Kelis new haircut

We all know how dark this show can be. So what are moments that can make you laugh?
The prank war between Morgan and Reid always makes me laugh. I wish we could’ve see an other round
When Reid got his new haircut and Hotch asked if he joined a boyband.

Hello , short version, only interested in something serious and longterm. USA strongly preferred.Absolutely no : History of abuse, Addiction, mens haircuts, Colored hair ( blue, pink etc) heavy drinkers, single moms, cigarette smokers , NEW ACCOUNTS, no activists on any level, NO Black woman, im sure there is more but mind is blank at the moment. \\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_I am looking for someone who is willing to actually put 50/50 effort into this. If you have zero desire to talk, check messages, respond in a timely manner etc we have absolutely ZERO to be talking about. I am very much over these types of interactions, I honestly dont get it haha. Communication is very key.\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\_\\\Brief info about me : Enjoy all things true crime related ( podcasts, documentaries etc), I listen to all types of music to the point its just easier for me to say if I like it, ill listen to it period. If you saw me in person and then saw my Spotify it would probably shock you, not in a bad way though haha. I like to cook and BBQ when weather permits although I have been slacking on the bbq aspect lately. I use to compete with my exes father and it was a ton of fun. learned alot of things and made some amazing ribs and chicken. I love to try new foods when possible, id love to travel more, I do enjoy cruises, im pretty laid back type of person in the sense im open to whatever as long as it isnt lame.Please be 420 friendlyIts really pointless to write a lot here considering most messages are fake accounts / bots. Please send your basic info when you message instead of just "hi". Name, Location, age please thanks. Also be ready to exchange photos, if as an adult you "cant" do that, please dont message me lol.

(This is one of my first posts like this so bear with me.)
I (17M) and my girlfriend (16FM) have been dating for about 2 years & three months, and everything has been amazing besides the occasional disagreement here and there. And in the middle of my relationship i decided to start cutting haibecoming a barber, and that has been going very well since i've started (about a year ago.) But around a day ago i got a text message from one of my regular clients telling me that he has a friend (female) who would like to get a lineup/eyebrow slit from me and was wondering if that would be possible. In the moment i felt a bit nervous because i've never gave a female a haircut before & it sounded like a new concept to me and i told my girlfriend about it, her response to that was " yeah no" and with just her opinion in mind i told the person i wouldn't be able to cut their hair and they were understanding of that.
After that conversation i put my mind into perspective and remembered i’m persuing a business that is open to everyone/anyone regardless of gender so it honestly shouldn’t be as much of a problem as she may see it, so later that day i brought up the conversation again to her (my gf) because i don’t see how it could/would be fair to decline a haircut service to someone based off of gender.
She told me that she just wanted to tell me how she felt about it and how now she thinks that it doesn’t matter what she thinks or what opinion she may have on something because “ i’m gonna do what i want to do” and that if it’s what i want to do she’s going to support me (even though that’s clearly not how it felt when i first told her)
I proceeded to remind her that i am pursuing/in a career that has no reason to decline anybody solely based off of their gender, and i also told her regardless of what their sexual orientation may be i will always be professional with what i do and that it will always remain that way. Yet she got upset by that and said that is why she feels like her feelings don’t matter to me because “ it’s my feelings over her feelings” which i never intended her to feel that way and i told her exactly that. And she responded by saying that from now on she won’t tell/bring up when something is bothering her since she feels there wouldn’t be any change from her bringing it up.
(You see my girlfriend is the type where she’d rather me not to talk/interact with females, she does have jealousy i can tell you that, but i’ve never gave her a reason to feel that way. She’s had multiple bad past relationships where she’s been cheated on/lied to before and it’s something i feel she’s carried on into our relationship.)
AITAH?

Guide to Insecurity
ACCORDING TO CAMBRIDGE
Insecurity: A Feeling of Lack of Confidence and not being sure of your own abilities or of whether people like you.
We all have insecurities, it could be related to physical, social skills or social status, emotional, and we all have been stopped by the insecurities in one way or the other. Maybe our insecurities have stopped us from doing what we want to do, or in other ways, our insecurities have stopped us from getting what we want.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This guide is for people who are insecure about things anywhere from their physical and social, these are the things where I have experience for and that is what I can guide you at.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
A lot of our insecurities mostly come from our childhood. Maybe we were made fun of the way we look, maybe we didn’t get the love we wanted to get from our parents or maybe we were weak as kids and we got bullied and all this stays with us and are the cause of the insecurities we have as adults.
Personal Experience:
I would not consider myself as someone who has cured all of my insecurities, but I am able to solve a lot of my insecurities and I have developed this system which worked for me while solving my insecurities. I was insecure about my body, I was insecure about my abilities, I was insecure about getting in confrontation, I was a people’s pleaser out of insecurity and now I don’t suffer with these insecurities. I do have different insecurities now, but I know I have that agency to deal with them over time.
TYPES OF INSECURITIES
There are 4 categories where insecurities can be organised:

1. QUICK EASY: These are the easiest to deal with. If you are insecure with things like your haircut, maybe the way you smell, these are the things which can be fixed easily without much MONEY, and if you have any of these my advice would be to fix them as quickly as possible.
2. LONG EASY: These are the things where the things are easy to start as they tend to be concrete and we have a lot of direct actions which can be taken but the final result takes time. Things like insecurity regarding the body, which can be fixed by the gym , is the best example as it takes a long time to build a great body but we have a lot of information online to fix them. My Advice would be to build a system which is easy enough to follow and you can do that for the long term and just follow it.
3. QUICK HARD: These are the things which are quick to apply but hard to get. It is mostly related to things which require money. If you are insecure about your fashion, maybe about things like your nose, things which can be fixed with money and it will take less time if you have money, hair transplant also comes here.

