#Really improves the whole experience of reading this book

[the-busy-ghost]

There are some books that are just BETTER if you go through them with a pencil and underline the shit out of tiny details, and honestly if anyone found Hogg's 'Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' difficult to get into, I highly encourage you to give it another go and give yourself a license to extensively research & annotate every little bit

[stillresolved]

🚩🚩🚩 GIB

@ptternminds / send me a 🚩 and i'll share... prompt.

muses are not people and should not be written as such. and what i mean by that is that while there technically is no such thing as too much character development, it is possible to have a character with lots of hcs but still be underdeveloped if those hcs don't contribute in some way to the character's overall arc. people in rl are contradictions and don't necessarily have to have likes and dislikes that match up...characters, however, i do think need to be consistent to some degree in order for their characterization to remain consistent. i guess what i'm trying to say is that when i say i look for character development in the blogs i follow, i'm not necessarily looking for quantity so much as quality...less of lots of character development and more of tight character development.

so many people talk about how they want to have that one partner who you can have like 48290348 ships with and talk well in the wee hours of the morning...i always wonder if they realize, like those kinds of connections usually don't appear overnight? like, of course there needs to be a spark, but it takes time and patience to build that kind of trust and familiarity and at least in my case, with the ones i have tons of dynamics, it took months ( sometimes even years ) of following to even make that spark...

this does not apply to everyone who writes on here, BUT...a good chunk of tumblr writers would not make it in the professional writing world/publication side. for one thing, writing prose can be very different from writing rp and even rp drabbles. prose needs a plot, major events happening where rp threads and drabbles don't have to have them or tend to write the moments around those events. and two, you need to be open to feedback and criticism of your work even if it does sting. i'm not saying you need to be a doormat to people who give bad criticism/are straight up mean, but i have seen way too many writers on here who are just?? either egotistical about their writing to the point they're can't see the flaws in their own work or so insecure about their writing, they go seeking only praise...neither of those groups of people will ever actually work to improve their craft. and thus over the years their writing never grows. the process of publishing is one of critique, revision, and tons of rejection; neither of those kinds of writers would make it out there.

[oldbookist]

I was working on a history paper today and found a book from 1826 that seemed promising (though dull) for my topic, on an English Catholic family’s experience moving to France.

And it ended up not really being suitable for my purposes, as it goes. But part of the book is actually devoted to Kenelm, the author’s oldest son…and man, his dad loved him.

Kenelm seems to have had a fairly typical upbringing for a young English gentleman, although he is a bit slow to read. At twelve he’s sent to board at Stoneyhurst College—often the big step towards independence in a boy’s life, as he’ll most likely only see his parents sporadically from now on, and then leave for university.

When he’s sixteen, however, his father moves the whole family to France, so Kenelm gets pulled out of school to be with them again. Shortly after the move, his dad notices that he seems depressed. Kenelm confides in him that he’s been suffering from “scruples” for the last eighteen months—most likely what we’d now call an anxiety disorder.

And his dad is pissed—at the school, because apparently Kenelm had been seeking help there and received none, despite obviously struggling with mental health issues. So his dad takes it seriously. He sets him up to be counseled by a priest—there were no therapists back then—and doesn’t send him away to be boarded again, instead teaching him at home himself.

And his mental health does improve. His dad describes him as well-liked, gentle, pious, kind and eager to please others; at twenty he’s thinking about a career in diplomacy or going into the military—which his dad thinks he is not particularly suited for, considering his favorite pastimes are drawing and reading. He’s excited about his family’s upcoming move to Italy, and he’s been busy learning Italian and teaching it to his siblings.

Henry Kenelm Beste dies of typhus at twenty years, four months, and twenty-five days. That’s how his dad records it. That’s why his dad is telling this story. It’s not an extraordinary story—Kenelm’s story struck me because he sounds so…ordinary, like so many kids today. And he was so, so loved. His dad tried hard to help him compassionately with his mental health at a time where our current knowledge and support systems didn’t exist. You can feel how badly he wanted his son to be remembered and loved, to impress how dearly beloved he was to the people who knew him in life.

I hope he’d be glad to know someone is still thinking of Kenelm over 200 years later.

Anyway, that’s why I’m crying today.

[csuitebitches]

On Being Well Spoken

I recently received a request about posting something regarding being well spoken.

Something you need to realise is that you’re not going to become well-spoken overnight. You need to practice on people. You need to SPEAK.

I used to stutter so badly that I could barely speak a whole sentence.

Flash forward a few years. I pitched my start up in front of a crowd, I joined Model United Nations in high school and college, I’ve been invited to speak on my entrepreneurial experience by some top universities in my country. It’s taken a lot to get here. And I’m still not where I want to be.

1. Apps to track progress and help you get better at public speaking

An app that you can use: “Speeko.”

I used to use this, it is beginner friendly and you can improve your public speaking skills as well.

2. Use topic generators

Go online and look up a topic generator. Generate a random topic, video yourself speaking on that topic. Don’t give yourself time to prepare anything - read the topic and start speaking. Set a time limit - you’ll realise that speaking for even 2 minutes can be quite difficult at times.

Not only does this make you realise that you may have limited language skills, but it will also make you realise exactly where you’re falling behind. Note down things in a journal.

- is grammar the issue?

- Lack of vocabulary?

- Too many filler sounds?

- Knowledge gap?

This is also a great idea if you’re at an intermediate level of learning a language/ polishing a language. Do this everyday and maintain a diary on your improvement.

3. Reading out loud

Select a news article or any article. Read out loud, slowly and steadily. Pronounce every syllable calmly.

A two minute read should take 5 minutes to read out loud. That’s how slow you should go. Not more than 4-5 words per breath.

Your tongue needs to get used to different syllables and sounds. Practice will help.

4. Talk in real life

Talk to anyone and everyone whenever you can.

Ask your barista how their day is going.

Ask your work or university security if they’ve had a good day and if they ate today.

Chat with your taxi driver about their life. I always start with asking them if they are from the city we’re travelling in. Even if you’re from that city, act like a tourist. Where are the best eateries? The conversation eventually goes to personal questions. How many children do they have, and what do they do? What do they like about the city?

You’ll learn the art of small talk only through practice. No book or guide can actually prepare you. You have to practice, practice and practice.

5. Diaphragm breathing

Diaphragm breathing is very important. Look up some YouTube videos for reference. You essentially breathe from your tummy (stomach goes in and out; not chest going up and down). This is a great calming exercise too.

6. Stuttering tongue/ jaw exercise videos

These are great because they really do prep your jaw and tongue well. The videos could include tongue stretches, placing your tongue on your palette correctly, etc. Search on YouTube.

7. Body posture

You really need to work on your posture too. Sit up straight. Back, STRAIGHT. Chin up, shoulders relaxed. Something as simple as posture can change your level of confidence.

8. Pranayama

A yoga exercise for breathing. You can find a guided video on YouTube for sure.

9. Vocabulary

Invest your time in expanding your vocabulary. There’s enough apps and games that can help you with that, if you aren’t fond of reading. A sign of being well spoken is having great vocabulary.

Start by looking up the synonyms of everyday words.

“I’m upset”

- how many different words can you find for upset?

“I had a crazy day today”

- one can easily use “hectic”, “chaotic” “lively” instead

10. Idioms

Idioms, phrases, sayings - look up common idioms in your language of choice. Aim to use at least 3 new idioms on 3 separate occasions in a week while you speak. You need to understand when and where you can use the idioms in your vocabulary.

11. Knowing when to switch

You can’t talk like a 50 year old heiress to a 10 year old child; you need to get down to their level.

If someone is clearly not a native speaker and is struggling to put words together, don’t use difficult words around them.

If you’re meeting with someone high profile, refrain from using slang.

The best speakers know when to switch their level of language.

You can’t use one singular type of speaking with everyone. You need to understand that there is a time and place for everything - and you’ll be able to switch like a pro only when you actually speak and start gaining experience.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I read the post where you answered why you didn’t like Malleus and remembered that you placed Leona really highly on your favs list, and Leona is my favorite so do you mind me asking why do you like Leona?

