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annabelle--cane · 2 years ago

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I guess the thing that makes me not so fond of Jon's addiction allegory is that it's only coherent to a certain extent? Like I think people sometimes forget that he's actively violating these people

anon, through no fault of your own you have accidentally hit upon my sleeper agent trigger phrase. I have layers of answers to this.

so first off, yeah, it's not a 1:1 direct metaphor, it's a soupy dream logic fantasy plot device with flavors of a lot of different things. there's quite a lot of addiction in there, there's some abuse of power, there's some cyclical nature of trauma, there's a dash of disability, there's a few notes of gendered violence, there's a good bit of just. violence violence and being kind of a motherfucker because goddammit it feels good to be an active agent about something in your life, even if it's just choosing to be a worse version of yourself than you strictly need to be. a lot of tma's worldbuilding is very allegorical, but apart from aspects of individual statements nothing really matches up quite 1:1 with a real world counterpart, and if more things did then it probably wouldn't be a fantasy show anymore.

secondly. okay to contextualize this answer a little bit I have a kind of hypothetical video essay project about vampirism and addiction that I like to spend a few hours thinking about every so often but am almost certainly never going to make because the full research burden required is a lot higher than I actually have the time to properly do. but because of that I've spent a lot of time sorting through why framing vampires as addicts really works for me in a way that it doesn't seem to for everyone, and I think a lot of my thoughts on that also apply to jon. there's going to be a bit of a detour here before we get back to talking about tma, but we'll get there, I prommy.

I've seen a lot of people take issue with various paranormal addiction allegories because, a lot of the time, the act that is meant to metaphorically represent the act of use itself is something that is directly and inherently harmful to others, e.g. drinking human blood, handing over power to your hedonistic Evil alter ego, holding the cursed amulet and going crazy going stupid, slurping trauma out of the head of some guy you ran into on a boat to norway, etc., and yeah, I do get that. substance use is not inherently harmful like that to anyone except sometimes the user themself, and addicts are not inherently fucked up and destructive people; those are dangerous stereotypes that often lead to the demonizing of a whole group of sick people.

here's the thing for me, though: those are definitely truths I want explored and represented when it comes to portrayals of non-allegorical actual addicts, but fantasy fiction isn't for showing the world as it is, it's for showing a subjective fun house mirror version of reality where certain aspects are minimized and magnified depending on how it feels to live through it. and yes, absolutely in real life drug use is not an inherently evil act and it does not make you an inherently evil person, but... doesn't it kind of feel like that? sort of? absolutely no one is living their best life nor on their best behavior while experiencing any kind of major mental illness episode, and when it comes to addiction you've got a very clear tangible symbol of when The Episode is happening that it feels like you have much more control over than when it comes to other illnesses. it's also a thing where people are a lot more likely to be openly angry and distrustful of you if they find out it's happening. so you mix together the ideas of "I know I get worse as a result of doing this one specific thing" + "I act less like myself when I'm using, it rearranges my priorities and I care less about hurting people because that's what happens when you're experiencing The Horrors" + "society at large/people directly around me are pretty quick to say that doing this is evil," and you get the subjective emotional result of "I hurt people by using and it makes me monstrous." I tend to respond to those kinds of paranormal allegories like they're just cutting out the middle man of those subjective fears. "using makes me monstrous" -> "using is monstrous."

anyway. jon archivist.

don't get me wrong, I totally understand if this aspect of metaphor doesn't gel for some people and they only like taking it exactly as far as the text explicitly makes them, but I really get a lot out of reading jon's connection to the fears as addiction precisely because he does genuinely awful things to people as a result of it. he's a person in a very bad physical and mental place with little to no support who is constantly being told by both allies and enemies that he's already a monster just by being alive, and he copes with that by secretly falling further and further into an compulsive act of consumption that skews his priorities and makes him care less about hurting people because at least sometimes getting to be the cause of pain makes him feel a little bit less powerless when he has to be the subject of pain the rest of the time. then he's found out and is made to stop, and he has to grapple not just with the physical toll of withdrawal but with knowing there is a not insignificant part of him that will excuse any act of malice if he knows he'll feel better afterwards.

the end of tma is very explicit in the fact that the rules of its world are shaped by the subjective worst fears of those who live in it, it's "an exercise in unreliably reality" as jonny sims put it once, and I think that principle extends backwards in some ways to apply to the rest of the show. I don't think the fact that there are only entities of fear and not hope or love is meant to be a full commentary on the total nature of the real world, it's a reflection of what fear and suffering can make the world feel like. eric and melanie both go to really harsh extremes to extricate themselves from the fears and live peaceful lives, and in both cases something happens that foils their plans (getting murdered + the apocalypse, respectively), but I don't think the intended message is to say that is definitively how real life works, they are metaphors for the limits of individual agency in larger systems and represent two types of worst-case-scenarios. similarly, I don't think reading jon as an addict implies that addiction inherently involves violence or that the reactions of those around him were completely unjustified, it's just a subjective exploration of the kinds of fears that can come with addiction dialed up to 100.

