#i always understand things better with examples

[eyrieofsynapses]

This is one of the reasons why we really, really need to be educating ourselves on the history and reasoning behind conservative movements. And y'all, we cannot ignore the cultural elements of this--oftentimes the seemingly stupid stuff is way, way more complicated than you'd think.

I think part of why left-wing folks like to be dismissive is because it absolves us of doing the work to 1) recognize the reasoning behind conservative movements, which is often uncomfortable and complicated, 2) treating conservatives like the regular people they are, and most importantly 3) connecting with conservatives and finding ways to get through to them.

This is hard to do. It involves examining our own beliefs and acknowledging that our perspectives are, indeed, perspectives. We're doing the right thing from our point of view, and conservatives are doing the same damn thing. That's uncomfortable! It's uncomfortable to say "yes, these people who are trying to strip me of my rights can think through things like I can and believe they're doing what's right with the same conviction that I do"! Because it means they can think like you! And it also confronts us with the reality that, under different circumstances, we could be like them. (...which, in and of itself, is a very us-versus-them way of thinking, and that's dangerous too.)

Of course, the left-wing movement is generally in the direction of expanding civil rights, preventing physical and mental harm to others, improving the environment etc., and usually involves a much broader world view--essentially it seeks to better life for everyone regardless of their circumstances. To me, that's what makes left-wing movements moral and worthy of pursuit. Conservative views seem to tend toward more... dehumanization in the name of bettering life for their in-group and/or because they don't want to sympathize or try to understand other people, and a belief that everyone is responsible for their own situation and will bear the consequences accordingly. But even then, that's a left-wing view of right-wingers. Frankly I need to do more research on how their thinking works--and here I need to acknowledge that the conservative group is in fact not a monolith, and there's a hell of a lot of groups within it, so the thinking will vary depending on who you're looking at.

Imo the most frustrating part of this is that sometimes the reasoning conservatives have is not strictly off, either, and frankly that's one of the most important things to recognize, because that's how ordinary people in the center (and even liberals and leftists!) get pushed into right-wing movements and become polarized. Yes, the USA does have a pretty significant national debt, and yes, that could come back to bite us in the ass. Yes, there are potentially very real and dangerous economic consequences to a low birth rate. And so on. That doesn't mean that the solutions right-wingers are presenting are good--they generally have a basis in racist/queerphobic/misogynistic/abelist/etc. beliefs--but the concerns themselves aren't always illegitimate. We do have to address them if we want to avoid pushing folks in the center into extreme right-wing territory.

In any case, if you're a podcast person and want to educate yourself on political movements, I'd highly recommend NPR's work. Just for a couple examples, Throughline is good for long-form history and background on political movements (I just listened to their two-parter on the abortion rights and anti-abortion movements and hoo boy there is a LOT to unpack in there). It's Been A Minute is a shorter podcast covering current cultural movements and, to quote, "why it doesn't happen by accident." You can also take a look at Slate's Decoder Ring for coverage on goofier but equally relevant topics.

gotta be honest with you, i'm not too sure about this thing ppl say of "conservatives" being irrationally opposed to "trans people just existing" or whatever. i guess controversial take but no they actually have very concrete reasons to oppose bodily autonomy and the destabilization of sexual roles we represent considering their views on sex/gender and social reproduction overall actually. obviously we must oppose those views as they are 1. wrong and 2. oppressive but like. it's not like they just chose a random minority to hate. i mean otherwise why do you think it's specifically us.

[2000sangel]

What about tenna losing power during a thunderstorm? Or maybe being in pain from a severe power surge? I mean, it’s not like he has the modern conveniences built in of surge protectors, and it’s probably pretty scary to suddenly turn off/“faint” with no warning! Even if nothing happens, I imagine this would make tenna pretty scared of storms… a little comfort would go a long way I’m sure 💖💖💖💖

-✨

Hellow!! This was a very fun idea that I decided to make HCs for: I slightly tweaked the prompt though, and made it into general thunderstorm comfort HCs...power surges usually impact electronics quite badly and I have another request for something similar to the other idea you provided, sooo...winks, keep your eyes on my blog for updates °_^

And enjoy!! <3

P.S. - does anyone recognize this image that I used...? Eheh...

Tenna x Reader - Thunderstorm Comfort Headcanons

>It takes you a little by surprise when one stormy day, upon deciding to visit the Dark World, you find Tenna more nervous than usual; at the beginning he simply tries to brush it off, but as the storm picks up he becomes visibly more and more agitated until you finally connect the dots: Tenna is…afraid of thunderstorms, and not for stupid reasons! His Light World counterpart could very easily get damaged during one, and you actually recall it happening and having to call an electronics technician for repairs.

>You suggest willingly putting things on hold whenever a very heavy storm happens, it’s not like you really mind if he takes some time off, and he actually thanks you for this and ends up accepting your idea later down the line.

>This however doesn’t completely solve the issue; his shows might be under control, but he isn’t. He’s on edge the entire time, you can see it even though he tries to act like his usual eccentric self. So you bring up the idea of activities that only require a low amount of energy and to do them together, for example thinking up TV Time themes or playing board games.

>Tenna sounds immediately more excited upon hearing your ideas, and is glad that you’d be interested in helping with his show and just spending some chill time together; he’s a little flustered, even, that you’d consider doing all of this just to calm him down.

