procedures continued, though, she began to experience difficulty focusing on the world around her, and took to wearing a tall brass cage over her head to keep herself inside until she was ready to make a final leap. On the two hundred fifty-fifth day of treatment, she was found unresponsive in her quarters. The pair of aids responsible for her care quickly fetched father Emerson. When they returned, her body was bloated, barely even recognizable as herself, and something was moving underneath the surface of her skin.

Emerson suddenly grasped his head, screeching in pain. A vision had struck him! He was consumed by the smell of fresh blood and raw meat, surrounded on all sides by what felt like flesh, tightly pressed against his body, suffocating him. His only instinct was to dig. And dig. And dig. He frantically clawed at the moist tissue for what felt to him like hours, until he hit a smooth brass wall. He turned, and dug in another direction, before coming to another wall. His prison of meat was itself completely encased in brass. The walls closed in on him, and as they began to crush his body, he violently snapped back to reality.

“The cage!” he yelled at his companions, “We need to get that blasted cage off her!”

The three rushed to the side of the bed and tried desperately to remove the heavy metal apparatus, but the corpse of their dear friend had expanded in such a way that this task became difficult. They tugged with all their strength, but it would not budge. One of the aids suggested sawing off her head to remove the cage, but Emerson shot him a glare that could melt adamantine. The struggle continued for an hour, until with a final exertion, the cage popped off, sending an aid reeling.

When they had caught their breath, they noticed that the writhing in the body had ceased. A great cascade of blood and viscera suddenly burst forth from what was left of Saint Fripp’s nether regions. Among the carnage lay the remains of a squid-like creature, about the size of a forearm, with seven tentacles, and a transparent mantle. Inside the mantle was a multitude of eyes, with a wide range of iris colors and pupil geometries. Human eyes, elven eyes, orcish eyes, and though they weren’t mentioned in the holy texts, Constanza liked to think that there were tiefling eyes in the Stillborn Mantle as well. Good media representation was so hard to come by these days.

The story was sometimes brought up as a cautionary tale about exploring unknown aspects of church doctrine, but Constanza thought that though Fripp had died, her exceptionalism had taken her from a nameless beggar on the streets to a life dedicated to knowledge and adventure, recorded forever within the sacred texts. She hoped she could one day make a similar contribution, but for now, she could only stare intently at the puke bucket beside her bed, and try to hold in her half-digested dinner.

A knock on the door to her cabin nearly broke her concentration. The door creaked open, and Greg poked his head through the crack.

“Connie, we’re all going up to eat breakfast, are you coming?”

“Ask her if she wants us to just bring her something down here,” Lucas mumbled from behind the door.

Part of her wanted to take him up on that offer, but the rest of her was determined to look tough at all times.

“N-no, that’s okay. I’ll-” She heaved a bit as a swell passed under the ship. “Ughk... I’ll be up in a minute.”

Lucas peered around his boyfriend. “Are you sure? It’s really no problem for us, or anythi-”

“I’m fine. Really.” Constanza cut him off before he could finish.

“Okay then. Uh, see you in a few, then, I guess...” Lucas looked a bit hurt as he rounded the corner and went up the stairs. Greg followed after him, hand-in-hand.

Constanza returned to her morning ritual, finished the Tuesday set of prayers, and prepared to reapply the brand of binding to her left shoulder. Left arms held a special significance in the church ever since Saint Fripp’s sacrifice, and were believed to be the most blessed limb. As such, all casting was done through that arm, and the limb could easily fill to burst with arcane fallout. The brand allowed some of the energy to filter out into the ether. After the skirmish in Amswater, Constanza suspected that it was the only thing keeping her arm attached anymore. Other initiates often complained about the pain of applying the brand, and were reluctant to use any spells at all, in case they had to reapply it later. Other initiates were also usually not tieflings, and Constanza barely felt a thing as she pressed the red-hot iron firmly against her skin, counted to twenty-three at a reasonable pace, and then quickly plunged the iron into a nearby bucket of seawater to cool it off. A rush of pins and needles shot down her arm as circulation returned. She flexed her grip a few times to test the strength in her hand.

Having completed her morning rituals, she laboriously hoisted herself upright, pausing briefly as blood rushed to her head. She briefly checked herself out in a mirror to make sure that her illusory avatar was working correctly, blinking a few times, and trying out a variety of facial expressions. Satisfied, she wobbled out the door, and onto the deck.

Her eyes stung as they slowly adjusted to the morning sunlight. She pulled her coat tight against her body to protect herself from the frigid marine air. Squinting, shivering, and utterly unsteady, she hurriedly made her way to the cabin where her companions were gathered.

Most of the floor space in the main room of the cabin was taken up by a long wooden table with benches on either side. Most of the gang was still in their rooms, it seemed, and the only people at the table were Greg and Lucas. Constanza waved awkwardly to the pair as she entered. They both waved back. She started towards the pantry.

Lucas called after her. “Hey, Constanza, Coy’s passed out in the pantry. Can you do your thing again and wake him up?”

The pantry was a large closet off the main room. The shelves on the walls were full of jars of preserves and honey, and bottles of brightly colored potions and exotic booze. A chest lay in the corner that stored cuts of dried and cured meat, wrapped in sheets of thin paper. In another corner, a cabinet stored cutlery and cups. Hanging from the ceiling above the chest was a hollowed out bovine carcass held in gentle repose. Its insides were stocked with bread, vegetables, cheeses, and other perishable produce, kept fresh by the enchantment. The sight was more than a little macabre.

Taking up much of the floor was Coy the titanic dragonborn, curled up in a ball, with Akim slumped over her. A handful of empty bottles were scattered on the floor around them, and they appeared to be deep in slumber. A small puddle of noxious drool seeped from the dragonborn’s mouth, and had begun to corrode the floor a bit.

Constanza gingerly shook Akim awake. Ages ago, a popular church had spread propaganda about tieflings being sexual predators by nature, and a non-negligible portion of the population still sincerely believed them. So, she tried her best to avoid interacting with children in public, lest she be accused of trying something unspeakable. Even though she knew that Coy was perfectly fine with her being around Akim, it still made her uncomfortable. The boy yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

She tried to wake Coy in the same manner, but she remained dead to the world. It’s not like that had worked any of the previous times, either, but it was worth a shot. Constanza felt down deep inside her being for her natural mana reserves, and concentrated as hard as she could. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but instead of words, a loud BOOOONNNNG filled the room. Akim apparently thought this was the funniest thing ever, and began giggling uncontrollably. The feathers on Coy’s head and neck stood on end, and her reptilian eyes snapped open. She sat up and looked around the room, obviously dismayed about something. Akim hugged her, and her expression grew a bit less severe.

“We’re, um, about to eat breakfast,” Constanza explained.

Coy stared off into space for a moment.

“Do you mind moving? I can’t reach the cow from here.”

No answer.

“Coy? Are you okay?”

“Hm? Yes! Yes, is fine!” Coy shook her head a bit and stood up, towering over her companion and the child, and hit her head on the ceiling with a dull THUNK.

“Cyka blyat!” She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, and glanced down at Akim nervously. Akim mimicked her action before continuing to giggle. Holding hands with Akim, she ducked out of the pantry and took a seat at the table. Constanza pulled a mostly-whole loaf of bread and a hunk of cheese from the cow’s empty chest cavity, and a knife from the cabinet, and joined them.

A few others had filtered into the mess hall in the meantime. Rolen had taken a seat opposite Lucas, and the two glared wordlessly at each other, while Greg tried to avoid eye contact with either of them. Escrima had decided to sit on the other side of Greg, adding to his obvious discomfort. Escrima fidgeted a bit and mumbled something under his breath about “antipodes.” Constanza took her place at the table, sliced off a bit of bread and cheese, and passed the food and knife down the table. She ate quietly, mostly just trying to keep her mind off the nausea.

After a time, the door of the cabin slammed open, and Graham strode in with a big, goofy grin plastered across his face. He shouted, triumphantly, “Lady Catarina! I have a matter of the utmost importance to discuss! Please accompany me below decks posthaste!”

The outburst caught Constanza by surprise, and she stared blankly back at Graham for a moment. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Come on, Connie, I found something amazing in the hold!” Graham had a hard time maintaining his facade of dignity through his excitement.

Constanza hoisted herself off the bench, took a moment to balance herself, and wobbled outside after Graham.

“It’s an amazing find, my lady.” Graham assured her as they crossed the deck, “It even has all the pieces, too! Top condition!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Graham. What exactly did you find?”

“Just wait and see!”

The pair descended the stairs to the lower levels of the ship, and stopped outside the door to Graham’s room. He opened the door with a flourish, and indicated towards the cot in the center of the room. On the cot was a dragonchess board made of polished walnut, each plane stained the appropriate color. The full set of pieces was laid out on the board, ready to play.

“Wow, Graham, where’d you find this?” Constanza was in awe. “It’s a beauty!”

“It was in a chest down in the hold. We found it when we were looking for a place to put Coy’s diamond last night, and I thought ‘My, I bet Lady Catarina would love to hear about this!’” A pause. “Would my lady be willing oblige a request for a rematch?”

“Any time, Graham,” she replied, “Maybe it’ll help distract from this awful seasickness.”

“Splendid!” Graham walked over to the chest in the corner of the room and rummaged around inside. After a moment, he resurfaced holding a hefty tome, and waved it about triumphantly. “This time, I have a secret weapon!” Constanza caught a glimpse of the cover. Beginner’s Dragonchess Manual, Condensed Edition. “I got this while we were back in Amn,” He explained, “With its help, I wager I can at least put up quite a fight.”

She giggled. “I don’t know, Graham. After the last game, I’m surprised you can even manage to fasten the clasps on your armor.” The room the two had shared at the Styx Oarsman had been equipped with a board. The first night the gang spent in that alien world had been terrifying and isolating. She and Graham found themselves unable to sleep, and looked for anything to keep their minds off their predicament. Constanza had attempted to teach Graham how to play, but... The man just wasn’t cut out for that sort of thing.

