#and remove their ability to self-identify with an easier word

[not-poignant]

Your post about queer history really resonated with me. As someone who identifies as queer but also aspec and cis, it's sometimes hard to feel like I have the right to use that identifier. I've seen a lot of "queer spaces aren't for cis people" rhetoric or aspec/bi/pan erasure around me and it's really nice to see a post that calls that out. Thank you for sharing!

'Queer spaces aren't for cis people' is honestly one of the stupidest things I've ever heard, because most gay and lesbian folk fit into that category (most gay folk are cis, most lesbian folk are cis).

So to use the word 'queer' to rule out like generally the bulk of the statistical proportion of like actual queer people is like meeting a species of fish that has decided to talk and purposely misuse words, like, it literally makes no sense.

Whoever is sharing those messages literally understands nothing about queer culture, what it means, or dare I say it, even what the word cis means. There are plenty of cis people under the queer umbrella, it's not a word only trans people own, for example.

There's definitely still a lot of ace/bi/pan erasure, and there sadly always has been (along with nonbinary erasure and so on), though in some ways, and in some circles, it's getting better. But it only gets better through vigilance, education and compassion, and a big part of all of that is making sure everyone understands queer history in the first place, because our queer ancestors - the ones who laid a path so we could write like this without being afraid for our lives (for the most part) - didn't fight so hard for us to just ignore everything they did for us.

But my god, 'queer spaces aren't for cis people' made me laugh, that would automatically eliminate almost a huge chunk of the LGB part of the LGBT~ acronym, and I can't with how mind-numbingly off base that is. Like, toss those fish back in the ocean, anon, or turn them into fish fingers. The only version I've heard is tbh the radfem version that trans people don't belong - and I've certainly seen groups eliminate the T in 'LGB' - you can sadly find those sorts of radfem groups on Facebook. But again, a total waste of time.

I am always here to call that stuff out, and you're welcome to go back through my queer culture tag for similar posts!

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Guide: How To Cultivate Self-Discipline

Know Your Why: Always Keep The End In Mind 

Keep Small Promises To Yourself. Make Them Non-Negotiable. 

Create And Consistently Log Your Progress 

Take Temptations Out Of Sight 

Find Indulgences To Help You Focus On Your Goals 

Know Your Why: Always Keep The End In Mind 

Decisiveness drives discipline. You need to clarify and define your goals. State them clearly with their authentic purpose in mind. If you seduce this end goal into your life, what desire are you truly fulfilling? Ex. If you want to lose 10 pounds: Is it to feel healthier? Look better in a bikini? Fit into a certain pair of jeans? No matter how superficial, identify the genuine reason why you want to achieve a certain goal. Whatever reason elicits a visceral and emotional reaction. Sometimes, especially during a busy work day, your reason could be as simple as wanting to lessen your anxiety and ease into a more relaxed state. Any purpose that resonates. Once you have an emotional response tied to a goal, it becomes infinitely easier to motivate yourself to take small steps towards achieving it. Where energy goes, energy flow. Simon Sinek goes more in-depth with this concept in Start With Why.

Keep Small Promises To Yourself. Make Them Non-Negotiable.

Think of performing self-discipline rituals as confidence-building exercises. This action helps you trust yourself, establishes a sense of integrity, and builds self-confidence. For example, if you stick to your meal and workout plan for 5 days a week, you build trust in knowing you're more powerful than your cravings and are capable of taking good care of your body. If you complete a project on schedule (personal or professional), you prove to yourself that you’re efficient, build confidence in your ability to finish tasks you start, and self-affirm that you follow through on your ideas. Finishing that book this month reflects confirms that you value yourself enough to expand your mind, learn, and expand your knowledge base. Eventually, through enough consistent repetition, these rituals into unconscious habits that you do effortlessly in daily life. 

Create And Consistently Log Your Progress 

You can’t manage what you don’t measure – your finances, calorie and step counts, workouts, productivity, etc. Tracking data related to your habits – such as your spending habits, eating or workout patterns, writing word count, and task completion – on a given day or week – allows you to understand and analyze your current behavior. What habit cues, environmental or other situational factors are keeping you from sticking to the current task at hand? Do you leave your running shoes stuffed in the back of the closet? Junk food in the house? Work from bed or with your phone by your side? Are you avoiding certain emotions? Does this data change when you’re stressed or tired?  

Awareness is the first step towards redirected action. Analyze these data points to see your pitfalls and strategize how to help yourself. 

Take Temptations Out Of Sight

Set yourself up to win. Get the phone away from your workspace, remove any junk food or soda from the house, delete apps, or silence notifications from people who distract you from your goals. Self-discipline becomes significantly easier when you have to take additional steps to indulge in your vices. Replace these temptations with helpful cues to help you build healthier habits that lead to self-discipline. Give yourself visual cues to move you toward your goals. Keep a journal with a pen next to your bed. Leave your workout clothes and shoes out near your bed. Write a quick to-do list right before finishing work for the following day, so it’s easier to jump into the first task right away the next morning. Cut up some produce or do a 30-60 minute meal prep once a week to eat more healthful meals. Find ways to make it easier to stay on track than give in to temptation. 

Find Indulgences To Help You Focus On Your Goals 

Self-discipline shouldn’t feel like deprivation – of certain foods, pastimes, or activities you enjoy. Buy cute workout clothes you feel confident in. Create the most dance-worthy playlist. Make it a priority to buy your favorite fruits and vegetables every week. Rotate a selection of your favorite healthy meals. Leave your sunscreen out – front and center – on your bathroom counter. Find a big, beautiful water bottle to keep on your desk. Purchase aesthetic notebooks, pens, planners, journals, and other office organization items. To make self-discipline feel like second nature, you need to marry indulgences and your desire to meet your goals. Discover the habits that work for you and find small ways to make these tasks more enjoyable. 

Go easy on yourself. Build one habit at a time. Self-discipline is like a muscle. It requires time to build and grows in increments. Try to stay on track and more focused than yesterday. Your only competition is your former self. Find pleasure in the process. Focus on the immediate task in front of you while also keeping your future self in mind. 

[sleepless-in-starbucks]

How We Break and How We Mend

Summary: Logan had only ever had one wish since he first fell in love: to not be in love anymore. Soon enough, he realizes there are better things to wish for. Content: Abusive ex, (talk of) the consequences of mental/emotional abuse, mention of a cut (consequence of physical abuse), dub-con kissing, general worry and concern, happy ending Pairing: Losleep

~

Since middle school, Logan had only ever had one wish: to stop being in love with Remy Crescent. At first, it had been because he was simply out of Logan’s league- he was popular, Logan was not. And then it had been because they were friends, because as much as Logan loved Remy he would never risk destroying anything that made him happy… and their friendship made Remy happy. Then it had been because Remy was in love with someone else, and damn did unrequited pining feel like shit.

But he wasn’t wishing for it now. No, right now he was wishing for something very different- the instantaneous removal of Remy’s (now ex-) boyfriend from existence.

They were sitting on Logan’s couch- Logan’s couch because Remy didn’t have a couch anymore, Logan’s couch because Remy didn’t have anywhere else to go anymore, Logan’s couch because Remy had finally- finally- left his ex. Sitting on Logan’s couch because it was as good a spot as any for Logan to patch up the cut on Remy’s cheek from where the son-of-a-bitch had hit him.

Logan hadn’t liked Remy’s boyfriend from the start. There had always been something wrong about him. But he had ended up putting it off- it was likely just him being envious, feeling as if he wasn’t good for Remy because Logan was the only one good for Remy. So he had put his personal feelings aside and focused on recognizing that Remy’s boyfriend wasn’t inherently bad just because he wasn’t Logan.

And that worked, at first, a few weeks going by during which Logan was only slightly uneasy by Remy’s boyfriend. He seemed to be a good person, a little quick to anger and in need of a better sense of humor, but overall fine. And Remy seemed happy with him, so Logan was happy.

But then Logan started to notice other things. How Remy acted restrained around him. How Remy started to act restrained even when he wasn’t around. How Remy would apologize for things he didn’t need to apologize for, how he would act around Logan as if he were treading on ice, how he’d flinch at loud noises and how his humor became much more self-deprecating than it ever had been before.

Quickly (and yet not nearly quickly enough), Logan realized what was happening. Remy was in an abusive relationship. Not physically abusive, no, but certainly mentally and emotionally.

Logan had tried to get him out of it, of course. But some things were easier said than done. By the time Logan knew what was going on, Remy was caught up in the lies and the abuse. Nothing Logan said could convince him how bad his boyfriend was for him. So Logan was left waiting, waiting for something to break, for the perfect chance to finally get Remy out.

But he never wanted it to happen like this.

“I’m an idiot.” Remy had been muttering that to himself for a minute, over and over as he dug his nails into his legs. “A complete moron. No wonder he went after me, I was the perfect mark, no fucking common sense whatsoever-”

“Don’t say that.” Logan reprimanded as softly as he could. Remy’s ex had already ordered him around enough, Logan didn’t want to be doing it either, but he couldn’t let Remy keep mumbling self-hate. Carefully, Logan patted down the edges of the bandage he had secured over Remy’s cut. “You aren’t stupid, Remy. He manipulated you. Anyone could have been his victim.”

“But it wasn’t anyone, was it?” Remy spat, flinching and drawing in on himself almost immediately after he spoke. “I- I’m sorry, Lo, I didn’t mean that.”

“I know you didn’t.” Logan assured him, putting the first aid kit aside before turning his full attention back to Remy. “You are distressed and have just come out of an abusive relationship. I’m not going to hold anything you say against you.”

Remy chuckled bitterly. “You should.”

“No, I shouldn’t.” Logan responded, taking one of Remy’s hands in his own. He squeezed it gently, hoping the pressure would be comforting and grounding. “You are emotionally unstable for perfectly valid reasons. Your words should not and will not be held against you, not by me.”

“...Thanks.” Remy said, letting out a small sigh and deflating a bit. He squeezed Logan’s hand back as well, which gave Logan some hope. “So… what now?”

“Now, you rest and recover.” Logan said. “Tonight, you will sleep, or at least attempt to. You can stay here as long as you need to, and I will do my best to help you identify and address- to the best of your ability- taught negative behaviours. In a week, I will call my uncle, who is a therapist, and get a session arranged for you.”

“A therapist?” Remy repeated, sounding skeptical. “That seems a little extreme for a break-up, don’t you think?”

Logan held Remy’s hand just the slightest bit tighter. “You have been in a mentally and emotionally abusive relationship for nearly nine months.” Logan stated, trying to keep his voice measured and not filled with fury. All his anger was directed at Remy’s ex, but that didn’t mean Remy would interpret it that way. “This is more than just a break-up, and it is logical that you seek professional help to properly work through the consequences of that relationship.”

“...Okay.” Remy said, voice resigned in a way Logan despised. “I trust you, Logan.” And Logan hated that too. The words sounded too forced, the line too rehearsed. Maybe Remy did trust him, but that wasn’t what his words meant. They were a defense against Logan lashing out if he didn’t agree. And even though Logan had expected it, he still hated that Remy’s ex didn’t need to be around to hurt him.

But those weren’t things he could address right then. Remy needed to rest, to let the final strains of fresh adrenaline and fear run out of his system.

“You should get some sleep.” Logan told him, beginning to stand up. “I’ll fetch you some blankets, and you can sleep on the couch-”

Remy’s grip on Logan’s hand tightened just the slightest as Logan tried to pull away. “Please don’t go.”

“It’ll just be for a moment.” Logan assured Remy, even as he once more took his seat in front of Remy. “I’ll be back, Remy, I promise.”

“I know, I just-” Remy shook his head, letting out a huff. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize.” Logan replied immediately. “It’s okay. I don’t mind.”

Remy looked down, not speaking for a moment but not letting go of Logan either before speaking up again. “You’re so smart, Lo.”

“I- what?”

“I said you’re smart. Because you are, you really are.” Remy said, looking up again. “And helpful. Even to people who don’t deserve your help.”

“Remy, I don’t-”

“And pretty.” Remy continued, ignoring Logan as he leaned forwards, free hand coming to rest on Logan’s cheek. “You’re absolutely gorgeous, hun.”

And before Logan could say another word, Remy was kissing him.

For a millisecond, Logan froze. Some small part of his brain was cheering in victory- he was kissing Remy, after all, his dream since seventh grade. Wasn’t it something to be celebrated?

But Logan knew it wasn’t. He knew that this wasn’t love, that this wasn’t anything good, anything to be excited over. And for all he had thought about kissing Remy before, Remy’s happiness and well-being had always been his priority.

So just as soon as the kiss started, it was over, Logan pushing Remy off of him even as he held the other man’s shoulders and kept him from trying to kiss him again. “Remy, no.”

“Logan-”

“No, Remy. You can’t do this. I can’t let you do this.”

“I love you.” Remy said, and Logan hated that there were tears in the corner of his eyes, already threatening to spill. Logan wasn’t sure if Remy believed what he was saying, but he wanted to. He needed to. 

“No, you don’t.” Logan replied, ignoring the pain in his metaphorical heart at the words. “You’ve been manipulated into believing you are lesser than other people and that, therefore, to be worth anything you must be worth something to someone else. Your ex tricked you into believing that someone else was him, and now that he’s gone you’re simply trying to fill the gap. Even if- even if you did love me, nothing we could have would be healthy.”

“But I trust you, Lo.” Remy pleaded, grabbing Logan’s other hand so that he could hold both of them, squeezing them. “I trust you not to hurt me.”

“And I would never.” Logan agreed. “But that doesn’t change the facts. You’re… you’re looking for someone to make you whole, Remy, and that’s not what love is, even if that’s what your ex tried to convince you it was. You need to heal, and trying to convince yourself that you’re in love with me won’t give you that.”

Remy broke then, letting out a single sob before he collapsed against Logan, crying into his shoulder and holding him close like he might disappear if Remy let go. Logan held back, rubbing circles into Remy’s back, focused on letting him cry before calming him back down. He needed it, after all.

And if a tear or two slipped down Logan’s face too, well, it wasn’t like any one was going to notice.

~

“Logan? Come on, babe, I know you’re home. Don’t leave a pretty man waiting!”

Logan sighed as he placed down his book, but the sound was only fond. For Remy, it would never be anything else. He stood up, walked to the door and opened it.

It had been almost two years since Remy had broken up with his abusive ex, and the difference was clear. Remy was smiling happily, sunglasses pushed up on the top of his head to reveal bright eyes with minimal bags beneath them. The leather jacket Logan had bought him to replace the one his ex had given away (without Remy’s permission) was slung over his shoulder, and everything about Remy’s pose figuratively screamed relaxed and carefree.

“Can I come in?” Remy asked, brushing by Logan even as he spoke. Logan could do little more than laugh at the action as he closed the door. Most people would have seen it as annoying. Logan saw it as another reminder than Remy had his confidence back and that he wasn’t afraid to show it.

“I suppose even if I say ‘no’ you’re not going to leave, are you?” Logan teased as he turned to face Remy.

“Nope! Because I’d know you were lying.” Remy said, turning from where he had been taking in Logan’s living room (a sight he had seen many a time before) to face Logan, grinning. “I’m always welcome here, remember?”

“I’d never forget.” Logan promised. “Though you don’t tend to swing by with no reason- looking for someone to annoy?”

Remy laughed at the joke, but the sound was hesitant, and Logan stiffened. Though Remy in general was alright with teasing jokes, Logan knew there were still times when he couldn’t take them- times when he couldn’t remember that Logan’s words weren’t serious.

Logan approached Remy, taking both of Remy’s hands into his own, lightly squeezing them. Over time, it had remained the most efficient way to ground Remy. “I’m sorry, Rem, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Hey, darling, don’t worry about it.” Remy responded, squeezing back and smiling softly at Logan. “You didn’t upset me, don’t worry. I just… I’m here to ask you something.”

