I am incredibly impressed by these costumes! They completely blow my mind.
Only Human (Serial Story) Part 7
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
The woman who’d invited her to a bar in the middle of the night was a Huntress; a cult of monster hunters who claimed they were descended from Artemis. When she’d first heard the term she’d looked them up and Rachel found no proof they were anything but human.
The woman’s speed as she attacked proved there was something supernatural about her. She closed the distance between them and drew a long sword in the time it took Rachel to take a step back.
“Resistance will only make it more painful for you and more fun for me.” The woman smiled a smile that was one part pure joy and ten parts loonier than a Canadian vending machine.
“I thought Huntresses only killed monsters? Not innocent humans?” Rachel stalled, putting her hand on the machete. She wanted to try and disable the woman and find out how she’d found her.
Spitting on the ground, the woman said, “You’re pretending to be them and your friends with them.” She sniffed the air. “You reek of monster.”
“The sniffing thing’s a little weird, even for—” Rachel’s quip was cut off by the woman’s sword thrusting towards her. She jumped back and pulled out the machete just in time to parry the sword.
The woman’s longsword was longer than Rachel’s machete but Rachel was a good foot taller than her and had a better natural reach. Using the naturally tight quarters of the bar, Rachel moved in close to the woman and pushed her attack. Between the close quarters and the length of the blade, the woman’s motions were limited.
“You’re good, but I’m better!” cackled the woman as she thrust the sword towards Rachel in a reckless move that left her sword arm overextended and exposed. Taking the opening, Rachel dodged the thrust and slashed at the woman’s arm. She didn’t see the dagger until it was too late and it slashed at her side. If the coat hadn’t been thick leather she would have been gutted, as it was, she received a deep gash on her side.
Like a fool, Ronny ran into the bar. “Hey bitch. I don’t drink sentient blood but I’ll make an exception for you.”
The woman dropped the sword and lunged forward with the knife. Rachel easily deflected the knife but the attack wasn’t mean to hurt her it was meant to distract her. The woman pointed her hand at Ronny and something flew out of her sleeve hitting him hard in the shoulder and pinning him to the wall. The thing the woman had shot from her arm was a hawthorn stake.
Between her blood loss and the nauseating smell of seared flesh where the hawthorn touched Ronny’s flesh, Rachel wanted to vomit.
Things went from bad to worse when Ginny ran into the bar. Her perfect face was twisted in anger. She must have seen what happened to her brother. She moved with a staggering speed and was on the Huntresses back. It was funny to see the tall slender model-like Ginny wrapping her arms and legs around the larger huntress.
The Huntress laughed as Ginny bit into her throat. Instantly Ginny started choking on the woman’s blood. The woman grabbed Ginny and lifted her up as a human shield pulling out a different dagger. The way it sizzled on Ginny’s throat, Rachel assumed it was silver.
“Put down your weapon and I’ll let your vampire pets live.” The woman was lying and Ginny knew it.
They stood staring at each other in one of the tensest moments of Rachel’s life. The Sig-Sauer pistol weighed on her hurt side. Rachel could feel the strength leaving her body with her blood and she knew she needed to do something quickly. She needed a distraction. If she pulled the gun out she’d never get a shot off before the woman killed Ginny.
As if it knew what she was thinking, her cellphone, which she was certain she’d turned off, started playing a death-metal version of monster mash. The moment of confusion was enough for Rachel to pull out her gun and shoot through Ginny and into the huntress.
The woman dropped Ginny and stumbled back. Rachel didn’t take any chances and emptied the clip into her. Replacing the clip, she holstered her weapon and walked to Ronny.
When she pulled the hawthorn stake out of Ronny, he whimpered a little as it ripped flesh. Her phone started to ring again.
The Caller ID read Dowan and she answered saying, “You have interesting timing.”
“I just woke up from a nightmare and had the overwhelming feeling I had to call you. I never ignore those kinds of feelings.” Dowan sounded worried.
“Thank you. You saved our lives.”
“Our?”
“Me, Ginny, and Ronny.”
“Ronny, huh? Oh well.” The disappointment in his voice disappeared and he said, “Since I saved your life would you be willing to grab dinner with me?”
“It might be the bloodloss talking, but why not.” Rachel couldn’t help but smile. He hung up and she sat down.
