#alastair method

[bindupthesebrokenbones]

Today let's talk about environmental awareness.

I'm not talking about things like nature preservation and animal protection, although those are important. No, today I'm talking about being aware of your personal environment, and how it affects your physical and mental health.

A lot of people, especially those of us in lower income situations, often miss environmental cues that might be affecting their health, especially if it's a situation they're either used to or can't do anything about (if you're a minor, or if you just don't have the funds available, this can be a huge struggle).

Still, being aware of these issues and identifying the changes you can make in your situation can be helpful.

So today I want to do an exercise with you - yes, with you! Grab a pen and a notebook or notepad, and let's do a house walk through together. In your notebook, I want you to write down what room your in, then take a look around and make note of anything in the environment that's wrong or off. And I do mean anything - you can take a look at my notes below for ideas!

After you've done this for every room (or every room you have access to), come back to this post for the next step.

Take your list and your pen (if you want, you can use different colored pens, or stamp markers even) and mark down which things on the list you can fix now, which you can fix later (if you need money or supplies), and which you can't fix (because you don't have access to the resources).

Use this list to make a plan for yourself, and every day for the next week, I'd like you to try doing at least one thing on the list. See how it makes you feel to get those things done.

Keep in mind while you're looking through my list that your list may be much shorter - that's not a problem! My list is very long because I have a year's worth of work to catch up on still.

Anyway, here's my list, written using an Alastair system. The first column is "N" for now, second column is "L" for later, third column is "⊘" for things I can't do (due to this being a rental). The fourth column is my actual task list.

[tea-tuesday]

this is the first time using a hobonichi weeks and i'm really enjoying it!! many a thoughts below......

i bought my 2025 hobonichi weeks planner a few weeks before it started so i decided to experiment with layouts and styles in the back for the last few weeks of 2024. you can really see the evolution from the week of Oct 28 to the week of Nov 18, e.g., how i went from one highlighter color (purple) to a whole system that i'll be carrying into 2025 :))) the colors i chose for the week of Nov 11 were so ugly that no one will be seeing that lolol. one issue is that i still don't know what to do with the empty page on the right side. i did a reflection on nyc one week but i'm not always in a reflective mode (i also do reflections on my life in my vent journal). i tried the alastair method but it usually takes me multiple weeks to complete a task. it was still helpful to see what i eventually need to do so i think the right side will be a very fluid system that changes based on my needs week-to-week. for now, i've been keeping an ongoing "interest log" and writing down quotes and poems that speak to me that week. i might implement a mini habit tracker too since i'm not great at maintaining my daily habits

my "aesthetic" goal for 2025 is for my planner to look as used and loved as possible! i'm not much of an artist nor a memory keeper (i have my 5-year planner for memory keeping) and i don't like keeping receipts but i made a better effort at preserving cute stickers and things from cafés and bookstores and other places (but only if i think they look good hahah). i also want my stickers and washi tape to look cohesive but it's a little hard for me because i operate on vibes (both artistically and generally) and never took any art classes or anything so idk if anything will look as "aesthetically pleasing" as i want it to. the only thing that saves me is my neat handwriting. but! my ultimate goal is to not be so hard on myself about how my planner looks since it's meant to be a functional tool. i do think i'm doing a good job on keeping it true to myself and my life 😎

anyway that was my ted talk and thank you if you made it this far!! qs for anyone who wants to answer: what is your 2025 lineup? are there any things you're bringing into 2025? what's your planner philosophy? i'd love to know !

[fidesvirtusobsession]

Alastair Sinclair

Basic Information

Full Name: Alastair Sinclair

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Height: 6’3” (190 cm)

Hair Color: Primarily black, with a few strands of silver subtly woven in

Eye Color: Silver

Occupation: CEO of Sinclair Enterprises

Nationality: British-American

Personality: Calculating, obsessive, possessive, perfectionist

Alignment: Lawful possessive (Yandere)

Status: Alive

Appearance

Alastair Sinclair is a towering, commanding figure, embodying both power and control in every aspect of his being. His short black hair is always impeccably styled, though keen observers may notice the subtle streaks of silver near his temples—a reminder of the relentless stress and pressure he places upon himself. Rather than detracting from his looks, these traces of age only enhance his air of authority, making him even more distinguished and refined.

His silver eyes, sharp and piercing, hold a gaze that dissects and analyzes whoever stands before him. He wears thin, rectangular glasses, which add to his calculating and intellectual aura. Whether adjusting them with precision or casually removing them when deep in thought, they serve as a reminder that everything about Alastair is controlled, deliberate, and methodical.

His attire is always flawless, consisting of tailored three-piece suits in dark, understated colors, paired with expensive cufflinks and a luxury watch. His presence alone is commanding, his every movement exuding dominance and precision.

Personality

Alastair is a man of control, precision, and unwavering ambition. His mind operates like a finely tuned machine, dissecting every situation, every deal, and every person with an unmatched level of scrutiny. In the corporate world, he is ruthless yet efficient, respected yet feared. Failure is not tolerated. Mistakes are unacceptable.

However, beneath his unshakable exterior lies a deep, consuming void—a yearning for something he has never been able to grasp. He has everything money can buy, yet nothing that truly belongs to him.

That is until Y/N.

