Kaymyth

All physical sensations are interpreted by your brain into things like "hot" and "pain". So it's perfectly plausible. I've felt pain in my dreams plenty of times, though whatever injury dream-me sustained is usually less intense than if it had actually happened.

You made me so TALL!

Eh. There are a lot of factors that go into this. 1) Many skeptics abound. 2) There do exist con artists out there who will totally bilk frightened families out of thousands over this kind of thing. There are also a lot of well-meaning idiots who haven't the slightest idea what they're doing who jump in and wind up making things worse. 3) Most hauntings are harmless. But when things get nasty, they can get really nasty. I dislike the idea of taking advantage of a situation where people's safety is on the line. 4) The first three points are moot, as my gods have flat-out indicated that I am not allowed to achieve financial gain from deghostings/cleansings/etc. This is partly due to keeping the balance of Ma'at (a complex term that encompasses right action, justice, and playing one's role in the universe) and partly because doing this sort of work is essentially my payment for the gifts and guidance that they give to me. I can accept small tokens, or even recompense for expenses if I have to travel a long way or something, but I can't personally profit from it. This doesn't apply to *everything* I do that falls into the Pagan woo-woo category. Stuff like doing tarot readings, sure, I can charge folks for that. But stuff that actively protects people from things that not many people are equipped to protect them from is another thing entirely. Dare I sneak my hand up into the air?

Part of the fun of being me is that I can do stuff like deghostings and still openly question whether or not I'm full of crem and am just soothing overactive imaginations. I figure it doesn't really matter - it makes the homeowners feel safer, and I refuse to accept any sort of profit from that sort of work so I'm covered on the ethics side.

AFTER it's been graded. If the teacher does internet searches to check for plagiarism, coming up with matches on the Shard could prompt...questions.

I haven't, but there are a ton of haunted places around. Most of them won't do worse than creep people out. Most ghosts are just lonely and/or confused, and just acting out in order to get someone to acknowledge their existence. Some aren't even aware that they're dead, and think they're the ones being haunted. Interestingly enough, not all hauntings involve ghosts. There are repeater hauntings; basically, the same scene plays out over and over. The theory goes that there were such strong emotions involved in those events that they left an "imprint" on the fabric of existence in that spot, and it's stuck on repeat.

Rather a lot emotional abuse and gaslighting, with double standards galore. There's a previous Bad Day thread that has some of the history in it, but it really boils down to the fact that Twi's mom is a master manipulator who believes that her children are there to serve her every whim. Any hints of individuality or disagreement with her likes, dislikes, and values is considered to be a vicious attack on her, and by extension the family unit. She actively discouraged Twi from taking the job she has now (in spite of having no offers where TwiMom wanted her to stay) because it wouldn't keep her within the dictator's sphere of direct influence.

Your family is weird.

They're about in that league, yeah.

Heh. If it's an unsavory character, yes. If, however, it's your dear departed Auntie Schmee just hanging around 'cause she loves her family and isn't ready to move on yet, imma tell you to just deal.

Well, I've deghosted a couple of houses. So...probably.

Well, see, there is one more classification. It's called "Jack Harkness"

You do know that I don't really read MLP fanfic, right? I have no idea about any of this fanon. A chemise is a long shirt, more of a shift - it's the piece underneath everything that keeps the corset off of my skin. Corsets are hard to wash, and you really don't want skin oils getting on them. A petticoat is a type of underskirt, usually there to create a shape for the overskirt to lie upon. The one I made has netting in the back to make a bit of a bustling effect and give the outfit the correct shape. They're also often used over hoop skirts, with layers of ruffles designed to soften the lines of the steel hoops so that it creates smooth silhouette. And yes, I designed the dress to look like the character. The underclothes are her body color. The main outfit is her primary mane color, and the two back stripes on the bustle mirror her minor mane stripes. And, of course, the cutie marks are on the hips.