#also to be clear after the first paragraph I'm using 'you' in a general sense not directly to You The Anon Who Sent This #I'm not trying to insinuate anything about whether You The Anon Who Sent This does or doesn't have any experience w substance use #tma #answered #anons

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anonithemousse · 17 days ago

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The Magnus Archives Animated Update 3# - Little bit of everything

Greetings 👋

I started writing this post around Easter, but I put it off, because I needed some time to recover.

Yes, I finished The Magnus Archives. And yes, despite expecting this type of ending by looking at what genre it is, I was still completely devastated. I mean 3 days of being zombie with eyes red from random whailing.

I don't regret listening to this podcast though. This story is amazing in many levels and it would take me ages to write all my thoughts.

In short, general summary:

Narration - This is my first time listening to narrative podcast, so I like how this medium was used to tell the story, both from read statements and characters' experiences. You can get a clear idea of what's happening, or confuse viewer just as much as the characters are in current situation.

Voice Acting - Everyone did great job by delivering played characters' personalities and emotions just with voice. Jonny/Jon really did the job here especially. The stories, even if given second-hand story-wise, feel genuine with how Jon delivers the feelings of person giving the statement. You can easily forget you're listening to just one voice for entire episode.

Setup - The idea for world and how the horrors work has potential, yet the exploration is properly limited to what characters can really experience and comprehend. Since this is horror, fear relies on how much (or how little) you know about the danger and so not all mysteries will be trully solved. You will still get lot of side stories nicely unwrapped and concluded with satisfaction.

Characters - What I like about them the most is they all are multidimensional. It's clear they all have different points of view, they have flaws, they make mistakes. They're not superheroes, but people who try to figure things out and won't always suceed. Some dynamics hurt, but they're also well settled in circumstances and personalities. Even though it hurts to see characters in conflict with each other, I can understand behaviour of each.

I also really liked how relationship between Jon Sims and Martin Blackwood evolved throughout the series. It wasn't in main focus for most of the series, but there were enough clues to see them bonding, at least to me.

The genuine worry of Jon for Martin in Season 4, but not butting into his business, because he believes Martin knows what he's doing? I loved that.

And their dynamics in Season 5? Wonderful. I think this is what I felt lacking in many relationships I've seen over years. They communicate, they address issues, they set boundaries, they listen to each other. Well, it doesn't sound that simple and perfect when put in these words, their relationship is more complex than that. But it's genuine. No foul play, just two people trully caring for each other and listening to other's feeling, doing their best.

I usually am passive towards couples in fiction, but TMA just awoken something in me. I think most of the time the couples I've seen were... ingenuine...? Unhealthy? Shallow? Cliche? The other ships I really liked are Ruby and Sapphire (Steven Universe), Luz and Amity (The Owl House) or Balister and Ambrosius (Nimona) for exactly reasons mentioned above.

So yeah, given that plus my devastation after TMA finale, I spent last month mostly drawing Jon and Martin to cope. The main goal remained, to find the fitting designs, but it also made me explore their personalities and relationship dynamics. You can see in my recent posts most of the results. I regret nothing, hehe!

But there's more! I drew other characters as well, whenever I felt like it. They've been shared in separate posts as well, riiight here.

There's lot for me to discover and creative within The Magnus Archives territory and it's hard to predict what next turn my journey will take at this point. I will not slow down, nonetheless!

That's all from me, for now. You can expect more drawings or rambling.

Stay tuned and stay creative! 🎨

#character design #fanart #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #tma #animation #concept art #martin blackwood #art #journal entry #review #podcast #writer community

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sarcasticscribbles · 2 months ago

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Fun fact or two about each of the avatars? Something you like about each of them?