[My TWST character tier list is here.]

[Anon is also referencing this Malleus post.]

THERE’S A REASON WHY L*ONA IS IN “Unfortunately Enjoy” TIER 😭 I think for like... over a year (2020-2021)? Probably closer to 1.5 years?? I really disliked him and swore up and down that I'd "never in my life simp for the fake cat". This was largely in part due to book 2, which to this day I believe did Leona a HUGE disservice and made him look very unintelligent and uninteresting. Then I was drip fed new Leona content as it steadily came out (vignettes, voice lines, event stories, his return in book 6) and my opinion of him vastly improved. Book 2 was just a really bad introduction to him and it greatly soured my first impressions. sjfyofqebfeiafns B-But now I'm too embarrassed to openly declare, "Yeah, I like a sad muscular l*on man. So what?" Some would say that's tsundere behavior... BUT I SAY I'M COMPLETELY JUSTIFIED FOR ACTING THIS WAY BECAUSE IT ISN'T EASY TO CONFESS WITH YOUR WHOLE CHEST THAT YOU LIKE KINGSCHOLAR OF ALL TWST CHARACTERS

... Anyway! For a much more expanded explanation, I'd recommend this post! It already states a lot of my thoughts, and I don't want to repeat them in yet another lengthy lion-related post. What I'll do instead is summarize the key points for you, plus add some commentary about Leona and Malleus at the end.

Admittedly, he is pretty. VERY pretty. I'm saying this as someone who normally really dislikes hair longer than shoulder length, the "wild"/bad boy aesthetic, and kemonomimi. Leona breaks ALL the rules and still somehow manages to wear everything and anything well because of his sheer confidence and natural grace. His physical features are also very striking... The sharp bright green eyes, the small waist and large chest (there's NO reason why he HAD to be built like that), his stupid smirk, etc.

His pettiness and sarcasm. Leona has, hands down, some of the funniest lines 🤡 I love that he has the balls to speak callously to everyone, including fellow dorm leaders and royalty. His best moments, however, are when he whips out the sarcasm on statements which are so patently untrue--like when he says he is a 'delicate prince' and a 'lost child', both moments from book 6. It's also hilarious whenever Leona speaks in a formal way, showing that he does have the education and the knowledge of how a prince should present himself, but just actively chooses to not make the effort and only does so mockingly or when social grace calls for it.

HIS BIG BRAIN FOLDS, HOLY COW (err, book 2 aside). Leona works smarter, not harder!! He's always one step ahead of everyone else, even if he appears sleepy or disinterested at the time. He figured out the trick behind the "indestructible" golden contracts, he sussed out Jamil WAY before book 4 ever came out (saying that Jamil has "eyes that always glare" and implying that Jamil poses a threat to Kalim's life; this is from Jamil's School Uniform vignette), he takes what he learns in textbooks and so easily translates it to real-world experiences (ie advising the first years on how to more efficiently mine magestones in Vargas Camp), etc. Additionally, Leona knows when to step in and when to be hands off. It's not done out of cowardice or laziness, but rather because he's thinking strategically. For example, he could have resisted capture at the hands of the Ferrymen, but he didn't because it would be smarter to just go with them willingly. It saves everyone a lot of time and energy, and it’s this kind of intelligent thinking that makes Leona really stand out.

He knows how to lead. There are many different types of beastmen, each with own beliefs, values, and traditions that are unique to their own group. As a result, it is very difficult to unify all beastmen within the Sunset Savanna under one rule. Guess who doesn't have this problem? THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S LEONA. There's a variety of beastmen in Savanaclaw, and he effortlessly rules over them and commands their respect.

He actively thinks about how to improve the Sunset Savanna. Leona's ideas are not always the best (like, yeah, you could introduce new technology to the country but expect significant social pushback from the people, who prioritize living in harmony with nature). However, I can really appreciate that he did not entirely turn his back on the people who feared his powers and talked him down. I think he eventually realized the flaws in his way of thinking and actively chose an energy and mining lab internship in hopes of researching ways to slowly implement changes that will benefit the Sunset Savanna while also remaining respectful of the people's beliefs. He is concerned about Falena's lax way of ruling and consistently brings up ideas in various voice lines about how they can improve the Sunset Savanna and its relationships with other countries and tourists. In spite of everything he went through, Leona never wants to hurt those who hurt him with their comments and comparisons to his elder brother. He does not ever want to tear down the system that kicked him down again and again, only wants to challenge it by proving his own merits and the merits of the other downtrodden that he leads.

As much as he wants to deny it, he cares about his underclassmen and goes out of his way to help them. There are sooo many examples of this that it cannot possibly fit in one bullet point. (I would really recommend reading the elongated post linked above, as I go into more detail on this.) Suffice to say, Leona has been shown guiding, instructing, and mentoring many other characters including, but not limited to: Epel, Ruggie, Jack, Jamil, and various Savanaclaw mob students. This really hits me in the heart because I love reliable big brother characters 😭 EVEN THOUGH LEONA IS TECHNICALLY A YOUNGER BROTHER...

He understands his strengths—and he understands others' strengths too. This man is fully aware of his magical might and powerful presence. He uses every last bit of it to full effect and to attain his goals, whatever those may be. One of my favorite uses has to be In Fairy Gala!! He distracted some pixies by simply demanding water and their attention so his partners in crime could escape—and what’s more, this was a plan he came up with on the spot because their mission was being jeopardized by unforeseen events. Leona is also good about pinpointing people’s best attributes and then helping them hone it. This happens a lot during club practice, bur it also occurs in book 6 between him and Jamil. Speaking of…

THAT WHOLE BOOK 6 CONVERSATION WITH JAMIL DESERVES ITS OWN BULLET POINT. This part was peak mentor mode Leona 😭 Sure, maybe he wasn’t the kindest with his wording, but I felt this was the wake up call Jamil needed to hear. What really got me though was the part where Leona tells Jamil there’s still hope for him… “unlike me”. (I believe this part was translated differently in EN to make Leona’s ego sound more inflated (ie “I’m not like you”) which saddens me immensely.) It paints the image that Leona is still struggling to believe his efforts will amount to anything and that he believes more in his juniors than in himself :(( (which informs my headcanon that Leona mentors younger students so that they can have the bright future he doesn’t think he can have for himself).

Emotional complexity. When you get down to it, what started off as a very basic story of jealousy and inferiority complex actually resulted in a deeply flawed, traumatized, and scarred individual who continues to doubt and put himself down but is slowly recovering. Leona is smart and charismatic—he is everything a leader should be, but he doesn’t truly see his own worth. (Ironically, the only people who do are the ones who look up to him and follow him.) And now… Leona’s actually got his eyes set on graduating! He has his internship plans set! I think he’s made such big strides since book 2, and it’s been so rewarding seeing him regain his willingness to try and succeed return to him.

Looking back on it, it’s so ironic how things ended up working out. Initially, I was totally on Lilia’s side when he insulted Leona and said he would never be the kind of leader Malleus is. Now I’m realizing how Leona does many of the things I don’t see Malleus doing (despite Lilia claiming Malleus is more fit to be king than Leona is).

Malleus isn’t harming his people by any means, but it’s more like he’s… stagnant? Complacent? He’s satisfied with the status quo and is comfortable resting on his laurels. And because of that, Malleus doesn’t really seem to consider what he, as a leader, can do for others, be it for his dorm members or doe his country. (Part of this is also how isolated and opposed to change Briar Valley is, of course! That kind of culture definitely shapes Malleus’s thinking.) He tends to avoid situations which involve navigating social complexities rather than dealing with them himself. Think of Ghost Marriage, when Sebek proposes in his place. Think of Fairy Gala, when Silver is the one that ultimately resolves the conflict between the diurnal fae (who have historically not been friendly with nocturnal fae) and NRC. Malleus is so sheltered that has not truly been put in situations where he has to make tough decisions or where he has been challenged. He has never had to claw and scream and beg for people to see his worth.