“You know you can always ask me anything.” Logan reminded him.

“I know, but… doesn’t always make it easy, heh.” Remy said, letting out a small chuckle as he looked away. When he stayed that way for a moment, Logan gently tightened his hold on Remy’s hands, pulling his attention back to Logan.

“It’s okay.” Logan assured him, offering him a matching soft smile. “Whatever you need to ask me, it’s okay. I will not judge you in any way.”

Remy nodded at Logan’s words, taking a moment to take a breath and collect himself before he said, “Logan… will you date me?”

Of all the questions Logan had been expecting, that certainly hadn’t been one of them.

“We’d take it slow at first, of course.” Remy continued on, seemingly undaunted by Logan’s silence. “Not because I don’t trust you, but because I still don’t… fully trust myself. I don’t want either of us to get hurt, especially not you.”

“I… Remy, are you sure about this?” Logan asked, some small part of his brain screaming at him for being an idiot. Remy wanted to date him, for goodness’s sake, and all he had to do was say yes!

But for all that time had changed, Logan’s resolve to keep Remy safe and happy remained unchanged. He wasn’t going to let the past possibly ruin Remy’s future.

“I know why you’re worried. And I get it. That night I broke up with him… I was a wreck. I did things we both know I regret. I felt broken and I thought you were the only thing that could fix me, and I was hasty. And I can never apologize enough for that.”

“You don’t have to apologize for it at all.”

“Then I won’t. But my point remains.” Remy pushed on. “What I did that night,,, that was a mistake. But that doesn’t change the fact that I was being honest when I told you I loved you, Logan. The timing was horrible, but it was true. It’s always been true, ever since high school. And while you were right back then, when you said anything we had would be unhealthy, I think… I think if we try now, it could be something good.” Remy paused to smile almost ruefully at Logan. “And I think we deserve something good.”

Logan squeezed Remy’s hands. “You deserve everything good.”

Remy’s smile grew. “That’s why… that’s why I want to date you Logan. I think we’d be something good- better than good; I think we’d be great. But not if it’s going to hurt you.”

Logan frowned. “Hurt me?”

“Don’t say yes because you want me to be happy. Say yes because you want to, or say no.” Remy explained. “I will love you the same either way. But I had to ask. I don’t want to let one bad night define what we could be.” Remy paused to smirk. “Plus, my therapist says me ignoring my feelings is repression, and he’s got a big no-no policy on that.”

“Therapists do tend to frown down on that, yeah.” Logan agreed, laughing.

Remy laughed too before the two of them fell into silence- comfortable silence, as it always was between them. It never felt awkward, just… right.

“So… what do you say?” Remy asked again, voice gentle as he asked. “Like I said, no wrong answers- and if you need time to think about it, I can go-”

“I’d love to.” Logan cut him off, blushing a bit as he clarified, “Love to try, that is. Try… try us.”

“Really?” Remy asked, leaning in close to Logan’s face. “No lies? You really honestly want to date me?”

“I’ve wanted to date you since middle school.” Logan admitted shyly. “Trust me, Remy. This isn’t pity.”

Remy’s eyes lit up as his smile once more morphed into a grin. “Can I hug you?”

“Please do.”

Letting go of Logan’s hands, Remy’s arms wrapped around Logan, pulling him close up against Remy, his hold tight but not restraining. Logan wrapped his arms around Remy, hugging back. It was perfect.

For a moment, they stayed like that, happy to just be in each other’s company.

“I love us.’’ Remy said quietly, breaking the silence but not hurting the moment in the slightest.

“We’ve been ‘us’ for all of a minute.” Logan pointed out.

“Don’t care.” Remy responded, resting his chin on top of Logan’s head. “I love us.”

Logan let out a small chuckle as he leaned against Remy, fully accepting the embrace. “I love us too.”

And for once, Logan was happy his middle school wish had never been granted.

[word-addict-lisette]

How I got over procrastinating

Remember that fifth tip i promised y’all. Here it is. All the credits belong to my dad!

One thing I have to say before this is that every person is different and no everyone can get over procrastination the same way. Different people get over this in different time periods it took me five months to get over procrastinating after i figured out that i was procrastinating. But a lot of s might take whereas another lot of us might get over this comparatively faster. Whatever I’m writing down here is simply my experience. This are the few I think might help others the way they helped. And, btw... i ain’t no professional here.

Procrastination turned out to really bother me and my schedule(which i hardly follow). I used to skip tasks and instead do much different things like randomly scroll through apps then complete my homework. It sucked for me. really. 

But then when my dad noticed that i was skipping tasks at hand, he decided that i needed a lecture on that topic... usually i hated the lectures i get from my parents, but this one actually helped me. It really did. So, that’s the reason i thought of sharing it today. Might as well put my dad’s lecture to use somewhere...

The fifth tip! Goals!

In order to stop procrastinating, you first need to set your goals, and then identify how procrastination will prevent you from achieving them. Once done with that, you need to create a plan of action based on that info, and then implement it(the implementing part was tough... i aint one to stick to plans). But one very important thing to remember while carrying out this plan is that you need to be ready to change it anytime depending on how things are going. You should be able to refine it later as per your needs.

Set your goals

‘The first step to overcoming your procrastination is to set your goals.’

When you do this, it’s crucial to make sure that your goals are as clear as possible, since you are more likely to procrastinate when it comes to goals that are vague, compared to goals that are clearly defined. This is true. Whenever you don’t have a clear mindset towards your goal ou will end up avoiding it more due to the uncertainty.

For instance, “be more healthy” is a relatively vague goal, and you are therefore more likely to procrastinate when it comes to pursuing it than you are when it comes to pursuing a more definite goal such as, “drink only water and avoid eating fast food for the next month”. Now this is a long term goal. A lot of us people are not able to complete or maintain long term goals either, so that’s the reason this clarity is needed. That’s the first step to making sure you know what you are up to.

Similarly, a goal such as “start exercising” is relatively vague, and is therefore more likely to lead to procrastination than a goal that is more defined, such as “go to the gym 3 times a week, and work out for at least 30 minutes each time”.

In addition, when setting your goals, you also want to make sure that those goals are achievable and meaningful:

‘Achievable’ means that your goals should be realistic enough that you can actually accomplish them.

‘Meaningful’ means that your goals should be substantial enough that they lead you to make notable progress.

This is indeed very important. It helps a lot. When it comes to achievable goals my father always tells me to divide larger tasks into smaller tasks and complete them step by step. That way your mind doesn’t think of the task as a big obstacle and completes it with ease. And when talking of meaningful tasks, it is very important that if we make progress, we also reward that progress. And that, is what is important. If you reward your progress, it makes the mind feel better and motivates it to finish more tasks so as to win more rewards!

but dividing tasks into meaningful and achievable isn’t always easy.

For example, the goal of writing 5,000 words for your thesis each day is meaningful but is generally not achievable, since most people can’t write at that rate, which is why such a goal should be avoided. But on the other side, the goal of writing 5 words each day is certainly achievable but isn’t meaningful, since it will take you too long to finish your thesis at that rate, which is why this type of goal should also be avoided.

In comparison, the goal of writing 500 words per day is both achievable as well as meaningful, which is why it is a better goal for yourself.

Of course, different people might choose different rates of progress, and there isn’t a single rate of progress that works for everyone. As such, the most important thing is to find the rate of progress that works for you, in your particular situation.

Overall, the first step to overcoming your procrastination is to set your goals. These goals should be quite well-defined, possible to accomplish, and significant enough to help you make progress.

Moving on to the next part.

Identify the problem

If you want to successfully solve your procrastination problem, it’s important to first understand the exact nature of the problem that you’re dealing with.

Three main things to remember when determining the nature of your procrastination are:

When you procrastinate. This involves asking yourself in what situations do you procrastinate. For example, do you tend to procrastinate more when you’re working from home compared to when you’re working in the library? Do you struggle to finish tasks after you’ve started them or do you struggle to get started in the first place?

How you procrastinate. This involves asking yourself what you do when you’re procrastinating. For example, do you browse social media, play video games, watch TV shows, go out with friends, or find small and unimportant tasks to complete?

Why you procrastinate. This involves asking yourself what’s causing you to procrastinate. For example, do you constantly find yourself being distracted, or do you feel so overwhelmed that you don’t know how to get started?

For an example of how to consider these factors, imagine a scenario in which you’re taking a class where you need to hand in a series of assignments throughout the semester.

Each time you get a new assignment you sit in front of the computer in your room (the ‘when’), but instead of working on the assignment you find yourself wasting time on the internet (the ‘how’), because the assignment is so boring that you can’t find the motivation to start until shortly before it’s due (the ‘why’). This is the kind of procrastination that i end up doing. 

In this situation and in similar ones, you might often end up promising yourself that you’ll get started soon, or that next time will be different, despite the fact that the same thing happened in the past, and that you never really did anything much to change your behavior. The main reason i noticed why this happens is that people wrongly assume that procrastination is just about their willpower, while also believing that next time they’ll be able to exert more willpower and change their behavior, despite the evidence to the contrary.

However, by taking the time to clearly identify the nature of your procrastination problem, you can then figure out a way to deal with it, instead of just hoping that things will be different in the future.

A few things to avoid that i would suggest during tasks are as follows:

Rewards that are very far in the future.

A disconnect from your future self.

A focus on future possibilities, together with an unjustified optimism about the ability to achieve them.

Feelings of overwhelm.

Anxiety.

Perfectionism.

Fear of evaluation or negative feedback.

Fear of failure.

Self-handicapping.

A perceived lack of control.

Lack of motivation.

Lack of energy.

Task aversion.

Prioritization of short-term mood.

Distractibility.

If you’re not sure why you procrastinate, then you should read the guide on the topic and identify the reasons for procrastination that describe you the best, and then return here and figure out how to build a plan of action that takes these reasons into account.

Create a plan of action

Once you’ve set your goals and identified the nature of your procrastination problem, you can create a plan of action that will allow you to stop procrastinating and start getting things done.

To create a plan of action, you need to figure out which anti-procrastination techniques you should use, and how to use them. These techniques, which are listed in the next section, fall into two main categories:

Behavioral techniques. These techniques involve directly modifying your actions, by helping you instill positive behaviors and avoid negative ones. Examples of behavioral anti-procrastination techniques include breaking large tasks into smaller ones and removing distractions from your work environment.

Cognitive techniques. These techniques involve directly modifying your thoughts, by helping instill positive thought patterns and avoid negative ones. Examples of cognitive anti-procrastination techniques include visualizing your future self and focusing on your goals instead of on your tasks.

Some techniques can involve a blend of behavioral and cognitive aspects, and it’s not crucial to understand the distinction between these two types of techniques. Rather, the important thing is to understand the general idea behind anti-procrastination techniques, and specifically that you can overcome your procrastination by instilling positive behaviors and thought patterns while eliminating negative ones.

In general, each technique is likely to help you accomplish at least one of the following things:

Make it easier for you to get started. For example, leaving the document that you need to work on open on your computer before you go to sleep will make it easier for you to start working on it once you sit down at the computer the next day.

Make it easier for you to keep going once you’ve started. For example, putting your phone on silent mode and out of sight reduces the likelihood that you will be distracted by notifications while you’re working, which will make it easier for you to focus on your work.

Make it harder for you to avoid working. For example, turning off the WiFi on your computer and phone removes the temptation to procrastinate on social media instead of writing your paper.

You can use any combination of techniques that you want, and you should pick the ones that fit you best given your particular situation, since different techniques will work differently for different people, and will even work differently for the same person in different situations.

As such, make sure to identify the nature of your procrastination problem before figuring out which techniques you should use in order to solve it. As you go along, try to see which techniques are working for you, and then eliminate those that don’t, while experimenting with other techniques that you haven’t tried, in order to find new beneficial approaches.

Finally, keep in mind that if this all feels like too much at first, remember that imperfect action is infinitely better than no action at all. 

As such, if you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, just pick a single technique that you want to work on for now (if you’re not sure which one, go with the first one on the list: ‘My ultimate guide to avoiding procrastinating’).

Later on, once you feel more comfortable with the situation, you can choose to implement additional techniques if you’d like.

The link to my first and second post on procrastination are below!

The art of procrastination (Part 1)

My ultimate guide to avoiding procrastinating (Part 2)

[socially-inept-marketer]

Benefits of Hiring a Life Coach

Maybe you're interested but are not sure of the benefits of life coaching? Or, you may be checking on the business as you find out more about the chance of becoming a life coach.Whatever motivates you personally, we have got something for you in this manual. Below you'll find a listing of 33 attributes and advantages of lifestyle coaching to reply to your questions. Read the numerous points below and discover just how impressed you become!

Let us dive in...What's the objective of a lifestyle coach?

Before we look at the respective advantages of lifestyle coaching, just what does a life coach do? The objective of a life coach will be to work in partnership with the individual to assist them in reaching their potential throughout all aspects of life.As a professional sports participant has a mentor to work on their functionality's technical and mental aspects, regular people should have a structured and disciplined way of personal development and improvement.A licensed life coach plays this function.What are the advantages of life coaching?

Below are 33 examples that reveal why life coaching is now a mainstream market.

Enriched self-confidenceA study from the International Coaching Federation (IFC) found that 80 percent of people who hired a life coach reported an improvement in self-confidence.Another perspectiveWe're frequently consumed by our very own remarks, life experiences, and manner of thinking. A life coach can offer a new and frequently beneficial perspective on matters.Heightened self-awarenessBeing fully conscious of your effect on other people and recognizing your flaws, strengths, and one-of-a-kind personality traits is a very challenging experience. This is the artwork of self-awareness.Self-awareness calls for a powerful capacity for introspection and reflection, something that a life coach can help you work towards. In reality, one study found that 67.6percent of training clients encounter a greater degree of self-awareness.Produce a balanced lifestyleThe idea of life balance differs for everyone. Still, often it refers to a joyful, peaceful, and harmonious relationship between your cognitive and physical being, in addition to the significant regions of life.One of the advantages of a life coach is identifying what equilibrium appears like for you and specifying action steps to attain more balance in your lifetime.

Foster better connections

Relationships are the glue that unites individuals with culture and supplies shared satisfaction in life. From unions to beyond and friendships, strong relationships are a crucial contributor to joy.According to the identical ICF study mentioned before, 73 percent of people who hired a life coach enhanced their relationships.Achieve goalsMost of us have dreams in life. However, not a lot of people crystalize these dreams into tangible goals to accomplish. A significant advantage of lifestyle coaching is defining your lifetime objectives and generating a concrete, viable plan to reach them.

Find joy

True happiness is a bit of a mysterious experience, and for many people, it isn't easy to envision a life that's forever delighted. After the day, joy is inherent; it is a sense that's unique to how you feel inside.

By defining lifestyle targets, creating equilibrium, and committing to a much better version of yourself together with the assistance of a lifestyle coach, you start up the possibility of finding happiness. Helping others find joy is one of the principal reasons people eventually become life coaches.

Discover clarity of function Are you clear on exactly what your goal in life would be? Again, this is an individual and inner fire that burns within. It is your fire, dreams, abilities, and flaws all bundled into one.It is your direction in life. Clarity of purpose is essential if you would like to chase your dreams, a life coach can help you in producing this attention.

Do everything you loveFinding that one thing that you enjoy more than anything else and doing this daily is a massive contributor to joy and gratification. Having clarity of function unlocks insights into what this could be. That is just another one of the numerous advantages of a life coach in your corner.Follow through on responsibilities.Employing a life coach is about more than simply getting guidance and advice; it also generates liability. You'll get an ally that holds you to a word and guarantees those aims become chased and projects are finished.Discover your Very Best selfMany people spend too much time comparing themselves to other people and focussing on what we perceive to be our defects. 

