#I also don’t know how to realistically gauge my abilities

[craanber]

I’ve been struggling to do any illustrations lately so I’ve been working on a design for a little plush I want to make for my best friend

[supernovadragoncat]

08. STRENGTH: COURAGE (What has been the hardest part of being a writer?) 

10. WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A TURNING POINT (What was the turning point in your writing career?) 

47. KNIGHT OF SWORDS: AMBITION (What is your loftiest, wildest goal?)

61. KNIGHT OF PENTACLES: ROUTINE (What is your writing routine?) 

Hello love! Thank you so much for the ask. This was fun! ❤️

Tarot Writing Asks

08. STRENGTH: COURAGE (What has been the hardest part of being a writer?) 

For me, it’s keeping a realistic perspective of my own writing abilities. In general, I think it’s hard to gauge one’s own writing. This is where critique partners and beta readers have been hugely helpful for me. As hard as it is to receive unvarnished--and sometimes brutally honest--feedback on your writing, I’ve grown tremendously as a writer because of it.

Now, it’s a matter of not lingering in the cycles of despair where I think, “I’m a talentless hack.” I don’t dwell in that headspace long, but I think everyone goes through those phases where you think your writing sucks. For me, it’s been helpful to step away from a project I’m working on long enough to get some perspective. I usually find that I'm not, in fact, a talentless hack.

10. WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A TURNING POINT (What was the turning point in your writing career?) 

I think there’s been two major ones.

The first was when I realized that “Gods and Monsters” had moved from an epic fanfic to an original idea worth pursuing. That moment is immortalized in the work itself because there’s a chapter where the writing reflects that turning point. It was the point at which I decided to take writing that story seriously because I knew I’d eventually turn it into an original work.

The second turning point was when I stopped taking writing an original work seriously. This happened more recently, within the past year and a half or so. At that point, the Bloodlines manuscript was commercial but it lacked a soul. I’d focused so much of my effort on writing commercial fiction and positioning myself to “break into” the industry that the story lost its soul. I decided I wanted my story to have a soul. I stopped taking it all so seriously and spent a year and a half putting the soul back in. I don't care about the market anymore. I'll write how I want to write and people will either buy it or they won't. (ETA: by market I mean chasing trends and the mass market as an entity, not readers. I care very much about readers. The capitalist machine can fuck off though.)

47. KNIGHT OF SWORDS: AMBITION (What is your loftiest, wildest goal?)

Consistently writing novels for the rest of my life. I’ll never stop writing. I’ll also never write full-time (I know, never say never). I’ve found a nice balance between working a job I love by day and writing stories I love by night. I’m very, very fortunate to be able to do both. This is the sweet spot, so it’s perhaps not the loftiest of goals in terms of glamor but it’s lofty in terms of longevity.

61. KNIGHT OF PENTACLES: ROUTINE (What is your writing routine?) 

I write consistently, pretty much every day. In doing so, I’ve disabused myself of the notion that the muse has to show up for me to write. She shows up whenever she damn-well pleases. The rest is up to me, so I write, edit, or plan every day. If I’m tired or not in the mood, I do at least thirty minutes. After thirty minutes, I can stop if I want to or keep going. I normally want to keep going.

Reading is a big part of the routine too. I firmly believe you can’t be a good writer if you’re not a reader too. My writing becomes stale and lifeless when my reading lags.

Thank you so much for the questions! ❤️

[sneakyboymerlin]

Once again extrapolating on my nature deity Merlin theory, with a particular focus on how Merlin interacts with the cycles of birth, life, and death…

Merlin understands all too well how all life comes from death and all death from life. Realistically, he knows that people must hunt or scavenge to survive. But, even so, he sees unnecessary cruelty against animals—e.g. Arthur hunting for sport—and, just as he does for people, sabotages from the sidelines.

(And I think that fandom doesn’t enjoy nuance very much and tries to pin Merlin as either a trigger-happy murderer or a full vegan who couldn’t hurt a leaf, neither of which is accurate, but that’s another post.)

By no means is he against hunting for food, having lived in Ealdor for the better part of two decades; not when he and his friends were short on food in 1x10/11 and 3x13, not when it’s needed. Merlin is not the type to put perfectly good food to waste—we catch him eating Arthur’s leftovers in 4x10, for example. Additionally, with no indication that Merlin is against domesticated animal consumption, it’s easy to infer that he regards hunting from a practical perspective.

Just as he understands that killing a person in self-defense or in defense of others is an awful necessity, he would also never harm a person purely for his own enjoyment—he is on the receiving end of this more often than not, as a servant who is frequently taken advantage of by nobles. And so he applies this rule to animals as well: he’ll hunt to stave off starvation, but never for the supposed euphoric rush of a kill. He doesn’t understand Arthur’s enjoyment in this, just as Arthur doesn’t understand Merlin’s repulsion to it.

It’s easy to assume that being connected to nature means that Merlin is just a fan of deer and bunnies, but the reality is that innocence exists amongst the predators as much as the prey. Merlin knows this and applies it to his own life. But this does not mean he condones the needless killing of helpless animals.

What fascinates fans is how Merlin extends his sympathy to animals, defends them to people who don’t seem to care, and how this ties into his apparent magical connection to the natural world. If Merlin is able to feel how “full of life […] every tree, every leaf, every insect” is, then how has this influenced his prior actions and following behavior? Why does Merlin mistake this for a universal experience, only realizing after his explanation that other people do not feel the same way and have never met someone who is so sensitive to nature?

Humans are a natural factor of our ecosystems. Hunting is necessary to maintain a certain balance that has existed for thousands of years and to prevent the overpopulation of prey animals. In this way, humans fulfill a similar role to any other predator in the wild, same as when a predator’s body is decomposed and becomes nutrients for the trees.

But Merlin can only observe this system from afar. His own body can never be a part of the full cycle because he cannot stay dead and allow his physical body to become new life. He merely oversees nature and applies his will to support/maintain fair hunting.

He has a natural sense of justice and compassion for all living things, be it a creature of magic like the unicorn or a regular prey animal like a deer. He sees these beings as ultimately defenseless against human inventions/weaponry, whereas—from Merlin’s perspective—Arthur is convinced of his full superiority to animals and feels entitled to abuse his power for his own entertainment. (Although, it’s easier to see the fault of human social constructs if you’re at the bottom rung of the ladder like Merlin is.)

To make a long story short, Merlin is incredibly in touch with nature on both a metaphysical and instinctual level. He’s not inconsistent in how much he values nature, he simply uses as much of his environment as he needs to—no more, no less—and wishes that other people would follow his lead there.

Merlin can sense the harmony and cacophony of nature in ways other people can’t comprehend, but is comparable to a person’s ability for gauging the mood of other humans. This connection strengthens Merlin’s resolve to treat nature fairly, an ideal which necessitates the nuance and exchange of survival, as opposed to divorcing himself from the morbid bits.

Ultimately, Merlin is not much different from the rest of nature (including humanity)—rather, he epitomizes this shared, forgotten quality so instinctively that it stands out to everyone else, like the sudden conscious thought of your heart beating. It’s always there, but you have only a fleeting awareness of it, unlike our hyper-sensitive Merlin. Deity Merlin is intrinsically representative of nature.

[wolfstarlibrarian]

Hello dear readers, and welcome to the sixth installment of Beyond The Shelves!

May’s creator spotlight features the delightful @quoththethestral who has a talent for building real emotion into new AUs, weaving both realistic depth and humor into each new story. Get to know this talented author better in the interview below, and then come back later tonight for a list of fic recs she's kindly created for us!

Name: LB, Lunchbucket, or my personal favorite, Lunch.

Pronouns: she/her

Where to find: AO3 & @quoththethestral

What's your favorite thing about Remus & Sirius?

Here is why I love their relationship… Remus and Sirius are two very distinct people who love discriminately, for their own reasons. They are very different and offer different things to the relationship. In my mind, because of those differences, there is a depth of appreciation for the other and an ability to *see* the other for what makes him unique and spectacular. An unrivaled understanding. I think that understanding + recognition offers solace and peace on top of the romantic passion, and allows them to become the best versions of themselves and thrive on their own and together. Because of that, I love their love story.

What do you think your signature is?

Well I would love to hear how my readers would answer this question… it can be difficult to gauge how my writing comes across to others, but this is what I hope I am known for:

Humor and unexpected heartfelt punches to the gut. I hope my writing is enjoyable and fun and hilarious and then OUT OF NOWHERE things circle around and hit those human emotions hard.

What advice would you give new authors?

This is what 99% of writers will tell you (and you’ve already read it a million times), but it is so profound, and the *most* important advice, so I am going to repeat it anyway. WRITE. FOR. YOURSELF. Write what excites you, don’t make the purpose of your writing to gain the approval and validation of others. Because, like with everything in life, you will lose that game. You will never feel fully satisfied with your work product (or yourself) if that is your primary aim. And when people do inevitably connect to it and love it?? Well, that’s a truly fantastic bonus instead of something you *need* to feel like your work/creation is valuable.

Plus! When you write what you love, you are more likely to continue it, to finish it, to take the extra time to put those little silly details in it that only you could come up with. You will learn a lot about yourself in the process too, which is an incredible perk of writing. Write for yourself and you are going to be incredibly proud of the final work product, and you are going to gift something wonderfully unique to the fandom/world in the process.

What inspires you?/Where do you get your ideas?

My life and my passions! Mistakes I have made and accomplishments I am proud of. The experiences that connect us all to each other. I am fascinated by relationship dynamics and I am fascinated by patterns that seem to show up in every aspect of life. I love illustrating certain behaviors that I think a lot of people can relate to, and then deconstructing them for further meaning. I also adore finding appreciation for the “mundane” things in life. I love writing those mundane things in a way that makes them entertaining. Further, a wonderful outcome of all of this is that I end up appreciating the small things in my life more, and I even appreciate the mistakes I have in life thus far :).

What are you working on next?

I have three chapters of “Forgetting Ezra Marshall” (my aptly titled “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” AU) drafted and I really love it so far. You won’t see it published for a long time, unfortunately, but lemme tell ya, it is sad and funny and sweet and soul-affirming. Once I make it through my hiatus and my brain starts to grow back (you can do it, sweetie), I cannot wait for you all to read it!!!

What's a favorite fic you wrote and why?

My favorite fic that I have written is Petty (With a Prior). I am a broken record on this, but it truly epitomizes my soul. Therefore, it is more special than I can articulate. You want to know who I am? Read Petty. I am extremely proud of the humor in it and the dynamic/love between Remus and Sirius. I loved writing Sirius as an attorney with an inherently remarkable insight into the world (and Remus lol); a Sirius who is amazingly competent and really doesn’t care who he rubs the wrong way because he worked hard to become the person he is... and when you make it out of a life that is only bringing you misery and build something you are proud of in its place, you really stop caring about what people think of you and start living the life you want. Enter Remu…

[a-d--a-s-t-r-a]

Until2022′s Guide to Catching Up When You’re Drastically Behind in Study:

I. Assess the damage

The first step in the plan is to confront how bad the situation is and then make some calls about what you can realistically achieve in the time you have left. 

List everything you have to do, down to exact detail - don’t write ‘catch up on readings for Virology’, but instead note down every chapter. This will make it a lot easier to gauge how much time and energy you need for each assignment or exam, and will help to motivate you as you work through. 

Use an Eisenhower matrix to sort these tasks:

Important and Urgent: Any and all compulsory assignments, exams, tests, etc. 

Important but Not Urgent: Lectures for upcoming exams, compulsory readings or labs, etc.

Urgent but Not Important: Additional homework or tasks that are due soon but aren’t worth much, like logbooks or small quizzes

Not Important and Not Urgent: Additional readings, nice lecture notes, and other ‘good-to-haves’

Now cross out everything that you can afford not to do. That’s going to be everything in your ‘Not Important and Not Urgent’ zone, and probably all of the things in your ‘Urgent but Not Important’ zone. I know that it’s annoying not to get everything done, or to sacrifice the 5% that you could have gotten, but unless you can do it in 10 minutes and it’s really worth it you simply don’t have the time to spare here. 

Having said that, if a class has lots of small assignments due, don’t overlook them because they’re not worth much on their own - make sure you take a look at the overall percentage left to go in that subject. If you can dedicate a whole day to just that subject and smash through all those assignments in one, you’re crossing a lot of work off your list. For example, I have weekly quizzes and 2% labs in my Pathology course - if I’m behind, I’ll dedicate a whole day and do all of those assessments. That’s 20% out of the way and a big leap towards catching up. 

II. Tackle the low-hanging fruit

Seeing the product of countless days of procrastination is probably pretty daunting right now. I could offer you platitudes here but it’s a lot easier for you to actually take some action and feel better about it yourself, so:

Do everything that will take you less than 10 minutes to complete. Reply to those emails, the messages in the assignment group chat, upload your peer assessment, do all the little things you need to do for someone else. That should cross out a big chunk of things from your list, and you’ll be left with the important stuff like finishing assignments and studying for exams. 

If you’re panicking (seeing the huge list of stuff which you have to finish in an impossibly short time will often do this!) then try an easy square breathing exercise. Breathe in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, repeat. Splashing cold water on your face is helpful too, as is having a glass of water. Do not use this time to procrastinate! It might sound like a good idea to relax by watching Youtube or Netflix, scrolling through Instagram or playing a video game, but you’re going to be sucked back into the procrastination game that got you here in the first place. 

III. Create your plan of attack 

You’ve left it too late to be regularly revising, so our plan of attack is basically going to be: cram every subject consecutively. This is the best way to get everything done when you’re pressed for time like this - don’t switch tasks or subjects. Interleaving subjects is great when you’re on schedule, but right now you don’t want to spend quarter of an hour getting into the groove of a certain subject and then switching before an hour has passed. 

University is just one assignment after another, no breathing space in between, especially towards the end of the semester. All you need to do is work out what’s due first and what’s worth most, order everything according to those criteria and then focus on the first assessment until you’re done. Once the assignment is handed in or you’ve sat the exam, then you can move onto the next task.

If you have two different assignments due for different classes on the same day, plan ahead so you can dedicate a full day to each subject instead of working on both at the same time. 

Plan out every single day - make sure you’re scheduling in time to eat, shower, sleep, and take breaks as well as to study. Be specific when planning your time out each day as to what tasks you’re hoping to achieve - don’t allocate too much time to any single lecture, but at the same time, be realistic about how much you can cover in one hour. 

Choose wisely based on what you do or don’t know. There isn’t much point in spending this precious time revising the things you already know you’re good at, so suck it up and schedule in the hard stuff first up, but be prepared to move on if you can’t get it down. You’re far better off going into the exam knowing 10 things badly, than 1 thing really well, so focus on the basics and if you have time to learn the more complex details then go back and do that later. 