That night had been a strange one. Constanza hadn’t had much time to socialize with her companions before then, and just assumed that Ser Graham Broyer, Paladin would have no qualms about “exorcising” her if she ever gave him the flimsiest casus belli. Yet, when it was decided that he would room with her in The Cage, he didn’t put up a fight. He spoke to her with a genuine kindness, the same as he did to anyone else. He made her feel like any other person, which few felt inclined to do. Even many of those who could act with civility towards her and other tieflings in public would pitch a fit about sharing a room. Graham was a welcome change of pace.

They set about playing. Graham was certainly performing better than he did back in Sigil, though Constanza suspected that the rocking of the ocean was playing a large role. The game progressed at a glacial pace, with Graham stopping each turn to consult the manual for advice. His brow would furrow, and his eyes narrow as he spent all his mental energy reading and turning the pages. She found it rather charming. By the end of the game, Graham had captured a sizeable chunk of her pieces before he had gotten most of his own stuck in a corner, making for easy containment.

The second game progressed similarly, as did the third. At one point, Lucas brought them down some food, but hours had passed since then, and the bread and preserves sat on the desk largely untouched. During the fourth game, Graham went completely silent, and seemed about to lose his composure.

“Graham, are you okay?”

Silence.

“Do you want to stop for today, maybe pick the game up tomorrow?”

He sighed heavily. “...Yes, that might be best. I’m sorry, my lady, I can’t imagine this has been any fun for you, either.”

“Quite the contrary! I’m just glad to have a sparring partner again.” But you’re no Lou, she added in her mind. She and her sister had spent many a winter inside their wagon playing until it became too dark for Lou to see. Once Constanza got a handle on her thaumaturgy, the two barely slept at all. “I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it soon enough, Graham. Just try not to be so hard on yourself in the meantime.”

“Thank you, Lady Catarina.” He paused, apparently deep in thought. “You know... you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself either. Sometimes I can hear the things you say at night when you’re praying, and I feel awful. You deserve to treat yourself much better, my lady.”

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” she replied. She felt a lump in her throat as Graham’s words brought to the surface thoughts and emotions she preferred to keep bottled up. “I’m a monster, Graham. I’m no different from those orcs we slaughtered, or the minotaurs, or the naga. I don’t deserve shit! I wake up in the morning and wonder why you all haven’t come to your senses and just taken that hammer of yours and- and-” The tears came before she could finish her thought. She slumped over the bed, head in her hands, and sobbed.

Graham reached over the cot and grabbed her by the shoulders. She felt a pleasant tingling on her skin where the holy man placed his hands. “I mean it, Constanza! You’re a valuable addition to the party. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank the heavens that we ran into you in that tavern. I know the others feel the same way. When you lock yourself away in your quarters all day, we all miss you and worry about you. You don’t need to feel ashamed or hide behind that illusion of yours around us, okay? We can handle you, Constanza. We like having you around. I just wish you’d give us a chance.”

Constanza nodded weakly as Graham let go of her. She wanted to speak, to thank him and say so many other things, but she knew that if she opened her mouth, she’d just start bawling again. She tried very hard to regain her composure, with some success. She pulled her handkerchief out to clean her face off.

After a long silence, Graham cleared his throat. “You know, I think I might have another few turns left in me after all. What do you say we try and finish this match once and for all?”

She managed a more adamant nod in response.

“Splendid! Now, where were we...” He picked the manual off the floor and started flipping through it again.

The pair played through the afternoon and into the evening. She tried her best to give him advice, and Graham gradually became more confident in his moves. When the others called them up for dinner, Constanza felt more steady on her feet, and she realized that her nausea had lessened as well. The gang ate as hearty a meal as rations allowed, and spent the evening retelling tales of their exploits on the road before they’d met by lamplight, over glasses of mysterious beverages from the pantry. When Constanza went to sleep, she dreamed of dragonchess, and Graham, and snakes. Always snakes, slithering up and down her body, enveloping her in their firm, comforting embrace.

The next morning, she meditated and applied the brand, as usual. This time, though, she decided to drop her avatar. Maybe he was right. Maybe these people were different.

#dungeons and dragons #d&d #d&d 5e #creative writing

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click2watch · 5 years

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Florincoin – the 2014 Altcoin You Don’t Remember – Is Attracting Real Users

One of the most recognizable names in the crypto space (and perhaps even outside of it) is using one of the least recognizable blockchains.

Overstock.com subsidiaries Medici Ventures and tZERO have been utilizing the FLO blockchain for some time in work aimed at re-organizing property rights. At one time, a video of the tZERO homepage even showed the little-known blockchain at work.

Still, if you haven’t heard of FLO before, you won’t be alone. Maybe Florincoin, the blockchain’s moniker when it first launched in 2013, shortly before the 2014 altcoin boom – will ring a bell, at least those who were in New York at the time.

Joey Fiscella was a staple in the growing New York City crypto community during that area. A young, extroverted programmer, he had the ability to schmooze with the best of the business types. While the rest of the scene was focused on bitcoin, to a certain extent litecoin and for the lolz dogecoin, Fiscella was instead always talking Florincoin – a coin that’s visage bears a golden fleur-de-lis.

He was a regular at the New York Bitcoin Center and was always handing out thin strips of paper with Florincoin private keys (I used to have one, but as is the nature of small scraps of paper, it has been lost).

The idea was simple: Florincoin was bitcoin but with additional room for transaction comments, 140 characters at that time. And those characters would allow a decentralized social media (what else had a 140-character limit back then? Twitter), one that couldn’t be censored or stopped.

It’s a dream that’s still being toyed with today – from Steemit to Peepeth to Minds – but since then Florincoin, now FLO, has moved on.

Today, most of the developers and businesses involved in FLO are interested in it as an indexing tool, something that could provide the backbone of a blockchain-based Google.

Not only has Medici Land Governance begun adding property records on the FLO blockchain (and partnered with the state of Wyoming, the city of Tulum in Mexico and a government official in Zambia), but T-zero is adding digital locate receipts, which locate the ownership of a stock, into FLO to mitigate naked short selling.

On top of that, FLO is being utilized by the Open Index Protocol (OIP), a database for decentralized publishing of all kinds, and an app on top of OIP called Alexandria, which allows users to search and browse info in that database.

The list of users goes on too.

The California Institute of Technology, also called Caltech, uses FLO to store more than 17,000 records of information gathered with microscopes, and just recently announced the creation of another repository of microscope data.

So how, a crypto enthusiast might ask, did FLO become a blockchain with actual users (and seemingly without gloating in the hopes of sparking a price pump)?

According to Chris Chrysostom, a senior software developer at Medici Ventures, “As a developer I’m always open to looking at other solutions; people mention bitcoin a lot because right now it’s a good starting point for communicating concepts.”

But, he continued:

“One thing that FLO provides that bitcoin doesn’t is, right now, it has the ability to accept 1,040 bytes of metadata. FLO is able and willing to take on the blockchain bloat that many people are critical of in bitcoin.”

The bytes and the bloat

To understand how one of the most-anticipated and regulated token projects in the space came to use a blockchain that most people don’t even know about, you have to start with its first real business case.

Utilized by husband and wife team, Devon and Amy Reed, Florincoin became the underlying technology of the Decentralized Library of Alexandria (DLOA).

A blatant nod to the ancient world library that was burned down (while it’s become a modern-day symbol for the loss of cultural knowledge, the crypto project used it as a way to illustrate the problems inherent to centralization), the project was initially touted as a decentralized library. According to Amy, the co-founder of the project, in an earlier interview, all types of content, including books, blogs, video, audio and art could be added to the blockchain and secured from censorship.

DLOA was the forefather of today’s decentralized content platforms, hoping to untangle the messy distribution models that currently exist for content creators and viewers online.

The project chugged along for a couple of years quietly, until Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the World Wide Web and the founder of the W3C, a standards organization for the web, was given a demo of the app.

According to Amy, Berners-Lee loved it, but said: “change the name.”

So the application – a Google-like search for the data, became just Alexandria and the protocol, which allows content creators to decide how their content is categorized before adding it to the FLO blockchain, became known as the Open Index Protocol (OIP).

And as that change happened, the number of bytes that could be stored in a transaction was increased as well – from 140 to 528 and then to 1,040, the limit today. But what’s perhaps the most fascinating about OIP is that in a mess of new competition, the project has stuck with FLO.

From Storj to Filecoin or even more broadly ethereum or EOS, there’s a slew of blockchain projects looking to tackle a similar use case – decentralized file storage – and these new players tout advanced architecture that makes their platforms faster, stronger, overall better.

But Devon remains unphased by the shiny new toys.

“When we started the project, our goal was to build a shared data layer that is censorship-proof, persistent and as interoperable as possible,” he told CoinDesk. “This required certain technical choices, which FLO fit perfectly – and even though other things have been launched since which do a variety of things, they don’t meet those needs better than FLO does.”

For that index that OIP is, Devon contends, the project needs full global state replication (to make censorship attempts transparent), proof-of-work consensus (to make censorship attempts expensive and defensible) and the ability to directly benefit from bitcoin’s developer community (a fork of bitcoin).

According to Devon Reed, sure, OIP could instead store its index on ethereum, and with that gain a different developer community and plenty of hype.

But, he said, the project would lose in other ways. For instance, after sharding is implemented, the project wouldn’t any longer get full global state replication; and after Casper – ethereum’s switch to a proof-of-stake consensus algorithm – the project wouldn’t have the security of proof-of-work.

On top of that, the publishing fees would no longer be decided by the OIP working group, and would instead, entirely be a function of the gas costs – priced by the ethereum core developers – of certain operations.

For many intents and purposes, FLO has become a kind of single purpose blockchain specifically for OIP. And that wasn’t a bad thing for FLO. While other institutions are starting to use FLO now, for many years Devon and Amy were the only ones really focused on FLO and they brought in a significant number of the developers that work on the blockchain to this day.

The original angel

Take Sky Young, a senior full stack developer at Alexandria.io, who started working on the FLO protocol because of her role with Alexandria in August 2015.

Or Jeremiah Buddenhage, also known as bitspill, who began developing on the FLO blockchain after he completed and claimed a bounty posted by the Alexandria team to update the protocol. After that, Buddenhage told CoinDesk, Alexandria offered him contract work until hiring him as a full stack developer in the summer of 2017.

Both developers get paid to work on OIP, which many times involves the development of FLO, keeping the blockchain up-to-date, probably more so than it would be were there not a company so tied into its success.

