#it was part of a bigger talk on how I'm coping in general

[clanwarrior-tumbly]

Oooh! I think I got a fun one. Can I have some headcanons for the lamb? He was walking around one day and encountered a tall human who wears a cloak with lamb horns? He doesn't know their human until they remove their hood (Also the reader is nonbinary because gender gets boring sometimes :]) (Also I headcanon that humans are either nearly extinct or the all of them live underground.)

- Kneecaps Anon

Aw I adore this idea!!

Also this will take place in the early days of Lamb's cult (where they're still getting the hang of managing followers, rituals, etc...definitely long before slaying and indoctrinating all the bishops)

...........

While Lamb was crusading through an unknown part of the Old Faith, they came across the ruins of a village that looked most peculiar. Much unlike previous ones they've discovered.

The homes, although desecrated, were far bigger than ones Leshy's followers would live in. They could barely reach the doorknob!

So they continued to investigate, before noticing someone emerging from the bushes with a bag and bloody dagger.

It's you, a mysterious tall figure wearing a cloak and sandals. But what intrigued them the most were the horns that poked through your hood.

They were unmistakably a lamb's horns.

At first they were hopeful that another one of their kind survived the slaughter...although when they called out to you, you stopped and stared at them in bewilderment.

"W-Were you talking to me?"

"Of course! Are you a lamb, too?"

"...ah...I'm sorry to say this, but no. I am not." Realizing who this was upon seeing the Red Crown, you uncovered your hood, revealing that you were in fact human. "I can understand why my "horns" led to you to believe that."

"That's too bad.." They frown, before expressing surprise that a human was still living in these lands...believing that they've all gone extinct.

But you politely corrected them on the matter.

"There used to be a lot of us, living in villages just like this. My ancestors had treaties with the Bishops until they were attacked by the One Below. And for whatever reason they chose to take their anger out on us, demanding that we go live in their domains or perish. Obviously we refused and, well...now this little village is the only proof we ever existed here."

"I see.." Lamb grimaced. "I'm sorry to hear that. Are you the only one left?"

"Yeah. This place thrived for generations, invisible to the eyes of the Bishops, but all my friends and family either died off or fled to some other land, unable to cope with the constant feeling of danger all around us. Though I wanted to stay because I didn't want those false gods to scare me away from my home." You end your somber tale with a determined huff, still smiling. "But yeah...it sucks, but I've managed to survive for this long...so.."

Seeing as your views aligned with theirs, Lamb immediately invited you to join their cult, promising you safety and better living conditions in exchange for your devotion.

But unlike the more simple-minded animal followers they've wrapped around their finger, you weren't so easily convinced.

Although you admired lambs, you didn't like how this one was basically giving you the same ultimatum the Bishops once did to your ancestors: Join or perish. It seemed quite hypocritical.

In the end, you request to see the cult first and decide for yourself.

They oblige..but unfortunately for them, that means they can't just warp you there and use omnipresence to return to the temple grounds quickly.

But they knew they'll have to earn your respect and make a good first impression--and dropping you through a demonic portal's not exactly the best way to do that.

When you finally arrived, you were impressed by the architecture and the temple...

As well as all of Lamb's followers who flocked to you, awestruck at a newcomer like yourself. Some were familiar with your species, others have never seen anything like you before.

Regardless, they shook your hands in greeting, being fascinated by your cloak and how your hair looked, asking you so many questions that they nearly overwhelmed you.

You haven't gotten this much attention in years!

Lamb was lowkey jealous and pushed them all back to give you some breathing room.

The adorable creatures won your heart over, and you agreed to follow Lamb's teachings faithfully.

They simply changed the colors and symbol on your cloak to match those of the followers. You still kept the horns, as they found no reason to get rid of them.

Afterwards they showed you around, only to realize that you'll need some major accommodations if you were going to spend the rest of your life here.

You couldn't exactly take the mattress from your village here, and the little beds/shelters were too small for you to comfortably sleep in; and grassy gruel and berry dishes weren't going to sustain your hunger for long.

Nevertheless, they vowed to meet your needs, though they also worried about how well you'll fit in and get along with everyone--considering you're the only human.

Later around sundown, you noticed one follower (the only one who didn't greet you this morning) sitting in front of a makeshift grave with a depressed expression.

Lamb explains they've been stuck that way since their indoctrination several days ago, being the sole survivor of a massacre. The grave was that of their lover, who was murdered right in front of them by one of the Bishops themselves.

The sheep learned what happened via mindreading..but apparently it was so traumatic, they spared you from the details.

However, they expressed frustration in failing to convince this follower to move on and start contributing to the cult.

They've exhausted every possible effort at motivating them: inspiration, random gifts, even a funeral service was conducted (and for someone who wasn't even in the cult)..but nothing worked.

Lamb was starting to get angry, but quickly calms down and just reassures you not to worry, instead trying to show you where you'll be sleeping.

"Wait, do I have permission to approach them, Leader? Maybe I can help them out."

"....I doubt it. It's like talking to a piece of stone....but you have my permission to try." They allow you to go, wondering what you'll do differently.

You just went over to the follower and introduced yourself, sitting beside them for a few minutes in the hopes your presence would comfort them.

At first Lamb thinks you're wasting your time, but somehow....you got that silent follower to actually talk about their lover and all the good memories they had together, getting choked up by the end.

You offered them a hug, which they accepted as they buried their face into your chest, sobbing their little heart out and wailing over the cruelty of the Bishops.

It filled you with both sorrow and anger, wanting nothing more than to see their blasphemous empire crumble because of the grief they brought upon this one follower alone.

Meanwhile, Lamb's standing there just..completely shocked, especially after you calmed down the follower and bring them over to them.

"F-Forgive me, my Leader, if...I was being a nuisance by not listening to you." They apologize. "If you want me to start working right now, then I shall. I feel okay enough to do so. Whatever you need, just say the word."

"Wha...??? But....n-never mind. You're forgiven, [F/n]. For now just get some rest." Lamb dismissed them, and only after they've gone to bed do they turn to you with comically-wide eyes. "By the One Below...how did you do that???"

"Dunno." You shrugged. "I guess all they needed was a hug."

"...then why didn't they just ask me for one???"

"They probably didn't know they needed one until now. But I figured your mindreading powers would've anticipated that."

"...are you insulting the might of the Red Crown!?"

"I mean no offense, Leader." You chuckle, patting their wooly head. "Now, where will I be sleeping?"

Although a little irked, Lamb quickly got over it, relieved that you were able to help that follower...how ever you managed to do it.

You had a selfless heart, and that was a good asset to have in the cult.

Why were they ever worried? You'll fit in just fine.