You also need to be flexible and prepared to adjust - sometimes an assignment will take longer than expected or a day just won’t be as productive as you thought it might be. Don’t panic, just re-plan and shift things around so you keep moving in the right direction. 

IV. Grind it out 

Now that you have a clear idea of what you need to achieve and when, it’s time to get it done.  

For once, you shouldn’t need to worry about simple procrastination. You’re  probably already panicking, so turn that anxiety into motivation which will fuel you and let you focus for long time periods. Fear can be a great driver - when the threat of the exam is looming over you, it’s amazing how well you can knuckle down, assuming you don’t want to fail. 

Pack a bag with everything you need - your laptop or tablet, your charger, headphones, a water bottle and a travel mug, snacks and meals for the day, and anything else you like to have with you when you’re studying. Then take yourself to the library, the local coffee shop, the office - wherever you like to study, but don’t sit at home. There’s too many opportunities for distraction and you cannot afford that right now. Being in an environment where other people are working will motivate you to do the same. 

If you’re working on an assignment, the best way to get things done quickly is to let go of any preconceptions of doing a great job, or having a perfect draft, and instead just focusing on having a draft. Bash out the worst draft you’ve ever written, fill it with run-on sentences and spelling mistakes. But make sure you finish a draft. Then all you have to do is edit it, and it’s a lot quicker to do it this way than it is getting bogged down in the details before you’ve even begun. 

When you’re studying for exams, the number one way to learn is through active recall. There is no point in wasting time writing out a full set of notes if you’re two days out from the test. Even if you feel like you don’t know a single thing, start off straight away by testing yourself - do past exams, drill flashcards, try and write outlines or mind maps and then check your notes or textbooks and fill in what you’ve missed. If you don’t know the answer or you get it wrong, look it up and try to understand it, and then test yourself again in twenty minutes. 

It’s important to strike a balance here: don’t overextend yourself, but don’t continually take breaks. If you think you need a break, you probably don’t. Take two minutes to stretch your legs and drink some water, but do not pick up your phone. If you’re starting to feel mentally fatigued, especially after a few hours, it can be helpful to switch locations - go outside and study on a park bench, or shift to the dining hall. Sometimes the change of scenery is all you need to feel refreshed. 

V. Rinse and repeat

This is your life now. Make sure you stick to a regular sleep schedule - aim for at least six hours a night - because otherwise your fatigue levels will seriously impact your memory, retention and critical thinking abilities. It’s not worth the few extra hours you might get in, and you probably won’t be productive anyway. 

Remember that the advice I’ve given you here is based on what I do when I am severely behind, not how I study on a daily basis when I’m on top of everything. These tips aren’t all great for long-term learning, but are the most efficient way to cram when you’re behind and under pressure. 

You’ve got this. 

[attack-on-kiwi]

Alphabet for floch alphabet for floch??? 😳😳😳

This got kind of lengthy, so I’m putting it under a cut:)

This was open on my computer all day and I just remembered I never clicked post lmfao

Floch Forster:

A ctivities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?

Floch loves to go for walks in the districts at night. If they’re not in a town, then he likes to sneak into their barracks and convince them to go on a walk during the late evening. He won’t tell his s/o, but he likes using the cold air as an excuse to latch onto their hand or attempt to have them hug him because he is  C O L D and if he freezes, it would have been a preventable death on their part. 

B eauty - What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?

A bit cliche, but Floch truly admires everything about his s/o. He believes them to be the most beautiful person he’s ever laid eyes on, and he’s no stranger to bragging about them to anyone and everyone. Chances are, he’ll even brag about his s/o to his s/o. “You’re so unlucky because you have to live not knowing what it likes to be someone that loves you” He’s a little shit.

C omfort - How would they help their s/o when they feel down/have a panic attack etc.?

Floch’s not that great at comfort. If they’re panicking, his first instinct is to tell them the situation sucks, but they can’’t seriously be freaking out NOW, can they? Honestly, he never grows out of the blunt and borderline arrogant and pragmatic sense of his, but he knows seeing his s/o upset doesn’t make him feel great. If he can get his hands on some tea or take them away from what is triggering them, he’ll do so.

D reams - How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Floch is idealistic about their future. He believes once everything is in control, he can offer his s./o a life of ease and treat them like the royalty they are. He doesn’t care about kids, but would agree if his s/o desired so. He pictures himself living in a nice multiple story home with a large garden where his s/o and he picnic while watching said potential child (or furry companion) make a mess of themselves. 

E qual - Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?

He tries to be dominant, but he can be cunning when it comes to the relationship. He likes to impose himself and look bigger than he is by having his arms around his s/o and walking straighter. Most of their decisions seem to be based on mutual agreement, but Floch has a way of guiding his s/o into agreeing with his point of view. Call it toxic or call it being persuasive-- he usually gets what he wants.

F ight - Would they be easy to forgive their s/o? How are they fighting?

Being in a relationship with Floch means almost always having a debate. He’s confrontational and speaks his mind. He’s also quite stubborn when it comes to his beliefs, so it’s often that he and his s/o will have a dispute. 

Floch is really good with his words, but the poetic ring of his voice can quickly turn into venomous jabs at his s/o. He’s relentless-- especially if the conflict involves doubt of fidelity or his morals. He’s also a suspicious person, and without meaning to, he may hurt his s/o by questioning their loyalty.

Forgiveness is difficult for him. He and his s/o will need space, be it a f ew hours or a few days, before he’s ready to clearly discuss.

G ratitude - How grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them?

He truly is grateful- he just can’t express this in a manner that isn’t him bragging. He loves to be cradled in their hold and eats up any sweet nothings they want to throw at him. Words mean more to him than anything else. His s/o gives him something to believe in, and he’s latched on. He doesn’t tell them how much he appreciates them, sadly.

H onesty - Do they have secrets they hide from their s/o? Or do they share everything?

Floch doesn’t think he keeps secrets,-- he just doesn’t divulge in unnecessary details. He will tell them information relevant to them, but won’t go in detail about his work or other affairs. For example, he won’t care too much about telling them about his missions in specifics, but he will speak to them about Jaegerist ideology and how it makes for a true future. 

He prefers to be honest with them, which can be interpreted as rude or blunt.

I nspiration - Did their s/o change them somehow, or the other way around? Like trying out new things or helped them overcome personal problems?

Floch wouldn’t say they have. If anything, he’s more obnoxious. His s/o truly learns how to be more open minded and patient when dealing with him.

J ealousy - Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?

Yes, Floch gets jealous at the drop of a pin. Whenever anyone is giving his s/o attention that’s even the slightest bit suspicious, he’s going to be both on their asses and on his s/o’s ass. He’s quick to intervene and blow a fuse. He won’t blow up at his s/o in particular, but he’ll tell the perpetrator to fuck off and if they need something, they have to get it through him. He deals with it by just having his s/o near him. Whether he shares his concerns or not depends on his mood. 

K iss - Are they a good kisser? What was the first kiss like?

Floch’s kisses are surprisingly gentle and he likes to rest his lips on his s/o’s when he’s out of breath. He won’t pull apart, just catch himself and continue. 

Floch’s first kiss was awkward. He noticed his then not-s/o was getting close with another person he didn’t like that. He remembers waiting for his crush outside the barracks. He’d gotten one of the other cadets to call them for him. When they were in his presence he just blurted out “I want to kiss you” and when there was no objection, he did. He remembers missing their mouth, whispering curses right in their face then trying again. Whenever they bring it up, he denies any memory of it. 

L ove Confession - How would they confess to their s/o?

Well, if his first kiss was anything to gauge from, it’s a bit of a mess. It’s not really on his mind to tell them he loves them. His s/o is the one who has to smack some sense into them and confess to him after a mission. He’s nearly bursting from that really weird warm sensation in his chest, but he’s also taken aback. Do they need to be so embarrassing about it? 

M arriage - Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?

Floch wants to get married for the reason of just fulfilling a desire of having a family. To him, being married signifies that his life is on the right track and that he’s winning. He won’t by any means rush into it, though, waiting for the right person is important. After all, he’s not trying to be miserable.

He’ll propose by the sea side, traditionally, of course. He makes it a point to wear a relaxed outfit and he looks quite dashing in the sunset, waves reflecting in his eyes. He’ll just approach his s/o and mumble something about how he loves them and wants to see the rest of their lives play out before popping the question. The way his brow is furrowed, one would think he’s irritated. 

Marriage with Floch is like normal. He’s still just as possessive and relentlessly teasing. Unless something dire happens, there’s no notable change. (He’s the type of guy who gets really upset if you don’t wear your wedding ring but he won’t wear his bc ‘it’s gonna tear off my finger if I’m called to action’).

N icknames - What do they call their s/o?

Prince/Princess, Majesty, very fantastical names that often allude to royalty and etherealness

O n Cloud Nine - What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?

Possessive? Possessive. Easy for him to get in his head. He means well, but he’s not at all skilled in displaying so with his words and actions. He wants to be with them at every waking second and gets extremely protective. It’s easy for others to see that he’s claimed his s/o, what with his constant hovering and making sure he’s got eyes on them. Part of this is due to a fear of losing them at any given moment, which simply magnifies his desire to be in their presence.

P DA - Are they upfront about their relationship? Do they brag with their s/o in front of others? Or are they rather shy to kiss etc. when others are watching?

Floch doesn’t go out of his way to hide his relationship, and he doesn’t consciously try to flaunt it. He’s going to praise his s/o, and this translates into him bragging about them at any given chance. He’s not going to outright make out with them, but he will have his hand on their back or try to have them attached to his hip when the two are together-- especially if it’s in a group setting.

Q uirk - Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.

Due to his paranoid nature when it comes to his s/o, Floch is quite skilled at detecting when they’re not being honest with him. He’s not completely accurate, but he’s well versed enough in their tendencies to predict their next move or how he can help take the edge off. He’s particularly good at detecting any anxieties they might be experiencing.

R omance - How romantic are they? What would they do to make their s/o happy? Cliché or rather creative?

He’s romantic in the sense that he will get his s/o whatever they want and shower them with more affection than they know what to do with. Once he’s loyal to someone, he puts his all into the relationship, though this can come off quite strong should they not be prepared. 

One of his favorite ways to uplift his s/o is by going on evening walks and talking about their future. He won’t bring the topic up himself, but he’ll subtly guide them to the topic. He likes to come up with scenarios, and his s/o will indulge because it’s not often they get to see him with such a hopeful look in his eyes.

S upport - Are they helping their s/o achieve their goals? Do they believe in them?

If his s/o’s goals are realistic in his perspective, then he will do whatever he can to help them achieve it. However, if he deems their goal too unrealistic for them or thinks they aren’t suited to it, then he will straight up tell them. He’s not going to humor something he doesn’t believe will turn out well. If they continue to strive for whatever it is, he will watch and comment, but he won’t stop them.

T hrill - Do they need to try out new things to spice out your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine?

Floch wants a mundane romance. He wants someone to come home to. He wants to cook breakfast together. He wants to know that they’ll be reading at the park at noon. He wants there to be a structure that lets him know what to expect. Part of it due to the uncertainty of life in general, but part of this also stems from his desire to be in control. 

That’s not to say that Floch isn’t adventurous or spontaneous. He just likes to know what to expect.

U nderstanding - How good do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

Floch likes to think he knows his s/o more than they know themselves. He’s in tune with their mannerisms and various quirks. He can tell when they’re upset and how to guide them into being more energetic. He likes to use his way with words to keep them as happy and fulfilled as he can. 

Floch isn’t empathetic, though. He’s quick to disagree on topics and it’s hard for him to understand why his s/o may be reacting the way they do. He doesn’t mean to upset them, he just can’t fathom viewpoints and opinions that might differ from his. He’s also emotionally guarded and pragmatic, so he will respond to most situations as such.

V alue - How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?

As dedicated to the cause he is, Floch would put it in front of his relationship. He loves his s/o, but the eradication of evil in the world holds just a bit higher to him. His reasoning is that the bigger picture is what matters, and the two will be much happier once the world is peaceful. Whatever that means.. 

His s/o is just a notch less important than the mission he’s convinced himself is top priority, but he never speaks about it. There’s a silent understanding that he’ll do what he must.

Maybe in another life, he wouldn’t have to choose. 

W ild Card - A random Fluff Headcanon.

Floch is the grumpiest after waking up and will get irritated if people try to talk to him. He refuses to get mad at his s/o first thing in the morning. If they want to tease him, they’ll start asking him questions about a paper they read or an interesting rumor they heard. He literally cannot process that for shit and gets increasingly irritated, but he’ll just sleepily nod and twitchily smile at his s/o.

X OXO - Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?

Floch absolutely loves physical touch. He won’t be all up on his s/o in public, but he’s damn near close. Behind closed doors, he’ll pull them into his lap just to kiss them. Whenever he’s bored, he’ll bury his face in their hair. Sometimes walks up to his s/o just to admire them before hugging them. He’s genuinely sweet when he’s like this. Catch him in a sleepy mood, and it’s even softer.

Y earning - How will they cope when they’re missing their partner?

He doesn’t. He’s irritable and masks it by claiming someone fucked up and he’s gotta clean up a mess. 

Z eal - Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?