Leona has been through that emotional wringer, and though he’s been hurt so badly, he still came out the other side. In running from the shadow of his family—of his older brother—Leona found solace in this new kingdom, Savanaclaw. It’s a place to build himself up, to stew over the ideas he has that have yet to be realized, all with a safe mental distance from home. It’s through the many hardships he has experienced that has refined his wit and given it a place to practice, to be used.

When it comes down to it, Leona and Malleus are two sides of the same coin. Both arrogant princes, the second born and crown prince, respectively, wishing for the other’s circumstances. Leona desperately wants that respect and recognition that Malleus has. Malleus longs for the intimacy and camaraderie that Leona is so easily able to cultivate and command. Leona has been forced to adapt, to learn, to grow from his scars. Malleus struggles with the concept of change (understandable, given his background) and actively denies reality if he finds the truth to be unpleasant. He’s not used to facing dilemmas that cannot be solved with magical strength, and has not ever been challenged in such a way. Malleus doesn’t know how to deal with that, which is partly why be panics and loses himself to emotions in book 7. (By the end of it, I’m sure he’ll be given the chance to see the error of his ways though 💦 or at least I hope he does??)

Their characters are very different, and that’s not a bad thing!! If anything, it makes their dynamic so interesting to observe and it offers varying interpretations of the same “prince” trope. I definitely know which of the two I prefer 🤡

[formulatrash]

from following you on twitter im absolutely certain you have (far more informed than mine) thoughts on whatever the fuck williams is doing. very interested in hearing them, if you’d care to share?

so like, from the off: I have always been a Logan Sargeant defender. people who didn't follow his junior career just saw an American, assumed he was a pay driver and didn't check any further. the guy had a better karting career than Oscar, was competitive with him the whole time they were in the same series - they were the George and Alex of their day.

sometimes those drivers fall off. Jack Aitken was, in fact, George's main rival up to F2 and then got mechachromed (or technically hewlanded) out of the running for more than a guest spot. but Logan didn't - he just ran out of money. that year in a Charouz (a backmarking F3 team struggling to score points) was when he really proved himself, especially on being solid at development and leading a team.

that was what convinced Carlin (at the time, not putting in the best showing in F2) he was worth it. and his time at Carlin was what convinced Williams. not money. Logan never had sponsors pulling the strings for him. he knew he might well not get to F1 so had already started experimenting with prototype racing, which he was good in. man was being pragmatic about how to have a career in Europe if things didn't all shake out right.

but they did (sort of) and he got the Williams seat. he was probably one of the least-prepared drivers for quite a long time, with close to zero F1 testing prior to, err, F1 preseason testing. the Williams driver academy, at the time he was in it, amounted to pretty much a gym membership. a pass for the factory canteen and some branded sweaters to wear rather than some structured programme and he'd only had one year in F2.

we know the Williams is not like, the best car. the team has had Some Issues and despite the investment from Dorilton, is still rebuilding pretty heavily. I mean remember it was (in 2023) five seasons previous that they turned up to testing like whoops, no car. our bad.

then in 2022 they had Jost Capito and FX Demaison living in a weird student flatshare while they tried to work out what the hell was going on in the team, only to both leave prior to 2023. at which point James Vowles turns up and goes my god you're running this whole team via a spreadsheet. truly, we (a team whose history includes the owner's wife, who was actually the owner, locking up the factory and telling the bailiffs to fuck off every other week for years) were so fucking back.

(if you want to read a really, really, really good book about F1 then Williams: A different kind of life is exceptional)

so yeah it's a bit of a Charouz of a seat but then Logan's flourished in that circumstance before. except you're going up against a guy whose only second-fiddle circumstance was against Max fucking Verstappen. you're an underprepared rookie and you're against someone who did at times hold his own against Max Verstappen, even as an underprepared rookie himself and he's been in the team for a year already, leading all the direction and development. fucking yikes. that's not a low-pressure seat where you're both just hoping things might work out.

saying all that because: I think Logan was given an incredibly tough gig. that doesn't mean he shouldn't or couldn't have risen to it. but that Williams seat wasn't an easy ride in his first year, where he showed he could improve when he gained momentum and confidence, something that's massively important. when things turn against you and keep turning against you, it's incredibly hard to reverse that in motorsport - just look at Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren.

and yes I know there's a lot of mad conspiracy theories that for some reason the team would want to lose points in the constructors' for the express reason of humiliating a driver they were paying an obscene amount but please let's be realistic: McL really badly wanted that one to work out. and Williams seemed to, too, in Logan's first year. they weren't babying him and he had clear targets and goals but there was a desire to see that work out for both of them.

this year that, uh. hasn't seemed to be there. I know, I absolutely know, why James Vowles felt taking Logan's car and giving it to Alex in Australia was the right thing to do. Alex had scored a point there the previous year, although it's historically not been a great track for him. that point could be the difference between 9th and 10th in the constructors - millions of dollars.

but if you want to absolutely implode your driver's brain and publicly announce you have no confidence in him then that's certainly a good way to go about it. and the thing is Australia is one race whereas Logan was supposed to be in that car for the rest of the season.

it's hard to underestimate just how much F1 teams are swayed by the media. Nyck de Vries is an incredible recent example: yes, he scored points in that Williams weekend but in the same year he was driving like absolute shit in Formula E. probably because he was so focussed on F1 but any FE journalist could have told you the guy was not, in fact, the second coming of Senna - extremely likeable, weird, idiosyncratic and actually fun to watch but far from performing at his own best let alone anyone else's.

so when he was hyped to high heaven as about to wipe the floor with Yuki there was widespread eyebrow-raising from a paddock no one in F1 cares to look at. but teams bought into it, fought over him. in a matter of races the media turned on him, shredded him and Red Bull shrugged, said they never liked him in the first place and binned him off after, realistically, exactly the performances you could have expected him to put in.

the media has never been very kind to Logan. he is a little shy, he is quite softly spoken, he doesn't go for bragadaccio and he's not particularly goofy. he doesn't insist on pointing out he's there on merit. he's quite careful with what he says, guarded. he does not like things to get weird and with the motorsport media, things so often do.

trepidation about his F2 record from people who barely tune into the races being broadcast in the media centre they're in raised questions before he was in F1. Williams' re-signing of him was deemed a bit controversial, perhaps proof the team was soft. yeeting him from his car was proof they were hard enough, in fact, that rending confidence from your driver like flesh torn off a bone is somehow a useful function of the sport, from people who a mildly critical comment would send into a 5-day spiral.

(I would know)

Logan has not performed poorly this year. he hasn't performed as well as Alex but Alex has been throwing together Lando-grade drives, as you'd probably expect given the pair of them have (close to) equal experience in F1 or at least the same number of years chewing through the gristle of it.

(why am I using so many visceral meat metaphors? perhaps 3am is not the time to write anything)

all things considered, the fact that Logan did not dissolve into a puddle of goo after Australia is commendable. he has also outqualified a fucking Red Bull multiple times. he has crashed a bit, yes, because that's what driving on the edge with an air of desperation starts to look like - when Charles did it (really a lot more) in 2020 no one thought it was because he had run out of talent.

Logan has not been driving the same car as Alex. Alex himself has confirmed this. that's, uhm, fucking dire if you're trying to fix things in the simulator because that will be correlated to the upgraded car, which is what the team is interested in. even if they load yours back in, the correlation will be steadily migrating away and they won't be too interested in what it's telling them because it's the old car.

to say that Williams lost interest in Logan early this season would be an understatement. they spent a huge amount of effort and got back a bunch of world champions to film an hour-long feature with Logan's sponsor and him. it got mentioned, like, twice? because it came out the same week Alex got re-signed.

I'm not saying re-signing Alex Albon isn't exciting. hell, I'd be very excited. but that was probably the moment I knew this was going to get horrendously messy.