>Your visits end up becoming a must whenever the weather is even slightly bad, and over time Tenna becomes a little less jumpy whenever it happens. He stops worrying about what might happen so much and starts looking forward to the comfort of your presence instead; he even prepares everything himself when he notices the weather getting bad, hoping you show up every time. 

>When it eventually does happen that you don’t show up, an uneasy feeling settles in his chest until you can finally visit him and explain your reasoning: maybe you were outside, or maybe you got caught up in something or even in the storm itself, which is very understandable however it takes him a little while to shake the thoughts that you did it on purpose from his wicked head. 

>As he gets used to getting reassurance whenever you can’t physically be there for him, he eventually realizes that you’re not just going to up and leave, especially if something like a storm is going on. Storms actually kind of…help him in a sense: they help him build trust in your relationship, they help him take a much needed break once in a while…they help him connect better with you and with his subordinates, who secretly understand where his fear comes from and are willing to play those board games with him -he would never admit to the reason why he always suggests playing those during a storm, but it still makes for a fun time once in a while!-.

>You also change your habits a little back in the Light World, just for Tenna: whenever the forecast gives a storm warning, you hurry to shut off all of the lights and electronics in your house. More power and lives saved, you often joke with your friends when they ask you why you do it…! You also install surge protectors, as you guess that if something like that ever happened it’d be painful for Tenna. And then, if you don’t have anywhere extremely important to be, you warn everyone that you’ll be unavailable until the sky is clear again and run to your partner. 

[bitchesgetriches]

So I'm nowhere near wealthy enough for this to matter, but I've always wondered something. Do banks ensuring your money up to $250000 with the FDIC mean you should never keep more than that amount in the same bank? Should you use more than one if you're rich in case you need that insured money?

So, funny story.

My grandparents (an Italian immigrant who barely survived childhood during WWII and a white-passing mixed race man who barely survived childhood in the South) were EXCEEDINGLY cautious about most things because of their lived experiences. Nonetheless, they got into the stock market in the 1960s without fully understanding it, lost a bunch of money in a downturn, and immediately swore off investing ever again.

After that, they kept their money in FDIC-insured bank... s. Banks. Multiple. At the time my grandfather died at age 94, my grandparents had several bank balances of $250,000 in non-interest-bearing accounts. It was a massive headache for my dad and his siblings to run around FINDING, consolidating, and organizing the accounts to secure elder care for my grandmother.

My grandparents weren't WRONG for having multiple accounts! And they weren't wrong for not trusting financial institutions beyond the $250k the FDIC insures. But they would have been a lot better off diversifying their assets and accounts. Once they surpassed $250k in savings, they would've been much better off investing that money in the stock market, putting it in an HSA, buying additional property, investing in small businesses, etc.

But again, they were both survivors of significant trauma. It gave them enormous peace of mind to know that their savings were insured. Investing in the stock market was too stressful and volatile for them. This is just another example of how PERSONAL FINANCE IS PERSONAL.

Now here is some required reading for context:

Wait... Did I Just Lose All My Money Investing in the Stock Market? 

Cheat on Your Bank—It's Not Your Girlfriend

Investing Deathmatch: Timing the Market vs. Time IN the Market 

The Dark Magic of Financial Horcruxes: How and Why to Diversify Your Assets 

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[muffinsin]

helllo, hope you're doing well. I'm wondering if you'd be interested in doing a scenario where one of the Dimitrescu faints, you can choose who, and you can choose why and where it happens.

My only request is if there could be a bit of mama worry and care as well as sisterly care- I know your not a fan of writing alcina but I've been seeing her pop up more often so it makes me believe you're getting more comfortable writing her? But still add her if you want and I hope mother care and sister care is not to much of a big ask.

Im trying to keep this ask to have more freedom in case of writers block sooo idk if it will help but here you go 🫰🏽

Hey, hon! :) I absolutely am interested, this sounds adorable! I love writing Alcina in fluffy prompts, actually XP But I find her quite difficult to write. Anyway, let's get some good mama bear and protective sisters incoming

Let's get into it!

Masterlists

Bela overworking herself is... an understatement

Between a busy schedule cramped with a nearly impossible mountain of tasks, spontaneous issues and worries being dropped on her by the staff and, perhaps most of all, constantly having to monitor her younger sisters, Bela is known to tackle more than enough tasks a day

So headstrong, her mother praises

So perfect, her sister mocks

So capable, her other sister admires

So resilient, others speak highly of her

An impressive heir. A dedicated worker. A respectful woman. The prime example and role model of a sister

Bela Dimitrescu

None know what is behind the titles, the overwhelming amount of stress, the angry tears and breakdowns each night, the headaches daring to overwhelm her after neglecting meals in favor of working more, or simply being too stressed and forgetting about them entirely

Alcina, always praising her for being so headstrong, for the tasks she accomplishes in record time, could never guess the intense toll it takes on her eldest

She knows only of her bright smile when she is praised, cannot catch a glimpse of how her precious eldest breaks herself to perform better, faster, more tasks than she is given, more tasks than anyone ought to take on, desperately chasing the next words of praise from her

Cassandra, mocking and rolling her eyes when her sister scolds her, just rarely sees the utter exhaustion in her well kept features, just rarely picks up the unease her sister's swarm seems to convey, just rarely notices how her sister trembles when she crosses her arms and scolds her