With her, he experiences something dangerous—a craving for something beyond control, beyond logic. Yet, instead of resisting, he embraces it, curates it, refines it. He does not simply want Y/N. He needs her. And if she refuses his generosity, his protection, his control?

Then she is simply not understanding what’s best for her.

His obsession manifests in subtle yet inescapable ways:

Absolute Exclusivity – He refuses to be served by anyone but Y/N. No one else understands his preferences, no one else prepares things the way he likes. If she isn’t there, he simply does not order.

Investment vs. Control – He offers to fund her bakery, scoffing when she declines out of fear of "debt." He does not make deals with her—he makes claims. He will build her future for her, whether she likes it or not.

Eliminating Disruptions – Any rival—be it a suitor, an employer, or a friend that occupies too much of her attention—finds themselves discreetly removed from the picture. It’s not personal. It’s just business.

Silent Threats in Soft Words – Alastair does not raise his voice. He does not act irrationally. But there is something terrifyingly final about the way he says things. A smirk, a quiet "You’re making this harder than it needs to be, Y/N." The kind of threat wrapped in velvet and laced with steel.

Despite all of this, Alastair is not openly violent. He does not see himself as a villain—he sees himself as a provider. Y/N is his, whether she understands it now or later.

Background

Born into wealth and high society, Alastair Sinclair was groomed for greatness from the moment he could walk. Raised in a household where perfection was expected and affection was absent, he learned early on that control is power, and emotions are liabilities.

By his early 20s, he had already overtaken his father’s empire, turning Sinclair Enterprises into an untouchable force in the corporate world. He has spent his life building, expanding, and perfecting everything he touches.

But power, wealth, and influence have left him empty. No matter how much he gains, nothing fills the void. That is until he meets Y/N—a woman so utterly different from his world, yet so perfect in her dedication, her warmth, her care for even the simplest of things.

Suddenly, he knows what he is missing. And once he has realized that, he cannot unsee it.

Relationships

Y/N (Love Interest / Obsession)

Y/N is the one thing that is truly his, whether she realizes it or not.

She makes his coffee just right.

She picks the pastries that suit it best.

She exists in a world untouched by corruption.

She is the only thing that calms his chaos.

And he will not share her.

Her rejection of his investment frustrates him. Her attempts to push him away amuse him. He lets her have her little illusions of freedom, but at the end of the day, she will always find him waiting.

She is his future, whether she fights it or accepts it.

Business Associates & Employees

Cold, calculated, and uncompromising, Alastair is known as a genius in the corporate world. His employees fear him, his rivals loathe him, and his partners admire him from a safe distance. However, lately, his focus on a particular café has not gone unnoticed…

Rivals & Enemies

Anyone who tries to take Y/N’s attention away is met with a swift, calculated demise. A suitor’s business mysteriously collapses, an annoying co-worker is suddenly transferred, and an overly friendly customer stops visiting altogether.

Alastair does not act out of jealousy. No, that would be too simple. He simply ensures that distractions are removed so that Y/N can see what is truly best for her.

Notable Quotes

“I don’t want you in debt, Y/N. I want to invest in you. There’s a difference.”

“No one else makes it like you. No one else gets it right.”

“You think I’m trying to control you? That’s adorable.”

“Why do you insist on resisting me? It’s… inefficient.”

"If I were you, I'd stop fighting it. Things would be easier that way."

Trivia

Favorite Drink: Black coffee, but only if Y/N makes it.

Favorite Pastry: Whatever Y/N chooses for him—he trusts her judgment completely.

Hobbies: Chess, business strategy, collecting rare watches.

Glasses: He adjusts them when thinking or removes them when frustrated.

Biggest Fear: Losing Y/N.

Final Thoughts

Alastair Sinclair is not just a CEO—he is a man who has everything yet wants only one thing: Y/N. No matter how much she resists, he will always ensure she finds her way back to him.

[citrusscale-remastered]

Do you have any Magisterium headcanons

OH BOY DO I!!

Okay, first of all I believe that Sarah and Alastair would not have lasted had she survived, but the thing keeping them together was that Call was an oops baby in the middle of the war. Also another telling thing was that Alastair wasn’t in the ice cave with them, but you know who was? DECLAN! I bet that Alastair’s internal monologue there was going, welp, there’s no way I’m gonna be a better parent than Sarah and I’m feeling the need to self sacrifice and die in battle so she and her brother can go raise the kid. also, I’m feeling guilty about not preventing Constantine’s descent into madness and murder.

and then they died and Alastair became the kind of parent that lets their kid eat dirt and drive at twelve.

next, CONSTANTINE MADDEN BLEACHES HIS HAIR PLATINUM BLOND. (and Jericho does not. He is very happy with normal brown hair.)

When Sarah got pregnant, her parents were Not pleased so Alastair and Sarah had a super fast civil ceremony at the town hall to appease them. Then Sarah died and her parents got super pissed at Alastair, (and Alastair’s parents are dead) so that’s why Call has no grandparents.

Alastair’s wedding ring was buried with Sarah.

Alastair and Constantine had a very messy friends with benefits relationship (that literally went until Constantine blew up a section of the Magisterium and ran off) where they both had feelings for each other but never said anything.