[duckiemimi]

how certain are you about gojo not being dead or his revival? do you think gege might bring him back? some buddhist revival theories make sense to me but if the main problem is that gege just wanted him gone for the plot to progress then nothing is bringing him back. i also see that a majority of people are now praising the chapter when i'm still not happy about it so it might even give the impression that the chapter is well received....

i’m not certain at all because i can’t even tell what we’re working towards plot-wise 😭

before 237, i was 50/50 about it. it could either happen because his “death” just seemed so lackluster and lacking something (a lot of things) that there might be more to come, especially knowing how capable gege was at wonderfully handling death as a subject, but it could also not happen because gojo wasn’t even given the grace of an on-screen development from his unsealing to his death. (i talk about this more here.) after 237? if he’s only going to come back as a convenient plot-device, i’d rather he stay dead.

i honestly think gege killed him off to write him out of the story because nothing is indicating to me that there’s more to what we saw in 236. not even a mention, not even a scribble of his body in the battlefield in 237. (but i don’t know. prove me wrong, gege.) 236 would’ve worked if the gojo vs. sukuna battle was a short story separate from the overarching storyline, separate from jjk in general, and instead of gojo and sukuna, they were both new characters that we got a brief rundown of prior to the battle. but like everything is, the story should be bigger than them both and the battle. 236 and the battle should fit in with everything else, even the very edges of where we started.

there’s this habit in fandoms (but especially in the jjk fandom) of retroactively justifying (and subsequently, plainly accepting) chapters/plot points that weren’t initially well-received. it’s crazy because when 236 came out, the only people praising the chapter were sukuna stans and people who heavily favor the technical side of jjk more than the narrative (and some shippers who’ve lost the actual plot long before, but what’s new).

a week later, there are all these discussions saying, “well, maybe we just didn’t get gojo’s character,” or, “well, actually it’s in-character of him.” it shouldn’t have to take a week for part of the fandom to reluctantly accept what was written. hindsight nuance is supposed to add another level of understanding, not change the whole perspective. this isn’t a case of an author withholding information to keep readers on their toes, this is a case of an author not being consistent in characterization (among other things).

we keep trying to piece mismatched puzzle pieces for it to make sense, but we’re in the long run now! the bigger picture (including gojo’s character) should be clearer than before! why are we left more confused now than before, and so close to the end of the story, too? if the majority of the fandom is confused (all of us, honestly, don’t lie), the problem isn’t us not understanding—the problem is the goddamn writing.

“let them cook!” yeah, but if you leave the fire on too long, the food burns. then the kitchen catches fire. then the house is in shambles. it’s okay to admit that the story we once knew is no longer the same. it sucks, but it really is okay to dislike a chapter and be disappointed with an author. and it’s okay to take your time grieving what you once knew (hell, it’s why i’m talking more on this app these days). and it’s okay to keep reading and following along because you still have hope.

the way i talk about this, you’d think the whole fandom is in a relationship with gege and gege just keeps negging us 😭 some people have faith, despite the downhill track record, some people are pissed and feeling cheated, and some don’t even know what to think. coping is different :’)

[frogletscribe]

I finished the main story of A:FoP last night and I have more thoughts but don't want to spoil anything for anyone who is not there yet so im putting them under the cut again lol. Also a lot of this gets into like general Avatar lore things and not always specifically A:FoP. I just have a lot of thoughts and not a lot of people to talk to about it lmao.

Warning: this is very long, i am apologizing now if you choose to read the whole thing.

Spoilers for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora under the cut

TEYLAN oh my god my boy. He scared me so bad when he showed up again but I'm so glad he had a hand in stopping Mercer. It felt like such a moment of growth for him finaly setting himself free of his abuser. Poor guy feels so guilty about everything that happened, and I'm very nervous about whenever Nor comes back in future DLC stuff because he still doesn't know that Teylan 'betrayed' them. Especially after everything with Alma.

Speaking of Alma, I have somewhat mixed feelings about her story? Obviously the Sarentu have every right to be pissed at her, I am pissed at her, she used them (and honestly is still using them) to ease her own guilt. What bothers me is the "You will never be one of us" rhetoric? Mostly because it makes me think of Jake and the Sully kids (Lo'ak and Kiri specifically) who all are/look more like Avatars rather than Na'vi. It makes me wonder how the Sarentu would react to them? The situations are very different, Jake gave up almost everything that made him human to live as a Na'vi where Alma has stayed human, albeit unhealthily attached to her Avatar form. Jake worked to earn his place with the Na'vi where Alma is trying to take it from this group of children she has been lying to from the very start.

But more than that, her still talking as if she was a part of their family at the end made me so mad. I don't think Nor had a good reaction to her by any means, stabbing her was definitely not good, and it leaves all of the other humans scared of him but like,,, i'm on his side tbh. His anger is justified, he's just not coping with it in healthy ways. Like at least the Sarentu did shut her down, Alma is not a part of their family by the end, but giving her the grace they did at the end i think was more than she deserved. Idk, I am glad that they are able to be the bigger persons (pun not intended lol) and move forward, I'm just not a fan of forgiving a person who was partially responsible for the murder of your entire family?

Back to Nor. He is such an interesting character to have next to Ri'nela and So'lek. His anger is palpable and it has nowhere to go. He refuses to connect to Eywa again because he feels he has been poisoned by TAP and humans as a whole and it colors everything he does. He copes with his pain by ignoring it until it becomes too much and he snaps.

And then there is Ri'nela, who is also clearly hurt by everything that comes to light about the Sarentu and TAP, but she is so much more reserved about it. She has a really lovely audio log about how she feels the need to set her own emotions aside so she can take care of others and their emotions. You can really tell how much pressure she puts on herself to be that emotional stability for others. Still she works through it and at the very least tries to talk with the Protag about it in a much more healthy way than Nor does.

Compare that to So'lek, who is similarly reserved in is emotions to Ri'nela, but less to protect others and more to protect himself. Hopefully we will get a little more insight into his character with the comics coming out, but So'lek is i think very similar to Nor in a lot of ways. His clan was wiped out in the Great War, and he was the only survivor to not assimilate into another clan, and we can assume, i think, that those other survivors were most likely children and other non-warriors, either too old or unable to fight for whatever reason. He is entirely alone by choice, and he is angry, but he keeps it together.

So'lek sees the bigger picture, he knows that the resistance is the one other group that's actually fighting back (Besides Jake and the Omatikaya), even if its entirely a group of humans, who we can assume he is not terribly fond of in general. He makes a point of saying the RDA is what needs to be removed from Pandora, not humans. He knows how to separate his allies instead of generalizing 'all humans bad', something Nor is implied to struggle with at least a little. That is especially clear when So'lek calls Nor out after he stabs Alma. But that still doesn't negate how angry So'lek is and is capable of being. He says it after HQ is attacked, he is trying not to follow Nor and his rage. He knows that if he has that conversation with Nor, it will be very easy for him to let his rage consume him as well.

Given that Nor is pretty much gone from the game after he stabs Alma, I'm hoping that in the upcoming DLC we get to find him? Maybe he is being an angry loner out on the woods or if he has found other missing TAP students? There are 4 mentioned in game, either by name (Ri'nela asks where two of them, Telisi and Yefti, are at the very start of the game, and 2 more are mentioned in TAP School Records, Okni and Yuayt) Of course they could all have died while the main four were in cryosleep, 15 years have passed and if they werent with that group when Alma saved them, theres no telling what exactly has happened to them. I just think it could be cool for them to pop up and join back up with the Sarentu.

On, like, an entirely different note, the joy it gives me that there are multiple nonbinary characters! Ahh!!! I think right now the only ones are Tsu'kiri from the Aranahe and Okul from the Kame'tire, at least that I have found, but the way that they are handled, I really really love. They are both just people! Existing in the world! As a nonbinary person myself i also really appreciate the game using they/them for the protagonist and letting you flavor your character however you want so that you aren't locked into male/female like so many games tend to do.

Getting into less A:FoP specific and more general lore territory: Something else I found really interesting while digging around on the wiki is that Mokasa is not the Olo'eyktan? He is listed as Anufi's chief advisor, which made him a sort of stand in Olo'eyktan while she was exiling herself, but he isn't actually the Olo'eyktan the way Ka'nat and Nesim are for their respective clans. Even on the wiki, the Olo'eyktan for the Kame'tire is labeled as Unknown. At most we get Okul being named ? Tsakarem? Thats at least what I took from it. But it makes me curious about the other clans and their leadership (also just very curious about them in general lol). There are 16 clans that we know of (that are all still canon) but we really have only really in depth explored 6 of them in the whole series so far. (Just counting the movies and A:FoP right now because I do not have access to the comics or I think the like one? other games that is still canon) Idk im interested in more Olo'eyktan/Tsahik dynamics beyond just mated pairs like we have seen. Like the Zeswa sisters is really cool to me, or father/daughter dynamic with Ka'nat and Etuwa. Obviously, Jake, and later Tarsem, are not mated to Mo'at but there was the intention of Neytiri eventually taking over as Tsahik before the Sully's left, which would have continued the married couple leaders dynamic that we have been seeing.