Daniela, who so often mocks and pouts, who so often causes more trouble, intentionally or not. Always looking up at her sister, yet incapable of looking at her, the eldest constantly surrounded by thick walls shielding the true exhaustion her life brings

Bela Dimitrescu

Desperate to do good, to be a good role model, to be worthy of her family's love. Desperate, to keep her family safe

It's like this that she pushes herself too far

She doesn't understand what's happening, doesn't understand how she could trap herself in this room with no escape

She wants to blame Cassandra

She wants to snarl about how she told her to catch the man-thing and she deliberately let him go, only to continue on and postpone her childish, sadistic hunt

Naturally, catching him is now her task

What she didn't account for, however, is being locked inside a room with two large, broken windows and the cool wind causing more and more of her flies to drop rapidly

She feels pain course through her entire body as shots are fired at her, feels as her body trembles, then falls to the ground, her knees weak

Everything goes blurry first, her vision swimming, her head so light and mind hazy

Then, darkness, pain, and silence

She awakens to...noise?

Whispers, hushed voices and snarls. Her eyes feel heavy, her body even more so

She's cold, terribly so, but feels something warm surrounding her. A blanket? No, there must be more than one. Three thick ones, at least

Bela stirs a little as she feels her body be readjusted, her mind reeling as she attempts to figure out where she is

Next, however, she picks up a series of familiar scents

Rich perfume and roses- her favorite scent, the one bringing her the most comfort- Mama is here

Then, there is the scent of iron and blood, of pine trees and the kind of indescribable smell that belongs to rain and water- Cassandra is here

She picks up the last, too, the sweet perfume mixing into the coppery scent of blood- Daniela is here

Ah, but she hardly needs her scent to tell that. She winces when she feels something press against her stomach, her eyes fluttering a little as the thing- a hand, she is sure- is immediately removed and she picks up the hushed snarls of Cassandra as she scolds the redhead

"Move it!"

She opens her eyes to the sound, feeling her body protest as it yearns for just a little more rest

Immediately, she gasps as a body crashed against hers and she feels her youngest sister's head bump against her throat. She hugs her, so tight it hurts, her front and dress rubbing up uncomfortably against the countless wounds on her body

She doesn't dare push her away

"I'm so sorry!", she hears her cry. Again, she feels the discomfort of warm breaths hitting her neck and wet tears running down her skin, though she doesn't dare push the younger woman off. Instead, she groggily raises her aching arms to wrap them around her, not trusting her voice judging by how dry her throat feels

Opening her eyes fully, she finally recognizes the room she's in

She's in her mother's arms, four blankets piled on top of her and countless smaller things- pillows, dolls, stuffed animals and dead mice set up around her almost like an offering of comfort and a plea for forgiveness. Too exhausted, she can't bring herself to smile, though weakly raises her fingers towards her other sister until she feels Cassandra hold them wordlessly, not daring to meet her eyes

She knows, after all, it was her job to kill the man-thing. Her task to get rid of him. Her fault her sister collapsed and nearly froze over, she's sure, unaware of just how hard she has been pushing herself prior

Still, despite the pain she's in, she croaks out a little laugh when Cassandra eventually tugs at the back of her sister's dress, drawing unhappy whines from her as she's yanked back and away, completely oblivious to how the blonde breathes a sigh of relief now the pressure on her wounds and aching body has been lifted

She feels a large hand lovingly cup her head and sighs in relief yet again, leaning into the touch as her eyes slip shut again

She doesn't dare meet her mother's eyes, not after this. She couldn't bear the immense worry in her eyes, knowing she caused it. Knowing it's her fault

Despite her efforts, however, her mother knows

She always does

Bela whines lowly at the back of her throat as she’s turned and her chin is lifted, pressing her eyes shut when she feels tears build up

She couldn’t bear the disappointment she is sure Alcina must feel

Instead, her eyes snap open wide when she feels the woman kiss her forehead as she has so often back when they were still little. Much to her embarrassment her bottom lip wobbles when she catches the utterly loving and caring expression her mother’s face shows

No disappointment- at least not revealed by her expression

She jumps as she feels a body against her back, giggling tiredly as she feels Daniela sling her arms back around her, sniffling quietly by her ear

Her heart aches again as she hears the woman whisper and sniffle, promising to be “the best sister in the world and never cause trouble again” if only she gets better and doesn’t die

She wants to promise her; she won’t die, but the words die in her sore throat and she’s left coughing, which seems to only have her younger sister panic more

Her golden eyes wide and bottom lip quivering, Daniela watches as Bela is guided to lay back again, her eyes closing momentarily at the warmth surrounding her

Still, just to make sure, she allows some of her flies to rest by her sister’s head

For protection

As Bela nestles back against the many blankets around her and feels her mother’s hand stroke soothing circles against her shoulder and back to warm her up, she catches both her sisters looking at her expectantly, as though unsure what to say or do

Guilt. Love. Hope. She easily picks it up in their expressions and pose

She sends them a gentle smile, her throat aching a little as she croaks out an “it’s okay”

Daniela is the first to cuddle up when beckoned closer, by her left

She can only smile again as she feels the woman steal away some of the blankets for herself and whine for Alcina’s other hand until she too receives gentle head scratches

Cassandra stays back for a moment longer, her eyes downcast again until she too joins the pile of blankets

She doesn’t dare meet her sister’s eyes, doesn’t dare bump into her in fear of worsening the pain she’s sure she must be in

She does, however, snarl automatically in surprise when she’s yanked closer, her eyes finding other golden ones as she eventually too curls up against her sister and the blankets

Maybe, it was her fault

But maybe, it doesn’t matter now, with Bela recovering, with her forgiving her

[crowdusk]

Putting it out there briefly before ep 51 comes out so i can come back to this.

