#and i think often that we get distracted by things that maybe feel more achievable or are more visible

[reds-revenge]

My main issue with the conversations we have about media and how moral it is is that there's actual, tangible suffering and death in real life we can work on instead. I don't really care if I'm watching a horror movie that's not giving the women agency because it's not real, but I care very much about women not being assaulted in real life. I only have so much energy, though, so if I focus all of that on how to tell the One Perfect Horror Story, I'm not focusing it on getting women access to healthcare, which is the thing that will really help.

[bumblequinn]

hi @sourpatchsquids! thank you for your question.

as an artist with ADHD, i know this struggle very well. unfortunately offering advice on this kind of thing can be tricky, because what works for me may not work for you (and vice versa!). nonetheless, i can try; take whatever works for you, forget the rest, or reshape any part of it as you see fit. :)

but before i offer any actual tools, i have one caveat. i want you to take a moment to reflect and consider if you should be:

changing expectations

the timing of this question seems fated, because just the other day i had a therapy session wherein i expressed my grief and frustration over struggling to work lately due to my seasonal depression. it's not fair that i'm struggling just because it got a little darker outside! i just want the spark i had in the summer! i was so much more consistent!

my therapist's response: nothing about human beings is consistent. we get sick, we get tired, we get hungry and thirsty (and thirsty) and sad and lonely and restless and stressed and overwhelmed. this all gets amplified for folks who are atypical in some way or another.

when my therapist compared our seasonal cycles to those of plants and other animals, who wilt and slow down and hibernate, i protested aloud that i wanted to be a perennial instead. at this she said: even perennials change with the seasons. rose bushes have to be pruned, sometimes down to half their height! it was a dose of perspective i didn't particularly want, but really needed.

so when you're struggling to work through executive dysfunction, burnout, or brain fog, it can help to first check in with yourself about a few things. what do you have the capacity for right now? do you need any accommodation? and if so, what changes you might make to accommodate yourself?

with practice and self reflection, i've learned a handful of specific routines that help me when i'm struggling with creative work, which i'll detail next. note that while your question is specifically about music and i am specifically a musician, i believe that all of these suggestions can apply to most any form of digital creative work.

with that in mind:

#1: work slower

when i'm at the top of my game, i can get a LOT done in a day. but when i'm depressed, fatigued, or distracted, i just can't go full steam. sometimes i'll try to convince myself that i can if i just push harder, but what actually ends up happening is that i'm just fiddling with settings and going in circles rather than moving forward.

instead of that, when i want to work a lot but can't, i try to work slow. how slow? however slow i need to. take four hours to figure out the melody for a single verse. take all day to figure out that drum groove. yeah, i take a lot of breaks in between. who says i have to be my Absolute Most Productive Every Day Or Else? that's the puritan work ethic talking. kill it. be kind to yourself.

i'm reminded of advice i once read about some super successful and prolific author (gaiman? king? pratchett?) who said they wrote only four hundred words every weekday. that's already less than the word count of this post, and i'm only—[travels into the future to check my final word count]... 22.8% of the way through writing it!

now, i don't think i could function that way, because ADHD means some days i'm hyperfocused like crazy, and other days i just have no steam at all (more on that in #4-6). but it seems to me that if even someone highly respected in their profession can achieve what they have with only a little bit of work on a regular basis, maybe i don't have to punish myself for not pumping out a finished work every single week.

doing less work per day means you're much less likely to burn out, which does a lot for working more consistently. if that consistency still doesn't look like a five-day work week, that's okay! as long as it helps you work even a little more often when you want to, it's something worth doing.

however, if you're still feeling truly stuck, all hope isn't lost. you can still try:

#2: switch projects

sometimes the reason i'm moving slow is because of a bad brain day, but sometimes the reason is that i just cannot muster the motivation to do the specific task i'm trying to do right now. ADHD is fueled by novelty and interest, and if i'm not interested in what i'm doing, or it's feeling stale, that's a sign that i need to switch gears.

this is why first it's helpful for me to have more than one project going at a time. this might mean completely unrelated works, or it might just mean related tracks as with the music for a game like SLARPG or susan taxpayer.

the idea here is not to start a dozen different projects and bounce around them like i'm playing whac-a-mole—though i have done that. (i don't recommend it.) the idea here is to have a manageable number of different projects i can be working on so that if i get bored or stuck on something, i have fallback options.

what that number of projects is depends entirely on the week. maybe right now it's two, maybe another time it's three. i would probably be getting carried away if i tried more than that, but that's just my own limit. maybe yours is different. that's something for you to think about.

but it doesn't have to stop there.

#3: switch focus

maybe there is this one project that i just HAVE to work on, but the task i'm trying to do at this stage just isn't coming to me. okay, well, why don't i try working on a different task?

let's say i can't figure out what i want to do with the melody in one part of the song:

what if i try jumping ahead to a different part of the melody? ...no, i'm stumped on melodies today. okay, how about working on the drums instead? ...hmm no, i think i'm just completely tapped out on writing parts right now. alright, what if i organized my tracks, making sure they're all grouped and named in a way that i can work with easily? what if i did a rough volume balance for the mix?

and so on. if that's not enough to shake the off stuckness, i might consider: what can i do to make this project more interesting to me?

what happens if i try using an instrument or effect that i almost never reach for? what if i try sampling something obscure? what if i bang out the drums using my midi keyboard instead of drawing it in on the piano roll?

any approach that breaks me out of my usual habits is bound to get that feeling of novelty and fun back when i need it.

or maybe i can't do any of that right now, and so i take the time to answer a question from a fellow musician instead. i consider that part of my work, too, in a broader sense. check in with yourself and figure out what you can do right now. the rest will still be there later.

but okay, let's say you try switching gears, and switching again, and again, and nothing is moving. you try new approaches, but that wall of awful is insurmountable in this moment. it happens! the next thing you might try is:

#4: learn something new

when you aren't able to make progress on your projects, you can still make progress on your knowledge and craft. i often find this stokes a flame of inspiration in me where there wasn't one before. and even when it doesn't, it still gets my brain out of that feeling of stuckness and dread and into one of thought and action. learning also benefits in the long term because it adds to the well of knowledge from which you draw for all your future works.

for all the awfulness that exists on the internet, it remains an absolute treasure trove of teaching. there's an endless ocean of videos, blog posts, and articles from which you might learn something about your craft. (and if you sail the seven seas, plenty of book PDFs as well. 🦜🏴‍☠️)

it's true that the quality and depth of information out there can vary wildly, but in my experience most resources get at least some things right. and the more you research, practice, and figure out what works for you, the better you will learn to differentiate between the advice worth keeping, and the advice to forget. (that goes for all of what i'm saying here, too!)

that said, since our shared focus is music, a few resources i would highly recommend are:

music theory and composition music matters, 12tone, charles cornell, music with myles, 8-bit music theory, and this introduction by andrew huang

mixing and production dan worrall (especially this series for fabfilter), kush after hours, red means recording, andrew huang, alice yalcin efe, in the mix

general inspiration nahre sol, ben levin, david hilowitz, game score fanfare, posy, jerobeam fenderson, open reel ensemble, and ELECTRONICOS FANTASTICOS!

