#and completely fails to use this idea to its full potential

[hornyverymuch]

i love how Star Trek did a multiverse episode about 30 years before that idea was overdone to death

[kaizokuou-ni-naru]

So. Hear 5. Nika. Loony Tunes Luffy, if you will. Tell us your thoughts on him and any potential meta? 👀 I’ve been aching to hear it from you since we first saw him go Full Silly Boy.

it's hard to answer this, because i have so many thoughts. i'm just going to try and start from the biggest points and move down.

i like gear five a lot, and i think this development feels very appropriate as a culmination of both luffy's character and the themes of one piece as a whole because of how it interacts with three extremely dominant motifs that have reoccurred throughout the story: freedom, laughter, and the sun.

from the very beginning of the story, luffy has acted, in small ways and big, as an agent of complete freedom. from his first meeting with coby to his breakout at impel down to the liberation of wano, what luffy does is destroy systems that control and oppress, if only because they are in his way. every strawhat is somehow trapped and held back from pursuing their own dreams when they meet luffy, and he frees them all, along with hundreds of others along the way, whether he's inspiring shirahoshi to venture outside or crushing yamato's manacles. his talent for this has always seemed almost preternatural.

luffy is not necessarily a benevolent person; he doesn't care much about helping people in the abstract. he's selfish. he values freedom for freedom's own sake, not because of any greater moral convictions. he doesn't think much about the negative knock-on effects of things like causing a mass breakout at impel down, and he doesn't really go around seeking out downtrodden and oppressed people to free out of a charitable or selfless instinct, nor does he really do anything because it's the right thing to do. he's dismissive of the idea that he might be a hero.

but because he is a completely uncontrollable free agent, and he doesn't really want anything but for himself and everyone he cares about to be completely free, he constantly collides with the systems of oppression that control his world, and when those collisions happen, it is the systems that fail, time and time again, because oppressive systems always do eventually. they can't withstand the light of day. and because he lives completely confidently and unapologetically, he is constantly inspiring others to do the same.

so by the time we are told about nika for the first time, we already know that what nika is said to do is what we've seen luffy doing for more than a thousand chapters: he frees people, and inspires them, and makes them laugh.

i also find luffy-as-nika to be very interesting and thematically appropriate when positioned in opposition to the various antagonists in one piece who have declared themselves to be gods, frequently some of its most tyrannical and oppressive villains- enel, the celestial dragons, doflamingo. all enslave and imprison people, robbing them of their freedom.

nika is a god of slaves, and a creature of liberation. the natural enemy, as rosinante might say, of that sort of megalomaniacal 'god.'

one piece has also consistently connected the theme of freedom, as embodied through luffy, with the sun since very early on. the sun pirates, former slaves, used the symbol of the sun to wipe away the brand of the celestial dragons. (and aren't i curious to know what jinbei might know about nika- he never did answer who's who's question about it.) the fishmen more broadly view the sun as something to be reached when they are truly free. on wano, the coming dawn is understood as the coming liberation. impel down and the florian triangle, places of indefinite imprisonment, are lightless dungeons where the sun doesn't reach. the sun is freedom.

and luffy has always been thoroughly sun associated, from the visual of his hat to his origin on dawn island in the east blue, to his ship, the thousand sunny.

finally, one piece has always placed a great deal of emphasis on smiles and laughter (laugh tale, joy boy, roger laughed, etc)- but that joy must be real. it can't be forced. we're told again and again, through koala, dressrosa's toys, and most obviously the victims of the failed SMILE fruits, that to force someone to smile, denying them the right to cry, is nothing less than an atrocity. people can't be forced to be happy- they should be happy because they're free.

luffy in gear five is laughing nigh-constantly, but it's just because he's having so much fun. unlike the victims of the SMILE fruits, his endless joy is genuine, because in this form, he is completely free- nobody can stop him, and nobody can control him. as he says himself, he can do whatever he wants.

i know that some people felt this moment was in some way a deus ex machina, but it just didn't feel that way to me, because of how well it plays on the story's established themes and trajectory, as well as concepts like devil fruit awakening having been established hundreds of chapters back.

luffy is the sun, the sun is freedom, freedom is joy. i think it makes total sense.

[ironunderstands]

Dr. Ratios predictions, theories and ideas I have for his lore BECAUSE SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED AND I AM INSANE ABOUT HIM AAAAAAA

‼️INCLUDES DISCUSSION OF LEAKS SO BE WARNED‼️

So, I’m sure if you like Dr. Ratio even a little bit or have kept up with what leakers are doing, you have heard of a little something.

That little something being our new planet in coming in 3.0 is Ancient Greece inspired 

Oh boy.

And oh it gets better, thanks Sparkle for playing genderbend Ratio during Cosmoddesy because 

Yup, this is his planet.

I’m well aware it will be like 7 months before we start getting proper leaks about this place, but for now, let’s do some speculation shall we, because if there’s anywhere we are gonna get his backstory/lore/a story centered around him, it will be here.

So let’s begin 

Whatever the hell I think is gonna happen during 3.0

A) He will serve as a guide for the Astral Express in navigating this planet 

I don’t think he will immediately go to them to help, or they will immediately seek out him, but rather coincidentally or through the connivence of circumstance he will end up helping lead us around, at least partially until we really get roped into a conflict.

Or, it’s the other way around, where we kinda are left to our own devices a bit and then something happens and either by his own decision or something that’s forced upon him, Dr. Ratio now has to supervise from now on.

Personally I find the second option way more interesting and I think it has way more potential for angst so I’m going with that one let Ratio be dragged around by a malicious entity or his own experiences I’m so here for it. 

B) Something happens.

Wow, descriptive. 

Ok, what I really mean is that something bad happens like a prophecy comes true or the express breaks something or a stellaron comes to eat people’s grandmas and Ratio is implicated in it. 

And this is where the fun begins, as the nature of what this something is can completely shift the story in very interesting ways.

Perhaps he was prophesied to doom Amphoreous’s civilization with his presence or something, and was abandoned by his parents on another planet?

Perhaps he has connections to the leaders there who desired for him to be their puppet/tool, so he left to find his own path and now they are trying to force him back.

Perhaps he failed at a test of theirs when he was younger, some universal trait on the planet that he couldn’t live up to and was exiled because of it. Now that he’s back, they blame whatever bad thing happens on Ratio. 

I actually really like these particular theories as Ratio has a lot of themes about creating your own destiny, so seeing him resist one forced upon him would be compelling. Moreover, I feel as though an arc demonstrating how exactly he wanted to become a Genius/where he got all his insecurities and motivations from is not only necessary for his character but would flesh out the way we see the path of Erudition in general, even if I already really like the way they have gone with it so far. 

C) Resolution/Self acceptance 

I doubt they will permanently kill him, it just doesn’t suit his character at all.

However, do I think is he gonna get messed up by whatever that “something” is? Yes. 

If the story centers on this remains to be seen, honestly, I doubt it will considering we have the entire cast of the planet and its own lore to meet and learn about, but I do think Ratio will be a major player and I hope how he feels gets some of the plot’s focus as we have quite literally only have 1 full scene of him where we see who he truly is, and it’s all the way back in 1.6 (Ratio-Screwllum conversation my Roman Empire). 

Like guys I needed this man bleeding out screaming dying crying throwing up clutching his wounds looking up at the screen like a kicked puppy losing all hope in himself and others YESTERDAY 

I NEED SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN TO HIM FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND BECAUSE RATIO IS SO HIGH STRUNG THAT ANY AMOUNT OF PRESSURE WILL CAUSE HIM TO SNAP SO PLEASE HOYO LET HIM BREAK!!!

He needs another scene where he’s being sincere, he needs a scene where he’s being vulnerable, Ratio’s marble facade needs to crumble to reveal the man underneath and I need that man to pick himself back up again knowing he can allow himself to be human as well AAAAAAAAAA

His connections to Acheron 

If you have seen my other posts I have already talked about this at length, however the brainrot for this particular detail is all consuming so let me just demonstrate:

Dr. Ratio has the same philosophy as Acheron, an emanator of Nihility.

Look.

Essentially, they both believe that only in desperate situations will humans reach their full potential and begin to truly live for themselves. Moreover, they also both try and offer the tools to help people save themselves, Ratio with knowledge and Acheron with destroying the dreamscape, and that even if people can only become their true selves through struggle, it is the guidance and love of other people that will allow them to pick themselves up. 

Interestingly, pre-2.2 I also believed Ratio was walking the path of Nihility, due to how he engages with knowledge. That very viewpoint spawned from the 1.6 conversation I just showed you, as Ratio demonstrates to the audience that he does not care about knowledge in of itself, but rather the value it can bring to people.

Now, this sets him apart from the Genius Society members, who believe knowledge is inherently valuable and that it is what brings the universe meaning to them. Every person Nous has acknowledged has expressed this belief, which is why they were acknowledged and Ratio isn’t.

Before you say it, no, it’s not that he isn’t smart enough, quite the opposite actually.

Screwllum himself acknowledges his genius and time and time again are Ratios myriad of accomplishments brought up. In universe plenty of people believe he should have been instated into the society by now as well:

These are just the ones that implicate the society directly, as so many of Ratio’s character stories also mention just how accomplished he is.

Moreover, in 2.3 we are getting a new Sim Uni update made by Ratio himself, centered on humanity because of course it is, therefore he’s even smart enough to do the same things the GS members do, even collaborating with Screwllum to work on their favorite pet project.

So, what does this have to do with his lack of acknowledgment, and the path of Nihility?

I have established Ratio is smart enough and that he doesn’t view knowledge in the same way the other member’s do. Therefore, this difference in mindset is why Nous has never acknowledged him, because as much as Ratio thinks he is walking the path of Erudition, his personal philosophy and behaviors have never aligned with that, even if he thinks they do.

I mean, the man says it himself, even if he doesn’t realize the implications of it:

“The Path of Erudition has neither reason nor logic. While geniuses wander among the stars, the ordinary can’t even trace their footsteps.”