James Vowles is a charming man who has lots of likeable qualities. he is first and foremost an engineer and looks for engineering solutions, something he was very able to translate to strategy. he is, however, not used to being a figurehead for an organisation.

do I think the public way JV conducted the search for Logan's replacement was fair on the team, any of the drivers involved or, especially, Logan? absolutely fucking not. made all of them look like they were taking turns in a fake taxi that instead turning into a sexy thing was a clown car with JV dressed as the Joker.

I don't honestly know how Logan kept turning up and driving through that. it's one thing to believe you can do something, anything, to prove yourself and another to know you just: can't. there's nothing left you can do. there are no other seats on the grid. time to start talking to teams in other series except if you do that someone will hear about it and then you'll be even more undermined.

I think that, when he looks back, James will realise he fucked this very badly. he obviously wants to do what's best for the team and is overruling quite a lot of sensible interpersonal stuff to do that and particularly how he should act with the media which, again, not something he's had such exposure to despite his long F1 career.

Logan Sargeant has, like his car last weekend, burned in a pyrrhic symbol of what Williams want to exorcise from their team. they want to stop losing.

but like James was saying at the start of the season, before the rush of chasing new drivers caught him up, the main problem is they need to fix the car. Franco Colapinto will not do that. he is a perfectly good stopgap replacement for someone who, yes, has probably now reached a mindset where it is perhaps kinder to not expect him to drive an F1 car.

but it will probably be more telling when Carlos Sainz Jnr is also just a driver, unless the team pulls miracles over the winter.

[gakupojpg]

Building my own school curriculum for AgeRe.

Special Notes: I'm in no community, and everything is 100% Safe for Work.

Personal Notes: Making my own "School" helps me overwrite my bad school memories from when I was a kid, and provides me with a necessary routine for my daily life. Without my routines, i have problems with my days blurring together and issues with taking care of myself.

Everything is under the cut!

Think about what you LIKED from school. As a kid, art class and library were my favorite moments from school-- so my "school" has a heavy lean towards Art and Reading. For this, I look up (simple) art prompts online and follow them, make my own art for fun, make my own "art projects" and more. For Library, I go to my local library AND I use the Libby app so I can read multiple books on-the-go! (The books I end up loving, I purchase an actual copy eventually!)

I loved Field Trips, too! For that, I write down a place I really want to visit-- and i visit it someday!

Also, I still do "Related Arts" classes.

Art: Make art with items I already have.

Music: Learn to read sheet music, and play an instrument I have. (You can play a virtual piano if you have a tablet, or practice drums on an upside-down bucket!)

Library: Read a book/Visit my library

Computer: Visit educational Websites

Physical Education: Learn exercises and play outside!

For Education, I use KhanAcademy and find worksheets to fill out online! I chose my grade level by going to the grade level I began struggling with (3rd grade was when I started doing badly in school, so I'm "redo-ing 3rd grade"! This helped my improve and gain confidence in my math skills as an adult!)

I'm autistic and have VERY INTENSE special Interests, so I made a class dedicated to learning more about my interests!

"Self Care Classes and their Rewards"

I made a punch card for my self care goals, And when the whole card is complete, I get myself a reward (or "save up" my points for a big prize! I'm saving for Noise Canceling Headphones!)

My goals are: Brush Teeth twice a day for _ days total, take a shower once daily for _ days total, do at least one chore for _ days total, drink at least _ bottles of water for _ days total, etc. I don't punish myself for forgetting things, that just means it'll take a little longer to reach my prize goals!

I have a separate punch card made for "days I went to work"!

When do you "go to school"?

I do this kind of schooling every day, usually when I'm bored and don't know what else to do-- or right before or right after work. There's no rules or attendance policy. Your New School experience should be tailored to your needs! At the end of the day, this is mostly just for fun!

For fun, try to make your "school mascot" your favorite animal! My school "mascot" is a Sun Bear!

I might add to this post later! Bye bye!

[violetasteracademic]

My Two Cents on the People Magazine Article (and Elriel coming home!)

I'm sure this has already been dissected to death and I am potentially late to the game here (I only just saw the article this morning!) but I would like to share some thoughts and insight!

While by no means am I saying this to claim I am *the* expert of all experts, I would like to share that my background and previous career was in entertainment. My twenties were spent in Los Angeles, and (some of you other current or previous LA/New Yorker's may identify with this) you really learn how the sausage gets made and exactly how much money, planning, and prep goes into what we are meant to perceive as "natural." I don't mean to take the shine off of it! Just sharing my experiences. I can't share everything because some of my friends were under NDA's at the time of their employment, so I'll just give a brief overview.

Example: Late Night talk shows and many other major "live" productions that have "live" interviews are, well, not actually live. They typically film in the early afternoon even if they are set designed to look like its nighttime. And while it is in front of a "live" audience, the audience is instructed on when to clap, when to laugh, ect. This is because the interview has already been planned out, and questions approved ahead of time. This is why, even though it seems totally fresh, there are things the "host" received ahead of time. For example, all of the baby pictures and sweet photos of Sarah and Josh and then all of the staged "walking and talking photos" for the MASSIVE Today Show interview and article. And yes, this is the article where we got this absolute banger:

That "felt" like a live interview followed up with a giant article to accompany it, but was actually a full on pre-planned production. Seriously massive for Sarah. And if there's time, you can even do multiple takes and use the best shot for the "live" show. I've seen people comment on thinking Sarah seemed "not excited" in that interview and she was worried HoFaS would bomb, but I'm telling you guys, I don't think she has ever that much pressure or "lights, camera, action" on her before compared to her usual casual "chat" style interviews. Babes was nervous, and she crushed it.

Now to breakdown the new People Magazine article:

This article is being presented as "Everything You Need to Know" aka "we are your trusted resource on all things Sarah J. Mass."

People Magazine, while serving as your "trusted resource" for the world of ACOTAR, would not say the protagonists of ACOTAR are the sisters for zero reason whatsoever. What's interesting is both Lucien and Azriel get small nods, but very little otherwise and zero mention of the ship. Just Elain, baybee dolls. This further cements that this designed to portray the Archeron sisters as the leads of the series.

Now, taking a look at the author of this article to see if she specializes in anything, she really doesn't. Miss ma'am writes about everything under the sun!

She also did the Ultimate Guide to Emily Henry's books. (Major Emily Henry Stan over here. Who is dying for Funny Story to come out?!)

This is a Northwestern University journalism grad who has been with People for a few years. She certainly understands what it is that needs to come from these articles, and that is interest, clicks, money, and trust.

There is simply no reason for major networks like Today and People to invest in these thorough and in depth articles and interviews, on screen and on page, with Sarah and continue to hint towards Elain or questioning the mating bond if it will serve no purpose in improving their reputation or generating interest in the plot of the books. That is simply not how this works, and is antithetical to keeping the gears of these machines well oiled and functioning as intended.

If you read this whole thing, wow! You are an MVP. With nothing but respect to you all, I'm not sure how long I will keep this post up or how much I am willing to talk about my time in LA. I unfortunately had some experiences I am still recovering from and already feel a bit anxious putting this much information about myself out there. But for those who catch it, I hope you enjoy and can feel comforted that this is all a part of the plan. There's a reason you see repeats of themes and conversations in all her articles. It's because they are pre-planned and executed with the goal of reputation and selling books in mind.

*** Thanks to Sara Anne (@SaraAnneReads on Tiktok) who shared her insight from working on the marketing team for a magazine in 2019 that adverts have to share if an article is paid for in someway, no matter how small. Thus I have removed my statement on *this* article potentially being part of their paid marketing budget, as there is no indicator of that on the article itself which is required by law.

However, this could be what is called "Earned Media" where a marketing/publicity rep for SJM and/or Bloomsbury *could* have reached out to people magazine and basically said hey, if you want to write about this, we have an announcement coming up soon so it could be relevant and worth talking about. To which the rep for People would say to the rep for SJM, hey, thank you so much for the heads up. There is no exchange of goods or currency and no promise verbally or in writing to do the article so the ethics stay above board, but all parties benefit from earned media. Sarah's team has now earned additional buzz for the upcoming story, and a news outlet has articles out on a trending topic. However, earned media does not have to be disclosed and therefore we have NO way of knowing if this occurred here or not!