Ginny took out a bottle of suspicious red liquid and gave it to her brother. “This will fix him but you need a doctor,” she said to Rachel.
“I have a first aid kit in the car and Tim can sew me up,” Rachel responded as she went through the Huntresses pockets. The woman had no ID, and twice as many weapons as Rachel. Thankfully for everyone, that didn’t include a gun. Rachel marveled at the arrogance of the supernatural community for shunning guns.
In a hidden pocket inside the woman’s shirt was a picture. It was Rachel, Ginny, and Tim in the cafeteria talking. On the back were the words, “Huntress, Demigod, or Human?” The angle of the shot told her it was taken from inside the cafeteria, which meant it had been taken by another student.
Blush: Blue Balls
So far we have received almost three digits worth of questions, but I’m greedy, and I want more! Ask us your anonymous questions here!
I was asked “Are blue balls a real thing?”, and since I talked about women’s bodies last time, I thought I should discuss something to do with men’s bodies this week.
Answer: Yes, it is, but possibly not as you’ve heard it described.
Urbandictionary.com provides the description that I have heard the most often, that the testicles swell to the size of coconuts, that the pain is horrible, and that it’s all the woman’s fault and she should suck it up (yes, I punned there) and do the job right.
Believe me, this is NOT my opinion on blue balls, and I am so grateful that it is also not the correct one.
Blue balls, or Epididymal hypertension to give it the scientific name, is an aching that is felt after an arousal that does not culminate in orgasm. (Btw, women can also feel this ache in their pelvis if they don’t achieve orgasm!)
I’m going to get a little technical now. Or rather, I am going to quote an article from UCSB Sex Info. “When a man becomes sexually aroused, the arteries that carry blood to his genitals enlarge, while the veins that leave the genital area constrict, allowing less blood to escape. This uneven rate of blood flow increases the quantity and pressure of blood flow and traps it in the genital area. This pressure is responsible for producing an erection and making the testes swell to be 25-50% larger than their normal size. If an orgasm is achieved, the blood vessels will return to their normal size and the volume of blood in the genitals quickly returns to its normal level. By contrast, if a man does not have an orgasm, blood in the genitals builds up through a process called vasocongestion and may create sensations of heaviness, aching, or discomfort.”
Since blood that has no oxygen (deoxygenated blood) is blue in colour, which is why all your veins look blue, there *might* be a slight blue tinge to the testicles. According to menshealth.com, the testicles should only change colour if erectile dysfunction drugs are involved, or if something is restricting the blood flow (eg string or plastic ring). Also, this colour should fade as the blood starts to flow again, and if it persists, the man should see their doctor.
But what about the pain? Isn’t it horribly painful?
I do not have testicles, so I cannot talk from personal experience. However, I am told that the ache felt from not ejaculating is minor to moderate, and doesn’t last long. Like I said above, once the blood starts to flow again (read: once you lose your erection) the ache will go away.
Treatment: The treatment for epididymal hypertension is simple: either achieve orgasm/ejaculation, or wait for the erection to go away. The important thing to remember is that it is not your partner’s responsibility to take care of your problem. If they want to, great! If they don’t want to, don’t pressure them! Communication will help you in this scenario. Explain what you are feeling, let them know there is no pressure, find out if you should leave the room to take care of the situation on your own if they are uncomfortable, and so on.
Note: If your testicles are in pain, you should see a doctor. There is no reason for you to be hurting just because you didn’t achieve orgasm. If your testicles remain blue, you should see a doctor. As mentioned above, colour change is rare, and should definitely fade once blood is circulating again.
References
http://www.menshealth.com/sex-women/science-blue-balls
http://www.soc.ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/epididymal-hypertension-blue-balls
Top 5 Rudest Questions I’ve Been Asked
Everyone knows that feeling; the awkward rude question feeling. You’re having fun chatting with someone when all of a sudden they ask the question and you’re not sure if you should laugh or run away.
Everyone has different annoyances but the following 5 are rude to ask anyone.
5. Are you seeing anyone?
Why is this rude?
Our society seems obsessed with coupling and producing 2.5 offspring but that’s not for everyone. Yes everyone enjoys a good love story but if the person is single they’re already seeing lovey-dovey couples everywhere and you rubbing it in their face that they’re single, is just mean.
