5rzefona - Untitled

Sickfics - Yuuri Edition #2

April Fools by spare | T | Yuuri/Victor, Yuuri & Victor & Yuri P. | 1k

“There’s a Japanese saying for this, isn’t there? ‘Colds can’t catch fools’, or something to that effect?”

On the anniversary of Victor’s arrival in Hasetsu, a drunken swim leaves Yuuri with a cold. Good thing Victor’s there to help him get well. (Ufun.) Three interconnected scenes in three perspectives.

Bumps and Bruises by IllyasJames | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

After getting distracted by his own thoughts Yuuri flubs a jump and lands on his head a bit hard. When the day progresses Yuuri starts to feel worse.

Feverish by KasumiChou | G | Yuuri/Victor | 2k

He didn’t want to admit that everything hurt.

That he had a pounding headache that felt so bad that Yuuri almost wanted to bash his head against the wall, because the pain would probably be less than his pounding headache.

He didn’t want to admit that the room was spinning.

That he felt like throwing up, despite not having eaten much in days.

But he couldn’t stop.

He needed to lose more weight, he still wasn’t thin enough.

He needed to practice his jumps, they needed to be perfect.

He needed to improve his step sequence, it needed to be better than ever before.

He couldn’t stop now.

More Than Words can Say by mypoorfaves | G | Yuuri/Victor | 3k

Yuuri gets sick with a cold in Hasetsu and loses his voice! How will he and Victor be able to communicate? How will Victor care for Yuuri? Takes place somewhere between episodes 5 and 6.

Not too bad by DesertRainFrog | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

There is a certain amount of pressure you can put on a body, but if you take it away it crumbles.

Yuuri overworks himself and Victor takes care of him. Basically your standard sickfic… give it a read!

Of Fevers and Family by mypoorfaves | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Yuuri is fevered and emotional and starts crying because he thinks Yuri hates him. How will Yuri react?

Out but not down by IllyasJames | M | Yuuri/Victor | 2k

After having to have dealt with Victor and his fever, Yuuri seems to have caught it himself. Bad luck for Victor, If he thought he was clingy Yuuri got him beat. Not to mention, having a fever, beats being drunk as well.

Reunion by CheekyPotato | NR | Yuuri/Victor | 2k

After a month apart due to competitions, Yuuri finally reunites with his fiance but it doesn’t go as planned.

Right as Rain by mypoorfaves | G | Yuuri/Victor | 2k

Yuuri runs to the pharmacy to get medicine to stave off his oncoming cold, all whilst keeping his illness a secret from Victor. Then Yuuri gets caught in the rain, which doesn’t do good for his already-weakened immune system. How will Victor react when Yuuri comes home soaking wet and freezing cold, and how will Yuuri recover?

The Let Down Effect by Icypeach | T | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Yuuri’s body is past it’s limit after the second grand prix assignment

To Have and to Cling To by mypoorfaves | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Yuuri comes home exhausted after a long day, and Victor takes care of him. Sappy domestic caretaking fluff ensues

Water and Warmth by mypoorfaves | G | Yuuri/Victor | 1k

Yuuri wakes up exhausted and heads to take a shower in the hopes it will help wake him up. But things take a turn for the worse when it turns out Yuuri isn’t just tired, but coming down with a cold. Now Victor has to take care of Yuuri who feels like he’s freezing despite the fever he’s running.

I’m really obsessed with the idea of worldbuilding that refuses to clarify its relationship to reality

When we read books we instinctively try to categorize books based on the kind of book they are, oh this is fantasy, post-apocalyptic, etc. and we try to find out things and clarify what kind of world it is and whether or not the things in it are make believe and how make believe they are.

So what if I...Messed with that process?

For instance. A book is set in Ohio. We mention the names of cities in Ohio and pieces of Ohio’s history and famous landmarks in Ohio and it’s incredibly well researched, even down to the names of museums in Cincinnati or something. We’re talking very firmly established in the facts of a place. It’s kind of an eerie book and in some ways the setting seems weird or cloudy or dreamy but it seems grounded in just the amount of facts that are in it about the setting.

There are little factoids dropped here and there. At first very boring ones. Something that happened at an Ohio water treatment plant in 1995. What it takes to serve on a jury in Ohio. Ohio laws about spraying pesticides on corn. Facts about corn itself. Probably one of those cutesy little facts about weird local laws.