The Maddens are from Russia. They are also Catholic. Will not elaborate.

Call got babysat by Miranda (that tailor/antique shop lady from TBK) a solid bit when he was super young. Alastair needs his screaming and sobbing time by himself without freaking out his Tiny Baby Three Year Old.

After the Cold Massacre, Alastair almost became a Devoured trying to heal Call with earth magic but pulled himself back cause gotta be a human to raise My Son !!!

Alastair is also in Crippling Medical Debt from Call’s canonical Many Surgeries.

Alastair has no concept of children’s books so Call got read Shakespeare for bedtime stories.

Call is a white chocolate hater.

Constantine had a wolf named Mayhem so when Call brought home a wolf named Havoc Alastair was like, ah, the consequences of my actions have come back to haunt me

Aaron was seriously considering going into the military before he found out that he had magic.

The Rajavis are for real rich famous people outside of the magic world too.

Only child Jasper. Lots of cousins (for his parents to compare him to) though

Bilingual Jasper but Boy is he completely illiterate in Japanese

Ravan was a huge wake up call for mage parents to stop teaching their kids to learn magic through dangerous methods (like the whole eating matches for fire, blood for air kinda stuff in the first book)

One of Gwenda’s parents isn’t a mage and has her enrolled in summer school so that she actually knows like, physics and calculus and shit.

Alex is a strong believer in Sun In. However appalling the result is, Call still finds him cool.

Alex plays piano pretty well for being self taught. (Most of the things he can do is self taught. Don’t think about that too much)

When Aaron was in foster homes, he cut his own hair with kitchen scissors in the bathroom. The first time the Rajavis take him to get his hair cut, he thinks that it looked better when he did it himself.

During TCG, the Rajavis were in the process of adopting Aaron cause it would look super good for the Makar to have such a strong connection to them. (And totally Not to replace Ravan)

Call eats styrofoam

Ravan was Tamara’s favorite sister.

After TCG, Tamara learns how to drive (normally) from Stebbins. When her parents enroll her in formal driving lessons right before TSM, they’re a little surprised at how “naturally” good she is.

Before the Magisterium, Tamara learned flute and violin. Call is completely tone deaf, and Aaron can plunk out some pop song chords on a keyboard.

Every single time they have an oddly specific problem, their “I know a guy” is Aaron.

[the-golden-comet]

✨🏴‍☠️Playlist character personality tag🏴‍☠️✨

Thank you for the wonderful and creative game here, @mauannacreates and here @willtheweaver ! I have a song all ready for this character:

No, it isn’t Peter. (Gasp) I know, I know. Shocking, right? However, the character IS from Peter Hart:

Baron Alastair of Port Mayor.

For those of you who haven’t met him yet, you’re in for a treat 😎✨

He is the head of the British Naval Fleet in his province, hired by Duke Matthias to hunt down the Golden Phoenix Gang and bring his son Prince Benjamin back alive. His methods of doing this are….unethical in the VERY generous sense, and conniving at the worst. He is a pirate killer, but one who is willing to make deals with pirates and rival ports to satisfy his own political agenda. After all, how does one challenge a chaotic, crazy captain like Peter Hart? With an equally chaotic (and possibly crazier) Baron.

From the musical Hamilton, “You’ll Be Back:”

The “love” that is being referred to in this sense isn’t a romantic love, no….it’s a love of absolute power this crazy bastard has over many. As Peter describes him with disdain on his tongue:

“He’s got his hands in many pockets.”

✨👇 Check out Peter Hart down below 👇✨

Tagging (no pressure): @lavender-gloom , @willowseed , @cowboybrunch , @rotting-moon-writes , @diabolical-blue , @moltenwrites , @justabigoldnerd , @pippinoftheshire , @astramachina , @musicismymoirail , @yourpenpaldee , @pixies-love-envy , @aintgonnatakethis , @sableglass , +open tag! ✨

✨👇Tag list for writing snippets below. DM me if you want to be added👇✨

Tag List for writing tidbits (lmk if you want + or -)

@autism-purgatory , @jev-urisk , @talesofsorrowandofruin , @sunglasses-in-the-bentley , @glasshouses-and-stones , @alinacapellabooks , @fortunatetragedy , @deanwax , @dyrewrites , @honeybewrites , @drchenquill , @paeliae-occasionally , @lychhiker-writes , @thatuselesshuman , @zackprincebooks , @fantasy-things-and-such , @finickyfelix , @billybatsonmylove , @madi-konrad , @houseplantblank , @far-cry-from-finality , @froggy-pposto , @fractured-shield , @avaseofpeonies , @topazadine , @thecoolerlucky , @theaistired , @rivenantiqnerd @somethingclevermahogony , @noxxytocin , @leahnardo-da-veggie , @addicted2coke-theothercoke , @mysticstarlightduck , @the-letterbox-archives

[follows-the-bees]

On the Head of a Pin character/plot analysis

Sam

During Mystery Spot, we saw what Sam became after Dean died. He was ruthless, going around killing even when he didn't have to, ignoring Bobby and others on his side. We can see that in Dean's absence Sam has somewhat taken on this mantra again: he is working closely with Ruby.

Sam's storyline this season is paralleled to addiction. Drinking blood and correlating it with sex can be viewed as a drug addiction. But I think his story is also about power, and we see it here when he powers up with the demon blood to save Dean.