Part of the reason he’s working with the Jaegerists is to secure a better future for him and his s/o (again, whatever the hell that means). He’s willing to 100% kill for his s/o. Post time skip Floch won’t even bat an eye. It’s safe to say he’d do a grand amount of evil deeds just to keep his s/o happy. 

~~~

Based off @snk-warriors​ fluff alphabet prompt

[scripttorture]

Hello! I’m a long time follower of this blog and first of all, I wanna thank you for your amazing work! I’ve learned so much from your analysis and explanations! My question is: I have a character that is kidnapped along with two partners/friends that are beaten to death in front of her. She then endures torture such as being repeatedly drowned, tased and whipped, and she spends most of the time in a stress position (hands tied above her head from the ceiling). That lasts about 2/3 days (1/2)

When they threaten her with rape, she says the information she’d been withholding in an attempt to escape it. Is this realistic, or does it go against the fact that the most you torture, the less the victim is likely to cooperate? Also, they end up raping her still, and shortly after that she is rescued by her friends. What would be the extent of her psychology damage? I don’t want her to bounce right back into work like nothing’s happened - that would be disrespectful to actual victims (2/2)

-

I find gauging/explaining the extent of psychological ‘damage’ difficult because one of the things I try to avoid here is grading people’s pain. We have a tendency to default to almost ranking these things and I don’t think that’s helpful. It’s a perfectly legitimate question (and I don’t think you are trying to rank how much this character suffers) but it’s a… cultural quirk that makes answering a bit more difficult.

 The truth is that with all of these things there’s a range of individual responses rather then one universal ‘right’ answer. So if you’re struggling remember that the target you’re trying to hit isn’t a pin, it’s a boulder.

 As you practice writing different survivors you’ll get more confident handling symptoms and long term mental health problems.

 I’ll circle back to that, let’s tackle the question of whether people ‘talk’ first. I think a lot of people get confused by this because there are a lot of factors at work and it’s difficult to picture the knock on effects of all of them at once.

 Torture does not lead to accurate information. It fundamentally can’t. And it can’t because of mixture of factors including:

how our memory works

how our nervous system works

how torturers behave

the effect torture has on organisations more broadly

the erosion of public trust torture causes

 The question of whether an individual victim ‘talks’ or not concerns the first two points. Which (putting it briefly) are: pain and trauma cause memory problems meaning that torture actively destroys the evidence it claims to seek and that we are stubborn creatures who become a lot less inclined to actively cooperate with people who hurt us.

 However the issue is bigger then the victim here.

 When an organisation uses torture they lose the public trust, people stop volunteering information. And volunteered information is the main source of accurate information for any organisation.

 This means that the majority of people arrested by these organisations typically know nothing. They are then tortured and given a big incentive to lie.

 This creates a cycle of increasing misinformation. I talk about this effect in more detail here.

 On top of all this torturers… how to put this… They don’t give a fuck about genuine investigation.

 They claim that they do. But their actions tell a different story.

 Torturers don’t record what their victims say. They do not fact check what their victims say. There are multiple recorded incidents of torturers continuing to ‘interrogate’ prisoners who did not speak the same language and of torturers continuing to torture when victims were clearly physically incapable of responding.

 There have also been cases where victims have reported trying to give up information only to have torturers completely ignore it and carry on.

 And torturers are no better at telling the difference between lies and truth then anyone else. They often believe lies told by victims who know nothing. And they are equally likely to dismiss the truth.

 The main point to understand here is: there’s a difference between a character giving up information and a torturer/organisation that tortures obtaining accurate information.

 Personally? I think it is easier from a writing perspective to have the character lie, especially if this is your first time writing something like this.

 Writing torture is hard. It will be a lot easier to avoid falling into the common torture apologia trope that ‘torture works’ if the character lies. Especially if you don’t think the narrative has the time and space to explore the knock on effects of torture on the villainous organisation.

 So this isn’t so much an issue of realism as what you feel you can take on in this story.

 A small number of people do try to tell torturers the truth or give up information. But the scale of misinformation that torture produces is so vast that any small truths get lost among the lies.

 Conversely readers expect that if they see a character telling torturers something true, there are going to be narrative consequences. They expect this to mean the Bad Guys ‘know everything’ and will act on it.

 Realistically… torture can’t produce that sort of coordinated, thought through response. Because for everything this character says there are twelve others in separate cells contradicting that information. Because her torturers may not actually want to hear the truth, because they’ve probably sunk a lot of time, effort and personal prestige into a lie they heard a month ago being ‘true’ instead.

 But that’s not a leap most readers will make. It isn’t a context you can expect the average reader to understand. That isn’t me disparaging your readers it’s just… accurate information on torture is hard to find or access, so most people believe the apologia they see everyday. It’s another kind of trope and we’re all used to tropes playing out a particular way.

 Question whether your story has the space to explain this context and whether it can be done in a way that’s narratively satisfying.

 If the answer is ‘no’, or if you just feel like it’s a lot to tackle, then I think you’re a lot better off with the character lying to her torturers.

 Looking over the torture scenario itself I think you do have a survivable scenario here.

 I would say that it’s uncommon for victims to be put in stress positions for a few hours: generally the typical time frame is around 24-48 hours. Using a stress position in this scenario would still be painful but you don’t need to use it. You already have a lot going on with five separate tortures (six if this character is beaten as well.)

 I don’t see anything wrong with keeping it in here if you feel it adds something to the story. But if you want to drop one of these abuses the stress position seems like the odd one out.

 Circling back to the beginning and the psychological problems torture causes, I think a definition of ‘disability’* is helpful here. Disability is any impairment, mental or physical, that has a substantial, long term, negative effect on daily life.

 That’s what we’re talking about with torture survivors.

 Recovery is possible. Life for survivors can get better. Every common psychological condition torture causes can improve with time, treatment and life style adaptions.

 But we are talking about disability. Improvement and a happy life doesn’t mean that someone goes back to the way they were before.

 Let’s take a few examples from the list of common symptoms which you can find here.

 An ‘easy’ example to think through would be something like chronic pain. I think most of us can imagine how being in pain every day would have a negative impact on your ability to do things.

 It can make it harder to perform normal, daily tasks. People with pain in their knees might struggle climbing stairs and walking long distances for instance. People with pain in their arms or shoulders might struggle to get dressed, hang washing on a line and access things on shelves above chest height.

 Chronic pain can also make it harder to interact positively with people and socialise. We’re rarely at are best when we’re in pain.

 A harder example to think through might be the kinds of long term memory problems torture commonly causes. You can read more about them here.

 One possible type of memory problem is a sort of general forgetfulness that a lot of survivors experience. It is not dementia, it isn’t a progressive loss of memory. But some survivors find it a lot harder to remember information and that can have a huge impact on a person’s daily life.

 Typical examples are things like:

forgetting medical appointments, which can lead to people being denied treatment

being consistently late for work, which can lead to loss of employment

difficulty managing money

forgetting to pay bills, leading to essential services being cut

forgetting meetings with friends, leading to reduced social life and isolation

 That’s not a complete list but hopefully it gives you an idea of some of the ways this particular symptom impacts daily life.

 This thought process that I’ve outlined is what you’re aiming for when you’re trying to think through symptom severity. It imagining the knock on effects on daily life and ensuring they’re at a level where the character is disabled.

 That will look different depending on the combination of symptoms you pick.

 Survivors don’t typically experience every possible symptom. As I said there’s variety; survivors of the same traumatic event can come out with completely different sets of symptoms and we’re not always sure why.

 Given that I think the best thing a writer can do is pick 3-5 symptoms from the list for their character and show those symptoms consistently over the course of the story.

 Remember that symptoms can improve. A person’s mental health problems can get better; but this means ‘easier to deal with’ rather then ‘no longer there.’

 It’s also worth keeping in mind that the same mental health problem can look different in different people. It’s common for people with depression to experience insomnia but it’s also common for people with depression to feel tired constantly, sleep excessively and find it impossible to get out of bed.

 Decide on the symptoms you want to write then take a moment to think about how they should manifest in this particular character.

 I find it helpful to consider what it will add to the story. If a symptom works well with a theme in the story or creates interesting narrative opportunities then it’s usually a good pick. When thinking through the severity of the symptom consider whether this particular disability would create interesting challenges for the character as the story progresses.

 Recovery and learning to live with disability takes months or years. It’s not linear and there are some people who will require regular assistance.

 Essentially because symptoms are so varied between survivors and because they can manifest is different ways I can’t give you a perfect road map to writing trauma. There isn’t one ‘correct’ way to do it because there isn’t one way it manifests in life.

 But it isn’t necessarily as hard as it sounds. Writing this stuff well takes practice, trial and error. That shouldn’t stop you from trying.

 If you can I’d recommend finding a beta reader or writing group. Having other people reading over your stuff and giving feedback can really help. It’s a good way to make sure your scenes are coming across as you intend them to.

 I’d also recommend taking a look through ScriptTraumaSurvivor’s archived blog here.

 I hope that helps. :)

Available on Wordpress.

Disclaimer

*I’m quoting from UK anti discrimination law here mostly because I think it’s a clear, helpful way of picturing what we’re talking about.

[crystalelemental]

Silver’s permanently available now!  Another legendary unit, and you’re like “Is this guy worth it?  How do I make the best use of this guy?”  Both great questions!

No really, good question.  I’ve never once used him.  I mean, I hear he’s good, but I have only the experience I had trying to run him today to go off of.  And with no Fire or Grass weak stages, it’s not a great showcasing.  Needless to say, he’s not quite impressing.  Not that he can’t work, but...you know.

General Overview My main issue with Silver honestly comes from the lucky skill.  Sure, Crit Strike is solid for Solarbeam and Sacred Fire, but if you want Overheat, which is better damage, you need Dauntless.  Which takes the blue cookies, and those are Vigilance for tanks.  Personally I’m leaning Sacred Fire/Solarbeam damage over Dauntless Overheat, because blue cookies are for Vigilance tanks, until all of them have Vigilance.  Then they can be for Clair, because I pick favorites hard.

Outside of that lucky skill debacle, you then run into the second issue of needing specific support.  Silver can only cap his own crit rate under Sun; his trainer move requires it, and you can’t reasonably wait until after his sync to use it.  So one partner is taken up by Blaine, SS Erika, or Maxie.  The other partner then needs to be able to boost his relevant offensive stat and speed.  Yes, speed.  His grid multipliers all require speed.  He can kinda buff it himself with Fast Track, but it’s inconsistent and slow as hell, so he needs both.  Otherwise you lose out on a lot of move and sync damage.  But those are...really rare.  Like, really rare.  And rarer still to find one of those that can also sustain in a fight.  If they have both, they tend to not have healing.  So he’s just in an awkward place with support.

Good support works wonders for him though.  Charging Sun 6 is a massive multiplier, and Speeding Sun with the need for speed buffs means gauge control isn’t difficult, and he can ignore MGR nodes for better multipliers.  He honestly doesn’t look too bad overall.

Team 1: Silver, Sonia/H!Caitlin/Hilbert, Blaine/SS Erika/Maxie When Silver is the primary damage dealer.  Frankly, Sonia will be the best support, and it’s not close.  Buffs speed, buffs crit, buffs attack, buffs defense, heals, potentially flinches with Tackle.  Sonia is the all-around optimal pick for him, providing every relevant stat buff and the ability to sustain a match.  H!Caitlin can be an alternative, as she buffs his relevant offensive stats, accuracy, and either needed defense, while providing some outstanding field effects for him to use.  She can’t give crit, so you really need Sun set up before using his trainer move.  Hilbert is the last consideration, and honestly offers the least to Silver on the whole.  But he currently exists and isn’t limited, so like...if you have an immediate need in the next few weeks, he’s an option.  Blaine will probably be the better Sun setter once he gets a grid, if only because Fire theme skill to boost Silver’s damage.  Otherwise, SS Erika has the faster gauge in sun, and deals ridiculous damage even off-type.  And MPR.  Maxie of course beats both because of his ability to extend the duration of Sun, meaning his initial setting will be sufficient to reach sync guaranteed, and you will be able to apply Sync again before it runs out.  Also he’s got spread damage, which is really nice since Silver is single-target until he gets EX.

Team 2: Silver, Lyra, SS Erika For Solarbeam.  Realistically, you want SS Erika doing most of the damage, and trust me, she will.  But as a secondary damage dealer and another sun abuser, Silver’s helpful for clearing those Grass-type stages.  Lyra becomes the optimal supporter just because of how much she combos with SS Erika.  Honestly, Silver can do well even with Solarbeam.  Ramming Speed and Charging Sun means 90% bonus damage.  That is...not insignificant.

Team 3: Silver, Sonia/Hilbert/Lyra/Kimono Jasmine/Sabrina, H!Caitlin “What if I don’t bring a Sun setter?  What if I just let his sync do it?”  Good luck.  The main issue then is you’re either avoiding his trainer move until round 2, which is terrible for DPS, or you’re bringing a supporter that covers that too.  At that point, it’s Hilbert or Sonia.  Arguably Lyra, who can take the risk on getting MGR from her trainer move to use it optimally in Sun.  H!Caitlin salvages most of this if he’s not specially offensive, though.  If he is specially offensive, Kimono Jasmine.  She can max his special attack, special defense, and crit just fine, and provides some nice special defense drops too.  But unfortunately, she’s unable to buff speed, meaning his grid situation is dire.  Sabrina may be better for this, but is also a high demand unit.

Team 4: Silver, Hop/Roxanne, Blaine More F2P adjacent team.  Set Sun first, Silver’s trainer move twice maxes out crit.  Hop for physical offense, Roxanne for special.  Shoutouts to Roxanne for also giving speed buffs for his multipliers.  I swear, when she gets a grid, it’s gonna be revolutionary.  Pray for Crit Squad.

Final Thoughts I dunno, I was pretty down on Silver at first, and wasn’t too impressed trying to run him.  It really bothers me that his lucky skill situation is such a disaster, and I’m still debating if the 20% bonus from crit strike is better than the higher damage on Overheat to justify Dauntless.  I don’t like using the blue cookies for anything but Vigilance, after all.  But I’m coming around.  He’s got some good tools, I just...really need to see him in action on-type to get a feel for how good he can be.  But at this point, I think I’m just sticking to this idea that Overheat is supposed to be better.  I don’t think it is.  Dauntless from a cookie and more specific support isn’t easier than just slapping on crit strike and using one of the more plentiful attack and speed buffers in the game.  And his multipliers are not small; dude can hit pretty well when set up.  It’s a bit specific, but solid overall.

[master-sass-blast]

Front Lines.

Summary:  Given the immense violence law enforcement keeps showing towards those protesting the death of George Floyd and the systemic racism infecting the law enforcement system, the X-Men decide to help protect the protesting groups -and you and Piotr are right there with them on the front lines.

Pairings: Piotr Rasputin x Reader.

Rating: G.

Warnings: Mentions of police brutality, heavily reflects the current political/social situation in the United States, but NO scenes of violence.

Set after “It’s Truly Magical,”  but this one's kinda outside the canon timeline; if the protests hadn't popped up, this fic wouldn't have happened. I doubt it'll be mentioned in other fics or used as a timeline measuring point, but Piotr's mentioned as your husband in this, so it's after the wedding/honeymoon.