(if any readers have their own helpful resources for creating music or any other media, feel free to share in the replies & reblogs! 💓)

of course, on an especially bad day, it might be a challenge to seek out information, let alone retain it. that can feel pretty bad, but remember: be kind to yourself. the next thing you might consider trying is:

#5: consume art you love

not just music. books. shows. movies. games. illustration. animation. whatever moves and inspires you.

but do it intentionally. don't just pull up some random thing the algorithm suggested! check in with yourself about what you want (or are able) to engage with right now. choose accordingly. if you get a little way into it and realize it's not scratching that itch, hit the bricks. check in with yourself again. wash, rinse, repeat, until you find whatever it is that speaks to you right now.

and do it actively, if you can. don't just let it go in one eye and out the other! really pay attention to the work. what do you like about it? what are its themes and motifs? what makes it work so well? what are its flaws, and how much do they matter? what might you do differently? you can write notes as you do this if it helps, but even simply noticing and thinking goes a long way.

what you don't want to do is come at this with a lens of shame or envy. you're not here just to say to yourself, "ugh, if only i could do THAT." it's okay if it happens. use that thought as a springboard for curiosity: "well okay, how DID they do that? do i have the resources for it? if so, how could i apply that to my own work? if not, how can i adapt it, or what do i need to learn?" keep your mind open and approach the work with a sense of wonder.

as a creative person, it's very easy to think, "i should be making something right now, not watching a movie!" but that thought forgets something vital: your art is a response in a conversation. of course the "language" you use is your own, and maybe if you're lucky you'll invent a new word. but most of the words you use have been around long before you were born. you're just one voice in a dialogue that spans continents and generations, and that's okay. it's even the whole point.

none of us is an island. we are profoundly social animals. just as we can't live without eating, we can't make without learning. so half of making art is consuming it. consider this part of the process as well.

and finally,

#6: rest, and live your life

let's say you're in really dire straits. you've tried working slower. you tried changing focus, you tried changing projects. you want to take in new information or actively engage with your favorite art, but you're not in the headspace for it. what now?

take a nap. take a walk. take a shower. eat a nice meal, or an okay one. talk to a friend. maybe even do that chore you've been putting off (you know the one).

it's human to always crave making, but you're not a machine—and even if you were, machines need regular maintenance, too! you wouldn't drive a car that's completely out of gas, and you won't do yourself any favors treating your body that way either.

i know that when you take a break it feels as though you're not accomplishing anything, but you are: you're taking care of your animal self. and while you do that, your creative brain doesn't stop working! much like windows, it has countless background processes running at any given moment, with inscrutable names like "cbdhsvc_692da" or "Microsoft Edge Update Service." it's true, i checked.

when you're stuck on a project and you step away to rest, your brain is still chipping away at your ideas unconsciously. i like to tell people, "it's percolating." much like waiting for a pot of water to boil, that idea is still heating up, even when you take a step away. just be sure to check in on it once in a while. the time will pass, and it'll be boiling again before long. :)

before i go, i'll leave you with one last thing to keep in mind as you try all of these strategies:

be kind to yourself.

being human is just about one of the hardest things you can do. let alone being a human trying to survive capitalism while living with disabilities! the last thing you need on top of that is to overwork yourself, talk to yourself negatively, or treat yourself harshly. there are plenty of other people in the world who do that to you—don't be one of them.

i'm not saying that you shouldn't try to challenge yourself, to test your limits and go above and beyond your ambitions, if that's what you want to do. just remember that hard work and self compassion are not mutually exclusive. so be careful not to bully yourself. take pride in the progress you make, even when it seems small. encourage yourself like you would a friend who's going through a hard time. and when you challenge yourself, be your own cheerleader.

i hope you find this advice helpful! remember, this is just what helps me, so don't feel like you have to follow any of it exactly. maybe taking time to learn new information helps break you out of your rut more than working slowly, so you reach for that tool first. maybe having multiple projects going at once is too distracting for you, so you prefer to stick to one at a time. whatever your needs are, feel free to alter and adapt these ideas to fit you.

thank you for reading, and i wish you the best of luck in your creating.

with care, bee 🐦

[just-another-star-47]

@kiwiplaetzchen made this wonderful template and I couldn't resist to fill it out, now that I try to focus mainly on Luscinia and her story. 😊

(And yes, I need to draw her wand, but I'm still not sure about the design 🙈)

So let's get a little more into detail, shall we? 😁

Luscinia is the Latin name for nightingale (So the c is spelled like the ones in Accio). During the big witch hunt in Europe, big wizarding families started to give their family members Latin names as an act of rebellion against the Christian church, that used Latin for their holy textes. Till this day, the Plonbraw family keeps that tradition alive, much to Luscinia's regret.

Luscinia's family originated in the eastern part of (modern) Germany, a part that is part of Prussia in the 1890s. The family of her mother still lives there, so she regularly visited her old homeland, even though the Plonbraw family fled into the far north of Norway centuries ago.

In a wand ceremony in her old home town the wand of one of her ancestors choose to be with her - made out of willow wood, around 20 cm long, somewhat flexible. (Read about the wand ceremony here)

I don't want to spoil too much, because I think it will be a part in my story, but let's just say her Patronus is a special dragon. 🤫

Rosalie was a gift from her older brother, right before her first year in school. He bought it from the money he got from selling potions to his classmates. (Maybe I have chosen the name after a little owl in one of my favourites films, that always broadcast around christmas in Germany. 😊)

Speaking of her brother, she has three siblings. Her older brother Corvus is four years older than her, her sister Alauda is three years older and her brother Alcedo is two years younger.

The relationship with her parents is.. complicated. Her father is an Auror, that isn't at home very often, her mother sees the worth of her children only in their achievments.

Luscinia is shy, because she doesn't trust other people and overthinks way too much, what they could do with the informations she gives them. She also often times feels pressured to regulate the people around them, making sure nobody gets hurt or upset.

She's rather lazy when it comes to homework, or other academic duties, but she needs to do things. Boredom makes her go crazy and you really don't want to come across her, when she's bored. It's one of the rare occasions, where she'd be very rude.

The only reason why her room is somewhat tidy, is because she gets overwhelmed very quickly, when there are too many distracting things in her surrounding. Other than that, she has simply no interest in beeing overly neatly, one of the reasons why she's so bad in Potions and Transfiguration - the need to be overly exact is nothing for her.

Luscinia tries to be friendly to everyone, because she never want to make someone feel bad or unwelcome. That beeing said, she's not a big philanthropist and especially in her teenage years she can get grouchy in social gatherings.

Typical Gryffindor here - brave to a point were it borders on dumbness.. 😅 Her playfulness doesn't make it any better. It's a trait not many are allowed to witness, but if she feels safe with someone, she loves to tease, play, do dumb shit and get lost in small details.

Luscinia is clumsy, because in her mind she is often elsewhere - already doing the next task, daydreaming or talking with herself. So no, she doesn't even notice it, when she bumps into objects, or that it's predictable that she pushes the vial with the liquid from the table to the ground by how hastily she works. 😅

[danielfuckingricciardo]

Sealed With A Kiss - Charles Leclerc x Reader

Pairing - Charles Leclerc x Reader

Word Count - 1.6k

Content Warning - References to death

Synopsis - Charles had a bad day, but you come to him with an offer he simply can’t refuse.

Author’s Note - It’s been a while, huh? Honestly I wasn’t feeling so inspired but now I’m back in the swing of things and here with some spooky fics for the Halloween season! I’m such a Halloween girlie (gn) and I’ve wanted to write something like this for a while. So stay tuned for more spooky fics coming soon!

You approach him with tenacity in your step; the man sat alone at the bar, an empty glass beside his head that rested forlornly in his own arms. He was perfect, just what you needed.

You pull out the stool beside him and take a seat, tapping your talon-like red nails on the bar to attract the attention of the bartender.

“I’ll take a white russian, and another of whatever he’s having.” You say in a silky tone.

The bartender nods and busies himself with preparing the drinks, and you turn your attention to your new depressed drinking buddy.

“Cheer up, darling. One can never be so miserable when someone buys you a drink. It’s simply not polite.” You say, and he looks up at you, taking in your appearance.