Before OIP and Alexandria, there was only FLO’s (then Florincoin’s), creator, a pseudonymous developer going by the moniker SkyAngel. It’s pretty similar to bitcoin’s Satoshi Nakamoto, although SkyAngel remains around here and there, said Fiscella.

SkyAngel did not return requests for comment.

In June 2013, Fiscella was trolling crypto forums looking for altcoins to mine and stumbled on FLO – hours after the software was released, he began mining the cryptocurrency and after noticing a couple of bugs (nothing consensus-related) in the code, he contacted SkyAngel within a week of its release. He’s been volunteering his time towards development ever since.

And while Fiscella got his fair share of shit for messing around with FLO – this was back in the day when people thought all altcoins were useless or worse, scams – there’s a sense of pride now.

“FLO is one of the oldest altcoins that is still actively traded and developed,” he told CoinDesk.

And it’s done so, he continued, without a pre-mine for developers, without raising huge amounts of money in an initial coin offering (ICO), without even a million dollars from a venture capitalist. Although, the FLO developers have raised $50,000 from the community over the past six years and the OIP and Alexandria team have raised a few $100,000 here and there, which they used to continue FLO development.

As such, many of the developers working on FLO right now are also pretty happy with the way it’s all turned out.

For instance, Young describes FLO as “hidden” and “undervalued.” And although Buddenhage was initially only attracted to FLO as a way to make money from small programming gigs, his “appreciation and understanding” has grown significantly over the years.

He told CoinDesk, “The big idea that made me want to keep working on this project is the idea of building a public space – allowing users to determine the worth of their own work and for the consumers to determine if it’s appropriate (rather than being held to the mercy of rates decided by a private company or a vague definition of ‘advertiser friendly’).”

In describing my story, meeting Fiscella years later at a crypto meetup and thinking, ‘Holy shit, Florincoin still exists,’ Buddenhage, who’s been in the space since 2013, laughed, saying:

“It’s great to see people react when they re-discover that FLO/Alexandria have not joined the ranks of shitcoin yet nor is it merely idling on but has actually grown in the shadows.”

Enter tZERO

It was Chris Chrysostom, a developer that was looking to build a simple application called a bill of sale on a blockchain, that found FLO and eventually brought it into the Medici ranks.

While he began the project hoping to utilize bitcoin’s OP_RETURN feature, Chrysostom quickly became frustrated with that because cumbersome to use and doesn’t hold enough data to create anything substantial. So he started looking around, reading through some content about Factom and the Storj white papers, both of which mention FLO (again Florincoin at that time).

That led Chrysostom to Alexandria, where he worked alongside Devon and Amy, building out the project’s payment capabilities.

Then in July 2017, he was picked up by Medici Ventures.

Now a senior software developer at the venture capital subsidiary of Overstock.com, Chrysostom brought to the job his interest in FLO. Chrysostom was assigned to a project within Medici Ventures focused on property rights – the idea being a global property rights registry – and FLO and the work being done by the Open Index Protocol seemed like a natural fit there, he told CoinDesk.

“We use it specifically for projects, proofs-of-concept and research for this property rights project,” he said.

While Patrick Byrne, the founder and CEO of Overstock, announced a partnership in late 2017 with Peruvian economist Hernando de Soto with a similar intent, Chrysostom said his work using FLO at Medici Ventures was different, yet could easily support the De Soto project if necessary.

According to Chrysostom, he was looking for a proof-of-work blockchain with similarities to bitcoin, so many similarities that the development work on bitcoin’s core team could then be applied to the other blockchain as well. For instance, security measures and scaling technologies like Segregated Witness.

“FLO was really appealing – bitcoin wants its use case to be focused on value transfer (and that’s fine); FLO has taken it upon itself to have a lot of similarities to bitcoin but with the added feature of application data,” Chrysostom said. “Which is more suited for the property rights use case.”

And sure enough, Chrysostom has similar things to say about the project’s ethos and morals.

“It’s really appealing that FLO hasn’t gone down the path of turning itself into an ICO; it didn’t try to segregate coins in a certain way, like the staking mechanisms; it’s quite admirable that it has remained an open-source project,” he said, adding:

“Four to five years have gone by, and it’s still about what its founding was all about – an open blockchain with a little extra use case. I just find it admirable that it’s stuck to that.”

And as for OIP and Alexandria, those teams get Chrysostom’s praise too since, according to him, they focused on building out the software instead of hyping the coin.

Chrysostom said:

“FLO has been quite the stealth coin in my opinion.”

While Chrysostom would, of course, love to see the developers and projects building on FLO get rewarded for their work, he understands that with investment comes responsibilities that might divert the focus away from the open index goal.

For Medici Ventures part, it does not provide investment to FLO developers, Chrysostom explained, although he continued, “If the day comes that someone wants to make a pitch to Medici Ventures … I think they’d listen. They listen to all kinds of things.”

Keeping it afloat

Still, that’s not to say everything has run smoothly in the FLO community.

For instance, toward the end of 2015, customers of Cryptsy, the only digital currency exchange that listed FLO, began having withdrawal issues, and shortly after the exchange claimed it was insolvent after a July 2014 hack.

While a class action was mounted at Cryptsy in the aftermath, the parties that brought the class action against the exchange didn’t list FLO as one of the coins you could redeem. According to Fiscella, there are 11.5 million FLO coins in one Cryptsy wallet that haven’t moved since February 2014, so he suspects not that the exchange’s founders ran away with the coins (because then they probably would have sold them off at some point) but that these coins could not be recovered by any party, the exchange or even law enforcement.

“It wasn’t worth anything at the time,” Fiscella said. “But FLO was once around 40 cents.”

At that price, the coins lost in Cryptsy would have been worth more than $4 million.

Since then Bittrex and Poloniex have also listed FLO (actually on the same day in March 2015), although Poloniex removed it shortly after the exchange was acquired by Circle. Poloniex didn’t give a reason for the delisting of FLO, though the coin was taken off the site with a handful of other altcoins.

While some thought the reason was low volume, Fiscella argues that other coins that were not delisted had lower volume than FLO, so really he speculates the delisting was about FLO’s low hashrate, which meant that FLO could be relatively easily 51% attacked.

This was right around the same time that Crypto 51, a website calculating the cost of 51% attacking (and then double spending) cryptocurrencies, appeared. Once that website was up, a number of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin gold and vertcoin, began dealing with attacks.

And FLO, which was on the Crypto51 list with an attack price of only $300, was exploited on Bittrex in September 2018 and 25 bitcoins were stolen. The attack works like this: an anonymous account deposited hundreds of thousands of FLO coins into Bittrex, traded that FLO for the 25 bitcoins, withdrew the 25 bitcoins and then rewrote about 480 FLO blocks. In this way, the FLO deposit was reversed and the hacker was able to reclaim the hundreds of thousands of FLO they had initially deposited and was also out with the bitcoin as well. The wallet at the exchange then didn’t have the FLO to deposit into the accounts that had bought the altcoin.

When Bittrex’s system detected this, it shut down FLO trading for about a month, until the developers fixed the issue.

“And by fixed it, I mean we paid 700,000 FLO to Bittrex,” Fiscella said, adding:

“And by we, I mean me.”

Bittrex did not respond to requests for inquiry.

Joey used the FLO he had been mining since the beginning to pay back the exchange and other FLO developers set up a “Big Mac Fund” for Joey, where community members have donated about half of the 700,000 to Joey for his ongoing work on the protocol.

Before the attack happened, Fiscella had been discussing the issue with Alexandria’s Devon Reed, saying they needed to increase the hash rate before something like this happened. But it was too little, too late.

After the attack, the developers working on the protocol decided that FLO needed to add some additional security measures to the scrypt-based mining algorithm (an alternative to bitcoin’s SHA-256 algorithm) since scrypt-based mining made it easier for an attack to take place.

The developers decided to add an extra rule to the consensus algorithm, a so-called max reorg depth limit feature. This feature requires large reorganizations of the blockchain be rejected, and it’s a similar feature to that used by bitcoin cash and ravencoin.

If that sounds like something that could kill a cryptocurrency, make people so skeptical of its security and value that they sell off their bags and leave it to die, it’s definitely happened before.

But FLO has endured and actually, it’s developers learned from its mistakes and evolved.

“The people who have joined have not asked to be paid, they’re just activists or investors,” Fiscella told CoinDesk, adding: “Everyone joined organically and they’re using their skills and network to grow the community. I think that’s really important.”

Today, there are about 10 active mining pools and another 10 that sometimes mine FLO, which increases the robustness of the coin. Also in early 2018, FLO’s code was updated to Segregated Witness, a protocol change that adjusts the way data is stored, making blockchains more scalable.

Echoing Fiscella’s comments about FLO being successful because of its determined developer community, Buddenhage concluded:

“They all appear to know what they’re doing and why they’re here putting in the effort whenever/wherever life/work allows the opportunity being that it’s a side project and volunteerism keeping it going, perhaps slowly at times but always moving forward with dedication and purpose.”

FLO coins featured image via gunkworks.no; images in the article via Joey Fiscella

This news post is collected from CoinDesk

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naomiemersonn · 5 years

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Florincoin – the 2014 Altcoin You Don’t Remember – Is Attracting Real Users

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users

One of the most recognizable names in the crypto space (and perhaps even outside of it) is using one of the least recognizable blockchains.

It’s a dream that’s still being toyed with today – from Steemit to Peepeth to Minds – but since then Florincoin, now FLO, has moved on.

Today, most of the developers and businesses involved in FLO are interested in it as an indexing tool, something that could provide the backbone of a blockchain-based Google.

The list of users goes on too.

So how, a crypto enthusiast might ask, did FLO become a blockchain with actual users (and seemingly without gloating in the hopes of sparking a price pump)?

But, he continued:

The bytes and the bloat

Utilized by husband and wife team, Devon and Amy Reed, Florincoin became the underlying technology of the Decentralized Library of Alexandria (DLOA).

DLOA was the forefather of today’s decentralized content platforms, hoping to untangle the messy distribution models that currently exist for content creators and viewers online.

According to Amy, Berners-Lee loved it, but said: “change the name.”

But Devon remains unphased by the shiny new toys.

According to Devon Reed, sure, OIP could instead store its index on ethereum, and with that gain a different developer community and plenty of hype.