We also know that Olo'eyktan don't always have to be men (See Nesim for the Zeswa and Ikneyi from the Tayrangi clan that we see in the first film), so then are there examples of male Tsahik somewhere? Okul being presumably named Tsakarem as a nonbinary/gender non-conforming character would imply that on some level, but im curious if we will ever see examples of it.

And finally, somebody has got to let me smooch the characters in this game PLEASE.

If you actually read all that kudos to you and thank you for indulging my screaming.

[where-are-the-spooky-gays-2]

the adhd won't leave me alone so here is a list of Virgil headcanons same rules apply as remus' here we go headcanons number two electric boogaloo:

— was raised by goth parents basically Gomez and Morticia Addams over here they're all affectionate and loving and wonderful parents just goth

— was raised goth, found more comfort in emo styles/music (that sounds like a fucking religion LMAO) (he steals his mother's makeup a lot) (til she buys him his own) (his father buys some too for the hell of it)

— speaking of religion, they celebrate like the solstices. I'm not 100% on any specific religion but they're very "be good to the earth, she's given us everything" parents. Halloween is big though. Fuckin love Halloween.

— pumpkin smell. He just. Ya ever had a pumpkin candle? That's him

— has a general anxiety disorder that fluctuates. Sometimes he can go a long while with no panics, sometimes it's every few hours. He's learning to cope with it

— are anxiety tics a thing???? I swear I see some people say that anxiety tics exist, some others say it doesn't. But just. If not! Then he's got a tic disorder too and he tics when anxious. If so; anxious tics.

(It's a headcanon for both of them Can you tell I get a little self conscious about tics I had/have? /lh /j LMAO)

— really sucked at it at first but can now skateboard pretty well

— he has impulsive DIY piercings (his parents can pay for professional but he insists. They just make sure he's got antiseptic). Actually he DIYs a lot. Bro can sew his own clothes if he wants.

— has walked into the house with newly dyed hair FAR more than once and they're like "oh my darling it looks wonderful when did you do it?"

— mortician. I'm just gonna be so frank with you I have no other ideas.

— worked at Hot Topic from high school through college until he actually started a Career and kinda was sad to be leaving ngl

— only started going to pride when he met Remus

— the kind of guy to take in information really well in class despite looking half asleep the whole time

— he's naturally got bigger canines so he does look a little like a vampire it's not an addition or body mod he's just like that and he loves it

— speaking of him being able to sew, from earlier, his first gift to Remus is a Frankenstein's Monster of stuffed animals. All different body parts from different creatures in order to make a teddy bear. Like discord from my little pony. Remus fucking LOVES it. (Virgil sewed the rest back together so they're okay and now Remus has other plushies with missing limbs)

— okay I'm gonna say it he likes musicals. Normally it's like Jekyll & Hyde but I'm hellbent on him ADORING Chicago. I will fight everyone over this. And the show Adamandi (it's such a good show imo but it's got such a small fandom literally my fav musical it's a gothic tragedy)

— sometimes dresses up in specific outfits he knows Remus finds extra attractive in order to get his attention (he is insecure that day but will NOT be saying it because anxiety)

— had a stutter at one point and it really pissed him off he literally worked through it out of spite now he talks really clearly and consistently and it's terrifying

I tried to keep the HCs off his anxiety and the main function as anxiety in order to share my more "here's him if he was a person and not a function" ones but :3

— 👑

That is S O R E A L but I fucking L O V E these S O fucking much!!! Vee knowing how to sew is literally one of my favorite fucking things ever and him making Frankenstein type plushies for Ree is cute as fuck!!! Also I L O V E him getting better at Skateboarding overtime Skater!Vee my beloved <3 (Also Y E S he D E S E R V E S to smell like a pleasant Pumpkin and have loving alt parents Your Honor <3)

[the-duchess-of-domination]

TW for ED/ARFID talk

I'm severely emetophobic (to the point of ARFID) yet I love tummies so much? The noises, the smooth skin, how it changes shape depending on how full it is, the fact that we need them to keep us alive! Everything! But only online. I'm such a sucker for upset tummy fluff yet if someone said their stomach hurt in real life I would probably cry on spot and hold my breath around them forever. I think part of the love for tummies (or I guess you could say kink but it's not that sexual for me) is because I wish I could do it IRL. I wish I could comfort people and rub their tummies when they don't feel well. So instead I go to tumblr where I can do it no problem. I know this is rambling, but I hope someone relates

-lurker anon

TW: OCD, Emetophobia

hi anon!! thank you for sharing!! im sure a lot of us (including me!!) can relate!

i’ll share a little bit about myself! everything with me started as a child, and there are a lot of overlapping layers. i knew from an early age (literally by 5 years old) that it was exciting to me when cute boys had stomach aches (usually from being fed too much, throwing up wasn’t really on my radar quite yet but it makes sense because it comes with the territory). most of the pieces of media i can remember leaving an impact on me usually cut away or just insinuated that a male character was nauseous or too full by showing their face turn green or having them duck off screen. nothing was ever particularly graphic. this also led to a fixation on stomachs in general, especially the stomachs of bigger guys.

though i never admitted this fascination to anyone (and nobody ever shamed me), i felt weird because i knew other people didn’t share this fixation, so i kept it to myself and tried to enjoy it in private (this usually took the form of writing stories or seeking out media that possibly had sick boys in it. i was a real sleuth). i was a bit obsessive with it, but overall most of the harm was internal rather than external because i was convinced that to enjoy watching men’s pain and discomfort must have meant i was evil or that something was seriously with me.

the thing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is that when you explain your compulsions and thoughts out loud they sound silly because you know they aren’t true, but you can’t help but think them. as a child my thoughts told me that to become sick was an admittance of weakness (which, obviously is SO not true lmao) and that expressing vulnerability was a man’s job. i developed crippling emetophobia that has persisted into my adulthood. the idea with vomiting and its lack of control was absolutely horrifying to me.

a man being sick? there is nothing sexier.

but me?

i began to have panic attacks through middle and high school. this later led to contamination OCD, always being terrified of being sick, and again, worrying and having thoughts about why i found it so attractive when boys admitted they were nauseous (that i must be corrupt, a bad person, crazy, etc).

sometimes i think our brains help us cope with trauma and fear by throwing us a bone every now and again. my fear of losing control manifests in fantasies where i hold all the power. i use my fetishes to strengthen the relationship i have with myself: that im not evil, or wrong, or corrupt, or out of control, or crazy. im just a girl who does things a little differently, and control in my fetish life helps me feel more comfortable dealing with my emetophobia in real life.

anyway, that was a long tangent, but i hope this resonates with the people!! 😭 we just love tummies man. i too love the little sounds they make and what those little sounds mean, the look of them, the way they sit on people’s hips, the fact that they can bloat bigger or get smaller, that we anthropomorphize them by saying they get “upset,” the chest and nipples right above them—i could write a manifesto i SWEAR.

-the duchess 👑🦢

[oc-cinematic-universe]

Joe/Dara general 6, love 7 and 9!!