I have 14 of them so bare with me; quick summary of the project, I made a poll for people to vote on characteristics for TMA Avatars, and designed a character based on the winning options. The theme and names of the characters have all been suggested by my followers, and together we've created 14 Avatars based on the fears from the Magnus Archives!

Some fun facts about them:

Eye (Delores Calypso): They were only supposed to be a test run if I'd enjoy the concept. I was surprised how many people engaged and liked the idea, so after a successful run I decided to go throughout with all of them.

Delores had an extra poll for "Style" (vote the aesthetic of the characters) but I deleted it because I found it too limiting (and I didn't like the result lol. I think 'academic' won, but I decided to scrap the option)

Their statement is really short since I tried to fit it all in one tweet (150 characters) and I was really unsure about my writing. As time goes on, I get more confident. I read tarot myself, and I really want to expand on this character some day.

Vast (Noden Freyr): I was really hoping for the theme 'Forest' to win this one, and go a lost lumberjack route, but that didn't happen lol. I didn't pick sky to be a theme, since vast is my least favourite entity and I have no feelings towards falling.

I imagine Noden to be a very quiet and soft-spoken person, letting their music speak for them.

Spiral (Quincy Galatea): Technically this is two people, both Quincy and her muse/ painting Thaila. Thaila is the part of the Spiral, reappearing in their work to create an obsession with the shapes and colours.

Quincy is in love with Thaila, continuing to paint to see her again.

I would like to redesign this one, keep all the features, just rework them a little.

Buried (Dante Van Der Aart): I think this was the oc that really kicked things into motion. I did more to his statement, and it really showed in the response!

He was quickly proclaimed to be a self-obsessed idiot with a bitter ex by the comments, lol. I think he's most likely to fall into a pyramid scheme.

Dark (Carmilla Mara): Long before I started this series I tweeted something similar to "if we can ship entities, I wanna ship the dark and Desolation" which spiral into an idea of doomed lesbians (moon and sun). I made sure to bring it up again when the voting for the dark started. It started a campaign to make sure dark and Desolation would be shippable. I added a wife to Carmilla statement so I could weave that in when it was Desolations turn.

Carmilla is named after the lesbian vampire.

This one I would also like to redesign, it was 2am when I finished her but looking back I really wish I did more to her design. Carmilla is also the only one with a “monster” appearance, and I really like that. I based her on a bat, so technically she's not a vampire since they are canon in TMA.

Stranger (Ambrose Jame): Stranger is my favourite entity, but I was disappointed when taxidermy won. It's a theme that's already explored in TMA, but it was fun to expand on what's already canon. His character is mainly inspired by the song Terry's taxidermy by Teddy Hyde!

Ambrose is one of my favourites, just because I love this archetype of character. A queer, evil jester. I took inspiration from Klaus from Umbrella Academy but also Cruella.

End (Lucien, "Lucky" Ace): I was rightfully called out for stealing Vico Ortiz likeness for Lucky. I used them as a reference and when people could tell it was them I decided to change it up and added some more people to my reference board haha.

Originally, Lucky's eyes were blacked out, for some reason. And they used their glasses to hide that. I have no idea why, something related to The End, but I decided to scrap that.

Bonus: I made Lucky before the dice statement from TmagP came out, which featured a similar character to Lucky, also related to gambling and a mysterious appearance with glasses and black clothing. I had to add a note on some of their posts that I made this character before Tmagp since some comments started mentioning the episode.

Desolation (Élia Seraphina): Carmilla's wife! Lesbians wins!

All the names are suggested and voted on, but Élia's name is very special to me since it's similar to a teacher that meant a lot to me. She was also a sweet old lady, and Élia will always remind me of her.

Her theme was inspired by a Swedish punk song, 800° by Ebba Grön! I tried to do her hair after the sun, and do Carmilla's after the moon.

Lonely (Ophelia "Pearl" Ainsley): I took about a three months break before completing this one. Parasocial, her theme, was my own suggestion, but I was really hoping "housewife" would win. I find the concept so fitting and was really hoping to write about a ghost housewife still waiting for her husband to come home.

I had just finished Jennette McCurdy book "I'm glad my mom died" before I did this avatar. I knew that I wanted parasocial to be from the celebrities pov. I based her insecurity of my own, after I started gaining followers on my social media, I created an addition to content creating and had troubles balancing it with my private life. I felt like two different people, similar to Ophelia and Pearl (I’m better now, but Ophelia isn't) I also took some inspiration from BoJack Horseman's Sarah Lynn!