The original angel

Take Sky Young, a senior full stack developer at Alexandria.io, who started working on the FLO protocol because of her role with Alexandria in August 2015.

SkyAngel did not return requests for comment.

“FLO is one of the oldest altcoins that is still actively traded and developed,” he told CoinDesk.

As such, many of the developers working on FLO right now are also pretty happy with the way it’s all turned out.

In describing my story, meeting Fiscella years later at a crypto meetup and thinking, ‘Holy shit, Florincoin still exists,’ Buddenhage, who’s been in the space since 2013, laughed, saying:

“It’s great to see people react when they re-discover that FLO/Alexandria have not joined the ranks of shitcoin yet nor is it merely idling on but has actually grown in the shadows.”

Enter tZERO

It was Chris Chrysostom, a developer that was looking to build a simple application called a bill of sale on a blockchain, that found FLO and eventually brought it into the Medici ranks.

That led Chrysostom to Alexandria, where he worked alongside Devon and Amy, building out the project’s payment capabilities.

Then in July 2017, he was picked up by Medici Ventures.

“We use it specifically for projects, proofs-of-concept and research for this property rights project,” he said.

And sure enough, Chrysostom has similar things to say about the project’s ethos and morals.

“Four to five years have gone by, and it’s still about what its founding was all about – an open blockchain with a little extra use case. I just find it admirable that it’s stuck to that.”

And as for OIP and Alexandria, those teams get Chrysostom’s praise too since, according to him, they focused on building out the software instead of hyping the coin.

Chrysostom said:

“FLO has been quite the stealth coin in my opinion.”

Keeping it afloat

Still, that’s not to say everything has run smoothly in the FLO community.

“It wasn’t worth anything at the time,” Fiscella said. “But FLO was once around 40 cents.”

At that price, the coins lost in Cryptsy would have been worth more than $4 million.

When Bittrex’s system detected this, it shut down FLO trading for about a month, until the developers fixed the issue.

“And by fixed it, I mean we paid 700,000 FLO to Bittrex,” Fiscella said, adding:

“And by we, I mean me.”

Bittrex did not respond to requests for inquiry.

But FLO has endured and actually, it’s developers learned from its mistakes and evolved.

Echoing Fiscella’s comments about FLO being successful because of its determined developer community, Buddenhage concluded:

FLO coins featured image via gunkworks.no; images in the article via Joey Fiscella

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users

source https://www.initialcoinlist.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users/ source https://initialcoinlist1.blogspot.com/2019/05/florincoin-2014-altcoin-you-dont.html

0 notes

initialcoinlist1 · 5 years

Text

Florincoin – the 2014 Altcoin You Don’t Remember – Is Attracting Real Users

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users

One of the most recognizable names in the crypto space (and perhaps even outside of it) is using one of the least recognizable blockchains.

It’s a dream that’s still being toyed with today – from Steemit to Peepeth to Minds – but since then Florincoin, now FLO, has moved on.

Today, most of the developers and businesses involved in FLO are interested in it as an indexing tool, something that could provide the backbone of a blockchain-based Google.

The list of users goes on too.

So how, a crypto enthusiast might ask, did FLO become a blockchain with actual users (and seemingly without gloating in the hopes of sparking a price pump)?

But, he continued:

The bytes and the bloat

Utilized by husband and wife team, Devon and Amy Reed, Florincoin became the underlying technology of the Decentralized Library of Alexandria (DLOA).

DLOA was the forefather of today’s decentralized content platforms, hoping to untangle the messy distribution models that currently exist for content creators and viewers online.

According to Amy, Berners-Lee loved it, but said: “change the name.”

But Devon remains unphased by the shiny new toys.

According to Devon Reed, sure, OIP could instead store its index on ethereum, and with that gain a different developer community and plenty of hype.

The original angel

Take Sky Young, a senior full stack developer at Alexandria.io, who started working on the FLO protocol because of her role with Alexandria in August 2015.

SkyAngel did not return requests for comment.

“FLO is one of the oldest altcoins that is still actively traded and developed,” he told CoinDesk.

As such, many of the developers working on FLO right now are also pretty happy with the way it’s all turned out.

In describing my story, meeting Fiscella years later at a crypto meetup and thinking, ‘Holy shit, Florincoin still exists,’ Buddenhage, who’s been in the space since 2013, laughed, saying:

“It’s great to see people react when they re-discover that FLO/Alexandria have not joined the ranks of shitcoin yet nor is it merely idling on but has actually grown in the shadows.”

Enter tZERO

It was Chris Chrysostom, a developer that was looking to build a simple application called a bill of sale on a blockchain, that found FLO and eventually brought it into the Medici ranks.

That led Chrysostom to Alexandria, where he worked alongside Devon and Amy, building out the project’s payment capabilities.

Then in July 2017, he was picked up by Medici Ventures.

“We use it specifically for projects, proofs-of-concept and research for this property rights project,” he said.

And sure enough, Chrysostom has similar things to say about the project’s ethos and morals.

“Four to five years have gone by, and it’s still about what its founding was all about – an open blockchain with a little extra use case. I just find it admirable that it’s stuck to that.”

And as for OIP and Alexandria, those teams get Chrysostom’s praise too since, according to him, they focused on building out the software instead of hyping the coin.

Chrysostom said:

“FLO has been quite the stealth coin in my opinion.”

Keeping it afloat

Still, that’s not to say everything has run smoothly in the FLO community.

“It wasn’t worth anything at the time,” Fiscella said. “But FLO was once around 40 cents.”

At that price, the coins lost in Cryptsy would have been worth more than $4 million.

When Bittrex’s system detected this, it shut down FLO trading for about a month, until the developers fixed the issue.

“And by fixed it, I mean we paid 700,000 FLO to Bittrex,” Fiscella said, adding:

“And by we, I mean me.”

Bittrex did not respond to requests for inquiry.

But FLO has endured and actually, it’s developers learned from its mistakes and evolved.

Echoing Fiscella’s comments about FLO being successful because of its determined developer community, Buddenhage concluded:

FLO coins featured image via gunkworks.no; images in the article via Joey Fiscella

Source: https://www.coindesk.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users

source https://www.initialcoinlist.com/florincoin-the-2014-altcoin-you-dont-remember-is-attracting-real-users/

0 notes

mariawnuk76 · 5 years

Text

The Secret To Diet And Lifestyle . – Three Weight Loss Myths In Order To Prevent

The Picky People’s Secrets And Techniques For Taking Liquid Vitamin Supplements

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http://satyamediagroup.com/sale/pornpropills/

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youtube

source http://rss1.autospa-zch.pl/2019/04/13/the-secret-to-diet-and-lifestyle-three-weight-loss-myths-in-order-to-prevent/

0 notes

clarencebfaber · 6 years

Text

Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy?

What Is Orthorexia?

Have you heard of orthorexia? Do you consider yourself orthorexic because you eat healthy and avoid certain foods? Or is it “normal” to eat healthy, and still not want to eat certain foods?

Let’s explore…

Orthorexia 101:

Orthorexia, the “obsession with healthy eating,” is a classified eating disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

It is defined as: “an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy; a medical condition in which the sufferer systematically avoids specific foods in the belief that they are harmful.”

Like those with other eating disorders, individuals who struggle with orthorexia often find themselves a little bit obsessed, anxious or overthinking food on a daily basis.

However, sounds quite a bit like those who are on any current diet or health protocol to recover their health doesn’t it?

From the Whole 30, to Keto, Vegan, GAPS, the Autoimmune Protocol, Paleo—and everything in between—many individuals who adhere to certain diets for health and wellness reasons can easily find themselves a little bit obsessed or anxious as well with food.

The lines may blur, but there are distinct differences:

ORTHOREXIC VS. HEALTHY EATING: THE DIFFERENCE

Some examples and characteristic differences in orthorexic patterns vs. genuine healthy eating include:

ORTHOREXIA

Research every ingredient in any food they eat

Google search answers to random health questions in search of the healthiest answer

Often have self-imposed rules (from multiple different sources online or experience) that construct a restrictive diet

Increasingly become more and more restrictive

May only eat 5-7 foods and tend to eat the same things every day

Emotionally distraught if food does not go as planned or in unknown situations (social settings, new restaurants, travel)

Feel guilty when stray from rules

Avoid foods prepped by others and/or social situations with food

Find a sense of achievement or self esteem in what they eat

Often talk or obsess about foods

Think critically about others who do not eat like they do

Overtraining or rigid/routine exercise is often correlated

Strong beliefs about “good” and “bad” foods

HEALTHY EATING

Adhere to certain dietary guidelines, based on physical health reasons

Not distraught if they can’t go to their restaurant of choice

Open to trying new foods (especially if they are feel-good foods)

Recognize that eating can’t always be perfect, and adhere to more of an 80/20 philosophy

Aim to incorporate as much variety and different foods as they can

May feel nervous about travel or eating out, but do best to plan accordingly and adjust

Self-esteem is not dependent on what they do or don’t eat

Move their bodies in ways that feel good and energize them (not out of rigidity or militant beliefs they “should”)

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” views foods as “better for me foods,” and “don’t make me feel my best,” foods

While this list is generalized and broad, at best, I know of both because I’ve lived it.

MY STORY: FROM ORTHOREXIA TO GUT HEALING & THE IN-BETWEEN

Been there, got the t-shirt. On both sides.

As I initially began to recover from anorexia at age 17, I quickly found myself immersed in another type of eating disorder—orthorexia—in my pursuit of the “ideal body,” and being on the cover of a fitness magazine.

My diet was restricted to turkey patties, steamed vegetables, Crystal Light and protein shakes, and my schedule revolved around my three workouts every day.

Fast forward to my recovery, and my pursuit of my education in nutrition and functional medicine and as I began to learn more about the underlying health conditions I had struggled with for years (constipation, autoimmune disease, anxiety, hormone imbalances), my personal food philosophies began to shift.

“Food is medicine” became my mantra, and food began to take on a whole new meaning—a way to restore my body. Organ meats, cold-water fatty fish, nutrient-dense dark leafy greens, bone broth and grass-fed butter energized me! And I loved how actually nourishing my body with a variety of real foods and gut healing foods (fermented foods, etc.) made me feel!