LONG HARD (PAUSE):
This is the most difficult to deal with. These are the things where a lot of our behaviour is very difficult to change. It can arise from your trauma and childhood experiences. I don’t have the best way to deal with these things but this is what worked for me:

1. AWARENESS: Find where the insecurity comes from. Which person was the reason behind it and what actions you did. So if you are people’s pleaser , find what was the time you started to suppress yourself and started to please other people. And also gain awareness of the ACTIONS that insecurity makes you do.
2. GO FAR OPPOSITE: So this worked for me when I got into college. I was super people’s pleaser in school and when I went to college I didn’t wanted to be that person so I went super opposite and acted like a jerk for most of the first and second year, but over time I got closer to being a person with boundaries and I got over my people’s pleaser habits. This would work if you are in a new place for most of the time and you are unknown there.
3. SAFE ENVIRONMENT: This worked for me, in case of physical confrontation, I was insecure about it so I joined a safe environment to get over it, I joined MMA and became comfortable with physical encounters. You can do that too, where if you are insecure about something do it deliberately in an environment where it feels safe to do it.
4. PROFESSIONAL HELP: This is what I think would work in LONG HARD (PAUSE) insecurities. I don’t have too much knowledge about these things so go to someone who does have knowledge about it. If you don’t have money, focus on that or ask someone who can help you.

SUMMARY:
Divide your insecurities in given categories, act quickly on the things which are QUICK EASY, build a system on things which are LONG EASY, have money for the things which are QUICK HARD, and Gain awareness, go opposite, join a safe environment and gain professional help for things which are LONG HARD.
These are the steps which I have used to fix my insecurities and if you have any review on the way I write please tell me in the comments. Also If you have any problems tell me and I would make a guide on them.

Guide to Insecurity
ACCORDING TO CAMBRIDGE
Insecurity: A Feeling of Lack of Confidence and not being sure of your own abilities or of whether people like you.
We all have insecurities, it could be related to physical, social skills or social status, emotional, and we all have been stopped by the insecurities in one way or the other. Maybe our insecurities have stopped us from doing what we want to do, or in other ways, our insecurities have stopped us from getting what we want.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This guide is for people who are insecure about things anywhere from their physical and social, these are the things where I have experience for and that is what I can guide you at.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
A lot of our insecurities mostly come from our childhood. Maybe we were made fun of the way we look, maybe we didn’t get the love we wanted to get from our parents or maybe we were weak as kids and we got bullied and all this stays with us and are the cause of the insecurities we have as adults.
Personal Experience:
I would not consider myself as someone who has cured all of my insecurities, but I am able to solve a lot of my insecurities and I have developed this system which worked for me while solving my insecurities. I was insecure about my body, I was insecure about my abilities, I was insecure about getting in confrontation, I was a people’s pleaser out of insecurity and now I don’t suffer with these insecurities. I do have different insecurities now, but I know I have that agency to deal with them over time.
TYPES OF INSECURITIES
There are 4 categories where insecurities can be organised:

1. QUICK EASY: These are the easiest to deal with. If you are insecure with things like your haircut, maybe the way you smell, these are the things which can be fixed easily without much MONEY, and if you have any of these my advice would be to fix them as quickly as possible.
2. LONG EASY: These are the things where the things are easy to start as they tend to be concrete and we have a lot of direct actions which can be taken but the final result takes time. Things like insecurity regarding the body, which can be fixed by the gym , is the best example as it takes a long time to build a great body but we have a lot of information online to fix them. My Advice would be to build a system which is easy enough to follow and you can do that for the long term and just follow it.
3. QUICK HARD: These are the things which are quick to apply but hard to get. It is mostly related to things which require money. If you are insecure about your fashion, maybe about things like your nose, things which can be fixed with money and it will take less time if you have money, hair transplant also comes here.