Author’s Note: Just to be clear, this isn't me coming back from my hiatus. However, given the protests and the particularly depraved nature of Mr. Floyd's death, I did want to make it clear where I stood --and where the series stands, in particular.

The X-Men, as far as I'm concerned, would never take an idle role in letting the police brutalize protesters. They would stand and protect the crowds and do what they could to ensure that the citizens involved in the (non-violent) protests were as safe as possible. This series doesn't view them or their role as protectors any differently.

Granted, I didn't write a quarantine fic --and I'm not going to. It's the result of an entirely different set of problems, has at least impacted certain communities to some extent on a unilateral level, and -frankly--I'm too stressed out over Coronavirus to want to commemorate a fic to it.

This is different. The history of racism and abuse towards African-American communities --towards all communities of color--in America is far too longstanding. There may be good cops, but the law enforcement system and justice system as a whole are corrupted, abusive husks of what they were intended to be.

I don't want the protests --specifically, what the correct side of the protests were--to be forgotten. Hopefully, this fic will help ensure that they aren't.

I also didn't include any scenes of what happens during the protest or on the front lines because, frankly, I don't think it's my place to. I don't want to set any sort of tones predicting how a protest would turn out; I also don't want there to be any sort of debate over whether it "ought" to end peacefully or not. Also, I think that, while unfortunately realistic, including potential scenes of police brutality would be highly traumatic for any readers, so... Yeah. No protest scene. No recap of how it went. Those aren't the important parts, in my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but it won't change the fic or my stance on what ought to be included in it.

If you are participating in any protests, demonstrations, or marches, please use your best judgement and stay safe. Don't do anything that would unnecessarily put yourself or others at risk. (And yes, I know, the protests have inherent risk because of how the police forces are responding to protesters. All I mean is don't go out of your way to do something risky, please.)

Black Lives Matter.

No taglist for this fic. That’s not what this is about.

There’s a lot of fear. A lot of hesitation and questioning and second-guessing.

“Okay, say we go,” Russell pipes up, breaking the silence that had settled after the Professor’s announcement. “What happens when law enforcement kills another mutant? Or when the government tries to put more restrictions on us? Are these people even going to remember us?”

“Besides, what’s even going to happen to us?” Kitty added, forehead creasing. “We’re all going to be in our suits. We’re easy targets –and the cops already totally hate us.”

It’s understandable, the fear. The doubt. The need for assurance.

You’ve all felt society’s anti-mutant sentiments at more than one point in your lives.

“We’re going to take every precaution necessary to safeguard the members of our group,” Charles states, tone reassuring. “We will not be recklessly risking ourselves or partaking in violent movements. But these protests are important. They reflect law enforcement’s and the government’s ongoing deliberate ignorance to society’s discontent with the status quo –a status quo that impacts mutants, too. And it doesn’t matter if any of the protestors or communities of color remember that we were there. We’ll remember we were there –and, more importantly, we’ll remember that we weren’t.” He pauses, smiles despite the melancholy look in his eyes, and adds, “Sometimes, doing the right thing means there’s no guarantee you’ll gain something from it, even if that something you want isn’t inherently selfish.”

You look up at Piotr, trying to gauge his reaction to everything.

Your husband looks pensive –but also resolute. From the straight set of his shoulders to the determined glint in his baby blue eyes, you can tell he agrees with everything Charles is saying.

Piotr notices you watching him. The corner of his mouth twitches up. He puts an arm around you, kisses the top of your head, then goes back to giving his full attention to those around him.

You lean against him and do the same.

In the end, there’s no way either of you are staying out of this.

***

 The rules are made clear to the nth degree.

First: No member of the X-Men –or those specifically joining the X-Men during the protests—will be armed or interact with law enforcement, members of the National Guard, or other protesters in a violent manner –including partaking in looting and destruction of public and-or private property.

“This protest is about drawing attention to the atrocities suffered by African American communities at the hands of law enforcement, as well as other communities of color,” Charles states, tone brokering no room for retort. “None of us are going to make things more difficult for them or contribute to casting these protests in a negative light. Anyone who refuses to comply will be escorted back to the mansion and held in a safe room until we’re all back before facing further consequences.”

Second: All members of the X-Men participating in the protest will wear last resort masks, both for personal health and the public image of the protests.

“The media’s already trying to treat the protests as a reckless act, given the ones that have devolved into riots and the pertinent Coronavirus threat,” Hank says, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Aside from taking steps to protect the members of our team, we need to make sure we don’t inadvertently expose the protesters to additional criticism.”

Third: Senior members of the X-Men –specifically those with abilities that will let them shield the protesters from potential violence—will stand at the edges of the group. Junior members will stay further in the group with various team leaders for their own safety.

“We have the ability to make sure no one else gets hurt,” Jean says, impassioned. “We need to ensure these people can be heard without risking their safety.

Fourth: Should things devolve into violence, junior members of the team will be promptly taken back to the mansion for their safety. Senior X-Men will stay only as long as necessary to promote the safety of the public, then leave as well.

“We’re not tryin’ to win any fights here,” Logan speaks up when Ellie raises the question of possible rioting. “The only goal is to get people in immediate danger to safety, and then to make sure we all stay safe.”

“But everyone’s going to be in immediate danger,” Ellie argues. “These cops –these soldiers—have guns. And rubber bullets. And –and mace and riot shields and tear gas and—”

“Which is why only senior members would stay, NTW,” Piotr interjects, voice soft and soothing. “And only for short time. We have training to handle dangerous situations and to weigh out who needs immediate help. Everything will be fine.”

“What if we get arrested?” Russell asks, frowning. “Or picked up by the Icebox guys?”

You exchange glances with the other adults in the room. “Pretty sure that’s when Nathan and Wade would break us out of prison.”

“That would be illegal,” Scott says, crossing his arms over his chest. He frowns at you. “The X-Men don’t interact with criminals.”

“Pretty sure the pole up your ass is in violation of the Geneva conventions,” you snap, “but you don’t see any of us whining about it.”

“Measures will be taken to ensure the safety of our fellow mutants –which, for the sake of plausible deniability, will not be discussed at this time,” Charles states, fixing both you and Scott with a stern look. “Are there any other questions?” When there are none, he nods. “Alright. We’ll leave at one in the afternoon tomorrow. Don’t hesitate to come to me with any other queries or concerns before then.”

***

 The crowd is massive. Borderline gargantuan.

“Can we even cover everyone?” you murmur, regarding the throng of demonstrators and signs with concern.

“That’s why we’re here.” Erik lands next to you, along with a few less recognizable –read: “smaller rap sheets”—of his brethren. “To add to the numbers.”

Nathan, Neena, and Wade stroll up to where you’d all parked, along with Piotr’s family members and your uncle.

“We’ve got this covered,” Neena says, squeezing your shoulder reassuringly. “We’re gonna handle it just fine.”

“Is that your way of saying you’ve got a good feeling about this?” you mutter as you eye the litany of cops and National Guard soldiers. “Because I’m not sure even you can swing things in our favor.”

“Doesn’t matter how I feel,” Neena says firmly. “We’ve got it handled because we have to. Plain and simple.”

You hang back as everyone else heads to talk with the protest organizers. You’re not regretting showing up –far from it—but all your scuffles have been with other mutants or the rare team of traffickers, not the people sworn to protect you and this country.

Daunting doesn’t even begin to describe the situation.

“Myshka.” Piotr puts his hand on your back. He’s not armored up yet; he’ll do that at the front of the crowd, when there’s no risk of crushing any feet. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s just… a lot.”

“I know.” He draws you into a hug and kisses your temple. “But you can do this. We all can.”

“I don’t think we can protect everyone if this goes apeshit, honey. There’s a lot of people –on both sides.”

“We’ll do our best,” Piotr says. “That is all we can do.”

You take a deep breath, then nod. You interlock your fingers with his. “Let’s go do our best.”

The two of you walk into the crowd.

[nutty1005]

Xiao Zhan: Heart of a Youth – Serenity, Ingenuous and Principled

Translator’s Note: I take a break from the acting analysis articles and bring you something more current... I hope all of us can draw strength from this!

Original Article:https://www.weibo.com/ttarticle/p/show?id=2309404480985398902834#_0 Original Author: 雪色烟波里

“He is but a child of 30 years old.”

Quite frequently, the phrase “He is just a child” had been used as an excuse by fans, and I am not sure since when this has changed to become a way of mockery. Even before fans uttered anything on this, “bystanders” would have started going crazy with “although he made a mistake, he is still a child! So we should not let this go!”. I agreed very much with this statement – no one should use the identity of a child to absolve his responsibilities as an adult, an adult should act as one. However, when they started using this phrase on Xiao Zhan, and added his age as a form of mockery, this started to stink…

I felt as though I was personally insulted, since I am a self-claimed young girl nearing the age of 30. Using someone’s age as an insult is very impolite, since no one escapes the fate of becoming a 30 year old.

Always realistic about his age, and his self-deprecating laugh when he speaks of his entry to entertainment business 

To me, being of a certain age and yet having a heart of a youth is not conflicting. Some 18 year old could be methodical, sleek and boring, while others could be 80 and still retain their heart of a child, innocent and unblemished. As for Xiao Zhan, he had always positioned himself as an adult, and never used any excuses to shrink from his responsibilities, and therefore when his age was used as a weapon against him, and calling him a “30 year old child”, is definitely inappropriate. However, in the current darkness, I was able to see his heart of youth and his simplicity.  And I would put this across with the following phrase. 

A poem is always hard to translate, and therefore I give you the caption words instead. Serenity, ingenuous and principled.

SERENITY

“I always reminded myself, for many things, there is no need to openly display that on the screen, but you should just quietly do, and your efforts would always be seen. There is no need to fight for everything, and fighting for screen time would definitely be something not needed.” —- Xiao Zhan

The clip below was shot on 1 Feb 2016, when Xiao Zhan just debuted. Not vying or fighting might sound ridiculous in the world of adult, but this encompassed the entirety of Xiao Zhan’s acting career. No matter whether he was a side character, a supporting character or the lead character, he had always been quiet and low-key.

Moving automatically to the side for ”Joy of Life“ announcement press conference

In his group, he is willing to be on the sides and become part of the background, always all smiles but never speaking much, always wanting to do his personal best, but never looking for any rewards. In most of the concerts, he would be in the corner, running across the stage to get into position, but never skimping on his dance moves. 

Xiao Zhan when his group was still active 

Xiao Zhan during the Talent Show, as bright as the sun 

I liked to watch Xiao Zhan’s stage performances very much. From a technical perspective, his dance skills were way off from that of a professional’s, but you could definitely feel his enthusiasm no matter how far off to the side he was. Instead of admirable skills, he utilized more of his ability to inject emotions into his performances, creating an atmosphere of joy and passion. He enjoyed every single of his performances with passion. No matter whether there were flowers or applause for him, he always gave his 100% to the stage. For one to understand his dancing style, gifs are not enough; I would recommend watching his fan focused videos to understand better. 

Enjoying the stage with all of him 

That infectious smile

As a group vocal, Xiao Zhan is quite decent – his high notes are clear, his tone clean and warm, and generally very unique. Personally, I enjoy many of his China themed songs, never tiring from songs such as Qu Jin Chen Qing [曲尽陈情] (Wei Wuxian OST from the Untamed) and the cover of A Laugh over the Blue Sea [沧海一声笑] (OST from the The Smiling, Proud Wanderer movie).

Recently, there were many who mocked at him for being an idol vocal but not knowing how to use an in-ear monitor, but they never thought about whether a vocal of a relatively unknown idol group would have the right to his own personal in-ear monitor. He had to borrow for his performances, and if he was not able to adjust in time, he would just have to bear with it, because he had no right to complain. After he attained some fame, he was able to finally get his own in-ear monitor, and he immediately started learning from his mentors, so what is there to mock? I only saw a person who was able to practice patience in adversity, work hard and progress in good times. By watching the entire series of “Our Song”, you would have a better understanding of his vocal skills.

Xiao Zhan during the rehearsal of Our Song 

Xiao Zhan singing “My China Heart” on CCTV 

After attaining some level of fame, Xiao Zhan did not let that get to his head, but instead clearly understood his current position, and that popularity could be temporary, only his works would be the basis of his career. Many of his colleagues would describe him as “hardworking and down-to-earth”. In terms of his career, he never slacked off any of his jobs, always prepared and went all out. In interpersonal relations, he was always polite and restrained, and treated everyone around him modesty and warmth. His attitude towards his acting was that he always had to do better than what he did previously. His sense of serenity was not limited to just himself or to his future, and this instead created endless possibilities for his future. 

Always grateful 

He never liked to claim credit, never cared about having commendations – when the host said that the Summer of 2019 belonged to Wei Wuxian, he replied that the Summer of 2019 belonged to The Untamed. When the fans were looking forward to his undubbed performances, he instead pointed out that the voice actors did plenty of value add. When the host asked him about that famous clip of him tearing up during script reading, he instead pointed out Xuan Lu and said that she was also tearing up but it was not captured on screen. You can understand how emotionally intelligent and humble he was just from a few interviews.

Humble, kind and sincere

Detailed and polite 

He believed that hard work could change his fate, his faith almost like that of a fresh-faced youth – he did not care about everything else, except that if he did well enough he would be eventually rewarded. However, is the world really like this? He opened a path with his stubborn simplicity, and forced his way out, but now he has tripped and fallen. While everyone else is cheering and trying to add fuel to the flames, looking at this “entertainment business oddity” paying the price for not keeping to the “rules”, there may be just a handful of us reflecting on why it would be so difficult for a normal person to succeed. Does it mean that eking out a path on your own with just courage would only result in failure? This is something I refuse to believe. I will wait, and wait for him to stand again, to prove to the world that a person can create his own path with hard work, and we can follow every of his steps and not be defeated easily! 

We will not be easily defeated 

INGENUOUS

On why he did not change his Weibo account after joining the entertainment business:

“I did not change because there was no need to. There is nothing to hide from the others. In those times, in 2010, that was exactly how I felt, I’m very open, I feel that there’s really nothing. In fact, this proves that my personality is not what everyone thinks as “super nice”, I’m just a living person, I feel that no one is perfect, and I don’t want to be a perfect doll.” —- Xiao Zhan

Ingenuous

He did not change his Weibo account after 5 years in the entertainment business, he had always been a candid person. However, he overestimated the world’s tolerance and kindness, and all his personal inside jokes from his commoner days had been used to smear his and his friends’ reputation. Now, if you open Weibo, you would can see all the cyber-bullying against him, as though he had done a heinous crime, but the basis of all these were just some vulgarities he said 10 years ago. Is not the world ridiculous? Based on this, I could have been the most evil girl online, if whatever I said in Baidu Forums were ever exposed, since not only I used vulgarities, I also mocked posters who made a fool of themselves, but these history does not stop me from choosing to be a kind and upright person today. A person is ever-changing, and if we had to gauge a person’s current state on what he did 10 years ago, wouldn’t that be narrow minded? In fact, the Weibo environment 10 years ago is different from that of today, and it is ridiculous to impose current rules on something that was done 10 years ago. I respect all who are candid about themselves, and I would want to be such a person as well, and face the world with an open mind. 