While there was also brief lapse of time during my nutrition training that I ALSO fell back into my old orthorexia ways of fearing “unhealthy” or “bad” foods (i.e. I became a little too obsessed with gut healing, and hacking my diet with certain diet philosophies like GAPS and SCD), I “woke up” from this obsession quickly when I realized all the stress about food was actually making my own digestive issues worse (not better).

(Stress is the #1 driver of all disease and imbalance).

To say the least, I went from the dark side, to the light side, and have realized, it’s NOT bad to want to feel good or to take the best care of your body. Food intolerances, gut conditions, autoimmune conditions, skin breakouts, hormone imbalances, anxiety and beyond are real, (and your nutrition can be a game-changer for healing), but they do NOT have to dominate your own well-being inside and out.

GUT HEALING & HEALTHY EATING GONE OVERBOARD: ARFID

ARFID—Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder—is a common “phenomenon” many individuals experience on a gut healing or body healing diet.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of fearing what food will “do to you” when your diet becomes restrictive for health reasons.

Labels aside, ARFID or Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is a silent “eating disorder,” many people are not talking about in the health, wellness or functional medicine community. Primarily because the main goal of treatment is to help you feel better physically.

However, in the case of ARFID, your diet becomes so restricted that you may experience many symptoms similar to orthorexia—particularly emotional angst about food, primarily because you “can’t” eat eating. The stress over food itself may even exacerbate or extend your healing process.

Common symptoms of ARFID include:

COMMON SYMPTOMS

You lack variety in your diet

You fear how foods make you feel

You wrap your identity in what you eat

You know ALL the protocols in the book (GAPS, SCD, AIP, etc.)

You’re HYPER AWARE of how food makes you feel

You get sick when you eat out

NOTHING seems to change how you feel

You read EVERYTHING on Google about your condition

You’ve tried countless protocols.

You have low energy

You rarely feel hunger/fullness cues

You get easily weepy or have pent up emotions

You try to “forget” you are sick but feel trapped

You tend to be a perfectionist or Type-A personality

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: ARFID & ORTHOREXIA SUPPORT & HEALING OPTIONS

To date, there are not a ton of resources or support options for individuals in recovery from ARFID or Orthorexia—primarily because many clinicians steer clear from eating disorder support in general, as well as due to the HUGE emphasis on healthy and clean eating and dieting by and large.

As the diabetes and obesity epidemics only continue to escalate (currently 1 in 3 Americans), the emphasis from many professionals in healthcare focuses on “leading a healthier lifestyle” in general.

“What’s so bad about eating more greens, running

DECLARE FOOD FREEDOM

While formal treatment options may be far and few between, working with a skilled practitioner one-on-one in the areas of nutrition, mental and emotional health, and body healing can be “game changing” for your relationship with food.

Here are a handful of principles I teach my clients in my clinical practice to help them overcome their orthorexic tendencies and declare food freedom.

Have a “DTR” with Your Food

“DTR” stands for “determining the relationship.” In a romantic relationship, it’s the conversation you have with your significant other about your relationship status—are you all “on” or “off.” Together? Dating? Friends with benefits?

You need to do the same thing with your relationship with food. DTR is all about knowing your WHY—why you eat what you eat, as well as your what—what your beliefs or philosophy about food really is (and exploring where that came from in the first place).

For instance, one of my personal food philosophies for how I eat is based on the principles of an anti-inflammatory diet. WHY? Because I have an autoimmune disease, and autoimmune disease genetics, thus if and when I eat certain foods that are more inflammatory to my body, like nuts, grains and eggs, I not only feel awful physically (constipation, bloating, nauseas), but I also flare my conditions more (IBS/IBD and even skin breakouts). It’s not that I don’t like these foods, but my “why” behind eating less of them is based on how my body reacts and feels.

Another food philosophy of mine is to have NO food rules or food labels! This “why” stems back to the 15 years I spent entrenched in following every diet under the sun! And this “why” is what helps keep me sane from even dabbling in any mainstream hyped diet philosophy (be it Keto, Intermittent Fasting, Atkins or Vegan). I don’t label how I eat as anything more than “real food” and base what goes in my body on how my body feels, as well as mindfulness with needing a VARIETY of nutrient-dense foods.

In the reverse, a FORMER food philosophy of mine was ALL ABOUT labels, and rules, and calorie counting obsessions. At one time, my goal was less than 500 calories per day, and less than 0.5 grams of fat (how absurd, right?!). At the time though, I totally thought this was what I “should” do—my “why” was all about checking off boxes of food rules and my ultimate goal (weight loss).

What are some of your personal food philosophies you currently follow (and WHY do you believe or adhere to them)?

As If Mindset

Once you have an idea of your current relationship with food and your food philosophy, now you get to think about what kind of relationship you want with food!

Do you want to be controlled and dictated by what you can and can’t eat—such as worrying or feeling anxious about going out to eat with friends or traveling on vacation?

Or do you want to fuel your body to the best of your abilities with foods that make you feel BEST, but when and if you can’t do so, be able to adjust accordingly?

I call this the “as if” mindset. So as we think, therefore we become. Envision how healthy, thriving, truly healthy (inside and out) you approaches food in any and all situations:

Travel

Dining out

At the grocery store

Packing your lunch

Making dinner

Get a clear picture of what healthy, thriving you looks like, acts like, talks like, treats her body like, and then…act accordingly.

Make Your Own Rules

Rules were made to be broken, and when it comes to food rules, I encourage all my clients to make their own (new) recovered, healthy, thriving rules for vibrancy and freedom that buck the system or their former beliefs that were wrapped in fear, worry, angst, or overthinking food.

In turn, your new “rules” aren’t actually rules at all, but more like mantras—declarations for the healthy relationship you want with food and your body.

For instance, in my own recovery and continued healing journey with food, my rules or mantras became:

“No diets.”

“Listen to your body.”

“Know your truth.” (i.e. what is disordered vs. healthy mindset me)

“Eat out of love, not fear.”

You get the picture. Erase the old rules from your brain.

Abundance Mindset

What CAN you eat, versus what CAN’T you eat?

There are hundreds of foods in the world, and often times in the midst of gut healing or “clean eating” protocols, it can be EASY to get stuck on your “CAN’T” list or “I DON’T EAT ___” list.

Aim for the LEAST RESTRICTIVE approach as possible, and eat with an “abundance” mindset.

Vary it Up

Along with abundance, variety is the spice of life, and when we eat the same things day in and day out, not only do we deprive our bodies of essential nutrients, but we also dumb down our palate (i.e. “boring” foods).

Aim for 2-3 different colors at each meal to keep things fresh, and while you’re at it, simply try different herbs, seasonings and spices to enhance flavor, continually challenge and fire up your tastebuds, and boost nutrients too.

Check out this “rainbow” food chart (scroll to the bottom) by nutritionist Deanna Minich to see how different colors and variety enhances our bodies, beyond just giving us “antioxidants.”

Eat Out of Love, Not Fear

Simply put: How can you eat out of love for your body, then eating (or not eating) based on food fears?

Bonus: when we eat out of love (and have more peace with food), we actually can even enhance our digestion for the better (stress and cortisol inhibits optimal digestion).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Healthy eating or clean eating is NOT a bad thing. It all comes down to your mindset.

Want support in overcoming orthorexic or ARFID tendencies? Or looking to heal your gut, hormones, or other health condition without a crazy diet mentality or restrictive approach?

Let’s connect. Contact me at DrLauryn.com/Work-with-Me and apply to be a client today (Bonus: a 10-minute Complimentary Consult is included for all accepted applicants).

The post Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy? appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/food-freedom/do-you-have-orthorexia-or-just-eating-healthy/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

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#Clarence B. Faber #ClarenceFaber #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

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drlaurynlax · 6 years

Text

Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy?

What Is Orthorexia?

Have you heard of orthorexia? Do you consider yourself orthorexic because you eat healthy and avoid certain foods? Or is it “normal” to eat healthy, and still not want to eat certain foods?

Let’s explore…

Orthorexia 101:

Orthorexia, the “obsession with healthy eating,” is a classified eating disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

It is defined as: “an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy; a medical condition in which the sufferer systematically avoids specific foods in the belief that they are harmful.”

Like those with other eating disorders, individuals who struggle with orthorexia often find themselves a little bit obsessed, anxious or overthinking food on a daily basis.

However, sounds quite a bit like those who are on any current diet or health protocol to recover their health doesn’t it?

The lines may blur, but there are distinct differences:

ORTHOREXIC VS. HEALTHY EATING: THE DIFFERENCE

Some examples and characteristic differences in orthorexic patterns vs. genuine healthy eating include:

ORTHOREXIA

Research every ingredient in any food they eat

Google search answers to random health questions in search of the healthiest answer

Often have self-imposed rules (from multiple different sources online or experience) that construct a restrictive diet

Increasingly become more and more restrictive

May only eat 5-7 foods and tend to eat the same things every day

Emotionally distraught if food does not go as planned or in unknown situations (social settings, new restaurants, travel)

Feel guilty when stray from rules

Avoid foods prepped by others and/or social situations with food

Find a sense of achievement or self esteem in what they eat

Often talk or obsess about foods

Think critically about others who do not eat like they do

Overtraining or rigid/routine exercise is often correlated

Strong beliefs about “good” and “bad” foods

HEALTHY EATING

Adhere to certain dietary guidelines, based on physical health reasons

Not distraught if they can’t go to their restaurant of choice

Open to trying new foods (especially if they are feel-good foods)

Recognize that eating can’t always be perfect, and adhere to more of an 80/20 philosophy

Aim to incorporate as much variety and different foods as they can

May feel nervous about travel or eating out, but do best to plan accordingly and adjust

Self-esteem is not dependent on what they do or don’t eat

Move their bodies in ways that feel good and energize them (not out of rigidity or militant beliefs they “should”)

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” views foods as “better for me foods,” and “don’t make me feel my best,” foods

While this list is generalized and broad, at best, I know of both because I’ve lived it.

MY STORY: FROM ORTHOREXIA TO GUT HEALING & THE IN-BETWEEN

Been there, got the t-shirt. On both sides.

My diet was restricted to turkey patties, steamed vegetables, Crystal Light and protein shakes, and my schedule revolved around my three workouts every day.