Don't get me wrong, I will jump on cosplay and candy and excuse the hell out of it. You missed a golden opportunity to use the Elements of Harmony ideals.

Heh. A local alt-rock radio station around here goes through phases of doing a weekly bit called "Country Psychic." Basically, one of the duo picks three country songs. The other one gets to hear their names, recording artists, and the intro/first few bars of verse on the karaoke track. He then attempts to sing the song accurate, never having heard it before. They then play the actual song to see how close he got. It's both hilarious and creepy how often he gets into the right ballpark with his lyrics.

Yeh, I get that. Do what you feel like you need to do for the greatest benefit to your mental health.

I was going to respond to this, but Orlion already said it. It's back pay for tolerating their abuse for your entire life. In the immortal words of Bobby Singer: "Family ain't always blood." And sometimes, blood relations don't deserve to be called family. The years upon years of abuse Twi's parents heaped upon her have basically forfeited their rights to be considered family. To some folks, that might sound harsh, but I don't always believe that forgiveness is the answer. Some people don't deserve to be forgiven. There are some other factors in play here that I'm not going to give the details on; I think by now Twi has mentioned them openly on the Shard, but I'm still not willing to out more than she wants to say in this particular instance. But it all boils down to the fact that sooner or later, a cut direct is highly probable; it's just a matter of which side initates it.

My new nephew was born today! And he's already a sassy little thing. The expression on his face when being posed for the camera says very clearly, "I am unimpressed with these shenanigans. This crem dung will stop forthwith!"

Traditionally speaking, Halloween is known as Samhain (pronounced sowwen) in Pagan circles. The lore says that this is the day out of the year that the veil between the physical world and the spirit world is the thinnest*, allowing various levels of crossover shenanigans. Properly, it is a time to honor one's beloved dead, work divination rituals, and other bits of magick that involve chatting back and forth with folks who wouldn't normally have such an easy time communicating. Somewhere along the line, certain subsets of Christian culture started equating it with devils and demons and such. Mostly because Christian theology generally teaches that any contact with friendly spirits is impossible, blah blah Satan something bippity boppity boo. In practice, I've done guided meditation spirit walks to the City of the Dead during this time of year. The place was lit up like freakin' Mardi Gras, man. Why? Because the spirits of those who passed on are excited. The ones who are there are people who have chosen not to move on yet; generally they're either just not ready yet or they're specifically waiting for someone. This is the time of year when they can easily slip over to check and see how their loved ones are doing without kicking up too much of a fuss. * It also thins up quite a bit around Beltaine, which is at the opposite end of the calendar year. But while Samhain revolves around honoring the dead, Beltaine focuses a lot more on fertility and the waking of life in springtime.

Actually, glaciers are on land. It's icebergs that float. /pedanticnerd

I...do not handle cold well. Seriously, we are entering into the half of the year where the only times I feel warm are in the shower and in bed snuggled in with the husband and heated mattress pad. And even in the second one, I still have to wear socks to bed because my feet don't thaw out until halfway through the night. That's my problem, really. My hands and feet get very cold very easily; it doesn't matter how much I bundle up, my toes are still going to be made of ice. I can actually be sweating underneath my layers and still have chilled feet, and if my feet are cold then I am miserable.

Go find my first post on this thread; that pretty well sums it up. Especially since I think I'm the first one who started using it here...

Chocolate frogs are somewhat larger and more solid than expected. Also, butterbeer and pumpkin juice are delicious.

You mean you don't look exactly like Nightmare Moon? Seriously, man, appearance is an entirely subjective thing. I think that Brad Pitt is one of the ugliest human beings to ever walk the planet. I know you're worried about the OCD. But you are also a brilliant nerd-person, and there is some geek girl out there who will decide that you're the best thing ever, and she will be kind and understanding about your mental health issues. But you're never going to find her if you don't look.

Go sign up! DO EET! (I wouldn't have been happy staying there. I enjoy...er...certain, um, things...too much.)