Discovering your very best self is one of those invaluable advantages of life coaching.

Determine your strengths and flawsA life coach will take an impartial view of your weaknesses and strengths, assisting you to know the areas of most incredible opportunity

.Be open-minded

To be open-minded, you have to appreciate various methods of doing things and changing viewpoints on life aside from your own. A life coach can offer the outlook and thinking process necessary to adopt this mindset.

Unlock possible

A lot of people have latent potential that's concealed by bias or closed-mindedness. Life coaches unlock this possibility by opening up you to alternative thinking methods and producing clarity for your direction in life

.Improve communication

According to the IFC analysis mentioned previously, seventy-two percent of people who employ a life coach enhance their communication abilities. That is no surprise that the very best life coaches have licensed NLP practitioners -- the most innovative set of communication abilities ever developed. Successful communication is one of the principal advantages of NLP life coaching. (Find more information about exactly what NLP is.)

Manage productivity and time

Everyone has the identical amount of time daily, but a few people use those 24 hours better than others. Working with a life coach can help you better manage your time, establish priorities, and get more done.

Remove negative thoughts

In addition to studying the positive elements of life, like your goal, goals, and possible, life coaches are equipped with a collection of techniques that could enable you to remove or reduce negative ideas that hold you back.

Conquer your fears

By reducing unwanted ideas and adopting your own strengths, you may start to conquer fears which have been limiting your ability to attain your dreams.

Unearth creativity

You are able to use a life coach to brainstorm ideas and exude imagination that's sitting dormant in the depths of the own subconscious.

Give a different perspective on life

Becoming open-minded, self indulgent, and contemplating a new outlook on life will provide you a more favorable and well-rounded outlook.

Create higher income

The skills you develop while coping with a life coach will concentrate your assets while pursuing career objectives or expanding your business to new heights. This really is one of the vital advantages of training in a business atmosphere.

Remove bad habits

When bad customs are embedded within our daily life, they reduce our capacity to carry out. Working with a impartial third party can help you decide what these customs can be and learn how to eliminate them.

Be Conscious of your worth

Our values are such deeply held principles that affect our behaviour and inspire us to do things both big and small. Given that the sheer influence of lifestyle values on each activity, being mindful of what they are can reevaluate how we live and execute.Alignment of advantages with choices

A strengths-based strategy to personal development concentrates on the positive internal resources of someone make modifications. This is compared to conventional procedures that concentrate on identifying flaws and attempting to improve those regions.

Stay inspired: 

One of the Most Popular benefits of lifestyle coaching

Setbacks and roadblocks can derail the best people. One of the most popular benefits of life coaching is to maintain the subject and maximum effort during hard times. You will probably discover pockets of thirst and inspiration which you never knew existed.

Despite believing that we behave logically, the majority of people make decisions based on emotion or entirely subconscious procedures . Having a deeper knowledge of the way the mind functions, you can reframe the procedure for decision-making so it becomes easier and wiser.

By way of instance, an NLP-trained life trainer will be well-versed from the NLP Decision Making Approach , a concept that integrates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (touch) perceptions and the way they affect our conclusions.

Show empath

In order empathetic, you have to view and feel that the world through the lens of someone else, place yourself into their shoes, and be conscious of their own situation. Regrettably, not everyone has the exact same capacity to demonstrate compassion towards other people.

A life coach can help you look past your own personal wants and supply in-the-moment methods for displaying compassion.

Learn How to accept criticism

If you have been to a job interview, it is very likely you have been asked just how well you take comments from other people. Although the majority of people would love to believe they are open and eager to accept criticism or feedback, in the warmth of this moment their feelings take over.A psychological reaction may lead to a less than ideal effect on the individual providing the comments, who might only be trying to assist you. Learning how to accept criticism is an effective life ability to develop and one of the advantages of life coaching.

Display more appreciation

Showing gratitude and appreciation is an essential component of boosting relationships. It makes people feel great about the effect they have in your own life -- be it in a corporate environment or even socially.

A life coach knows the significance of admiration and has the resources that will assist you to use it effectively in your daily life.

Build rapport

Rapport is a link between a team that empowers those people to socialize and communicate efficiently. For most of us, rapport is regarded as an uncontrollable force that we have with someone or people do not.

But, creating connections with other people can be an intentional and organized procedure a life coach can help you with.Boost physical well-being

Life coaches can provide more than simply emotional and mental support. They can also work together with you to make and implement a strategy for enhancing your bodily well-being or losing weight. A wholesome body often causes a wholesome head also.Reduce stress

Anxiety is a frequent occurrence for a significant section of the populace. Financial burdens, career-related problems, or personal relationship issues could lead to psychological uncertainty and stress-related wellness issues. Life coaches have access to comfort methods, for example, NLP, which can decrease the psychological habits causing anxiety in your life.#33. Reduced depression and stress

Depression and stress are a society-wide wellness issue with lots of complex components, none of which can be a simple fix. But, obtaining an ally in your corner, that knows your causes could lead to an enhanced means of handling the signs of mental health problems.

Advantages of Edmonton Life Coach -- Decision To be happy is another suggestion for everyone. However, one thing is for sure, if you're clear on your goal, remove negativity from your life, and also possess the resources and methods to construct meaningful connections, happiness and satisfaction are attainable.They're more than viable -- everything you'll need is a frame for discovering your leadership in life and an ally that will assist you in getting there. That is your life coach.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaching 

[theholycovenantrpg]

CONGRATULATIONS, CAROLINE! YOU’VE BEEN ACCEPTED FOR THE ROLE OF MICHAEL.

Admin Rosey: This was. This was absolutely beautiful to read, Caroline. I feel like there’s no other way to describe it because the emotion behind each and every word was so palpable. I think what struck me - not above all, just something that really struck me and sticks within my mind - is the fact that you identified him as heroic, and then as archaic. It was such a small detail, but it was the most perfect way to describe Michael. He wants to be the hero, the savior - but he’s archaic. Michael is the untitled King of Caelum, and boy, I cannot wait to see how much ruin you will cause to him and everyone else. Sincerely, this was a g i f t to read. Please create and send in your account, review the information on our CHECKLIST, and follow everyone on the FOLLOW LIST. Welcome to the Holy Land!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias. Caroline

Age. Twenty-five

Personal Pronouns. She/her or they/them

Activity Level. I will not lie to y’all, I work six days a week ten-hour days. But I also get very attached and want to stay up to date. Between those two, I like to stay up to date with the dash, but sometimes only get to post one or two times a week. Other times I’m always Here. There is no middle ground and I am so sorry

Timezone. EST

Triggers. REMOVED

How did you find the group. Let’s not talk about it (jk it was JJ and we’ve been knowing)

Current/Past RP Accounts. hutchingsb, brighidnolan, achillesgrieves

IN CHARACTER

Character. Michael

Are you comfortable with killing off your character. I sure am, pals. In fact, in the long run, I don’t think Michael should survive. I think he is too muddled in hypocrisy and his own arrogance to not be killed eventually. Especially if history repeated itself and Zadkiel killed him.

What drew you to this character. 

When I was a second semester senior in college (arguably the worst time in my life) I was finishing my degree in philosophy. While everything else went to shit, I took this truly incredible class called the Problem of Evil. I got lowkey obsessed with the concept of this ‘problem of evil’ and what it means for the existence of God. Michael is, in a lot of ways, this discussion in character form. Throughout the roleplay, Michael will have to come to terms with the idea that it’s incredibly hard to be a God type figure and be morally good. And that dynamic excites the fuck out of me y’all.

More than just this philosophical idea that I would literally go feral for, Michael is such a complex character. There are depths to him that just writing this app I got to uncover, and I think that will carry on through writing him always. There is so much potential there, and so much characterization to uncover that I don’t think I could ever tire of the archangel. This being fucks y’all

Plots. 

QUIS UT DUES. Who is like God? History repeats itself. Michael’s rise in the ranks and desperation for both mortals and demons to bend the knee to him shows this. He is not so unlike the figurehead he struck down. He will be forced to make choices that have to be made and enforce punishments that will seem to others merciless. The question truly is how does one become god-like without becoming God-like? What made God so wrong? What made it necessary for Michael to cut Him down? And does Michael even have the ability to notice the difference between the two? The answer, folks, is hell nah.

DEATH RIPENS. ONE NEEDS DEATH IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO HARVEST THE FRUIT. The fall of God gave Michael the first taste of peace since he can remember. Centuries of carving out punishments and protection means that the archangel has dealt with death before, but it has never soothed him. It has only ever added to his despondency. So when he moved to cut down his own God, he figured the feeling would be much of the same. An intense sense of duty to all creatures and nothing more. The shock he felt at the momentary calm was enough to make him pause. And he is carrying that into his position of King. This idea of death as an action that ends with peace sits in the back of his mind. And it is hardening him into something crueler than he can recognize. 

THE APPALLING STRANGENESS OF THE MERCY OF GOD. Arrogance is almost second nature to the archangel. His pride and his self-worth have become tied into this idea of him becoming a better king, a better version of God. But Michael is also in for a harsh awakening when he has to realize that his idea of merciful, the standard he held God to, isn’t actually all that fair and just. How will he handle coming to terms with the fact that he cannot always be “merciful” and does this make him a hypocrite? If he raised a sword against his Father because He was not merciful, how will he come to terms with the realization that he, as this God-like figure, cannot be supremely good? Will he even be able to realize it at all, and what will push him to that edge?

BROTHER, THE CORD TO THIS WORLD IS A FRAYED ROPE. More than ever, Michael needs his brothers. And, more than ever, he cannot let them in. Michael has always held his position higher than his relationships, but it is more apparent now than ever. He wants the respect from his brothers, because he knows if they can kneel before him so can anyone. But that desire is sharply contrasted by his need for their earnestness. He did not realize the weight their voices held inside of his head until he could no longer hear them freely. I would love to play with this dynamic of Michael feeling isolated and alone without his brothers to act as a soundboard for his thoughts versus believing if he shows his hand too much to them he cannot be respected. This relationship epitomizes Michael’s struggle with finding his footing as a leader and not just a follower of God.

THEN YOU KISSED ME—I FELT HOT WAX ON MY FOREHEAD. Michael’s relationship with Zadkiel is going to cause me physical pain. Zadkiel is the only person who can truly understand the emotional state that Michael has existed in for millennia. He is the only person who has dealt with the conditional love that God had when loving a tool he could wield. And, as a result, Michael has acted the same way towards Zadkiel as God did towards him. His love is conditional on Zadkiel following his orders. But he has held him in high esteem, sought him out, wanted him by their side. There is a bond there that cannot be touched. Zakiel is their reflection in so many ways, and it hurts to look in that mirror. There is this push in pull, that for so long has been for the better but might be souring now in the wake of Michael’s actions. Where he originally could not be soft, could not be vulnerable, in front of the cherubim despite how much it would help him, he really cannot now. He cannot show himself weak to Zadkiel—in the same way God could not to Michael. It is fully a product of how they both have been loved by God, and it does the pair of them injustice. Following the fall of God, Michael has distanced himself from Zadkiel because of how much he sees himself in the other. The weakness he thinks he sees in Zadkiel is just the weakness he sees himself, but his arrogance can’t let him recognize that fully. So instead, he pushes the angel away. Makes the gap between them almost unbreachable, until he breaks again and needs the validation of someone he is constantly searching for that conditional love. Just like he did with God. Zadkiel’s hurt is the biggest doubt that tugs at Michael’s soul. It’s the thing that lets the thought ‘I made a mistake’ keep coming back to him. I would love to see the few moments of “weakness” where Michael allows Zadkiel—and only him—to see the real him especially in a counterpoint to him holding the cherubim at a distance.

I SENSED IN MYSELF A POTENTIALITY FOR CORRUPTION THAT TOOK MY BREATH AWAY. Viktoria is a mistake, but not one he’s ready to admit. Michael’s concept of love is well and truly fucked, because he has only known love from God. And mostly God had conditions for love that were based solely on when Michael acted most as a sword—something inanimate—and not as something conscious and feeling. So when the flicker of something akin to lust flared to life upon looking at Viktora, Micahel mistakes it for love. Or, at the very least, affection. He wants her gaze on him, wants her smiles. So much so that he cannot look through the careful veneer she has crafted. It’s a level of foolishness that he has not ever had to deal with before. Never even known existed, because his concept of love has never involved this kind of ‘love’.

I TOO A CARNIVOROUS LAMB. In a completely selfish turn of events, I think Michael’s relationship with Salome might be the one of the few times that they can show how successful they are. In this period of doubt and chaos, Michael keeps coming up short and having to put on a brave face. But in their dealings with Salome, they are in their element. They can feel the power he used to have as the weapon in God’s right hand when they deals with the demon. They can feel their power. And that’s probably the reason they seeks her out so often. To feel the comfort in something known. To feel useful, powerful, correct.

IN-DEPTH

Motivation. 

LIKE MOST MISERY, IT STARTED WITH APPARENT HAPPINESS. In the beginning, Michael’s sense of duty was unfailing. His motivations started and ended with following God’s word. And while his heart may have whispered softly at rebellion and betrayal in the face of an unjust God, he didn’t dare take heed to any of it. Now, he misses that easy calm that caming with knowing one's duty. He misses the simplicity of following orders. He does not wish to return to being a tool for someone else, but god was it easier.

THE PAIN, THE BEAUTY: EQUALLY ACUTE, EQUALLY TRANSFIXING. The present is a chaotic time for Michael. There is blood on their hands, doubt in their heart, and all they can do is show their kingdom a solemn face. He struggles to keep the facade of this all knowing, all understanding figure head that he just slaughtered. It’s so damn hard when the chorus of ‘did you do wrong’ almost drowns out his thoughts. Michael, in his current situation, craves a validation of his actions that very few can give them. And maybe, he craves something a little more too.

IT MEANT TO CONSUME, TO ASSIMILATE, TO BECOME GOD. What comes next for the King of Caelum? There is ambition there, that lives just under the surface. Something that has maybe always been there, setting ablaze his soul, but he has never been ready to put a name to it. He still isn’t able to name it, but the threads of it are starting to work their way around him. He knows of mortals, of their fickle natures and how they cannot be left to govern themselves. He knows of demons, of their cruelness and how they all function better when they bow their heads to one person. That person used to be God, but Michael is starting to realize how it could—no, should be him. Because Michael remembers what it was like to be adored. God showed favor to many an angel. It was clear in His doting hand and soft words. Cassiel knew it in His allowance of her beauty. Arael knew it in God’s soft sighs. But it was perhaps Michael who knew it best. There is more love in the carpertener for their hammer than in their work. More adoration in the painter's brush than in the creation they makes. Something deep and dark in Michael craves that love again. Ambition feels almost unheard of in the hierarchy he is used to, but there it is, sitting at the base of his chest. And it will likely be the death of him.

Traits. 

HEROIC. Inspiring, brave, damn good at his job

CONSTANT. Calm in the face of chaos, unwavering in all actions

UNDERSTANDING. More merciful than he should be jk unless

ARCHAIC. Stick in the mud, old fashioned, proper. A pain in the ass to deal with.

PROUD. When God put you on a pedestal for that long it’s really hard to climb down yo

CRITICAL. I mean

SAMPLE

“all gods who receive homage are cruel.

all gods dispense suffering without reason.”

HOW TO FORGE A WEAPON

FIGURE 1.

It means something to be made. To be created in the eyes of God. To become something more, something good, something holy and something full of righteousness. All because God deemed it to be so. Around him, his brethren understand this. They feel it deep within themselves, as each and every one of them is handcrafted. But Michael is different. He is not simply made, because he is a weapon.

And, by God’s own hand, Michael is forged.

FIGURE 2.

God molds him. 