(Stress is the #1 driver of all disease and imbalance).

GUT HEALING & HEALTHY EATING GONE OVERBOARD: ARFID

ARFID—Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder—is a common “phenomenon” many individuals experience on a gut healing or body healing diet.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of fearing what food will “do to you” when your diet becomes restrictive for health reasons.

Common symptoms of ARFID include:

COMMON SYMPTOMS

You lack variety in your diet

You fear how foods make you feel

You wrap your identity in what you eat

You know ALL the protocols in the book (GAPS, SCD, AIP, etc.)

You’re HYPER AWARE of how food makes you feel

You get sick when you eat out

NOTHING seems to change how you feel

You read EVERYTHING on Google about your condition

You’ve tried countless protocols.

You have low energy

You rarely feel hunger/fullness cues

You get easily weepy or have pent up emotions

You try to “forget” you are sick but feel trapped

You tend to be a perfectionist or Type-A personality

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: ARFID & ORTHOREXIA SUPPORT & HEALING OPTIONS

“What’s so bad about eating more greens, running

DECLARE FOOD FREEDOM

Here are a handful of principles I teach my clients in my clinical practice to help them overcome their orthorexic tendencies and declare food freedom.

Have a “DTR” with Your Food

What are some of your personal food philosophies you currently follow (and WHY do you believe or adhere to them)?

As If Mindset

Once you have an idea of your current relationship with food and your food philosophy, now you get to think about what kind of relationship you want with food!

Do you want to be controlled and dictated by what you can and can’t eat—such as worrying or feeling anxious about going out to eat with friends or traveling on vacation?

Or do you want to fuel your body to the best of your abilities with foods that make you feel BEST, but when and if you can’t do so, be able to adjust accordingly?

I call this the “as if” mindset. So as we think, therefore we become. Envision how healthy, thriving, truly healthy (inside and out) you approaches food in any and all situations:

Travel

Dining out

At the grocery store

Packing your lunch

Making dinner

Get a clear picture of what healthy, thriving you looks like, acts like, talks like, treats her body like, and then…act accordingly.

Make Your Own Rules

In turn, your new “rules” aren’t actually rules at all, but more like mantras—declarations for the healthy relationship you want with food and your body.

For instance, in my own recovery and continued healing journey with food, my rules or mantras became:

“No diets.”

“Listen to your body.”

“Know your truth.” (i.e. what is disordered vs. healthy mindset me)

“Eat out of love, not fear.”

You get the picture. Erase the old rules from your brain.

Abundance Mindset

What CAN you eat, versus what CAN’T you eat?

Aim for the LEAST RESTRICTIVE approach as possible, and eat with an “abundance” mindset.

Vary it Up

Check out this “rainbow” food chart (scroll to the bottom) by nutritionist Deanna Minich to see how different colors and variety enhances our bodies, beyond just giving us “antioxidants.”

Eat Out of Love, Not Fear

Simply put: How can you eat out of love for your body, then eating (or not eating) based on food fears?

Bonus: when we eat out of love (and have more peace with food), we actually can even enhance our digestion for the better (stress and cortisol inhibits optimal digestion).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Healthy eating or clean eating is NOT a bad thing. It all comes down to your mindset.

Want support in overcoming orthorexic or ARFID tendencies? Or looking to heal your gut, hormones, or other health condition without a crazy diet mentality or restrictive approach?

Let’s connect. Contact me at DrLauryn.com/Work-with-Me and apply to be a client today (Bonus: a 10-minute Complimentary Consult is included for all accepted applicants).

The post Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy? appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/food-freedom/do-you-have-orthorexia-or-just-eating-healthy/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/

#Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine #Dr. Lauryn Lax #Dr.Lauryn

0 notes

elizabethbgrimes · 6 years

Text

Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy?

What Is Orthorexia?

Have you heard of orthorexia? Do you consider yourself orthorexic because you eat healthy and avoid certain foods? Or is it “normal” to eat healthy, and still not want to eat certain foods?

Let’s explore…

Orthorexia 101:

Orthorexia, the “obsession with healthy eating,” is a classified eating disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).

It is defined as: “an obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy; a medical condition in which the sufferer systematically avoids specific foods in the belief that they are harmful.”

Like those with other eating disorders, individuals who struggle with orthorexia often find themselves a little bit obsessed, anxious or overthinking food on a daily basis.

However, sounds quite a bit like those who are on any current diet or health protocol to recover their health doesn’t it?

The lines may blur, but there are distinct differences:

ORTHOREXIC VS. HEALTHY EATING: THE DIFFERENCE

Some examples and characteristic differences in orthorexic patterns vs. genuine healthy eating include:

ORTHOREXIA

Research every ingredient in any food they eat

Google search answers to random health questions in search of the healthiest answer

Often have self-imposed rules (from multiple different sources online or experience) that construct a restrictive diet

Increasingly become more and more restrictive

May only eat 5-7 foods and tend to eat the same things every day

Emotionally distraught if food does not go as planned or in unknown situations (social settings, new restaurants, travel)

Feel guilty when stray from rules

Avoid foods prepped by others and/or social situations with food

Find a sense of achievement or self esteem in what they eat

Often talk or obsess about foods

Think critically about others who do not eat like they do

Overtraining or rigid/routine exercise is often correlated

Strong beliefs about “good” and “bad” foods

HEALTHY EATING

Adhere to certain dietary guidelines, based on physical health reasons

Not distraught if they can’t go to their restaurant of choice

Open to trying new foods (especially if they are feel-good foods)

Recognize that eating can’t always be perfect, and adhere to more of an 80/20 philosophy

Aim to incorporate as much variety and different foods as they can

May feel nervous about travel or eating out, but do best to plan accordingly and adjust

Self-esteem is not dependent on what they do or don’t eat

Move their bodies in ways that feel good and energize them (not out of rigidity or militant beliefs they “should”)

Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” views foods as “better for me foods,” and “don’t make me feel my best,” foods

While this list is generalized and broad, at best, I know of both because I’ve lived it.

MY STORY: FROM ORTHOREXIA TO GUT HEALING & THE IN-BETWEEN

Been there, got the t-shirt. On both sides.

My diet was restricted to turkey patties, steamed vegetables, Crystal Light and protein shakes, and my schedule revolved around my three workouts every day.

(Stress is the #1 driver of all disease and imbalance).

GUT HEALING & HEALTHY EATING GONE OVERBOARD: ARFID

ARFID—Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder—is a common “phenomenon” many individuals experience on a gut healing or body healing diet.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of fearing what food will “do to you” when your diet becomes restrictive for health reasons.

Common symptoms of ARFID include:

COMMON SYMPTOMS

You lack variety in your diet

You fear how foods make you feel

You wrap your identity in what you eat

You know ALL the protocols in the book (GAPS, SCD, AIP, etc.)

You’re HYPER AWARE of how food makes you feel

You get sick when you eat out

NOTHING seems to change how you feel

You read EVERYTHING on Google about your condition

You’ve tried countless protocols.

You have low energy

You rarely feel hunger/fullness cues

You get easily weepy or have pent up emotions

You try to “forget” you are sick but feel trapped

You tend to be a perfectionist or Type-A personality

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: ARFID & ORTHOREXIA SUPPORT & HEALING OPTIONS

“What’s so bad about eating more greens, running

DECLARE FOOD FREEDOM

Here are a handful of principles I teach my clients in my clinical practice to help them overcome their orthorexic tendencies and declare food freedom.

Have a “DTR” with Your Food

What are some of your personal food philosophies you currently follow (and WHY do you believe or adhere to them)?

As If Mindset

Once you have an idea of your current relationship with food and your food philosophy, now you get to think about what kind of relationship you want with food!

Do you want to be controlled and dictated by what you can and can’t eat—such as worrying or feeling anxious about going out to eat with friends or traveling on vacation?

Or do you want to fuel your body to the best of your abilities with foods that make you feel BEST, but when and if you can’t do so, be able to adjust accordingly?

I call this the “as if” mindset. So as we think, therefore we become. Envision how healthy, thriving, truly healthy (inside and out) you approaches food in any and all situations:

Travel

Dining out

At the grocery store

Packing your lunch

Making dinner

Get a clear picture of what healthy, thriving you looks like, acts like, talks like, treats her body like, and then…act accordingly.

Make Your Own Rules

In turn, your new “rules” aren’t actually rules at all, but more like mantras—declarations for the healthy relationship you want with food and your body.

For instance, in my own recovery and continued healing journey with food, my rules or mantras became:

“No diets.”

“Listen to your body.”

“Know your truth.” (i.e. what is disordered vs. healthy mindset me)

“Eat out of love, not fear.”

You get the picture. Erase the old rules from your brain.

Abundance Mindset

What CAN you eat, versus what CAN’T you eat?

Aim for the LEAST RESTRICTIVE approach as possible, and eat with an “abundance” mindset.

Vary it Up

Check out this “rainbow” food chart (scroll to the bottom) by nutritionist Deanna Minich to see how different colors and variety enhances our bodies, beyond just giving us “antioxidants.”

Eat Out of Love, Not Fear

Simply put: How can you eat out of love for your body, then eating (or not eating) based on food fears?

Bonus: when we eat out of love (and have more peace with food), we actually can even enhance our digestion for the better (stress and cortisol inhibits optimal digestion).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Healthy eating or clean eating is NOT a bad thing. It all comes down to your mindset.

Want support in overcoming orthorexic or ARFID tendencies? Or looking to heal your gut, hormones, or other health condition without a crazy diet mentality or restrictive approach?

Let’s connect. Contact me at DrLauryn.com/Work-with-Me and apply to be a client today (Bonus: a 10-minute Complimentary Consult is included for all accepted applicants).

The post Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy? appeared first on Meet Dr. Lauryn.