I think some of what the Citadel is catching heat for (especially what Tefmet was saying using poor evidence) around binding, creating/breeding and conjuring Great Spirits is actually the work of the Saraz Imperium/Crown. I don’t think the Citadel is completely uninvolved or doesn’t itself do fucked up things to Great Spirits (see: the Great Bullfrog), but I’ve been thinking a lot about Morrow’s derrick, the way we saw the Crown move in Arc 2 during the raids, Tefmet’s evidence not actually fully pointing back to the Citadel, and especially most recently the wizard Keen and the introduction of the crown prince in Arc 4.

These guild mages (Morrow and Keen) are both involved in using spirits somehow. Morrow must have needed a huge amount of resources, magical and otherwise, to build the derrick - not to mention administrative sign off. We never learned who in the Crown was involved because of how things went down in Port Talon. Keen seems to have an understanding of witches and spirits, and specifically wants to trap Eursulon. We have a horrible idea of what happened to Ghost.

We also now know that there is at least some level of tension between the Citadel and the Crown, as evidenced by Steel’s call in episode 50. Clearly the Citadel depends to some extent on the administrative, logistical and civil management work of the Crown so that it can focus on war and academic progress. But, like the wizard Gray hinted, the real power of the Empire seems to be held by the Citadel, and that kind of unequal division doesn’t seem very stable. The Emperor may be a bit of a bozo (we’ll see) but he has a whole bunch of guild mages working for him - wizards who were drummed out of the Citadel, may be bitter and bear a grudge, or have a chip on their shoulder. They may well want to prove they don’t need the Citadel and are in fact better, by advancing their magic using spirits. More importantly, if I was the Crown, some part of me would always be worried that the Citadel could one day decide to overthrow me (especially given Antivoli/Accordati wizard history) and I would not want to be caught off guard with no defence and my opponent controlling the entire military. One thing to do, then, would be to secretly develop alternative forms of wizardry or use of magic.

My theory is that I wouldn’t be surprised if Prince Olfgang has a particular interest in/has been supporting wizards of the Crown in developing the (ab)use of spirits for their magic purposes. Maybe partly for the war effort, but also in relation to the threat of the Citadel. And from a meta perspective I think that’s why, narratively, Brennan has taken us to Sarazmir and highlighted the prince.

Lastly, I do still think the Citadel has been interfering/messing with the Lingua Arcana in ways that are having an impact on magic in Umora as a whole (for example, with the Axiom of Proliferation, and more I think that is yet to come about the aerith system etc). I think what keeps the Citadel and Crown together is their shared interest in maintaining control over the use of magic/the lingua arcana, so as to concentrate power.

Let’s see what happens in these last 4 episodes!! Ahhhhhh

[nosferatuix]

thank you, shoko is also kind of an asshole, she's just really laid back and not really a bully(doesn't have the energy). I do like thinking she has a certain amount of arrogance in her own abilities but since literally no one else shares those abilities until Yuta comes along it doesn't really come up very often and people don't really get their pride hurt that she thinks RCT is super simple and doesn't understand why no one else gets it. So I actually do think to other sorcerors she comes off really nice and nonjudgmental of their abilities when she just straight up does not care. she's also voted Least Likely To Go On A Murder Spree in their school yearbook but she has to work harder to commit a massacre and like, what would be the point? In short every person who says "free shoko!" doesn't understand her at allll, she is EXACTLY where she wants to be. The only time she smiles as big as she did as a teenager flanked by them is when she's grinning at Gojo right before he went off to die. And they consistently are the only ones to break through her apathy by making her visibly upset/angry/stressed out of her goddamn mind.

yup i love the slightly-arrogant flavor of shoko– humility never helped a girl out in jujutsu society anyways, why make yourself look small when everybody else also wants you to feel small? but i feel like that kind of thinking took some time to establish, so she was a lot more timid/obedient towards the wishes of the higher-ups when she was younger but she'd grown tired of it by the time she was an adult. so i enjoy writing her as someone who recognizes her strength and knows her value enough to shut down any out-right disrespect she might face. i know it's not exactly a great example, but i always think of that scene where satoru tells her to make good use of yuji and she looks him dead in the eye and asks him, "who do you think i am?". i know satoru wasn't exactly disrespecting her here and i know she didn't think he was either, but the fact that she had no problems giving him a reality check about her overall stance in the jujutsu society between satoru and the higher-ups always made me feel some type of way. but since she has sort of a distant-but-caring kindness to her and she doesn't boss anyone around unless the situation is really shitty, she seems nice compared to people with strict policies on how things should be handled (like gojo and nanami).

AND THANK YOU for that "free shoko" comment because i couldn't have expressed it any better. what are we freeing her from, exactly? her friends? they get along just fine??? sure, they're annoying or whatever but shoko must not mind that too much because she willingly hangs out with them despite them bullying utahime relentlessly for years. and you're so right about her smiling, i had never thought of it like that before, felt like a punch to the gut.