That is the path the Genius Society members walk, the path Ratio is criticizing in this sentence, the path he refuses to travel along himself, because what defines Ratio is that he will never leave the ordinary behind to stumble alone.

That is the path of Erudition.

And Veritas Ratio does not follow it. 

So what does he believe in?

Finding your own path. Forging your own future, in the face of a meaningless universe, that is the only thing we should do, the only thing we CAN do. 

“even a life marked by failure is a life worth living”

That’s what Ratio believes.

It doesn’t matter if the masses cannot escape their mediocrity, if they will never be geniuses, if their efforts will go unacknowledged, because the universe doesn’t care, therefore they shouldn’t either. There is no grand test, no final destination, no perfect goal people must attain.

Destiny is uncertain, and people’s fates are theirs to choose. 

Dr. Ratio believes people can still improve themselves, and that it doesn’t matter if people cannot reach the ceiling of knowledge, as they should still push themselves off the floor and stand up. 

He doesn’t think anything confines people from bettering themselves, and that it’s pointless to deliberate over whether one can achieve perfection or not, they should strive to improve themselves regardless and live their best lives because why not? Sure there’s nothing saying they can, but there’s also nothing saying they can’t, and in the face of a meaningless universe, devoid of purpose, one must create their own, and he dedicates his life to aiding others in realizing this.

Ironically, Ratio does not take his own advice. He can recognize the merits of the masses, but he cannot appreciate his own. Ratio is forever walking forward, but he cannot see the path ahead of him, or appreciate the lengths he has gone, the distance he has traveled, and the lives he has improved. 

Ratio spreads knowledge across the universe, believing that is what Nous desires, what the Erudition means, or rather should be, which is partly why he views himself as mundane, as a failure. 

Not just because he is as ordinary as any other person, but because Ratio thinks he hasn’t succeeded in his goal without Nous’s acknowledgement. I think he believes that he hasn’t done enough, that he isn’t smart enough, that he will never be good enough, therefore no matter what has happened, Ratio is doomed do be as mundane as everyone else, and his accomplishments will never be worth the gaze of the entity who inspired him to help others in the first place, as that’s what Ratio believes they would want.

However, helping others is not something Nous cares about, it’s something Dr. Ratio cares about. Even if he doesn’t understand or acknowledge it, Ratio’s accomplishments are meaningful, and he has walked his path further than most ever have. 

However, that path just isn’t the path of Erudition, it’s the path of Existence. 

Initially I believed it to be the Nihility, and in a way I’m not wrong, considering one must cross underneath the shadow of the Nihility to find the Existence, so in a way he is still approaching them.

However, as always, Acheron clarifies everything.

The Nihility envelops all, therefore it is meaningless. And before our final ending, our predetermined destiny (death), we have so many choices to make, therefore we should make them, as it makes both our life and death develop a completely different meaning.

As I have stated, this is what Ratio believes in, even if he attributes it to the Erudition, rather than the Nihility.

Ratio’s entire goal in life is to help others bring meaning to their lives and guide them in the right direction so they can begin to choose for themselves, using knowledge as his means to do so.

Which is exactly what Acheron does, “on the still waters of oblivion, I guide the wandering souls,” isn’t just a line she says because it sounds cool, rather, that is her goal as well. An emanator of Nihility, whose goal is to help others find their meaning in the universe. 

But Acheron doesn’t just want that. She is looking for the Existence, and to kill the Nihility (meaningless) forever.

Which is significant, because if Ratio believes the same exact thing she does, and is walking the same path as she is, then like Acheron, he is heading towards the Existence, not the Erudition.

And Nous will never acknowledge him, not because he isn’t smart enough, but because he never followed them to begin with.

In fact, we know what Ratio is, or rather, what he might end up becoming.

So far no Doctors of Chaos have succeeded in their goals, but perhaps Dr. Ratio, Dr VERITAS Ratio, will be the one to do so. After all, who else could it be but him?

How fitting that the man named after truth would be the one to find it.

That fuckass owl 

Glaux I want to throw you into a blender 

This is Professor Glaux, one of the figures from the Hanunue-Clockie Era of Penacony who did some things like bring the stellaron there, was a scholar of the Intellgenica Guild, became the first dreamweaver, inspired the paper birds, did some shit with the Nightingale Family and presumably died.

I know, horrible explanation, especially considering I haven’t even done the quest this guy is from, but hopefully that’s all the information you need for now so I can introduce you to this theory (which I did not create, sadly I don’t remember who did but it was someone on twitter somewhere so shoutout to them)

That being… Dr. Ratio is Glaux

I hate it I’m sorry. But I will attempt to explain where it’s coming from.

A) Glaux has very similar references to Ratio, aka they are both associated with Greek culture, wisdom and owls 

Glaux is the Greek word for owl and they are heavily associated with Athena, the god of wisdom.

Now Ratio has extremely obvious owl, Greek and wisdom association if you have looked at him for any longer than 2 seconds so I’m not gonna bother to demonstrate it, they have similar references, moving on.

B) The Intelligencia Guild + their titles 

They are from the same faction, and both are referred to as Professors (ratio gets called that more in the CN version I think), and at least Ratio dedicates his time to spreading knowledge, which I think is something Glaux shared.  

C) This occurrence in Gold and Gears

You know, the one where a student kills themself because Ratio thinks they are an idiot.

Well, it’s complicated because apparently the story told in Gold in Gears takes place a long time ago?? 

How long I don’t know as my brain melted in my skull when trying to piece it together, so please do correct me if I’m wrong, I’ll try to make sense of it later.

Moreover, this is also complicated by the fact that this particular occurrence was used by Herta to teach the trailblazer some mechanics of the sim uni, which makes me thing it’s not a part of the lore/timeline in it in general, and just something funny she added in anyways. Continually, there are also occurrences from characters like Argenti and of the Genius Society members themselves, so I don’t think every event is set in the distant past.

However, I think this idea comes from the other person in that occurrence, Dr. No5, but he also kills himself in it, and I can’t find anymore information on it, so I doubt it. (also apparently in the Chinese version the Ratio they refer to isn’t in the way they refer to Dr. Ratio/the one we know so idk)

Either way, what this means is that if this occurrence did take place a while ago, then Ratio must be super fucking old and he must have been part of the Intellegencia Guild during that time, like a certain owl aka Glaux, who was part of it.

D) Ratio’s weird origins

By weird origins I mean we know jack shit about his past (although we finally know the planet he’s from!) and for all we know the man could have spawned in one day, with some other theories even coming to that conclusion, like the infamous worm theory.

Essentially, if you put this all together, Ratio was once an owl-humanoid named Glaux who was from the Amphoreous, and then became part of the Intelligencia Guild a while back, which is when that occurrence happened. He then went to Penacony, did some stuff, faked his death and like came back as Dr. Ratio on that planet again, which is why we don’t know anything about his origins.

Can you tell why I hate this theory as a concept.

I find it to be dumb, nonsensical, a waste of potential and just straight up random as hell. However it is also objectively valid and could have happened within the plot of the game which is why I hate it so much because please hoyoverse do not go in this direction I will skin you.

However, I do not think Ratio has nothing to do with Glaux.

Rather,

A) The stuff Glaux did on Penacony is meant to parallel how Ratio acted there, as both served as a guiding figure for people on their respective timelines 

B) Ratio is the same species as Glaux/ they are from the same planet (Amphoreous).

Now this I fuck with heavily. Yes, Glaux is way more owl looking than Ratio is, however more human versions of his species could exist, and Ratio could just have the ability to like shift forms or something.

He also looks extremely similar to the owls on Ratios design, which I now deem it appropriate to show to you the metric fuck ton of owls in Ratios design.

(there’s a few more btw I just couldn’t fit them due to the image limit LMAOO)

Why do you have so many, and why is it the same fucking owl, same culture, same goddess referenced, same symbolism???? 

Like even if I hate the 1 : 1 Glaux-Ratio theory, they are clearly connected, and this is no accident on behalf of the developers. 

Therefore, I would keep an eye out for Glaux mentions in the future, especially on the planet coming in 3.0, as I 100% believe that they are from the same planet. There’s no way they can’t be connected in some manner, and if I am right about this I will be annoying about it for the rest of time. 

I can’t believe owl Ratio might actually be a reality. 

So uh, let’s put this all together.

We go to Ratio’s planet in 3.0, problems happen and we learn both his past and his connections to that owl species Glaux is from which likely causes even more problems. Bbg probably gets his ass handed to him in 3.0 and 3.1 and gets to make up for it in 3.2, ending the arc off more fulfilled as a person, and perhaps making some realizations about himself including that he isn’t actually following the path of Erudition. Then we skip all the way to endgame when the trailblazers are fighting Nanook and him and Acheron come in with the steel chair hopped up on Existence juice to give the trailblazer enough of a will to live as to not succumb to the Nihility because oh my god how can you defeat the embodiment of Destruction. We somehow win and Dr. Ratio gets married to Aventurine and they ride off into the sunset roll credits we all cheered. 

So, yeah.

If I’m even a little bit right about this I will be the most insufferable person on this planet. Anyways I hope you enjoyed reading this, and even if these theories don’t end up being true I do still think the speculation gives a lot of insight into his character.

[doktorblitz]

Ambessa Medarda were-shifter/cursed into an animal form Head canons

Hello all, this idea came from talking with a friend of mine, @joalacandra initially and then also with lots of encouragement from @moodient so lots of thanks to both.

I have this curiosity about what a person would be like without the filtered/masked BS us humans do, so I always kinda wonder what my fav characters would be like as animals.

I feel like there's so much potential for what would be emphasized of their traits, versus what would be the same and what would be completely different.

Side note: written as gender neutral reader format for my Saphic girlies's enjoyment, but in my heart of hearts it's Miguel/Local cuisine cuddling big ol beast Bessa who's nuzzling him and being very protective.