Source/Repost=> https://drlauryn.com/food-freedom/do-you-have-orthorexia-or-just-eating-healthy/ ** Dr. Lauryn Lax __Nutrition. Therapy. Functional Medicine ** https://drlauryn.com/ Do You Have Orthorexia or Just Eating Healthy? via https://drlaurynlax.blogspot.com/

#Elizabeth B. Grimes #ElizabethGrimes #Holistic #Nutrition #Therapy #Recovery #Functional #Medicine

0 notes

livingwithfoxesblog · 6 years

Text

The Jump Manual Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8r3qECZFeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9VSlSgZIb4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C48OYhDR6Ks

There are several resources included in the Jump Manual. Here may be a brief summary of every: 1. Introduction This one is pretty self-explanatory. The introduction provides a background on Jacob Hiller and how he came to develop the Jump Manual program. In outline, it states that Jacob has invariably been obsessive about obtaining a high vertical. He had perpetually been in nice shape and could dunk before learning his techniques, but barely. Once discovering these techniques through experimentation, his vertical leaping ability exploded over the course of concerning three months. At the top of the three month amount Jacob might dunk from outside the lane, and do 360 dunks, tomahawks, and other advanced dunks. 2. Essential Variables of Explosiveness Jacob Hiller discussing variables of explosiveness In this section Jacob breaks down what he considers the essential variables of explosiveness that cause maximum vertical jumping gains. These include: Strength Quickness Neurological Recruitment and Conditioning Fuel Stability and Balance Form Flexibility Body Composition Hereditary Factors 3. The Science of Optimal Results Basically Jacob Hiller discusses the distinction between working out for muscle strength and muscle endurance. Knowing the distinction between these 2 is important as doing the incorrect one can primarily mean you're wasting your time if your goal is to extend your vertical jump. four. Laws of Vertical Jump Improvement In this section Jacob provides you with nine basic basic “laws” to follow to help you in your journey to enhance your vertical jump. I will provide 3 of the laws below to administer you a preview of what these are all regarding. Strength X Quickness = Explosion Train Explosion, Not Endurance If you are pacing yourself, stop and restart five. Eating for Maximum Gains The Jump Program emphasizes the importance of diet in maximizing vertical jumping gains This section goes into detail on how nutrition plays a key role in helping you progress through the program. A number of the data is sweet, however I feel a number of the data is outdated as it's now 10 years old. At the end of the day all the knowledge provided during this section will be obtained for free elsewhere. half-dozen. “Optional” Equipment for Vertical Jump Drills During this section Jacob lists completely different pieces of kit that he suggests you have got to finish the vertical jumping exercises. The equipment listed includes: Speed rope Medicine ball Basketball A weight area A jump box While Jacob says these are optional, I would take into account these needed as almost all the exercises utilize a minimum of one of those pieces of apparatus. If you're visiting spend the money on the program you would possibly yet invest within the equipment and do the program properly or not do it in the slightest degree. 7. Jumper’s Forum The jumper’s forum permits users to raise queries and acquire feedback from different participants. Unfortunately, I have not been in a position to urge the Jumper’s forum to load therefore I’m not certain why it is down. Either means, the program works, however don’t expect to be ready to access this resource. If this changes I’ll let you recognize. eight. Pre-Workout Stretches and Heat-Ups This section breaks down some basic stretches and warm ups to do before going into the actual Jump Manual workouts. Essentially, you'll do some lightweight activity for five-ten minutes such as jogging, and then transition into static stretching. Most of the stretches you may be familiar with, but there are a few that I had not done before. Overall, nothing extremely here, just what you wish to get your body ready for the workout. 9. Max-Explosion Workout Example of a Max-Explosion Exercise: “Leg Chair Rockets” The meat of the Jump Manual Program, the Max-Explosion Workout could be a 14 day rotation of workouts and rest days that are done six times for a total of twelve weeks. Exercises done in the max-explosion training program include plyometric exercises and strength training movements using weights. Each exercise incorporates a primary exercise with unweighted alternatives if you can not do the primary movement or don't have the mandatory equipment. It is recommended that you test your vertical before each workout to check progress. Jacob conjointly strongly suggests that you're taking extra rest days till you are no longer sore as not doing therefore will only slow your progress and waste your energy. 10. Post-Workout Jacob offers some recommendations for how to proceed when your workout. The basics of this recommendation includes eating protein immediately once operating out, cooling down, and doing the same stretching routine as you did within the pre-workout routine. 11. Progress and Sustained Increase When the 12-week program Jacob Hiller invites you to contact him to urge additional specific recommendations on a way to more your coaching thus that you just see even greater gains. 12. Instant Inches This is a whole alternative section outside of the twelve-week Max-Explosion workout routine that breaks down how correct jumping technique can facilitate your gain inches to your vertical jump instantly. Jacob also includes some extra stretches and talks about several parts of the jumping process therefore that you'll maximize your jumping skills immediately. Strengths of the Program There's a ton to like about the Jump Manual. Here are a few of the most noteworthy positives concerning the program. one. 12 Weeks in Length Having a vertical jumping program that is 12 weeks long offers more time to determine the gains from your work compared to alternative programs like Vert Shock. At around 3 months, there's no doubt that if you are doing the Jump Manual Program properly you will see huge gains in your vertical jumping ability and many of you'll flip into dunkers. 2. Mix of Plyometrics and Strength Training Weight coaching works and I like that it is a central part of the Jump Manual Program. But not simply any strength training, within the Jump Manual you learn to try and do explosive movements with weights that directly target the muscles concerned in the jumping motion. On top of the strength coaching the Jump Manual conjointly includes a healthy doses of plyometrics that are also essential to your success. Doing each in tandem offers you the best opportunity to realize the maximum variety of inches to your vertical jump. three. PDF Trackers Included in the program are several PDF trackers that facilitate you keep track of your progress as you work through the program. I like this as a result of it helps you know where you are at and you'll see how so much you have got come back. Lastly, it helps you stay organized. 4. Different Resources There are several extra resources included in the Jump Manual Program that are included as half of the regular purchase worth. First, the Instant Inches extra shows you ways to induce a lot of inches out of your vertical merely by practicing proper jumping techniques. Second, the lean power protocol is a full diet including three hundred recipes. It is essentially an intermittent fasting diet (one thing I already do on my on my very own, and highly recommend). Third, Beast Hoops is a strength training program designed to assist you get strong while not messing up your shooting technique. Fourth, Jacob Hiller interviews Dave Hopla, an NBA shooting coach. Fifth, Jacob Hiller interviews Tim Gallwey on how to induce and keep in the zone. Sixth, Jacob interviews Dr. Patrick Cohn regarding enjoying out of your mind. As you can see there are several extras included in the Jump Manual free. There are different extras, but they are doing value a separate fee. What Could Be Better There are a few things we’d like to see modified or updated from the Jump Manual Program. 1. Needs Weights The Jump Manual Requires Weights to Train The Jump Manual is a high maintenance vertical jump program in terms of the equipment needed. To very complete this program properly you'll would like access to a weight room as well as other types of gym equipment. Thankfully, Jacob Hiller does offer some different exercises that may be done if you don’t have access to weights, but it is obvious that not having the ability to do the counseled weight bearing exercises could be a disadvantage and may negatively impact your results. a pair of. Disorganized The Jump Manual originally came out about ten years ago and over that point it's apparent that Jacob Hiller has added more data to form the program higher. However, he has done a poor job at trimming outdated and old data that has created the program a touch bloated and disorganized. Due to this the program could be a bit disorganized and exhausting to follow. Be sure to utilize the downloadable PDFs that include the program to help you stay not off course. three. Videos Are Previous I’m shocked that Jacob has not taken the time to update some of the videos in his program. Whereas most of it is still relevant these days it simply appearance dated. We have a tendency to’ve return a long means in ten years and several of the videos within the Jump Manual Program appear to own been recorded on a flip phone in between games of snake. They work, however they simply do not look professional and feel a small amount lackluster when you consider the price of the program. four. Not For The Injury Prone If you've got a history of knee injuries or surgeries, then I’d be hesitant to require on this program. Several of the explosive weight training includes jumping with vital weight which not only needs perfect kind however a healthy body. Don’t overdue it and be honest with yourself regarding what your body is capable of doing. If this is often too much then think about the plyometric based Vert Shock program. Final Thoughts The Jump Manual is the O.G. of vertical jump coaching programs and for sensible reason. It is doesn’t play and needs a serious level of commitment, but delivers results to those who are able to make it through a powerful twelve weeks of training. Before buying I highly advocate you create certain you have got access to all or any the required equipment I mentioned in this review and a weight area at the local gym. If you're in good shape now and do not have a history of injury then the Jump Manual can in all probability give you maximum results due to the use of weights and the twelve week program length. For those that do have a history of injury or are simply getting into the swing of things I would recommend Vert Shock as it's a shorter program and will not require weight training whereas still obtaining sensible results. At the end of the day, the program that's best for you may come back down to your personal history and vertical jump training goals.

#TheJumpManualReview

0 notes

headed4hell · 6 years

Text

The Jump Manual Review

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8r3qECZFeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9VSlSgZIb4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C48OYhDR6Ks

