#gaining skills

[ke-andraiisa]

It’s July! ୨ৎ

So many good things are going to happen this month. More opportunities, new experiences, learning new things, gaining more skills, and going to amazing places and so much more.

[ironinkpen]

there's something so poetic about kipperlilly copperkettle—who hated one of her classmates for daring to be better than her and having a dead dad, who refused to improve herself and instead chose to be bitter and entitled, who was so obsessed with being Special and Important like she felt she deserved that she willingly worked with a rage god, betrayed her party, and killed her friend—getting killed by fucking. Hold Person. her fancy optimal build IMMEDIATELY folding in the face of riz's cleverness and experience and applied knowledge. she spends years fixated solely on racking up EXP and getting the Best Abilities, and then when she dies, she's killed not in glorious combat but by a clever, practical application of a 2nd level spell that she NEVER would have ever thought of using because she has no creativity or adventurers' spirit, cast by the same classmate she always hated with a watch his dead dad gave him.

[barghest-land]

rhamphinion couple:) from february this year

[furiousgoldfish]

To all of you who are feeling behind on survival skills, worried you won't be able to succeed in life because you're not allowed to learn/not able to learn, I want you to know that some basics are extremely easy to get once you're able to try it on your own, or even just have one person explain it to you.

When I ran away from home, I didn't know how to cook, I wasn't allowed to learn, and first month or so, I was preoccupied with just learning how to cook. What I learned was that it was far more easy than my parents ever made it seem. If you're trying to cook just for proper nutrition and not make some fancy meals, most of what you have to do is heat the groceries, and salt them. If you cut up some vegetables and put them in water an add salt, you will have a soup. If you lay them on a tray and put them in the oven, you've made food. You can put stuff in a pan with some oil and stir it on heat and you have a meal. For basic eating, it can be really that simple. I also was able to pick stuff up just from my roommates, who would happily answer my questions, and a lot of people out there will happily explain to you how they make a certain food, and of course, there's video tutorials for specific meals, if you want to make something more complex. Once you have absolute freedom in the kitchen, you will pick this up rapidly.

I have never used a washing machine prior to running away, and then one person showed me once how to use one, and that was that. I was washing-machine certified after that. I gained extra knowledge about cleaning it on the internet, and some people randomly had tips for me about it. I learned to handwash later as well, and that works good too.

I've struggled at the beginning, to find easy and cheap ways to get stuff; the most common way to get things is to go to the store, but I didn't have a lot of money, and buying things was too expensive for me. I've since discovered just where to find the second-hand markets, how to get people to give me their old clothing so I never have to buy any, how to temper with stuff I have so I wouldn't have to buy anything, at this point I even know how to fix shoes and sew my own stuff. I've fixed blinds on almost every window in here, without even knowing how, I just dismantled everything and figured it out. I've put together closets and lamps. I've learned to open up my own laptop and change the parts inside, I've even changed the screen on my own, by watching a video on how it's done. I've learned how to repaint walls, how to tend to plants, how to maintain a living space. Often I'd see someone else who is able to do these things, and just ask. People who are not parents have no reason to gatekeep this information, and they proudly told me how they do it.

I've learned to organize my stuff to the point where I'm able to easily clean a big mess, and I don't get overwhelmed with things anymore. I've had to do some reading on the internet to figure out the situation with finances and economy, and I also asked some people, got wildly different answers from every person. When I have the opportunity to chat with someone who has a specific job, I ask them about what they do, and have them describe to me how that field of work functions. It gave me insight into a lot of inner workings of society that were previously a mystery to me.

I was able to figure this all out while having zero faith in myself; I believed I was stupid, incapable of survival, honestly thought I would be dead within few months. I was reading army survival guides so I could survive in the wild if I ever got homeless. I was learning even without believing that all of this would help me, it's only now looking back at everything that I understand how much knowledge I gained just from trying it and doing it in every possible way until it clicked.

The most complex for me, were the social skills, since I'm still easily scared of people. But I am slowly making progress on that and finding better ways to deal with people's behaviours. Being curious works well because people love when someone is curious about them and shows interest in what they do. It's been a revelation that outside of my home, I really can just ask any question I am interested about, and will usually get some kind of an answer, and not 'how do you not know this already'. Outside of abusive homes, you're not expected to know everything, without ever being told.

While survival skills and independence are deeply forbidden in an abusive situation, being out of one will practically guarantee you that you'll get them. Sometimes you'll be forced to learn some stuff like cleaning and cooking and you'll have no choice but to learn, and it will become easier the more you do it. But nobody will make you feel bad for not doing it right the first time, there will be no punishment, no berating, you're free mess it up any amount of times, without any consequences. I would say that maybe you wasted some time and effort, but no time or effort is truly wasted when you're learning something; rather it takes that time and effort to learn. But it's not painful, it's not shameful, it's not forbidden anymore. You can learn a lot of things at your own ease and convenience, without worrying about someone's opinion on what you're doing. You can also learn dumb things and never be criticized or called out on it, you can do absolutely ridiculous stuff that brings you joy and no harm is done.

I know feeling behind sucks, and it feels shameful and horrible, but the good news is that you can catch up very quickly, and not only that. If you really want to have a lot of survival skills under your belt, and you keep learning, you will soon know more than most people do. You can out-do any person out there if you have a passion for it. I had people who were telling me how to do basic stuff, surprised at me knowing more than they knew, just months later. It's a great feeling!