They start to get...stranger. The little bits of worldbuilding. Did you know that Ohio has had more nuclear power plant accidents than any other state? In this small town in Ohio, you used to need a license to perform an exorcism! This charming small town’s mayor is a ghost. In Ohio, it is legal for doctors to draw more of your blood than they need to sell to third parties. There are no Dollar Tree’s in Ohio. (Have you ever seen a Dollar Tree in Ohio? Are you sure?)

At some point the reader catches onto something that is clearly not right. Maybe the book states at some point that Indiana is to the east of Ohio instead of the west. This is clearly a mistake, and they move on.

Some things about the everyday realities of the setting seem peculiar. There seem to be quite a bit of packs of wild dogs about, and mold seems to grow a lot quicker. Grass is described very strangely—a shade of green that isn’t very characteristic of grass. There seem to be a lot of cults, and there are a lot of empty lots in town enclosed with razor wire for no apparent reason. Sometimes a character’s hands grow suddenly cold, and they panic and hasten inside. Frostbite? Is it the climate? Why does the author write that way?

At some point, though, it becomes clear that the author is fictionalizing a bit. It may certainly be the case that nuclear accidents have occurred in Ohio more than any other state, but the tale of how deer from that area glow in low light is probably made up. And though that famous televangelist existed and it seems plausible enough that he owned tigers, like some kind of janky drug dealer would purchase, it seems implausible that he regularly fed people to them.

As the story continues, more and more facts seem a little off, though. The spatial relationship of Ohio to its surrounding states, and the shape that Ohio is (it’s described at one point as having a panhandle, and as bordering East Tennessee) seems to make less and less sense. The wild dogs are massive, and have smoldering eyes like hellhounds. One nuclear disaster apparently wiped out a full sixth of Ohio’s population. The deer, plagued with cancer from the radiation, have turned carnivores. The wild horses run under a red sky—the sky is always described as red. The original capital of Ohio is lost, its stones dashed down in the war that made its citizens turn to cannibalism. The invasive plants of Ohio can pry open windows, and once choked a woman in her sleep. The people of Ohio dream more frequently of birds of prey gouging out their eyes than people in any other state. There are plagues of rats in Ohio that sometimes devastate towns. In Ohio, unexplained disappearances are rarely investigated. There are eagles in Ohio—their wings blot out the sun. Ohio briefly seceded from the Union in 1922, and there are those that still believe in the Free People’s Empire of Ohio. Ohio shares a border with Arizona. Ohio has a coastline on the edge of a dark and perpetually cold sea.

It becomes abundantly clear that this is not Ohio. It is something else, named Ohio and superficially wearing Ohio as a skin, but it is not Ohio. And looking back, it is hard to tell when it stopped being Ohio. When it stopped being just quirky Americana and an eerie mood and started being...this. Small details were off early on, but these were not noticed, because they seemed so normal. The sky was always described as red, but that was because it was supposed to be sunset...right?

The governor of Ohio has been struck down. All bow before the God-Emperor of Ohio. The black wolves of Hell await those who will not bow with their teeth.

MY study tips!!!

I think it’s time to share with you what I actually do when I study. Here’s a list (non-exhaustive) of the main tools I use before an exam. Enjoy! 

I read my notes consciously, then I hide them and try to write down everything I remember. Then I’ll take my notes again, and look for what’s missing. Not only it permits me to see what I still don’t know, but it also consolidates what I already know. This one really works if you have to learn pathways, key concepts, etc. Re-write as it comes to your mind, make a mind-map, use arrows, etc.

Once I identified what I don’t know, I’ll just put a mark on my notes, so I know that this specific part needs to be more reviewed.

When I feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I have to review, I’ll just divide it into sections and create a study plan! 99% of the time, this makes me realize that it’s not that terrible and I can get through this! I feel much better then!

The Forest App. I don’t use it systematically but it really helps me keeping distractions away (AKA my phone) and in the end, I can have a little peek view of my study session!

Whenever I’m reading something important that I know I won’t automatically remember, I write it down on a piece of paper. Indeed, I always use a bloc-notes when studying, so I just write down important points. By doing this, I become more active when learning and actually remember better! And sometimes I keep those pieces of paper so I can re-read them just before the exam.