That he holds on to. The one truth he knows more than anything. God makes him. He makes him a weapon. Molds him into a sword. He crafts Michael solely as a tool to do His bidding, but He makes him all the same. So Michael follows without thought. A gift to his creator. 

Because a weapon only does.

They spends days upon days in practice, in battle. Besting angel upon angel. With every win, they sees God smile, and something warms sparks into life deep in the cold of their chest. Something physical. Something hot. It sets his body ablaze, empassions him to try more, to push harder. Michael flips the sword out of the grasp of his opponent, recognizing the move coming two steps before it happens. He doesn’t have to think, he only has to do.

 He’ll put a name to this feeling eventually. Later he will learn to understand what the fire in their soul means. But for now, he just stands in awe of his Father’s smile—a smile that is only for them and theirdeeds—and the warmth that it causes. It is the start of something dangerous for, what God fails to realize, that, out of nothing but sheer carelessness, He has taught his weapon to want.

And that? It’ll be the death of Him.

FIGURE 3.

He’s younger than he cares to admit and God gives them a bird. The world is still new. Bright and green in its creation. It’s perfect, Angels sing. Michael wants to agree but the mortals have already shown the treachery of their nature. And he has already learned how to cut down those who might have lifted their hand in blasphemy.

(Eve has taken the apple, Michael sharpens their sword.)

The bird is a falcon, and Michael names her Brenley. She is built for speed and her talons feel as sharp as the sword on his hip. He thinks he loves her, this fiercely delicate creature. She is his and he, in turn, hers. They travel the world together, witness the artistry and destruction God’s newest creations unfold. Michael stands an impartial beacon, watching it all.

Theoretically they know that Brenley is a test, as all things are with God. It is Michael’s first chance to deal with death. God showing him how mortality takes and takes and there is no stopping it. 

But birds live years. So they have time. They push the thoughts of tests and traps and their own shortcomings to the back of their mind. 

Brenley does not have years. She has only five and they are desperately short in the face of a millennia. 

With thoughts of death and endings locked away, he enters the world of man, a bird by his side. The moment is like any other. Nothing different from any number of times Michael has walked among the mortals. He is still learning of how crooked their nature is and yet how soft they can be. It still makes him smile. Brenley makes a single sound, a warning Michael does not understand, so their smile does not falter. Eyes find the bird, high amidst the trees, as the sound reaches their ears. A long low whistle, and then a snap. An arrow flies through the sky. It’s rudimentary, human made, but it does it’s job. Brenley stills. 

And then? Then she falls.

Like a rock, the bird drops from the sky. Her wings tucked to her, a nearly perfect and endless fall. Except it does. End. She hits the ground with a sound, sickening and hollow. He rushes to her side, but it’s too late. 

There is no life left in her.

There is a softness in his features and wetness in his eyes when he turns to the Father. The broken body of what once was settled gently in his hands. Michael is still too new to learn how to steel their face into the mask of iron befitting of the weapon they are. They don’t even know to try. He knows at least not to beg. He’s seen angel, mortal and demon beg God time and time again. Michael has seen the answer that follows. Michael has been the answer that follows.

So instead he asks. A simple word.

“Please.”

God just smiles and shakes his head. A solemn but distinctive no. There is a scream that wretches its way through his body, but when he opens his mouth, it does not come out. But it is not for the loss, this noise that threatens to deafen him. It is for the foolishness in thinking he might change God’s mind. The stupidity in thinking he could be more than an angel formed blade. 

There is no thought, no desire in steel. Nothing but the familiar cold of the pommel and a strong sense of duty.

Michael straightens his back, rigid and iron like. He buries a bird.

It’s the first time Michael truly deals in death. It’s the first time he lets death touch him. Later, when he’s picking away at the pieces of his soul, he’ll wish he’d never let it reach that deep. Because wound tightly around his heart, death holds tight.

It may never let them go.

FIGURE 4.

He remembers every lesson he has ever learned at God’s side. The ones that were easy are sweet and simple. The ones that came hard, something darker and richer. He remembers the ones that tasted bittersweet. He remembers victory and failure. And he remembers the Father’s smile when Michael had pleased Him. There are whispers amongst his brethren. They fall silent when they approach, but they do not sit at God’s right side for nothing. He hears them, and their discontent. They think he does not understand, and maybe they are right.

But what they have failed to realize is that Michael never forgets. Not even a single moment. 

And yet, he still asks.

The girl is only three and Michael cannot find the logic behind it. There are no sins that weigh down her soul, no wrong doings she is being held to. Her parents even are good people, loyal to God. All that means nothing but it causes the sting they feel upon looking at her to vibrate deep within them. There is no reason for her death beside the abject horror of it. All Michael can see when he looks at her is a bird plummeting to the ground, wings held too close. And when she cries, he can hear the sinking thud of something so very mortal slipping between his fingers. The sound of a bird that hit the ground.

So he asks, the want burning him up from the inside.

God just smiles and shakes his head.

A solemn but distinctive no.

Something inside of Michael breaks and he does not know how to fix it. Because God did not teach him this lesson. He must learn it on his own.

FIGURE 5.

At the end, it is not himself who needs convincing but the Cherubim by his side. Some of him has known this ending and its inevitability since the moment he first craved one damning smile. Michael just wishes it would hurt Zadkiel a little less. Wishes he could have understood the crueller nature of their Father—how it’s only ever led Zadkiel to pain—so much sooner. ‘Poor Zadkiel’, he’ll think, instead of ‘poor Michael’.

(He forces his brethren to withstand the weight of his emotions as well as their own.)

“Help me finish this.” It wants to be a command, Michael is so good at commanding. But in the shadow of what is about to come, he cannot stop himself from asking. He needs Zadkiel on his side, needs him to understand this is right.

This is right.

This is for the best.

Michael must kill God.

There is one small nod, one small validation, and it soothes the frantic beating of his heart. The thing that started this journey in the first place. It does not go unnoticed to him that it is something else, someone else, that finally settles them into action. He turns from the Cherubim, Zadkiel’s job is done. The doors swing wide on his command.

He is a weapon, forged for duty without mercy, and that is how he stands before Him. The blade to His throat comes quickly. Michael knows His every move before it comes. This is his Father, this is who first held a sword against him. And Michael has never forgotten.

So God falls.

The thunder shakes the ground on which he stands. It should feel like a victory, but as he hauls in one short breath, Michael feels hollow. He mistakes it for peace.

And then he sees it, a flash of silver to follow the body of the Father. He knows the blade as Zadkiel’s just as he knows his own. Something dark and heavy settles around his heart.

Weak. He thinks, and the thought weighs heavier on his head than the crown he just won.

“half gods are worshipped in wine and flowers

real gods require blood.”

Extras 

WINGS. From afar, Michael’s wings look soft and simple. A brilliant bronze and gold to rival that of his own weapon. But as one comes closer, it is clear that their wings are much more sinister in nature. Each “feather” is in fact a small, sharp weapon. The color of bronze fades way to the real metal. Michael’s wings, like all of him, are a weapon.

FIGHTING STYLE. At his side, Michael carries a sword. It has been his favored blade since gifted to him by God. It is more rapier than broadsword, and Michael favors a more elegant form of battle. He is a dueler by nature, the finesse of the craft allows for him to show off at one of the things he is most proficient at. But at the end of the day, Michael is a being made to destroy. Backed into a corner, he has the strength and fight to hold his own.

FASHION. There is an ease and simplicity to Michael’s style. Nothing is overstated. In fact, he looks almost subdued in the face of some of his brethren. But Michael knows his strengths, and it is the understated nature of his garments that draw the eye. Because, just when you think there is nothing to see, the intricate details of some fabric or the sparkle of something crystalline and expensive will catch the eye.

TAG. MOCKBLOG

[thorin-is-a-cuddler]

Just wear a smile - Tony’s Day

A/N: How AWESOME is the fact that @anasticklefics​ is celebrating the OG Avengers for an entire week in this beautiful december month?? I can barely contain my emotions and will participate - better late than never. Here is my last minute Tony Stark tickle fic, featuring Tony and Clint.

Clint was about to enter the room Tony had messaged him to join him in - after having taken a wrong turn to the wrong floor, where he had accidentally witnessed Bruce Banner practice an imaginative Jimmy Fallon interview - for his nose fracture scan. This nose of his had been broken multiple times already, but it was his first technological treatment since he had started his lifelong nosebreaking spree. JARVIS was apparently visualizing the fractured bone during that procedure to build a metal splint that Clint could later on apply to the bridge of his nose - it was supposed to offer maximum healing quality results. Natasha had already joked it would probably be like a beauty surgery for Clint whom she had never gotten to know with a pre-break-nose. The thought appealed to the archer.

Anyway, he was about to enter the room when something soft hit him in the face, accompanied by a frustrated human sound. 

Clint picked the thing from his still quite sore nose and identified it as a Metal Band shirt. Black Sabbath. He knew the album covers due to Tony’s collection. 

With a questioning glance did he look around the corner of the door frame only to see his teammate stand in front of a large cupboard filled with clothes. Or... well, it must have been filled with clothes once upon a time. Now? They were scattered all over the floor, piling up to hills or flattening out to landscapes of cotton. The archer cleared his throat. 

Tony turned around to reveal a thoughtful, slightly hysterical expression. He smiled despite it. Oh, also he wasn’t wearing a shirt. The arc reactor in his chest was bright and fascinating and Clint had to immediately fight the urge to touch it. He was surprisingly buff. Not that Clint hadn’t expected him to be in a good shape.

“There you are.” Tony stated matter of factly and waded towards him through the sea of textiles as if that were a normal thing to do. He took the Black Sabbath shirt out of Clint’s hand, took him by the shoulder and guided him to a chair. “It’s about time. I got to get ready for a date.” 

“Oh.” Clint made and nodded. He must have sounded a tad bit too insightful, because Tony stopped walking and looked at him appraisingly. 

“What do you mean oh?”

Clint shrugged and sat down on the edge of the table next to the chair - it was barely visible underneath the pile of clothes on top. “Oh means oh. As in oh, you’ve got a date and now you’re freaking out. It appears more normal to me now. This mess, I mean.” 

Tony’s eyes reflected frustration and fear now. His shoulders sagged down a little. “I am freaking out.”

“Yep. I figured.”

“And I don’t know how to freak back in.” “Er.. right.”

“Clint, I will gladly scan your nose and let JARVIS build a metal splint for you. But first, I really need your help.”

“Let me guess. You can’t decide what to wear?”

Tony let out a hysterical chuckle in response. Clint crossed his muscled arms in front of his chest and smirked. “Why ask me? You’ve got five other opinions available.”

“Looks like you are the one to call when someone feels a bit self-conscious.”

At that Clint actually had to give him a crooked smile. 

Tony gathered up some shirts from the floor and put them on the bed nearby. He then started to hold up each of them in front of his body for a short time, explaining shortly why he believed them to be good choices, before talking himself out of the decision and disposing of the loser-shirt. 

After the tenth piece of clothing dropped to the ground Clint still hadn’t said a word. He was squinting his eyes at Tony considerately and waited for his panic to subside due to his friend’s presence in the room. After shirt number 14 Clint was sure this moment of restored peace of mind wouldn’t befall Tony. He stood up from the table with a sigh and put his hands on his hips. Tony dropped the black shirt in his hands, shut his mouth and stared at Clint expectantly. 

“What? Did you decide? Is one of them the perfect choice? Talk to me, Barton. Give me something to work with.”

Clint chuckled and pointed at Tony’s face. “You know what you have to wear to this obviously special date with Pepper?”

Tony wrung his hands. “Isn’t this question the reason why you’re here??”

“You have to wear a smile.” 

There was a pause. Tony looked at Clint with a tense expression, his eyes showing the archer well enough that he wasn’t capable of instant relaxation. No problemo was what Hawkeye thought to that. He knew just how to cheer a person up. He didn’t have a reputation of being insufferable for nothing. Even Cap had already fallen victim to his cheer-up-attacks and he hadn’t yet been sneaky enough to get him for revenge - though he’d tried.

“This is an easy task, Tony.” Clint took a step closer to the abashed Iron Man. “Once you’re all smily and happy...” Another step closer, over a Metallica shirt. “... what’s it matter which shirt you wear?” 

“Barton.” Tony took a step back when he realized how close Clint had gotten in that short span of time. 

“I’m just trying to help you here.” Clint smirked and stepped over another bundle of clothes. He was ready to pounce any second now.

“Why are you following me? Clint!” In the brown eyes of the billionaire the tension was already making place for something else: anticipation. Six touch-starved idiots under one roof could make for some ... you know ... wish to be touched. It wasn’t surprising that Tony was scared of his date. Pepper was intelligent and cool and needed special attention. Tony probably was doubting his ability to make her happy. Clint knew that was bullshit, but it would take a lot to make Tony realize that. He certainly couldn’t convince him. What he could perfectly convince him of though was the need to laugh. Oh, he could make people laugh. People tended to know.

“You know.” Clint said and bent down, picking up a t-shirt at random. “I believe you could really pull of ... THIS!” Quickly and precisely he threw the shirt in Tony’s face, a face that was busy shouting by now, while Clint flung himself forward and tackled the man to the ground. They had a nice, soft landing among all the different fabrics. Clint almost started to wail though when Tony’s helpless hands hit against his nose, but he managed to swallow it and do quick work with his agile fingers. 

“BARTON DON’T YOU DAHAHHAHARE!!” Tony yelled into the white shirt that was still covering his face when Clint’s hands started dancing up and down his bare upper body. He arched his back and threw his head from one side to the other trying to decide instinctively which action had priority: pulling Clint’s hands away from his ticklish spots or removing the shirt from his face. Those scribbling finger certainly tickled like hell.

“Hey, would you look at that! Blindingly white! That’s what the women like.” Cheekily Clint wormed his fingers underneath the shirt to scratch at Tony’s neck, getting an actual shriek out of the twitching man on the floor. 

“STAHHAHAP!! Clihihiihihint! You- you utter ahahahahhaHAHA!!! AAHHASSHOOOLE!!!” Tony threw the shirt away, sending it flying across the room before he tried to gain control over Clint’s merciless hands. His cheeks were blushed slightly, his eyes glistening with tears of laughter and his teeth sparkling with the expanse of his smile. 

“That’s way better, Tony. How could you not be the salt to her pepper dressed with a smile like that?” 

Tony threw his head back in laughter when Clint managed to pin down one of his wrists to get a the really ticklish hollow under his arm. “NOHOOHOH PLEHEHEHEASE!!!”

“Does she know you’re this ticklish? She certainly has to know. This’ll make it easier for the both of you.” Clint smirked when Tony’s laughter turned silent at the ticklish treatment in his armpit. He shook his head wildly and wheezed. “OKAY OKAY!!! PLEHEHHEHEASE PLEHHEEHEASE STAHAHHAAP!! CLIIHIIHNT!!!”

“Alright, alright.” Clint let go off Tony’s wrist and sat back with his arms crossed. The poor man tried to get some air back inside his lungs, but his smile stayed on his face. He grabbed a handful of fabric and threw it at Clint as a retort. The archer didn’t even flinch.

“I feel like maybe I should continue just a few seconds longer...” Clint snarled dangerously and tweaked Tony’s sides a few times.

“Noho NOHO PLEASE. NOOO!!” Tony kicked himself out of Clint’s reach with his arms raised defenively and his stomach dancing up and down with the left-over giggles. He looked at Clint with a way calmer expression than he had minutes ago. 

“Now. That’s much better. I don’t think you have to worry about anything tonight, Tony.” Clint scrambled past Tony to grab the white shirt he had hauled across the room due to tickle reflexes. “If you wear this shirt in addition to your tousled giggly look, what can go wrong?”

Tony took the shirt from Clint and smiled gratefully. “You are so annoying.”

“Always happy to help.” Clint responded with a grin. 