6. How do their personalities complement each other? How do they clash?

oughgh their personalities are soooo fun to think about in relation to each other... dara and joe are both pretty similar all things considered. they FEEL pretty different. dara's a bit more reserved, and blunt, and has a bad resting bitch face. joe's more energetic, and social, and sweet. but that's kinda just. surface level. they're both introverted and gentle, especially with each other. they both feel So Much all the time for better or worse. they're both extremely desperate for a sense of normalcy and they've both got anxiety through the fucking roof tho they handle it in wildly different ways. i think that's part of why they're a specific kind of desperate to stay together, they just. Get each other really well since they've both got so much of the same stuff going on.

unfortunately for them that's also the main reason their personalities clash. put 2 people who are avoidant at all costs in a relationship together. do you think they're gonna ever enforce their boundaries? absolutely fucking not. their boundaries aren't crossed very often and they are good at asking the other what their boundaries are, but neither of them are ever gonna enforce their own boundaries holy shit

7. Who is better at comforting the other? How do they usually comfort each other?

,,,,,,,,,i think joe's better at comforting dara and that's not really her fault. she just doesn't know when something's wrong. dara tries really hard to keep her emotions to herself but she's not as good at hiding it as she'd like to think. joe also tries really hard to keep his emotions to himself but he's actually stupidly good at it. repression game through the roof. so joe Can recognize when dara's upset and push her into talking about it so he can give her so many hugs and kisses and tell her it's gonna be ok. and dara just has no clue when he needs the same. he doesn't fucking let her know

(this definitely flips later in life after they're married, joe is both very disabled and doesn't have the energy to comfort her the way he used to AND he's a lot better about having emotions. dara's also learned coping mechanisms that aren't "ignore it and hope it doesn't blow up" so she genuinely doesn't need as much, and will happily take silent cuddles when she's feeling particularly down. joe still tries to do bigger things for her but he has to lay down for 30 minutes minimum after making her a nice breakfast so that's not often ISUDALSHID)

9. What reminds them of each other?

pink chrysanthemums reminds dara of joe and stars reminds joe of dara <3 literally the heavy symbolism i'm always leaning into is also directly there in canon, they just associate themselves with this stuff anyways even if i hadn't leaned into it ILUSHDALIUSDHALIUSD they probably send each other pictures of flowers/stars and go "hey is this you" all the time

[warmmilku]

Hello everyone! Today I'd like to talk about some sensitive topics. Many regressors have asked me how to deal with certain tough situations while regressed, so I thought I'd make a post addressing some of them. General TW!

What do I do if I have trouble eating?

What helps me best, usually, is having someone sit with me and eat. Sitting one on one with someone you are comfortable with can allow you to be open about your frustrations with eating. Whether it be crying or needing encouraging words, having someone with you will help you eat, even if it's just a little bit!

What do I do if someone bullies me for my regression?

I know it is easier said than done, but try not to let their mean words get to you! Age regression is a healthy coping mechanism people of all ages do. Whether you are younger or older, bigger or smaller, your regression is always valid! You are not hurting anyone by regressing, and you are not hurting yourself as an alternative. Age regression has also been talked about in psychology textbooks, so it is not an abnormal thing to do! It is not weird, and it is not icky to be a regressor, no matter who you are!

What if I'm an older regressor? Shouldn't I work past this?

Honestly, no. If you are an adult who regresses, as long as you can balance adult life and still use regression as a coping mechanism, everything is alright! However, when interacting with minors and their accounts, it's okay to give them the support they need if they reach out but do not go out of your way to talk about heavy subjects with them either. Even though we are all a part of the same community, it does not mean that we ignore basic human morals. That being said, the younger generation of regressors, please refrain from bullying older regressors as we want our community to be full of acceptance no matter what! The same goes for the older regressors, do not bully anyone in our community either!

People don't always respect my DNI or put TW on their pages! What do I do?

If someone does not respect your DNI, feel free to block them! For matters such as nsfw, gore, ect, it is completely reasonable to want to separate that from your blog! However, if the DNI has to do with personal beliefs such as politic standings, likes and dislikes, or certain terminology use for the community, that can be work past if they do not message you about such things. For example, a lot of babies are 420 friendly, but a majority view age regression as a pure thing. There is no right or wrong way to regress, however! It is hard to find friends in our community, so we cannot be as harsh to judge others in the way they regress. If a topic makes you uncomfortable, just tell them! If they do not respect the boundaries you have set afterwards, then take action from there as you see fit! Alternatively, not everyone puts TW on their pages. Tumblr has a feature in which you can block certain hashtags, so use that to your advantage! For example, I had reblogged a post of a goose with a knife from one of my comfort games and someone asked me to take it down because they did not like knives. People are not responsible for how you feel about a certain topic, and I explained that Untitled Goose Game was a comfort game for me and I thought the fanart was cute. I asked them nicely if they would not like to see that, to block the hashtags themselves from their feed so the posts would not be visible and they agreed! What may be sensitive to you, may be comfort for others, so always keep an open mind!

I don't like when people call themselves Littles or being in Littlespace. Aren't they nsfw?

Age regressors use a number of terms to describe their regression. While "Littlespace" and "Little" are used in the nsfw community, a lot of sfw age regressors actually prefer that term. The term "Little" is also used in the DID community about their child alters. A word only has as much power as you give it. So if someone refers to themselves as such, but strictly says they are sfw, that is something to be respectful about! Personally, I use the terms "Smol", "Smolspace", "Flip", "Regressor", "Little", and "Littlespace" when referring to my or other babies regression. At the same time, I am strictly sfw and those are the terms I'm most comfortable using! A term is not inherently bad! Again, this is about keeping an open mind and accepting how others regress!

I don't like when this person regresses, it bothers me. How should I tell them?

The best way to tell them you would not like to be their caregiver or be around when they regress is when they are fully in a big mindest. Politely say these things that bother you and politely ask if it is alright to not be around it. Age regression does make others uncomfortable at times, I know we have all experienced that on the giving or receiving end at a point, so it is understandable why some feel this way still. If it makes you uncomfortable, simply speak up! In my opinion, it is better to tell a regressor gently without judging their regression so that they are understanding but not awfully hurt. For example, phrases like "I think it is a great coping mechanism, but I would rather not be around it for personal reasons" or "It's not weird or unusual at all! It's just im not a part of the community at all and I'm uncomfortable since I'm not." Just be sure to reassure them that their regression is valid, just not something you'd like to be around. As for the receiving end, I know it may hurt to hear a bit, but you have a whole online community who supports you too! So utilize your resources!

With all of that being said, if you ever have more tough questions for me to answer, please ask! I am always happy to help you! I hope these answers helped a bit!

🤍 Milku

[ursafootprints]

I’m really feeling the range of emotions with the upcoming conclusion of YNYD: anticipation on seeing the next phase of Tony and Peter’s relationship, sadness that it’s the closing of one of the best introspective fics, and more. Overall, it has been such a fulfilling year and a half! Can I ask what excites you as an author in how you want to explore Tony and Peter’s relationship — whether in YNYD or another work?

This is such a sweet ask, thank you so much! I've been in a writing rut recently (no worries, I will come out of it, I go through stages haha) and this really made me smile. 💖💖💖

This might be more broad than you were looking for, but I feel one of the themes I come back to over and over again with Starker in general is that idea of navigating the shift in dynamics that comes with redefining the relationship from mentor-mentee (or other unbalanced dynamics in AUs) to potential love interests/sexual partners. Tony is older, more experienced, and has more resources than Peter-- how well do they navigate that in the particular context of XYZ set-up/story? Where and how often does Tony fall into paternalism instead of treating Peter as an equal (potential) partner, and how does he balance that against his attraction? (What kind of contexts are there where that could be valid?)