LONG HARD (PAUSE):
This is the most difficult to deal with. These are the things where a lot of our behaviour is very difficult to change. It can arise from your trauma and childhood experiences. I don’t have the best way to deal with these things but this is what worked for me:

1. AWARENESS: Find where the insecurity comes from. Which person was the reason behind it and what actions you did. So if you are people’s pleaser , find what was the time you started to suppress yourself and started to please other people. And also gain awareness of the ACTIONS that insecurity makes you do.
2. GO FAR OPPOSITE: So this worked for me when I got into college. I was super people’s pleaser in school and when I went to college I didn’t wanted to be that person so I went super opposite and acted like a jerk for most of the first and second year, but over time I got closer to being a person with boundaries and I got over my people’s pleaser habits. This would work if you are in a new place for most of the time and you are unknown there.
3. SAFE ENVIRONMENT: This worked for me, in case of physical confrontation, I was insecure about it so I joined a safe environment to get over it, I joined MMA and became comfortable with physical encounters. You can do that too, where if you are insecure about something do it deliberately in an environment where it feels safe to do it.
4. PROFESSIONAL HELP: This is what I think would work in LONG HARD (PAUSE) insecurities. I don’t have too much knowledge about these things so go to someone who does have knowledge about it. If you don’t have money, focus on that or ask someone who can help you.

SUMMARY:
Divide your insecurities in given categories, act quickly on the things which are QUICK EASY, build a system on things which are LONG EASY, have money for the things which are QUICK HARD, and Gain awareness, go opposite, join a safe environment and gain professional help for things which are LONG HARD.
These are the steps which I have used to fix my insecurities and if you have any review on the way I write please tell me in the comments. Also If you have any problems tell me and I would make a guide on them.

Guide to Insecurity
ACCORDING TO CAMBRIDGE
Insecurity: A Feeling of Lack of Confidence and not being sure of your own abilities or of whether people like you.
We all have insecurities, it could be related to physical, social skills or social status, emotional, and we all have been stopped by the insecurities in one way or the other. Maybe our insecurities have stopped us from doing what we want to do, or in other ways, our insecurities have stopped us from getting what we want.
WHO IS THIS FOR?
This guide is for people who are insecure about things anywhere from their physical and social, these are the things where I have experience for and that is what I can guide you at.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
A lot of our insecurities mostly come from our childhood. Maybe we were made fun of the way we look, maybe we didn’t get the love we wanted to get from our parents or maybe we were weak as kids and we got bullied and all this stays with us and are the cause of the insecurities we have as adults.
Personal Experience:
I would not consider myself as someone who has cured all of my insecurities, but I am able to solve a lot of my insecurities and I have developed this system which worked for me while solving my insecurities. I was insecure about my body, I was insecure about my abilities, I was insecure about getting in confrontation, I was a people’s pleaser out of insecurity and now I don’t suffer with these insecurities. I do have different insecurities now, but I know I have that agency to deal with them over time.
TYPES OF INSECURITIES
There are 4 categories where insecurities can be organised:

1. QUICK EASY: These are the easiest to deal with. If you are insecure with things like your haircut, maybe the way you smell, these are the things which can be fixed easily without much MONEY, and if you have any of these my advice would be to fix them as quickly as possible.
2. LONG EASY: These are the things where the things are easy to start as they tend to be concrete and we have a lot of direct actions which can be taken but the final result takes time. Things like insecurity regarding the body, which can be fixed by the gym , is the best example as it takes a long time to build a great body but we have a lot of information online to fix them. My Advice would be to build a system which is easy enough to follow and you can do that for the long term and just follow it.
3. QUICK HARD: These are the things which are quick to apply but hard to get. It is mostly related to things which require money. If you are insecure about your fashion, maybe about things like your nose, things which can be fixed with money and it will take less time if you have money, hair transplant also comes here.

LONG HARD (PAUSE):
This is the most difficult to deal with. These are the things where a lot of our behaviour is very difficult to change. It can arise from your trauma and childhood experiences. I don’t have the best way to deal with these things but this is what worked for me:

1. AWARENESS: Find where the insecurity comes from. Which person was the reason behind it and what actions you did. So if you are people’s pleaser , find what was the time you started to suppress yourself and started to please other people. And also gain awareness of the ACTIONS that insecurity makes you do.
2. GO FAR OPPOSITE: So this worked for me when I got into college. I was super people’s pleaser in school and when I went to college I didn’t wanted to be that person so I went super opposite and acted like a jerk for most of the first and second year, but over time I got closer to being a person with boundaries and I got over my people’s pleaser habits. This would work if you are in a new place for most of the time and you are unknown there.
3. SAFE ENVIRONMENT: This worked for me, in case of physical confrontation, I was insecure about it so I joined a safe environment to get over it, I joined MMA and became comfortable with physical encounters. You can do that too, where if you are insecure about something do it deliberately in an environment where it feels safe to do it.
4. PROFESSIONAL HELP: This is what I think would work in LONG HARD (PAUSE) insecurities. I don’t have too much knowledge about these things so go to someone who does have knowledge about it. If you don’t have money, focus on that or ask someone who can help you.

SUMMARY:
Divide your insecurities in given categories, act quickly on the things which are QUICK EASY, build a system on things which are LONG EASY, have money for the things which are QUICK HARD, and Gain awareness, go opposite, join a safe environment and gain professional help for things which are LONG HARD.
These are the steps which I have used to fix my insecurities and if you have any review on the way I write please tell me in the comments. Also If you have any problems tell me and I would make a guide on them.