You didn’t look like the other patrons of the bar. Most of them insisted on displaying their wealth, showing it off in tasteless and gaudy garments and jewellery that only served as a status symbol and nothing more. But you sat there, understated, in a simple black cocktail dress, with a ruby necklace resting around your neck. Somehow you seemed even more expensive than all the other posers in the bar, you didn’t feel the need to flash your cash, and Charles couldn’t help but be intrigued by you.

“Sorry, I, uh… had a bad day.” He says. “Thank you, though, for the drink.”

Your red lips curl into a smile, and you nod in appreciation.

“Bad day? Care to share your woes with with a complete stranger? A problem shared is a problem halved, or so they say.”

“I suppose. Uh, where to start? It’s my job, I guess. Things haven’t been going so well and my dream seems to be falling further and further out of reach, no matter how hard I try.” He says with a sigh.

You raise your eyebrow at him as the bartender returns with your drinks, and you pause for a moment to take a sip.

“That must be rather hard to deal with, yes? The human mind is a funny thing, often it is its own biggest enemy. You create aspirations and goals for yourself, and as you fail to achieve them, the battle with your mind only becomes more intense, distracting you from your true goal and rendering you further from ever achieving it.”

Charles takes a sip of his drink, “yes, I suppose so. We fight our own demons so much that we get distracted from the real fight.”

You chuckle slightly at his comment, and he looks at you in confusion.

“Then perhaps you should stop fighting those demons? Embrace them, maybe, listen to them.” You say, and you take a small pause to take another sip of your drink. “I think I could help you, Charles Leclerc.”

Charles looks at you, his eyes wide. “You know who I am?”

“I know of you, yes. And I think that I could help you achieve those dreams of yours. But I would require something in return.” You say with a sly smile.

The background noise of the bar suddenly falls silent, and Charles looks around to notice that everyone else around him had disappeared. He looks back at you, only to find that you, too, had disappeared.

“I suppose you would like to know the conditions of my deal.” You say, appearing from thin air behind the bar, grabbing the bottle of whiskey to top up Charles’ drink.

“Who… who are you?” He asks, and you smile at him once again, your eyes becoming black for just a second, before flashing back to their usual colour so quickly that Charles wasn’t sure if he’d imagined it or not.

“You’re a demon, aren’t you?” He asks, and you chuckle.

“Darling, I’m not just a demon… I’m the demon.” You respond.

You appear behind him and tap him on the shoulder with your sharp red nails, and he jumps, turning to face you.

“The name bestowed upon me by Lord Lucifer himself was Mephistopheles, however, unlike many of my demonic counterparts, I have elected to move with the times, so call me (y/n).” You say.

“Okay, (y/n).” Charles says, not looking entirely convinced by your existence.

“I have spent millennia assisting humans like yourself to achieve their dreams. Other demons will grant the wishes of any human who summons them at some dusty crossroads, but I am a little more… selective. The rewards I receive from these deals are much more satisfying.”

“The rewards?” Charles says, and you roll your eyes.

“Human souls.” You say, and Charles’ mouth drops open. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I’m a demon, not a witch, I’m not about to kidnap your firstborn or do anything else as grotesque. What in hell would I want with a human infant?”

“You want me to give you my soul?” Charles asks.

“Not immediately, no. The typical deal my kind offer to humans is ten years of life in which they experience no pain or suffering, either mentally or physically. We will fix whatever they require us to fix and they can live out those years the way they wish. And come the end, the demon will reap their soul and it provides them sustenance. However, due to my high status in hell, my deals work a little differently.” You say, and Charles looks at you, perplexed.

“I realise this is a lot to take in for a human. But I guarantee you that my offer is indeed worthwhile to you.” You say, and Charles suddenly appears as if deep in thought. It seemed that he was considering your offer.

“What is your offer?” He asks, and your red lips curl into a smile.

“A human soul like yours is worth far more to a demon than the usual soul. So I come to you with a greater deal. I will allow you to live out the entirety of your lifespan, in which you achieve that little dream of yours and live happily ever after. But when the time comes, I will reap your soul and consume it.” You say, and Charles looks rather confused.

“But that could be fifty or sixty years before you get your end of the deal?” He says, and you nod.

“When you’ve been alive for millennia, a single human lifespan feels like mere moments do to you. Trust me when I say, your soul is worth the wait.”

“How can I trust you to hold up your end of the bargain? You’re a demon, you could reap my soul right now and leave me dead in this bar.” Charles says.

“A demon can only reap a soul directly once the human has entered into a direct contract with them. Hell is, well, a bureaucratic hell.” You chuckle, “We are all bound to the contracts we sign, as are you humans. Once the contract is signed I have to deliver, and when you die, so will you.”

“This means I have no chance of getting into heaven, yes?” Charles says, and you roll your eyes.

“How many humans do you think actually make it to heaven? And even so, what makes you think that you’re destined for the pearly gates right now? I assure you, my deal will only serve to enhance your life, and yes, it does remove the infinitesimally small possibility that St. Peter might allow you entrance to that puritanically perfect borefest, but isn’t it worth the gamble? Is that minute chance of heaven really worth giving up everything you have ever dreamed of?” You say, resting your hands on his shoulders.

You lean into his ear ever so slightly, your lips brushing against his earlobe as you speak in a soft tone. “Don’t you want to be world champion? Don’t you want to bring pride to your family, your country, and your beloved team? Charles Leclerc deserves to be etched into the books of history as one of the greats, and I can make it happen. All you have to do, darling, is say the word.”

Charles turns towards you, his face practically touching yours as he speaks, “Yes. I want that.”

“Then allow me to give it to you.” You whisper, your eyes flickering into darkness once again. Charles can’t help but stare deeply into them. It was as if he could see into eternity itself, and he was truly captivated.

He nods, and you capture his lips in a soft yet passionate kiss. In that moment, you get a taste, your first taste of his pure and perfect soul, completely untouched by malice or hate. It was sweet, like ambrosia, and you felt a surge of strength and power run through your body as the contract was signed, binding the two of you eternally.

As you finally pull away, Charles finds himself once again alone amongst the excited conversations of the other patrons of the bar. There was no sign of you, besides the half empty White Russian on the counter, and his own glass, still filled with whiskey, the large ice cube slowly melting into the amber drink.

He quickly downs the beverage and slams his glass on the counter, before walking out of the bar with a sense of determination in his step. He no longer had to fight his inner demons, they didn’t matter anymore. He had a demon on his side now, and all he had to do was win, and in the end, that was all that truly mattered to him.

[duchessofostergotlands]

Just read your last post on autism and well you sound like me. I don't even have a diagnosis because it could stop me from becoming a public servant which I want to be (governmental prejuidice is amazing, isn't it?). However, I also have ADHD as a possible side "quest" on my laundry list. Everything I learned about it in women in recent years screams my experience. However, no one thought to test me because I did academically well like you in school and didn't have issues conforming to classroom rules. Back then you had to be a boy, running around constantly and failing classes to even get a consideration for ADHD here. No one saw that school was my own personal dopamine farm and that I constantly quietly fidgeted with something.

Idk where I'm going with this here but yeah I just felt seen by your post. I think I want a diagnosis eventually after I got my public servant position but I'm also scared of looking for one. Because what if it isn't depression, autism, ADHD and/or even BPD? What if I'm just a lazy slob that peaked in school and someone who is just easily distracted and not great at social interactions I haven't played through in my head a thousand times before?

Hello :) The internet can be a terrible thing but the best part of it is there will be someone, somewhere, who has experienced what you are experiencing. So yes, totally relate to what you're saying. I have similar thoughts all the time. "Maybe I'm just lazy, maybe I'm just sensitive, maybe I'm just a bitch" lol. To be honest I think genuinely lazy people probably don't ever think about the fact they're lazy or get upset about it so it's probably an indication you're not. Like I often think "am I actually a good person?" but I don't think genuinely bad people ever consider that!