Everyone knows her as Pearl, I imagine it was a role she played as a child in a popular sitcom and became famous and beloved for. Her mother suggested changing her name to her character's role to be more recognisable and thereof creating this perfect image of herself. I made her hair white, round earrings and round face to be the perfect pearl. I really like how cigarette smoke and can be similar to Lonely's fog.

Web (Micrathena, “Mica” Dolus: I recently started Jonny’s book Thirteen Storeys, which is a collection of horror stories and one is about sleep deprivation and a TV Host, lol. I won’t give spoilers, but I’m really enjoying the book; however, it reminded me of Mica.

Mica is one of those character I have the most fun with, mostly because I love the web, and it also plays on parasocial relationships. I like to think Mica is intertwined with most of the avatars. I really enjoy that a lot of them are performers or working with media. I have a degree in production within media so it’s very fun to create horror around my own field (there’s so much horror).

Corruption (Beatrice, “Bea” Florance): Corruption is one of those entities I don’t really care about; however, I think Bea has my favourite theme and statement. I find the idea of a fungus disguising itself as a flower so interesting. In their statements, I made it a commentary on generation trauma, caring for something that kills you. Also, she's a confirmed #MILF with a canon daughter she'll pass her entity onto.

I think I could have done more on her design, the clothes are so flat and the fungi growing on her arm should be more. I want to draw them again to go bigger.

Hunt (Remo Chase): My main motivation with this statement was rewriting Series 6; Episode 4 of Black Mirror, because the concept is so good, and they did it so bad. Also Lady Gaga.

When I draw him again, I want to emphasize the scars on his face, stretching them from his mouth to his eye. He is blind on his left eye, giving him trouble to take pictures. His injuries were all caused in the field attempting to expose celebrities and getting the best photograph to sell to gossip sources. Mainly from other paparazzi working the field as him. (I was a little tipsy writing his statement… and posting it… took me a few days to reread it to see it was fine)

Slaughter (Carmen Aria): I totally rigged this one so Opera, female, and fat would win. It’s not over until the fat lady sings! But I really enjoyed this concept. I love music themes and slaughter have so many music references. Grifter's Bone is my favourite statements, and I had already touched on a music theme with Noden. Opera was such an interesting take, esp with the world that enrols around it.

I think she and Dante could have a Gomez/ Morticia relation, or be bitter exes with benefits, the jury is still out on that one.

Flesh (Odette Hart): The last avatar! I’ve already talked a little about her design and name, but I really wanted something extra for the last avatar. I struggled a lot of finding a good reference source for her since I had no idea what I wanted to go with design vice. I looked at a lot of ice skaters and ballets, and somehow Katara from Avatar the last airbender made her way into my Pinterest feed. I loved the water and ice theme around her and used her as an inspiration for the design!

I think it is my best statements, since I had been writing short horror stories for over a year and got more confident with them! I mainly based it on ballet dancers and added blades. I’ve mentioned it before, but I’m horrible at ice skating and super uncomfortable on ice.

I think she, Ophelia and Remo are all childhood friends, do with that information what you will.

And before anyone ask, I might do an extinction avatar at some point in the future. I'm not a huge fan of extinction, but if I were to do an avatar I would do it a little differently. I imagine them being quite young, since the entity was still evolving in TMA. Someone also pointed out it made sense, since pollution and climate change directly affects the younger generation.

I might do it.

maybe.

not right now tho.

#i doubt anyone will read this #thank you for asking sorry it took me a few days to reply #i had 14 characters to talk about #the magnus archives #tma #mag #tmaoc

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ike9306 · 7 months ago

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max you're literally so amazing but i have no clue what tf you're talking about half the time i need it explained to me like im five (/hj)

Hehehehehehe I'm glad you asked :3

So ! The TCFAD series first. You already know that one, it's the Parting Gift series I'm currently writing. The rest of the fics are coming. I'm just slow to write.

But yeah, kinda works for a character study cus it very much explores Jon's psyche after his kidnapping and his Circus trauma, with the added bonus of bringing Tim into the mix and being a sorta fix it (lie).

And that fits the 100k words well. Fic one was 12.5k words. Fic two is well on its way to be at least 20-30k, and fic 3 will be at least 20k, so... that's already a lot. And there's still the maybe fic 4 that I need to decide if I can make it viable. If I do, it'll likely be a 50k words one so. Def checks out there, lol.