Title explanation: Mango's bloodwork came back. Mango has liver disease. They don't know what the lump is, but Jess thinks it's cancer. The vet suggested medications and a liquid diet with 1-2 bugs a week. Jess did that but Mango was so unhappy that Jess stopped the medications and all vet visits. Jess is still following the liquid diet. Jess is letting nature run its course.
Something super exciting is happening right now. Honey is getting groomed for the first time. Jess is really nervous about it. Honey is so big. She is almost 6 months old. Jess doesn’t know whether to put Honey on a leash. Chris thinks it is okay to just walk her outside. (It is a mobile groomer.)
It is an hour later, and Honey is still being groomed. Jess has no idea how long it takes to groom a dog. This is Jess’s first experience with dog grooming. This is also Honey’s first time being groomed so they have a lot of work to do. Initially Jess wanted Honey’s coat medium length but halfway through the groomer recommended to go shorter to have more of an even coat. So now they are going to go short which means a pretty drastic change. It is summer weather so Jess thinks it will be good and it will grow back if they hate it. Jess is scared to see how far they got. (Oh my gosh they totally shaved that poor dog down. No way is that a short coat. That is like totally shaved.)
Jess really likes Honey’s coat. It looks nice to her. Honey’s coat is soft. Honey looks like a different dog. (Yeah, because you shaved her down! That is not a “short coat.” that is a total shave down.) Honey hated it.
Honey looks like a different dog. Jess doesn’t recognize her. Jess isn’t sure how she feels about it. She needs to get used to it. It will take a few days for Jess to get used to Honey’s new look. Jess doesn’t know what she likes on Honey vs what she doesn’t like. Jess does like how the tail looks. The groomers did a great job with the cut. Jess will see if this is the style they end up with. It is a really big change. Honey looks so scrawny now. Honey had so much fur on her so she will be more comfortable now. Jess thinks it will take a while to get used to it.
The kids are about to be home from school. Jess can’t wait to see what they think. Jess thinks they will be shocked. Not all of the kids knew Honey was getting a haircut.
It took 3 hours to do it. Addie thinks Honey looks cute. Kaden liked it better when Honey was puffy. Kyson is glad Honey can see. That was exactly Jess’s thoughts. Jess liked it better fluffy, but she is glad Honey can see. Landen is confused on why Honey is so soft now. Kyson wants to know how long it will take to grow back. It will take 2 months. Kyson asked if Honey was good during her groom. Honey was pretty good but hated her face being cut.
Lilia thinks it’s different but cute. Addie also thinks it's different. Lilia misses the fluffiness but that it is cute. Jess also misses the fluffiness. Lilia is glad Honey is more comfortable. Jess is also glad.
It is the hottest day of the year. Addie got home and changed into her swimsuit. Mother's Day is in a couple days and the kids all came home with Mother's Day gifts. Usually, they give them to her on Friday, but this year Jess told them to wait until Mother's Day so Jess can get a Mother's Day morning. However, Addie is pretty eager and wants to give it to Jess today. In the meantime, for Mother's Day they are having a very laid-back pool party. Jess is so excited. She got a bunch of stuff for the pool. It is about to be pool season. Jess came up with the idea that with Mother's Day being all about mothers she wanted to do a barbie themed Mother's Day pool party. Jess isn’t going all out with the barbie theme. It is going to be Barbie inspired with a pink theme. Jess found a pool float on amazon. It is so cute for Mother's Day.
Projects for Chris arrived. Lilia is going to her friend’s house for a sleepover. Jess changed into the cutest bathing suit. She will change back into it when she gets home. She got the bathing suit for summer. It is pink themed for Mother's Day. Jess loves it. Jess, Addie and Lilia are going to go on a girl's trip across town. They have to stop at Target to get a gift for a birthday get together. Jess also needs to get a few things at target as well.
They stopped at Target to get a few different things not only for this weekend but also because Kyson is really upset about his knee injury, so Jess is going to surprise him with a teen care package. Kaden and Landen have games tomorrow and Kyson can’t play his last game. In addition to that they are going to get a few things for Mother's Day which is actually getting a few things for Addie for Mother's Day because of the barbie themed party. There are no pool party barbies.
Honey is going crazy with the zoomies. It is going to take a minute for Jess to get used to the haircut. Honey just looks so scrawny. Chris thinks it's because she is still 6 months old. (Well, you did get honey from a backyard breeder. So just maybe that might be the cause of the scrawniness.) Jess thinks Honey looks like a stray you find in a back alley. (Well, that’s kind of what you did. It's not like you got her from a reputable breeder. What kind of reputable breeder posts puppies for sale on the side of the road? Of course, Honey is going to look scrawny.) Jess hopes it will look better when Honey fills out a little more.
Making smores is Jess’s favorite way to end the night. (Oh my gosh Tommy looks way different. I didn’t even recognize him.)
Jess has a Mango update. Jess finally got the call from Mango’s vet’s office. Mango has been sick. It started with a lump on his head and now it has spread to the front of his head. His whole eye puffed up and got swollen for a while. His eye is looking better. They now have an idea of what is going on. Jess brought Mango to the emergency room several times. It was initially for the lump then it was because Mango was acting weird. For a while Mango was extremely uncomfortable. Mango has received lots of medications. They did blood work. They were waiting on the results to come back. The Lady was very thorough with explaining it all. Jess took a lot of notes. All of Mango’s levels checked out except 2 things which were his liver and his cholesterol. His cholesterol was a little on the low side but nothing crazy. His liver levels were completely whack. Mango has liver disease. His low cholesterol confirms that. Mango’s liver isn’t doing what it is supposed to, which means that his liver isn’t doing super well. Cancer cannot be ruled out. They wouldn’t know if it is unless they did more testing. More testing isn’t necessary. There is no solution. Mango is old and they are contributing his health issues to that. They don’t know his age. When they got Mango, he was a full-grown adult and severely malnourished. They got Mango from a reptile store which also doubled as a safe place to drop off reptiles who are no longer wanted or found. They have no idea what his early years looked like. All they know is that when they got him, he wasn’t in the best shape. That could potentially have something to do with it. When animals get old things start to not work anymore. That is what they are thinking. Their guesstimate age is at least 6. Age 7-8 is considered elderly. Mango could be 9. Once bearded dragons are fully grown there is no easy way to tell their age. Mango’s liver is not super happy. Several different things were suggested. Meds can be given which they did start doing. His diet should be changed because most bugs are higher in fat content. The vet wants Mango to be on a liquid diet with a certain brand of food and spoon fed. Mango can have 1-2 bugs twice a week. Bugs are Mango's happiness. Nothing is going to fix it. His liver is giving out. Initially they had been giving Mango meds and the meds made him really sick. He started throwing up and was extremely unhappy. The meds tasted really bad. After giving him meds for several days, spoon feeding him this new diet and watching him hate his life Jess decided to stop. Jess stopped the meds but not the diet. Jess is feeding him repashy. They spoon feed it to him. 2-3 days after Jess stopped the meds and all doctor visits things completely switched. Mango is not only active but happy. The medications are not going to change his age. At some point quality of life has to be considered over a few more years. Jess is letting Mango live his best life. The lump is potentially cancer. His liver is eventually going to stop working more and more. No amount of medication will reverse it. Jess decided to give Mango the best life possible. Mango is happy again. He is eating again; he isn’t throwing up and his beard isn’t black. Jess feels confident in the decision to take away the medications. Jess has been taking him outside more. When Jess stopped the medication Mango stopped throwing up. They don’t know what the lump is. Jess thinks it might be cancer. Jess decided to let nature take its course and give Mango the best life possible. They don’t know what this means regarding timeline. Mango could live another 2 years or another 2 weeks. Jess feels like this isn’t the end.