[moderndaypandora]

Hob is going to come home one day two months into Dream's retirement (and seven weeks into their marriage) and Dream's going to be full Victorian maiden on the chaise lounge, arm covering his eyes.

Hob, who is not a fool: Want to talk about it, or want to be consumed by the agonies for a little while longer while I prepare dinner? You got groceries, right?

Dream: [horrible groaning dirge of assent]

Hob: I'm starting to get a little concerned, dearest

Dream: I went out to. Obtain groceries. And the woman at the till said 'enjoy your food'.

Hob: And you said?
 Dream: "My thanks. you as well."

Hob: My poor love. Have a kiss to ease the sting.

Dream: [accepting the forehead kiss as his due] I can't go back to that grocery store in this lifetime.

Hob: Understandable.

Dream: Can we fake our deaths tomorrow?

Hob: Give me two weeks to wrap everything up, then we can.

Dream: <3

[ganonfan1995]

Burnt out

[ssruis]

Wxs but pony….

[corvidaeconundrum]

Uh oh, meme guy strikes again, oh shit oh fuck oh god- (HTB is by @mustangs-flames btw, check them out! It’s an awesome series)

It is 11:45 PM and I can feel my mind deteriorating, but god was this fun to make -Jonah

Bonus behind the scenes of what drawing this was like when your (in headspace) best friend is a fictive hyperfixated on his own source:

[acgamesda]

Replaying Origins is making me realise how shitty Warden and Team had it during the Blight: there literally are two people who can slay Archdemon left, one of them is Junior officer while other is Baby recruit, who have no idea how to do it. They are joined by team of either people who have mindset of "I am dying anyways, so I can die in the blight" or literally people who agree to help due to their personal reasons. Like, if not these randos and Flemeth's divine intervention, whole Thedas would have been screwed over right there.

Also apart Flemeth, the only help Warden and Alistair have are old treaties, which could have easily been ignored as the factions which once woved to help Grey Wardens during the blight have their own fucking problems to deal with.

Idk, just something about Warden having no connections, money or power in entire game to make their standing against the Blight easier (Unlike Hawke, Inquisitor and Rook) and being forced to rely on their diplomatic and combat skills and some random ass witches and their shady magic practices speaks to me so much...

[victoryrifle]

FALLOUT: Season 1 Episode 2 “The Target”

[sillyfudgemonkeys]

Kyoshi: When I was in the Avatar state against Xu, they kept telling me not to kill him. But I went against their wishes and did it anyway. Aang: That's....actually similar to what happened to me against Ozai, except reverse. They kept telling me to kill him, but I went against their wishes and didn't. Tho I still defeated him. Kyoshi: Oh that wasn't "others" that was just me. I was very loud. Aang: I can believe it, but no no there was def more than one voice. Roku: That was probably me too. Aang: Really????? Roku: Listen Aang, when you have Kyoshi in your ear for 80+ years, coupled with the fact your actions led to that war, you kinda just agree with her after awhile. Aang: I swear it was more people Kyoshi/Roku: We can be very loud Aang.

[pinkyjulien]

━ I've heard stories 'bout the boy I used to be ━━ But I don't remember me before You

Valentin Da Silva | 178/??

Wish I had the words to describe how emotional it made me to see these two sets next to one another holyshit

Left one is from September 2021 It was a shitty time IRL and an hard time fandom-wise too, the escapism that was the community was slowly fading and becoming an hell on its own. Made a lot of mistakes cause I didn't know any better back then, dramas were escalating and I believe end of 2021 - early 2022 is when the fandom shattered in multiple pieces

Tho I was still motivated and modding, was really happy with his custom appearance, baby wearing his iconic Bitch crop top and his customized racing bolero

Right is from February this year (2024) and woah, he looks... more mature? Older somehow, considering I never made drastic change to his character- Definitely at peace

Both sets were outfit showcases, and despite both being shot in the badlands, during the golden hours, they have suuuch different moods overall

Friendo described it perfectly; Younger Val looks pensive, nervous about the night to come, staring at the setting sun in anticipation. While older Val looks at peace, calmly welcoming the dark that slowly crawl in between the desert's cracks

And we had a talk about how much of a mirror an OC can be? Reflecting our own thoughts, our own mood, without even realizing it until years later in moment like this, when comparing pictures

These past years has been rough, mentally and physically (talking about IRL here) and looking back, it definitely shows through Valentin

And looking at him now, even if I have some bad days here and there, even if I'm still in a transitional time, everything changing around me, I know that It's ok, that I'll be fine- That we will be fine

Alright I'm done hHHGHFH

[barghest-land]

how i was drawing horses when i was 4yo, and how i draw them now (i'm 27)

thought all my childhood drawings were gone but i was wrong! i've found some of them and i'm still giggling looking at all the goofy horses. it was pretty much all i was drawing back then

i guess it took me 23 years to draw them like i do now whoops

[lazycranberrydoodles]

phone studies 🎉 you know the tan line from either ruoye or the cursed shackle would be AWFUL

[ganondoodle]

current art mood are these posts i saw in the clip studio help board