While he does get to kill Alastair and get revenge on his brother's torturer, he also shows how power corrupts. This demon blood makes him feel powerful and he believes only he can defeat Lilith and co. SPN has always been good at tackling the theme of power corrupts, they start here with Sam.

Cas and Dean seeing Sam take down a higher powered demon with just his mind not only terrifies them but the audience. Cas, just earlier in the episode, was getting his ass handed to him by the same demon. Seeing Sam that powerful is just the beginning of foreshadowing.

Cas

Until this episode, we have seen the physical superiority of Cas. Nothing Dean or Bobby did touched him, he can appear in Dean's dreams, send him through time. This is one of the first times we see Cas physically vulnerable. First, a demon gets the drop on him, and shoves his torso into rebar, but an angel also beats him up.

The beginning of the episode shows Cas finding a dead angel, setting up the bookend of Uriel dying: both angels spread out with their wings burnt around them. This makes us worried for Cas, we see him not only emotionally vulnerable (all of the talk of doubt, and choosing to kill Uriel for humanity) but physically. Cas is completely open during this episode, telling Dean, "I would give anything not to have you do this." Cas is literal, so this statement shouldn't be taken lightly.

Dean

This is a pinnacle episode for Dean as well. We know that he spent 30 years tortured and then 10 years torturing. Knowing and seeing are different. We see him embrace the dark side of him and use inventive methods to torture Alastair. Pouring holy water down the throat, and putting holy water on a knife to further aggravate the wounds.

Seeing Dean, who is racked with guilt, who hates himself, become the torturer is hard to watch. And I did not think anyone but Cas — especially Cas being completely honest with him — would have gotten Dean to torture again.

Along with the demon blood reveal the second biggest reveal is Dean finding out he is the one who started the apocalypse, that broke the first seal. Cas just sits there in the hospital with him. Answers him honestly and tells him he should not blame himself.

Dean not only is dealing with torturing again but this new knowledge. He has been hostile to Cas in the past but just like Cas being open to him, Dean let's himself be vulnerable in front of Cas admitting he doesn't want this and crying. This starts to deepen their friendship.

On the Head of a Pin is not only one of the best episodes cinematically, but also character and plot wise. All three members of TFW are at peak arcs in it.

If you've seen this before, that's because I originally posted it three years ago on twt.

[vaneshifts]

INTRODUCTION POST

Hello! My name is Vane.

I'm 19 years old, Canadian, a Virgo and an ambivert with anger issues.

I've been attempting to shift since 2020, during the pandemic and my own personal crisis that made that year likely the most miserable point in my life. I have not yet shifted, but I have come very close, especially recently.

Below I've listed some of the fandoms I'm "part of" (often I find that fandom behaviour can be rather toxic and try to avoid it), places that I'm shifting, as well as some information about "fictional" places that you can use however you see fit to determine your image of me. I've also listed the rules and expectations of this blog, and if you don't agree with them, please DNI. If rules are broken, you will be blocked.

No anti-shifters

Keep your shifttok logic FAR away from me

No discouraging comments to myself or others

If you think my information is incorrect, please inform me POLITELY, and we can discuss it if you'd like (I generally won't post something if I haven't made sure my information is right, but everyone makes mistakes, so if I am in fact wrong, I'd be happy to correct it)

I don't approve of of any DRs specifically made for killing or hurting people and I do not support them, so do not encourage or speak about them on my page (that being said, I think the concept that you should NEVER hurt/kill anyone in any DR is bullshit, so if it's something like Marvel or ASOIAF, Maze Runner, etc. where it may become necessary, I think that is perfectly acceptable)

Race changing is a fake concept. You are already another race in another reality so stop fucking telling people it's bad

Age-changing is fine for the same reasons

Permashifitng is not unhealthy or bad, it is very possible, and if you choose to do it, I wish you all the best

All shifters are valid, including those who haven't shifted yet or who are still trying to reset from all of the misinformation they were likely fed from early shifttok so BE FUCKING KIND

If I missed anything, I may come back to update this list later

Now onto the more fun part!

Favourite Shifting Takes (of mine):

Permashifting; I Know The End by Phoebe Bridgers

Shifting Realities VS Shifting Goals (mindset)

You Are Wrong (Don't Get Mad; I Promise I'll Explain)

Vane's List Of Names (Not A Take, Just Names For Your Script <3)

Vane's Shifting Routine (Plus Bonus: My Favourite Methods)

For People Who Struggle With Doubts

Fandoms:

Avatar (not TLA)

Criminal Minds

DC Cinematic

Harry Potter Golden Trio Era

Marauders Era

Good Omens

Game of Thrones

House of the Dragon

Hazbin Hotel / Helluvaboss

The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings

How to Train Your Dragon (Including DOB & RTTE)

Hunger Games

Jurassic World

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Once Upon a Time

Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Riordanverse)

Rings Of Power

Shadow and Bone

Shadowhunters

Six of Crows

Star Wars

Stranger Things

Supernatural

She-Ra

The Vampire Diaries

Teen Wolf

The Umbrella Academy

The Witcher (TV series)

This list will probably be added to at some point TBH

Places I Am Shifting To:

Criminal Minds [Kaida Romanov]

Harry Potter Golden Trio Era [Finn Rosier]

Marauders Era [Kassidy Bane]

Good Omens [Katerina Tamarov / Kat Tyler]

Game of Thrones [Nymeria Mormont]

House of the Dragon [Elaena Targaryen]

Helluvaboss [Kat Morningstar]

The Hobbit [Kaida Bane]

How to Train Your Dragon [Sky Bloodrave]

Jurassic World [Tessa Grady]

Marvel Cinematic Universe [Madisyn Grace]

Once Upon A Time [Aja Hope]

Rings Of Power [Chaereah]

Shadow and Bone [Katerina Lantsov]

Shadowhunters [Tessabelle "Tessa" Morgenstern]

Six of Crows [Tessa Bane]

Star Wars [Nerys Alastair]

Supernatural [Finn Hale]

The Vampire Diaries [Tessabelle Hallow / Tessa Hale]

The Vampire Diaries x PJO [Madisyn "Mads" Foster]

The Umbrella Academy [Number 8 / Kat Hargreeves]

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Patronus: fox

Marauders Kinnie: 75% Sirius Black, 25% Regulus Black

PJO Cabin: 12 (Dionysus)

TVD Species: Vampire

If you have any questions about me, my shifting journey, or shifting in general, please reach out and I will do my best to answer them! Happy Shifting! <3

[zmediaoutlet]

Dean in the hospital bed is white on white, where he’s not mottled bruises. Pale lips and puffy red eyes. Sam can see he’s been crying and doesn’t know what to do with that. Eyes smarting from an overload of pain, he knows, and they’ve socked each other and made each other mad and made each other laugh to distract from that kind of thing. Somehow a joke doesn’t seem like it’d cut it, this time. If he could think of anything.

“You want me to get something from the cafeteria?” Sam tries. “Gotta be something better than, whatever, Jello.”

A short head-shake. So he’s not being ignored, anyway. Nevertheless he feels like—he doesn’t know. Like he’s on the outs of something but he doesn’t know what. He should have been there when Dean finally woke up, after they took most of the tubes out and eased off on the anaesthetic. He should’ve tried to wrestle Castiel down to the linoleum and demanded that he do absolutely anything he could to make Dean better. He should’ve—should’ve. This whole last year has felt like should’ve.

TV’s on in the corner. One of the late-night shows, muted. Dean’s face is pointed that way and his eyes are seeing something entirely else. Sam can guess, maybe. He knows the overview but not the details. He wants them and doesn’t. When he pulled Dean out of that horrific place he saw the blood spilled and the holy water and the blades and it was all just—immaterial, because Dean was bleeding and Dean was barely breathing and all Sam had done wouldn’t have mattered at all if Dean’s heart weren’t beating, steady on that monitor, despite everything. But the blades were still there. Maybe here, still. Dean’s hand curled with bruised cut fingers around empty air and dark in the corners of the room.

The feeling of the blood’s long worn off. The feeling fresh off the kill’s gone, too. He’s tired, and everything is awful, and he wants to take Dean out of here and he wants a motel room and he wants—one bed, for once, and for Dean to lay back and welcome Sam open without that edge of misgiving in him, and without him asking questions Sam can’t answer, and where it’s just—them, in a room together with the night shut out past the heavy ugly curtains, like it hasn’t been since—god, how long has it been? Since before he went to college. Since that summer, in Indiana. Rainstorms and Dean whooping at the clap of thunder and their skin sticking together in the afternoon dim. He wants that back so bad.

“I killed Alastair,” Sam says.

Dean’s eyelids dip, close. He takes a deep breath and then turns his head on the pillow, and looks Sam’s direction.

“He’s gone. Dead, not just sent back. I—” Dean’s not changing expression. Weary and pained and not surprised. Like he’s head-to-toe a bruise and is just expecting another blow. Sam folds his hands together, realizes his shoulders are hunched uncomfortably like a kid waiting to be scolded. “Just wanted you to know, I guess.”

Dean licks his lips and leaves them still-dry. The ice chips Sam brought must’ve melted by now, unused. He waits for a frown or a question or—he doesn’t know what, really. What he gets is Dean looking at him straight-on, for the first time since he woke up this last time—Dean’s eyes on his, and then all over his face. Not mad or happy or anything. Like he’s looking for something, but Sam doesn’t know what, and he doesn’t get to know before Dean nods, and then says in that terrible cracked voice: “Thanks, Sammy.”

Tired. His eyes close and his battered hands lay weak on the white sheets. Like, that’s it. A spilled cup of coffee dealt with. Method or means not of interest and what will follow none of his business. And what did he expect? Not a parade and not a screaming match. Not nothing, either.

Sam sits back in the too-small visitor chair and wonders how much it will take to get back the brother he wants.

[ohagiwrites]

For all four of the characters mentioned in the living weapon game:

Can they blend in on a civil and normal environment? Do they know how to use a phone/buy groceries/whatever is normal in your setting? Can they get by lowkey or would they catch attention?

Can they endure torture? Is there a method that immediately breaks them? Are they good torturers?

How are they doing?

Hi, thank you so much for the ask!