Hello po. I'm looking for hair stylists recommendations that have experience with androgynous haircuts in NCR. Just want to try out new things.

I've been hearing people saying that Amy is an example of a character being "born evil" or "ontologically evil", because her being a sexual predator must mean that Carol was right.
Which is bizarre, because Worm and Ward both show that Amy was just a normal kid dealing with emotional abuse and fucked up dependency, before she leapt off the slippery slope.
So I decided to prove this with a collection of snippets from the Parahumans series showing that the entire point of Amy's character is that she was someone who was a normal child in the first place:
And yes, Carol was singling her out even pre-Worm.

• Infrared 19.9 (elementary school Amy being put down by Carol and basically threatened with a traumatic trigger event)

Eric retreated into the living room, plunking himself down into a chair, slumping down so his arms were up on the armrest, feet on the floor, and his upper body stretched along the seat, chin against collarbone.
He looked at us without moving his head.
"What's up?" I asked.
He shrugged.
"How's she doing?" I asked.
He shrugged, then mumbled, "There were some days she was really scary. I had no idea what she'd do. Mostly now she's… extra teenager-ish, I guess."
He sighed, dramatic.
"It's tough being the odd one out, isn't it?" Amy asked. She was sitting on the short couch beneath the window, feet curled up beside her, a folded book in her lap.
"Really tough."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Amy asked.
"Nah."
"You can reach out to us anytime," Amy said.
"Okay. Thanks, I guess."
He got up and pulled a controller out from under the television. He flipped the switches to turn the TV and console on, and it "Thwooomed" with the console's startup sound.
He held out a controller, offering it to Amy and me.
"Reading," Amy said. "Thanks though."