[philophobic-paracosm]

hello everyone i have a lesson for today

into = modifies an object - "she walked into the room" ; "he crashed into another car" ; "the witch turned the inkwell into a rat"

in to = modifies an action - "he turned his test in to the teacher" ; "they called in to work" ; "burglars break in to steal things"

(meant to be helpful, not patronizing /gen)

[threegoldfish]

Steven has never had the opportunity to ever go through that kind of conversation - to face someone who listens with such intent, just to offer words in return that... that, well, give Steven so much more than he thought words ever could. He's never gone to therapy before, never thought he'd need it - if anything he'd considered to go to a GP perhaps, to try and let them figure out why he's doing the sleep-walk thing - but now that he's here, even though he cannot remember how and when he'd ended up inside this psychiatric hospital... he realizes that therapy might be the right thing for him.

He's never felt so seen, so heard; While he's not sure how much of the whole topic really connects to his being-up-at-night-issue, he supposes that, maybe, one thing could led to another, in a way he's unable to see just yet.

He's got social anxiety, apparently, and... that makes sense. Steven's not really read about anything in that regard, or other mental illnesses... but the more they talk, the more Doctor Harrow offers insight into what might be Steven's psyche, the more it makes sense, as said. The more he's able to agree, to see that this might be something, yeah, that... that stuff is going on there.

Perhaps Steven isn't stupid, isn't a hopeless case, a weirdo - maybe he's got social anxiety. Maybe he speaks French while everyone else speaks English. Maybe he just needs to figure himself out a bit better, maybe he needs to work with this - face his social anxiety, whatever else there could be, and maybe it could also offer an explanation to why he sleep-walks and why he oftentimes seems to just... wake up at random places, doesn't remember what had happened before, experiencing blackouts.

Maybe he also just needs to find the right people to connect with - others that speak French rather than English. ...Maybe Marc could be one of them. Maybe he is speaking a bit of French, at least?

A hum, a dark gaze flicking over to that little succulent as well, taking in the sight of it. A few moments pass in which he doesn't say anything; A lot of thoughts race inside Steven's mind, ping-ponging from one side to the other, and it's a little overwhelming, really. But it's also very... eye-opening. Causes him to feel a bit in awe, almost, about... everything.

"!---Y'know, doctor Harrow..." A breath is being taken before Steven's gaze trails back to meet the other's own, expression still very open and vulnerable, anxious, but also... a bit more at ease. "I think... I think I've never... talked to anyone like this. Like, ever. I think no one has said so many things to me, and... gave me so much to think about. I never considered anything of that to be the case - or to even exist - and... it feels... it feels--- good, really, to... to know that someone understands what I feel. Why I might be doing things the way I do."

A swallow, with Steven smiling after another second passes - not as bubbly and giggly as usual, much more soft, but nevertheless sincere and heartfelt.

"Maybe... Maybe I can actually connect to Marc. Y'know, his reply was... nice. A little short, but... I think it read very friendly, and... as if he's looking forward to hearing from me again!" A nod, with that smile widening a bit, hands folding on Steven's chest as he sits a bit more upright. "---I was already worrying about being too much, or... to mess it up. But... maybe that's just a feeling and not a fact? Y-you said that, yes, that... that feelings aren't necessarily facts. And... well, if I try to see this from a very, uhm, not-feeling-perspective, I... I don't think Marc has written anything that would indicate that he's annoyed by me. Which means I'm just afraid that it could possibly happen, but there's no proof of it having happened!"

Whether Steven will be able to always decipher his feelings from an actual fact, he doesn't know. But having Marc as an example here helps him to use his newly gained knowledge - the advice he's been given - and put it into action, so to speak. Maybe he can hold onto it a bit better from now on, also do the same when he's in the community room doing puzzles.

"---Thank you." Another inhale, a series of tiny nods, dark eyes on that succulent again. "I'm... not sure I'd be able to see all of this, hadn't I... ended up in here. Maybe... maybe I need the help, yeah. Like, more help than just... for the sleep-walking thing." A hum, a shrug. "Maybe it's all connected, in a way. Maybe I'm not, like, dense or something - maybe there's just more going on. Anxiety. French. Yeah."

...

---A sudden chuckle, amused, with Steven's brows rising as his attention is back on Harrow, accompanied by a finger pointing at himself.

"I speak French, by the way. Like, fluently. ---Je ne l'ai pas parlé depuis un certain temps, mais je pense que je m'en sors plutôt bien quand il s'agit de ça, non ? ...Oh gosh, that feels odd! No one ever wants me to speak French; I do own a collection of French poems, so... there's that, at least. Read them all."

Arthur nodded as Steven spoke, just enough to let the man know he was truly listening to him. He wanted the silence to be warm, comforting; it was something that was a necessity. Listening was always a necessity. 

His fingers tapped against the edge of his notebook for a moment, before stilling again. “It’s very common for people who struggle with small talk to also feel like they’re… fundamentally incompatible with others. Like there’s something wrong with you, or something that’s ‘off’. Misaligned. But… Steven, I would like you to imagine this for me.” 

He shifted back just slightly, leaning comfortably in his chair. There was a reason to it, of course - leaning back gave Steven space, and made it feel less like Steven had to believe him without question. 