Head canons only because I have not nearly enough energy for an actual fic at the moment.

So that's where the idea came from as to how it happens read on.

Also on AO3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65856343

I could see it happening one of 2 ways, one would be a failed Hextech experiment, seeing as Viktor got straight up turned into an Eldritch abomination it isn't that weird.

But the more likely that I'm seeing would be the 2nd, let's say Black rose decides instead of killing her outright, to fuck with Ambessa and make her life miserable a bit longer.

So maybe during that meeting with Amara the merchant guild representative, instead of just death gurgling threats, she said an incantation instead before she died.

Something something revealing your true self something, basically the old "cursed to be your spirit animal self until x thing happens" trope.

Or she could be a were shifter, bitten by another shifter so she ended up turning every full moon/under strong emotional strain.

Whatever the case, that's the how, and as to what she would be, I can think of 2 things.

-One would be the literal translation of her name, which is lion/lioness, and oh boy, the brown/gold eyes and the protective nature definitely would serve that. Not to mention the predatory hunter instincts she has, pinpointing her enemy's weakness in the blink of an eye.

-the other just as likely would be a wolf/wolf dog hybrid, the more wolf content the better. again the protective nature of the Pack, but also the hunting instincts and the possessive nature over family/mates.

So with that world building out of the way, animal Ambessa is very much like human Ambessa but with no fucks given for social norms and no filter as to how she feels about the world:

-how do you clock it's her? she has marks in her fur, on her arms/shoulders/back, just like her scars, probably in some shade of red.

-she's very protective of reader, to the point of tagging along everywhere. you wanna take a shower? she's gonna be guarding yo ass, not so much to perv, but because she is worried another alpha or predator will come to steal you away or threaten you.

-she's like the dog that thinks any stranger approaching it wants to steal its bone, with anyone but reader she's a bit aggressive/defensive. taking her for a walk is a task and a half, but on the plus side she likes or at least tolerates baths lol.

-she's very cuddly to the point that you don't need a pillow and/or a blanket, she's gonna be your (not so) human radiator. she runs pretty hot as an animal and is very clingy, so she's gonna be your blanket from now on.

-she's very big on scent marking, funnily enough both lions and wolves use that, wolves even use it so each Pack member can find their way back to the Pack. so lots of rubbing up on you and or nuzzling your legs/chest/hair, or staying tightly wrapped up to you when you sleep to keep her scent on you. and vice versa of course, don't be surprised if you find her lounging on one of your old shirts/blankets.

-she likes or tolerates baths and has specific scents she likes, she'll even point her snout to the one she wants. she can't bathe with just any ol soap, even animal Bessa has standards, you heathen.

-I'd imagine it makes it easier for her to comfort you in some cases, I always head-canon that her love language is acts of service and also physical touch. she's not so much the talking it out type, more so she listens and hums and strokes your hair etc, so being in animal form means no need to talk and the best form to snuggle and comfort you. she'll huff out a breath or chuff or growl in a low, more purring tone to say she's listening, but let you talk otherwise.

-I'd imagine in a genuinely dangerous situation one of the best weapons to have is a big fuck off lioness or wolfdog, already snarling and promising lots of pain to anyone wanting to harm you, even more so when someone actually does want to harm you, she's gonna bite and pounce and growl and look very fierce. not to mention anyone who continues despite seeing her big bad teeth and claws and muscles clearly has a death wish.

-contrast that with how she then goes to you, to make sure you're ok, and nuzzles at you to check for injuries and sniffs you to check you aren't bleeding etc.

-she'd probably be glued to you after a dangerous situation, you're not escaping her gaze for a moment, mostly because having already lost one cub (Kino) she's not looking to lose another.

-in that sense it's kinda funny, she sees you as a combination of cub, in how small and weak you are compared to her, and her Mate that she will do anything to impress and keep happy, she absolutely would bring you gifts like a cat taking care of it's human.

-another aspect of this is that, if it is for example a case that she got bitten and she's turning frequently and already comfortable with herself as an animal, she'll probably spend a third of her time in animal form and get very familiar with your routine. don't be surprised if you see a big ol wolf guarding you while you walk from home or jog through the woods. maybe even scaring away any dangerous critters in your path ahead of time.

-if you're injured or feeling unwell, expect her to dote, she's gonna be right there watching you like a hawk, and god forbid any friends want to hug you longer than a second, shes gonna butt in and sit you back down on the bed and keep you there with her snout on your chest/lap.

-in that vein I think she's very aware how she behaves in animal form after, she recalls exactly what you did and what she did, and you can't embarrass her with any of it, because she has no fucks to give. far as she's concerned she's protecting her Mate and providing for you, any and all instinctive behaviors as an animal are justified.

-I also think she'd be more quick to apologize in animal form, she immediately scents that you're hurt or annoyed or scared or whatever and is quick to nuzzle and whine and endear herself to you again. way harder to get her to admit she did anything wrong as a human.

Bonus scene, imagine poor surprised reader, who knows their lover in human form only, is walking past the woods outside town and suddenly sees this big fuck off wolf watching with amber eyes shiny in the dark. it's not attacking but it's definitely eyeing you up. you run, you think you're doomed when you hear it catching up......but then when you're on the ground, it just bumps your hand/chest curiously, smells you for a good minute, then goes all kitty/puppy mode and starts to nuzzle and whine and grumble.

PS - Fun fact, wolves grumble cause they can't bark, so she's grumbling and rumbling like a big grumpy puppy, and being adorable. Go watch the channel Liondad_1987 aka james on youtube, so many cute wolves vids!

Anyway, hope you enjoy, this is more a way to unwind after a hella long week I've had and I hope y'all got your daily dose of sugar from my lil post.

[ravensvirginity]

Titans #15 Review

Oh my god. Where do I even begin.

To start with my one and only positive: the art is gorgeous. Lucas Meyer is the best artist the Titans have had in ages, and his new Raven design really delivered. I'm so sad that it appears that the artist who'll be taking over for him in #16 is undoing his design changes, I think it's a massive shame. I did appreciate the detail of Raven's white cloak design having rings on her index fingers, but it feels a little pointless without the lore of Azar's rings to back it up.

Now, the negatives: literally everything else about this comic. This comic fails to deliver on an eight issue arc in any kind of satisfying way, has a bizarre and out of character tone, and severely misunderstands the lore of its main villain. They literally defeated Trigon with the power of friendship. Maybe that could work in Teen Titans Go, but in a main timeline DC comic? What?

First, the demon Raven stuff. Gar saying that demon Raven and regular Raven aren't two different people--yeah, obviously. The severe degree of separation between demon Raven and regular Raven has been one of the big issues of this arc, and this conclusion is as unsatisfying as the rest of it. Raven and her demon side being able to talk face to face isn't new, but them being two separate people with separate physical bodies who can operate completely independently of each other--while there is some precident for this, to me it's a very strange writing choice and misses the point of a demon Raven arc.

The original idea of Raven and her demon side was that her demon side is her. It's all the worst instincts she inherited from Trigon locked up and carefully controlled. When Trigon takes control of her and turns her into her demon form, everything she's repressed, both good and bad, is released. Raven still having a soft spot for the Titans in her demon form makes sense; she's still Raven, just corrupted by Trigon into something she isn't. Raven deciding to stop being evil (not that she even really was) and going back to normal from one brief conversation with her teammate does not, and is really anticlimactic.

It's just such a waste of the story's potential. If you don't want to commit to Raven being the villain of the story, don't do a demon Raven arc! It's possible to do a Trigon story without Raven being evil, I don't get why they didn't just do that. None of the drama with Raven being evil was particularly well executed, and all it seemed to do was drag the comic on longer and longer with nothing actually happening, because they were unwilling to make Raven actually do anything villanous.

All that pales in comparison to how they defeated Trigon. I don't think I've ever seen such blatant disregard for previous canon. As Raven, powered up by the other Titans, fights Trigon, Gar narrates as follows:

"I doubt Trigon has ever been in a fight. An actual fight. With someone his own size and power level. Never had to face someone like Nightwing one-on-one. Never tried to stand while being pinned by the power of Donna Troy's will. Never been blasted... with a giant-sized Apokoliptian blast from Cyborg. And never, ever... felt the full force of a Tamaranean hit powered by the stars."

WHAT?

This comic canonically takes place in the same timeline as the New Teen Titans. There are many homages to the New Teen Titans. It has been made very clear that the team started as the New Teen Titans, and then after many, many years of crazy comic book history the team reformed as the Titans of this run.

The first ever Trigon arc that introduces him and Raven as characters takes place in the first six issues of the New Teen Titans, and culminates in Trigon being defeated by the Titans and thrown into an interdimensional prison. I can't stress this enough: literally every single one of the things Gar said have never happened to Trigon happen in that fight. Donna uses her lasso to dampen Trigon's will, in combination with Raven and Arella's empathic abilities. Wally rips a hole through the fabric of reality to throw Trigon into, and Kory and Vic connect their powers to amplify their blasts to throw Trigon into the interdimensional rift. The whole thing is coordinated and managed by Dick Grayson (who was still Robin at the time).

Gar was there when all this happened. There is no reason for him to not know that this happened. The only explanation is Tom Taylor doesn't know, or he doesn't care. This would be disappointing for any comic book run, but it leaves an especially sour taste in my mouth for this to happen in a run that's so built on NTT homages. It's clear that the writing could not care less about the comic it was inspired by.

And then Garth causes Trigon to have a heart attack. Okay, that was just stupid. Admittedly, I did think the page of Raven stabbing Trigon was cool (again, the art is really the only saving grace here), but her saying "Fuck you, Dad"? Seriously? An ongoing problem in this run has been the dialog feeling janky and too much like lines from a generic superhero movie, and this line embodies that very well. I'm not opposed to swearing in comic books, but to me, this is not the right time for it. It doesn't fit the moment, and I think it's quite out of character for Raven, even if the sentiment behind it isn't.