They shared a moment of companionable silence when suddenly Tony’s smile fell. “Is that- is your nose bleeding?”

“Probably. You hit it pretty good.”

“You were tickling me.”

“It happens more often than you think.” 

“... We should really make that metal splint now.”

“Probably. Do you think I will be able to feel my nose again? It’s been two years.”

“Oh, Clint.”

[campfiretechnology]

Start Writing Strategically

It is no secret that writing regularly is the key to becoming a great writer. We have been told over and over again that we need to write x-amount of words a day or free-write for y-amount of time. These are certainly useful tactics but can be hard to keep up. Maybe you’ve tried these before and stopped after not making the progress you wanted. That doesn’t mean you are a bad writer or lazy. It just means that you’re in need of some strategy and structure.

If you’d rather watch a video than read a blog, check out our video on the same topic here.

Part of establishing this new writing habit involves some psychological trickery. We are intelligent human beings, but we are also animals. There is the logical part of our brain that says things like “I should go to bed before midnight” and “I should eat fewer french fries.” But there is also the primitive part that only cares about food, water, and reproduction.

We need to be very aware of this part of ourselves. We constantly have a voice inside our heads that is looking for immediate gratification, and sadly writing doesn’t always provide that. Our goal is to combat that part of ourselves in a way that establishes a permanent and beneficial new routine.

This means we will need to address how we form new habits. Humans are incredibly habitual. Our brains reward us for doing things on a regular basis, which can work to our benefit and to our detriment. If you decide you want to start writing and just do it whenever inspiration strikes, you are setting yourself up for failure. Find time to regularly write. I know that’s easier said than done, but there are ways to help you establish a new routine.

Finding Time

Often when we start something new, we just find a time in our schedule and throw it wherever it fits best, but we don’t pay attention to an important question: What were we doing with that time before? Podcaster and Youtuber CGP Grey has a great theory on this. He says that to effectively establish a new habit, we need to be time neutral. When we add new things to our schedule, we need to take equivalent things out. Otherwise, we will tend to revert to whatever filled that space before.

Maybe you have a lot of free time and think this won’t be an issue for you, but we still fill our free time in habitual ways. No matter what our schedule looks like, something will likely have to go. We need to be careful about what we choose, though. Some habits are stronger than others, and it may be easier and more effective to remove one rather than another. We must remain aware of the primitive beast that lurks within.

Here’s a personal example: When I was in college, I wanted to start working out. I tried to start multiple times, to no avail. I would go whenever it worked for my schedule and never established a consistent workout routine. After a couple years of false starts, I came across CGP Grey’s theory. I looked at my schedule and saw how full it was. Classes, internships, homework, and media production filled almost every moment of every day.

I realized that if I wanted to get serious about working out, something had to go. I was working morning radio at my university’s student station, and I decided my time was up there. I quit the station and decided that early mornings were for the gym. I was able to make a time neutral change to my schedule, and I was actually able to keep with it!

Address Roadblocks

It will no doubt take some experimenting to establish a new schedule. We all have different inclinations and habits, and we may need to play around and see what works. It is important to record what does and doesn’t work. If we stay aware of the things that keep us from writing, then we can plan for them and adjust accordingly.

Identify the things that we think will help us maintain the habit and the things that hold us back. As we start to see these tendencies play out over and over again then we can really start to address them.

To continue my example from earlier: I actually didn’t just start working out regularly right out of the gate. I fell into the trap that many people fall into when it comes to exercise. Day one, I hit it hard then woke up the next day super sore and didn’t go back. This caused a few more false starts and the ever-familiar “I’ll try again next week.” I would get upset at myself for not working through the soreness which would lead to self-doubt about the whole situation.

Eventually, I came up with a new plan: start small. I decided not to work out so much that I got sore, because I knew I wouldn’t go to the gym the next day if I did. That was when I actually started hitting the gym on a regular basis, and I was able to slowly build up to where  I wanted to be. I identified the things that kept me from what I wanted to do and addressed them.

In terms of writing, I know that my phone has often been an issue. It is a grand distraction. Every little notification has the ability to completely derail me. Step 1 for me was putting it on do not disturb mode, and while that helped, it didn’t completely resolve my issues. I would still instinctually pick up my phone and start scrolling through some app designed to steal my attention. So I downloaded an app designed to block distracting apps during my writing time.

That helped a lot. Sometimes I still find myself still disabling that app and scrolling anyway, but at this point, if I am having a particularly hard time with my phone, I just put it in the other room. Even small things like that can help us stay consistent and effective.

An important thing to address here is the feeling of self-doubt caused by failure to stick to our new habit. It is inevitable, and we all feel it. It is hard to distance our self-worth from our failures, but if we stay aware of what caused us to fail, then we haven’t failed at all. We’ve learned. In the words of Adam Savage, “Failure is always an option.” Establishing a new habit is incredibly difficult, and just because you’ve been unsuccessful in the past doesn’t mean you always will be. Take those failed attempts, see what caused them, and then address it.

Goals

Our brains love to hit goals. When we hit a goal we’ve set, our brain will reward us for it in the form of chemicals. As we associate these chemical hits with a certain task, we will be more likely to do a task again. When we eat food with a lot of sugar, our brains reward us with dopamine, so we tend to really like sugar!

If you start setting and reaching writing goals, you can trick your brain to reward you for writing. This helps change your habit from something that your logical brain wants into something that the primitive brain also craves. Turn writing into sugar!

As with anything else, we need to be strategic. People like Stephen King will tell you “write 1000 words a day,” but you might be setting yourself up for failure if that’s where you start. Start with something manageable and stick to it. Writing 1000 words a day will no doubt help you become a better writer, but not if you aren’t able to do it consistently. When it comes to setting goals, it’s important to be somewhat conservative.

If you set goals that you aren’t likely to accomplish, you will experience the opposite of the desired effect. Your brain will start to associate the failure of not hitting goals with writing and will be dis-incentivized from doing it. We need to set attainable goals and increase them over time. Then we can work our way to 1000 words a day or whatever your daily goal is.

Starting writing can be incredibly hard. It isn’t as easy as “just doing it.” Once we become conscious of the things that hold us back, we can really start to hone our craft. Having a consistent writing plan will provide a path for you to improve. Obviously, there are other things we can do along the way to help we’ll address in future blog posts, but the first step is starting.

Don’t forget to put your plan in action with our Let’s Find Time worksheet. If you have any questions or comments, join the discussion on our Discord! For more writing advice, check out our YouTube videos on the Campfire Technology YouTube Channel.

[femmefatalevibe]

How to be more disciplined?

HOW TO CULTIVATE SELF-DISCIPLINE:

Know Your Why: Always Keep The End In Mind 

Keep Small Promises To Yourself. Make Them Non-Negotiable. 

Create And Consistently Log Your Progress 

Take Temptations Out Of Sight 

Find Indulgences To Help You Focus On Your Goals 

Know Your Why: Always Keep The End In Mind 

Decisiveness drives discipline. You need to clarify and define your goals. State them clearly with their authentic purpose in mind. If you seduce this end goal into your life, what desire are you truly fulfilling? Ex. If you want to lose 10 pounds: Is it to feel healthier? Look better in a bikini? Fit into a certain pair of jeans? No matter how superficial, identify the genuine reason why you want to achieve a certain goal. Whatever reason elicits a visceral and emotional reaction. Sometimes, especially during a busy work day, your reason could be as simple as wanting to lessen your anxiety and ease into a more relaxed state. Any purpose that resonates. Once you have an emotional response tied to a goal, it becomes infinitely easier to motivate yourself to take small steps towards achieving it. Where energy goes, energy flow. Simon Sinek goes more in-depth with this concept in Start With Why.

Keep Small Promises To Yourself. Make Them Non-Negotiable.

Think of performing self-discipline rituals as confidence-building exercises. This action helps you trust yourself, establishes a sense of integrity, and builds self-confidence. For example, if you stick to your meal and workout plan for 5 days a week, you build trust in knowing you're more powerful than your cravings and are capable of taking good care of your body. If you complete a project on schedule (personal or professional), you prove to yourself that you’re efficient, build confidence in your ability to finish tasks you start, and self-affirm that you follow through on your ideas. Finishing that book this month reflects confirms that you value yourself enough to expand your mind, learn, and expand your knowledge base. Eventually, through enough consistent repetition, these rituals into unconscious habits that you do effortlessly in daily life. 

Create And Consistently Log Your Progress 

You can’t manage what you don’t measure – your finances, calorie and step counts, workouts, productivity, etc. Tracking data related to your habits – such as your spending habits, eating or workout patterns, writing word count, and task completion – on a given day or week – allows you to understand and analyze your current behavior. What habit cues, environmental or other situational factors are keeping you from sticking to the current task at hand? Do you leave your running shoes stuffed in the back of the closet? Junk food in the house? Work from bed or with your phone by your side? Are you avoiding certain emotions? Does this data change when you’re stressed or tired?  

Awareness is the first step towards redirected action. Analyze these data points to see your pitfalls and strategize how to help yourself. 

Take Temptations Out Of Sight

Set yourself up to win. Get the phone away from your workspace, remove any junk food or soda from the house, delete apps, or silence notifications from people who distract you from your goals. Self-discipline becomes significantly easier when you have to take additional steps to indulge in your vices. Replace these temptations with helpful cues to help you build healthier habits that lead to self-discipline. Give yourself visual cues to move you toward your goals. Keep a journal with a pen next to your bed. Leave your workout clothes and shoes out near your bed. Write a quick to-do list right before finishing work for the following day, so it’s easier to jump into the first task right away the next morning. Cut up some produce or do a 30-60 minute meal prep once a week to eat more healthful meals. Find ways to make it easier to stay on track than give in to temptation. 

Find Indulgences To Help You Focus On Your Goals 

Self-discipline shouldn’t feel like deprivation – of certain foods, pastimes, or activities you enjoy. Buy cute workout clothes you feel confident in. Create the most dance-worthy playlist. Make it a priority to buy your favorite fruits and vegetables every week. Rotate a selection of your favorite healthy meals. Leave your sunscreen out – front and center – on your bathroom counter. Find a big, beautiful water bottle to keep on your desk. Purchase aesthetic notebooks, pens, planners, journals, and other office organization items. To make self-discipline feel like second nature, you need to marry indulgences and your desire to meet your goals. Discover the habits that work for you and find small ways to make these tasks more enjoyable. 

Go easy on yourself. Build one habit at a time. Self-discipline is like a muscle. It requires time to build and grows in increments. Try to stay on track and more focused than yesterday. Your only competition is your former self. Find pleasure in the process. Focus on the immediate task in front of you while also keeping your future self in mind. 

[starwritten-readings-blog]

✵ collective reading for Samhain & Mercury Rx in Scorpio ✵

✵ if you were brought here today, however that may have occurred, and you are seeing this post, then please - read ahead. it is meant for you. yes, it is a sign. accept the sign for what it is, and enjoy. ✵

hello again ✵ I didn’t expect today’s spread to end up being this large, so we’re off of my traditional reading cloth today! I’ve missed doing readings and I hope to make this more regular. today’s message is pretty loaded, so get ready. I hope that you will find what you are looking for in these words, and remember, what you are looking for was already inside of you all along.

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for today’s spread, we will be moving through the traditional tarot deck, then the Goddess cards, then the Elder Futhark runes, and then through the Illustrated Herbiary. there is no real spread to this; rather, it is one message that came to me for you. some of these I have identified, others are simply clarification. the primary message tends to come, I find, from the tarot deck.

READ AHEAD to receive the reading!

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card one, your current state: Eight of Swords, reversed ||| what a place to start. in its upright form, the Eight of Swords traditionally means that you have imprisoned yourself - or been imprisoned - by what seems an unending maze of problems. when reversed, this meaning is even greater. it seems like you may be feeling enclosed by guilt, or paralyzed by indecision. you will notice that the person on the card is blindfolded: they are unable to see anything, and they are bound by a cord, so they cannot rely on other senses to gain freedom. what is blocking you? what is stopping you? is there information that you feel like you do not know? are you trapping yourself, or is someone else trapping you? let’s move forward and see what else we can learn about this situation. 

card two, your obstacle/issue/roadblock: Nine of Pentacles ||| we know that pentacles appear when the issue relates to property, security, commerce, and other materials with which we manifest the surroundings of our lives. this card in particular has many meanings, yet in this case and in the context of card one... I’m wondering if you’re contending with willful ignorance on your own part. you feel lonely, and you feel like you have to face these problems by yourself... why? who made you feel that way? who caused you to believe that aloneness must mean loneliness? this is something that you can overcome, but it will take effort. interrogate why you have been closing yourself off from anyone who is unique or different. prosperity is on it’s way, but only if you learn to accept it.

card three, your outgoing/incoming energy: Ace of Cups, reversed ||| as these previous cards suggest, you’re facing roadblocks in terms of your energy. it seems as if you’ve had some unrealistic perceptions of the circumstances in which you find yourself. to break yourself out of this, strengthen your connection to your creative, emotional, and spiritual ties. be receptive to what’s surrounding you. the answers you need are all around you: in nature, in the people you know, and in yourself. just keep looking.

clarifiers (Tarot): Nine of Cups & King of Cups ||| from the Nine of Cups, I’m sensing again that you are ignoring the resources around you. you have people who love you, you have a future... you may not feel like it, but it’s there (and if you’re in a darker time, this is a great sign it’s coming for you). enjoy your life. a wise woman said to me not long ago: “be thankful you woke up today, because I am.” I’m thankful that you woke up, friend - we have this wonderful gift that is life. don’t block yourself in with what you saw in card one by believing that you are alone in it. from the King of Cups, we have yet another assurance that you are not alone in this world. this card suggests that you’re on the path to stability, if only you leverage the resources around you to create that stability. he sits in water because he is resting with the current, on an even surface: the waves affect him not. don’t let the waves affect you.

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Butterfly Maiden, “Transformation” ||| the message on this card reads: “You are experiencing enormous change, which brings great blessings.” prosperity is coming for you, like we said earlier. accept the transformative power and allow yourself to cut the binds that imprison you. remember you are not alone.

Vesta, “Home” ||| the message on this card reads: “Your household situation is improving, either through a move or a healthy chance in the occupants.” things are shifting, which may be the source of those feelings of loneliness that you have. look at this new time of aloneness as an opportunity for inward seeking and growth. look to others for friendship and community. broaden your horizons! if you are in a busy living situation, this could perhaps suggest you need to work on constructing your own safe space to freely express your emotions and creativity - if improvement does not come naturally, create it yourself.

Hathor, “Receptivity” ||| the message on this card reads: “Allow yourself to receive. This will increase your intuition, energy, and ability to give to others.” what did we tell you, sunshine? receive that positive energy, seek equilibrium in the waves, and look outside of yourself (and always, always inside of yourself) for the answers you’re seeking. release those feelings of entrapment and take a deep breathe... you’re alive. this is your life. how do you want to live it? now go, and do just that.

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Ansuz ||| this Elder Futhark rune traditionally denotes an incoming message, or a signal of health and wisdom to come. I believe that the truth will reveal itself to you soon - maybe once you learn to release those binds and remove your blindfold.

Jera ||| this rune suggests the realization of your goals and hard work! this tells me that if you are willing to put the work in to change your life, then you WILL get the results you’re seeking. no one person can tell you how this needs to be done - and in fact, no one should, but yourself. you control your life, and no one else must live it except for YOU.

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Comfrey (herb), “What needs mending?” ||| the herb Comfrey invites you to seek what it is that is broken and in need of fixing. develop that solid foundation that the King of Cups told you about, and work on any perceptions you have that may be unrealistic, as the reversed Ace of Cups told you. a practice for letting go that I find I love very much includes setting a timer for ten minutes and taking a blank, unlined sheet of paper. write as much as you can about whatever it is that’s really grinding your gears, so to speak. what’s really getting to you? what makes you angry? what’s hurting you? write it all down. when you’re done, take that paper, and just absolutely destroy it. dunk it in water, SAFELY light it on fire, tear it to pieces, smash and crumple it - whatever you can or need to do, do it. when you’re done, mindfully dispose of that paper somewhere that is outside of your home (but don’t litter!).