What does Peter do to try and signal to Tony that he's Grown Up Enough on his side? What things would Tony actually see/acknowledge as effective signals? When does Peter slip up and show his age? How actively do they talk about it, how aware are they of the potential pitfalls, and where will they have conflicts anyway? Which things can they smooth over and which things are bigger sticking points? (External and internal-- obviously one of my very favorite things is making Tony really grapple with that change in perspective towards Peter, and that's what shows up most often out of these in my stuff since it fits in the scope of shorter works as well as longer ones!)

I think that's part of why I'm so drawn toward dubcon scenarios with these two in particular, because adding in sex pollen/bad guys made them do it/identity porn/etc. means that the process is ushered in by a more abrupt paradigm shift that they have to scramble to cope with and that heightens the intensity of that journey, even if the journey itself is a slow burn like YNYD instead of a faster process like Naturally.

And I love that there's so many different angles to look at these questions through, depending on canonpoint, Peter's age, AU-type, etc.! It's something I never really get tired of turning around in my mind and why my other potential (potential!!) longer-term projects-- the omegaverse child bride AU and the omegaverse teenage pregnancy AU-- are ones that examine those questions just as closely as YNYD, just through different lenses.

[blujayonthewing]

I'm inserting a crisp dollar into the Thoughts About Felix machine, wondering:

What are his sleeping habits like?

What are his coping mechanisms?

He's granted three wishes. What's the fourth thing he would wish for?

How would you describe him, using only emoji?

me @ this ask

Left to his own devices he's naturally inclined to be crepuscular; in his home village it was normal for most people to sleep both in the middle of the night and the middle of the day (though a little longer at night), and for the day to start well before dawn and end well after dark. Since he's kind of a loner and drifter at the moment he can usually still get away with this kind of sleeping schedule even after having left home; people get the impression that he never sleeps, or must sleep really poorly, because he appears to be out wandering around at all hours, but really he's just splitting up his sleep. After spending so much time in human/ mixed cities he has gotten better at being able to adjust to only sleeping at night when needs be, but he gets noticeably sleepy around lunchtime if he's not getting naps in.

He's a pretty light sleeper, partly because his hearing is so sensitive; he likes to be cozy, and preferably somewhere very quiet and dark, but he can fall asleep fairly easily almost anywhere. I feel like I have a lot of OCs who routinely stay up way too late/ refuse to sleep or, like, sleepwalk, or are otherwise Bad At Sleep, but actually his sleep habits are generally pretty good, unusual circadian rhythm notwithstanding, lol.

YELLS IT'S GETTING SO LONG SORRY I AM INCAPABLE OF BREVITY SDFKJHDFKGJ

Coping mechanisms! Small scale/ acute: he fidgets a lot, chews on things. He's mostly gotten himself out of the habit of biting his nails by redirecting to other stuff (he goes through pencils a lot faster than he actually wears them out with use). A big go-to is seeking space to be alone, particularly somewhere high up; as a kid he used to climb trees a lot, and now in aboveground cities he spends a lot of time sitting on roofs.

For bigger/ more ongoing things... it depends. On the one hand, it can feel comforting to surround himself with people by spending time in places that feel crowded without being intimate, like markets or popular taverns, but it stresses him out if people can tell he's Going Through Something, so he ends up isolating a lot instead, or just hanging out with animals and avoiding people (pigeons aren't usually good enough at humanoid body language to pick up on and ask about anything short of an actual breakdown, for one thing, but on the other hand breaking down fully in front of animals still feels significantly less stressful than in front of other people, somehow). He hates talking about himself, and he really hates trying to explain his feelings, especially when he's already having a bad time, so he doesn't really get a lot of support even when he really needs it. He mostly doesn't Journal His Feelings with his sketch/ travel journal, but I think he's more inclined to do so at least a little bit when he's trying to cope with something just because he's got no other good outlet, much less someone he can actually talk to.

In terms of coping beyond the immediate 'managing the feelings' sense, he always wants to understand things as much as possible, so a big part of coping with anything is to try to learn everything about it he can. Like, not that this has happened to him but he's very much primed to be the guy whose loved one disappears/ is killed under suspicious circumstances which sets off a chain of events leading to his single-handedly unraveling some deep convoluted conspiracy-- you know? Something extremely upsetting and Deeply Weird happened to him before the campaign started, and now he's obsessed with making sense of it. Honestly, now that I'm writing this all out, I imagine his interest in studying people and body language and social nuances and motivations came at least partly from a way to cope with not understanding those things intuitively like other people seem to, and being really bad at performing social skills correctly himself 🤔

Lacing my fingers in front of my lips pensively. The wishes question is so intriguing. ...... okay. I have his three wishes. The unwished fourth wish is 'I wish for [people who left him for dead] to forget that I exist.'

the lad in emojis: 🥺🤫🐈👁👁👂🔍🍂💬❔

[lonelier-version-of-you]

So, I have to say: tonight I have had, at best, very mixed feelings about Casualty.

I don't want to feel that way, because if one puts the Faith scenes aside, there was some good stuff in it. But how could I put the Faith scenes aside when she took up like half the screentime? I can't.

First of all: it was great to see Jacob again after he wasn't around last week. But yet again, he seemed to disappear after halfway through the ep! I'm just so tired of the show seemingly not caring about Jacob. It's exhausting, I'm fed up of it. There are still so many interesting things to be done with his character, and he needs a proper storyline about handling his trauma. At the very least, I want to know he's seeing a therapist. He deserves it.

I still despise Faith. I tried my best to distract myself from her scenes, but that got complicated when she had scenes with Max or Stevie, two of my favourite characters. So that was all very frustrating. Seeing Max be far nicer to her than she deserves, and seeing her be so awful to Stevie, made it worse. Especially with Stevie - I don't care if Faith thinks Stevie's self-centred or that she has unhealthy coping mechanisms. Maybe she is, maybe she does, but there are people I would consider it far more worthwhile to see her have a conversation about it with than Faith. Faith is also one of the most self-centred characters the show has ever had, so that was all incredibly hypocritical of her.

Also: this worries me that Henrik will indeed turn up for an appearance at some point, because he's the only character I can think of who would do something as incompetent as letting Faith stay. Sigh. She's awful to just about everyone around her and has been for basically as long as she's been at Holby, someone please just make her leave!

The lack of followup on Max's storyline is also very frustrating to me. I'm way more interested in him and Jodie, and in whatever his backstory is, than I have ever been in Faith. And I'm assuming it can't be long at all now until he leaves, so why is the storyline still not going anywhere?

I'm not sure, to say the least, how to feel about where Stevie's storyline went this week. It reminded me of the terribly handled Madge storyline on Holby. I also hate Harry almost as much as I hate Faith, so this wasn't a good week for me to say the least. Maybe Casualty would have been able to do a better "parents struggling to cope with caring for their disabled son" storyline, one that shows all sides of the issue and how the disabled person feels about it, if it hadn't had Harry of all characters at the centre.

Also, while I think this story has mostly been quite well done, I hope Stevie gets some happy stories once this one is over. I'm worried she's going to end up in a Henrik-like scenario otherwise and just keep getting sad storylines.

Okay, I'm now going to talk about some good sides of this week.

The Dylan and Rash stuff was fantastic! Seeing Dylan in that sort of encouraging role is just so nice, and I love Rash, so this was great. I'm also glad this got to be Dylan's storyline this week, instead of getting him involved with Faith again.

Jacob, Teddy, Rash, Dylan, and Ngozi might be the best team anyone could possibly have to treat them if they were a patient. I love them all so much, so the show putting them all together like that was great for me.

It was nice to see Ngozi get more to do in general, although I would've liked for her to have a bigger part to play this week than she did.

Let's hope that Jacob and Ngozi get more significant storylines soon, Stevie's story goes back to being good, and Faith fades into the background or outright leaves.

[eloquentgifs]

I'm going to say things bc that's how I cope.