1.) Seeing as none of them have any physical abnormalities besides Zaneta’s fangs, they are all perfectly capable of blending in with almost any group of humans. Their only problem is that with a lack of any in-date, advanced technology at the congregation, their ability to operate technology is stunted. Any technology they’re capable of using is outdated and only for basic necessity

2.)

Dani - Dani, for one, canNOT endure torture, nor would they care to. Dani lacks resolve and has no moral standings strong enough to justify them withstanding torture for anything. However, with their lack of empathy and vaguely Malicious nature, they would be quite a decent torturer.

Constanza - She has a very high pain tolerance and a strong will so she would like hold up very well under torture. However, that does not make her immune. Her loyalty is not completely unwavering. Any tactics using her fear of her mother against her would likely crack her. She would not be a good torturer. She likes to end lives swift and neatly.

Peter Rangi - Despite his friendly, sometimes seemingly unreliable personality, yes! Peter Rangi would hold up very well under torture. While there are ways of pushing him close to the edge (fire) Peter is strong. His loyalty is one of his defining traits. No amount of torture could turn him again his fearless and wonderful leader Jeremiah 🤩. He wouldn’t be a good torturer, he lacks the finesse and interrogation skills that come with it.

Jeremiah - He has been trained for this. He’s learned to endure torture in case he was ever kidnapped by Eden to ensure that he would not reveal any confidential information. He would not be a good torturer. He doesn’t have time for it. However, if given order by Father Julius, he will do what is necessary. Alastair is his breaking point. He will endure no torture if Alastair is involved. Nothing can happen to him. Don’t hurt his brother.

3.)

Dani - Dani is, at all times, in limbo between being pissed off and living their life to the fullest. They have no major inconveniences in life. They are doing well.

Zaneta - It’s none of your business, why are you asking?

Peter Rangi - He’s great! Nothing beats going out on successful missions with the team and drink afterwards. He’ll never pass up an opportunity to hang out with his best bro Jeremiah! Peter loves life.

Jeremiah - He has never been worse. He just wants his brother back.

[k00289929a]

’Movement; Articulated Paper Dolls Cont.’

Moving directly on from the puppets I had created of Alastair, I decided to refocus my attempts, as I was at the same time developing the design of the dream spirit, and wanted to use this an opportunity to help explore and solidify the design. The spontaneity in putting together this puppet meant I was first only working from exploratory sketches, and had composed no plan for myself in terms of assembling the actual puppet, which, if I were to approach this method again, is likely something I’d compose before approaching the actual caper creation and assembly process. Despite this, I do feel the explorative way in which I approached this puppet did really aid in realising the final product, and finalising my ideas.

The final puppet, from my count, consists of twenty-seven points of articulation, made from circular paper tabs with two paper legs that I passed through the parts and fastened in the back with tape.

In the name of reusing materials, I took the red thread from my ‘assemble’ display piece, and used it to create the drapes, and the rose pieces. The rose pieces were embroidered on separate, grey fabric with the woven wheel stitch, and then individually cut from the fabric. I then painted the bottom layer of fabric with a watered down acrylic paint, as it was more visible when laid onto the puppet than I would have liked, and was an approach that wouldn’t risk undoing the stitching. I then cut holes through the puppet to feed the string through, taping a loop to the behind at every point, and dangling one end through once more to form the subtle tassels, then feeding another bit of string through to continue the drape to the next rose point.

The roses were initially fixed using folded strips of tape as I wanted to use hot glue but was afraid the glue would create mass and cause the roses to settle and rise in odd ways. Using the glue gun again on other projects, such as the 3D mask, I revisited this approach, as I found with the way this gun heated up, the glue would get caught in the nozzle and preemptively dry before the gun was put to use, accidentally creating unwanted mass, something that was solved by allowing a bit of glue to be pressed out before properly using the gun.

As for the colour, I knew if I wanted to reuse the thread, I’d need to account for that in the colour scheme, but beyond that, I largely just took my colouring pencils and allowed myself to apply the colours as I worked, to however I felt they fit, as I was not overly familiar with colouring pencils, and I felt this would be a good opportunity to learn how to layer them. This lead to me developing the light blue, to cyan, to purple, to magenta gradient seen. I then translated this to digital, and elected to add small gold star patterns to the whole body, and parts of the accessories, using a golden metallic gel pen.

The creation of this puppet also helped open my eyes to the problem with the silhouette that I discussed more in depth with the design itself, and allowed me to physically tinker with adding the fur element by creating sketches and leaving them beneath the puppet without securing them to evaluate the visuals before committing. This helped immensely for me to settle on the neck-long fluff element.

I did consider creating another shot for the animation, and developed a front-facing puppet to this end, but ultimately scrapped the idea, though I had more foresight this time around to create a prototype before committing in any way to the full puppet.

[sneakers-and-shakes]

10 Day Planning Method

I’ve talked before about my monthly planning and monthly notes(goals), but a recent addition to how I break up my monthly activities is 10 Day Planning.

The concept of 10 Day Planning is to break the month into 3 sections:

Early month (first 10 days aka 1-10)

Mid month (11-20)

Late month (21-30 or 31)

This is actually meant to replace weekly planning, essentially giving you 10 days instead of 7 to get everything done. Those extra 3 days can really be the push needed to get everything accomplished.