The cyber-bullying could be seen everywhere 

This is overboard… and also something I rather not translate 

Xiao Zhan did not deliberately create any persona, and his candid nature in handling himself is very obvious. He did not pretend to be someone he was not, did not shy away from showing his anxiety, and always used his true self to face everything:

During his Milan interview, he said excitedly that this was his first time to Europe.

During his time in X-Fire, on his first high speed rail trip, he was so excited that he recorded a vlog on it.

During one of their group activities, the organizers arranged for them to stay in an luxurious hotel, and he was so excited that he recorded another vlog on it, showing off the hotel as well as the huge bathtub.

When faced with a cat, he would smile in spite of himself. And he would play with random cats, be accidentally scratched by one and had to go for jabs.

His phone wallpaper had always been of “The God of Fortune”

His eyes would brighten up when he speaks or hears of money.

In fact, if you study him long enough, you would know that he is not perfect, but just a vivid, living person like each and everyone of us.

“This is my first time to Europe” “I just felt, wow, this is amazing!”

His excited face on his way to the high speed rail 

His excitement introducing his hotel room, and whoever used this to spread rumors is just plain evil 

An ingenuous gentleman, his heart pure and clear, he does not need to be secretive about himself, nor does it need to disguise himself. This is the Xiao Zhan I know, and I accept every of his imperfections, and I am willing to work with him to become a better person. I hope that when I am nearing 30 years old, I would still be exuberant when I encounter the first snows of that year. 

And I hope that your heart will always remain clear, and your eyes forever starry 

PRINCIPLED

“I feel that youth is that strength, just that strength, undaunted, undefeated by fate and fearless.” —- Xiao Zhan

In Everlasting Classics, Xiao Zhan sang “Bamboo in the Rock”. To be a person, one would strive to be a gentleman. To be a gentleman, one would strive to be like bamboo – unwavering against strong winds, and upright between the heaven and earth.

Relentlessly holding onto the mossy hill The roots buried within broken rocks Tough and strong despite endless erosion and assault Firmly against winds from all directions

Xiao Zhan said that his inner self is like bamboo, firm and tenacious. Many would scoff at this, and say that he did not do enough to control his fans. But is this really the issue of him not providing guidance for his fans? In fact, he has always been telling his fans, but this had been hijacked by the racket of public opinion.

“I can see that you say that studying is difficult, or work makes you unhappy, but growth is like climbing a mountain, the bigger it is, the harder it is, leave your grouses in your heart, when you look back at these problems again, you will realize that they were not difficult.” —- Xiao Zhan

“Actually, I want to tell everyone that no matter whether schooling or working, don’t forget to love life, to experience life and notice everything around you, love it!” —- Xiao Zhan

“There are both sides to everything, there are people who likes you and there will definitely be people who doesn’t like you, you don’t have to care too much about it. As long as we have good momentum, there will be more who will like us, and I will fight hard for those who likes us.” —- Xiao Zhan

Did anyone hear those?

“Idol and fans are actually symbiotic, we support each other and move forward together. When we live our respective lives well and continue to become better selves.” —- Xiao Zhan

“Hence I would say that my fans, I feel that you must first live your lives well so that you have spare time to like and follow the idol you like.” —- Xiao Zhan

Did anyone remember those?

“I am actually very careful, because now I represent not just Xiao Zhan, but my team as well, and if not for myself, there is no need to create unnecessary trouble. Frankly speaking, I haven’t met anything I can’t quite solve myself. But for many problems, others could only provide some opinions, give some directions, cheer you on, but they can’t really solve it for you. How to persist, how to endure, still all depends on myself, because only I know what really happened.” —- Xiao Zhan

“I feel that the ideal status is not changed by regrets. What is most important about life is making sure we live in the present and live well, and not regret the past. The present and future are the most important.” —- Xiao Zhan

Did anyone understand these?

He never stopped his guidance, but many were blind to them. Xiao Zhan’s firm attitude comes from being strict with himself, instead of becoming a nagging teacher disciplining his countless fans. A person could choose the person to like, but the person could not choose who would like him. Some people could not even be disciplined by their parents, how could this burden be instead placed on Xiao Zhan, who even has problems finding time to sleep? Is this not being difficult? If he had this ability, he might as well not be an actor, but become a professional educator.

He had always been providing guidance, but he definitely cannot control everyone

When large groups of anti fans overtook the “Secret Garden” in Sept 2019, spamming that post with the bad comments, his fans quickly counter spammed the post in fear that he might discover and read those bad comments. The unnatural spike in comments obviously alerted him, and he posted “I’m here, goodnight”. Those who took this out of context to claim that he was inciting more verbal war obviously did not see the entire comment. 

The “shhhhh” emoticon is often left out when pointing this out. 

In the storm of cyber-bullying, the only target is Xiao Zhan, because his Weibo account is the only one attached to a real name.

His personality is 100% firm and tenacious. His tenacity is in how he insisted to his doctor that he would continue to practice his dance steps despite inflammation in his knees; when his toenail fell off, he only asked if it would regrow. His tenacity is in how he would wear thick layers of period drama costume in the height of summer, and wear tattered rags in the deep freezing cold of winter. His tenacity is in shooting period dramas for straight 2 years, not knowing if they would actually be allowed to air. His tenacity is in how he would be fighting a lawsuit against his management, saying “Don’t look back, ever!”, while at the same time managing his endorsement deals by himself and plotting his own future. His tenacity is in how he would not give up despite not earning enough to support himself, and having to go to events by himself without any assistants.

He had survived one of the toughest period, so why should he admit defeat this time round? He would not, and his fans also have no reason to abandon him as well. He is faultless in this, and perhaps causing envy is his only fault here. Time will prove his innocence, falsehoods will not withstand the test of time.

Biting his air tickets, so that he has spare hands to carry his own luggage. We will not give up no matter how tough it gets. 

We will accompany you through thick and thin

We will become better people together

And I will end this article with another poem from Zheng Ban Qiao (the poet for Bamboo in the Rock):

A bamboo, an orchid and a rock, with integrity, discipline and fortitude

In a room these oozes gentlemanliness, evergreen against the test of time

A bamboo, an orchid and a rock, with integrity, discipline and fortitude

Firmly against gales and snowstorm, they will bring the news of the spring breeze

[gtunesmiff]

The 5 Directions of Management

For many people, Michael Scott is the archetype of management. Maybe a bit lovable but definitely unqualified. Lacking in self-awareness, often disconnected and sometimes even dictatorial.

We know Michael Scott isn’t real, and yet we can imagine that there are a whole lot of managers like him. After all, they are the ones in charge, like it or not.

Whether management is a role to which you aspire, a part of your current job description, or a group of individuals that you loathe, there is a clear distinction in most minds between “the managers” and “the managed.” There is a clear, one-way direction. Top to Bottom. Superiors to subordinates.

In reality, though, management is a much more complex and pervasive aspect of our work lives. It is not simply a station or function for those lucky few to reach their career milestones, but rather an exercise in five directions at any one time:

Up – Managing superiors, investors, board of directors

Down – Managing any individuals who work under your stewardship, including traditional W2 employees, contract labor, and volunteers

Out – Managing customers, suppliers, competitors

Across – Managing peers and partners

Within – Managing self

What is implied with each direction?

UP

This may seem a bit counterintuitive. After all, aren’t these people supposed to be managing you? In reality, however, this is one of the most important and difficult directions of management.

How are you managing the expectations of those above you? If their goals and visions are not realistic, you and your team won’t succeed.

How do you manage the pipeline of information between you and your boss? Do they see everything, or just the vital elements? What about bad news? Are they reactionary or rational? Do they need context or just the bullet points?

How do you manage conflict between you and those leading you?

What if your boss is not that helpful?

DOWN

Despite the fact that this direction of management gets the lion’s share of our focus, it remains a constant struggle for many.

Am I doing everything I can to place those under my leadership in a position to succeed?

Am I clear, inspirational, and fair?

Am I delegating well? Or, am I just dumping work that I don’t want?

Am I being a good steward of their time, resources, and effort?

Peter Drucker said, “So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” Don’t do that. Strive to be a great manager.

Out

While individuals outside of your organization are clearly not directly under your guidance, these are still some of the most crucial relationships to be managed.

How are you managing the expectations of customers? Do you know how and when to push back against unreasonable requests?

Are your relationships with your suppliers strong? Poor management here can have a domino effect that will eventually reach your customer.

What about competitors? Is there a relationship that encourages healthy competition, or one that breeds underhanded, cutthroat tactics?

ACROSS 

Again, these individuals are not directly under your leadership, and likely have an organizational position similar to your own. This is often the most challenging direction of management for high performers in particular. They are fine with their boss and their subordinates. But their peers? That is another issue.

Are you working with these individuals to build the overall organizational value?

Have you helped create a culture that encourages generosity and discourages overly individualistic attitudes? (In a 2013 book, Give and Take, Wharton professor Adam Grant proposes that generosity within the workplace is an important factor in both personal and organizational success.)

Are you a good teammate?

WITHIN

This refers to self-management, which is often the most neglected direction of ambitious leaders. As more and more items clamor for our attention, it becomes easier and easier to allow our own life to get out of balance and eventually become something we hardly recognize. We often find ourselves leading everyone and managing everything but ourselves. Because of this, I’ve used a simple tool for years to help me keep myself on track. I explore this tool in greater detail in my book Managing Me, but it is essentially a series of six gauges. In my experience, if I maintain health in each of these areas, I will also maintain overall health.

Establishing Strategic Clarity—a life that takes care of what really matters

Making Your Contribution to the World—a life that is engaged in meaningful, productive, and fulfilling work

Keeping Life in Balance—a life that successfully juggles the multiple opportunities and responsibilities of your personal and professional worlds

Nurturing Quality Relationships—a life that is blessed with a handful of heart-level connections that can last a lifetime

Pursuing Spiritual Vitality—a life that is infused with a relationship with God

Stewarding Your Finances—a life that makes wise use of money—for yourself and for others

Multi-Directional Management

Sustained success in any arena hinges on our ability to effectively manage relationships and variables in multiple directions. 

Like a quarterback who manages not only his own knowledge of the playbook, but also the relationships with his teammates, the media, his coaches, and even the fan base, all leaders must be multi-directional leaders. 

As our careers progress and demands in each direction become more pronounced, this becomes increasingly true. 

We must be proficient at facing all five directions.

A talented five-direction manager will 

always have inner fulfillment, 

always have people wanting to work with you, 

and always find work.

Steven R. Graves || Copyright © 2021 Coaching By Cornerstone

[hillarykylie]

How I Started My Business at 19, With Over 1130 Clients and More

So I’ve decided to start this thread and share a little more about my entrepreneurial journey, as I thought it’d be easier for people to refer to them since I’ve been getting a high volume of DMs ✨💖

I started my business at the age of 19, back in late 2020 during lockdown, and when I was still preparing to head into my second year of Uni.

I’m not a fan of disclosing how much I earn, so please respect that! I like to remain humble and I don’t need people sending me evil eye or bad vibe$ 🦋🧿

All you need to know is that I’ve managed to pay off a bulk of my Undergrad international student tuition fees, so that gives you a good grasp of my income in less than 6 months.

Despite having a lucky start, it’s been a wholesome yet daunting and incredibly challenging journey.

I knew absolutely nothing about running a business prior to starting mine, and had zero experience in proper entrepreneurship.

I’d like to think I started my business on accident, as I genuinely had no intention to pursue it as no more than merely a side-hustle during lockdown 2020, when I felt somehow compelled to unlock my creativity and the burning desire to venture into more unconventional avenues, and partially to also evoke a sense of rebellion against my college.

I knew I had to explore the potential of my business when I started seeing a consistent surge in sales and raking in a considerable percentage of profit margin, despite the naysayers in my life convincing me otherwise.

This only occured in early 2021, when I began witnessing extensive progress with my business.

I hit a 100 sales in early November 2020, and by the middle of February 2021, I’d surpassed more than a 1000 sales, and had a fully functioning website and an overhaul in branding, and garnered over 7000 in followers on IG.

I also had to learn how to file taxes from scratch.

Those were the days when I’d thought hitting a 100 sales in a few weeks were “impressive”.

Now it’s grown to a point where I have to consider the prospect of scaling and expanding my business, and hiring people in the process.

In case you’re wondering, I’m in a relatively niche market!

So if you’re reading this thread and you’re starting a business that offers a more generalized form of commodity, or operating in a highly saturated market and industry with a high level of competition, take the advice that resonates and leave the rest!

I can only speak from my own experience, growth and lessons.

I’m no expert - I’m also learning as I’m growing, as it’s an everyday process.

1. Be specific with your Branding

What types of products or services do you offer?

Who is your target demographic and who do you cater to?

What values do you want your business to adopt?

What marks your business out from your competitors? - your unique selling point?

What is your tagline?

How do you make sure clients resonate with your brand?

WHY did you start your business?

What is YOUR story?

What is the vision and ultimate long-term goal of your business?

My branding actually started out rather poorly in the beginning, and I had to pause for a while and commit to a complete overhaul of my brand, image and logo, business mottos and description and what not.

My old branding was confusing, erratic and all-over-the-place, and clients were unsure of what my brand message even was.

Make it clear, concise but catchy!

Moving forward, I now have a much more refined brand image and message, which has helped me immeasurably in my business growth and garnering the right clients and contacts in the industry.

You don’t need to have this figured all out in a day - take your time to map out different ideas, and consult with what works best.

2. Research on your market and industry

How saturated is your market?

Know your competitors and how long they’ve been in the business.

Narrow down some price competitive strategies

Think about what you can offer that your competitors don’t

How do your competitors rank in search engines?

3. Be realistic with your expectations

Unless you’re one of the Jenners or Kardashians, don’t simply expect your business to gain traction overnight.

Faux business gurus who sell the overhyped notion that get rich quick schemes exist, aren’t being real with you.

The growth of your business takes time.

It can be daunting to launch your business and having to anticipate your stream of sales, your average sales rate, and gauge the pace of your growth and expansion over time.

But with consistency and the right strategies, you’ll eventually get there.

So what if you’ve only managed to sell to 20 people in your first month?

I’d only made 17 sales when I first started out.

It took me around 2 months to truly hit breakeven and cover my initial start-up costs, and eventually increase my profit margin.

Don’t sweat it! It’s great to be ambitious and enterprising, but let’s not forget that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

Be realistic and concise with your timeframes and go easy on yourself with your goals, especially when you’re just starting out!

4. Hold strong to your Vision, ALWAYS

This isn’t some cliché advice - it’s paramount.