As a person who thinks that if you're going to do something you should do it right, I can't help it, it bothered me how sloppy this season felt. Of course I fully blame HBO and their cheapness, but it stills bothers me. Not only we got two episodes less than s1, but the 8 we got were shorter, and you can tell. I also blame the budget cuts for the constant yet unnecessary flashbacks, and the weird editing, and the anticlimatic pace. In any case, I want to highlight the things I did like, because I fucking love this show and Im sure that after a rewatch or two I'll be less angry, so let's stay positive:

Since it seems they were having trouble to get the complete cast together in one plot, I do love they kinda let them have their spotlight one by one. Like, Frenchie in the first episodes, Wee John as Calypso, Lucius with his PTSD in ep5... It's not the same as s1, but it's something.

I've seen people complaining about this, but Im happy they didnt invest too much time on the forgiving process. I like it better when everyone gets along fine, and in the end they're pirates and they never seemed to be the kind of people who hold grudges, so yeah lets skip to the nice part.

I did like a lot what they did with Izzy. I don't care if it happened too quick or what, I used to feel indiference towards him and this season I actually enjoy his scenes a lot. I still dont know how I feel about his death tho. It bothered me a little that the whole scene was more about Ed than Izzy himself, but in the end I always saw Izzy as a narrative tool in Ed's arc more than as a character of his own, so I guess it makes sense.

Super happy with the music choices, and also the new outfits.

Really, the first five episodes were absolutely brilliant.

It made me so happy they got Bronson Pinchot as Ned Low.

Huge fan of Zheng Yi Sao and Auntie.

Im so fucking furious at Taika Waititi for his pro-Israel shit that seeing Pop Pop attacking him gave me some sort of inner peace.

Now, things I wished had been done differently: - There were a lot of paralelisms with s1, which is good, but I'd like they brought back more actual elements of s1 into play. Like, the lighthouse painting, the secret wardrobe, the pink robe, a third Badmington (he would have work better as big bad than this prince ricky guy I dont really care about?). Frenchie singing again. This oneis a reach, but I would love to have Mary Bonnet back. And I was really hoping they play with the fact that Stede is "dead". The guy doesnt even mention the Master Fuckery from ep10.

-On that note, I was a little dissapointed on Jim's arc. I was never that invested on them or their plot in s1, but it feels weird how this season it seems like none of that even happened. Even Jim felt like a different character. I feel it would worked better if some of the conflict was related to Siete Gallos stuff, so at least it would feel all of that subplot wasnt a waste of time.

-Little missing opportunities of making me happy: Anne Bonny and Mary Read mentioning Jack (to insult him, mostly); they kissing when the house is on fire; Ed finding not just one letter but the whole pile of them; a better narrative use for Seagull Buttons (well, any narrative use, really); developing the bombclocks thing in a way where Auntie was not deprived of her superhuman detective skills; having Ned Low as bigger villain, with several appearances.

-The general development of Ed/Stede in the final episode... It's just confusing to me. My reading of Stede's mind state was that he was on autopilot since he killed Ned Low, and being abandoned by Ed and having his ass kicked by Zheng would wake him up a little, but this episode he's still in PROBLEM SOLVER mode, zero regrets about anything, still hasn't talked anything through EVER, he's just fine. With Ed I dont even ask for coherence bc he's always been a wtf guy, but I dont understand the "just do whatever you're good at" thing in the beginning of the episode, and he claiming back his leathers and his pirate-self and going on berserker mode and fighting along Stede as equals and blablabla if at the end he's still chosing to be a fucking innkeeper. Also, having a shitty inn in the middle of nowhere sounds too close to the antique shop in ep4, didn't they learn ANYTHING from Mary and Anne? I mean, the innkeeping was a predictible outcome, but the setting up of the episode was really aiming to the opposite, so it feels weird to me. In any case, I'm happy they're together and if being absolutely on their own in the loneliest house in the world doesn't get them to improve their communication, idk what else they could do.

-Still think they should have been lighthouse keepers instead.

-Next season Im totally muting every OFMD tag as soon as they announce the trailer release, because the promo and bts content was absolutely TOO MUCH. Those fuckers had been showing us stuff from the very climax of the fucking last episode since weeks before the season aired. I get it's a me problem, but I do believe it ruined my experience a lot, so fuck that.

And well. That's it. Good season, could have been great. Im happy but sad. Let's just hope that, if there's a season 3, they gave them more money and time to do it properly.

And before I post this and run away from tumblr, Im checking out how much of my wishlist had been fulfilled: - LUCIUS IS ALIVE - Stede Bonnet, berserker era [Not as I imagined, but hey] - The Queen Anne’s Revenge, either being captured or coming back as the ship Ed left behind when he went to The Revenge - The Blockade of Charleston (and make really absurd) [Still might happen in the future?] - Anne Bonny and Mary Read(as middle aged women who kinda mirror Ed and Stede, but they did it right) - Since he was already mentioned in s1, it would make sense introducing Hornigold, maybe as a new antagonist or something. - A rip off of that wwdits episode with the Vampire Council, except this time is the Pirate Council and its members are pirates from other movies and shows [I was really dreaming big here] - On that note, a really weird episode with every person who has played Blackbeard in recent years [Fully tripping] - More women and more asian characters. And more people speaking their mother tongues [So many Chinese gals, not one chinese word :(] - Ed finding out about Stede’s death and believing it [It did happened but not how/when we thought] - Ed meeting Mary and getting along [Never losing hope on this one] - Frenchie adopting a cat (and singing a song about it). - More info about everyone’s pasts. - I would LOVE having Bartholomew Roberts in the show. [YES PLEASE]

[vanillahub]

2, 3 & 17

@commandsir

Munday Asks: Salt Edition [Accepting]

2. What are your unpopular opinion(s) of the fandom you’re rping in?

// SW fans learn the difference between forcing something onto you, and someone just stating an opinion. You're not a bigger fan for preferring one version of the canon over another, and same thing goes to the lesser of a fan argument. And don't even get me started on the whole crusade about "morality in fiction". Nobody is more morally righteous for watching the latest shows, or not.

The holy grail that we call source material is nothing more than a, collection of answers to the questions you may have. Disney's SW and Legends' come with their own different sets of answers. Trying to intimidate someone from enjoying one thing, is such a low move. And to me it tells me that many people, likely feel SO insecure about their beliefs/HCs/takes. That they feel like they have to act this way, in an attempt to "protect" themselves.

As an adult that's approaching her 30s, I've been far more drawn towards the more mature version of SW. I haven't been getting the most satisfactory answers from the new canon, and as such, I'll keep turning to Legends. At the same time, I don't treat the old Legends stuff as the holy bible, it isn't. I don't like everything about it, in the same way I also enjoy some changes brought by the new canon.

3. What rp trends are you so over and can’t wait for it to die?

// Can we just go back to calling ourselves RP blogs? The whole shtick of 'This blog is a study of: X, Y, Z subjects that the RPer thinks it makes them look big brained for knowing uwu' doesn't look good, and imo it looks 1000x worse when the blog has little to no IC/character building done, and it is nothing but shitposts or generic aesthetics/musings.

It just makes the people behind those blogs come off as unnecessarily pompous. Especially when it is blatantly obvious, they don't know what they are talking about, because they are applying concepts/ideas wrongly in their fundamentals.

And I'm going to say it: anyone trying to pass that off as 'a joke' or how 'it wasn't meant to be taken seriously uwu' are just coping, because they likely realised how silly it all looks and sounds, but they convinced themselves this is better.

17. What are your opinions when someone makes negative posts constantly on their rp blog?

// I've had to deal with people like that many times in the past, and I've learned that it is best to just avoid those people. They are draining in every sense of the word, and my experience/time in communities has largerly improved, since I started filtering those people out.