What to say instead
Ask what they’ve done recently that excites them or what their passionate about.
4. Have you lost/gained weight?
Why is this rude?
Nobody likes to be reminded that they are or were fat. It’s not fun. Not to mention the rats-nest of psychological issues associated with weight and looks. Our society praises muscled, or rake-thin, men and curvy thin, or model thin, women. When nearly every person you respect on television or movies looks like something you’re not it’s easy to start thinking there’s something wrong with you.
What to say instead?
If you have to comment on their appearance try saying something positive about their clothes, makeup, hair, facial hair, or accessories. These are things people can easily control and some people put a lot of care into them.
3. Where are you “really” from?
Why is this rude?
You’re assuming that the person doesn’t look like you so they can’t be from the same place as you. If someone says they’re from Ottawa, leave it at that. Many people who don’t look like you are from here, same as their parents, and grandparents.
Yes I have been asked this despite being white. People seem to think I must be from Iceland or a Scandinavian country. It’s funny to see their faces when I say both sides of my family have been here for upwards of 8 generations and came from France.
What to say instead?
Nothing. If the topic of race/ethnicity/origin comes up than you can politely inquire about their background. You’ll find most people are more than willing to talk about it in context when they aren’t being assaulted with the question.
2. Why are you into all this kid’s stuff?
Why is this rude?
First you’re assuming what I like is only for kids and second you’re assuming that matters. I love animated movies (Inside Out is my favourite movie of 2015), My Little Pony, science-fiction, fantasy, YA literature, etc. By saying they’re “Only for Kids” you’re judging my likes and the things I like at the same time. Not cool!
What to say instead?
What’s [insert thing] about? What do you like about it? Asking questions as if you respect my opinion instead of having already judged my tastes.
1. Is your partner pregnant yet?
Why is this rude?
Again society seems obsessed with the idea of coupling off and making those 2.5 offspring. Not everyone wants children, not everyone is read to have children, and not everyone can have children. Assuming that they MUST be popping out tiny little clones is annoying.
It’s worse for those who can’t have children but want them. Then they are reminded every single time of what they can’t have.
Personally I’m not ready yet and that’s me and wife’s choice. When we finally do have children be prepared to hear about it. A LOT!
What to say instead?
Personally I like to ask newlyweds and people who’ve lived together how tired they are of hearing this question. It’ll usually get a laugh.
Otherwise, just don’t ask. You’ll know when they are ready to tell you.
What rude question do you hate the most?
Éric
Mother of Dragons
Cosplay by Mystic Fae Art. These ladies are fantastic! (Both artist and character being portrayed.)
Being Tired and Mattresses
Did you know that not getting enough sleep can decrease your ability to think and reason? It can worsen depression, increase the chance of heart disease or diabetes, and it can even cause you to gain weight.
I get an average of 4ish hours of sleep on weeknights and maybe 8 on weekends if I’m lucky. This isn’t uninterrupted sleep. I get up for multiple reasons. If my wife didn’t swear I don’t snore much and I never wake up fighting for breath, I’d think I have sleep-apnea. For a more sound sleep some people use sleep headphones.
So why am I having so much trouble? I made a mistake a little over nine years ago. I bought a mattress that was too soft. This might not seem like a bad thing, everyone likes softness. It wasn’t bad at the beginning but over time it’s gotten much worse.
I noticed the second year we had the mattress that I had trouble sleeping more than 9 hours. (I vaguely remember when I wasn’t busy and 9 hours was a short sleep on weekends) I’d wake up with aches and pains and still feeling tired.
I assumed it was all due to allergies, being overweight, or those wonderful bodily changes you experience in your mid-twenties. I kept assuming it was these issues. When I’d go on vacation I’d assume I slept well because I was exhausted from the day and not think twice about it. It took my wife complaining about aches and pains and having trouble sleeping for me to realize it was the bed.
So why did it take me years to figure out? One reason, the platform bed is freaking comfortable. When you climb into it, it hugs you and life is amazing. It takes at least a few hours before you start to feel like you’re being contorted by maniacal fluffy-cloud demons.