The TMIAATTTMG AU is the JonGerry Friendship one I talked about on Discord a while ago ! The one I made a Jom design for over here.

The narrative is non-linear, exploring both the Assistants in 2015, discovering what the hell is going on, and Jon and Gerry in 2011 as Jon's promotion as Archival Assistant for Gertrude proves to be. Something for sure.

Definitely going to be a very long fic, though I'm not sure about the word count yet. And very much character study in the divergence.

Finally, the Nightfields Wake AU ! Full name of this baby is Somewhere Else : Nightfields Wake.

In this, we follow 15 years old ADHD child Jonathan Sims as he and his adopted siblings prove that their calm little town is, in fact, a cover-up for multiple cults. And their adoptive dad is the leader of one. And, apparently, he wanted to sacrifice three of them to make Jon into his messiah. What a mess.

A very comedic and absurd tone for that one, although there is some good angst at some point. The subtext is important, though. Also a long AU, we cover the whole series in this setting, so strap on for a wild one.

I can share snips of all three AUs if you want btw. Just Ask (preferably on the other account though cuz this one isn't much for TMA stuff).

Anyway, that's all for now :)

You can choose to kick my ass so I write one of them (not all three at once, though cuz I already have the AA crossover and my Project for school lol)

#tma #ask #i23432i #tma au #au ideas

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podcastjam · 1 year ago

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Project Spotlight #4: The Ichorous Rot

Time for another project spotlight! Today, we're chatting with Sam from The Ichorous Rot.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your teammates!

@spinning-logic: Hey-o, I'm Charlie. I will be voice acting, sound editing, and assisting in some writing for our Podcast Jam entry! My first ever fiction podcast was Welcome to Night Vale (as it is for many, I'm sure), and my current favorite is pretty squarely tied with Malevolent and The Magnus Archives--though I'm truly loving Protocol too. I'm dipping my toes into hearing even more podcasts, like WOE.BEGONE and Old Gods of Appalachia. This is the first Podcast I've ever worked on, and hopefully what I learn from it will lead to creating more!

@moookar: Hi hi hello, I’m Mooo! I’m voice acting and writing. I’ve never worked on a podcast before TIR, but boy oh boy do I have lots of experience listening: WOE.BEGONE, Malevolent, and The Grotto are some of my current favorites, and I got started listening with The Magnus Archives and Dimension 20. Most of all, I’m just a fan of any speculative fiction I can get my hands on.

@gooboogy: I'm G! I do the music and some of the voice acting for The Ichorous Rot. I've been listening to audiobooks for ages and I listened to The Adventure Zone but only really started listening to audio dramas about a year ago with The Magnus Archives and Malevolent. It's not until I listened to WOE.BEGONE that I considered doing one myself! I don't have a fav podcast, but I have some fav characters such as Lucas Miller, Elias Bouchard, Kayne, and Ty Betteridge respectively. My fav genre is when Shit Gets Weird and I love it best when there's fucked up little blorbos :3

@fluxoid: Hey there! I'm Niall! I'll be doing some of the voice work for the Ichorous Rot. I've been listening to audio drama (and actual play) podcasts for over a decade now, starting with Welcome to Night Vale (of course). Current favorites are probably WOE.BEGONE and Midst, though I'm listening to many more. This is my first foray into the creative side of things and I'm excited to see where it goes!

@falloutcoys: Hello, I'm Sam! I'll be co-writing for The Ichorous Rot. I got started listening to WTNV in 2014 but really got into audio dramas when I picked up TMA in 2021. My current favorite pods have to be Midst,Not Quite Dead and WOE.BEGONE! This will be the first show I'm involved being published, but I'm writing my own passion project as well (@aboardtheichthyoid).

What's your podcast about?

Our project is set in 1880s West Virginia. Dr. Theodore Yates as he's overwhelmed in his duties as Janesville’s only doctor by a mysterious illness spreading through the town. We follow him through a combination of his own medical notes recorded on a wax cylinder, and snippets of audio following him and his best friend Alonzo as he tries to find a way to resolve The Ichorous Rot. It's a mystery that explores the effects of working class life and generational trauma through a supernatural lens.

What are you most excited about in this event?

This event has been such a great learning opportunity and way to collaborate with others! Everyone has had great ideas and we're able to bounce off each other and flesh out the story together, which is a really unique experience.

Any advice for other participants, or those on the fence about joining?