She also shared with me People's statement of integrity where People state's their high standard for ethical practices and journalistic credibility and accountability. (I mean we know they are the kings and queens of "a reliable source close to the individual," but still)

She also caught with her eagle eye that Bloomsbury explicitly states the detailed marketing plan once books are announced, including details like year-long social media campaign, arc readers, ECT. So with Sarah already posting about the next ACOTAR, we can safely assert that is part of the existing laid out marketing plan, and assume additional articles surrounding ACOTAR are all to further generate buzz.

Analysis: Elain's book announcement is coming SOON and marketing is already underway!

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Messages from my Goddess to you 🌊🐚 Pick the picture(s) that you're drawn to the most, then scroll down for their corresponding message.

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Pile One 🌊

Shame is the lowest that you can feel in life because it represents the disparity that we have for ourselves. What keeps you stuck in shame, is the indecision of whether you feel worthy enough to rise above it to either improve yourself for the better or to finally open your eyes in the ways that you are already better and that you need to instill more trust into who you are. You could be feeling very exposed at the moment, like maybe you're talking too much, maybe you shouldn't have done that, and the only way to escape this rut, is if you crawl into hiding, or for just one day at least, you could change into a whole different person. Yemaya wants to let you know that your grip on control in how you are perceived, is what's ironically leading you to a fall. You've spent so long trying to weave your way from being vulnerable and disassociating from your emotions, that you can't recognize what's actually trying to be voiced to you. You're not spiraling, you're feeling. It feels like you're going crazy, because it is crazy to try to turn your emotions into something that they're not because of how you want to be perceived. The same way that you don't debate your happiness is the same respect that you should have for the feelings that you keep in the dark. You don't run away from the sadness, the dissatisfaction, the anxiety, the anger, the insecurity, or the jealousy because it doesn't change the fact that it's still there. It's going to be very uncomfortable, it's even going to bring us to our lowest that scares us the most, which is to be ashamed, but just like how shame can create the illusion that we're stuck in places that we're actually not, it's the gateway that poses the question, "now what do we do next?".  It's how we heal, and it's how we evolve.

Pile Two 🌊

What if I told you that one day, is all it takes for the wheel of fate to spin in your favor? That reliving that situation over and over in your head won't hurt as much anymore and is something that you will surpass? For some of you, it's closer than expected, for others, Yemaya wants to let you know that what feels impossible to bear is what you're capable of coming out on top of in the end. You're approaching a newer start in finding alignment in your life by taking the pieces of the past that left you puzzled to accumulate more wisdom that you can bring into not just your own situations but for the people that you come across and a boost in developing strength and trust in your intuition. Intellect doesn't just come primarily from books, there are certain experiences that must endure, to truly understand why and how we can approach our circumstances. In regards to your healing, you may feel like you aren't really healing at all, but the beauty in your journey is learning how much freedom plays a part in your progress. You gotta free yourself from being too harsh with how you think you should be or how far you think you're behind, because you're overlooking the many ways that you're actually right on time and the immense transformations that you have made and to rethink about what it means to heal. Healing comes in waves, and it's a never ending cycle, one of your biggest blockages is chasing after a concept that's derived from a man made perspective. What works for someone else, may not work for you, and vice versa. But this stage of awareness that you're entering, is the realization of just how intimately personal your journey is for you.

Pile Three 🌊

You're gracefully attaining more authority over your life and walking firmly away from the people and situations that made you feel powerless. You're blooming with self-love and strengthening your self-awareness with understanding what makes you thrive the best. When it comes to the traits or habits that hinder you, you're deciphering which of those that you can work on to break away from and the traits that you can make peace with to help advance in your life in a different way. You could relief, you could feel rewarded, but there are times where you could feel speechless or not quite whole despite the many accomplishments you're achieving. This could stem from a part of you that still mourns in regret over your actions in the past. Whether this is you, or someone else that is trying to bring you down to who you once you were, you must remember that as you're moving on to the next chapter of your life, you must extend gratitude and self-love to the versions of yourself in the past that weren't aware of what you know now. Despite the things that may have been embarrassing or disappointing that you may have done out of not realizing your worth, every phase that made you the person that you are now, is deserving of grace and to be seen as beautiful.

[studentbyday]

a september packed with purpose 🏵️ (goals for the 2024-2025 academic year)

an attempt to live a meaningful life even if it's really busy.

🎓 academic goals:

stay on top of my schoolwork. not feeling like i'm running after deadlines but staying organized, calm, and methodical, even if there's a lot.

change up my study strats! turn text into diagrams! shorter focus periods followed by an active break to ease myself into the semester!

study 8h per day or less if at all possible (for official schoolwork)

👩🏻‍🔬 career goals:

finish databases courses to increase my career capital (i sped read so good they can't ignore you this summer and it was both inspiring and practical - grateful for the feeling of having a roadmap...even if it's vague.)

do everything to become so good the lab i'm interested in joining can't ignore me (i have pretty much no current affiliation with them or their university so this is gonna be an uphill climb unless maybe i seem like a perfect fit...)

🌳 lifestyle and adulting goals:

develop a can-do attitude and work on my growth mindset

continue to practice driving at least 3x per week before it snows

become a 6AM girlie (or an 8PM girlie, if you're looking at the sleeping time lol) so i have a few hours of calm, focused silence in the morning which will minimize the amount of time i need to spend studying after dinner (planning to take advantage of the jet lag and the fact that the sun sets earlier in winter, making me sleepy sooner 😠)

re-gain some level of fitness to counter my couch potato summer habits and all the sitting i'll be doing this semester

🤸🏻‍♀️ more fun goals:

apply to volunteer with my local horticultural society and hopefully start volunteering soon (hoping to work on their newsletter as that's something i miss from my high school days! something familiar will also be good for easing into my "reintegration into society" era as a previously "studying hermit". perhaps once i get so comfortable i feel like i'm plateauing, i can branch into being a volunteer gardener! i have absolutely zero successful experience with plants, so it would be really nice to have some guidance from people who've made and maintained such pretty gardens in my community 💗)

make time for piano (ideally at least 1h 3-4 days of the week, but i will be happy if i even get to touch the keys for less than 1h of practice 3-4 days a week. if i can do this, then i can more reasonably justify getting a real acoustic piano at home and maybe even take lessons again when things get less busy...and i don't have to fear not making progress or even getting worse on the digital in the meantime because my fingers and brain get re-accustomed to the acoustic feel and sound options surprisingly, happily quickly even if i only get to play on one for a few days of a year, which is already quite a privilege 🥺🙏🏻 in the meantime, i need to maintain/improve my dexterity, sight-reading skills, and theory knowledge. i don't plan to read the theory book front to back anymore, i'll just read the bits i'm most interested in and maybe eventually that will mean covering the whole book but i won't start with that intention in mind 🤷🏻‍♀️)

sOmEhOw have the energy to comprehend even 1 duolingo lesson in japanese ~daily if only to one day get to a level where i can read more japanese books (and maybe even watch some animé without subs? no pressure tho since i'm very picky about animé 😂)

💭 nice to have but not pressing:

make it a habit to read a nerdy book or academic article that isn't directly for schoolwork to help me find my research interests, learn more about labs in my physical area, and/or re-ignite my passion for/sense of wonder with STEM and STEM-related issues 🔥

each week read something from suggested/recommended course reading lists if there are any

each month read a book completely unrelated to academics, something that distracts me or that feeds my soul or both (or if i can't do that, then just 1 such book each semester, i'm just after something rather than nothing)

🐝 productivity advice from one of my role models that i want to follow religiously this semester:

prioritize rest in order to think and act fast (10 hours of sleep! downtime! meditating! gentle exercise!)

schedule down to the minute but understand that as long as you're doing what you planned to do within the hour you planned to do it, you're good (that is assuming life doesn't happen and derail the entire day's plans but most days thankfully are not like that). give yourself lots of buffer (bigger, not smaller blocks of time in the calendar!).

understand that prioritizing means that you may fall behind in the unprioritized areas from time to time and have to catch up and that's completely expected and completely fine.

be selective about what you're "perfectionistic" with (it's not really about applying perfectionism, more like being picky about where you apply extreme conscientiousness). that is also part of prioritizing.