My wife and I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy a new bed when one of our favourite stores had a sale. We decided on a mattress that was right in the middle between firm and soft and we bought one that was half off but higher quality than our old one. To choose mattress, I mean a good one, is very important. The old mattress is also sagging in odd and uncomfortable ways so I don’t feel bad replacing it.
It’ll be delivered in 2-3 weeks and I hope it helps me feel better rested. If not, I’ll speak with my doctor.
Thank goodness for coffee!
Éric
Fandom Cruising
Are you a fan of The Walking Dead? Star Trek? Music, comedy, and general nerdery? There are three cruises that might peak your interest that are about to set sail.
The Walking Dead
This cruise is completely booked, with a waiting list, however, it is one of the first of it’s kind, and thus deserves a mention. For three days, January 15-18, 2016, you would sail from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas with four stars from The Walking Dead, on board the Norwegian Pearl. The website contains all sorts of interesting information, and if you think you might be interested, check out The Waiting List requirements – you have to be on it before December 1st!
Star Trek
The Norwegian Pearl is busy with Fandom bookings; it is also the ship for the Star Trek cruise! January 9-15, 2017, you can sail from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, to Nassau, Bahamas, and back to Miami, with legendary actors like John de Lancie and William Shatner. Check out the itinerary – it looks fantastic!
Music, Comedy, and General Nerdery
The JoCo Cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas is a convention at sea! Jonathon Coulton, Paul and Storm, Imogen Heap, and others are performers and featured guests on this cruise, which is taking place February 21-28, 2016, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. Ports of call include CocoCay, Bahamas; St Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and St Maarten.
There are many other geeky or Fandom cruises. Let me know what you’re interested in, and I’m sure we can find something for you! There’s even a crochet cruise! 😉
If you are interested in going on any of these cruises, or others. Jen has retired from working as a travel agent. Hope you’ve enjoyed Fandom Travel.
Do you know what a Strong Character is?
Hello Imaginary Friends,
The concept of a strong character is nebulous at best. People both praise and criticize Joss Whedon for his ability or inability to create strong characters; specifically female characters. That’s an argument you can find and have on your own.
Let’s go back to high school for a moment and talk about what makes a strong character. When I was in high school they called them three-dimensional or complex characters. A good example comes from Shakespeare’s the Merchant of Venice. Shylock, the title character, is at times a mustache twirling villain and at others a sad, almost pitiful, man. It’s a juxtaposition of emotion and conflict that create a strong character.
Many people get confused between a Strong Character and a Character who is physically strong. This mistake happens much more often with female characters. To go back to Joss Whedon, Buffy isn’t a strong character because she has super strength. She’s a strong character because she has complex emotions and actions.
Let’s define strong character: A Strong Character is a character who has complex motivations, sometimes contradictory, who strives towards a goal. This character doesn’t always succeed but continues until they achieve an outcome. There should be some form of inner turmoil related to the goal, and finally, their motivations and goals must be relatable.
You’ll notice this is quite vague but still works with most characters that are not stereotypes or archetypes. A stereotype is a negative, simplistic, and often racist version of a character; while an archetype is a standard form of character that has little to no depth. It’s impossible to be a strong character and a stereotype, but it is possible to be a strong character and an archetype. Hermione is the standard “Information Giver” Archetype but she is still a complex character.
Something that bugs me is the assumption that secondary characters cannot be strong because they aren’t resolving the primary conflict of the story. Think of Samwise from Lord of the Rings, his motivations are to help protect his friend/master, keep his word to the wizard and come back home. He almost quits a few times but still goes back and saves Frodo. The ring is just a thing to him, he really doesn’t care about the quest other than to accomplish his goals.
Let’s confront the elephant (in a pink tutu) in the room, Strong Female Characters. Let’s be clear about one thing: A Strong Character is not defined gender or gender identity. Strength is born from complexity not rejection of stereotypes. You can have a strong female character who embraces all things feminine (Elle Woods) just as easily as you can have one that shuns them (Arya Stark). Gender and gender identity are layers that build strong characters.
Same goes with emotion, pure stoicism isn’t real and it makes any character seem flat and robotic. Xena is a badass, strong physically, but it’s her own inner turmoil that makes her a Strong Character. She could kill you with any weapon and she will cry over the death of her friend, that’s a Strong Character.
Do you agree or disagree? Let me know in the comments.
Latter Days!
Éric