Entrepreneurship isn’t a walk in the park, and it takes a great deal of risk, tact, courage and bravery to start a business and then sustain it with time - especially in the midst of a pandemic.

If you were raised in a culture that disapproves of entrepreneurship, or are surrounded by individuals who think they know better than you do -

Keeping your vision laser-focused and robust is of utmost importance.

Personally, I was met with unending backlash, cynicism and skepticism by the people around me when I’d first started my business.

In fact, I was mocked and relentlessly discouraged from pursuing my idea.

The responses ranged from people arguing that starting a business during a pandemic contained “high-risk”, to people virtue-signalling and claiming that I should place more focus on my education instead.

I was indoctrinated into believing that it was pointless to even embark on my business endeavour to begin with.

Take people’s opinions with a grain of salt.

Have discernment when it comes to internalizing certain advice.

Even as I was growing, others would tell me that it would never be ‘sustainable’ - but look where we are now 🙂

Keeping your vision strong would also help you with staying motivated and resilient when times do get tough.

The ebb and flow of running a business unfortunately means that there will be setbacks, plateaus, and disappointments at the end of the day.

I can’t emphasise how many times I was ready to throw in the towel and give up, during my early days or when I was met with friction with clients or business partners.

I was ready to quit and call it a day, but a part of me urged me to keep going.

This brings me to my next point.

4. Take breaks if you have to. Hustle Culture will end up demolishing you.

In the beginning, I was sold the idea that the harder I worked, the more hours I’d committed to improving and running my business, the more I’d earn.

However, this strain of thinking isn’t novel to me. The hustle culture has been ingrained in most of us growing up, especially in my experience with being in University.

I’d feel abnormally guilty for taking breaks, and would break my back just to achieve the extra mile - whether it’s with my business or school. I never knew when or how to pause. It got to a point where overworking had gradually affected my energy levels, fatigue and mental health, and my productivity drastically decreased, and hence - it became my huge wake up call.

Hustle culture is oversold in the corporate world. Yeah, it’s amazing to be a hard worker - but what’s the point if you’re compromising your mental health, energy levels and sanity for your business, or with anything in life?

As I run a niche creative business, I find myself unable to generate new creative ideas when I’m deficient in energy or when I’m completely burnt out. It also takes my ability to focus and concentrate on my tasks at hand away.

Creator burnout is very much a real phenomenon. Constant working without adequate breaks will only really annihilate you in the long run, and deprives you of the opportunity to recharge and refuel and strategize your game plan.

Strangely, I’ve also found that the more rested I am, the better my business goes, and the more I’m adept at handling ideas.

[rwby-redux]

Deconstruction

Worldbuilding: Semblances II

Last time in Part I, we analyzed the failings of Semblances from a meta perspective. Now we’re going to look at them within the context of the actual show. Before we begin, let’s revisit that list of basic traits that are universally shared by Semblances.

A Semblance draws upon Aura as its source of power. When this fuel is depleted, a person can no longer use their Semblance, and must wait for their Aura to regenerate before it can be used again.

The specific ability or nature of one’s Semblance is alleged to be an expression of the user’s personality/character/soul.

Overuse of a Semblance can adversely affect a person and cause physical side effects, such as fatigue, headaches, or fainting.

Semblances can interact with Dust in such a way that their skills are augmented, resulting in the temporary acquisition of new subskills or secondary characteristics.

Through training and regular usage, Semblances can gradually become stronger or more advanced.

The intensity of certain emotions, such as stress, panic, despair, or rage, can cause a person to subconsciously activate their Semblance.

This refresher will be important as we go more in-depth. At the very least, it’ll save you the hassle of having to jump back and forth between tabs.

Limitations of Semblances

Recall point one. If your first instinct is to say, surely having a limited amount of Aura is a good limitation for Semblances, then you’d be forgiven for thinking that. In theory, it makes sense: a power based on a finite energy source does seem like a pretty significant drawback. My main issue with this being a credible limitation for Semblances is that we, the audience, have no way to gauge Aura depletion over time. And by extension, neither do our characters. In the first three Volumes, students used specialized monitors (usually on their scrolls) to keep tabs on Aura over the course of a sparring match. Not only do I like this because it’s a clever visual aid for relaying information to the audience, but also because it conveys clear worldbuilding information: characters don’t seem to have a way of innately sensing when their Aura is low. This idea seems to be reinforced again in V7.E3 - “Ace Operatives.” In the opening scene, Clover reminds RWBY and JN_R that their scrolls have been upgraded with Atlas tech, and they shouldn’t forget to use them. That line of dialogue is accompanied by Blake consulting her scroll for her teammates’ Aura levels. To my knowledge, there’s nothing in the canon that suggests characters can sense or feel when their Aura level drops, or how far away it is from depletion.

Having to rely on scrolls to monitor their Aura would be an excellent limitation to impose on an otherwise limitless superpower. Not only would it require the characters to constantly monitor their Aura, but it could introduce realistic problems. Like what would happen if a character’s scroll was lost, or destroyed, or its batteries died? How would that affect the character’s behavior in regards to Aura-related tasks? Great idea, right?

Now here comes the kicker: we don’t see any evidence of this in the show. When Team RNJR was traveling through Anima, none of them discussed having to find a village to recharge their scrolls. It’s not as if the trees have outlets that they can conveniently plug their scrolls into. Similarly, none of the characters from Volume 3 onward consult their scroll during fights to see where their Aura levels are at. You don’t see characters changing fighting styles midway through a fight in order to conserve what little Aura they have left. You don’t see characters minimizing the use of their Semblance in favor of more efficient tactics.

That’s why limited Aura doesn’t seem like a believable limitation for Semblances—not for a lack of possibility, but for a lack of execution. If characters made more of a fuss about it on-screen, I could buy it. But apart from one or two throw-away lines, characters don’t seem to pay attention to how Aura depletion affects Semblance usage, and by extension, they don’t adjust or change their tactics during combat to compensate for it.

Bear in mind that this discussion has only touched upon general limitations. We haven’t even addressed Semblance-specific limitations yet. Can Marcus Black only steal one Semblance at a time? Can Sun only make a certain number of clones at once? If Yang doesn’t eventually release the energy that she’s stored up, does it backfire on her? Is Pyrrha limited to only one type of magnetism, like ferromagnetism, or can she use more than one type? If Robyn uses her Semblance on someone who’s stating an incorrect fact, but they believe that fact to be true, then does it indicate that the person is lying? Does Hazel’s Semblance allow him to bypass/negate his Aura’s healing factor in order to stab Dust into his body?

And on and on it goes. A combination of vague or poorly-established mechanics for Semblances, coupled with the wide variety of Semblances, makes it impossible to predict what could be a hindrance for our characters down the road. This in turn creates a lack of stakes—how can we, the audience, be invested in the dangers that the cast faces, when we don’t know if those dangers are credible in the first place?

Active versus Passive Semblances

Usually when a character reveals information, it’s meant to answer questions, not create more of them. Such was the case when Qrow revealed his Semblance to Team RNJR for the first time—he brings misfortune, or rather, causes people (and objects in the nearby vicinity) to be blighted by bad luck via the manipulation of probability. Qrow is our introduction to passive Semblances, a term which, if I’m being honest, I’m not even entirely sure is canon. Someone’ll need to correct me on that, but for now “passive Semblance” will do. Because we have precious little information on the topic, I’m going to be relying on direct quotes.

Qrow: My Semblance isn't like most—it's not exactly something I do. It's always there, whether I like it or not. I bring misfortune. [1]

This passage tells us two different things: (1) passive Semblances are always active, and (2) passive Semblances can’t be controlled.

You can already see the problems with introducing a new concept this late in the game, because this new information clashes with what (few) previously-established rules we already have: Do passive Semblances require Aura? If Qrow’s Aura is depleted, will his Semblance continue to run, or will it become unusable like everyone else’s?

This ambiguity becomes even more frustrating when we acquire more information a little over a year later:

“It's not necessarily constantly running, it's more that it randomly spikes to cause unfortunate situations. If he chooses to amplify it in a fight, then yes, it does cost him.” [2]

Now we’re being told that that his Semblance isn’t “always there,” that Qrow can control it to an extent, and that his Semblance only depletes his Aura when he chooses to amplify it. Here we have an example of the character in the show being directly contradicted by one of the show’s creators. This implies that either they didn’t do a good enough job explaining passive Semblances the first time around, or they changed things after the episode aired. It isn’t just a he said/she said issue, either—Semblances requiring Aura is one of RWBY’s core mechanics for its pseudo-magic system, and by having a character whose Semblance breaks that cardinal rule, it makes the writing more difficult to believe or trust in terms of what’s canon versus what’s a retcon; what’s a subplot versus what’s a plothole. It doesn’t help when we get even more contradictory information from later episodes:

Qrow: I wouldn’t thank me. My Semblance brings misfortune. Sometimes I can’t keep it under control. [3]

I’m sorry, I thought we just established that Qrow can only amplify his Semblance. Now you’re telling us that he can partially suppress it too? Either he can’t control it at all, he can amplify it, or he can sometimes suppress its effects. Make up your damn mind.

The effects of his Semblance can be as minor as a coffee spill or as dire as a collapsing building… [4]

No! Stop it! Knocking over a Starbucks latte is not the same thing as demolishing a fucking building.

How is Qrow’s Semblance able to do something as insanely energy-demanding as toppling infrastructure without expending any Aura? How does his Semblance locate or prioritize variables in the environment to exploit/sabotage? Like, if there’s a mouse hanging out near some sort of Dust-powered generator in the building, does his Semblance send out subliminal messaging that convinces the mouse to chew through an electrical wire and cause the generator to explode?

Look, I refuse to believe that spilling a cup of coffee is somehow equal to setting off a stick of TNT or taking a wrecking ball to the side of a skyscraper. It doesn’t make any sense, which means that you have to provide a proper explanation for how it works. Because otherwise you’re going to be left with an audience that assumes Qrow’s Semblance is powered by (a) plot convenience, or (b) rats.

This—all of this, right here—is my issue with passive Semblances. (And don’t even get me started on Clover’s.)

Semblance Discovery, Auratic Plasticity

Did you notice the fancy scientific-sounding term in the heading?

Ooh. Auratic plasticity. That sounds official. You’re probably wondering where that term came from. A scene from Volume 5 you haven’t re-watched in a while (not that I can blame you). A World of Remnant episode, perhaps? Maybe it’s from one of the comics, or the director’s commentary on a DVD, or even an AMA on Reddit?

To answer your question: it didn’t come from any of those. Auratic plasticity is a term I coined exclusively for the Redux. Specifically, for talking about what goes behind discovering a person’s Semblance, and what factors are at play when that Semblance takes on its unique form.

Before we can talk about Auratic plasticity, however, we need to talk about all the ways someone discovers their Semblance. It can vary wildly from person to person. For some, their Semblance unlocks randomly while doing everyday run-of-the-mill things. As alluded to by Taiyang in V4.E9 - “Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back,” Yang’s Semblance activated while she was getting a haircut. For others, it can be the byproduct of training, extreme stress, or an otherwise fatal encounter. [5] In rare instances, Semblances can be hereditary, thus removing any ambiguity of what that person’s Semblance will be when it first activates.

The reason why I bring any of this up is because RWBY’s official stance is that Semblances “generally reflect the wielder’s personality.” [6] If Semblances were generally tied to the personality of the wielder, then it would fail to account for the correlation between the circumstance that triggered the Semblance to manifest, and the resulting Semblance expression.

Let me give you a few examples.

Adaptive Semblance: Nora’s Semblance was unlocked when she was struck by lightning. Consider the fact that her Semblance allows her to absorb electricity without taking any damage from the electric current. Rather than her Semblance being tied to her personality, Nora’s is likely a case of an adaptive Semblance—as in, her circumstances required a very specific Semblance in order to survive the 10,000 amperes running through her body. Instead of her soul generating a Semblance tied to her personality, it prioritized generating a Semblance that would help her survive an immediate and life-threatening scenario.

Innate Semblance: Ruby’s Semblance was discovered one day while training. If we’re to assume that there weren’t any dangerous circumstances factoring into that training session, it’s likely that her soul generated a Semblance that was in fact tied to an aspect of her personality. In this case, her superspeed is a projection of her enthusiasm and hyperactive zeal, and her tendency to prioritize others’ wellbeing over her own, trying to figuratively (and in this case, literally) reach them before they’re harmed.

Hereditary Semblance: Weiss and Winter, and (presumably) Whitley, Willow, and Nicholas all share the glyph-based Semblance unique to the Schnee lineage. The confirmation of their Semblance being explicitly hereditary contradicts the idea that Semblances are an expression of one’s personality. If we go by that logic, it implies that—what, their personalities are all the same? They have no individuality? I’m sorry, but that’s just dumb.

This is why Semblance discovery is important, and why the canon should have paid more attention to developing it. There’s pretty compelling evidence for a person’s Semblance being tied to multiple factors apart from their “personality.” I know that I’m digressing here a bit, but the main reason why I bring up this correlation isn’t just because it clarifies inconsistencies with the canon. It also presents an opportunity to enrich the lore of the show.

In the Redux, Auratic plasticity is the ability of the soul to generate a Semblance based on either an immutable personality trait (innate), a scenario-specific survival method (adaptive), or a “genetic” trait that’s repeatedly selected for due to its inherent fitness (inherited). These three categories are determined by a value called hierarchical prioritization—basically, it’s the soul’s ability to decide what Semblance-trigger gets precedence. I’ll get into more detail when I start the Amendment, but it felt important to clarify my intentions early, so I could justify writing 700 words on why Semblance discovery is important.

Adverse Effects of Using Semblances

Unlike Limitations, which focuses on what a Semblance can or can’t do, Adverse Effects deals with the negative repercussions/consequences of using a Semblance.

Or in RWBY’s case, a lack thereof.

(For the moment, let’s set aside the magic/not magic discourse and acknowledge that yes, in the traditional sense, Aura, Semblances, and Dust are part of RWBY’s magic system, the same way bending is part of A:TLA’s.)

When designing a magic system, you’ve got to balance it. Otherwise, the system contains powers that are vaguely-defined, OP, and bereft of any costs.

One way to implement a system of checks and balances is by giving that system a cost for using it. In RWBY’s case, the only “cost” experienced by characters is physical fatigue whenever they overextend themselves. But in the grand scheme of things it’s not really a detrimental consequence, in part because of how infrequently exhaustion is viewed as a legitimate threat. Seriously. When was the last time you saw the main cast fail because they overdid it while using their Semblances? It just doesn’t happen.

One way you could implement a cost is by tying Semblance usage to a physical demand. According an article by Julia Belluz, Winter Olympic athletes consume anywhere between 1,300 - 2,500 and 4,000 - 7,000 calories on average per day.

It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch to apply this to RWBY. Given the high-intensity acrobatics the characters perform on the regular, it would make sense that strenuous physical activity, coupled with Semblance usage, would create costs in the form of caloric needs. Maybe that’s an issue Team RNJR needs to deal with while backpacking across Anima. Is food a top priority for them? Do they have to restrict Semblance usage when running low on rations? Does the group ever have to hunt or forage for food to meet the energy demands of fighting Grimm?