“Imagine that you speak French,” he offered. “Fluently. Beautifully. But almost everyone around you speaks English. You try to connect with them in French - and it is passionate, it is earnest - but they don’t understand. They decide not to respond. And eventually, sure, they’d drift away.” He stayed holding Steven’s gaze, gently. “It would be very easy for you to think that something is just wrong with you. Maybe that your voice is off-putting, or the sound of your words annoys people. But the truth is… you were just speaking in a different language. One that fewer people are fluent in.” 

He inhaled softly, leaning back in, hands folded gently on the desk. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with how you try to connect. I think you’ve been surrounded by people who don’t know how to respond, or don’t really want to learn. And when that happens enough, you probably do feel unreachable. That it’s not the language, it’s the speaker. But that’s just a lie that you’re telling yourself. It’s a very convincing one - but it’s still just a lie.” 

He adjusted his seating just a bit, briefly letting his eyes flick to the little succulent as if it had something to say with that.

“You mentioned something else that I’d like to come back to,” he continued. “The idea that, even if people don’t initially dislike you, the lack of connection will eventually lead to disliking. That belief is something I hear often from people with social anxiety. It’s not about being afraid of rejection, it’s about anticipating it as inevitable. Like the clock is always ticking, and you have to stay ahead before you get rejected. I want to acknowledge how exhausting that has to be.” 

His tone didn’t waver. It was still calm, still professional; but there was an unmistakable note of sadness in his face. 

“I don’t want to sit here and lie to you, Steven. Not everyone will understand you. Not everyone will make an effort to learn your language. But the ones who do are going to be very lucky. They’re going to meet someone kind, thoughtful, deeply intelligent. They’ll find someone who listens, who cares, who wants to share his knowledge - they’re going to be very lucky to have that. I think Marc knows that he’s lucky to have a person like that talking to him - you’re going to be a very good friend for him.” 

He smiled just barely, genuine warmth in his face even as his eyes were still tired. “Over the next few days, as well, I’d like you to try something. Anytime you feel the urge to pull away, I want you to ask yourself if it’s fact - or feeling. If someone tells you that they don’t want to work on a puzzle with you, then that’s a fact. But if you’re just worrying about it, then it’s feeling. And even though feelings aren’t always wrong, they’re not always facts, either. 

“I want you to start testing your emotions. Start pushing them, do things that might lead to discomfort. And if it ever gets too heavy, then I want you to bring it to me. That’s what this space is here for - think of me as someone you can fall back on.” 

[fmaandbgud]

😧i don't remember this in the anime 😨

[sassyandclassy94]

I’ve had an urge to rewatch The Pacific lately so last night I put on episode one and I never noticed Basilone playing with his nieces and nephews (with him carrying one niece on his back!!) when he goes to the door to let in J.P. and Manny😭

At first I was like “OHHHAAAAAWWWEEEHHH!!!😍” But then I switched to feeling sad because I remembered him telling Lena that he wanted 6 (or was it 10??) children on their honeymoon😭 He never got to have them and thinking about that has me NOT OKAY!!!

It’s CRIMINAL that more people don’t love him

[wild-at-mind]

I really, really fucking hope scrupulosity isn't going to become the new 'emotional labour' or trauma or whatever other terms used to be useful and got bastardised into therapy buzzwords until everyone got annoyed at them. The idea of scrupulosity and the application of it in my life has been so incredibly useful. I have never done any kind of therapy about it and I learned of it entirely by reading people's written work on here, which I am eternally greatful I did because it has helped me understand myself so much better. It was hurtful to watch that person angrily dismiss the mentions of scrupulosity as some sort of derail or people trying to make it like 'ohhhh they are just a poor mentally ill person :(' when in reality it's the furthest thing from a derail- you cannot talk about intense gatekeeping, exclusionism and radicalisation in marginalised communities without it being intertwined with scrupulosity as a thought pattern.

Perhaps the mental illness model is unhelpful here, even though OCD is usually what people are thinking about- if you are treated incredibly badly by a group of people that leads you to question the morality in your every action, and it affected your thought patterns and behaviour, you may not have developed a mental illness diagnosed in a medical setting, but you will be seeing lasting effects. It's like when people leave cults, we don't have to diagnose them all with a mental illness to talk about and understand what they have been through. I do not want the association with mental illness to put people off learning about scrupulosity. It's so helpful to have a word for how this feels. I've had it since I was a young teenager. I used to call it contimination theory but no one else called it that or understood what I meant. I could never express any of this. For that matter, when my partner has talked about similar thoughts with me, I am able to understand better because of it. I have joked that my partner might have OCD but he is not diagnosed and doesn't plan on getting one. Literally nobody needs to go and get a fucking diagnosis, or engage with mental health professionals at all , just to talk about and understand scrupulosity and how it affects your thinking and behaviour.

[king-starscreams-fics]

I agree.

Even in G1, Megatron risked his own life to save Optimus's on at least one occasion.

Yes, before anyone jumps on me, I know he also sent all the Autobots on a collision course with the Sun. But as G1 went on, we saw him listen to and trust Optimus more. Maybe, if Hasbro hadn't been forced to kill off most of their G1 characters due to American rights issues (why is America so weird? Don't answer that!), things would have been very different.

Anyway...

I really loved EarthSpark S1 – the idea that Decepticons weren't inherently evil and that most of them do just want to live is brilliant, if you ask me. I'd argue, personally, that even the ones that are "evil" just don't know how to behave outside of conflict – even Megatron, for all his desire for peace in ES, still thrives on fighting. He tells Bumblebee to intimidate the Terrans (although, he was very much in Battle Mode at the time and might not have really been thinking about what Bumblebee was asking him – or, more importantly, thinking about why) for example and he seems to get excited about standing against GHOST and Mandroid to protect the Malto Family.