I did see something helpful a little while ago. The comedian Aisling Bea did an interview where she talked about her ADHD and the shame she felt when she believed she was just lazy. She said that she loves acting and she can get given a script and learn three pages of dialogue over night - her dialogue and everyone else's - and people are astonished. But you give her a simple task like filling in a form and she just can't do it. I suspect you might find you're the same way. If someone gives you a task you enjoy or find value in then you can probably do it more quickly and to a higher standard than other people. You are capable of hard work. But if it's a task you don't enjoy or think is pointless you will feel like there's some kind of forcefield stopping you from doing it. I also think if it was just laziness, if it was a choice, then no one would ever choose to be lazy about things which are detrimental to them. The call it took me 3 months to make was to register with a doctor. It was really important, it was harmful to me to not have a doctor, and yet I couldn't do it. If I could have gone online and done the whole process there I would have. But I couldn't do it because I had to make a phone call which I struggle with. So if you 1) find that you are capable of putting in hard work in certain things and 2) find that the kinds of tasks you struggle with are important tasks and not doing them is potentially detrimental to you, it isn't just laziness. I think it comes out in a lot of women when we leave school because we don't have structure, routine, someone caring for us. The fact so many neurodivergent women were high achievers in school and burnt out later in life is not a coincidence!

But also, something I don't see talked about that much is how sometimes we are lazy but that laziness is a totally natural response to how exhausting it is to be neurodivergent. Having to be constantly aware of how you talk, how you sit, how you write all day to fit in with a world that you don't fully understand but you know if you get it wrong you could lose your job, your home, everything. The stress, the anxiety, the energy involved in that. After years and years of dealing with this, you are going to crash. So when we do have a rare good day where we feel energised, sometimes we choose to do the fun thing instead of the task we have to do. Other people can be productive because they know that they will probably have the chance to be lazy later in the day or the next day or the next week. Whereas I don't know when I'll next have that opportunity. So sometimes we are being "lazy" but it's to try and repair the years and years of exhaustion and anxiety and stress that has built up! Other people are allowed to be occasionally lazy but we punish ourselves for it so much.

[adelrambles]

I am so sorry I promise I’ll stop spamming you about Bishop now (maybe.)

Do you think Bishop could ever be in a healthy relationship? What would the dynamic be like with evil Bishop versus Fast Forward Bishop?

And no I don’t mean Stockshop. 😭

Oh no worries at all I'm enjoying your questions!! Please feel free to spam to your heart's desire. Sorry it took so long to get around to this one, I have admittedly not put much thought into Bishop in romantic scenarios, so I had to think on it a bit!

So, could Bishop ever be in a healthy relationship? Short answer NO. NOT AT ALL LOL

Slightly longer answer, there is some potential depending on how you like to interpret Fast Forward!Bishop. I think it's impossible for Present-day Bishop to be in any sort of healthy romance (and I'll go into way more detail than neccessary about that below 👍) but if you take FF's presentation of the character at face value, there's certainly a possibility.

So long answer, Bishop is one of the single most self-centered, unexamined people to walk the damn earth. There are a lot of factors that go into why he would be just, the absolute worst in a relationship, but the biggest issue is he doesn't give a shit about anybody but himself. If we throw everything else out and consider a hypothetical where he enters a relationship for the relationship's sake, he is not capable or willing to see things from a partner's perspective. In any disagreement he will be unwilling to consider he could be wrong, and will go to great lengths to ensure the other person concedes or backs down. He is a paranoid control freak who would not stand for anything less than being agreed with and obeyed, and he is perfectly willing to break someone down to achieve that. And in a scenario where, indeed, his interest is actually in the other person, we know he has a terrible possessive streak. As long as his interest holds, there is no out for the hypothetical partner. He is going to be emotionally and mentally abusive at best.

Moving more to the particulars of what he'd want a relationship for, it's worth pointing out that Bishop is very single-minded and relentless in his ultimate goal. I find it very difficult to consider a scenario where any single person would be considered worthwhile enough to distract him from that. We've seen him willing to sacrifice personal friends in-canon for the sake of his experiments, (if you ascribe to the theory that J. Finn was mutated on purpose to some degree,) so his work is ALWAYS going to come first. But that's the nicer option, because there is always the possibility that he would consider a relationship if it benefitted his greater goal (OR fed his ego tbh.) In which case, he's only in it for what he can get out of the other person, and the second they've outlived their usefulness to him, well-- I guess it depends on how much sensitive information they know, by that point.

But, okay! Let's consider President Bishop. He's certainly less likely to lure in a partner just to use them and then dispose of them, so he has that going for him. With him, there is a lot of room for how you want to interpret his "change of heart." You could take it at as presented in the show, or read more into his actions based on what we know about his past. Personally, I prefer the latter, but I'll examine both for the sake of thoroughness, and also for funsies.

So let's assume Bishop is being genuine in how he acts, first. In this case, I think there's a decent chance he could learn to be a good partner, though I don't think he'd start out that way and I doubt it'd come naturally to him loL. His job requires a lot of time and attention from him, and he is always going to prioritize it; he is, after all, "a bigger picture kind of guy." Kindness does not come naturally to him, so in times of stress he may default to meaner actions. However, he is also pretty effective in learning and adapting, so with good communication he probably won't make the same mistakes too often. In this scenario I think time constraint really is the biggest obstacle, given his job.

Now, assuming his Good Guy act is just a mask for politics? He's still pretty damn toxic. Bishop's tactics have changed, but his personality remains pretty similar. I'm not sure his pleasant demeanor goes that deep, once you get into more than small talk. It's a necessity for his job, but he still appears to be cold and utilitarian underneath it. He still thinks he's right about everything, and based on the insidious ways he phrases his own backstory to always shift blame away from himself, (even throwing Stockman under the bus, STILL, just to look better in comparison,) he's gotten a LOT better at making it feel like he is always in the right. What you've got is a Bishop who can lie, persuade and charm better, who also still doesn't care about much beyond protecting his territory and using the people around him. This presents us with a partner who, unlike 2000s-era Bishop, is far FAR more subtle with his abuse. And again, heaven forbid he actually genuinely has an interest in his hypothetical partner, because now he has galactic-wide surveillance and public sway on top of the immortality, and they're never getting away.

I hope that answers to satisfaction! Honestly while it's not my cup of tea it is really interesting to examine this facet of his character, so thank you for the question!!

[eros-thanatos89]

This is a random, but I was listening to Sia’s “Chandelier” and thinking for the millionth time how well it applies to both Jesse and Nacho. They both have distinct ways of self-medicating and trying to party away their pain, but they’re very parallel.

Jesse experiences something horrendously traumatic? Time to fill his house with people, noise, distraction! And disappear into a meth-induced haze for days at a time. Until things progress from fun to dismal, destructive, and scary. Wash, rinse, repeat. He can never feel truly safe. Especially not in his own home where he’s constantly reminded of so many horrible things he’s had to do, including flushing the remains of his business partner and childhood friend down the toilet and killing his cousin in the basement (RIP Emilio and Domingo). He truly has nowhere to escape but his own altered mind state. Being alone in that house, haunted by its memories, would be enough to drive anyone a little mad.

Nacho is experiencing self-loathing and existential dread? Better populate his house with girls who are more like pets than true friends or romantic partners and with whom he can get high, get laid, and feel maybe a little less lonely and disconnected from who he used to be or wants to be. (Presumably, he’s smoked meth with them sometimes, since they offer it to him. I often wonder how and when he met them, since we don’t see them until after he moves up in the cartel and buys the big house and flashy new car. It’s almost like they came with the house. I wonder what club or party scene he ran across them in…) And buy a bunch of expensive stuff that he clearly doesn’t even want or care about. His Javelin seems to be the only thing he owns that he’s actually emotionally attached to. Everything else is a status symbol, which is a reminder of the “success” he’s achieved—probably everything he used to dream about—and now it’s all just a chain that weighs him down and reminds him of how trapped in the cartel life he is.