Not only does this balance out Semblances, but it opens the door for potential worldbuilding. Is “Huntsman” ever used as a euphemism for “glutton”? Do all-you-can-eat buffets ban Huntsmen from their establishments? Do Huntsmen have a reputation for being less picky about food options? In places that use trade-and-barter systems, are Huntsmen willing to accept food as payment instead of lien?

I think that’s more or less everything I wanted to say about Semblances. I have a few unrelated nitpicks, but I can save those for another time. This post is already longer than I intended it to be.

-

[1] Volume 4, Episode 8: “A Much Needed Talk.”

[2] Shawcross, Kerry. “CRWBY AMA.” Reddit interview. February 12, 2018. [https://www.reddit.com/r/RWBY/comments/7x3w4s/crwby_ama_w_miles_luna_kerry_shawcross_and_paula/du5bpdm/?context=3]

[3] Volume 7, Episode 3: “Ace Operatives.”

[4] Wallace, Daniel. The World of RWBY: The Official Companion. VIZ Media LLC, 2019, page 94.

[5] Volume 5, Episode 4: “Lighting the Fire.”

[6] Wallace, Daniel. The World of RWBY: The Official Companion. VIZ Media LLC, 2019, page 39.

[kyndaris]

Date with Destiny (with a Capital D)

When I watched the announcement at E3 about Final Fantasy VII Remake, I was terribly excited. Though the Final Fantasy series has been one of my favourites since I first played Final Fantasy X, I have never actually played the original Final Fantasy VII.Instead, I read everything I could find and watched walkthroughs (including Dirge of Cerberus) as well as the film: Advent Children and Advent Children Complete. When Crisis Core released on PlayStation Portable (PSP), I also bought that to immerse myself in the entirety of the Final Fantasy VII universe. And when I told one of my close friends, Bleachpanda, about it, they were surprised that I had never played the original. But while I could have purchased the re-release on the PlayStation 4, I wanted to see the game that had captured the imagination of so many people in high definition quality.

As most people in Australia know, the game released a whole nine days earlier than it was supposed to: on 1st of April. After I had mistakenly taken the express train, I was perusing my messages and saw my friend post her excitement that Final Fantasy VII Remake was out. Immediately, I used my situation to my advantage and went to buy the game - despite the fact that I had no facial mask and was entering a shopping centre with a possible high risk of infection. After sweating up a storm by rushing to all the stores, I finally had the copy in hand. 

However, it would not be until I had finished Yakuza 4 that I could begin my journey with Cloud and the Avalanche team. Suffice it to say, I was incredibly excited. From the score to Cloud’s lovely cheekbones. In fact, I could not believe my good fortune that I was actually playing the game. It didn’t seem real that I would have in my hands despite the ongoing pandemic. From there, my hype built as I defeated the Scorpion sentinel and moved on to the Seventh Heaven. When Tifa’s theme sounded, I had to resist the urge to shed a tear. 

I might not have played the original, but gosh darn it, I loved the characters as much as any fan.

Even the little details were so exciting to see. Though there were several changes to the game, it was clear that the developers loved the game as much as its fans did. I liked how Cloud and the gang kept their victory poses for when they were in the Coliseum. The up-scaled Church, the bar, Wall Market and Aerith’s house. Learning more about many of the side characters also helped build a solid connection to them. From Jessie’s tragic backstory of her dad collapsing in Mako storage in her debut as the role of Princess at the Golden Saucer (goodness me, if she knew about the shenanigans of Cloud and the rest of the party, she’d probably throw a fit), to Bigg’s contribution to the Sector 5 orphanage. This even extended to the differences in Tifa’s and Aerith’s cleavage sizes. Not that I was paying particular attention...

Okay, maybe a little. But I’m glad that they also gave appropriate footwear and gear for the characters. 

But my goodness, that pull-up challenge took me fifty minutes! It wasn’t even in the original! And the trophy did not feel worth it after how difficult Jules was. Never again! 

Then the characters also called me out for going in the wrong direction. I’m not! I’m trying to explore every nook and cranny of this world Square-Enix has bequeathed us and to find as many items as I can find! 

The combat, though, was the one that had the most changes. Gone is the turn-based battle system. While players can play on classic, according to my friend Bleachpanda, it was less than exciting. Particularly when the AI just stood around guarding most of the time. As for me, I played on Normal Mode. The battle mechanics felt like they used bits and pieces from other games: such as Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy XIII. It also incorporated elements of the original Active Time Battle system, but I found it frustrating that all of my more powerful abilities, and even items, were gated behind a slowly rising bar - particularly for the AI-controlled party members. Of course, Final Fantasy VII Remake also allowed players to switch between members and I found I had to do this on a fairly regular basis depending on the battle. 

Also, your ATB abilities, spells and item usages could also be interrupted. This proved particularly frustrating in difficult battles where I was hoping to take advantage of an enemy’s weakness, only to be batted to the side because of an air attack.

It also felt, on numerous fights, that I had to think of these battles less like a turn-based battle and more like an action adventure, hack and slash. Instead of just absorbing spells and attacks, I needed to evade and guard. This was clearly evident in several solo battles with Roche and even Rufus Shinra. I had to read attack patterns, avoid some of their deadly moves and strike when they had an opening. All the while, trying to keep my ATB gauge up and ready for some quick healing or spell casting. 

Let’s move on now to the characters and the story. But where to begin? How about the ending that proved incredibly divisive among many fans. My friend, Bleachpanda, was sorely disappointed by the presence of the Whispers and how the last two chapters transpired. She, unlike me, had been banking on nostalgia to pull her and was more excited to seeing the original recreated in perfect high definition. If you read her posts on Final Fantasy VII Remake you will learn that she was mightily disappointed that how Cloud manages to obtain his dress was very different (although she probably still liked our ex-Soldier shaking his tush on stage. Heck, I think everyone was channelling Aerith and shouting at our screens for Cloud to work it). 

The whole talk of destiny and changing fate, though, probably left many fearing that the rest of the Final Fantasy VII Remake would be a very different beast from their childhoods. What with talk about alternate timelines and the possibility of time travel. As well as that last parting shot of Zack Fair. In fact, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that try to explain the ending. 

Now, I profess, time travel has always sat ill with me. And Square-Enix has not always used it well. The first Bravely Default comes to mind as does Kingdom Hearts 3 and the time loops of Type-0. Or even what they tried to do with the Final Fantasy XIII franchise. All those retcons in FFXIII-2 made me wonder if it was all worth it. Lightning’s character development in the first game was all but forgotten and rehashed over Lightning Returns. Still, as this was mostly penned by the original writer (though people will still blame Nomura), I feel like much of the motivations and several story beats will remain the same. The settings will also not change and I am eager to see Cosmo Canyon, Nibelheim, Junon and so many other places.

In saying that, though, I’m not sure if Aerith will die. Or if she does, whether it will have the same shocking effect that it did in the original. Of course, by now, everyone and their mothers know what to expect and perhaps this was a way for Square Enix to keep players on their toes. What about Cloud falling into the Lifestream and Tifa trying to sort out his memories from the false persona he created? The slap fight between Tifa and Scarlet? My friend, Bleachpanda, just wants to see Professor Hojo surrounded by girls that are trying to flirt with him. Who knows. It might happen. Or it might not. Hence why so many are terrified at the direction of the new games.

The rest of the narrative, however, proved just as exciting with a few little additions along the way. Sephiroth appearing, though, in the second chapter threw me for a loop, even though I appreciated the foreshadowing. Chapter 4 was all devoted to learning and bonding more with the other members of Avalanche. I very much liked their expanded roles, although casting Gideon Emery as Biggs was a bit of a distraction as I could clearly hear his Balthier trying to break through, particularly in the earlier scenes. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Balthier. And Biggs is quite good looking himself.

This whole Midgar portion of the game also remained mostly faithful to the original Final Fantasy VII and its timeline. It also made things a little more realistic and showed fans of the original, more sides of the characters they had come to love. Also, I like that despite the love triangle being set up between Cloud, Tifa and Aerith, there was a strong sense of camaraderie among the girls. They lifted each other up rather than tear each other down. Even Jessie was trying to get in on the action with all the flirting she did. In fact, I just wanted to ship Aerith and Tifa for the long haul. 

What I also thought cute was the little swear the left Aerith’s lips when the ladder fell and Cloud had to help lift her up. It was also comical to see Cloud try to pull his Buster Sword out when confronted by one of the other Sephiroth clones and having it catch on the door jam. 

Barret, on the other hand, was a little preachy in the first few chapters. There can be no denying his love for Marlene, but it grated on me how much exposition he provided on the train ride back to Sector 7. Still, once we finally get into the meat of the games, I would love to see all their backstories, cry when appropriate and cheer for them when they finally emerge victorious. 

I also liked many of the environmental story telling. Particularly in Chapter 2 and seeing the aftermath of what Avalanche’s actions had done. Granted, Heidegger and President Shinra had a hand in it, but it was clear that Jessie and many others were devastated by the damage they had wrought. It was also gut-wrenching to see the remains of Sector 7 after the plate fell. Reeve, in the form of Cait Sith, tried and failed to save the people and even though he was controlling an animatronic cat, you could still see his devastation.

Overall, I have to say that I enjoyed my time with Final Fantasy VII Remake. By the time the game ended, I felt a little bereft, wanting to see more of each character and really dive down deep into their psych. Just like before, Tifa is much more reticent and closed off. It warmed my heart that in Hojo’s lab, Aerith asked Tifa if she was okay. As someone who is also similarly guarded, it’s good to know that someone else cares. Red XIII was also a great addition in the last two chapters, though it was a shame we could not play as him. 

The ending might have left a sour taste in the mouths of many, but I know that I, for one, am eager to see where the unknown journey takes us next and seeing old familiar faces. We still have Cid, Yuffie and Vincent to find! Also, Marlene is so cute and precious and must be protected at all costs.

[kitchenremodelingatlanta41]

Determining a Kitchen Remodeling Budget

Kitchen remodeling atlanta

It is crucial to determine a financial budget for almost any do-it-yourself project, and kitchen remodeling is no exception.

A thing of caution: I spent many hours researching kitchen remodeling cost and budgeting online to gather data just for this article. I ran into a couple websites that gave size pricing for kitchen remodeling. Although I commiserate using attempt to find an easy method to discover remodeling pricing, this type of advice is just not operating out of reality. Remodeling jobs in general are really specific towards the conditions in the building and tastes from the homeowner that no square footage pricing will ever starting point. Also i bumped into many websites that didn't provide you with any real details about starting a budget but basically interpreted Hanley Wood's Remodeling Cost vs. Value report that is published each year. You happen to be much better off visiting the Cost vs. Value report web evaluating the results by yourself.

home remodeling marietta

Like whatever else on this planet a kitchen remodel is going to are more expensive than you thought it would and the sky is the limit on the it may cost depending on you. There are multiple factors which are into determining a remodeling budget.

There are many web sites you can check out assist you to begin a basic budget number to start with. My personal recommendation is Remodeling Magazine's Cost vs. Value Report which is released by region and major city every year. The truly nice point about this report is it offers a description in the "average" project to help you gauge if your kitchen remodel will almost certainly fall below or above the benchmark. Also i find their average pricing to be a definative reflection with the pricing for the company, so by recommending to clients before I even meet with them which they investigate this report these are prone to generate a realistic budget we can easily work within to provide them a fantastic kitchen.

Custom Hutch developed with Semi-Custom Cabinets

While Remodeling Magazine's report is extremely helpful, it is still an incredibly one size fits all approach to generating a budget. Read on if you would like try and hone your numbers somewhat.

Get out a pad and paper and take note of a number of notes about each factor as you go along through their list:

Factor 1 Home Value- Consider not only what you think your property is worth, but the price of similar homes in your town that already have updates. The best site to check house values is zillow.com, simply enter your address and you also receive an interactive map with house values as well as other information listed directly on the map. Pay attention to which homes are of similar size to yours, happen to be purchased lately, but have a higher value, then peek inside their windows to see just what the house appears to be. Ok, seriously, I was only kidding. If you don't know them perhaps it's time to meet the neighbors and request a fast tour.

Factor 2 Wow! - It has everything to apply your objectives and motivations. Jot down each motivational factor which can be important to you within a kitchen remodel. Below are a few possible examples: Kitchen is fallling. You want to cook and also the layout doesn't suit you. You love to entertain and wish to start the kitchen as being a place to gather. You'll need a kitchen that wows your guests. You are getting prepared to sell your home as well as the kitchen is often a sticking point with buyers... Now that you have your list, determine what motivations are most crucial and relist them in motivational order. Imagining your financial allowance from "the middle" be aware of which factors might slowly move the budget up or down...i.e. attempting to remodel to encourage a sale might slowly move the budget down, remodeling to wow guest might max it out...etc.

Factor 3 Did someone say AGA? - List any "must haves" for any kitchen remodel to get worthwhile to you. Possible examples: granite counters, hawaiian isle having an extra sink, an extra dishwasher, a commercial quality gas range, etc.

Factor 4 Longevity- Determine on the better of your ability just how long you plan on owning the property.

Factor 5 Size Matters- Evaluate which percentage of your house your house encompasses. A sampling of over 100 modern home floorplans of 1000 to 3000 square foot homes revealed the typical kitchen sq footage to be 7% of the home's sq footage. In case your kitchen is larger or small compared to this average you might need to decrease or increase your budget accordingly.

Factor 6 Layout- in the event you know already you will want the sink moved, hawaiian isle sink added, an inside wall moved plus an exterior door added, then you need to incorporate money in your budget well past that of a basic facelift would cost.

Tricky layout: the decorative column conceals a good wrapped drain pipe

Factor 7 Funding- Determine the most money you can manage to spend. Should you be financing your project you can calculate what a lender will probably lend you. Lenders are interested in a debt to income ratio(DTI) of.36 or fewer. Your DTI created by subtracting all your monthly debt obligations (bank card payments, automotive loans, mortgage, etc.) and dividing from your monthly income. To find out your maximum safe monthly debt multiply.36 times your monthly income. Now subtract your existing monthly debt from this number and you have a month-to-month budget maximum. Here is a connect to a calculator that will perform the math for you personally: mortgage calculator

Putting it All Together

The key to managing your finances are choosing the percentage of your home's value you should use being a budget guideline. While researching this article I came across recommendations to make use of percentages which range from 10% to 25% of home value. For the kitchen remodel of the substance that also includes new flooring, appliances, cabinets, sink/faucet, lighting and bringing electric approximately code I find anything below 15% becoming a very dubious number. Perhaps over a big house 10% will be a workable budget, but on a 200k house a 20k finances are marginal at the best for a complete kitchen remodel.

If resale value is vital to you it is shrewd to keept the expense of your house renovation project within 20% of the present valuation on your home. Staying in this particular range insures that almost all the new kitchen's charges are recouped in increased home value immediately, as well as the remaining cost needs to be recouped within Five years since your home appreciates.

Ok, let's run through an example. Bear in mind, there isn't any exact formula here. We're simply doing our best to become as informed as you possibly can making a good plan regarding how much to pay on the kitchen remodel.

For the example let's use the home. It's a 50's cape cod with a modest sq footage of 1500.