*

Amy took a second to pull a throw blanket down from the back of the couch and toss it over her legs and feet, before picking up her book.
I walked around the end of the couch, leaning over the arm, my head parallel to hers as I read over her shoulder.
"You're distracting me," she said. Her head moved, frizzy brown hair mashing into my face as she butted her head lightly into mine.
"Who's Roaraxia?" I asked.
"Do you want to read this after I'm done?" she asked. "Emphasis on after?"
"Depends. Is Roaraxia cool?"
"She's the bad guy, and yeah, I guess."
"Is the good guy cool?" I asked.
"No," Amy said, sighing. "Almost never, in books."
"In your books, maybe."
"It's the appeal, isn't it? Peasants, criminals, orphans, they get a chance and they become cool by the end of the book."
I snorted, got up, and took my seat at the other end of the short couch. I stuck my feet out and wormed them beneath Amy's blanket.
"Your feet are cold," Amy told me, kicking me in the shin.
"So are yours," I said, grabbing the corner of the blanket and pulling it away from her foot. "Now they're colder."
What ensued was like thumb wrestling, feet kicking at and pushing against feet in a battle for control. She wasn't trying very hard, though, because she had her eyes on the book. The battle was less about the feet and more about me trying to get her attention as much as she tried to avoid giving it to me.
"You need to shave your legs," Amy said. "It's like sandpaper."
"Gross," Eric said, not taking his eyes off the game.
"It gives me the heebie jeebies," Amy said. "Like the squeak from markers on a whiteboard, or sneakers on the gym floor."
"Tiny hairs, sticking in the underside of your feet," I teased her. "And when you walk, you're walking on them and pushing them in deeper…"
She pulled her feet away like I was on fire, and shivered visibly, putting her book down. My victory.
I kept going, "And when they grow, they're pointed in the wrong direction, so they grow in…"
Amy made incoherent sounds of protest.
"I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way," Eric said.
"It probably doesn't," I said. I let my head loll back onto the armrest behind me, no longer fighting with Amy. "We're supposed to take a science class next semester."
"Chemistry, biology, or physics," Amy clarified. "We got the sheet in homeroom. Also art, music, or drama."
"Same. What did you pick for science?"
"Chemistry. Physics is the advanced kids' stream and is supposed to be hard, and in biology you might have to dissect frogs. No thank you," Amy answered. "Ick."
"I thought there would be some parts of it that are useful for health and fitness, first aid."
"You're thinking about cape stuff," Amy said.
"Naturally."
"And I bet you picked drama."
"Art," I told her. "At least for the one year. I'm not very good at it, but there's emblems and icons, color mechanics, costumes, poses and posture…"
Amy snorted. "Of course. I picked art too, mostly by process of elimination. So we might be in the same class."
"Cool."

*

"We wanted to talk with you because of what happened to Crystal," Aunt Sarah said. "Based on what's happening elsewhere, and how Carol and I both got powers, we wanted each of you to be aware of what might be coming down the road."
"We'll get powers," I said.
"Probably," my dad said. "Possibly. I know you know the answer, but… do you know how?"
"Trigger events," I said.
Amy spoke up, "This is like having a math whiz in the class, putting her hand up every time a question is asked."
"I'm not that bad."
"It's more serious than math class," Uncle Neil said. "Eric, do you understand about Trigger events?"
"That's the day you get powers?" Eric asked.
"It's what makes you get powers. It's a very important moment."
"One of the best or worst days of your life," I said.
"It can be," my Uncle said.
"If you want it to be a good day," my mother said, "The best thing you can do is be a good student, a good athlete, and the best person you can be. Strive for things and then accomplish those things."
"Great," Amy said. "I'm doomed."
"But," Aunt Sarah said, and it sounded like a sentence. She gave my mom a look. "As far as we can tell, it's rare. You should absolutely try to improve your chances, especially Victoria and Eric. The powers seem to run in the family, and getting a 'good' trigger would help reduce the chances that you get a bad one-"
"We don't know if the chances are as high for you, but it would behoove you to get your grades up, Amy," my mom said.
"Great," Amy said, making a face.
"I've been urging you for some time to join a club, a team, make your own friends. You have too contained a life."
"That's not what we're here to talk about," Aunt Sarah said. "Again, yes, I think it would be good to focus on success, but we should be prepared for the other cases. If something happens, if you have a really bad day and you get hurt or scared or angry, then it's possible you could have a bad trigger event. And it's hard. Right now, Crystal is going through a lot. Neil, me, Mark, Carol, we all went through it."
"All bad?" Amy asked.
"Yes, Amy."
"What happened?" Eric asked.
I braced myself, ready for my mom to shut it down.
"Your mother and I were kidnapped," my mother said. "They kept us in a dark basement for a long time. And then they tried to kill us."
I blinked, my head swimming as I absorbed that. Things made sense now. I had so many more questions.
"Neil had the accident, which you know about" my Aunt Sarah said. I knew. They'd met in the physical therapy after. Her for a riding injury, him for his trigger. "Mark-"
"I was on a boat when we were attacked," my dad said.
"The point is," my Aunt Sarah stressed, "we need you to be aware that this is a thing that happens. Very often, when we get powers, it isn't always easy, fun, or great. We need you all to be gentle with Crystal, not to pry, not to pressure, give her space, and let her handle things in her own way."
I felt frustrated at that, yet I couldn't say anything. They were saying this because I'd been asking her questions before.
"As you grow up, and we bring you to more events where capes are present, it's important to remember that many of them have been through the same," my mother said. "It's a question of courtesy and cape politics."
I nodded at that.
"It's not just others. We need you to be gentle with yourselves," Uncle Neil said. "Be prepared and be aware. When Sarah triggered, she hurt people, badly. I did the same."
"And I took a life," my mother said.
My eyes widened at that.
There was a pause, a break in the flow of conversation. And it was my mom, wearing a sweater, her hair long, looking much like a mom, with sunlight coming in from the window, and I could see it in her eyes. The fact that she had come to terms with that.
"…We weren't going to mention that," Aunt Sarah said, indicating Eric.
"I almost killed someone too," Crystal said.
I wasn't sure how to even imagine that. I wasn't sure Crystal could even imagine it, from the look on her face.
All I knew was that some sketchy people had recognized her and followed her off the bus, running after her when she ran. I only knew that much because my mom had told Amy and me to be extra careful, and had insisted she or dad drive us if we went anywhere.
"They're mad, now, apparently," Crystal said, hugging her arms to her body. "They want to get revenge."
"Often the case," my dad said. "Bad begets bad."
I could tell that my parents' approach to things wasn't really jibing with how Aunt Sarah had wanted to approach it. A little too serious when Eric was three years younger than me and Amy.
"It might happen to you," My mother said. "Chances are the time it happens won't be a time you're capable of being your most rational, but that makes it all the more important that you make resolutions and understand things now. There's a good chance that when you're facing the worst day of your life, you might be in a position to do irreparable harm to someone."
"I don't think I'm the type."
"I didn't think I was the type either, Amy," my mother said. "That makes it easier for the moment to catch you off guard."
"It's not all fun and games," my dad said. He met my eyes as he said it.
Aunt Sarah opened her mouth, like she wanted to say something… but she couldn't refute the fact.
"If I could go back-" Crystal started. She stopped, aware that every set of eyes was on her. Her eyes moving so she wasn't looking at anyone at all, she went on, "-I wouldn't do it again. I wouldn't want these powers."
"I'm so sorry, Crystal," Amy said.
Crystal shrugged.
"That's crazy," I said.
"Victoria," my mother's voice was stern. "We were just talking about sensitivity."
"But she can- you can fly, Crystal."
"And every time I do, it feels a bit like I'm still running away from those people," she said.
"That's a reality for many of us," my aunt Sarah said. A woman I'd associated with warm hugs, pumpkin cookies, and all of the cool 'my relative is a superhero' stuff without the 'also my parent' crap, except now she was talking from a place of darkness and hurting people.
"I hope I never get powers," my sister said. I saw Crystal nod.