Nettle (herb), “Pay attention!” ||| the Nettle asks you - no, orders you - to look around. the eye on the card is staring right at you and asking you to inquire about the context of your surroundings and self. the eye also asks you to see your surroundings for what they truly are. is someone hurting you that you have been ignoring? are you perhaps hurting someone, and ignoring that? have you wrongfully judged someone when you simply didn’t know them? remember those feelings of loneliness - others have that, too. the Illustrated Herbiary asks the reader to think of unique things about the people around them. distinguish the spirits of those around you. each soul is unique, including yourself. in accepting the differences of others, it becomes easier to accept diverse differences in ourselves. remember that.

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Decks Used: Smith-Waite Tarot Deck Centennial Edition; Goddess Guidance Oracle Cards (Virtue); The Illustrated Herbiary; handmade Elder Futhark runes deck

✵DISCLAIMER✵: THIS IS A GENERAL, COLLECTIVE READING. IT CANNOT AND WILL NOT RESONATE WITH EVERY READER. THE READING IS TIMELESS, AND THE INTENTIONS SET ARE WITH THE UTMOST POSITIVITY.

[lumina-chronicles]

The Lumina Chronicles (A Writeblr Intro-Post Thingy)

Okay so, I love character asks/tag games and interracting with the writeblr community, but I realized I only sporadically talk about my work and my characters. I figured it was high time I compile everything in one easily accessible post. 

I’m not entirely sure the best way to go about this so I’ll try my best. Have mercy on me and please feel free to ask any questions you may have! 

This is going to be a stream of conscious BEAST so I appologize in advance for any and all typos, and for all the times I’ll no doubt bounce around and probably forget things. In order to not clutter up dashes and make everyone hate me, everything will be under the cut :) 

_____________

THE STORY

(credit to the amaaaazingly talented mari_gdraws on instagram for this stunning cover. Go commission her, its worth it.)

First thing’s first, this is a Portal Fantasy. If you don’t know what that means, think Alice in Wonderland, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Wizard of Oz, any story where someone from our world gets transported by magical means (usually by accident but not always) to a fantasy world. 

Second, I have been working on different variations of this series for over a decade. I started writing the first itteration of this concept when I was a 13 year old weirdo who thought I was the greatest thing to ever happen to writing. (Hint: I wasn’t. I still am not, but at least I’ve grown enough to recognize that.) I may share snippets of the original 2009 draft sometime, but be warned its steaming hot garbage. Good for a laugh though. tl;dr, I’ve been working on this story for too long, but these characters are my babies and I refuse to quit until I give them the story they deserve. 

ELEVATOR PITCH 

MAGGIE is a college girl who just wants to paint, stuck in a fantasy world with more ties to her life than she realizes. KINDLE is a wayward dragon dealing with PTSD, an obsessive fairy queen, and a stalling rebellion. ELLE, who wants nothing more than to find her missing best friend, is stuck babysitting (not literally) an angel (literally.)

^^^^^This is the really bad summary I have up on wattpad. The story is so much more than this but I’ve never been good at simplifying, hence 100k+ words of novel. 

WHAT THE STORY ACTUALLY IS

Blood vs Bonds. (What really makes a family?) 

A central cast who were children during a massive, life-altering war, now trying to pick up the pieces. 

Found Family goodness out the wahzoo. (There is a mermaid adopting you as we speak. Her name is Faye and she’s your mom now, welcome to the family.) 

A fox and a tree dating. They’re lesbians. I love them.

Not at all thinnly veiled bashing of imperialism, nationalism, and racism.

A few heavy concepts that I feel don’t get enough attention in media (pm me if you’d like to know since I don’t feel comfortable elaborating here, I’ll provide trigger warnings before explaining anything in-depth.)

The greatest bromance of all time, between a tired gen-Z nerd and a literal angel who doesn’t know how electricity works. 

Said literal angel becoming obsessed with pokemon. 

A moody dragon who loves to bake, and his ghost bff judging your every move. 

A dozen angsty conversations masquerading as a fantasy novel.

On the subject of masquerades, one of those happens too. What can I say, I’m weak. 

The slowest of slow burn ships. 

Time travel shenanigans.

Me, pouring all of my love and tears and blood into one singular project for over a decade, unabashedly celebrating every trope I love and telling the story teen me needed. 

_____________

THE WORLD

So this is the map of the “known world” for the planet I refer to as Ragilora. This name is never used in the canon of my stories and it stems from an inside joke, but its a lot easier to say than “*gestures vaguely* The Planet.” 

I am one of those authors who writes several unconnected series all set in the same fictional world, but for now, since I’m only talking about the Lumina Chronicles, we’re focusing on thiiiiiis chunk of the map right here: 

This chunk of land (which 13-year-old-me dubbed “The Shadow Realm,” 18-year-old-me expanded to the “’much more impressive’ Realm Under Twin Shadows,” and 22-year-old-me just refers to as “The SR”) is the only location we pay any attention to in the Lumina Chronicles, which (surprise, surprise) focuses on the conflicts between Lumina and the territories surrounding it. 

Important side note, Ragilora has two moons, hence the “twin shadows” thing. The moons come up a lot over the course of the story, especially since one of the cultures (Nox) believes their queen is a reincarnation of one of those moons. 

MOST IMPORTANT LOCATIONS

LUMINA

The human kingdom ruled by the Lousvar family. Self-important racist a-holes who took over most of the realm during the Orphaner’s War nine years ago. King Jareth Lousvar (the aformentioned Orphaner) hasn’t been seen in years, so who’s really running the nation? Your guess is as good as mine. That’s a lie, of course I know. 

IGNUS

Once the private, gorgeous desert home of the dragons, ruled by the Danthragnir clan. They were the main targets of the Orphaner’s War, and now Ignus sits as mostly unoccupied ruins. The dragons who surived the seige now live in hiding or are enslaved in Lumina. Their religion is my favorite of all the cultures in the story, and I’ll talk to you about it if you want, but I don’t wanna ramble here lol. 

NOX

The queendom of the fairies, not rules by any particular family. The current queen in Lydia D’Norse, Queen Lydianna Chrysanthus D’Norse, Mother of Her People, the Moon Made Flesh. This is the territory of magical moon-worshipping lesbians. Fairies are great, they’re my favorite race in the Lumina Chronicles. 

SPECIES/RACES

Human- Just your standard, magic-free human. Identifiable by their brown eyes. Any skintone/haircolor that can be found in nature. (A rare few have other colors for eyes, but that just means they aren’t fully human and will probably be shamed for this fact.) They hail from Lumina. Average height 5′9″.  Average lifespan 70-80yrs.

Dragon- Generally dark skinned with dark hair, identifiable by their Firestone (a comination of red/orange/gold/black that shifts and flickers like flames) eyes. Basically firebenders who can transform into the giant, winged lizards you think of when you imagine dragons. Almost all dragons have black scales in dragon form, though some have dark red or a sandy brown. From Ignus. Average height 6′6″, Average lifespan 80-90yrs. 

Angel- Generally pale skinned with either black or blonde hair, identifiable by their blue eyes and the fan of feathers behind their ears. Angels are a highly intelligent, long-lived species with massive feathered wings (either irridecent black if they have black hair, or white if they have blonde hair.) All angels have perfect recall and photographic memories, which is helpful for their self-imposed job as the Realm’s unbiased recordkeepers. They soulbond (explained in more detail further down.) From Aeterna. Average height 6′, Average lifespan 180-200yrs. 

Merfolk- All varieties of skintone and hair color, identifiable by the colorful scales around their green eyes (and the eyes themselves if living in a situation where scales ahve been forcibly removed.) While preferring to live out the majority of their lives underwater, merfolk must travel to land to reproduce. While on land, they have legs. As soon as their feet come in contact with water, they go back to having a tail. All merfolk wear skirts on land regardless of gender (could you imagine wearing jeans and accidentally stepping in a puddle and then your legs try to form into a tail with the fabric between them? Ouch.) From Siaboras and the surrounding waters. Average height 5′4″, Average lifespan 70-80yrs. 

Fairy- Generally pale skinned, all fairies have long pointed years, silver hair, and violet eyes. While they no longer posess wings, all fairies have the ability to produce a mind-altering magic known as “venom.” This venom is administered to a target through contact with the fairy’s skin, and can produce results ranging from euphoria and hallucinations to severe pain, memory alteration, and even death. Results depend on the specific fairy and the dosage of venom. A pregnant female fairy can produce a hazy purple cloud of venom outside their body to better protect themselves and their unborn child. Use of fairy venom as a recreational drug is outlawed (doesn’t stop fairy dens from popping up all over Lumina’s slums though.) From Nox.  Average height 4′9″, Average lifespan 45-50yrs. 

Shifter- All varieties of skintone and hair color, some that may not occur in humans. Identifiable by their golden eyes. While dragons mostly occupy their human form and can shift into giant lizards, Shifters are animals who can take human form. Their human form in some way resembles their animal form. Most prefer to be in their animal form and only take human form for the purpose of hunting larger prey or communicating with other species/variants of shifter. Others have chosen to completely integrate themselves into non-Shifter society and spend the majority of their time in human form. From the Wildlands. Average height 5′9″, Average lifespan 70-80yrs. 

Dryad- All dryads have brown/bark-colored skin and leaves for hair. Depending on the type of tree they come from, the length/thickness/color/style of this leaf-hair can vary. When a tree has fed off the magic of the realm for long enough, they develop the ability to take on a human form, and can shift between that and their tree form. They can feel emotion and learn language just as all other species/races, but they tend to be slightly more detached by default. From the Wildlands. Average height (in human form) 6′, Average lifespan uknown. A dryad will live as long as their grove lives. If their human form in destroyed, they can be replanted and will eventually regrow. 

OTHER IMPORTANT INFO

A few notes, mostly on sexuality in the Shadow Realm: 

- Bisexuality is considered to be “the default” just as heterosexuality is treated in our society. There are still people with preferences for one gender or another, but most just assume that if you don’t specify otherwise, you’re bi. 

- All angels are some variation of Ace/Demi/Gray-sexual. They mate for life in a process known as “soulbonding” to the first person they are sexually intimate with, literally joining their lifespans and spirits forever. 

- Soulbonded partners can communicate telepathically and access a shared memory-bank, including access to skills and languages. 

- It is perfectly valid for an angel to choose never to soulbond, and some choose to soulbond with a beloved friend rather than a romantic partner. 

- Dryads have no sex organs and are genderless by default. Some choose to present as feminine/masculine or use pronouns, but that’s a matter of preference and not neccessity. 

- All species can interbreed, but there are no “mixed-breeds.” Meaning if a dragon and a mermaid were to reproduce, the results wouldn’t be a mer-dragon  with the abilites/traits of both parents, the resulting child would be either a full-dragon or full-merfolk depending on the sex of the parents. 

Expanding on the above point, each species is either male or female dominant, with dominant meaning which sex of parent determines the species of their child with interbreeding. Dragons, Shifters, and Humans are male dominant. Angels, Merfolk, and Fairies are female dominant. Examples: 

Male Human + Female Dragon = human child (with red-tinted brown eyes) 

Female Human + Male Dragon = dragon child (with slightly duller firestone eyes)

Female Human + Male Fairy = coin-toss child (because humans are male dominant and fairies are female dominant, this duo would cancel each other out and the child would either be a fairy or a human.) 

_____________

THE CHARACTERS (aka the real reason I made this masterpost) 

all character art by needlessly_cryptic

NARRATORS

The three protagonists of the series. Maggie is our portal-hopper, having travelled from our present day world to the fantasy world of the SR. Kindle is one of the few surviving dragons and has never known any world but the SR. Elle, also from our world, spends the whole book in our world trying to figure out wtf happened to Maggie, while also dealing with Marc (an angel from the SR who came to our world around the same time Maggie vanished.) 

^ Magdalyn, she/her, Human, 20yrs old. Heterosexual. ^

^ Kindle, he/him, Dragon, 22yrs old. Asexual. ^

^ Estelle, she/her, Human, 19yrs old. Bisexual. ^ 

ELLE’S PARTNER IN CRIME 

Formerly of the Abandoned Order, now trapped in our world with no idea what to do or how to get back. He gets his own segment because I can’t really put him anywhere else. (Those are feathers behind his ears.) 

^ Marcellus, he/him, Angel, 20yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. ^

THE ABANDONED ORDER 

A ragtag group of former war-orphans and child-soldiers trying to pick up the pieces after the war’s end, and finding the strength in each other to take back their stolen home lands from the oppressive kingdom of Lumina. Kindle’s family. Maggie’s... well she’s not quite sure. 

ALLIES

^ Faye, she/her, Mermaid, 26yrs old. Bisexual. Soulbonded to Seraphim.^ 

^ Carlyle, he/him or they/them, Ghost (former human), forever 20yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. ^

(A note on Carlyle: they can only be seen/heard by Kindle and later Maggie.) 

^ Pina, She/her, Mermaid, 17yrs old. Lesbian. ^

^ Em, She/her, Dryad, ???yrs old. Lesbian. Married to Inari. ^

^ Rhiannon, She/her, Angel, 24yrs old. Biromantic Demisexual. Soulbonded to Isidor. ^

^ Izzy, He/him (trans), Fairy, 23yrs old. Heterosexual. Soulbonded to Rhiannon.^

ENEMIES(?)

^ Lydia, she/her, Fairy, 18yrs old. Bisexual. “Soulbonded” to Seraphim. ^ 

^Ser, he/him, Angel, 25yrs old. Biromantic Asexual. Soulbonded to Faye Lydia.^

^ Jakoby, he/him, Shifter(snake), 27yrs old. Lydia-sexual. ^ 

^ Nar, she/her, Shifter(fox), 23yrs old. Lesbian. Married to Emrys. ^ 

LUMINA

The children of the victors. Are they all as bad as their parents, or will they become part of the change and strive towards a better future? *shrug* 

^ Cas, he/him, Human, 20yrs old. Bisexual. My son. ^ 

^ Rainette, she/her, Human, 17yrs old. Heterosexual. Betrothed to Favaro. ^ 

^ Juju, he/him, Human, 24 yrs old. Gay. Bodyguard to Prince Cas. ^

^ Tobi, he/him, Human, 18yrs old. Bisexual. Bodyguard and boyfriend to Princess Raini. ^  

^ Ander, he/him, Human, 21yrs old. Gay especially for Julian. ^ 

^ Favaro, he/him, Human, 22yrs old. Asexual and Aromantic. Betrothed to Princess Raini. ^

PRECIOUS CHILD WHO ISN’T INTRODUCED UNTIL BOOK TWO

^ Khatalanya, she/her, Dragon, 16yrs old. Lesbian. In love with VENGEANCE. ^

_______________

IN CONCLUSION

this really was a dumpster fire lol. If you would like to know more about specific characters or races or aspects of my world, feel free to ask! I’m gonna link this to an easily accessible part of my profile somehow. But yeah, mostly just admire my children. I love them all, even the horrible ones. 

[problamsolverarch]

INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT LOU.

DO NOT REBLOG.

01.  despite her impulsive, spur of the moment outlook on life and ‘ you gotta work for your own self ’ philosophy, lou is the one that states she and mickey are reliable when ethan prompts them to act upon their promise to take down new eden.   reliable.   meaning trustworthy.   the line suggests lou, without mickey’s help, recognizes what trust is and that, while she could lie and jump ship when questioned, she instead carries out whatever she promised to do.   it means lou recognizes someone’s word still counts for something  -  likely because mickey’s drilled it into her head but nevertheless  -  and that trading between the highwaymen and others is likely to take place as a mutual understanding of survival.   however, there’s no promise of what will happen once that deal is broken or has been carried out.  it’s likely her reliability stretches only as far as your usefulness to her.