And then Trigon isn't even dead? What does "Demons don't die. They just fade away." even mean?? Is he dead or not? Will he come back tomorrow or in a thousand years? It's such a strange, confusing letdown of an ending.

I didn't have high hopes for this issue, but it was somehow worse than I could ever have imagined. I'm so glad that this run is getting a new writer. Here's hoping that the coming issues will actually feel like a team book, and that the decades of lore and characterization of these beloved characters will actually be considered during writing.

[drdemonprince]

Any recommended reading for a newbie to anarchism?

David Graeber truly is the best entry point into the pipeline i feel. Reading his work doesn't feel like "reading theory", it feels like learning more about a specific aspect of the world from an engaging, open-minded author who makes history and anthropology accessible, and then simply realizing somewhere along the line that you've become a lot more radical than you realized you'd always been.

Bullshit Jobs is his easiest and most approachable read -- start with this if you're not a big reader of dense books, or if my book Laziness Does Not Exist particularly spoke to you. It's about how the majority of reasonably well-paying jobs today are completely meaningless, and why important, fulfilling jobs that are actually necessary to run society are so often thankless and poorly paid.

If you have student loan or credit card debt out the ass or you grew up hearing the myth that the earliest human societies relied on trading and bartering, pick up Debt: The First 5000 Years. This one is a bit of a tougher read than Bullshit Jobs, but still approachable, talking about the history of human commerce, debt forgiveness, enslavement, and where that history has left us today. You'll learn a lot about history but Graeber will also always lead you back to the present.

If you were a follower of the Occupy Wallstreet movement and wonder why it failed (or whether it failed), pick up The Democracy Project. This is a slimmer, faster read! And it focuses a lot more on the practical tactics and bylaws of Occupy organizing. In it, Graeber illustrates how human groups can be run without hierarchy and just how well that can work! It's perhaps the most explicitly anarchist book of his in that sense at least, yet it's also very conversational and easy to follow, with lots of lessons learned and specific examples from real-life organizing meetings.

If you hate rules and bureaucracy, pick up Utopia of Rules. What Debt is for bursting basic, widespread myths about economics, Utopia of Rules is for challenging mainstream knowledge about the role of the state. This one is actually an essay collection, and that makes it a quicker, easier read than many of the others -- in each chapter, Graeber tackles one specific aspect of irritating modern-day bureaucracy, and its full of relatable gripes about going to the DMV or applying for unemployment, but then it zooms out to make a larger point about how societies now function (and fail to function).

If you're interested in Indigenous cultures and how various human societies have approached governance, start with Dawn of Everything, which he co-wrote with David Wengrow. Now this is a MUCH denser book that I recommend taking chapter by chapter, pausing to savor all the new information and paradigm-busting that they've just showered you with. A chapter before bed each night and then some time laying down and simply reflecting about the diversity of human social potential is a great way to slowly work your way through it.

If you read any of these, you'll be left with a lot of ideas as to where to look next -- Graeber was widely read in a great many fields himself, so he'll leave you a trail of breadcrumbs to follow.

The Anarchist Library online is also a great place to find shorter, more explicitly anarchist theory work, once you're ready to delve in. The r/debateanarchism subreddit is also something you should subscribe to and thumb through every once in a while!

[muffinsin]

Hello muffin. Had a really stupid idea I just had to share. How about all three of the sisters having a crush on Donna and trying to seduce her but failing epically. Just three homicidal extroverted lunatics trying to seduce a rather shy introvert in all the wrong ways. With Donna thinking they are threatening her or something. Angie and the others all watching and not saying anything as the comedic potential is high. I don't know just complete misunderstandings all around. What do you think?

Thinking this has full on meme potential XD. Wishing I could draw to make art out of the chaotic scenarios that could stem from this lmaoo🙊

Let’s get into it! :)

Masterlists

Bela

Now, Bela has always been encouraged to take what she wants by her mother

Naturally, this must include Donna, right?

Now, there is a fair share of maidens at the castle hoping to woo the eldest sister

Not that she has time for any of this

She always turns them down, though uses their failed attempts as teachings

What’s so hard? An invitation to a date, then talking of shared interests. Piece of cake!

Never has she attempted to woo someone. But, she has an ego. She knows she’ll do amazing

What could go wrong?

Well, for one that Bela enters breaks into the Beneviento gardens in her search of the lord without really knowing what causes could follow

She seems to have forgotten that Donna is, despite her timid manner, quite powerful. And so is her entire region

There is a reason Mother wouldn’t let her and her sisters hunt in this region…

Disoriented, almost high on pollen, and absolutely out of it by the flowers planted nearly everywhere, Bela swarms face first into Donna, who believes she truly did experience a heart attack just then

Slurry words fall from her lips, something alongside dinner?

Donna is sweating under her veil. Is the huntress before her threatening her?

Will she be dinner?!

She is overly alert of Bela’s sharp teeth peeking out from behind her lips. As well as the scent of blood surrounding her

Will she be her next victim?

Apparently not, for Bela falls face first into her, the pollen of various cadou-infested flowers entirely too much

Maybe she should have asked to come. Maybe then Donna would have told her about a safer passage through the gardens, without the many flowers

Nonetheless, Donna is almost completely still under her, having been too lost in thought to catch Bela

Or well; catch her she did…with her body

The blonde quite literally falls on top of her, her unconscious, heavy body on the dollmaker

Of course, Donna is too shy to attempt to wake the sleeping blonde

She considers reaching out to Angie, but merely hears a snicker in return. Of course she’d find this funny

Is this her fate now?, the shy dollmaker wonders, with her clothes dirtied by mud and breath smelling of blood and toothpaste blown in her face with each exhale coming from Bela’s mouth

Cassandra

She’s always been intrigued by Donna, always

However- she isn’t the best at wooing someone. She wants a person, she takes them. That’s how she plays

Also, most practically throw themselves at her, if they don’t run away

So- how to woo a lady of the village?

She doesn’t think on it for too long, instead goes for what she thinks will work best: gifts!

Now, some might consider flowers or chocolate sweet gifts. Not Cassandra. They bore her to death

Surely Donna will agree!

Well…

When Donna awakens to find a bunch of foxes trapped in a cage in front of her house, she isn’t too happy

Quickly, she releases the animals and watches them scurry off

The next day, its pigeons, ten of them, their small legs tied to a stick they can’t seem to lift

Donna, with her heart beating worriedly, is quick to undo the string connecting them and watches as they fly off

What is happening?

Hmm, Cassandra thinks, it seems the doll maker isn’t fond of living things

No matter. Cassandra is thrilled by this!

No problem at all! Donna will love her next gift!

Well, not quite…instead the dollmaker is nearly petrified from her shock and fear when she opens her front door again and finds a large, dead wolf out front

It’s huge, and would make for a lot of lei in the village. The sight of it has her feel a little nauseous though

Then, it’s dead rats dropped at her windows at random times during the day

When one of them turns out to be alive, the otherwise mute dollmaker lets out a yelp, and quickly brings it to safety

After, it’s a whole lycan! She takes forever, even with the help of her dolls, to get rid of it

She screams hoarsely when she opens her garden door once and is face to face with the sharp teeth of a varcolac, dead with its mouth open and fangs bared for her

She shivers, though- she can make some good fortune on it

(Which she normally doesn’t need, though she likes to get herself flowers and materials on her own at times)

Yet the worst is to come, when she opens her front door one morning and finds a dead black bear out front

The poor thing is still warm…

Are these all threats?!, she wonders

Angie is barely any help, instead points out writing at the stomach of the large animal

She dares turn it over to read Cassandra’s message carved into the poor thing’s belly:

“I’ve got my eye on you”

Donna gulps

Daniela

She has been told she is delusional before. Once or twice, maybe

Ah, and what a silly thing to say it is!

Until…Daniela falls for the mysterious lady of the mountain and waterfall, lady Beneviento

Naturally, Donna must love her too, the youngest Dimitrescu daughter is under the impression everyone does

She just knows Donna is blushing under her veil when she sees her!

She goes with traditional courting methods

Flowers, dinner invitations, kisses, affection…

When Daniela appears behind Donna randomly as she works outside her house, she jumps so hard she drops her small hand shovel into the waterfall

She wonders, if this keeps up, will she fall down as a whole one time?

Daniela finds this hilarious. She giggles happily at it

Donna grasps her own chest, as though to catch her breath and stop panting

Daniela’s wild and fast movements do nothing to calm her

Then, flowers are thrust into her hand and a kiss is placed to her veiled cheek

Daniela giggles, her hands cupping Donna’s cheeks through the garment covering her face

“Don’t worry, my sweet, I’ll be back!”, she coos, teases

Then, Daniela swarms off, and leaves the dollmaker flustered, confused, and partially scared

This happens every day

Sometimes, Donna plants the flowers given to her. Sometimes she puts them in vases

They’re beautiful, even if Daniela’s wild nature has her on edge

She anticipates her visit every day, and yet is never prepared

Sometimes Daniela appears in her greenhouse. She doesn’t know how she comes in there

One time, she drops down from the roof when Donna steps outside

She nearly gives the doll maker a heart attack! Donna has instinctively called all her dolls…

And Angie stares and huffs as she watches Donna freeze when another kiss is just pressed to her cheek, while Daniela drops a crown made of leaves on top of her covered head…with her bare hands

…Donna wonders if the redhead knows its nettle leaves..ah, Daniela is bound to notice sometime. She swarms off before Donna can warn her- not that she would’ve been brave enough to speak up anyway

Often, her cheeks adapt a pink colour under the veil, and Donna absolutely panics whenever Daniela decides to randomly show affection

When she wraps her arms around the dollmaker one time as she kisses her cheek goodbye, Donna is certain this is the end

The grip is tight on the petite dollmaker, and yet she survives

Somehow

[mariacallous]

As speculation swirls over the possible terms of a US-brokered peace deal to end the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Kremlin is insisting that above all else, the future Ukraine must be neutral and demilitarized. This is nothing new. Vladimir Putin has been citing Ukraine’s demilitarization as his key war aim since the very first morning of the invasion. Demilitarization also featured prominently in abortive peace talks held during the initial weeks of the war, with Russian representatives demanding an approximately 95 percent reduction in the size of Ukraine’s army, which was to become a skeleton force of just fifty thousand troops.