I really love how complicated Megatron is. Optimus, too, is complicated – a leader trying to do the right thing, no matter what, but not always getting it right. In G1, he tries to appeal to Megatron's better nature (as, occasionally, does Starscream – usually after irritating Megatron so much that his better nature is beyond reach – but we're not here to talk about Starscream right now).

In ES, Optimus has Megatron's support but doesn't always understand or appreciate it (especially in S2-3). I like how complicated their relationship still is, but it would have been nice to see them work together without Optimus and Megatron being rude and/or resentful to each other. I was disappointed by how much backsliding went on in the writing with S2-3 of EarthSpark, when the first season was so daring and exciting.

Just a quick reminder in most (or some) series when Optimus dies, Megatron becomes depressed as fuck because he never actually means for him to die or to ever kill him intentionally

Also, in Armada (2002 series) He was actually VERY happy Optimus was alive

Not to mention the fact in TFP, When Optimus lost his memories, Megatron was happy about having Optimus for a little while

[icewindandboringhorror]

"We can get through this by working together, reach out to your friends, community is all we have, a social network will be your security in the world, now is the time to lean on others!"

I do agree, and it's scientifically sound (pretty sure there is data about how people with better social networks live longer and etc) but also....augh..... what about the severe social issues, difficulty to leave the house, physical issues which lead to like zero socialization energy a majority of the time, etc. etc. Social support can be a replacement for structural support, but.. I guess I just wish it didn't have to be. Community is extremely difficult to build, even moreso if you're someone who has issues with social cues or group conversations or even just being around others in the first place. And blah, nuance, of course I'm just complaining or maybe being too negative or maybe misunderstanding, but, I hardly have the energy to brush my hair once every 2 months.. how am I supposed to maintain a wide social network and be active in a Community and Join Groups lol... sometimes it kind of feels like "er.. well if thats my only option then...... ruh roh". It's overwhelming

[tarnishedxknight]

"We do not yet know... how this path... will go. What we do know... is that we have seen... many others that have traveled... the same... trajectory before. And when that happened... we know what resulted. So we try... to avoid... or encourage... to steer humes... to a better path. Example. If we have seen... a hume rise to power before... many times... and each time... the ob-... obliteration... of another hume land... resulted, then we can say... with some foresight... that to avoid that catastrophe... and loss of life... and tilt of the Balance... we must eliminate that hume... before he can take his race... into that likely future. So we do not know... as a perfect certainty... how this turn of Time's Wheel... will go... but we can predict... with good ac-... accuracy... where we need to inter-... intervene... to avoid what has happened... in past turns of the Wheel. Makes sense?"

He paused and waited patiently for if she had other questions. Xenos really didn't mind Wanda's questions at all. not only did he like talking with her, but in his mind, it was far better to ask if one did not understand, rather than assume, accuse, or judge as most humes did. "It is alright. I... I was part... of making decisions... when I lived... in our city... in the sky. Just not... anymore," he explained. "I am seen now... as being... gone. Dead. No longer part... of the Collective... the Hive Mind. I cannot hear... my kin... anymore," he said, lifting a hand and circling his ear a bit. "Used to hear all voices... inside... at once. Now, only my own." He frowned a bit at that. "Lonely."

If Xenos had at all wanted to replace his hood where it had been and hide himself away again, those thoughts were gone the moment he saw Wanda looking him over. She was so curious and interested that how could he take away something she liked looking at? Even if it was him? "Others... do not think so. Cid... called me... his pet. Little pet. 'How is my pet today?' Always asked that... when he entered my cell. Vayne... said I was useful. A... a..." He tried to remember. "...a mean to end. Means... to an end," he corrected himself. "Like a tool. Object. Not a living being." He sighed, and for a second, there was a flash of something in his eyes. Anger maybe. Perhaps a bit of insult. "Degrading. Disrespectful." His smile returned, though, when his gaze did to hers. "But you have always been kind. Thank you."

"Mm-hmm," he said with a little nod and a smile, albeit a weary one. "I am alright. Was dreaming... of... my original capture. My change... into this," he said, looking down at his hands and arms. "Re-... recurring... dream. Nightmare. Just something... I must live with. Will be alright." It was then that he looked over and saw that she was extending her hand out to him. Remembering how nice it had been when she'd allowed the time to touch his hand to hers and be comfortable with it while they had still been inside his cell, Xenos supposed that it would be alright to do it again now. He reached out his hand slowly, letting it hover for a moment before he lowered it onto hers. His gaze lifted and he smiled ear to ear. How wonderful it was to have someone he was not afraid to touch, and whose touches did not result in pain for him.

As she laid down on the bed, Xenos politely moved to the chair, partially to make sure he stayed vigilant, but also to give Wanda space and not crowd her. He liked it here, he thought, as he sat in silence, letting her rest. It had none of the fear and coldness of his cell.

- - - - -

It was early for Gabranth yet, but whenever His Excellency requested things of him, his own sleep schedule went right out the window in favor of following non-optional orders. And so, some three hours before he would usually rise and after being up very late, he was already in full armor and making his way to the sage's chambers. It was his duty to make sure her night was satisfactory and assist her with anything she might need for her day. Reaching her door, Gabranth knocked loudly enough to be heard, but not so loudly that it might startle her if she was still sleeping.