To me, negativity can come in various forms.

There are obviously the people who are heavily tied to discourse, who are simply unable to drop a subject and move on, and they made hating a character/subject/part of a franchise's source material part of their personality. There are also people who overshare, every little bad thing that happened to them, and dump onto their mutuals/followers super personal shit that was never meant to be publicized. And they do that not out of malice in most cases, but because they are seeking out coddling and comfort in social media engagement (If anyone hits this point, they NEED to seek professional help.). And there are also people who are just unable to keep shit to themselves, or lack a circle of friends, to comment on every little thing others are doing. You know, the people who go 'oh ew. Imagine shipping/liking X Y stuff' or 'Oh what did I do? Why did I lose a follower? >:('. Now this is just vagueposting, which is targeting someone.

And before anyone tries to point fingers at me because, I support people doing whatever they want in their blogs. I also equally support people improving their online experience, and leave if they feel like they've had enough of something.

[wisteriafay]

Mental Illness & Witchcraft | How I Use My Craft to Cope | Protection

Introduction

So, the topic for my first-ever blog series focuses on how I use my personal witchcraft practises to help me cope with and deal with my own mental illnesses better.Now, a big disclaimer I'd like to place here is that witchcraft isn't the only thing I use to help me cope better. In fact, I actively go to therapy and often exercise other coping mechanisms such as artistic hobbies, music, and generally just doing things I love and enjoy. My witchy practises are meant to enhance what is already there; such as positivity, the flowing of my emotions, and giving myself the strength to get through hard times. In general, I'm trying to say that you shouldn't rely too heavily on your craft for things like this or anything else. Always practise mundane options before turning to magic. This isn't necessarily a "rule," but more so just something that could help you in the long run, especially mentally.The main types of practises I use to help me cope are protection, attraction, and cleansing. And most of it is made up of small, 5–10 minute tasks that I can do daily, weekly, monthly, or just whenever I feel like it, with the occasional spell thrown in. I will be splitting this topic into separate blog posts to cover those categories because otherwise, this would be too long to bear.

Protection 

When it comes down to it, protection is probably one of the most important things to learn when you become involved with the craft. Especially if your own craft involves hexes, curses, and the like.However, it can also be used in a type of practise that includes learning how to deal with much different negativity in your life. It could be something as simple as anointing yourself with protection oils, or something a little bigger, such as preparing a spell jar to carry around with you. I will be talking about my favourites to use here, which are: charmed jewelry, crystal magick,oils, and sigils. I will be sorting these from simplest to most complicated and time-consuming.How does protection correlate with coping with mental illness? Well, that is simple. For me, spiritual protection not only protects me from most negativity that may cause me to have a negative episode, but it also gives me the mindset that I am strong enough to get through anything.

Sigils and Oils

Sigils and oils are tools used in witchcraft that can either be used by themselves for quick, easy work or used in more significant magickal projects as a boost to the intentions and energy of said magickal projects. You can make them part of your everyday routine or just use them whenever you feel like it. It doesn't matter. However, what does matter is that you make them tie into your craft in whichever way works best for you. Allow no one to tell you what is the "right" or "wrong" way to use them. If you would like to know more about sigils and how to create and use them, I recommend referring to The Witch of Wonderlust's The Basics of Sigil Making video. As for how to use oils, I recommend the Chaotic Witch Aunt's Daily Personal Practices video. But for now, in this blog post, we will talk about how they best correlate with protecting your mental health. So, the method I recommend using can be used as many times as you like throughout the day, throughout the week, etc. And this method involves writing sigils on your body using the oils. For this method, I recommend using anointing oils with roller tops, but if you can't find a good enough pre-made oil with a roller top, any kind of protection-focused oil will suffice. What you'll want to do is either use the roller top, or dip the tip of your finger in the oil, and draw the protection sigil of your choice on your wrists, over your heart, or wherever you think would work best for you. Remember to keep your intention in mind while you do this. You can do that by repeating in your head or out loud, "I am anointing myself with this oil so that I may be protected from any negative energy throughout my day or week." You can then activate it to get the best performance out of it by using kinetic energy. Rubbing in the oil after drawing the sigil with it would work perfectly fine. It all comes down to what you believe is best for you to be protected while also feeling protected. It's all about mindset and belief.

Crystal Magick

Just like sigils and oils, crystals can be used as a way to enhance your spellwork, or they can be used by simply charging them with intention and carrying them around. A really good crystal that I enjoy working with when it comes to protection is black tourmaline. I just tend to connect really well with this type of crystal, and it has really strong protection properties from what I've experienced working with it. However, what type of crystal you use is up to you; just make sure that the type correlates with your intention. If you're out at a crystal shop and not sure what a crystal may be used best for, talk to one of the people at the shop, or some of my favourite shops put little information slips with their crystals. Once you have your crystal, what you're going to want to do is first cleanse it. This is to get rid of any unwanted energy that it may be holding onto after spending a while in a public setting. Then, you can either hold it in your hand or put your hands over it and repeat your intention in your mind while you envision your own energy surrounding it and going inside of it. Usually the phrase I repeat in my mind for good protection is "I am charging this crystal to protect me from any and all negative energy throughout the day." You could do this for two minutes, five minutes, or however long feels best for you.

Charmed Jewelry 

Charming jewellery is a type of spell work in which you can add a magical benefit to something you can wear and thus carry with you wherever you go. You can charm jewellery with any sort of intent, may it be boosting your self-esteem, adding a little bit of extra luck to your daily routine, or, in this case, protecting yourself against negative energy. If you'd like to know some really good methods for charming your jewelry, I recommend watching The Chaotic Witch Aunt's Charging and Charming Jewelry video that covers the topic, or The Witch of Wonderlust also has a great video that covers this topic called Charming, Charging, and Enchanting Jewelry Remember to keep your intention in mind when charming your jewelry, regardless of the method you use. All of these methods I have written about are meant to allow you to focus on yourself and block out any sort of negative energy that may reach you and put you in a bad state of mind. Whether it be carrying crystals, wearing jewelry, or anointing yourself with sigils and oils, these are all guaranteed to not only protect you but also allow you to feel safe. However, keep in mind that what I have written about is mainly energy-focused; you could adjust them to your liking to prevent physically negative things from happening too. In the next blog post, I will be talking about primarily the same subject, but this time in the attraction category, which talks about how to attract positive and good type of energies towards you to give you a boost on good days and bad days. I sincerely hope you enjoyed what I wrote today and that it helped you deal with your mental illness through your craft.

Sources

The Witch of Wonderlust References

Charming, Charging, & Enchanting Jewelry: https://youtu.be/KqEwsl9sDqI

The Basics of Sigil Making: https://youtu.be/jVV1Jx3rmX8

Chaotic Witch Aunt References

Charging & Charming Jewelry: https://youtu.be/-ececIYYW7w

Daily Personal Practices: https://youtu.be/Qze-giPDShg

[abuzd]

Hey Dogwood, first I wanted to clarify this isn't an ask where I'm seeking medical advice, it's more about just changes in general and how to cope. I do mention medicine as an example but I don't mention specific ones, and my ask is more about emotional/mental coping.

How do you mentally prepare yourself for a change (in my case, it's adjusting my med regimen and being nervous about how I'll feel) even if you know you're safe? The logical part of me knows I don't need to be as worried as I am, I've gone through similar changes before and I'm in touch with my prescriber, but it's one of those things where if you overthink, your brain starts to come up with too many what-if scenarios? If I felt less nervous I wouldn't be so intimidated, but because of my anxious thoughts, I'm perceiving the situation as bigger than it actually is and I just feel more scared of changes than compared to the past.