Calls for a demilitarized Ukraine have remained a central feature of Russian rhetoric throughout the past three years of the invasion, and have been accompanied by demands that Kyiv accept permanent neutrality and rule out the prospect of joining NATO or concluding military alliances with any Western powers. Russian officials have also consistently stated that postwar Ukraine must be banned from receiving weapons or training from the West. Most recently, the Kremlin has rejected the idea of deploying Western troops in Ukraine as peacekeepers to monitor a potential ceasefire agreement. In other words, Putin’s preferred peace terms envision a disarmed and defenseless Ukraine with virtually no army of its own and no chance of receiving any meaningful military aid from the international community.

Putin may currently find it advantageous to entertain talk of peace, but his insistence on Ukraine’s unilateral disarmament reveals what he really has in mind for the country. The Russian dictator is obviously preparing the ground for the eventual resumption of his current invasion, which he fully intends to continue as soon as he has rearmed and circumstances allow. Why else would the demilitarization of Ukraine be seen in Moscow as such a priority?

No serious military analyst would argue that Ukraine poses a credible security threat to Russia itself. Likewise, no Ukrainian politician or public figure has ever harbored any territorial ambitions against their country’s far larger and wealthier neighbor. On the contrary, the sole purpose of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is to defend the country against Russian attack. The Kremlin’s emphasis on disarming Ukraine should therefore be seen as a massive red flag for the Trump White House and the wider international community that signals Putin’s determination to complete his conquest and extinguish Ukrainian statehood altogether.

There are worrying signs that this is not yet fully understood in Western capitals. Instead, US President Donald Trump and senior members of his administration have recently begun shifting responsibility for the war away from Russia and echoing the Kremlin’s own longstanding efforts to blame the invasion on NATO expansion. Predictably, Russian officials including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov have welcomed this dramatic change in the US position regarding the causes of the war. However, Russia’s whole NATO narrative suffers from a number of obvious flaws that should spark skepticism among even the most credulous consumers of Kremlin propaganda.

According to Putin, Ukraine’s deepening ties with NATO forced him to launch the full-scale invasion of February 2022. In reality, Ukraine’s prospects of joining the alliance were virtually nonexistent at the time, and had not significantly improved since Kyiv was first fobbed off with platitudes at a landmark NATO summit way back in 2008. Even the Russian seizure of Crimea and invasion of eastern Ukraine in 2014 failed to produce any change of heart among alliance members, with key NATO countries including the United States and Germany openly expressing their opposition to Ukrainian accession. Indeed, on the eve of the full-scale invasion, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured Putin that Ukrainian NATO membership was out of the question for at least the next 30 years. This makes it difficult to accept Moscow’s claims that Ukraine’s NATO aspirations represented some kind of immediate danger to Russia.

There are also good reasons to question whether the Kremlin genuinely views NATO as a threat to Russian national security. Thanks to founding member Norway, the alliance has shared a border with Russia ever since its establishment in 1949. More recently, the accession of Poland and the Baltic states at the turn of the millennium dramatically expanded Russia’s shared border with NATO and placed the alliance a few hundred kilometers away from Moscow and Saint Petersburg. This close proximity to Russia’s two biggest cities did not lead to any discernible rise in border tensions.

The most revealing evidence of Russia’s true attitude toward NATO came in 2022 when Finland and Sweden reacted to the invasion of Ukraine by ending decades of neutrality and announcing plans to join the alliance. Putin responded to this landmark decision by declaring that Russia had “no problem” with the accession of the two Nordic nations, despite the fact that Finnish membership would more than double Russia’s border with NATO, while Swedish membership would turn the Baltic Sea into a NATO lake. Putin has since underlined his indifference to this expanded NATO presence on his doorstep by withdrawing most Russian troops from the Finnish frontier and leaving this supposedly vulnerable border zone largely undefended.

So far, nobody has been able to adequately explain the glaring inconsistency in Putin’s logic. He appears to be unfazed by the presence of NATO troops along the Russian border in Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. And yet at the same time, he expects us to believe that the faint prospect of Ukraine joining the alliance at some point in the distant future is sufficiently alarming to justify the largest European invasion since World War II. Militarily, this makes no sense. The only reasonable conclusion is that Putin’s objections relate specifically to Ukraine and not to NATO in general. He knows perfectly well that the alliance poses no security threat to Russia itself, but does not want to risk a growing NATO presence that might prevent him from achieving his expansionist objective of subjugating Ukraine.

While Putin moans to foreign leaders about the inequities of NATO expansion, when speaking to domestic audiences he is typically far more candid about the imperial ambitions that shaped his decision to invade Ukraine. For much of his reign, Putin has insisted that Ukrainians are really Russians (“one people”), and has repeatedly accused modern Ukraine of being a invented nation occupying historically Russian lands. On the eve of the full-scale invasion, he published a rambling 5,000-word history essay that many likened to a declaration of war against Ukrainian statehood. During the first summer of the war, he compared his invasion to the eighteenth century imperial conquests of Russian Czar Peter the Great.

Putin’s frequent denials of Ukraine’s right to exist have set the tone throughout Russian society. Poisonous anti-Ukrainian rhetoric has become so commonplace in the Kremlin-controlled Russian media that UN investigators believe it may constitute “incitement to genocide.” Meanwhile, senior Kremlin officials have sought to demonstrate their loyalty to Putin by echoing his vicious attacks on Ukraine. Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev has declared that “the existence of Ukraine is mortally dangerous for Ukrainians,” while top Putin aide Nikolai Patrushev recently suggested Ukraine may soon “cease to exist.” These are not the words of rational politicians addressing legitimate national security concerns.

This genocidal rhetoric is being more than matched by the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine. Wherever the Kremlin has been able to establish control, Russian troops have systematically detained local officials, military veterans, journalists, religious leaders, civic activists, Ukrainian patriots, and anyone else deemed to be a potential threat. Thousands have disappeared into a vast network of prisons amid a climate of fear that has been described by Britain’s The Economist as a “totalitarian hell.” Many more, including thousands of children, have been subjected to forced deportation and sent to Russia. Those who remain are being pressured to accept Russian citizenship, while all reminders of Ukrainian statehood, culture, and national identity are being methodically removed. Needless to say, anyone who dares speak the Ukrainian language risks severe punishment.

These horrors make a complete mockery of attempts to appease the Russians with limited territorial concessions. US negotiators need to recognize that Putin is not fighting for land. He views the current invasion in far broader terms as an historic mission to erase Ukraine from the map of Europe. In Putin’s chilling worldview, extinguishing Ukrainian statehood is a vital step toward the reversal of the Soviet collapse and the revival of the Russian Empire. He has pursued this messianic vision with increasing violence ever since Ukraine’s 2004 Orange Revolution, and is now closer than ever to realizing his goal.

This is why peace negotiations with Russia must focus primarily on establishing long-term security guarantees that are sufficiently credible to convince the Kremlin. Anything less will be viewed in Moscow as yet more proof of Western weakness and interpreted as a tacit invitation to go further. After all, that has been the pattern ever since the Russian invasion first began in 2014. Putin’s campaign to destroy Ukraine has been gradually unfolding in plain sight for over a decade and already ranks among the worst crimes of the twenty-first century. If Western leaders choose to ignore this and push ahead with a bad peace while leaving Ukraine without the support and security it needs to survive, they will be complicit in all that follows.

[bbddbopp]

Manifestation techniques #1: Water technique 💧

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡

This technique is by no means, a new one nor do I claimed that I was the one created this technique. I’ve seen countless people share similar methods, with slight variations, across many social media platforms. It’s a concept that’s been around and shared by many.

I first encountered a version of this technique sometime between 2020 and 2021 (I can’t remember exactly when) while watching a tarot reading video on YouTube. The tarot reader suggested placing a water bottle by the window during a full moon to harness its energy for manifestation. This idea immediately reminded me of a lecture I attended around 2016-2017, where the speaker (whose credentials and name I completely forgot lmao) talked about Dr. Emoto’s research on water molecules.

For those interested, I’ll also share a link to Dr. Emoto’s full study below:

The water research, combined with various religious practices involving the 'blessing of water'—such as baptisms in Christianity and ruqyah with water in Islam—motivated me to try the water method for myself. In this post, I’ll be discussing the technique, along with my personal experiences and the results I achieved using these methods.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡

TL;DR (just in case if you're too lazy to read the whole study lol)

Dr.Emoto found that water exposed to different types of stimuli, such as positive or negative words, music, and even human thoughts, resulted in distinct crystal formations.

Positive Influence: When water was exposed to positive words, music or thoughts (like “love,” “gratitude,” or “peace”), the resulting ice crystals formed beautiful, symmetrical patterns.

Negative Influence: When water was exposed to negative words, music or thoughts (like “hate,” “angry,” or “evil”), the crystals were chaotic, disordered, and ugly.

In short, Dr. Emoto’s work on water suggests that our thoughts, words, and emotions can influence the molecular structure of water, and by extension, potentially impact our physical and emotional well-being.

Note: There are criticism against Dr.Emoto's work on water, mainly for its lack of replicability and control that failed to meet the scientific standards. Since I want this blog to focus on the techniques rather than his study (which is only meant to support and explain my beliefs), I’ll link to a Google Doc that may help those who are more logical or have difficulty overlooking the criticisms of his research.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡

Both Emoto’s study and various religious practices suggest that words have a noticeable effect on water. Based on this, we can apply it to our manifestation practices.

There are 2 ways of doing this method:

The Affirmation way.