It’s amazing how starkly lonely both of their houses (and lives) feel, even with all the distractions they fill them with.

Anyways, what I’m trying to say is, there are so many parallels between Jesse and Nacho, including being sad party boys who want to swing from the chandelier so they can forget how sad they are.

I wish they could’ve met even one time as adults (I completely head canon that they knew each other as kids because of Jesse being friends with Emilio) and connected and maybe felt seen by each other, even if just for a moment. *big sigh *

Thanks for coming to my sad bois Ted Talk.

[slowlydifferentbluebird]

hey zaza! i love your writing 🥰 could i please request kep1er’s chaehyun girlfriend headcanons? thank you so much! ❤️ -nana

Kep1er headcanon: Chaehyun as girlfriend

Requests are open

Hello @nanawritesit ! Thank you for requesting this headcanon! I waited the day of the comeback or the girls to post this work, so thank you for waiting ❤️

Also, I want to say that I'm big fan of your works💙

And stream We Fresh y'all 🎉

Kep1er Chaehyun X GN! Reader

SFW Content

Chaehyun, after becoming a member of Kep1er, promised to herself to concentrate only on her career

She has worked hard to achieve her dream, so no distraction during her two years of contract

However she broke the promise unconsciously the first time she saw you

You lived in the building next to her

So you often met the girls when they were going out or when they were returning to their dorm

One day she was really stressed for the upcoming comeback of her group, so she decided to go for a walk

And casually met you

You have a tired look too

You two started to talk and let off steam

That's how your relationship started

Your night walk were becoming more frequent

Over time they became fixed date

And in no time you two were kissing

She don't have a "no date" clause in her contract, but you still preferred to maintain the relationship secret for privacy

Despite this, you two are so happy together

It's like you found the missing piece of the puzzle

The way your heart beat faster when she's close to you

Or when she look at you with her loving eyes

She's young maybe, but she knows hot to love and how to make someone feel love

And luckily that someone is you

You are the one that hold her close in bed

You are the one she looks when she's on the stage

You are the one she thinks about when she sings a love song

She's an estrovert, so she's not afraid to show you her world

And it's not a surprise at all that her members think you are the right one too

You lost the count of the times the member disappeared to let you two alone in the dorm

NSFW Content

Talking about these times when you two are alone at her dorm or at your house

Cuddling is not all you do

In fact you two don't lost occasion to get naked and fuck like animals

And probably even when her members are around, you two are still doing something dirty

Like sucking her big boobs

And if it's not your mouth, then is your hand playing with them

Just imagine the scenario: your tongue in her mouth, one hand pinching her nipple and the other one groping her ass

When you squint hard one of asscheek, she moans so hard

Her wet pussy automatically will get closer to your body and will start grind on it

One funny and erotic thing is that she learned to twerk just for you

So you better feel honored

She loves when you can't look away from her body

She would dance for you for hours

But it's hard to happen

After few minutes you basically launch her on the bed

Looking is not enough for you

You really need to demonstrate how much you appreciate her curves

And probably she preferred this way too

[borderlinebrooke-bpd]

Helpful Habits For Someone Living With BPD

Daily Habits you can start developing now!

Borderline Personality Disorder is treatable! You're not stuck, and you're not alone! #RecoveredBorderline

For those who suffer from, or are close to someone who suffers from #BorderlinePersonalityDisorder (#BPD) you know how sporadic emotions can be.

Here are some useful tricks to help yourself (or your loved one) through the next inevitable rough patch.

#Practice is key, and over time you can learn to #control your emotions easier and easier!

Breathing

Let's start with the obvious. #Breathing

Take a deep breath, focusing on how cool the air feels on your nose as you inhale. Hold for a moment and slowly exhale. While exhaling, visualize any negative energy (anxiety, anger, fear, etc.) leaving your body; the slow extended exhale carrying it far away from you.

Repeat this several times making sure to relax the muscles in your body with each breath. As your body relaxes, your emotions should shortly follow, at least to a degree.

Meditation

If you find breathing techniques helpful, #Meditation could open up a whole new world for you! With reduced stress and anxiety as two of its many benefits, it's a good option to explore. Increased, focus and control are two more top-ranking benefits. This can be extremely beneficial to a Borderline, as it helps you practice control in all things, as a way of life. The longer you practice, the easier it will become. (Hopefully second nature soon! Fingers Crossed :)

Music

My personal favorite! #Music

I find it so easy to get lost in the melody, or lyrics of a song. I have a playlist that drives my family insane. I, to an extent, get addicted to the emotional high that comes from listening to my favorite tunes.

This might not be the same for everyone.. but I highly recommend you give it a try! Turn on one of your favorites and just relax and try to "feel" the music.

#Music is my personal FAVORITE form of "medicine!"

Ground Yourself

I came across a technique known as 5-4-3-2-1, and I think it's a great technique for anyone, borderline or not!

It's a very simple 5 steps, that help to calm building emotions by "distracting" ALL of your senses with things in the present moment.

As a species, we live in the past and future more often than we live in the present. So often actually, that we don't even realize we are doing it most of the time.

Dwelling on the past, no matter how much, will never change it; and dreaming about the future will not achieve you anything (except discontentment.) Unless you put those dreams into action in the present.

Here are the steps!

5: Acknowledge 5 things around you.

This could be anything. A window, a piece of furniture, a flower

When noticing things around you, try to pick things that bring joy to you; every little bit helps! (bright colors etc, take note of what YOU love in EVERYTHING, ALL THE TIME!)

4: Touch 4 things around you.

Your hair, a pillow, a pet

3: Notice 3 sounds you hear around you.

A clock, a bird, an ac unit

2: Notice 2 things you can smell.

Take a little walk if you need to.

Soaps, Nature, Fabric

1: Notice a taste.

Gum, mints, maybe a hint of what you had for lunch.

Practicing this will help you in many aspects of life. After all, the past and future are determined by the present.

Distract Yourself

If you need something a little more drastic, try holding ice in your hand, or putting a cold damp cloth on your neck.

Asking Siri to tell you a joke might not be the best way to make you laugh, but if you have a funny instance that makes you laugh every time you think about it, try that! (even faking a smile can start to turn things around!)

Ride It Out

When all else fails... Ride it out!

Yes, people with #BPD have emotions that last longer than the average person, however, nothing lasts forever! Remind yourself that this feeling IS temporary, and whatever you do now, you will have to live with, when it passes.

Recall a time when you did something you immediately regretted due to an uncontrollable emotion. Remember how it felt living with your actions, and let that help you to not do anything too hasty when you are feeling like you might be losing control.

Do Something for Someone Else

Another favorite of mine..

Doing nice things for others boosts your serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of satisfaction and well-being. Selfless concern for others also releases endorphins, triggering what's known as a “helper's high.”

#Kindness, in general, is scientifically proven to reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure. It also produces oxytocin, which lowers your stress levels, risk of illness, and can even prolong the length of your life!

Exercise/Eat Right

A healthy diet can help make the emotional ups and downs of #BPD less frequent and intense. It can also reduce your stress and anxiety levels. Sugary foods are known to increase emotions like sadness, anger, and anxiousness; the opposite of what we're trying to do here.

Also ask yourself if you're actually hungry, or if you're just reaching for some emotional support food. If it's the latter, try reaching for something else instead. Maybe a good book, or the radio dial!

Therapy

Seeking treatment isn't always the easiest thing for a #Borderline to do. We can tell ourselves we don't need it, we will figure it out ourselves, or wonder what people will think if I'm "admitting I'm a certified crazy" by having a therapist.