Factor 1 value: Zillow provides me with an estimated value of $167,500, however, I notice zillow hasn't yet updated and included the one family homes that had been recently integrated the area behind us with a starting tariff of $270k. Zillow also has our square footage listed for less than 1200. Looks like the previous owner did a bit remodeling without having a permit. I will base my budget on a expense of 180k which is analogous with houses locally which are exactly the same size.

Factor 2 Goals: My wife and I wish to entertain guests. To make a kitchen remodel worthwhile for us we should instead lose an indoor wall to open up inside the kitchen and dining nook to the family area. I'm going to add 1% to plan for this.

Factor 3 Most important items: Being a former chef two most important items personally certainly are a new oven plus a really nice propane range(no propane service here), preferably an industrial range modified for use at home (real commercial ranges don't have insulation round the oven, critical for home safety). I'll add another 1% to my budget to make certain there is enough money to obtain me my range and propane installation.

Factor 4 Longevity: We plan to live in our home at the least 4 years. Usually of thumb it requires Several years for the majority of remodeling to comprehend and recoup all of your money. Since we might be right here at least A few years I am not planning to penalize this, but as there is a pretty good possibility we'll move right around Several years That's not me going to increase it like I'd personally as we were staying for a long time.

Factor 5 Height and width of Kitchen: Our kitchen is all about 140SquareFeet(SF). That's over 9% in the SF of the home, 2% above average. Obviously this kitchen is going to require some additional material and cabinets. I am going to up the budget 1% with this, I hope it's enough.

Factor 6 Layout: We are going to change the layout of our kitchen pretty extensively. Supermarket use a cooktop peninsula. The stove will probably go on a differnet wall and also the dishwasher will turn to the peninsula, though we might ditch the peninsula, slowly move the fridge and add an island instead. The only thing that won't move will be the sink. I'll add another 1% to my budget, again hoping $1800 (1% individuals 180k value) is sufficient to cover the electrical and plumbing changes.

For my base I'll use 20%. Because i previously mentioned, there are gonna be people who will argue when camping with that, but going lower often doesn't provide you with workable budget numbers for full blown kitchen remodels. I'm adding 4% according to my factors in the above list. I adjusted my zillow.com estimated home value to 180k depending on the comparable sq footage and expense of other homes around me. Thus giving us a working budget of 24% x 180k= $43,200 While i compare this to the Cost Vs. Value report I see that in the centre Atlantic Region a significant Kitchen Renovation is $59, 098. It appears as though my budget may be bit low, especially ever since i really would like granite countertops along with the Cost Vs. Value specs require laminate tops. On the other hand my kitchen is substantially smaller compared to their 200SF benchmark, therefore i think I'll opt for my budget number to see what my contractor can do for me because budget.

[fashionbusinessclub]

Small Business Owners: Accounting Is for Profit Planning, Not Just Tax Preparation

An individual may be led to think that benefit is your principal objective in an business in reality it's the cash flowing in and out of a firm which will keep the doors shut. The idea of profit is marginally sparse and just discusses income and expenses in a certain time. Cashflow, alternatively, is significantly more lively in the sense it is worried about the movement of money and from a organization. It's worried about the period in the movement of this currency occurs. Profits don't coincide with their associated cash inflows and out flows. The internet effect is that cash receipts regularly lag cash payments although profits could be mentioned, the company could experience a shortterm cash deficit. Because of this, it's vital to predict cash flows in addition to project possible profits. In such terms, it's crucial that you learn just how to convert your accrual profit for a own cash flow profit. You have in order to keep up enough cash readily available to conduct your business, however maybe perhaps not too long regarding sacrifice potential earnings from some different applications.

Why bookkeeping is required

Help One to function much better as a Company Owner

Make Reliable conclusions Know when to employ a group of employees Know just how to price your services and products Know just how to tag your expenditure items Helps one to figure out whether to enlarge or perhaps maybe not Helps with surgeries estimated costs Stop Fraud and Theft Control the most significant problem is internal thieving Reconcile your novels and inventory management of gear Raising Capital (allow you to to spell out financials to stakeholders) Loans Investors What will be the Best Practices in Accounting for Small Businesses to tackle your ordinary'pain points'? Hire or talk CPA or accountant What may be the simplest strategy and how frequently to get What do you have within my own industry? Identify what exactly is my prime purpose? Can the accountant gauge the total price of my small enterprise Can I help me grow my business with profit preparation methods How do you help me prepare for tax season What are several unique considerations for my specific industry?

To succeed, your company has to be profitable. Your entire organization goals down down to the simple fact. However turning a profit now is simpler said than done. As a way to enhance your bottom line, you want to understand what's going on financially at all times. Additionally you ought to get focused on understanding and tracking that your KPIs. What will be the Frequent Profitability Metrics to Track Running a Business -- crucial performance indicators (KPI)

Whether You Choose to employ a specialist or perform it yourself, then there are some metrics That You Ought to certainly have to keep tabs at all times:

Outstanding Accounts Payable: Outstanding accounts receivable (A/P) shows the total amount of cash you now owe to your providers. Average Cash Burn Average cash burn off up is the pace of which your organization' cash balance is going down on average each month over a specified time period. A negative burn is a good sign because it indicates your business is generating cash and growing its cash reserves. Cash Runaway: If your business is operating at a loss, cash runway helps you estimate how many months you can continue before your business exhausts its cash reserves. Similar to your cash burn, a negative runway is a good sign that your business is growing its cash reserves. Gross Margin: Gross margin is a percentage that demonstrates the total revenue of your business after subtracting the costs associated with creating and selling your business' services and products. It's actually really just a helpful metric to spot the way your earnings contrasts to some prices, and letting you make changes so. Customer Acquisition Cost: By focusing on just how much you really may spend on moderate to obtain a brand new customer, you also can tell just how many clients you want to create a profit. Customer Lifetime Value: You will want to understand your LTV therefore you are able to predict your prospective earnings and gauge the entire number of clients you want to cultivate your profits. Break-Even Point:How do I want to create sales for the own company to generate a profit?Knowing this number will reveal to you the thing you want to accomplish in order to develop a profit (e.g., gain more clients, increase prices, or lesser operating expenses). Net Profit: This really is the one most important number you want to understand for your own organization for a financial achievement. If you're not earning a profit, then your employer isn't likely to survive for longterm. Total earnings contrast with past year/last month. By assessing and tracking your entire revenues with time, you're going to have the ability to get sound business decisions and establish better financial targets. Average revenue per employee. It is vital that you know that this number so you may set realistic growth targets and comprehend strategies to enhance your business processes. The next checklist lays a recommended time line to look after the bookkeeping purposes that could keep you conducive to the operations of your enterprise and enhance your tax preparation. The accuracy and timeliness of those amounts entered will impact the important performance indicators that drive business decisions which will need to be manufactured, on the regular, monthly and yearly basis prior to profits. Daily Accounting Tasks

Review your everyday Cash flow posture therefore that you never'grow broke'. Since cash may be your fuel for the small enterprise, you can't wish to be running close vacant. Start every day by assessing how much cash you've got available. Weekly Accounting Tasks

2. Record Transactions

Record each trade (charging clients, receiving cash out of clients, paying vendors, etc.) at the correct account weekly or daily, based upon volume. Even though recording trades by hand or at Excel sheets is okay, it's most likely simpler to make utilize of accounting applications such as QuickBooks. The huge advantages and control far outweigh the price tag.

3. Document and File Receipts

Keep copies of invoices delivered, all cash receipts (cash, credit and check card deposits) and all of cash payments (cash, check, credit card bills, etc.).

Start a vendors document, sorted alphabetically, (Sears under"S", CVS under"C,"etc.) to get simple access. Create a citizenship document sorted by citizenship date as well as also a bank announcement document sorted by month. A frequent habit would be to throw all newspaper receipts to a carton and attempt to decode them in tax time, however if you don't get a tiny level of trades, it's much far better to have different files for various receipts kept organized while they arrive in. Many bookkeeping applications systems Allow You to scan paper receipts and also prevent physical documents entirely

4. Review Unpaid Bills from Vendors

Every firm must have an"unpaid vendors" folder. Maintain a listing of every one of your vendors which features charging dates, numbers due and payment deadline. If vendors give discounts for early payment, then you might need to make the most of the when you've got the bucks available.

5. Pay Vendors, Sign Checks

Track your account receivable and also possess capital allowed to pay for your suppliers promptly to prevent any late penalties and maintain positive relationships together. If you can give payment dates on net 60 or net 90, the higher. If you create payments on the internet or drop a check in the mail, maintain copies of bills sent and sent using accounting program.

6. Get and Send Invoices

Make sure you include payment stipulations. Most statements are due over 1 month, called"Net 30" in the end of your invoice. With no date, you'll have more difficulty forecasting earnings for your month. To be certain that to get paid in time, consistently use a statement form which comprises the ideal details like repayment conditions, itemized charges, and also your payment speech.

7. Review Projected Cash Flow

Managing your money flow is crucial, particularly in the very first year of one's small business enterprise. Forecasting just how much cash you're going to need while within the forthcoming weeks/months may assist you to book enough capital to pay for invoices, for example your own employees and providers. Besides, you may create more informed business decisions concerning how to pay it.

All you have to is just a very simple invoice revealing your overall income position, expected cash receipts throughout the future week/month and expected cash payments throughout the future week/month.

8. Executive Dashboard (weekly review)

This dash provides you a'snapshot' of one's surgeries on a weekly basis.

It include of Cash on Hand, Cash burn , Account Receivables, Accounts Payable, Items sold, Inventory on Hand, inventory turns, out standing problems in the company, and gross profit margin, new sales drops, customer reductions, customer support functionality, ontime shipping speed and product quality overall effectiveness.

Monthly Accounting Tasks

9. Balance Your Business Checkbook

As you get back together your own personal checking accounts, you want to be aware your money trade entries are true every month and then that you're dealing together with the suitable cash standing. Reconciling your hard earned money makes it a lot much easier to detect and fix some errors or omissions-by you personally or by the bank-in moment to improve them.

10. Review Past-Due ("Aged") Receivables

Make sure you incorporate an"aging" pillar to different"open invoices" with all the amount of days a bill is delinquent. This provides you an instant view of customer payments that are outstanding. The start of the month can be really just actually a fantastic time to ship overdue reminder announcements to clients, customers and someone else that owes you more money.

By the conclusion of your financial year, You'll Be looking at this accounts to Figure out what receivables you Will Have to ship to collections or compose away to get a deduction

1-1. Analyze Inventory Status

For those who have stock, then place aside time for you to re order products which sell fast and identify the others which are moving slowly and might need to be discounted down or down, fundamentally, composed. By assessing regularly (and comparing to earlier weeks' amounts ), it's simpler to make alterations therefore you're neither short nor over loaded.

1 2. Process-or Review Payroll and Approve Tax Payments

Despite the fact that you've got a proven program to pay for your employees (usually semimonthly ), then you want to meet with payroll tax conditions based on national, state and regional legislation at several times, therefore make sure you subtract, deposit and report the applicable tax, social security, Medicare and handicap taxation into the proper agencies on the necessary dates.

Review the payroll outline before payments have been disbursed in order to avoid needing to get corrections throughout the upcoming payroll period. A payroll company may perform all of this to help save time and ensure accuracy in a fair price.

1 3. Review Actual Profit and Loss Circuit Budget and Prior Years

Monthly, take some opportunity to reassess your budgeted expenses and compare these with that which you have ever spent. Are you currently really paying or below budget? Go over the variances and do it as desired

Your profit and loss statement (also referred to as an income statement), either to the present month and year so far, informs you just how much you've got and how much you're spent. Quantify it from the allowance monthly (or quarter). Assessing your actual amounts to your intended amounts high lights at which you might well be spending too much or inadequate, so you are able to make changes.

When you haven't prepared a budget, then compare your present yeartodate P&L with precisely exactly the exact identical prior-period yeartodate P&L to recognize variances and make alterations.

14. Review Month-End Balance Sheet vs. Prior Period

By assessing your balance sheet in one date-June 30, 2015, for example-to a balance sheet by a previous date (December 31, 2014), you obtain a photo of the way you're managing assets and obligations. The crucial thing is to start looking for that which exactly is considerably down or up and comprehend the reason why. By way of instance, if your balances prices up, can it be thanks to raised recent earnings or due to payments from clients?

Quarterly Accounting Tasks

1-5. Prepare/Review Revised Annual P&L Estimate

It is the right time to appraise just how much money you're actually earning, if your assets are moving down or up, the gap between earnings and expenses, which triggered those changes, the method that you're spending money, in addition to pinpointing problem areas, and making alterations to improve margins and sales.

16. Review Quarterly Payroll Reports and Make Payments

You've now already been reviewing your semi monthly deductions accounts. Nevertheless, both the IRS and many countries require annual Revenue accounts and some other residual quarterly obligations. Again, it's better if your payroll supplier completes those files and reports . Your work is to examine to make certain they look fair.

17. Inspection Sales Tax and Make Quarterly Payments

If your organization works at a country which requires sales tax, then be sure to comply with prevent significant penalties. Even the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will help you decide a state tax duties.

18. Compute Estimated Income Tax and Make Payment

The IRS and countries which have income taxation ask that you pay for estimated taxes. Review your yeartodate P&L to determine whether your debt any projected taxes for this quarter. Your tax accountant will assist if needed.

Annual Accounting Tasks

1 9. Review Past-Due Receivables

Now it is the right time to assess substantial overdue receivables and choose whether you think clients will gradually cover, whether to ship delinquent invoices to a collection service or if to publish off them to get a deduction.

20. Review Your Inventory

Review your existing inventory to find out the worth of items not available. Any writedown of inventory equates to some deduction in your own year old taxes. If you don't writedown un-sellable stock, then you're overstating your inventory balance and paying for additional taxation you don't owe.

2 1. Fill in IRS Forms W-2 and 1099misc

The IRS includes a January 31 deadline which expects one to record that on the yearly earnings of one's fulltime employees (W-2s) & most independent builders (1099s). This deadline incorporates mailing copies of these tax forms to those men and women who worked for you personally. Observe: A 1099 form isn't essential for any builders that got less than 600. Look at saving time and preventing mistakes by having an e filing support.

2-2. Review full-year fiscal reports for tax coverage

Get coordinated Collect and save important records (use programs and calendars for assistance ) Create email folders to save bank receipts and statement Store contracts and contracts Track kilometers and auto expenditures Store all essential records for the organization type.

Tax Preparation Tax preparation can be an early perspective and perhaps not an gain preparation event Capture all applicable occasions Identify all of deduction types Capture all meals Meetings --anything had been discussed/calendar Try never to discuss industry average industry cost for food.