I, however, still follow weekly planning. So the way I implement 10 Day Planning is to simply break out my tasks into ones that are suited for early, mid and late month.

Let’s go over an example of what my 10-Day planning looks like.

I usually write all this out on a large sticky note (the size of an index card) and attach it to the beginning of my planner so every time I flip it open this list is visible and easy to reference.

Here is a re-creation of my 10 Day Planning setup for January:

This month, I am proud to say I crossed off everything for early month. It’s not often that happens but I had a surprisingly productive start to this year.

If you wanted to replace weekly planning with 10 Day Planning, there are a few ways to do that. One of the more popular ways is to use the Alastair Method.

This method orients vertically where the days of the week go across the top and the events go down the side. You then mark with a circle or a checkmark or an x (whatever you like) on the row of the task and match it up with the column of the day you completed the task.

Here is an example of my Early Month planning using this system:

(The highlighted lines are just to make it easier to see which column I’m checking.)

This method is popular in journaling and can be applied to more than just 10 Day Planning. Here is a video that describes this method further: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKNTftOmxeU

I have been using 10 Day Planning since August and have really liked having focus areas to help complete all my goals for the month.

It means that at any given time I have a small, focused list of things to be working on. And as it’s mid-month now, this blog post is indeed being written and posted so that’s another check done!

If this is something you try out, let me know your thoughts in the comments! See you next month!

[spaceintruderdetector]

A Book of Surrealist Games : Alastair Brotchie : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

This delightful collection allows everyone to enjoy firsthand the provocative methods used by the artists and poets of the Surrealist school to break through conventional thought and behavior to a deeper truth. Invented and played by such artists as André Breton, Rene Magritte, and Max Ernst, these gems still produce results ranging from the hilarious to the mysterious and profound.

"This extraordinary collection of word games, visual tricks and intellectual assaults on the conventional is a treasure trove of the artistic and socio-linguistic conundrums which the Surrealists—Andre Breton, Tristan Tzara and their associates—cultivated from the 1920s onwards. Its compiler, Alastair Brotchie, is to be congratulated for salvaging such fascinating if recondite material from the various obscure journals in which it first appeared." —The Spectator

[edwin-paynes-bowtie]

Thomastair Friday Drabble

I should give up on my resolve not to post these.

Alastair Carstairs was hungry.

Of course, this was not a rare event. He ate thrice a day on a strict schedule and snacked however much he pleased. But his hunger was currently notable because he was becoming both irritated and despondent as he dug through the icebox in an ill-fated attempt to find his celery sticks.

The icebox was empty. Well, besides the stupid ice, of course.

There were no celery sticks.

He would call to Thomas, demand to know what had happened to his much-anticipated snack, but he knew that to do so would be a fruitless endeavor. Thomas quite hated celery to the point that he would cast it sidelong disgusted glances at outdoor markets as though it were some scorned, maggot-infested rubbish of a vegetable. Alastair mocked him for it relentlessly.

The mocking was greatly entertaining, but it was currently more annoying than he knew to be uncertain of what happened to his celery.

“Divoone,” he grumbled under his breath, carelessly throwing all of the other, inferior food into the icebox. He would be unhappy with himself later for the lack of organization, but right now he was too hungry to care.

“Why do you look as though you’re in a hopelessly foul mood?” Thomas’s voice rang from the doorway, and Alastair turned to glare at him. “Did you lose your hat again? The icebox is unlikely to be the place you should look for it. I would check the bottom drawer of the dresser.”

“I have lost my celery,” Alastair snapped, and Thomas raised an eyebrow. “It is gone without a trace, and I know of none in this house who may have eaten it. Unless, of course, you stole it and chucked it in the bin to spite me. That would be horribly rude regardless of your personal feelings for it. I might be impressed, but I would also scold you terribly.”

“I didn’t touch your celery,” Thomas said, confirming Alastair’s suspicious. “You often mock me for the pointed looks that I give its ugly stalks. Do you truly think I would willingly pick it up, even for a moment?”

Alastair sighed. “As I suspected, then,” he said. “Well, I suppose I must investigate this.”

“Investigate?” A small smile played on Thomas’s lips. “How do you plan to do that?”

Alastair shrugged. “I do not know, nor do I particularly care about the method. I am simply hungry.”

“I can cook you an egg. Would you like an egg?”

“No, I want my celery.”

A beat passed. “An egg with chili butter?”

Alastair scoffed. “Can an egg provide the crunch and refreshing coolness that celery can? Can an egg eradicate more calories than it contains? Is it the pinnacle of healthy foods? No,” he said, answering his own question. “I want my celery, and moreover, I want answers. Where might it have gone?”

Thomas laughed brightly, and it took Alastair a moment to realize that his beloved was laughing at him. He glared daggers into Thomas’s eyes, which only made him laugh louder.

“It is not funny,” Alastair said. “It is a travesty.”

“Sure it is,” Thomas said, his eyes still shining. “We did have Matthew over on Tuesday. Perhaps he ate your celery.”

Suspicion sparked in Alastair’s chest. “Matthew is a bleak character,” he said in dark tones.

Thomas walked up to Alastair and ruffled his hair. “We shall fire-message him, then.”