• Infrared 19.10 where we see that Amy always remembered how Carol treated her

"I saw scenes from our childhood. Stuff to do with mom, Uncle Neil, and Dean. You were there."
"Fucking up?" she asked.
"Nah," I said. "Just there. Talking about Roaraxia and fantasy books."
"The talk," Amy said. Still without turning around.
Dot crawled up Amy and perched on her shoulder, sitting backwards so she could watch me. Wearing purple overalls with no shirt.
"Yeah. The talk. I'd mostly forgotten."
"I didn't. I couldn't pick up another book in the Roar series without thinking about mom getting on my case in front of everyone. Amy with no friends, no hobbies, she's small."
I looked at my mom. My mom was frowning.

• Gleam 9.2 has Victoria talking about how her and Amy were normal sisters, how Amy was a quiet but nice kid, and how they both felt weird about their fame influencing their relationships

I was no stranger to distorted thinking. Even before… before everything, I'd been swept up in it. As a child, wanting to belong to my family, being the odd one out, until I got my power. I'd later realized how lonely powers were.
The flip side of the coin applied too. Being the odd one in.
Amy had been the odd one in more than I had. Purely average in appearance, quiet, she hadn't been passionate about hobbies or about anything in particular. She'd liked movies from Aleph and when she was twelve she'd break her usual reserved, quiet composure to get way too excited if she checked the change slot of a vending machine or pay phone and found a quarter. And yet when we got to high school, she was automatically included in the group of popular students. The group with Dean, who was supposed to take over his dad's company, and with the star athletes and the star athletes' boyfriends and girlfriends.
I'd eventually looked beyond my bubble of thinking my sister was great because she was my sister and I fucking loved her, wondering why she was included in the group of popular students when she wasn't popular. Then I'd had to draw the eventual, inevitable conclusion, and wonder if I belonged to that group. Was I there just because my parents wore costumes and had flashy powers?
I'd settled in despite that. Amy had settled out- hanging out to keep me company, but not going out of her way to stick with the group. It had been easy for her to move in that direction, after I'd gotten powers. I'd been grateful for my earlier realization about the nature of the group, because it kept me real and provided a starting point for realizing where Dean was coming from, having come from money. I'd loathed it at the same time, because it cast doubt on every normal interaction.

• From Within 16.y has Mark regale Amy with a story about how much of an adorable child she was, how Victoria was more a problem child in ways, and how innocent she was in being flustered by a cute hair-dresser