If you feel it's something you'd like to try, statistics show a lot of people find some relief within their first year. However, I'd recommend you don't stop treatment as soon as you see improvement. You want to make sure your new habits are firmly rooted in your everyday life before you "go at it alone." Having family and friends that are well informed on how to help you keep progressing is invaluable!

Thank you for sharing your time with me..

I hope you have a WONDERFUL day!

-Borderline Brooke

[little-peril-stories]

Camp Nano July 2023

How It Went

Um, not how I expected.

The good:

I managed to write every day. I'll confess here that, because we went on vacation and were all over the place most days, I sometimes updated my word count for the day, wrote more, and saved that 'update' for the next day because I like getting the badges. (All the writing was done in July though! I did all the outlining and planning work between February and June, but I didn't start writing till July 1.)

My outline was helpful. I didn't spend a lot of time agonizing over "what happens next" because I always knew, even if the specifics were a little fuzzy. My process boils down to 'plan hard, but allow for deviation & exploration' and it seems like that is still a system that works for me.

Some of the writing was OK. I mean, it's a writing challenge and I was going fast. She gonna need work. But I often smiled while I was writing, or when I was rereading scenes, and that's a good indicator for me. :)

The , uh, well, you see:

I wasn't always feeling it. Trying to track exactly why I felt this way has been tough. I'm willing to admit it could have been burnout (or something adjacent to it) since Camp Nano began right on the heels of the end of the school year, and I had just finished the whirlwind of writing The Queen of Lies in a month, a Thing That Happened that we may never understand. Maybe I started planning too early and the passion had faded since the height of my enthusiasm as I plotted it out. Idk. Maybe it was being on vacation, constantly being around people and having limited time to myself to really feel the story and the words and the everything. Idk.

The romantic tension isn't there. And this one hurts, because I (personally, as someone who is actually really new to writing romantic tension lol) think I did this really well in TQOL, so what's different here? (Aside from diff characters, diff story, okay I get it, you know what I mean.)

I was distracted. And this one is purely my fault. I was editing chapters of TQOL for posting throughout this time, too, and even though it takes a different kind of brainpower, it was often the task that called to me more.

Overall:

So, I'm SUPER proud of myself for achieving my Camp Nano goal of 31,000 words (1000 words/day) on July 28. But I kind of wonder if maybe it wasn't quite the right time to write this story.

We'll see how the last three days of July go (I want them badges, dang it), but the true test will be in August, when I have no goal set for myself. Will I focus on the finally finishing Book 1 and letting humans read it? Will I just work on TQOL? Will angsty heist wip rise again? Or will the passion for Book 2 (which I was SO EXCITED TO WRITE) return the moment the daily word goal is gone? (lol what a joke we all know I'm gonna write Will's POV chapters for TQOL.)

Thanks for reading this pointless ramble.

[autumnalwalker]

Find the Word Tag

Thank you for the tag, @ceph-the-ghost-writer.

My words to find were loot, snare, flinch, interrogate, & hesitate.

Passing the tag to @sleepyowlwrites, @dogmomwrites, @cljordan-imperium, @rainbowbokchoy, @oh-no-another-idea, and an open tag for anyone else

Your words shall be stolen, vine, construct, room, & question.

Loot Treasure: The Archivist's Journal, Day 8

And so after a moment of consideration I launched into a (heavily abridged) retelling of a classic.  A story of a man from a quiet village much like this one who was invited out on an adventure to recover stolen treasure from a dragon and found a magic ring along the way.  I was hesitant and awkward at first, neither confident in performing in front of others nor in my ability to do the story justice, but as I went on I got more and more into it (even if I had to make up names for characters I didn’t remember).  It’s funny, I have this sense of a memory of being averse to speaking because I dislike the sound of my own voice, but I didn’t feel that at all last night.  Or since I’ve been here for that matter.

Snare: A Dream About Growing Weary

I am a knight leading those under my command through a mountain forest in the fall.  I see the ambush before we walk into it and go ahead on my own.  The traps of vines and snares go off around me but I nimbly (or so I like to flatter myself) evade them, even as the elven woman who set them confronts me. 

This is not the first time I’ve encountered her or those under her command, but neither of us are truly out for blood anymore.  This mountain pass and the lands immediately on either side have traded hands between her nation and mine repeatedly over years of pointless conflict. We’re both tired of it. 

Flinch: Empty Names - 10 - Cleanup

“Do you,” Lacuna hesitates, looking from the cleaning golem on the wagon to the statues pulling it, “want me to get on?”

The orb on legs without an orifice from which to emit sound chitters back at her.

“Yeah, I don’t know what I was expecting there.”

Another pointed squeak from the tiny construct and Lacuna flinches then starts climbing onto the wagon, apologizing all the while.  She manages not to trip over or rip her skirt in the process, which she counts as an achievement.  Not that there was any real danger of that but it’s the sort of quasi-rational fear that usually flashes through her mind whenever she’s already worked up about something.  Acknowledging that might not stop the thoughts from cropping up, but it does help with letting them pass on by instead of fixating on them like she used to.  Still does, but less often these days.  Maybe one of these days she’ll get the moving on down to enough of a reflex that she won’t get so distract-

The abrupt inertial shift of the wagon lurching into motion knocks Lacuna off balance, nearly sending her to her hands and knees while thoroughly derailing that train of thought.  She carefully lowers herself the rest of the way down into a seated position in the center of the wagon and leans back with her weight on her palms, telling herself to relax and enjoy the ride.  She thinks about splinters, forces herself to keep her hands where they are, and lets the thought go.

Interrogate: Empty Names - 12 - Houseguests

“You have been through a great ordeal.  Such stress reactions are common.”

Dis!ma*s gives a mirthless laugh.  “Saints, ain’t that the truth.  And I know being the only one on the crew to make it out alive is going to get me a whole heap of suspicious questions when I get back, especially with going to another world like a dirty smuggler or bloody criminal.  I’m honestly surprised you lot haven’t locked me in a room and interrogated me over it yet.”

“I would not have agreed to join this venture if I believed that was how we would be doing things, and as Road has thus far lived up to their reputation I do not imagine they would allow it either.  What is more, you have already given us your account of events.”

“And I still don’t know how I was able to pull myself together enough at the time to do that.  But when I said I was expecting to be questioned again this morning the man in yellow, Sullivan, just laughed and said that wouldn’t be necessary.”

“As I said, you already gave your account.”

“Maybe, but the way he said it… I like to think I’m a brave man, and saints know I’ve seen my share of horrors these past few days, but…”  Dis!ma*s shivers in spite of the balmy afternoon weather.  “Look, I know you and yours have done nothing but good for me - cruel steel, you and the big one even got hurt getting out the people it should have rightly been my job to protect - but there is something wrong about that man.”

Hesitate: The Archivist's Journal, Day 155

There was one thing I did get around to asking that I’d been meaning to for some time, and that was inquiring into the source of Vernon’s spectacles.  He asked if I needed a pair myself  (a question that made me hesitate for some reason) but I told him my eyes were fine, I just had another potential use for similar glasswork.  When he asked what I started going on about that half-forgotten idea of mine to try to make a microscope and examine some crystals with it to get a better idea of their composition.  Maybe find out if they were actually rocks or something alive like coral.  Vernon told me the glassmaker - who lives out near the western coast of the island has made magnifying glasses and spheres before, but not, to his knowledge, anything as tiny and precise as what I was describing with the microscope.  Might be possible though.

[daisys-reality]

Hello! Can I request a personal card reading? (I'm using a translator, sorry if something is spelled weird) Lately I'm practicing a lot but mainly looking for information about Shifting and taking it easy. I would like to know if there is anything I should know about that, maybe some advice or message from my desired reality? Do I have to specify a DR?