02.  there is method to her madness.   lou is very intelligent.   she doesn’t just take lives as she pleases without any thought.   she understands how important every resource is.  knows better than to throw away something that could make life better / easier.   granted, that only extends to herself and sometimes mickey, however, there’s still a reason behind every drop of blood on her hands.   for example, when barnes begins blabbering about how much rush’s people are capable of, lou locks onto him like a hawk and asks one question : you can build all that ?   barnes’ fatal mistake was answering with  “ not me.�� but rush here . . . ”   lou’s question is specifically tailored to deem someone’s usefulness.   whether they’re a problem solver or not.   barnes unintentionally admitted he was useless and that rush was the big score, which is why  -  upon rush disrespecting her, barnes was the one that paid.  it’s also why she immediately moved to intimidate rush, because she noted barnes wasn’t the one to be asking.

03.  you’re either with us or against us.   lou holds to this thought process much tighter than her sister.   to the point where she’s able to leave her own mother kneeling in the dirt and never look back.   it’s ideologies such as this which makes lou come across as blunt and cold as she often does.   it was a method of self-protection before her aspd developed, allowing her to detach from anyone in her life in order to move on and achieve her desires.   it’s another reason why killing her father had been so easy.   that, and ‘ problem makers need to be solved. ’   what you might deem as violent or cold-hearted are simply survival mechanisms lou’s been taught / learnt from a very young age.

04.  lou has little to no regard for the lives around her.  in fact, when she’s manhandling a grenade that could blow up herself and everyone around her ?   the thought doesn’t even cross her mind.   while this is primarily due to her aspd, lou and her sister have also been massively desensitized to violence and life-threatening situations through being with the highwaymen.   it’s why she removes the safety pin without any hesitation.   why she’s so willing to charge into a fight without any preparation.   since we know lou cares for her sister, possessing no care / consideration has no part in this behaviour as mickey’s right there when she pulls the pin.  it’s more about making a point first, asking questions later.   but the fact that no one would be alive to ask questions later doesn’t occur to her.

05.  “ better put those down, you don’t wanna scare the kids, ”   and   “ don’t drop it, ”   when she hands the grenade to one of the children is an expression of confusion.   lou rarely possesses the ability to feel jealousy / envy ( going back to the desensitization in 04 ), which is why she doesn’t think about what her childhood could’ve been like as a younger highwayman.  but when faced with children that are afraid and that haven’t been desensitized / exposed to danger, there’s an element of confusion.  of responsibility.   she believes children are meant to go through the process of feeling indescribable fear in order to grow, develop and survive.  it’s all she witnessed as a highwayman  -  all she experienced.   people tormenting her, people pushing her out of her comfort zone.   what you, the player, witness is lou practically reenacting something she herself experienced as a child.   not because   ‘ it’s wrong so she’s going to enjoy it, ’   but because that’s how she’s been taught to treat / interact with children in this world. 

06.  her chosen colour ( pink. )   has a reason behind it, which I will discuss in depth in another headcanon post, which revolves around the peak rebellion against their father’s leadership.   mickey is the one who made the decision for the colours ( pink and blue ) to be a thing, however, it grew on lou when it became an association to their power and capabilities.   it’s why they wear them in the twice as evil trailer when they cause the stronghold to fall.   to begin a reputation, shortly after they take out their father.   people have been known to identify the twins by the colour they wear alone, which they take great pride from.  lou doesn’t wear her armour or helmet for protection, but as a statement !

07.  the three stars under her right eye ( and above mickey’s left ) hold significant meaning.  while the stars themselves were likely chosen  ‘ just because ’,  three is an important number for them.   it’s the beginning, middle and end.   a likely reminder of their father, mickey and lou.   it represents them, despite the loss of their father it continues to hold relevance over past, present and future.   the roots of 3 stem from the meaning of multiplicity.   three is a moving forward  -  of energy, overcoming duality, expression, manifestation and synthesis.   it is a great representation of the the twins, their father and what they created.

08.  similar to jacob seed, strength and weakness is a reoccurring theme among the highwaymen.   especially the twins.   this is because weakness is equivalent to a problem maker.   if someone’s weak, it means they’re not pulling their weight.   it means they’re going to lose eventually and if the highwaymen notice that it often prompts people to challenge their leadership.   this thought process applies more to mickey, however, as lou never seems to mention it.   this is primarily because she relies on her physical strength / intimidation to maintain her position.   it’s no surprise mickey would likely lose her power quickly were it not for lou being at her side, seeing as the older twin constantly uses her sister as a threat to any who act out / disrespect them.   lou has a lot more self-confidence than mickey, which is exactly why she’s able to take out the highwayman-chapter who insulted her / her father and have nobody make a move against it.   so when lou shows what could be seen as weakness ( for example, acting impulsively without thinking or jumping the gun and missing out on an opportunity for everyone else ) it’s unlikely anyone argues back.   whereas if mickey’s seen as weak, some have no problem challenging her  -  which then becomes a problem for lou, so she works hard to hide potential weakness purely for her sister’s sake.  it’s also why lou is shown through a voice recorder stating things are better with her and mickey as leaders than they ever were with their father  -  reminding the highwaymen of their strength.

09.  many of lou’s scars are from situations she’s willingly put herself in.  from fighting ( people + animals ) to bike stunts to having little respect for danger.   every so often, another is added to the collection.   she doesn’t go out of her way for these situations though, but if she crosses paths with them she will without a doubt sign herself up.

10.  as shown in the game, when lou’s power and control is threatened by someone / something more powerful, she becomes violent.  this is because lou adapted to become a turbulent person so that she could control her turbulent lifestyle without feeling out of place.  there’s been plenty of times where she’s had no power in a situation and it’s something that makes her feel very uncomfortable, which is why she often makes an extra trip in order to maintain it.  when that’s taken away, she’s walking on unfamiliar ground and while it’s not a fear of hers, it’s something that causes great discomfort and displeasure.  violence, as previously mentioned, is a survival mechanism she’s learned in order to potentially gain back what she’s lost or escape back to comfort.  it’s why, when a situation gets out of hand, violence is her go to method of regaining control, because she knows it works and knows it’s efficient.

[newbi-ginning]

The “q” word

(If you find the q word triggering, I understand. There are slurs that I react poorly to. I’m also going to talk briefly about some emotional and physical abuse I experienced, so you are under no obligation to read any further. The rest will go under the fold, as they used to say when people bought newspapers and wore onions on their belts. Feel free to keep scrolling as an act of self care. You have my love and respect. Here is a dopamine releasing kitten to carry you on your way. I’m not trying to be dismissive by including cute gifs. This was stressful for me to write, and by including them, I’m doing self care, and hopefully, it can do the same for you.)

I am bisexual. I also identify as queer. A lot of bi people don’t like being labeled as queer, and that is fine. I’m not gonna make them. Your labels are your labels.

Long before I was even aware that I was bi, I got called queer. I got called fag, sissy, cocksucker, probably some other stuff. And I called other people those words, too.

It is a word with a long history, and for many, it is a word meant to cause pain.

And before you say that you only get hurt by words if you let them hurt you, may introduce you to my old frenemy, depression, and it’s buddy, PTSD. Depression doesn’t always let me brush away attacks all the time. PTSD takes away my ability to respond rationally once it is set off, unless I actively work to control my breathing and remove myself from the situation. Because I have a personal understanding of PTSD, I don’t use the word “trigger” or any derivation of it lightly. When you have a panic attack from seeing or hearing something otherwise innocuous, its easier to understand when someone else has a similar reaction. 

So here are some puppies to get my, and maybe your, dopamine up a little.

I won’t go into the origin of my PTSD, because to many people, unless you were in a war, claims of PTSD are often treated as snowflake-ness. Some people went through a lot more without developing PTSD, others went through less but did. That doesn’t matter, though. The effects it has on a person define the disorder, not what caused them. Accepting that fact was important to me.

But verbal (and physical) abuse was part of that larger picture, so I understand why anyone would want to avoid a word like queer.

But I do embrace it as part of my identity.

Queer, when you cut away the homophobia, means different (perhaps in an interesting way). Unusual (and curiosity inspiring). Not conforming to the norm. It doesn’t mean not fully human once the hate is excised.

I’m a man, rather masculine if a bit roundish, and while I’m attracted to women, that’s not the only gender I’m attracted to. I am, unlike most men, interested in having sex with other men. That means I’m different from the norm, but not unnatural. I am queer.

You know what else I like? Penguins. Lets have some penguins here.

And while I didn’t choose to be queer, I’m happy with who I AM. Personal mysteries now make sense. I don’t get mad at myself for the occasional intrusive thought about a hot looking guy or friend I crush on a little. It isn’t any different from an intrusive thought about the hotness of any other person.

Accepting this word and being part of the reclamation of this word are a victory for me. I am triumphing over some of the people that hurt me. But I won’t use the word when it could hurt others that don’t feel the same way.

So I’m queer, but it isn’t one of the more important words that define me. Husband, lover, friend, son, uncle, teacher... and yes, bisexual is in there, too.

Let’s round this out with another kitten. Take good care of yourself.

[bluewatsons]

Leigh E. Rich & Michael A. Ashby, From Personal Misfortune to Public Liability: The Ethics, Limits, and Politics of Public Health Saving Ourselves from Ourselves, 10 J Bioethical Inquiry 1 (2013)

The tension between a notion of the “common good” and individual liberty is one that political theory knows well. Indeed much of human political history is written around this central theme. In health matters, for example, we are now quite used to state regulation of products and practices that harm life or limb. The state, having a responsibility for the welfare of its citizens, has an accepted role—a duty, even—to mitigate exposure to harm, a sort of presumption in favor or even a casus belli in wars against public danger. The force majeure that justifies these regulations, including those associated with behavior and consumption, is the preservation of life itself and as such has found increasing support since the late 20th century in both the political process and the court of public opinion. Laws promoting smoking cessation and the use of seat belts or prohibiting drinking and driving and drug and alcohol abuse are all grounded in both common sense and scientific justifications that are hard to argue against. But as public health regulations have come into their own—turning from tobacco and alcohol to what we eat and how much—it is a reasonable necessity to ask where the limits of such state intervention and regulation might lie, lest excessive control infringe upon or even remove personal agency, risking both transgressions against autonomy and a Prohibition type of backlash that could undermine the public health impacts of well-intentioned policy. In other words, at what point should the state stop saving ourselves from ourselves? And what role does personal responsibility play—though we also must ask how much can be expected when structures in a capital-driven society purposefully seek to weaken self-efficacy (individuals’ confidence in their ability to enact and carry out healthful decisions) or obstruct agency (individuals’ actual capacity)? In societies where external loci of control are avidly sought when things go wrong, to what extent is it possible to experience personal misfortune without public liability? When is it “my responsibility” and when is it up to the government to restrict “my choices” as I cannot myself?

Part of the problem—and one that receives scant attention in consideration of public health—is that there is a side of human nature that is dark and destructive. Whilst there may be those who disagree with psychodynamic theory as a basis for understanding human behavior in 2013, Freudians are well used to the idea that human beings are driven by positive life forces (eros) and those of self-destruction (thanatos). Indeed what proportion of a day’s work in an average hospital is the result of human self-destructive behavior in action: smoking, drug and alcohol use, accidents and injuries, suicide, and violence? Given that human beings do not behave in logical straight lines all of the time and that our personal lives are deeply complex, ambiguous, and emotional spaces, how should public health conduct itself and what limits should it set itself or have imposed upon it? For instance, smoking cessation programs long ago recognized the need to work at a very individual and interpersonal level (such as assisting people to identify their own “stage” of behavior change as well as triggers and coping mechanisms within their particular lives, with expert or lay helpers providing in-person, phone, or other support), and good obesity treatment programs do the same. In general, however, there is more stick than carrot—perhaps because the burden of change in societies that make great profits peddling self-destructive pleasures cannot be borne by individuals alone. Thus, public health tends to work toward “engineering,” at a minimum (see Alonzo 1993), or, at the extreme, regulation and prohibition wherever it can, thus promoting a “wowserish” (Australian-ism for “killjoy”) image that can damage the good intentions of the mission while helping to shift emphasis away from individual obligation and engagement in leading a good life to state enforcement through bans and taxes.

A new generation of so-called “sin taxes” has been in the news recently. Like their predecessors that have focused on alcohol and tobacco, these are an attempt to reduce citizens’ consumption of products linked with health risks and disease: sugar, fat, and/or salt. Most regions that have enacted some sort of food-based tax have done so for reasons related to both the public’s health and the health of medical infrastructures. The growing global problems of overweight and obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and poor nutrition are not only reducing the quality and duration of individuals’ lives but also straining countries’ health care resources. Taxes that increase the cost of certain food-related products are meant to sway people’s choices at the supermarket or in a restaurant away from unhealthful items or, when still purchased, fund the health care systems being taxed—in a different way—by what has been called an obesity pandemic.

These taxes, however, have proven unpopular with industry and much of the public. Denmark, for example, announced late last year that it was abandoning its tax on products containing saturated fats, which was barely a year old, as well as its tax on chocolate and a proposed tax on sugar (Khazan 2012). The Danish government cited “increasing prices for consumers, increasing companies’ administrative costs and putting Danish jobs at risk” as reasons for the decisions (Khazan 2012, ¶2). Similarly, across the Atlantic, New York City’s ban that limits the sizes of soda that restaurants can serve has been both criticized and the butt of jokes on news and late-night talk-show programs—even liberal-leaning ones (see, for example, The Daily Show With Jon Stewart)—and is currently being tested in the courts. The New York policy, however, likely will prevail, and other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Hungary, Italy, and Romania, have contemplated or adopted food-related taxes comparable to Denmark’s (European Public Health Alliance 2012).

Although it is perhaps too early to determine whether food taxes will flourish or fail, research has shown that taxes must be significant enough—which few currently are—to alter behavior (on the part of the consumer and the seller). Scholars and ethicists also have emphasized that taxation on its own is both unfair and unlikely to succeed in the larger goal of improving nutrition without subsidies on, and thus greater access to, healthier foods such as vegetables and fruits (Mytton, Clarke, and Rayner 2012). On the other hand, and no matter what commentators and comics claim about these latest taxes, public health advocates can point to the social and behavioral changes tobacco taxation and regulation have brought over the past half-century (though there is still much work to be done, especially globally). Increases in the financial costs of smoking have been tied to reductions in smoking rates, and many governments have limited or banned tobacco use in public places. Social norms related to tobacco also have transformed, and—with measures such as taxation and other forms of health promotion—many are hopeful the same fate will befall unhealthful foods.

While unpopular, taxes are perhaps a means of addressing the fundamental ethical concern between the common good and individual liberty (the so-called communitarianism versus liberalism issue; see Holland 2007)—a tension always felt in a discipline like public health. Unlike “traditional” bioethics, which grew out of the clinician–patient relationship and at least initially (and today in some circumstances) was more limited in scope (e.g., focused on an individual patient for a shorter period of time), public health and public health ethics must simultaneously take into consideration the interests of individuals, groups, and communities in both the short- and long-terms. (Of course, with a more holistic understanding of health care systems as well as biotechnologies that frequently benefit some at the expense of others, it has become easier to recognize the overlap between bioethics and public health ethics, which, in truth, are not so different.)