Write down your affirmations, either on paper or in your phone’s notes. I recommend focusing on 3 or fewer goals at a time. You can do more, but it will take much longer, so unless you have plenty of free time, I’d suggest keeping it to 3.

Grab a bottle of water and open the lid.

Read your affirmations aloud, making sure you’re close to the bottle.

Once you’ve finished, close the lid, and make sure the bottle is kept away from anything you consider as negative influence.

The water now 'holds' your affirmations, and you can drink it at any time to help manifest your desires!

Tip: I personally like to use a large bottle for this method, storing it in the fridge for about 3 days. I cover it with cloth to prevent mold or algae from forming, and I always close the lid after drinking. This way, I don’t have to repeat the process daily to avoid it feeling like a chore that I had to do.

The Subliminal way.

Choose your favorite subliminal or playlist and play it near your water. I recommend choosing subliminals that don’t have music, as some songs have lyrics that can carry negative connotations that could adversely affect the water’s molecules.

Make sure the volume is loud enough, or that your device is close enough for the affirmations to be 'absorbed' by the water.

After the subliminal or playlist finishes, close the lid or let it play on loop for however long you want.

This method is really convenient because you can let the subliminals run while you’re doing other things. If you have a long playlist, consider following the big bottle tip I mentioned earlier.

It's up to you whether you want to do the 1st or the 2nd method or both. It's just depends on which one is more suitable for your current lifestyle and schedule.

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡

My Experiences & Results:

Grades: I used this method to manifest better grades and ended up with straight As for two semesters in a row.

Clear Skin: I was able to maintain relatively clear skin for a whole year! While I did get a few small pimples, they were barely noticeable and only popped up a couple of times during the year. This was a huge improvement, considering I usually dealt with painful cystic acne every month.

Love Life: After breaking up with my ex, I manifested a guy who was exactly as described in my affirmations. We've been happily together for 4 years now 💗

Free Stuff: I didn’t specifically affirm for free stuff, but I think it might have been in a subliminal from an old playlist I used to play for this method. Several brands sent me duplicate items I had ordered, or even extra items I hadn't requested but found useful at the time. Sometimes this happened by mistake (which they did informed me to just keep it after I told them about the mix up), and other times as an apology for delays. Either way, I usually ended up with more than what I paid for!

Money: Because of my academic success, some lecturers gifted me with free stationery, food and money. Even my family started giving me money randomly, even though I never asked for it.

I stopped doing this method after about a year because my schedule became pretty hectic, but I have to say—it helped me manifest many of my desires and was a fun, fulfilling process!

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆.✧˚༘˚⋆𐙚｡

That’s all for this post, everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading it. If you decide to try out this technique, remember to have fun with it and not stress too much about the results. Manifestation should be fun, not stressful! ✨

11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 ⋆.˚🦋༘⋆ 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:11 11:1

[thekingofwinterblog]

So i haven't seen anyone on this site do a full on dive on what little material we do have of dreadwolf. For a title that's gonna come out next year if its not delayed, there's shockingly little that's actually out, and what there is can be divided into two.

In game images, and artwork.

For this post i wanna focus on the art.

The most famous of the art is of course this piece. Solas in both his Elf guise and True form, both reaching for the red lyrium idol Hawke and Varric found in DA2.

First things first, before we got confirmation through Urthemiel's concept art, this was the first rock solid proof that the Evanuris were the Old Gods. 7 were sealed away, 2 yet remain, just like the orbs we see here so clearly connected to the taint through the red lyrium idol.

Now a couple of things about this idol.

1. It keeps regenerating. Inquisition did not in any way tell us about this, but this idol keeps regenerating regardless of what happens to the original.

Meredith's lyrium body was hollowed out from the inside out, and the lyrium had used her internal parts to remake itself, where it was taken by certain expanded DA universe characters.

Thats how its back despite being made into a sword, then infecting meredith.

2. The way this picture frames it, this seems to be the key to Solas goal of ripping down the veil, entering the Fade in the flesh and remaking the world.

That's not really the interesting part. No the interesting part is that this isn't the first, or second or third, but fourth completely separate object Solas seems to theoretically be able to use to undo his great work.

In the most recent trailer, we see him use a seemingly completely different artifact to try to do the job, but given the fact this is likely going to be the opening introduction of the game, whatever he's trying to do with this artifact is most certainly going tk go wrong somehow, and might tie into the main character of the game's strange ability to summon magical weaponry out if nowhere.

Maybe a sorta repeat of what happened in the inquisition? His great ritual is interrupted and derailed by some random schmuck that absorbs it's power and becomes his arch enemy?

That would explain how this random thief leader guy that this game is supposed to be headed by, becomes able to defeat Solas.

Assuming this is correct, this means that after this ritual fails, his eyes will instead turn to the red lyrium idol.

Also as i said, that would bring Solas artifacts that could be used to accomplish his plans to backtrack on the veil to a total of 4.

The first was The Mask of Fen'harel, from Redemption, an artifact that was clearly meant as a possible failsafe, given it had the capacity to rip down the veil even in the hands of a mediocre mage, nevermind Solas as he is now.

The mask was destroyed in that series, before Solas even woke up, forcing him to try to rely on his second option, his orb, his Foci, which was also destroyed in Inquisition.

Thirdly there is this strange, green, wand thingy, that seems likely to fail in some way.

And fourthly there is the red lyrium idol, which was the source of all red lyrium that has since plagued the world.

And speaking of the blight...

There are two remaining old gods, and we know how Urthemiel would have looked like in his uncorrupted state through his statues.

This is another of the old gods, uncorrupted by the taint, though which of the Evanuris this is i have no idea. A true eldrich abomination.

Regardless, while Solas is the main villain, we'll be fighting at least one more Elvhen God in this game, which assuming the other one is not fought and/or killed, means there will be one more at the game's end.

One more potential blight.

Or not as we'll see below.

From what very little we have seen of the main character, they seem to have the ability to summon a magical energy weapon. If i had to guess, this seems to be a concept art piece for that.

It also seems to be set at the final area of tresspasser(wherever that is), and the fade seems to be really powerful here at this moment, given those gloating rocks.

Not too enlightening, except for the fact there are Two archdemons in the background who may, or may not be blighted.

Guess all the evanuris as waking up in this game after all.

Shockingly enough given the last two old gods will awaken in this game, we'll get one, final dig into the deep roads before they become irrelevant as a setting.

There's some concept art for what is clearly companions, but i wanted to highlight this one along with the big one im ending this speculation post on.

The three figures from the wall aren't too interesting looking(I think the foremost guy is the pc), but the guy on the far left seems to be a avaar, given his Hakkon helmet.

Apparently we're gonna get water diving in this game, either as a cutscene, or in game play.

The guy with the mustache seems to be Dorian, though it could be a new companion rather than a returning one. The lady on the left looks like isabela, but given the glowing, magical knife, i think this is concept art for the female version of the pc, before they settled on the whole summoning the weapon.

Also the fact we're finally getting sea levels, hopefully means we get to see and possibly fight the last of the important lore monsters, the Cetus.

Seriously, if this series ends without us even getting to see the gigantic, electrical sea dragons of the Northern ocean depths, i will be so mad.

The anderfels, likely Weishaupht, the only place we know for a fact that we'll visit in game, given our only glimpse of gameplay so far takes place there.

Again, this game will likely be the final time the grey wardens are relevant, so of course we're visiting the great Warden fortress, and taking a look at what the hell's going on there.

Alright, so one of the first pieces of art we ever got, and it seems to be the companions of what is likely going to be the last dragon age game.

Left to right, i think the lady on the far left is the lady with the mask from the big battle scene artwork. If so, probably an antivan crow with a mask and a rapier.

Next is a Qunari, though what class is hard to say.

Next one is definitly a rogue, though seemingly male.

Looks like the Inquisition's horse master to be honest.

Next is who I'm assuming to be dorian.

And after him, there is the most interesting part of the piece, a figure with either a thick hood, or thick white hair, holding what is very, very clearly a gun.

Which is not too surprising. Gunpowder has been on the verge of being cracked since awakening, and the Inquisitor discovered the recipe in tresspasser, so guns being invented in the meantime makes perfect sense.

No clue about the next two, but the final one is very, very clearly related to the Navarran death mages, though wheter it's a mortalatasi, or a spirit bound to a body by them is hard to say.

Regardless they all seem to be a ragtag bunch compared to Inquisitions group. Which would fit with the idea that they are supposed to be a bunch of thieves and such that'ss forced into a battle for the world.

[tangledbea]

Part of the problem with TTS is that they intend to use foreshadowing/reveals that end up having little to no plot relevance. Why hint that Cassandra has developed an interest in romance if it wasn’t going going to contribute to be followed up on? Why reveal to us that Quirin was the figure looking at the rocks at the end of the pilot, if it wasn’t going going to plot important later on?

Personally, I think you're putting too much weight on Cassandra developing an interest in (or tolerance for) romance. I'm frankly rather tired of people thinking romance should be focal plots of everything. (Not saying that that's what you're saying here, but I've lately been internally ranting quite a bit against peoples' focus on shipping at the expense of the rest of the story, and you mentioning romance, specifically calls that to mind.) Also, it's less that Cassandra had developed an interest in romance and more that she wasn't completely closed off to the idea anymore. That's character growth, whether something is done with it or not.

The series had a bad tendency to add things they thought were cool, then fail to keep them as a thread following all the way through, and drop them once they'd served their initial purpose. Quirin being the one with the mark on his hand technically linked him to the Brotherhood, which opened the gates for season two, where the Brotherhood and its purpose was revealed in full. Quirin being the one to look at the rocks at the end of TBEA led directly to him helping Frederic hide their severity from the people of Corona. Once it was revealed that he was the one with the mark, and once the mark was revealed to be shared with the Brotherhood, it had served its purpose, and they dropped it.