Hello @xxygm93! Sure, I can do a reading for you. 😊 You don't necessarily have to specify a DR. I will just see what message I can get for you, you will probably understand its meaning.

But remember to just take from the reading what resonates. Don't limit yourself to this. No matter what I get in this reading, at the end of the day you will always be the one who decides what will happen, okay? So, let's see what kind of advice and messages we have for you... (by the way, nice profile picture😎)

I asked if there is anything specific you need to know? -  I got : ❝ No. You already know everything you need to know. ❞

What is important right now? - Inner peace. You need quietness to reflect, to feel which impulses and insights are rising within you. Make sure that you are undisturbed at this time and try to get rid of any distractions.

There is much more to life than is apparent at first glance. Try to notice in your everyday life the vastness of yourself and of the universe. See yourself as a part of it all. Practice increasing your awareness every now and then in your daily life.

Think about the following questions to find out more about your inner beliefs: What burden in your life is pushing you to the ground? What (higher) power do you feel exposed to? Where are you being stubborn and where do you let yourself be open for compromise? What kind of freedom do you long for?

Reality shifting is a ‘quiet power’ and based on everyone’s inner truth. Don’t misuse your power (in regards to yourself). Work on your integrity and on the respect you have for yourself. Try to care more about yourself and your wellbeing. And try to be less judgemental, controlling or cynical. Think from an objective point of view before making a decision. You will recognize that you do not need to be in a spotlight. You also do not necessarily need to follow the norm, choose to do things with your own special touch/in your own special way. It might help you to also focus on how you can bring abundance to others as well - perhaps to the people in your DR.

You’re being strongly asked to look within. Be careful with jealousy and codependency. Work on those issues. You don’t need approval from someone/something. Your subconscious has all the answers. Things are being hidden from you right now. Follow your intuition/you’re being guided intuitively. 

Furthermore, don’t be too stubborn, you seem to refuse to compromise. There is no fight left to be fought. You’re the last one standing. Let your guard down. There is no need to be defensive anymore. You’re exhausted already, aren’t you? I see you starting to become unsure about your shifting motivations. Stop working under pressure and take a break. Avoid making any hasty decisions right now. Think about possible mistakes which were made or about misunderstandings that you keep holding on to in your shifting journey. It’s the last hurdle on your journey. Learn from your past experiences and let it go to step forward in your journey.

Acknowledge what you’ve already achieved. Don’t undermine the time and energy you have put in, okay? There is no need anymore to ‘fight’ for your happiness, you just need to think and reflect for now. Rest for a bit. Try to appreciate the small joys and bring back feelings of lightheartedness and humor to your shifting journey to discover an opportunity for yourself. 

When something new begins it is often linked with strong and even overwhelming emotions. Feelings are a part of the journey. Don’t suppress your feelings but also don’t let them control you, okay? Try to keep a certain distance or coolness while going along with them. You have feelings because you're human but always remember that you’re more than your feelings. Reflect on your motivations for shifting and honestly think about what you want to experience and what you don’t want to experience. And then keep your eyes on your goal/motivation. A sudden change in your life may happen some time soon.

[ LITTLE MESSAGES FROM YOUR DR ]

(These messages seemed to be from a specific someone. Perhaps from your DR s/o?...)

++ ❝ open your heart (for me) ❞

++ ❝ I will enter your life soon ❞

++ ❝ perhaps not today but surely at another time ❞

++ ❝ just let it be ❞

++ ❝ time doesn’t matter, we have more than enough time (don't stress yourself) ❞

[bluesdrool]

First fanfiction Im ever posting.

This Fanfiction is my second one but this is the first one that I and taking seriously. Hopefully someone reads it and gives me feed back on it. But this is what I have so far.

I’ll write the first few paragraphs to get people interested:

She didn’t think that the day would come, that she could actually be face to face with her crush for so many years. But she has to find the courage to really be face to face with them and talk to him. For now she keeps her distance and hangs around her friend group to distract herself. But she can’t help herself from glancing at him every so often, and catch him glancing right back at her. She keeps thinking of how they were able to be at the same event. She knows so much about him and annoys her friends from how often you talk about him. How is it he went to this one event and not the others that he was previously invited to? What made this event worth coming to? Yes, the event was to celebrate someone’s achievement but why come here? Someone must have talked him into coming, maybe his daughter. Or even maybe his girlfriend, but she is not there. And that was odd he was infatuated with her, he was her second ‘zing’. Soooo why was she not here with him. 

She walks off to find his daughter, Mavis. Seeing her next to her husband, Johnny, they look to be enjoying their time away from their son for a few hours. Walking up to them, hearing them laughing, thinking of what to ask her. “Hey, Mavis, is it ok if we have a little chat?” She say respectfully. “Oh sure. What is it that you want to talk about?” Mavis says handing Johnny her unfinished drink. As you two walk away to be a bit more secluded, she thinks in her head of a way on how to ask why her father is alone. Yes, you know it’s a weird kind of question. Don’t want to make it obvious that her father is the main thing that lives inside of her head. And yes we know he is way older than you but come on have you seen him. He is not his sad loner self he was before his new girlfriend, he was still attractive then too, but he has more muscle now, a new demeanor, a new aura.(IF YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU SHOULD AGREE @infestedcake) He has gotten way more popular from this.

“I just wanted to talk about how you are doing. We haven't talked for a long time.” She says a bit nervous. Marvis raises her eyebrow at you, she looks ahead thinking of what to say back to you. “Honestly I am fine. Johnny makes parenting so much easier. And I like being a mother, my son brings more joy into my life. But I have a feeling that this is not the topic that you are really interested in. Tell me what’s really on your mind.” Mavis says in a concerned manner. You sigh and just decide to just ask her. “Where is Erika? I thought she and Dracula do just about everything together? And what made Dracula come to this event? Is he okay?” Eris asked her questions so quickly that she is not sure that Mavis was able to hear her correctly. She abruptly stops Eris both from walking any further and she turns towards her. She looks a bit sad and focused, turning her head towards her father, they both see him mingling but not really enjoying himself. But to all the people surrounding him they were able to be fooled by the fake smile he was putting up. ‘Did something happen to Erika? Why is he alone and sad again?’  Mavis turns back to you and begins to speak. “After my father and Erika got together, he was all everyone talked about. He became really popular as you know. He didn’t like the popularity he was getting. He is still a bit old school, but Erika was able to help him use the popularity for better things like making more hotels and expanding their businesses together. As you can see he started to work out more and become more social with others. But recently Erika and him have been drifting, and I know he is hurting. I don’t know what happened between them, but whatever it is, it’s not good. I know he was going to propose to her but that is not going to happen with the way they are acting towards each other.” As she says this Eris’ heart feels like it’s sinking, knowing that he is not happy again and might seclude himself again does not feel right to her. “But why did he come here if he is not feeling like himself? Do you think you might know what happened between them or have you seen anything? Sorry I have so many questions, it just seems weird that he is alone in a setting we both know does not describe him to be in.” She takes a deep breath and glances at Dracula again. He is walking toward the both of you. Turning around quickly to try to collect herself and calm her mind. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kK7gRg5ZNNZrsD9VCYXnxqYWYLGE9myThbzNmYlHfpw/edit?usp=sharing

[emmetrain]

✏️ (moral construct) we ready have smt going on but in curious to hear all the ideas youve got!

Send a ✏️ and I'll share a scenario or plot I want to explore.

KICKING DOWN THE DOOR--OH DO I???? I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS, NOT MANY WOULD WORK BUT LET ME THROW.

Things to keep in mind: Emmet and Cyrus' worldviews could mesh well. Emmet agrees that the world is imperfect, and his hatred of gods would make him inclined to agree with Cyrus' actions on using gods to achieve a perfect world.