If you've been on the fence about joining, go for it! This is a really fun experience and it has the lowest possible stakes. Worst case scenario, you've met some great people and learned about producing a podcast. Best case scenario, you make an episode you're really proud of that grows into something much bigger.

While this team is no longer looking for new members, you can follow their project here on Tumblr @theichorousrot. Additionally, with a couple days left to sign up, there's still time to join the fun and work on a Podcast Jam project yourself - find out more information here!

#project spotlight #podcast jam #audio drama #fiction podcast #pbc podcast jam

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vestaclinicpod · 1 year ago

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Audio Drama Sunday - 28th January ✨

Hours of data collection 😤👎 Hours of data collection with audio drama 🤭🫶

👻 @tellnotalespod (S2E2) If I had a ghost in my life, I’d want what Gemma and Micah have 🥺 I really hate this back and forth between Leo and Frank! HEY! Frank! That’s ~my~ Leo to be fond of, not yours! I’m so excited to catch up with Julia and Riley next week!

🦀 @thesiltverses (38) Oh my god, what an incredible episode! The exploration of a dementia-like process as being stalked by a god of death - PLEASE. The sound design was fantastic, I felt like I could really see the surroundings - the encroaching woods, the smudged prayer marks on the floor, the murky silt of the river - it was a beautiful experience. And I wish I could show you my face when I heard that Faulkner had got his testosterone from the CHURCH. NO! No no no. The manipulation! Show me a character in this show that isn’t so supremely messed up!! I want to help them all 😭

🧳 Travelling Light by @monstrousproductions (10) Another lovely instalment from my favourite wholesome sci-fi show. I couldn’t agree more with the description of home-sickness, you truly can’t predict what will set off the pangs for home!

🏛 @the-mistholme-museum (INEVITABLE) I have been hanging off the edge of my seat waiting to find out what would happen with the Beast. I love Not Eagle popping up as a contradictory voice and ATG’s completely cool, calm and collected response to it. I’m so unsure about the HoRestoration taking the Beast in . . . I used to trust her but after these cards . . . I’m less sure.

🌨️ @thewhitevault (6) I feel like I need to listen to this episode again to really let that Family timeline stick in my mind. Everything seems to be ramping up in Goshawk, and I suspected that there might be a few more unexpected, unwelcome guests soon!

❤️‍🔥 The Love Talker (7) This episode took us back in time to fill in some of the blanks regarding the main characters’ pasts. It’s very interesting to see how different Ren’s ability seems from the outside - it makes you wonder how it’s taken her so long to realise that the affect she has on people isn’t ‘normal’?? Is she a victim or a monster? I suspect it's gonna be both.

🏢 @somewhereohio (S2E7) Ooooh!! I was wondering when we’d get the answer regarding why Jasmine/Olivia was seen in that truck in Scarlet’s memory in S1!!! I feel like I need to go back and listen to their first encounter again to see if there’s any glimmer of a sign that Scarlet remembered her! The way Orange describes his variance sounds like a bit of a curse - but I have faith that he can do some good with it before the end of the season!!

🍾 I finished S2 of @ameliapodcast and it was so much fun! I loved the reveal that Amelia is a real, living person with an active role in the Project and I love that it’s Julia Morizawa!

🌫️ @souloperatorpod (2) I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a solid grasp on what’s happening here yet but the writing is very compelling, and I adore the music! I’m looking forward for the fog to lift a little!

♦️The Grotto (4) I went into this episode forewarned but definitely not forearmed… goddamn. Can I have a new episode soon, please?

🖥️ The Magnus Protocol (3) .jmj error HM? REALLY. I really am hoping that this will end with our TMA faves hopping out of the computers but I would also be satisfied with an explanation that whatever this thing is has listened to them read so many statements that it’s taken their voices, if nothing else… Also, I love Colin - it’s so rare that a piece of media gives us a character who is sooo batshit right from the word go. I love him. He’s 1000% going to die.

Hoping for a good week for everyone!!

#audio drama sunday #audiodramasunday #tell no tales #travelling light #the silt verses #soul operator #tmagp #the grotto #the amelia project #mistholme #the mistholme museum of mystery morbidity and mortality #the department of variance of somewhere ohio #the white vault

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urproblematicfav-ao3 · 10 days ago

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╭──────────.♡..─╮

MY DARLING TRUE

╰─..X.─ deaddove charlastor fic, updates weekly (for now lmao) 3/13 chapters out currently.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

My whole blog is basically one big dead dove warning. I try to tag cw when its something a little more graphic, but its basically the only thing I talk about so go exploring at your own risk.