✏️ post schedule: 1-3x a week depending on time, energy, and what that means for my mental state 😅

[w1f1n1ghtm4r3]

so...... april fools shuffle unit vs anyone?

welcome to the usual keep reading lore yapping section. will try to keep this fairly concise but i make no promises it did not stay concise. im sorry in advance

aoharu - park sekai vs theme: high school students in a band, but unlike leoni vs, their afterschool practices are outside of the school

miku - the "cool senpai", except shes not actually older than aoharu... in fact, shes younger than all of aoharu (if only barely younger than ichika)! shes a 1st year high schooler like ichisaki! but she is the mentor figure to them in her experience with music. - shes also not actually that "cool" once you get to know her, although shes pretty chill shes also got some rather silly interests. including collecting stickers to stick on her guitar case. - the main vocalist of the band, but shes got a bit of experience with most of the instruments that the others play. shes no expert but she knows how to play any of them. currently trying to improve her guitar skills! she brings it around with her a lot of the time for the impression it gives to others

len - alongside rin, they main guitar and keyboard. most of the time its len on guitar and rin on keyboard, but theyre both capable of filling both roles and swap occasionally. hes the one usually helping miku improve her guitar skills! unlike miku though, he doesnt carry his guitar around everywhere he goes. - playful but laidback. hell mess with his friends but hes not going around getting into trouble besides that, really - also a 1st year! in fact, the kagamines and miku are childhood friends :) theyve managed to stick together for a long time

yyj - backstage sekai vs theme: idols who have been kind of... abandoned by their management and have to take up those roles themselves

miku - cheerful, bubbly, what you'd typically expect from an idol... except shes also stressed out of her mind because yeah, the sekai isnt exactly... hospitable, to say the least. it doesnt always show and she can cool down from it, but when you live in a world of sprawling hallways and rooms that should have people in them but dont, it definitely has some Effects. - when shes not worrying about that shes quite dedicated to her practice, after all, an idol never stops! - her energy transfers into a bit of everything she does, really. fast talker, fast walker, she can be hard to keep up with if you arent ready for it.

luka - a more mature, gentle idol. she can put on plenty of energy when performing, but she takes things at an easier pace outside of practice. she enjoys her quiet free time. - a lot less tense than miku is about the whole sekai situation, not to say she doesnt feel the effects of it either. shes just better at hiding her feelings about it.

fts - alleyway sekai vs theme: street musicians, but in a darker, rougher direction than vbs

miku - is this a miku or a mikuo? no one really knows and theyre not telling. theyll answer to miku regardless. - very much a troublemaker, gets into fights a lot. can be tough to get along with because theyre pretty abrasive, but they also know their purpose as a sekai miku. getting help from them can just be frustrating sometimes - kaito has been trying to get them to cool down a bit, to mixed success

kaito - livehouse owner (i havent named his livehouse yet...), kind of a stern dad guy. cool, tough, serious, you get the idea. not a bad guy, but he will be hard on fts and the other vs when they need to be straightened out. - despite that, his livehouse is open to performers of all experience levels. just prove youre willing to give it your best shot and hell let you perform. this is a problem for fts, when theyre struggling to get things together as a unit.

hapisen - headquarters sekai vs theme: comic book/cartoon superheroes! they even live in a superhero tower!

miku - shes kinda your straightforward superhero prodigy type, extremely talented as a hero despite her young age. loud, energetic, but very kind and happy to help anyone in need. - by extension shes also got your very typical superhero powers. flight, super strength, etc. she doesnt use them that often around the base though, in fact, most of the vs dont use their powers in the base that often. better off saving them for when theyre out doing hero things!

rin - one half of a superhero pair, obviously. her powers do function on their own and shes capable of doing things without help, but shes a bit weak on her own. but when together with len, their powers amplify to something stronger than either of them separately. i think they probably have electricity powers. - shes a bit reckless in the field, but shes very enthusiastic about being a superhero! super high energy girl, always bouncing around the base getting ready for whenever shes needed next

kyushumi - woodland sekai vs theme: fae royalty, specifically with a butterfly style focus

miku - very quiet and reserved, shes a bit awkward during interactions with most people, but shes well meaning. no ones sure where she came from, even the other vs, and that might have something to do with how she acts - she will stare at you from the bushes and youll just have to get used to it. shes just curious about things, and she wants to observe kyushumi to figure out the best ways she can try to help them.

meiko - technically the fae queen? but she doesnt often act like it, she tries to be more approachable. shes still got a bit of an imposing aura, but shell act more warm and kind to those around her. she is secretive though, and despite her kindness, theres a bit of detachment from everyone. - mikus guardian, since no one really knows how miku got here, so someone has to keep an eye on her. she also considers herself kyushmis guardian, but since theyre not always within reach due to the disconnect between sekais and the real world, theres only so much she can do. she tries her best with what she can

[thesmpisonfire]

Okay but. Remember when Cellbit was showing Bagi where she found Zeno and Bagi talked about how she only felt safe at the tree house and her only company was Zeno bc even if her family was good, she didn't feel connected to them?

Cellbit immediately said "Maybe it's because you weren't really their kid. Maybe you were an experiment here, and you saw the scientists as family because you didn't know any better?"

(Putting in read more bc this became BIG. Whole theory about Bagi, the Feds, and Cucurojo)

And then we look at Bagi's timeline. The earliest info we now have is Bagi's diary about her and her brother. She still wrote down in Portuguese and talked about a mom as well (no dad mentioned). The tree house was just recently built and Zeno wasn't around. The two promised to stick together and they used to steal each other's candy, and her drawing was childlike

Then, next moment. The diaries in the tree house, Bagi now only writes in English, she feels alone and doesn't even mention her brother and mom, only a distant "family". Her only friend is Zeno and the animals, and instead of sleeping bags, she has a permanent bed at the tree house. There's no one for her birthday for at least two years (since she talked how last years birthday was also lonely). Her abilities in drawing just SKYROCKETED, her drawing of Zeno being perfect. It's been a couple of years between these diaries and last one, enough to let her improve that well

And then, the next moment we know about is YEARS later, when Bagi wakes up without her memories and in a train station-like building. She immediately tries calling for help in 3 different languages, carefully making her way to the wheel and spinning it, being thrown in a cold wasteland right after. She stumbles her way across a LOT of black concrete, finding books that push her forward, until she gets her ticket

Next thing we know, she wakes up in a fridge. She crawls out of there to find herself in the place the Federation is keeping Walter Bob captive. He knows she shouldn't be there, that there's something wrong with her presence, but he helps her anyway and, out of nowhere, gives her the mainframe code and runs off before the others can see him

All her memories that she's slowly reminiscing are being given to her through black chests, someone wants her to remember what happened to her, her past in the island

Now. We know the new tickets are Cucurojo's doing. The wheels and the dice are it's method, it's controlled chaos. It's directly related to the eggs disappearance, since the eggs are only able to communicate via black concrete and the wheel are the confirmation of it's game. And that's the kicker

The Federation used to have Bagi in their control, and after dispatching her brother away, they blocked any memory of him she'd have and reallocated her with scientists, away from her mom. She stopped talking in Portuguese, integrated in the experiments. Bagi then left the island somehow, maybe let out like Jaiden or escaped like Baghera, losing her memories in the way just like the other 2, but Cucurojo lured her back somehow, integrating her in it's game, and then Bagi became it's 1° piece