I try to stick to a memorization routine. For example, if it’s the first time I read a specific topic that I have to memorize, I’ll re-read it 3 days after, then again a week after, then 10 days after, etc. This is the best way to memorize: « repetitio est mater studiorum » as my anatomy teacher says.

When reading your notes, always try to think about what could be the possible questions that are “exam askable”.

If you have any specific topics to learn about the same main subject, try to summarize each topic on only one paper sheet. It’s been proven that we tend to memorize more when we see the information only on one paper than many. For example, I’m currently preparing my microbiology exam, so I did a sheet for each virus or bacteria and put them in plastic sleeves and store them in a binder. By doing this, I’ll be able to re-read them all the days before the exam and retain the most important information! 

The textbook is cool, but sometimes I’m in a rush and summaries made from previous years students will do the job. Of course, I make sure there’re no mistakes inside. And it can actually help with difficult subjects. 

I only use flash cards for vocabulary (my dear Spanish!) or pharmacology. They are the PERFECT way to memorize some things by heart!

I multitask intelligently. For example, when I workout I listen to audiobooks or watch medical-related videos on youtube while walking on the treadmill 

I test myself. I take online quizzes, I ask some friends or my boyfriend to interrogate me so I train my brain to see the problems differently and learn more! 

STUDYGRAM 

Cleopatra

I saw this meme today: 

It’s of course a play on another meme (which is literally the meaning of “meme”): 

I found that meme on Instagram and broke the cardinal rule of social media: never read the comments section. I was rather surprised at how many people not only bought into this, but didn’t know that Cleopatra was:

-Macedonian (not Egyptian, not Greek, not Roman, not Persian) -not beautiful

I wanted to make a post about this to explain these misconceptions and where they (likely) came from.

Cleopatra VII the Macedonian

Cleopatra VII was part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Egypt, and the Ptolemys were Macedonian. They had taken power in Egypt after the death of the famous Macedonian, Alexander the Great (who likely died from alcoholism and/or malaria at age 34, just a fun fact). Many people mistook Alexander the Great for a Greek, but there’s a reason for that: Alexander the Great was a Greek fanboy. He started something called a “Hellenistic Period”…you know “period” is “length of time” and “Hellenistic” means “Greek-like” or “inspired by Greece”. It would be like if famous otaku Baron Trump married one of Japan’s princesses, then went into Mongolia to take over and implemented a bunch of Japanese culture…then, a couple thousand years later, some people might think that Baron Trump was actually Japanese because why on Earth would he implement Japanese rule? It’s not really common to assume that a leader is a mega fanboy, but that’s what happened here. I cannot confirm whether he had a Greek goddess body pillow, but can confirm I made this sweet meme in Paint for my PPT: 

The Ptolemy rule came to an end shortly after Cleopatra VII’s rule ended, and it was Rome that had ended said rule. This might be why Cleopatra VII was thought to be Roman by some people in the comments section. 

Cleopatra VII was Not Classically Beautiful

We may not know exactly how Cleopatra VII looked, but we can say she wasn’t a beauty queen (and there’s nothing wrong with that unless you’re in a job being judged on how well you fit in with that standard). How can we be sure? Here is how she’s depicted on her coins and in stone reliefs from the time:

Some sculptures have been made based on these:

I wouldn’t go as far as to say she looked like someone we would consider “ugly”, but she’s definitely not someone I’d be captivated by based on her looks alone. If that’s the case, then how did “She was so beautiful!” start as a rumor? It had to do with the fact that she was able to impress two other leaders. Some of the people in the comments section mentioned her “several affairs”, but we do know that she was involved with two other leaders: Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. The tales of her seduction, as told at the time they happened, involve her wit. Accounts of Cleopatra VII describe her well-educated (including that she spoke seven languages) and very charismatic. Combine this with her being the leader of a kingdom, and she suddenly becomes a very attractive prospect for sex, both in terms of sexual interest and reproductive interest. It appeared to be a mutual attraction for her, as she sought to expand her own power and interact with men who were intellectually, militarily, and politically on her level. In other words, she did was literally every other royal has done in history: had sexual encounters with other royalty for the purposes of strengthening political power. 