"It is Judge Gabranth, my lady," he announced politely. "I've come to ask if there is anything you require to start your day."

Xenos eyes widened at the sound of the knock, looking to Wanda to see if she heard it too. Upon hearing the voice, he drew his hood down over his face. "Gabranth is here!" he whispered to her with a sense of urgency. "Wish me to hide?" he asked, pointing to the space under her bed.

"Who are you? I do not believe we have met." (for Xenos because reasons)

It had been Gabranth's duty to show the Emperor's new sage around the palace and the capital city, helping to familiarize her with important locations she may need to know during her stay. If she was to assist His Eminence with war strategies and grant him advice on what direction to take the Empire in the future, she would need to know what was going on there. Thus, one of the stops on their tour was the Draklor Laboratory.

The Laboratory was a massive seventy-floor building within which all sorts of research important to the Empire was conducted. Everything from airship design, to weapons development, and magical pursuits were studied there, and at some of the topmost floors were the offices and lab of Dr. Cidolfus Demen Bunansa, known by most as Dr. Cid. He was not only the head researcher of Draklor Laboratory, he was also the chief writer of science, technology, and magical policies for the Archadian Imperial Army, which funded the Laboratory. Dr. Cid was also one of Vayne Solidor's main go-tos for secret nethicite research serving the prince's agenda.

Gabranth took Wanda up to Dr. Cid's offices, but the man was not there. This was typical, for Cid was always something of a free spirit, and he often went out in search of materials for his experiments. He took Wanda on to see Cid's laboratory anyway, explaining to her that this was where the Empire was attempting to safely study the effects of nethicite. Even as he said it, though, he scarcely believed his own words. Cid was anything but safe. If rumors were true, and Gabranth had at least some evidence in support of them, then Cid's might was slowly beginning to slip. Regardless, Gabranth gave Wanda a superficial look at the lab, for she mostly just needed to know where it was, in case she needed to talk to Cid at some point, and not so much its intricate inner workings.

When she seemed to stop by a rather ornate looking set of double doors - doors with a strong magical ward for a locking system - Gabranth was soon tasked with explaining that, no, Cid did not experiment on living beings. His research was mostly chemical, magical, and technological. He wondered why Wanda would fixate on the doors and ask such a question, but none of his spies or his own reconnaissance had indicated that Cid was experimenting with live creatures. "It may be a storage room for nethicite or other highly dangerous magical components," he explained, feeling the Mist within him stirring, and not just because of the magical lock on the doors. In his mind, that was the only explanation that made sense.

Oh, but there was a living being inside the room, and he was quite tortured, frightened, and sad. His emotion was so thick and heavy, it came off him in waves to one who was even mildly empathetic like Wanda. Even through a magically locked door, the imprisoned and enslaved being Xenos gave off a heartbreaking and desperate amount of suffering that permeated the room and even beyond it. His magical power also branched out into his surrounding environment, even magically bound such as he was.

When Wanda returned later without Gabranth, that same energy and emotion was apparent the moment she got within the near vicinity of the doors. For someone with magic as unique and versatile as Wanda, the magical locking glyph placed on the door was certainly no match. Once the doors were unlocked and opened, a sorrowful sight met her eyes.

The room was bare, sterile, with no sign of warmth or kindness. A marble floor, two pillars made of a different type of stone, and a man kneeling between them, slumped where he sat, a mess of chains tethering him to the pillars. He was barefoot and shirtless, wearing only a pair of linen pants and a tattered cloak, the hood of which was draped over his head. His wrists were shackled, connected to chains that were rooted in the stone pillars on either side of him. Those shackles were then also chained to a third shackle around his neck. Small glowing glyphs of warding, suppression, and control glowed on each of the shackles.

When Wanda entered the room, Xenos slowly lifted his head, feeling her presence even if he hadn't heard her first. Her magic was significant, he could feel it, but he didn't know who she was. Was she here to hurt him? Probably. Everyone else here was. He shakily rose to his feet and backed away slowly, until the chains pulled taut and he couldn't go any further. Trembling and a bit folded in on himself, Xenos stood there, clearly afraid of Wanda.

He was very lean, probably too thin for a man of his height. And there was an unnatural blackness to his hands and feet, continuing up his arms and likely his legs too if they could've been seen under his pants, until it brightened into a bronze skin tone. Red glowing eyes could be seen peeking from underneath his hood.

Her question, though... was strange. Usually people just came in and started ordering him around, inflicting pain with magic if he did not comply. They didn't usually want to chat with him, or ask his identity. Did she not know who he was? Was she not told? If she didn't know, then why was she here? Maybe she wasn't here to hurt him after all.

Xenos slowly moved to one of the pillars, his left arm being harshly pulled in the direction of the other pillar by the short chain even as his right hand softly touched the pillar before him. He huddled against the stone, partially obscuring himself with it, feeling safer when he wasn't standing entirely out in the open. "Xenos..." he answered her, his voice a raspy whisper from lack of use. "I... am Xenos..."

[skrunksthatwunk]

ok i know everyone says "love like you is soooo xyz shipcore" but i need you to know it's kuwameshicore to me. song's got yusuke written all over it arright. in case you don't have the lyrics memorized like i do here they are

[cherrygummybears]

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