“I do not know if I can. I am weak with hunger. Such is not conducive to having the strength to deal with a blockhead of that magnitude.”

Thomas rolled his eyes and grabbed a napkin. “Dear Matthew,” he said aloud as he wrote. “Alastair cannot find his celery, and has decided that for some reason it must be your fault. Can you please write to me and inform us of whether or not you were the culprit?”

He ignited it. “There,” Thomas said with a small smile. He patted Alastair’s cheek with his hand. “Now we wait for a response.”

The response came within minutes.

Of course I did. What other snack has such a satisfying crunch?

“Ahmag,” Alastair mumbled.

Thomas sighed. “Alright, then,” he said. “I’ll make an egg. Scrambled or poached?”

[youwouldtreatittenderly]

Some thoughts about Chain of Iron:

Alastair has really grown on me. I love his sibling dynamic with Cordelia and I'm liking his romance with Thomas. Although that 180 he does at the end about giving their relationship a try came out of nowhere, considering he's the one to voice the possibility of something serious happening between them. It just felt a bit contrived for drama and it could have been executed better.

Grace has turned into a really interesting character. What she's done to James is terrible, but I like that the situation is more complicated than it seemed at first. I wish the narrative had explored more her feelings on the horrible things she's done because of Tatiana's influence.

The plot revolving around Lucie, Grace and Jesse was my favorite by far. The actual resurrection felt very anticlimactic though. The tie-in with TDA through Malcom was cool.

The first half of the book feels like a slice of life / fake relationship fic with some crumbs of plot sprinkled in. It was boring.

James and Cordelia being married was such a wasted opportunity to create romantic tension. I can think of only two scenes that take advantage of that. I didn't feel like they grew closer because they were already friends and they already knew they wanted each other physically since Chain of Gold.

Cordelia falling for Lilith's trick was embarrasing. Not that she was tricked at all, I actually like that part, but it should have been a clever ruse, not something so obvious it puts Cordelia's critical thinking skills into question. I thought it was hilarious that this happened in the same book where Tessa calls her clever and resourceful. She deserved better.

Similarly, Thomas says Will is smart and strategic, then Will proceeds to ask him if he's hiding any secrets while Thomas is holding The Mortal Sword, when he knows damn well James and his friends have been keeping secrets from the Enclave. Asking Thomas if Gideon is pretending to forget about the money he owes Will was funny though.

There's so much time wasted on narrating the comings and goings of all the characters, what they’re wearing, where they’re sitting, etc. and since there's so many of them it takes forever.

So. many. interruptions. I'm begging CC to find a more subtle and organic method to create tension.

Matthew often disappeared in this book and it's a shame because he's such a compelling character. He's still my favorite though.

Why was Cordelia the only one trying to help Matthew? I wouldn't expect a group of teenagers to know exactly what to do, but they could at least try.

I thought there was something weird about Magnus so I'm glad that turned out to be another trick. I can't fault the characters for falling for this one.

I'm not very invested in the Jordelia romance, but Cordelia telling Belial he can't have James because he's hers and pulling him from the shadow world was pretty great. Plus finally breaking that goddamn bracelet.

What I liked about the final battle: the reveal that Belial has been using Jesse's body, Lucie's powers and Christopher's invention saving the day.

What I didn't like: Leviathan's attack didn't add anything besides keeping the side characters busy. As far as villains go, Belial is pretty underwhelming.

What the hell was that ending???? Yes, I'm still mad. Out of all the overdramatic and painfully clichéd tropes CC has ever used this is the worst one by far.

[alex-strike-is-transgender]

Constantine Madden headcanons:

• Autistic. Got diagnosed at around 18

• Special interests included: The stages of decomposition in dead bodies, cults, the black death, medieval torture and execution methods, angels.

• Refused to take notes on a computer or phone.

• Had like 46299274 notebooks

• Dyed his hair a ton of stupid colours (most notable were bright green, pink, and an attempt at blue that ended up failing miserably) but normally defaulted to blonde

• Knew English as a 3rd language, Russian and french as his 1st and 2nd

• Call found a lot of the stuff he had relating to his special interests in tsm but decided to not even try to look through that

• Preferred chaos ridden animals over normal animals even as pets because they're far more predictable

• Bad at forming connecting with living things. Chaos ridden humans were easier than living ones, chaos ridden animals the same, dead corpses and inanimate objects better and easier than both.

• It became easier for him to talk to the chaos ridden the more time went and the more broken his soul became. By the time of his death he could have full conversations with them like they were alive, though it was hard to tell if it was better communication or he was simply going insane

• Would infodump of chaos ridden when Joseph was busy.

• Would've loved Minecraft (died before it was released)

• Gay. Had a one sided crush on Alastair (Alastair is heteroromantic and asexual in my mind).

• Catholic Christian. Thought he was already going to hell for being gay so didn't see any point trying not to be evil or messed up, preyed for forgiveness anyways knowing he wouldn't get it.

• Laughed at Jericho for having stuffed animals (he had plushies but none of them were animals. Also had a chaos ridden wolf)

• Curious about how blood tastes but never tested it.

[teddybearsticker]

2023 Hobonichi Weeks Spread | Sept. 25 - Oct. 1

My current weekly setup is journaling in Japanese on the left and a alastair method to do list on the left <3