The only reveal they didn't drop was Cassandra being Gothel's daughter, and even that didn't get used to its full potential. It's 100% confirmed that Gothel betrayed Demanitus to follow Zhan Tiri, but we never get to see what she got out of it, or what her part to play was. Tromus and Sugracha both had powerful spirit forms, not to mention actual magic. But Gothel was still human and had to use the magic of other things. Frankly, I don't even think Zhan Tiri knew Gothel had found the flower, or else she would have been ordered to destroy it or hand it over or something. Not just safeguard it and use it for herself for centuries.

[yakool-foolio]

So uhhh remember when I posted this and didn't elaborate?

Today's the day I'm gonna elaborate. Ringo Ignis backstory summary speedrun GO!

Ringo was born to a family that's been tight-knit with the WDO ever since its founding. Their ancestors were a part of a scientific study to figure out if genetics served a part in what gifts people with supernatural abilities, and if so, what kind of genetics. However, once the WDO discovered that people born with unnatural silver eyes were most likely to gain Fortes, they began enforcing arranged marriages within the WDO to ensure that there would be a long line of Master Detectives from the Ignis family tree, proven to carry the gene. What they didn't know is that those with silver eyes are also highly vulnerable to a disease that is slow-acting and lethal, causing their family to basically disintegrate as they fail a race against time to continue their bloodline. The WDO acts like its not their problem while still holding the Ignis family in high regard, forcing them to work under the organization since they have nowhere else to turn to for work.

In present day, Ringo and his dad are the only ones left alive in their family, but their dad recently caught the illness. Ringo used to confine himself at home in order to take care of their sick father, learning how to multi-task as a way to distract themself from the potential loss of his last remaining family member. But eventually, their ability to multi-task developed into the power to create illusions of themself, able to appear like they're in two places at once. At first, he refused to join the WDO despite their dad's insistence. They instead spent months trying to enhance their powers on their own, desperate to find a way to help their dad. But when nothing worked, they eventually gave in, hoping that his work at the organization could provide them enough money to pay for a study and treatment of the disease before Ringo could be inflicted with it as well.

As for how the whole 'apple' part fits into this, the apple is a symbol of immortality to the Ignis family. To them, immortality is simply the experience of getting to live a full life and die peacefully when the time is right, not violently cut short by the disease cursing them all. The reason the family hasn't completely died out yet (other than the WDO still insisting they have children for the sake of having more Master Detectives no matter their shorter lifespan), is the idea that one day there will be someone who could break the 'curse' and let them live normal lives until death is nothing but a stranger. As the family is cut down to two living members, Ringo is named as their last shot at peace, carrying the decaying legacy of their bloodline.

[ambriel-angstwitch]

Fourth of July through the Lens of Zuko (and Azula)

It was the Fourth of July You and I were, you and I were fire, fire, fireworks That went off too soon

Fireworks that went off too soon - Fireworks are beautiful sights to behold due to careful planning. One going off early is an unfortunate accident that would ruin the show. Due to their upbringing of constantly being pressured to achieve the highest ironically Zuko and Azula couldn’t reach their full potential. Azula was excelling from a young age which put a spotlight on her. This made it so failure no longer was an option but failure is how we grow. When she feels as though she’s failing she completely breaks down. On the flip side we have Zuko who could never seem to be enough. He constantly was left chasing his fathers ideas of what’s right for firebending and actions that he didn’t do what was better for him. Then he was sent young and angry on a wild chase around the world. If they’d been allowed to grow on their own time and learn in their own ways they could have been well rounded and intelligent individuals who could have worked well together. But they’d been forced to grow up too soon. All this is similar to how if the firework had gone off at the right time it would have been a sight to behold but due to its timing it became a mess

And I miss you in the June gloom too

Pete uses “the June gloom” to describe the fairly uneventful month before July. Zuko probably missed his home the most in the uneventful times, in the years where Aang wasn’t out of the ice when his purpose wasn’t as easy to track.

I said I'd never miss you, but I guess you never know

Zuko never seemed to be miss Azula his goal was always to regain his fathers approval and to get back to his father. But in a lot of ways he did miss her even after he had her again because there was a time before they were pitted eachother that all they had for eachother was love when Zuzu wasn’t used to mock but rather because K sounds are hard for young children to use.

May the bridges I have burned light my way back home on the fourth of July

Zuko throughout the series consistently burns the bridges that will lead him home. For example when he wanted to go home to the Fire nation he did the actions of a traitor as the blue spirit. Though the interesting thing about this wording is that the bridges burning is what lights the way back home so you can’t see the way until you’ve created the destruction which is similar to how Zuko doesn’t realize that his destiny until after he betrays Iroh. Until he’s laid in the wreckage of his mistakes that he realizes that being in the Fire Nation won’t make him happy. That he needs to carve his own path. That his uncle has been the only person that’s been with him through all his struggles. The Gaang and Uncle become his home.

I'll be as honest as you'll let me

Zuko is willing to admit to all his wrongdoings and seek forgiveness. He’s changed. But the Gaang have a hard time believing him and worry it’s just a trick. After all Azula was great at lying, but Zuko unbeknownst to them lacks this skill.

I miss your early morning company If you get me

Zuko misses Iroh the person who was there for him when he woke up on the ship the first time and any other time he woke up from a nightmare.

You are my favorite what if You are my best I'll never know

After Zuko saw Katara and Sokka’s sibling dynamic there’s a part of him that’s jealous of what they have. Azula is his favorite what if, he wants to believe that under different circumstances they could have been best friends or at least had a less deadly sibling rivalry. He wishes they could have had a healthy relationship.

And I'm starting to forget Just what summer ever meant to you What did it ever mean to you?

To Zuko summer meant their family was happy. It meant watching plays with his mom. It meant playing on the beach with Azula and Lu Ten. Ember island is where he remembers his family whole and happy. Then most recently Ember island is the first place that we see Azula be vulnerable, they both reconnect. We don’t know exactly what Ember Island used to mean to Azula but we know now that they’re teens she also finds it depressing. Whether that’s because it also used to be a happy place to her or if it’s because she used to see Zuko connect with Ursa and not her we’re unaware.

Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean any of it I just got too lonely, lonely, whoa. In between being young and being right You were my Versailles at night

Zuko didn’t truly want to betray his uncle, he just got desperate for his fathers love and his home. Zuko wanted to be right about everything because if he wasn’t none of it would have been worth it. But in reality Iroh was the one bright spot left in his family

My 9 to 5 is cutting open old scars again and again 'til I'm stuck in your head Had my doubts but I let them out

Becoming the firelord reopened old wounds. He looked to his father for approval, he misses his mother and he even ended up teaming up with Azula again, despite their past which says that’s a bad idea.

You are the drought And I'm the holy water you have been without

Azula causes destruction and conversely Zuko has learned that Fire can bring life. They could complete and compliment eachother but they haven’t had the chance to.

And all my thoughts of you They could heat or cool the room, and no

Zuko has conflicting feelings about Azula. He loves her but their on different sides and she tried to kill him.

Don't tell me you cried Oh, honey, you don't have to lie

Azula tends to play with people’s emotions. If it benifitted her she would have told Zuko she missed him during his banishment but Azula always lies.

I wish I'd known how much you loved me I wish I cared enough to know

Zuko wished he’d realized how much Iroh loved and cared for him and how little his father did. These are things that would have affected his path.

I'm sorry every song's about you. The torture of small talk with someone you used to love

When Zuko returned to the Fire Nation, his and Azula’s conversations were mostly stilted and blunt. They rarely can open up to each other since Azula sees as weakness, something she can’t have and something she can exploit in Zuko

[i-love-an-alcoholic]

Story of M: How I became an addict, Part One

CONTENT WARNING: Alcohol and drug abuse

Edit: I want to add that alcohol withdrawal is potentially lethal and should NEVER be attempted without consulting a medical professional!

I began using alcohol as a coping mechanism at age 17. I was an outcast at school. My parents' marriage was nothing but a facade and my mother took her frustrations about their impending divorce out on me. I had very little hope for the future and being told I'd never amount to anything did not help. I had always dreamed of becoming a visual artist but felt I had no talent at all and I was doomed to fail at everything I tried. I had been diagnosed with depression at 14 and received counseling for it which was a positive, but as soon as the bi-weekly session was over I had to return to my regular life which was becoming more and more unbearable every day.

My parents didn't drink a lot, but we had a fairly well-stocked liquor cabinet full of souvenir bottles from my father's travels. "Nobody's going to drink these anyway", I thought and took some of the bottles and hid them in my closet. After my parents and sibling went to bed, I'd take a bottle and force its contents down my throat. My room was on the opposite side of our apartment from other bedrooms and it also had a convenient second bathroom right next to it, so when I had had too much I could throw up discreetly without waking them up.

I did this multiple times a week. My grades went down because I was groggy and hung over at school. One time I took a whole bottle of champagne and went outside to drink it. I was sitting on a park bench next to a playground, drinking straight from the bottle, all alone.

Legal drinking age is 18 where I live, and oddly enough, turning 18 slowed down my drinking. I didn't have to drink my parents' booze or hide my alcohol use any longer, but I had to buy it myself and store it in the fridge where my mother would see and comment about it. Things were pretty good for a while. I graduated from school with average grades, managed to get into a university and moved out at 19, at the same time my parents divorced.

I failed hard at uni. After two years, at 21, I changed schools into a more practical one, and for the first time in a long time, felt good about myself. I did well academically and was popular within our group. I even got a good friend, J. J was a party dude and we partied a lot, more than everybody else. Despite that everything was good for a year or so.

At the time I was in a relationship with a very troubled guy (I could go on forever about him, but I digress) who got into designer drugs and convinced me to try them too. To this day I have no idea what the stuff even was, but I believe it was a synthetic cannabinoid. I was sold. I took that stuff daily for several weeks, while neglecting my schoolwork. After that I would actively seek drugs in addition to binge drinking 2 to 3 times a week.