There are some other unrelated situations I'm going through that will potentially result in changes I don't feel ready for. Some that might happen in the near future, others that are more distant. But anyway. It seems like you've dealt with lots of changes and (without giving more detail than you're comfortable sharing) I just wanted to ask if you were okay with giving your thoughts on how you cope with the fear of uncertainty when it comes to things like that. If there's any healthy distractions you find helpful or what your favorite reassuring statements are. Thoughts/reminders that comfort you. Anything.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and also thank you for mentioning Daylio since I've been finding that app super helpful and I see other people have been benefitting from it too. Thank you for your blog and for being amazing, I appreciate following you!

hello!! i'd love to be able to offer more help with this but tbh i'm more eager towards change than most people. especially med changes and stuff, even if i'm unsure if i'm ready for the changes. i have anxiety meds i can take for panic but other than that i don't really require much help or comfort for change, i face things pretty head-on even if they're terrifying, i push pretty hard to get past things without the use of comfort. i know that doesn't help you at all, but i don't want to give you any kind of bullshit answer :( if i did have apprehensions about things though, i'd take them up with my therapist and talk through them for guidance and techniques specifically designed for me in my capacities and limits. the only thing i'd maybe suggest you can do on your own is journalling so that the thoughts aren't just whooshing around your head. putting your concerns down on a list (like pros and cons help) can help you put them down where you can See them so they're not just everywhere and overwhelming in your head, yknow? again i'm sorry i'm not much help but perhaps other followers can reply to this with the advice that i'm unable to give from my own experiences!

[dirt-goth]

Thinking a lot about how last week my therapist literally said "You did all this work to not want to kill yourself anymore and then the world ends up like this" like girl. I know and it sucks so bad

[fayewoodss]

Im sorry I don't know if you take asks or whatever but how do you interpret what happens in under the silver lake just cause I'm completely and utterly on an under the silver lake bullshit rant and I need opinions and you seem interested in the film (I'm so sorry I'm rambling)

Howdy! No need to apologize, my asks are always open!

“Under the Silver Lake” has genuinely become one of my favorite movies and I have a few different ways of interpreting it because I think there are a multitude of metaphors and lessons within the film. I could talk for hours about it! I’m going to put a cut after the first blurb because this will be long and have spoilers. (Also, I haven’t had the chance to rewatch it in a bit, so I may be a bit rusty on some points

First and foremost, I read UTSL as a breakup film. Sam is a man who is clearly struggling to cope with the loss of a relationship. The majority of his actions are him falling into unhealthy and dangerous ways of coping as he escapes not only a loss of love, but also a general distaste for his life as it’s quickly going downhill. It’s obvious from the beginning that he’s stopped caring about himself and his wellbeing as he shirks off all responsibilities to lounge around all day spying on women. This is what eventually sparks his interest in Sarah, someone he becomes obsessed over despite never actually getting the chance to know her. In many ways, Sam uses Sarah, or at least his idea of her, to try to answer the question of, “Why did my last relationship fail?” And in general, I think a lot of Sam’s character arc and journey is just him wanting to know, “Why?” and this is a “why” that can be applied to both the minute issues in his life, but also the bigger picture conspiracies he falls into.

So, when Sarah goes missing in the midst of him trying to process his last breakup and him using her as an unhealthy coping mechanism, it only further spirals him into his search for an answer to “why.” I personally interpreted his journey through LA as, “if he can find Sarah, then he can finally understand what went wrong with himself,” because even with every conspiracy and weird happenstance he finds himself in, his motivation remains focused on Sarah.

Now onto the surrounding conspiracies and the bigger picture, I feel a lot of what Sam faces with issues like the death cult Sarah ends up a part of, the Homeless King (and the homeless in general), and his encounter with the Songwriter are all instances that are meant to render him powerless and truly show how small and lost he is. To put it shortly, Sam is pathetic.

In the Death Cult and the Songwriter, Sam uncovers his fears of elite societies and individuals perpetuating a toxic and predatory capitalist system that render the likes of art and individuality useless and unattainable (and just the oppression of capitalism in general). He uncovers these big secrets that harm everyone and everything he has loved, yet knows that he is merely a nameless individual unable to change everything. And on top of that, he really doesn’t care unless it directly affects him and his interests. When he finds the Death Cult marrying off brides to fraudulent and corrupt men in the Hollywood elite only for them to all be entombed forever underground, he only cares because this hurts Sarah which in turn hurts him. He doesn’t take any action to help any of the other women in this situation and he clearly won’t because of his own selfish motivations. This just further drives home how Sarah was more of an obsession and a coping mechanism rather than a true person to him.

Another fascinating piece of Sam’s puzzle is the Dog Killer. Now, it’s already been confirmed by Andrew that he did many different takes of certain scenes where he played different sides of Sam’s relationship to the Dog Killer. Sometimes he played it off as if Sam had no idea who or what the Dog Killer is, sometimes he played it off as if Sam knew but didn’t care to intervene, and other times he even played it off as if Sam were the Dog Killer himself. I personally think the Dog Killer represents of multitude of things, one of those being Sam himself.

First and foremost, the Dog Killer as a literal dog murderer still remains ambiguous to me on a surface level. Why is someone just killing dogs in LA? So, my own interpretation of the dog killer strictly focuses on the metaphorical aspects of it all.

“Under the Silver Lake” is a movie that relies on the male gaze and it is very aware of that. It’s not entirely told from Sam’s perspective, but we are able to very clearly understand how he, and many of the men around him, view women, and it’s not a very kind or tasteful perspective. As Sam is obviously someone very hurt and lost due to his own actions and his last break-up, he does not view women as individuals deserving of respect. He spies on them, creepily follows them, and uses them in various ways for sexual gratification, emotional/motivational gain, and free therapy. Sometimes Sam gets away with this treatment and sometimes he does have more amicable relationships with women, but even so it’s built on a flimsy foundation of exploitation. In cases where Sam is called out on his behavior, or is not allowed to indulge in his desires, women very easily turn on him. Several times throughout the film when we see women rebelling against Sam, this is accompanied by the women directly barking at him, insinuating that Sam views these women as dogs. And what’s a popular derogatory name for women that doubles as a name for female dogs? Bitch. It’s no big jump from the symbolism of an angry and threatening dog to a defensive and protective woman to be labeled a bitch from a man’s perspective.

Is this barking really happening? Most likely not, but it’s a direct indicator of Sam’s state of mind and disposition towards women post break-up. Taking all of that information, I personally believe Sam is the Dog Killer in a metaphorical sense of him being a killer of relationships, a killer of love. He does not respect his partners, he does not respect women, he is lazy and unmotivated. Everything about him displayed in the film points to him being the reason he lost his last relationship and the reason why he is unable to healthily move on and find a new one.

On a broader level, I also view the Hollywood elite running the Death Cult Sarah gets roped into as Dog Killers. This just falls back in line with most of the men in the film objectifying women and viewing them as animals to own and control. So when these men are able to round up three “wives” at a time only to bring them to their deaths, they are becoming Dog Killers themselves.

That’s most of the big analysis I have currently because I need to do a rewatch and take more notes, but there are some other smaller themes and details that build up the characters and the story. The Owl’s Kiss is an allegory for the depression and paranoia that Sam has fallen into and how it could result suicide. Topher Grace’s character often states the obvious of what is happening while also feeding in to Sam’s delusion, serving as an enabler and a motivator. There are some times where Sam actually questions that voice and what it’s telling him to do, but ultimately never truly challenges, rather sticking to the familiarity of his paranoia as a way of making sense of things, as a way of answering his “why?”

That’s really all I have for now! I hope to come back to this and add more because I know there is more to explore and say, but I hope this all makes sense for now!!