[divinatorydoll]

planets in the eighth house: 📝

last month, i ran a poll on twitter and my followers asked me to write a thread about pluto in the eighth house (8H). so i decided to make a post about every planet in the 8H:

the sun: these people can feel like they're constantly uncovering more about themselves and always going through some sort of transformation. they can really care about public judgment, but feel like they must go about life as if they are unaffected by the opinions of others. usually have a fluctuating relationship with attention

the moon: prone to bottling their emotions, but go out of their way to absorb the emotions of others. brilliant at dream magic and interpretation. they become more merciful as they experience hardship throughout their lives; compassion is very central to them. sensitive to misunderstanding and can take it personally

mercury: this placement makes for excellent actors. naturally very inquisitive and perceptive people — they have a somewhat compulsive need to understand the details of things, even if they're unimportant. can have a 'speak when spoken to' personality and are quite sensitive to body language, proxemics, etc.

venus: known to be tattoo or piercing lovers. exceptionally drawn to witchcraft and other spiritual practices. very contract-based people in the sense that they often examine things as a transaction; they don't borrow without the intention to pay back. they usually enjoy art that is disturbing or creepy to others

mars: these people can struggle with resentment and hide their anger from others to not seem explosive or uncontrolled. their appearance is often a subject of discussion or gossip due to jealousy. always develop abundant talent in what they're passionate about; they continuously seek improvement in their skills

jupiter: gifted at understanding agreements and reaching them — they are very diplomatic people. these placements particularly benefit from having an altar or praying to their spiritual guides. they have a tendency to look at all of their dreams as prophecies or messages from a divine entity

saturn: extremely selfless and humanitarian people; they can end up draining themselves because of their altruistic personality. often feel that marriage is a bit controlling or overly bureaucratic. they're regularly disappointed by elder figures and those around them with power due to their standards of maturity

uranus: have an inherent talent for capturing people's attention. though, they can have a complicated feelings about friendship and social expectations as a whole. they also have an on-and-off relationship with technology. these placements strive to make unique contributions to society and those around them

neptune: known to be smokers. particularly skilled at digging through their own emotions and understanding why they experience things the way they do. they enjoy finding meaning through suffering (much like 8H jupiters). as a consequence, they can ruminate over their sadness for a very long period of time

pluto: tend to enjoy psychology and love examining people's thought processes. pluto here can cause them to be especially private and protective over their personal lives; they really do not like feeling supervised or watched by others. have a love for thriller films and video game horror

do you have planets in your 8H ? let me know how you resonated with my interpretations !!

book a reading !!

my linktree

[codenamesazanka]

Here's the intro snippet of my AU where Spinner wasn't able to wake Shigaraki up, the League got captured at Jaku, and Shigaraki stayed comatose for like half a year before the HPSC was able to separate AFO (quirk) from him, which would hopefully get rid of his regeneration and they can execute him.

Unexpectedly, the procedure triggered amnesia in Shigaraki, so when he woke up, he only has his memories of Tenko, pre-AFO, though mentally and physically he's still 21-years-old. (he knows things, he just as no memories or experiences attached to knowing) All Might pleaded for stay of execution, and instead give Tenko rehabilitation. It was granted.

Basically Amnesic!Shigaraki/Tenko AU.

•

On Thursdays, the man who calls himself All Might comes to visit him. He matches nothing in Tenko’s memories of the Hero Tenko once admired, skeletally skinny where All Might was wide and huge, quiet and serious contrasting boisterous brightness, and in place of the welcoming smile the Hero always had was instead a nearly permanent frown, as if the tips of his mouth were tugged down by invisible weights he carried with him everywhere.

One of those weights is Tenko himself. Yagi won’t admit it, even though it looked like a hundred more kilograms got added to the dreary pull when Tenko had said this. If it weren’t for the fact that his statement is true, Tenko would almost feel like an evil Villain (ha) for dealing such a blow to All Might.

(Honesty isn’t wrong, Tenko had argued to Dr. Neri.

But insensitivity is, the therapist replied.)

“You don’t have to visit me every week,” Tenko says to Yagi, now knowing to roll his words into smooth round balls like the clay he was allowed to play with once. “It’s boring here, and you’ve got other stuff to do, don’t you?”

Meetings to attend. Students to teach. His life to get back to.

“I want to be here,” Yagi says. “I enjoy these visits, Young Tenko.” Then he smiles, but softly.

(Smile back, the therapy voice inside Tenko’s head advises.)

“…Suit yourself,” Tenko says, shrugging, then, remembering himself, stopped his hand from rising to rub at his neck. He places his hands back flat on the table, the cuffs of his gloves clanking against the surface, metal against metal. Turning the sound into taps, he begins recounting all he had done since he saw Yagi last. “Then, this week… I read that book Midoriya recommended, the one about UFOs. I finished the forest puzzle. Dr. Neri brought in macarons, but I didn’t like them much…”

“Too sweet?”

“All strawberry flavored. I guess I’m not a fan of strawberries…”

They chat like that for an hour, Tenko grasping for details to share. His memory is at the point where he can recount every meal he had last week, if out of order. Compared to when he first started rehab, unable to pick out the words he wanted to use, or recall his own age after being told just minutes before, it’s a huge improvement.

Past that, though…

When time’s up, Yagi walks him to his cell, before leaving back into the broken world that Tenko came from but cannot recall.

•

In this AU post-Jaku, Hero Society has captured Shigaraki and most of the League/PLF; Tartarus is still locked up; now it’s promising the masses that things will ‘go back to normal’. everyone kinda wants to swept away the whole mess and move on learning not a single thing.

Most of the public thinks Shigaraki is locked up deep in Tartarus, shackled 24/7; instead of at a very guarded private villain hospital undergoing rehab. All Might really wants Tenko to be rehabilitated. He also really hopes Tenko will never regain his memories of being Shigaraki. No one does. They hope to iron out all his edges (both amnesia-induced and seemingly innate) too. Clean slate.

The story told to Tenko is that he has been kidnapped and held prisoner by a Villain for the past 15 years. He was only recently rescued, but thanks to a psychic quirk attack, he lost his memories. He unfortunately was forced to participate in criminal acts, so he's in prison/rehab. Tenko is generally agreeable, tho feeling stifled. He is very aware of this giant void of information no one is telling him, but reluctantly trusts his doctors that it's just temporary as he makes his recovery. He is also very aware of the way people treat him - so careful, so aloof, so wary - but given how he's a criminal, that's probably to be expected. Still hurts, though.

Trouble starts when Tenko slowly starts regaining his Shigaraki memories. The HPSC wants to execute him. The doctors think it's possible to have him regain his memories while 'keeping' non-dangerous, non-villainous Tenko. They just have to help him regain his memories in a controlled manner.

Enter Iguchi Shuuichi. Weakest member of the League, but still have been locked in Tartarus for the past year. He's not doing well. But the doctors think he's the safest option to introduce to Tenko to help nudge memories out, so he's now allowed weekly supervised visits to Shigaraki Tenko. Before the visits started, psychologists drilled into him what he can or cannot do, what he can or cannot bring up. They also went and mindfucked him by convincing him that his relationship with Shigaraki was fake and toxic, he was essentially accessory to AFO's long-term grooming and Stockholm Syndrome, and if he cared about his friend at all, he'll help them rehabilitate Tenko. Yeah, Shuuichi was not doing well, but he'll endure it to be able to see his friend again.

They're fast friends, Tenko and Shuuichi, despite Shuuichi's depression and nervousness. They play games together, they watch TV together, but often they can just talk and talk for the entire hour. There's a deep sadness to Shuuichi, though, that Tenko wished he could help unravel and dissipate. When he tried, once, asking about Shuuichi's hometown, about Shuuichi's school days, Shuuichi got bodily taken out of the meeting room by guards and the following week's session was canceled.

(Prohibited Topic: Bullying. Risk of triggering aggression in Tenko.)

Tenko didn't like that.

Eventually, he finds that there are many things he actually doesn't like. He doesn't like that all the books and media allowed into his cell must be pre-approved. He doesn't like the way he gets interrogated for each recovered memory. He doesn't like the way Toshinori looked so grim when Tenko decided to switch from 'boku' to 'ore'. And most of all, he doesn't like the way Shuuichi looks so empty and haunted, so quiet and passive. It's because of this place, Tenko feels. They might be criminals, they might be Villains, but they shouldn't be made to feel so small and cornered.