There are many resources included in the Jump Manual. Here could be a temporary summary of each: one. Introduction This one is pretty self-explanatory. The introduction provides a background on Jacob Hiller and how he came to develop the Jump Manual program. In outline, it states that Jacob has always been obsessed with obtaining a high vertical. He had forever been in nice shape and could dunk before learning his techniques, but barely. When discovering these techniques through experimentation, his vertical leaping ability exploded over the course of concerning 3 months. At the top of the three month period Jacob may dunk from outside the lane, and do 360 dunks, tomahawks, and different advanced dunks. 2. Essential Variables of Explosiveness Jacob Hiller discussing variables of explosiveness In this section Jacob breaks down what he considers the essential variables of explosiveness that cause maximum vertical jumping gains. These include: Strength Quickness Neurological Recruitment and Conditioning Fuel Stability and Balance Form Flexibility Body Composition Hereditary Factors three. The Science of Optimal Results Essentially Jacob Hiller discusses the difference between working out for muscle strength and muscle endurance. Knowing the distinction between these two is very important as doing the wrong one will primarily mean you are wasting your time if your goal is to increase your vertical jump. 4. Laws of Vertical Jump Improvement In this section Jacob provides you with nine basic elementary “laws” to follow to assist you in your journey to improve your vertical jump. I can offer 3 of the laws below to relinquish you a preview of what these are all concerning. Strength X Quickness = Explosion Train Explosion, Not Endurance If you're pacing yourself, stop and restart 5. Eating for Maximum Gains The Jump Program emphasizes the importance of diet in maximizing vertical jumping gains This section goes into detail on how nutrition plays a key role in serving to you progress through the program. A number of the knowledge is good, but I feel a number of the knowledge is outdated as it is now 10 years recent. At the end of the day all the data provided during this section will be obtained at no cost elsewhere. half dozen. “Optional” Equipment for Vertical Jump Drills During this section Jacob lists completely different items of kit that he suggests you've got to complete the vertical jumping exercises. The equipment listed includes: Speed rope Medicine ball Basketball A weight space A jump box While Jacob says these are optional, I would take into account these needed as nearly all the exercises utilize at least one of these pieces of apparatus. If you're visiting pay the money on the program you may still invest within the equipment and do the program properly or not do it at all. seven. Jumper’s Forum The jumper’s forum permits users to ask questions and obtain feedback from other participants. Unfortunately, I even have not been able to get the Jumper’s forum to load thus I’m not certain why it's down. Either manner, the program works, however don’t expect to be ready to access this resource. If this changes I’ll let you recognize. eight. Pre-Workout Stretches and Warm-Ups This section breaks down some basic stretches and warm ups to do before going into the actual Jump Manual workouts. Basically, you'll do some light activity for 5-10 minutes such as jogging, and then transition into static stretching. Most of the stretches you may be familiar with, but there are some that I had not done before. Overall, nothing really here, simply what you need to urge your body prepared for the workout. nine. Max-Explosion Workout Example of a Max-Explosion Exercise: “Leg Chair Rockets” The meat of the Jump Manual Program, the Max-Explosion Workout could be a fourteen day rotation of workouts and rest days that are done six times for a complete of twelve weeks. Exercises done in the max-explosion coaching program embody plyometric exercises and strength training movements using weights. Every exercise features a primary exercise with unweighted alternatives if you cannot do the primary movement or don't have the mandatory equipment. It is counseled that you check your vertical before each workout to check progress. Jacob also strongly suggests that you take additional rest days until you're no longer sore as not doing thus will only slow your progress and waste your energy. 10. Post-Workout Jacob gives some recommendations for how to proceed when your workout. The basics of this recommendation includes eating protein immediately once operating out, cooling down, and doing the same stretching routine as you did within the pre-workout routine. 11. Progress and Sustained Increase Once the 12-week program Jacob Hiller invitations you to contact him to urge additional specific recommendations on how to any your coaching so that you simply see even greater gains. twelve. Instant Inches This is often a full other section outside of the 12-week Max-Explosion workout routine that breaks down how proper jumping technique will help you gain inches to your vertical jump instantly. Jacob additionally includes some further stretches and talks concerning many parts of the jumping method thus that you can maximize your jumping talents immediately. Strengths of the Program There is a ton to love about the Jump Manual. Here are some of the most noteworthy positives about the program. one. 12 Weeks in Length Having a vertical jumping program that is 12 weeks long provides more time to work out the gains from your work compared to different programs like Vert Shock. At around 3 months, there's little question that if you are doing the Jump Manual Program properly you may see huge gains in your vertical jumping ability and many of you will turn into dunkers. two. Mix of Plyometrics and Strength Coaching Weight coaching works and I like that it's a central part of the Jump Manual Program. However not just any strength coaching, in the Jump Manual you learn to try and do explosive movements with weights that directly target the muscles concerned in the jumping motion. On prime of the strength coaching the Jump Manual additionally includes a healthy doses of plyometrics that are also essential to your success. Doing each in tandem offers you the best chance to gain the most number of inches to your vertical jump. three. PDF Trackers Included in the program are several PDF trackers that help you retain track of your progress as you're employed through the program. I like this because it helps you know where you are at and you'll be able to see how so much you have got come. Lastly, it helps you stay organized. four. Alternative Resources There are many extra resources included in the Jump Manual Program that are included as half of the regular purchase worth. First, the Instant Inches further shows you how to induce more inches out of your vertical merely by practicing correct jumping techniques. Second, the lean power protocol is a full diet together with 300 recipes. It is essentially an intermittent fasting diet (one thing I already do on my on my very own, and highly suggest). Third, Beast Hoops is a strength coaching program designed to assist you get sturdy without messing up your shooting technique. Fourth, Jacob Hiller interviews Dave Hopla, an NBA shooting coach. Fifth, Jacob Hiller interviews Tim Gallwey on how to get and stay within the zone. Sixth, Jacob interviews Dr. Patrick Cohn about taking part in out of your mind. As you'll see there are a lot of extras included in the Jump Manual for free. There are different extras, but they are doing cost a separate fee. What May Be Better There are some things we’d like to see modified or updated from the Jump Manual Program. one. Needs Weights The Jump Manual Requires Weights to Train The Jump Manual could be a high maintenance vertical jump program in terms of the equipment required. To very complete this program properly you may need access to a weight area furthermore different varieties of gym equipment. Thankfully, Jacob Hiller will give some alternative exercises that may be done if you don’t have access to weights, but it's obvious that not being able to try to to the recommended weight bearing exercises is a disadvantage and could negatively impact your results. two. Disorganized The Jump Manual originally came out concerning ten years ago and over that time it's apparent that Jacob Hiller has added a lot of information to make the program better. However, he has done a poor job at trimming outdated and recent info which has made the program a bit bloated and disorganized. Due to this the program is a bit disorganized and laborious to follow. Be positive to utilize the downloadable PDFs that include the program to help you keep on target. three. Videos Are Old I’m shocked that Jacob has not taken the time to update some of the videos in his program. While most of it's still relevant nowadays it simply looks dated. We tend to’ve come back a protracted way in ten years and several of the videos in the Jump Manual Program seem to possess been recorded on a flip phone in between games of snake. They work, but they simply do not look skilled and feel a bit lackluster when you think about the value of the program. 4. Not For The Injury Prone If you've got a history of knee injuries or surgeries, then I’d be hesitant to take on this program. Many of the explosive weight training includes jumping with important weight that not only requires perfect type however a healthy body. Don’t overdue it and be honest with yourself about what your body is capable of doing. If this can be too much then contemplate the plyometric primarily based Vert Shock program. Final Thoughts The Jump Manual is that the O.G. of vertical jump training programs and for smart reason. It is doesn’t play around and needs a heavy level of commitment, however delivers results to people who are in a position to form it through a powerful 12 weeks of coaching. Before shopping for I highly advocate you make certain you've got access to any or all the desired equipment I mentioned during this review and a weight space at the native gym. If you are in good shape now and don't have a history of injury then the Jump Manual can probably give you maximum results thanks to the utilization of weights and also the 12 week program length. For those who do have a history of injury or are simply getting into the swing of things I would recommend Vert Shock as it is a shorter program and does not need weight training while still getting sensible results. At the end of the day, the program that is best for you will return all the way down to your personal history and vertical jump coaching goals.

#TheJumpManualReview

0 notes

click2watch · 5 years

Text

Florincoin – the 2014 Altcoin You Don’t Remember – Is Attracting Real Users

One of the most recognizable names in the crypto space (and perhaps even outside of it) is using one of the least recognizable blockchains.

It’s a dream that’s still being toyed with today – from Steemit to Peepeth to Minds – but since then Florincoin, now FLO, has moved on.

Today, most of the developers and businesses involved in FLO are interested in it as an indexing tool, something that could provide the backbone of a blockchain-based Google.

The list of users goes on too.

So how, a crypto enthusiast might ask, did FLO become a blockchain with actual users (and seemingly without gloating in the hopes of sparking a price pump)?

But, he continued:

The bytes and the bloat

Utilized by husband and wife team, Devon and Amy Reed, Florincoin became the underlying technology of the Decentralized Library of Alexandria (DLOA).

DLOA was the forefather of today’s decentralized content platforms, hoping to untangle the messy distribution models that currently exist for content creators and viewers online.

According to Amy, Berners-Lee loved it, but said: “change the name.”

But Devon remains unphased by the shiny new toys.

According to Devon Reed, sure, OIP could instead store its index on ethereum, and with that gain a different developer community and plenty of hype.

The original angel

Take Sky Young, a senior full stack developer at Alexandria.io, who started working on the FLO protocol because of her role with Alexandria in August 2015.

SkyAngel did not return requests for comment.

“FLO is one of the oldest altcoins that is still actively traded and developed,” he told CoinDesk.

As such, many of the developers working on FLO right now are also pretty happy with the way it’s all turned out.

In describing my story, meeting Fiscella years later at a crypto meetup and thinking, ‘Holy shit, Florincoin still exists,’ Buddenhage, who’s been in the space since 2013, laughed, saying:

“It’s great to see people react when they re-discover that FLO/Alexandria have not joined the ranks of shitcoin yet nor is it merely idling on but has actually grown in the shadows.”

Enter tZERO

It was Chris Chrysostom, a developer that was looking to build a simple application called a bill of sale on a blockchain, that found FLO and eventually brought it into the Medici ranks.

That led Chrysostom to Alexandria, where he worked alongside Devon and Amy, building out the project’s payment capabilities.

Then in July 2017, he was picked up by Medici Ventures.

“We use it specifically for projects, proofs-of-concept and research for this property rights project,” he said.

And sure enough, Chrysostom has similar things to say about the project’s ethos and morals.

“Four to five years have gone by, and it’s still about what its founding was all about – an open blockchain with a little extra use case. I just find it admirable that it’s stuck to that.”

And as for OIP and Alexandria, those teams get Chrysostom’s praise too since, according to him, they focused on building out the software instead of hyping the coin.

Chrysostom said:

“FLO has been quite the stealth coin in my opinion.”

Keeping it afloat

Still, that’s not to say everything has run smoothly in the FLO community.

“It wasn’t worth anything at the time,” Fiscella said. “But FLO was once around 40 cents.”

At that price, the coins lost in Cryptsy would have been worth more than $4 million.

When Bittrex’s system detected this, it shut down FLO trading for about a month, until the developers fixed the issue.

“And by fixed it, I mean we paid 700,000 FLO to Bittrex,” Fiscella said, adding:

“And by we, I mean me.”

Bittrex did not respond to requests for inquiry.

But FLO has endured and actually, it’s developers learned from its mistakes and evolved.

Echoing Fiscella’s comments about FLO being successful because of its determined developer community, Buddenhage concluded:

FLO coins featured image via gunkworks.no; images in the article via Joey Fiscella

This news post is collected from CoinDesk