These are more... feeling-based, rather than action, but action could be built upon them;

The Devil's Train: (Big inspo) What if Ingo never returned from Hisui, and Emmet sought Giratina to get answers. And since a part of Cyrus' soul is in Distortion World, he could tell Emmet trespassing into it? An unlikely pair who could become partners-in-crime, and even if they do not take direct action, Emmet would swear loyalty to Nivalis/Cyrus after the initial interactions, and would act as his right-hand man? Let's get this bread (recreate the world).

Pushing the Limits of Time: my Em is connected to Dialga and Reshiram, and what if this connection was literal? What if Nivalis could connect the dots that Em is actually a fragment of Dialga (and Ingo is of Palkia), and could push this to his advantage, and achieve control over time through Em as the proxy (and perhaps control over space too) ? Em thinking he found a friend in Cyrus, but slowly pushed to limit and reconnecting with the godly aspect instead of fulfilling Dialga's wish to experience being a normal human. The happy/carefree man could be broken down to get access to real power >:3

We Go Way Back: WHAT IF... After Emmet ran away from home, Ingo and Emmet ended up with Team Galactic --they had literally nowhere to go, and suffered enough to buy into the idea of perfect world and how emotions sucked. I think Em would be 18 when Cyrus was defeated? We could have plot for Galactic days, or post-Galactic where Emmet 'befriends' Nivalis, not realizing who he actually is. Just... Nivalis connected to a loyal soldier from his past, while Emmet is conflicted or kept in dark.

Karma Is Real: A different take to Em being born of Dialga's wish to be human-- what if Emmet and Nivalis' tracks met often due to all the Galactic shenanigans prior, and Nivalis cannot get rid of this smiley headache-- and maybe does not want to end contact due to realizing what Em is before he notices. (Yes I am rotating my Dialga!Em in my mind and I want to throw at Cyrus.)

I just adore Nivalis and want Emmet to bother him and serve him, whether as a happy distraction who could learn so much from Nivalis, or as a soldier >:)

@moral-construct

[nickgerlich]

Ad It Up

We have waited a whole year for this day. It’s not like marketers have taken a 364-day vacation, though, because they certainly have not. But today is the day they come out with both guns blazing, to the tune of $7 million to grab the stage for 30 seconds. And as has become fashionable in recent years, marketers leaked a lot of their ads early so they can try to build a little pre-game hype.

What makes this year interesting is that inflation and a pandemic before it have left us beaten and battered as consumers, and the ad roster reflects it. Automakers and cryptocurrency will be taking a back seat this year, although the Dodge Ram EV pickup will make an appearance. Lots of consumer goods will be featured, especially foods and things that make us feel good.

Celebrities are also in…again. Advertisers have been relying on celebrity endorsers for decades, often sports heroes and pop culture icons. Americans love their celebrities, and if they say a product is good…well, even if they don’t even say it…their presence is taken as the word of authority. That’s the thinking, anyway.

Humor is also a common approach, and very apropos for these trying economic times. Dogs and other animals are crowd pleasers, like in Amazon’s ad this year. But if you can achieve humor in addition to using A-listers, you may just win the game. I’m thinking of the Pop Corners ad that features Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, and Raymond Cruz from Breaking Bad fame. In fact, I’m calling it now. This is the best ad of the game. Sheer genius. And never you mind that I ask a huge Breaking Bad fan. Tight, tight, tight!

The most important matter, of course, is whether this is money well spent. Will people even remember more than a few ads come Monday morning? Will our shopping habits change even one iota? My replies to both questions are both rather negative. They have entertainment value, and the marketer in me even sees the whole event as an advertising show in which a football game breaks out. But since watching it is such a social event, we’ll be distracted by food, family, friends, and fun. Oh, and a quick run to the bathroom once in a while. It’s not like we’ll be watching with eyes glued to the screen the whole time.

But then again, what is the price of not participating? If you give up your annual slot on the roster, someone else will happily take it, if only for the association with said event. It’s almost like the league and whomever has broadcasting rights each year is holding a big shake-down with marketers. Get out your checkbook and pay, and if you won’t, then there are dozens of others who will.

An academic study reported a year ago noted that Super Bowl ads are good for creating buzz and word-of-mouth. That’s the kind of brand awareness that can be helpful down the road. But there’s a mixed bag of studies that can show a relationship between those ads and sales revenues. Sometimes they work; sometimes they don’t.

And then there’s the most controversial ad campaign of this year’s game, the He Gets Us ads purchased by a conservative evangelical Christian group to promote Jesus. The anonymous group is spending $20 million for the ads; one of the biggest donors to the group is David Green, billionaire co-founder of Hobby Lobby. While I don’t have a problem with any group promoting their religion, I have to wonder if it is money well spent.

Of course, my cynicism must be tempered by all the buzz the ad has created, and the game hasn’t even started yet.

That, my friends, is all part of the plan. Get people talking, whether you are selling Jesus, EVs, online shopping, or snack foods. There are thousands of voices in the wilderness, each wanting our attention. Maybe we’ll actually listen to some and run out to buy things.

Or go to church.

Dr “Watching From The Sidelines“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[with-eyes-wide-open]

Filthy/Gorgeous

(1 October 2022)

T*mblr blocked the content... You’ll have to go to YouTube.

Sex is such a block for me right now. Don’t have that drive like I used to. Is something wrong with me? I’m only in my mid-twenties. Maybe I’m just blocked. Emotionally. Spiritually. The expectation to be hyper sexual. Maybe just an aspect of my life not to focus on right now. Of course I’m not focussing on dating right now. But you’d at least think I could still enjoy the other. Nope. Feels like I just need to let go of it. Letting go.

Said yes to working in the café today. Kind of regretted saying yes. Tomorrow I’ll definitely say no. And Monday. Had planned to wake up early this morning. Woke up naturally at like 7.30. Should have got straight out of bed. Because it never ends up feeling worth staying in bed. We’ve established this much. Non aver rimpianti. Accepting what is. Moving on. This evening I can have some really nice food and get some work done. 

I can probably get some work done this morning for an hour. Yep I’ll have a full hour. Will write until 9.30. Will make some breakfast. Will work for an hour or so. Get ready and then go to work. Better than nothing. I’ll have still been with myself for an hour and a half before work.

Someone is sorting out the dishwasher and putting things away downstairs in the kitchen. So noisy. Don’t they know I’m trying to concentrate? Joking. Couldn’t care less. Why is this getting silly now.

Saw Sexy Scorpio last night at the National Gallery. Feel so lucky that we live in the same city now, and that we can see each other more often. I realised how hard it is for me to concentrate when there’s distractions. Looking at all the paintings I just couldn’t tell a story in a straight line. And we all know how hard it is for me to tell a story quickly and succinctly.

Doubt about whether to apply. Will be up against people with fully developed practices. Also found out that the open day falls on a day I’m working on that production. What should I do? The first sign of doubt is like an alcoholic taking their first drink. Maybe not quite but the sentiment still holds. I do think I have to be wary of the competition. Perhaps I should work on my work as if I’m going to apply, then see if I feel ready to or not. I have 16 images to upload. I could aim for 8 paintings in total, and for each take a close up. I could also show some digital sculpture work. Show on two of the paintings how I’ve worked to realise they. I could also submit the image of a text. Hm, maybe not. As I will have the opportunity to write a text as part of the application, I think.

So the conclusion is... Act as if I’m applying. Find out the open day dates, the deadline dates. Find replacements to go for me instead, if I can’t go. Create a weekly schedule to achieve the goals. There’s my plan.

Have a cold. I think. Or at least the start of one. Going to eat an amazing breakfast and make myself look so f*cking hot today. Not for any reason in particular, but for myself of course. I may not have the biggest libido at the minute, but the least I can do is feel sexy.