As public health practitioner Peter Geoffrey Sainsbury explains in this issue of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry:

Public health is an applied, and essentially interventionist, discipline—it seeks to change individuals and change society to promote health. Traditionally, great emphasis has been placed on the public good: a utilitarian concern to maximise utility (health) in society as a whole, accepting that in the process some people may experience short- or even long-term harms. But practitioners also have had a strong liberal ethic to ensure that individual freedom is not unnecessarily constrained as well as a concern for equity, such that the harms and benefits arising from any action are shared fairly across society. Public health ethics is mainly applied ethics (Sainsbury 2013, ¶9 under “Urban Planning as a Social and Ethical Activity”).

Philosopher Stephen Holland, in his introductory text Public Health Ethics (2007), phrases Sainsbury’s concerns in a slightly different way, urging public health professionals and policy-makers to be wary of and avoid naïve utilitarianism as a justifying mechanism for interventions.

From either perspective, it is clear that a strong understanding of ethical theory and application is essential for public health and its practitioners, particularly because much of the work done in public health is prescriptive.

Many public health initiatives, such as “sin taxes,” employ a mix of health promotion and health protection (see Ratcliffe and Wallack 1986; Alonzo 1993; Mechanic 1999). Few public health advocates, ethicists, and policy-makers take issue with health promotion, which sometimes stops short at consciousness-raising and education (though there are some topics, particularly those that are stigmatized, for which certain legislators and advocacy groups find even education objectionable). Health protection, on the other hand, often calls into question social and corporate structures in the built environment that are risk-imposing and, thus, often calls for societal reform (Ratcliffe and Wallack 1986). This is a difficult and delicate dance: how to ensure greater health for all without sliding toward totalitarianism.

This may seem overstated—much like some of the comments of those “talking heads” with regard to “sin taxes” and the sizes of sodas. But no public health proposal, whether focused on important tasks and based on good intentions, should be immune from in-depth and ongoing dialogue. There is much at risk and potential for harms. (The descriptive side of public health—good surveillance and science—warrants attention, too.) Tragically, examples abound of immoral public health laws and programs propped up by discrimination and disreputable “science,” all in the name of the “public good.” The forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands throughout the world in the 20th century under the guise of an already discredited eugenic “science” and fostered by fears of disadvantaged socioeconomic classes costing taxpayers money is but one (see Lombardo 2008).

Decisions about what public health programs will be implemented and how cannot be one-sided, understudied, or opaque.

At the same time, particularly when it comes to the current crises of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease, health professionals and government leaders also cannot remain laissez faire. Deeming taxes on unhealthful consumptives or policies such as limiting vending machine sales in public schools as smacking of a “nanny state” may be hyperbolical. There are risks, too, of letting corporations run wild, beholden to shareholders and the accumulation of capital but immune from certain consequences and punishments for their own selfish behavior. With limited understandings and applications of corporate social responsibility—if it even can exist—are we to let corporations make their fortunes on the backs (and bodies) of the current and coming generations?

At a time when economic liberalism has largely won the day in global politics, it is perhaps ironic that old-fashioned statism may be prevailing in health prevention. Taxes are, of course, only one small bite out of a very large elephant. Additional and ongoing efforts—at the structural as well as individual level—are needed to combat the non-communicable public health problems (physical, mental, social, spiritual, and environmental) associated with unhealthful foods (see, e.g., AFP relaxnews 2012; Deckers 2013), unhealthy body weight (see Vartanian and Smyth 2013; Upshur 2013), and inactivity.

On the other hand, if we critique the disadvantages of market-driven individualism in the modern world, it is somewhat contradictory to rely on otherwise passé tools of state intervention with only scant attention to the social consequences of the economic world order and its impact on individuals and societies: anxiety, pressure, insecurity, competition, and consumption. Every person who eats or drinks too much or smokes or takes illegal drugs does so as a result of a desire to calm inner emotions and unhappinesses. How is it that this individual psychodynamic perspective is so poorly developed and that family, education, and society “vandalized” by big business and straightjacketed by logical positive science are not subjected to a deeper and kinder scrutiny? Most of all, if liberalism finds an ally in existentialism, then Sartre’s mauvaise foi would lead us to conclude that we must all take responsibility for ourselves, which is very much the message of modern self-management approaches to chronic illness, such as with persistent pain. True health promotion needs to address our unhappy societies by reducing personal pressure, competition, and insecurity, starting in early childhood, so that people are able to implement healthy lifestyles, reduce risky behaviors, and thereby bankrupt corporations that can then no longer make huge profits by selling cigarettes, big bottles of sweet sodas, hamburgers full of fat and additives, alcoholic drinks aimed at teenagers, and sugar in everything. Medicalization is not the sole answer, where unhappiness, obesity, and addictions have to be turned into illnesses to make them socially acceptable and then treatable. Most of all some understanding of our own natures and darker sides would also be very valuable, a recognition that at best we are only ever logical part of the time. With notable religious exceptions most societies and peoples have some means of chemical escape from the pain and tedium that is part of all lives. Once we understand this, and can be kind to our contradictory natures, we can then surely work on the forces that we unconsciously direct upon ourselves in harmful and risky pursuits that result in thanatos, with much unhappiness in the way. But if we continue to mainly moralize and regulate, and, for instance, to lock up people whose personal pain and public disadvantage lead them to drug dependence, then our collective futures are bleak indeed.

The question, then, is how can and should public health motivate and enable individuals and communities toward healthful—not merely “lifestyles” but—ways of life? This issue of the Journal of Bioethical Inquiry offers a symposium edited by Stacy M. Carter and Lucie Rychetnik examining “Public Health Ethics and Non-Communicable Disease” and the challenges of attending to both health and liberty for all. Sure, some “sin taxes” may be a start, but these likely will not be sufficient to significantly change societal sources of self-destruction. What is needed is reformation of the individualistic, atomistic, and damaging view of humanity that merely pits “person” against “public” and fails to understand and appreciate life’s complex interconnections and intersections. As legal scholar Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld underscored in his Fundamental Legal Conceptions as Applied in Judicial Reasoning (1919), in which he offered a set of four fundamental legal correlatives, liberties cannot exist in a vacuum. Guaranteeing the right of one must always place a duty on others.

References

AFP relaxnews. 2012. France proposes “Nutella tax” on palm oil: In addition to being a health risk, the industrial use of palm oil has led to widespread deforestation in Borneo, Sumatra and Indonesia, displacing and killing endangered populations of orangutans. New York Daily News, November 9. http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/france-proposes-nutella-tax-palm-oil-article-1.1199417#ixzz2JEsSOhMu.

Alonzo, A.A. 1993. Health behavior: Issues, contradictions and dilemmas. Social Science & Medicine 37(8): 1019–1034.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Deckers, J. 2013. Obesity, public health, and the consumption of animal products: Ethical concerns and political solutions. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 10(1). doi: 10.1007/s11673-012-9411-x.

European Public Health Alliance. 2012. Food taxation in Europe: Evolution of the legislation. http://www.epha.org/a/4814.

Hohfeld, W.N. 1919. Fundamental legal conceptions as applied in judicial reasoning. And other legal essays. Ed. W.W. Cook. New Haven: Yale University Press.Google Scholar

Holland, S. 2007. Public health ethics. Cambridge: Polity Press.Google Scholar

Khazan, O. 2012. What the world can learn from Denmark’s failed fat tax. The Washington Post, November 11. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/11/what-the-world-can-learn-from-denmarks-failed-fat-tax/.

Lombardo, P.A. 2008. Three generations, no imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v. Bell. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar

Mechanic, D. 1999. Issues in promoting health. Social Science & Medicine 48(6): 711–718.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Mytton, O.T., D. Clarke, and M. Rayner. 2012. Taxing unhealthy food and drinks to improve health. BMJ 344: e2931. doi: 10.1136/bmj.e2931.PubMedCrossRefGoogle Scholar

Ratcliffe, J., and L. Wallack. 1986. Primary prevention in public health: An analysis of basic assumptions. International Quarterly of Community Health Education 6(3): 215–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Sainsbury, P.G. 2013. Ethical considerations involved in constructing the built environment to promote health. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 10(1). doi: 10.1007/s11673-012-9423-6.

Upshur, R. 2013. What does public health ethics tell (or not tell) us about intervening in non-communicable diseases? Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 10(1). doi: 10.1007/s11673-012-9422-7.

Vartanian, L.R., and J.M. Smyth. 2013. Primum non nocere: Obesity stigma and public health. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 10(1). doi: 10.1007/s11673-012-9412-9.

[hellboundgentlemen]

Massive Headcanon list Part 2 of 4

Alright so, this one is going to feature headcanons that apply to My interpretation of Alastor given what we know and what can be gleaned. As usual, given the topic, triggers will be listed for blacklisting in the tags

Headcanon 1: Alastor's primary sins are:

Violence

Gluttony (specifically Glutton for both his cannibalism but also in the sense for his drive for power)

Wraith (for reasons that will be apparent)

 Headcanon 2: His original demonic power is the ability to consume any demon whole and "convert" them into a zombie minion. Said zombie may or may not be self aware of their fate.

Headcanon 3: In accordance with Voodun tradition and by going by his domains and outfit, Alastor's Patron Loa (Spirits called in Voodoo rituals and ceremonies) is likely Papa Legba, although for darker rituals, he tends to favor Kalfu, the Petro aspect of Legba.

He made a deal with Kalfu for removing that earthborne limit. He had to give up parts of his sanity.

Headcanon 4: He died by being shot in the lung, then ripped apart by hunting dogs. Turns out the hunter who shot him was the dad of one of his victims. He was still alive when the dogs ripped him apart.

Headcanon 5:His Serial Killer title (due to never being suspected or caught, in life or death) was the Doe Hunter. He tend to hunt unfortunate women who where new in town and lacked anyone to identify them, usually those migrating for a job, a country mouse hoping to turn into a city girl, grifters or out of towners. He has nothing against women personally, they were just easier prey for him by the era's standards. In Hell he hunts both genders.

Headcanon 6: His former Mortal name is Alan Charles Dubois. And he fucking hates it. Especially his first name.

Headcanon 7: He was raised by his physically and mentally abusive grandparents. His birth parents both died under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Unfortunately his grandparents were Southern Gentry which meant they had a concerning amount of influence or political pull. Grandparents names are Grosvenor and Jacqueline Dubois.

Headcanon 8: He's white-passing POC (but he himself didn't know until he was way older). Father was Haitian-puerto Rican and mother was French American.

Headcanon 9: He grew up in the St James Parish of the New Orleans area as a boy but moved into the city proper as a adult.

Headcanonn 10: You can summon Al. I highly advise against it.

Headcanon 11: Alastor's weird radio voice effect is partially tied into the deal he made with Kalfu. Had he not made the deal, part of Alastor's punishment in Hell would have rendered him mute.

Headcanon 12: His cane can also turn into a bunch of other things, including a hunting rifle, a staff, a sword and a broom to shoo Angel Dust out of a room if needed.

Headcanon 13: His favorite candy is Peach Blossoms. But his favorite dessert is Beignets.

Headcanon 14: Despite using the banned Magic of Voodoo, he does not trust nor like fey magic. In his words, nothing good comes from it

Headcanon 15: One of the potential punishments in Hell for cannibals is their flesh tastes like really good food. In Alastor's case, biting him tastes like the most perfectly cooked Venison steak you will ever have. But not many know this....or live to tell the tale.

Headcanon 16: Is demiromantic asexual (mine is at least) and therefore is extremely selective with would be partners.

Headcanon 17: Al takes manners seriously. Like you wouldn’t believe. He may be a murderous sonofabitch but he is a Southern Gent and you will remember that for the love of God.

Headcanon 18: While he’s not formerly diagnosed and he would most certainly have no clue, Alastor does nearly fit into the symptoms of histrionic personality disorder, abet a surprisingly high functioning example. Somehow.

Headcanon 19: His antlers rarely shed, and yes he grows Velvet and it rots, tears, bleeds and peels off like a actual deer. 

Headcanon 20: Alastor’s body is extensively scarred, some are veves etched into his skin, various claw and bite marks, and on his back, massive,  crossing,back-covering flogging scars that his grandparents inflicted,

[constablewrites]

When Bad Exposition Happens to Good Movies

Let me say this up front: I loved Big Hero 6. A lot. It was probably one of my favorite movies of 2014. Baymax is an instant classic character, and I want to have Honey Lemon’s girly science babies. It’s just a solid, heartfelt, entertaining film.

And I was ready to tap out within the first 10 minutes.

We start out really strong with Hiro’s bot fight. Then Tadashi rescues him from a beatdown and we get the line, “You graduated high school when you were thirteen, and this is what you’re doing?”

Um, I thought. Okay. That’s an awkwardly self-conscious line. But maybe it’s important that we know that right up front. And so I settled back into the fun moped chase, glossing with only a little irritation over the stiff explanation of bot fighting and Hiro referring to his big brother as “big brother.”

Then they get picked up from jail by Aunt Cass, who starts off saying, “For ten years, I have done the best I could to raise you.”

Oh, thought I. Oh dear. But no, it’s cool. That’s not a completely unreasonable thing for a person to say. And indeed, it seemed to be part of a sort of no-filter anxious monologue which turns out to be very much in character for her. We’re still fine.

Then we go upstairs, and there’s this:

TADASHI: What would Mom and Dad say?

HIRO: I don’t know.  They’re gone.  They died when I was three, remember?

Yup, I thought, that is a thing that happened. That is dialogue that someone got paid to write. Dialogue that survived who knows how many rewrites and script sessions. Dialogue that no one has ever said to a sibling. Ever. In the history of siblings. It was such an utterly painful As You Know that it threw me clean out of the story.

The biggest sin of that exchange is that it is completely, fundamentally, 100% unnecessary. A woman they’ve identified as their aunt already told us that she raised them, so clearly the parents aren’t in the picture. Does it matter why?  Do the filmmakers assume that if we see anything other than a traditional nuclear family on screen, we’ll flip our shit and demand an explanation before we can proceed any further? I’ll give you that Tadashi’s line and the first part of Hiro’s response aren’t totally unnatural; Tadashi’s trying to help set his errant brother straight, and it makes sense he’d think about their parents in that context. But there’s no conceivable reason why they’d need to remind each other of how long it’s been. And there’s not even any good reason to remind the audience.

It makes me think of when I saw Up for the first time, with its long, wordless montage of Carl and Ellie’s marriage. When the film cut from the two of them painting a nursery to her sobbing in a doctor’s office, there was a voice from the row behind me, a girl who couldn’t have been older than about 7 or so. I didn’t see who she was talking to, but I heard her quite clearly: “She’s sad because she lost the baby.”

I will never forget that little girl as long as I live.

Audiences and readers are smart. Especially early on, they’re actively trying to connect the dots and put the pieces together. It’s okay to trust them to draw certain conclusions on their own, especially when the story won’t suffer if they don’t get to exactly the same spot you had in mind. And indeed, if you leave some things to your audience to fill in with their own imagination, that collaborative quality will make them more invested in the story (this is known as the IKEA effect). But it’s not “connect the dots” if the dots are so densely packed that they’re pretty much a line already.

Like I said, I do love this movie, and the clunky opening isn’t a dealbreaker. Almost immediately after that pointless line, we go to Tadashi’s lab and meet his classmates; the scene is still expository, but we’ve moved from As You Know to Naive Newcomer, so it makes sense within the story, and things get moving after that. But then, it would take a lot to get me to walk out of a movie theater.  If I were flipping through channels on cable, or if this were a book? I’d have done an Immerse or Die and pulled the plug after the third WTF.

Personally, I favor erring on the side of too little exposition. Beta readers and editors can help you find the balance, but I’ve always found it easier to add in extra clarification than to try to figure out what can be safely removed. What’s important is that you trust in the power of your own words and images, and trust in the ability of your readers to follow your lead. You don’t have to hit us over the head with it, I promise. If you sell short your audience, you’re going to sell yourself short, too.