Despite this I managed to get my degree and landed a fairly well-paid job straigh out of school. I had to move cities for my job, but stayed in a long-distance relationship with the aforementioned troubled guy mainly because of his contacts. My job was at times very stressful, which I used to justify my binge drinking and occasional drug use. Work hard, party harder and so forth. I was around 26 when I began to notice negative side effects of binge drinking: I was overweight, bloated, irritable when sober and had scary hangovers. I tried to quit drinking, but found out I couldn't do it for more than a week.

Since I couldn't quit on my own, I went to see a doctor and asked for an Antabus (disulfiram) prescription which he happily gave to me. I know that Antabus does not work for everybody but it helped me immensely. At first everything was terrible, but after some weeks it got easier and easier until all the cravings were completely gone and I felt like a new person. All's well that ends well, right?

Wrong. To be continued.

[lanabriggs]

Turning Bright Ideas into Tangible Results

Every innovator knows the electric moment when inspiration strikes that flash of clarity when a solution appears fully formed in the mind’s eye. Yet between that spark of genius and its real-world impact lies a vast terrain few successfully navigate. The true art of creation isn’t just in having ideas, but in building bridges sturdy enough to carry them from imagination to reality.

Eric Hannelius, CEO of Pepper Pay, reflects on this challenge: “Early in my career, I confused inspiration with achievement. I’d have what felt like revolutionary ideas, only to watch them fizzle when execution faltered. Over time, I learned that bringing ideas to life requires different muscles than generating them.”

The Gravity of the Mundane.

Great ideas face immediate resistance from ordinary reality. Budgets constrain. Timelines stretch. Team members misunderstand. The vision that seemed so clear in your head meets the friction of implementation. This is where many promising concepts perish from inability to survive contact with practical constraints.

Successful innovators anticipate this transition. They prepare their ideas for the real world by stress-testing assumptions early. A designer might create rough prototypes before perfecting aesthetics. An entrepreneur could test demand with a minimal version before building full infrastructure.

The Discipline of Small Steps.

Inspiration often comes in grand visions, but execution thrives on incremental progress. Breaking monolithic ideas into manageable components makes the journey from concept to completion possible. Writing a book becomes drafting one chapter at a time. Launching a product shifts to completing specific features in sequence.

This approach maintains momentum while allowing for course correction. Each small completion provides validation and learning that informs the next step. The alternative attempting everything at once often leads to paralysis or burnout.

“At Pepper Pay, we call this ‘the next visible milestone’ approach,” Eric Hannelius explains. “Instead of fixating on the distant finish line, we focus on reaching the next check point we can clearly see. It keeps teams motivated and prevents overwhelm.”

The Translation Challenge.

An idea fully formed in your mind exists only as an abstraction to others. Bridging this gap requires translating vision into terms colleagues, investors, and customers can grasp and support. Visual aids, analogies, and concrete examples become essential tools.

A tech founder might use simple metaphors to explain complex algorithms to potential backers. A chef developing new recipes could create taste samples before finalizing menus. The goal is to help others experience enough of the vision to become collaborators rather than skeptics.

Eric Hannelius notes: “I’ve watched brilliant ideas fail because their creators couldn’t help others see what they saw. The ability to articulate vision is as important as the vision itself.”

When to Persist, When to Pivot.

The journey from inspiration to implementation inevitably reveals flaws in the original concept. Wisdom lies in distinguishing between obstacles that require perseverance and those signaling needed change.

Successful innovators develop this discernment through experience and feedback loops. They know when a struggling idea needs more time versus when it needs reinvention. They balance conviction with humility committed to their vision’s essence while flexible about its expression.

“We’ve shelved promising ideas not because they were bad,” says Eric Hannelius, “but because we realized the market wasn’t ready or our execution capacity was insufficient. Some later emerged stronger when conditions changed.”

The Emotional Terrain.

Bringing ideas to life demands emotional resilience unseen in the euphoria of initial inspiration. There are long stretches where progress feels invisible, setbacks seem frequent, and doubt creeps in. Maintaining belief during these phases separates those who realize their visions from those who abandon them.

Seasoned creators develop practices to sustain themselves through these valleys — celebrating small wins, revisiting their original inspiration, or leaning on trusted colleagues who understand the vision.

[patsketch]

Do-It-Yourself Patent Drawings vs. Professional Services: What You Need to Know

When it comes to filing for a patent, the importance of patent drawings cannot be overstated. Patent offices, like the USPTO and EPO, require clear and precise drawings that accurately represent the invention, its components, and how they function. However, many inventors face the dilemma of whether to create their own patent drawings (Do-It-Yourself, or DIY) or hire professional patent drawing services.

Both options have their advantages and challenges. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of DIY patent drawings versus hiring professional services, helping you make an informed decision about the best approach for your patent application.

What Are Patent Drawings and Why Are They Important?

Patent drawings serve as visual representations of an invention, complementing the written description provided in a patent application. They allow the examiner, and ultimately anyone reading the patent, to understand the invention’s design, structure, and functionality. Clear patent drawings are essential for:

Demonstrating the novelty and unique features of an invention

Helping patent examiners grasp complex inventions more easily

Supporting patent claims and preventing rejections or office actions due to a lack of clarity

Given their critical role, patent drawings must meet strict legal requirements for each jurisdiction. While it may seem tempting to save money by creating your own, failing to meet these standards can lead to costly delays and potential rejections.

Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Patent Drawings

Creating your own patent drawings can seem like an appealing option, especially for independent inventors or startups trying to minimise costs. With the right tools, software, and some basic understanding of patent drawing principles, you can create drawings that are suitable for filing.

Advantages of DIY Patent Drawings

Cost Savings: One of the main advantages of creating your own patent drawings is the cost savings. Professional patent illustrators charge based on complexity and time, which can add up quickly. By handling the drawings yourself, you avoid paying fees that can sometimes range from $100 to $500 per sheet.

Full Control Over the Process: When you do the drawings yourself, you have complete control over the process. This can be beneficial if you’re still in the iterative phase of your invention and want to quickly sketch ideas before finalising them.

Quick Turnaround: If you have the right software and skills, DIY patent drawings can often be completed in less time compared to waiting for professional services to finish their work, which might involve back-and-forth revisions.

Challenges of DIY Patent Drawings

Lack of Professional Expertise: Patent drawings must meet strict legal requirements, and a lack of expertise can lead to non-compliance with patent office standards. Professional illustrators are skilled at ensuring that the drawings meet the precise requirements of the patent office, including formatting, line quality, and perspective.

Risk of Rejection: If your drawings are unclear, incomplete, or fail to meet legal guidelines, your patent application could face delays or rejections. Even a minor mistake, such as improper labelling or incorrect line weights, can lead to issues.

Time-Consuming: Creating patent drawings from scratch can be time-consuming, especially if you’re not familiar with the rules. Mastering the nuances of patent drawing guidelines can take significant effort, diverting attention from other important aspects of your application.

Software and Tools: While software like AutoCAD, SolidWorks, or even SketchUp can help create patent drawings, there is a learning curve. These tools can be complex, and understanding how to use them for patent-specific purposes is different from general design or drafting.

Professional Patent Drawing Services

For many inventors, hiring a professional patent drawing service is a better option. These services are staffed with skilled illustrators who specialise in patent drawings and are familiar with the requirements of various patent offices around the world.

Advantages of Professional Patent Drawing Services

Expert Knowledge and Compliance: Professional illustrators are highly experienced and familiar with the patent office's detailed requirements, ensuring that your drawings meet all necessary standards. This reduces the likelihood of errors and rejections, which can delay the entire patent process.

High-Quality and Precision: Patent professionals know how to create clean, accurate drawings that adhere to the required line weights, margins, and scaling. The result is a professional set of drawings that accurately depict the invention, ensuring clarity and maximising the chances of approval.

Time Efficiency: Hiring professionals saves you time. You can focus on your invention and other critical tasks while the illustrator handles the details of your patent drawings. Since these services are experienced, they can turn around the drawings quickly, often within a few days.

Multiple Views and Complex Details: Professional services are adept at creating multiple views, such as top, side, front, and perspective views, which are often required for complex inventions. They also handle intricate sectional views, which are difficult for novices to create accurately.

Challenges of Professional Patent Drawing Services

Cost: The most significant drawback of hiring professional services is the cost. Depending on the complexity of the invention, fees for professional patent drawings can range from $100 to $500 per sheet, and prices may vary based on geographic location and service provider.

Communication and Turnaround: While professional services can save time, there may be delays if the illustrator is busy with other projects. There’s also a back-and-forth communication process to make sure the drawings match your vision, which can add to the timeline.

Lack of Involvement: When you hire professionals, you lose some degree of control over the creative process. If you have specific ideas or prefer to handle details yourself, working with an external service may not provide the same flexibility as DIY.

Choosing the Right Option

The decision between DIY patent drawings and professional services ultimately depends on several factors, including your budget, timeline, and technical expertise.

When to Choose DIY Patent Drawings:

You’re on a tight budget and can’t afford professional services

Your invention is simple, and you are confident in your ability to create clear, compliant drawings

You have access to design software and a solid understanding of the technical aspects of patent drawings

When to Choose Professional Patent Drawing Services:

You need to ensure that your drawings comply with patent office standards and are of high quality

Your invention is complex, requiring multiple views, sectional drawings, or detailed technical representations

You want to save time and focus on the rest of your patent application process while experts handle the drawings

Final Thoughts

While DIY patent drawings can save costs, they come with risks in terms of compliance, quality, and time. If your invention is straightforward and you have the necessary tools and skills, creating your own drawings might be the best option. However, for complex inventions or those requiring high precision, professional patent drawing services provide the expertise and peace of mind you need to ensure your application is as strong as possible.

Ultimately, the right choice depends on your specific needs and resources. Whether you decide to go the DIY route or hire professionals, the most important thing is that your patent drawings clearly and accurately represent your invention to maximise the chances of a successful patent application.