So if everyone who knew her knew she wasn’t gorgeous, then why did this myth start? 

After the death of Cleopatra VII and Mark Antony, a rumor had been started by this guy with a long birth name we eventually came to call Caesar Augustus. He and Antony, along with another Mark, were part of this three-part ruling structure called a Triumvirate. The other Mark (Marcus Lepidus),  was exiled, leaving just Antony and Augustus to lead the Roman Empire. Augustus’ great-uncle was Julius Caesar, and his co-regent was Antony, and both of these dudes had been with Cleopatra VII, producing children that could potentially try to claim/take power from him…especially relevant since both of these dudes were dead. He basically had launched a smear campaign against her after her death that talked about her as if she’s a gorgeous, deadly, conspiring woman who seduces powerful men with both her charm and her beauty. 

Writers of the time jumped in on this, and some called her a lot of really crappy things. One Roman historian referred to her as “a woman of surpassing beauty…with the power to subjugate everyone.” 

Kind of reminds me of Rasputin, who was creepy and smelled weird but utterly captivated women. Women explained that it was his intense gaze and what he had to say that kept them interested, but upon his death what did the murderers do? Pulled down his pants, cut off his dick, and preserved it, studied why it could be so appealing to women (they claim the girth and wart near the head are a factor). It’s like “He’s interesting” wasn’t good enough…must be dick power! In the same way, “She’s utterly fascinating, charming, and educated” wasn’t good enough…must be a sexy pout and perfect tits!

As I tell my students: history isn’t just some old collection of names and dates, it’s human drama that still happens today. 

I still haven’t got to the bottom of why she has a monkey dæmon.

Alright, let’s try it this way.

I tried to post this by reblogging the original post earlier, but tumblr killed the quality. This is an illustration of a written post by poisonous-angel. Where Scott decides to introduce Jaal to Sara after he meets Jaal’s family. Jaal then sees Sara for the first time and instantly falls in love while Alone by Heart plays in the background XD I might do a couple more panels later with Scott’s reaction to all this.

Link: http://poisonous-angel.tumblr.com/post/159237110127/i-was-thinking-of-scott-taking-jaal-to-meet-his

The Types as Character Tropes

Based on stereotypes, duh.

INTP: Absent-Minded Professor, Erudite Stoner, Gadgeteer Genius, Reluctant Mad Scientist, This Is Your Brain On Evil

INFP: The Anti-Nihilist, Byronic Hero, Because You Were Nice to Me, The Dark Side Will Make You Forget, Not-So-Harmless Villain

ISTJ: The Reliable One, Unfazed Everyman, Cloudcuckoolander’s Minder, Loyal to the Position, Obstructive Bureaucrat

ISFJ: Yamato Nadeshiko, Humble Hero, Tranquil Fury, Churchgoing Villain, Love Makes You Evil

ENFJ: The Paragon, The Chooser of the One, Warrior Therapist, Soap Box Sadie, Psycho Psychologist

ENTJ: The Leader, Cultured Badass, Seme, The Corrupter, Visionary Villain

ESTP: Determinator, Ace Pilot, Da Editor, Blood Knight, Corrupt Bureaucrat

ESFP: Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot, Plucky Office Girl, Obfuscating Stupidity, Hidden Depths, The Ophelia

INTJ: The Spock, Tin Man, Aloof Big Brother, The Chessmaster, Evilutionary Biologist

INFJ: Hurting Hero, Hermit Guru, Zen Survivor, Living Emotional Crutch, Knight Templar

ISTP: Warrior Poet, Street Samurai, The Hunter, Because I’m Good At It, Then Let Me Be Evil

ISFP: All-Loving Hero, Hero’s Muse, Determined Defeatist, Granola Girl, Mad Artist

ESTJ: The Captain, The Ace, Nerves of Steel, Corrupt Corporate Executive, Egomaniac Hunter

ESFJ: Crusading Lawyer, The Social Expert, A Father to his Men, Nerd Nanny, Evil Matriarch

ENTP: Bunny-Ears Lawyer, Trickster Mentor, Knowledge Broker, Cool Loser, It Amused Me

ENFP: The Pollyanna, Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Allergic to Routine, The Wonka, Revenge Before Reason

Saw this tweet today and it’s perfection