Mark approached, stopping by a table, which he leaned against. "I remember, Amy, you hated to sit still for haircuts."
"I was a terrible child. I get it," Amy muttered.
"No, you were a wonder of a child next to the unholy terror that was Victoria," Mark told her. "And you're a fine woman now. I wish it wasn't such a hard journey to get from there to here, but I'm glad to be here with you in the present moment."
The words seemed to calm Hunter more than they affected Amy.
"You're trying to butter me up."
"You can touch me if you want to tell if I'm sincere."
"Can't. Focusing on Hunter."
"After then."
"No," Amy said. She was pacified, calmer. "No need."
She worked her way through Hunter's brain. There were triggers and flags everywhere. Certain perceptions, certain emotions, attitudes.
Hunter's power was involuntary.
"We'd give you candies to suck on so you couldn't complain while sitting in the chair," Mark said. "And on one particular visit, the last one with the candy, as you'll recall…"
Amy groaned.
"A new hairdresser came up, and she hugged you from behind, looked over your shoulder in the mirror, and she said something to the effect of, 'what would you like us to do, cutie?' She surprised the hell out of you-"
"That wasn't surprise."
"No?" Mark asked. And she could hear the change of tone. He rallied, "But you choked."
"I did choke."
"And you gagged," Mark said, his tone warm. "While you were trying to dislodge the candy. I was thumping your back. And then you threw up, onto the barber's bib, and it wicked straight down onto your shoes."
"I can't believe the world ended and I'm still hearing about it."
"You were inconsolable."

There's obviously more, including how in Worm, Amy single-handedly save the hostages in the bank fight from Skitter. Or how she feels gross about the idea of making people pay for healing.
Amy became a monster, but she was NEVER born bad.

I am really nervous. It's been a while since I've gone to a haircutting place. I am very nervous and don't know what to say or do. The appointment is tomorrow.
Anyone have a step by step of what to expect? Or what to say? I was thinking of practicing with my partner.

I have been trying to figure out how to properly care for my hair my entire life and it’s going downhill fast. I need help!!
For context I have very fine, thin-medium thickness hair that tangles easily, gets greasy on my scalp quickly & feels incredibly dry on the ends. I have wavy/straight texture that falls flat & lacks volume.
Lately I’ve noticed it’s become so much more dry & brittle with noticeable breakage despite feeling like I’m doing everything right!!!
Here are some of the hair care things I do regularly: - wash 3 times a week (every other day - every 2 days) - Double shampoo & only condition ends - Use a microfiber hair towel - Brush extremely gently only when hair is dry/damp, starting from the ends & working my way to the scalp - Moroccan argan oil on ends for day 2 hair - Brush nightly to distribute natural oils to ends - Sleep with a loose French/Dutch braid for protection - Use a scalp scrubber (gently) nightly before I braid, and in the shower to lather shampoo - Rarely use heat, if anything the dyson blow dryer on medium heat (maybe once every 2-3 weeks) - Always use heat protectant when using heat - Switched from aerosol dry shampoo to powdered dry shampoo - Rosemary oil once a week (ish) for growth & to combat thinning (I have so many more baby hairs & am seeing new growth around my hairline. I don’t think this is posing a threat to my hair health)
It feels like I’m doing so much & my hair has all of a sudden taken a turn for the worst (despite not changing much in my routine) and I have no idea what to do.
In the past week I’ve noticed my hair has been: - dryer than ever, i recently got a haircut yet I feel like all of the hair on my head is split ends. - Falling out!!! So much shedding occurs on my hair wash days… - Unmanageable! All of my go to products seem to not be working anymore…
I have religiously used the brand HASK hair products (shampoo, conditioner, argan oil) for years and use the Mielle rosemary oil.
My hair is naturally dirty blonde/light brown, I’ve been dying it darker with a box for years however I have not dyed it since November (it’s May) and don’t plan to anytime soon.
I live in the Chesapeake Bay Area for environmental context & don’t think I have noticeably hard water…. I eat a relatively clean diet with no restrictions…
Could this be hormonal? (I just recently got off birth control after 10 years but I’m only 22) Is it the products I’m using? (Yet every time I try something new it backfires…) Am I just doomed for life ?!?!?
**I added photos of my hair if that helps, day 1 clean hair!!!! Also jumpscare for the picture of all the hair that falls out in the shower sorry that’s gross pls help

I’m working on a project(New Gig Economy Portal for Skilled Workers) and would love to get your thoughts and feedback.
We’re developing a portal designed to help skilled workers to use their expertise directly for clients, cutting out the middleman and ensuring fair pay for their services.
Here’s how it works:

• If you’re a skilled worker, say a mechanic, who’s gained valuable experience over the years, our platform will connect you directly with people who need your services.
  
• This means the money you earn goes directly to you, not the corporation you work for.
  
• It’s a way for skilled professionals to earn what they deserve based on their experience and skill set.
  

And it goes the same for everyone else as well. Let’s say you repair cellphones, fix electronics, or are a barber. Any skill you employ for a corporation/a person with means etc., you can now offer directly to clients.
For instance, instead of a big corporation(Tommy gun) charging $35 for a haircut, a client could pay you $20 directly.
This way, you still earn a good income, and clients pay less. It’s a win-win!
This is more than just passive income. It directly connects you with people who need your services, and the platform will be review-based. I’m committed to ensuring it’s peer-reviewed and that we put significant effort into making it reliable and effective.
I was hoping to launch it Intially in three cities: Kamloops, Kelowna, and the lower Mainland Vancouver area.
I’m aware there could be downsides and challenges, but we believe this could empower workers and provide affordable services to clients.
What do you think? Would you be open to participating in this experiment or using such a service? Your input would be incredibly valuable to us as we refine this idea.
Looking forward to your thoughts!