This is the way things work here, the doctors tell Tenko.

Then I hate it, Tenko thinks, and feels a strange intense burst of energy in his chest.

-

Lots of stuff happen. More bad than good. For the end of the fic, though, this is what I think:

Toga, who escaped Heroes, and has been regrouping with other escaped PLF members, shows up on Gigantomachia at the hospital to rescue Tenko. Tenko has a choice: Go with Toga, or retreat with the staff to wait for Heroes. This is where everyone waits to see if the months of rehabilitation had worked…

To everyone’s disappointment and some surprise, Tenko decides to go with Toga.

Someone yells. "Tenko. Don’t leave. You were doing so well."

"...Was I?"

"Don’t you remember? Wanting to be a Hero? You told us that yourself."

"…I remember wanting to help people. I remember wanting to be kind."

"Yes, exactly! That’s still you—"

"—That’s why. I want to save people... even if they are the ones Heroes don’t. Even if no one else does. If I want to be a hero… then it’s to all the ones that get ignored."

Then Tenko joins Toga and they goes to get Shuuichi Spinner. Let's throw in Tenko rescuing Spinner in bridal carry too, somehow.

[anim-ttrpgs]

Hey just wanted to say that the work you do is really inspiring. I think the TTRPG community has needed an urban fantasy noir sort of thing for a little while and I really like the direction you're taking it in. Looking forward to stuff in the future!!

Thank you! Basically all our projects come from a place of need, each one being something that we wanted to play ourselves, but either it just didn’t exist, or the people who did do it didn’t do it to our satisfaction.

Since it’s our blog we can toot our own horn a bit, and yeah, the TTRPG community did need Eureka. The whole idea originally came out of our dissatisfaction with investigation and mystery-solving gameplay in most of the other more well-known TTRPGs that attempt to tackle this genre, such as Call of Cthulhu, Delta Green, and Gumshoe. They either make it too easy for bad dice rolls to get the party hopelessly stuck by relying too heavily of the PC’s skills, or make things difficult on the player by not giving the PC’s skills quite enough input, which can make efficient mystery solving very difficult across sessions with a whole week or more of real time in between them. (And it’s barely even worth mentioning that the most popular TTRPGs such as D&D5e and Pathfinder just plain cannot do investigative gameplay to any respectable degree at all.)

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy’s Investigation Point and Eureka! Point system, whereby each skill check to investigate something fills a bar on the character sheet until the investigator gets a “Eureka!”, which can be spent to retroactively gain information from an investigation skill check that they previously failed, as well as many other specific rules that are too nuanced to go into here but that you can read about in the free version of the rulebook, are part of our answer to that. As you are putting the pieces together in your own mind, so is your character, and this system acts as a failsafe, but not a crutch, to prevent a single bad dice roll from leaving the party totally twisting in the wind.

And I personally have always been really autistic about folklore, which is where Eureka’s unique approach to playable monsters comes in. No RPG had ever really done certain monsters to my satisfaction, particularly vampires. Folkloric vampires have a great deal of quirks and weaknesses that usually get cut from any sort of vampire media because they’re too “silly,” but I disagree. I want them all, and so when a monster is playable in Eureka, it’s its own unique experience, unlike playing anything else in any other game or even within Eureka. (I am very, very proud to say that a number of V:TM veterans have said that Eureka does vampires much better than V:TM itself.)

Not every playable monster in Eureka is 100% strictly folkloric, which was a bit of a struggle for me, but ultimately the small exceptions that were made make the RPG better, so I can’t complain, especially because we managed to weave some pretty cool themes into all of them, which I will touch on more when I finally get finished writing that big huge post about, well, Eureka’s themes.

Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is kickstarting from right now until May 10th! Back it while you still can!

If you want to try before you buy, you can download a free demo of the prerelease version from our website or our itch.io page!

If you’re interested in a more updated and improved version of Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy than the free demo you got from our website, subscribe to our Patreon where we frequently roll our new updates for the prerelease version!

You can also support us on Ko-fi, or by checking out our merchandise!

Join our TTRPG Book Club At the time of writng this, Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy is the current game being played in the book club, and anyone who wants to participate in discussion, but can’t afford to make a contribution, will be given the most updated prerelease version for free! Plus it’s just a great place to discuss and play new TTRPGs you might not be able to otherwise!

We hope to see you there, and that you will help our dreams come true and launch our careers as indie TTRPG developers with a bang by getting us to our base goal and blowing those stretch goals out of the water, and fight back against WotC's monopoly on the entire hobby. Wish us luck.

[dreamofjoys]

𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐌𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔

— scenario: how twst characters show you how much they love you

— characters involved: riddle roseheart, leona kingscholar, malleus draconia x gn reader

— cw: fluff! reader is implied to be shorter than the character in leona and malleus's part

— a/n: happy international women's day! just wanted to write some fluffy troupes for you guys (after a really painfully long mia and my laziness)

were you late for the unbirthday party that riddle invited you to? don't worry, this cute boy won't scold you about punctuality

instead, he would ask for the reason that made you late

did crowley give you too much work again? did the trouble makers in his dorm drag you into some mess again? let this red haired dorm leader settle the burdens for you

riddle can be quite naggy sometimes, especially towards the dorm members when he spots them not following any queen of heart's rules

however in your case, he is naggy towards your own well being. did you take your lunch today? are you sleeping enough? did anyone bully you in school?

would occasionally invite you over to his dorm just to try out new pastries that trey made (the both of you are taste testers for trey's pastries and no trey totally did not try experimenting new stuff just to give you guys extra lovey dovey time)

i believe he never really read any romance books before, but starts picking them up once the both of you started dating, so that he could get a gist of what a boyfriend should do and how dating should be like

a little awkward sometimes but he tries his very best to make you happy

overall he's just a small little chipmunk that looks out for you in every way and tries to improve himself for you and a little clingy

he's like the.... most unbothered person in the whole campus

doesn't care what's going on as long as it doesn't bother him

has zero tolerance for pests

...... you do know that he doesn't see you as a pest, right?

his ears perched up whenever he hears someone mentioning about him

definitely had his sleeves rolled up tight in case he needs to fight whoever that was bad mouthing you

leona hates loud people, but he doesn't mind you talking his ear off and telling him about your day

he may look disinterested, but trust me, he remembers everything that you say. why? because he cares

you often find yourself surprised when he remembers something that you told him the last time while he was "asleep"

another thing that he does to show his love towards you is that he shares his food to you

he's a big sucker for meat, and a big man like him definitely eats a lot. he doesn't like to share his stuff too, so be glad that this grumpy lion is sharing you his portion of food

frequent head rubs!! he likes to rub his cheek on your head while holding you tight against his body, the warmth of your body lulling him to sleep in an instant

btw lions show affections by doing head rubs :D

congratulations, you are now the most spoilt person in twisted wonderland

for every second you breathe, gold coins starts pilling up in your room

for every second you blink, treasures starts littering itself everywhere in your dorm

for every second your heart beats, you find a clingy dragon fae snuggling into your chest, a tight grip on your waist as he holds you close to him

malleus is a big man, and everyone would assume that he would love being the big spoon

the truth is, malleus enjoys being pampered by his lover

no, he doesn't need money, treasures, or some weird magical artifacts

he just needs his lover to pay attention to him, THATS ALL

in return, he would do anything for you, anything

do you wanna play in the snow in the middle of june? night raven college should be making preparations for early winter

are you eyeing on that tiara that vil happens to wear on his set for a movie? well, it's yours to wear now

are you having some intensive late night cravings? sounds like a good timing to go on a date right? let him just teleport the both of you to the other side of the world, where the sun is still high while the both of you can enjoy a hearty meal and explore the place

he's the type of lover that would burn the whole world just for you

nothing can ever exceed or surpass the amount of love he have for you