The incorrect pussy support group ask box is always open lmao, but and theres a 50/50 shot I'll either have no idea what to say due to being dumbbb, or I'll go on a nearly 2k word rant, there is no inbetween lmao. I'm either mute or got "can't shut the fuck up" disorder. (If I've ever ignored you or was rude, chances are I just got scared. Its like an animal thats more afraid of you, than you of it situation.) It turns out theres severe mental repercussions to not talking to anyone for a decade, who'd a thunk.

I do technically have other interests but right now the only thing I'm really gonna write/talk about it hh related. ¯\_(:/)_/¯ I have like, 2 tma wips that I barely touched. Too cursed with thoughts of Alastor's asexual pussy.

If you're coming from my ao3 and are wondering what the fuck is up with me oversharing about my clit, I did a whole post documenting all that for my dicks first birthday lmao.

Here's my incoherent HH ship chart + ship propaganda if anyone wants to get a vibe for what's wrong with me. The answer is everything💖💖💖

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Tag system, misc whatever info that I decide to add↓

My tag system is kinda garbage but its better then what my main account has going on. Which is literally nothing lmao, it's a dumpster fire over there.

Pwp stuff: For anything nsfw related. Posts, hc, wips.

Fic stuff: Mostly for random things that aren't actual wips or hc. Like scrapbooking or whatever the fuck lmao

Fic wip: Wips, snippets, screenshots of the development of whatever thing I'm doing.

I try to give all my ongoing wips a nickname (like My Darling True being preachers daughter fic) so if you find a wip that you don't wanna look at you can block that specific tag. I do not have a good system for this yet lmao.

Hh stuff: Hazbin Hotel related stuff that I don't necessarily want to have going in main tags just for rant/ease.

Rant tim: Anything ranty or bitching related.

Main reblog: Anything I reblog from myself from my main that I think could go here too just for funsies.

Personal stuff: Anything non-fandom related and about me. Cat pics, selfies, whatever.

Atropa inspo: Technically tied into the show lion au fic, but I use it just as a fic inspo tag in general.

Show Lion!Au: Anything for my specific Charlie au and overhaul fic timeline stuff.

Fic Scrapbook: Anything for irl projects in relation to my fic. Specifically rn its for My Darling True irl version of Charlie's bible planner I'm making for some reason.

I'll probably add links to pretentious lore posts at some point for achieve and ease, but I don't wanna rn cuz lazzy

#intro post #proship #dead dove do not eat

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literallys-illiteracy · 5 months ago

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Monthly writing update:

So if my next project takes a while it's because I started one that was meant to be a "small introduction to how I talk, think, and write about horror", with some discussion regarding good/bad horror, tension/buildup and payoff, and most notably, the unknown–using almost only examples that fit a naming scheme of "The [Noun] [Noun]".

that was the original plan at least, it is now 6000 words, I have not finished the last section, there are more supplements to follow after this one is finished, and that excludes editing or other things I want to include.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyways the current list of what i've used as examples is:

The [Magnus] [Archives] (Anglerfish(1), Still Life (54), Man Upon the Stair(85). Also TMA gets a supplement later for stuff I cut out and more) The [Oddity] [Compendium] The [Mandela] [Catalogue] (Briefly) The [Back][rooms] (In depth exploration of why I don't like where it progressed in terms of horror) The [SCP] [Foundation] (though the SCP I wanted to write about has sensitive topics discussed so will either be removed or posted in a later supplement) The [King] (in) [Yellow] The [House] (of) [Leaves] The [Oldest] [View] Signalis

Continuing on, list of references:

Connor McGrath's videos "Modern Ruins" and "Quiet Horror", the latter of which was one of the primary inspirations behind this project, alongside Signalis.

Stephen King's 'Danse Macabre', which majorly informed my current views on horror as a genre (though I'm not really the biggest fan of King's works other than this funnily enough)

Harr(y)is Bomberguy (Hbomberguy)'s fucking SHERLOCK video "Sherlock Is Garbage, And Here's Why", for discussion on writing in general and limitations in regards to Steven Moffat's works; as well as for the video "CTRL+ALT+DEL | SLA:3", because the ending was the most horror i've ever felt in my life.

Ok other project updates:

Floor analysis has taken a backseat because I really want to have this latest project finished before it grows further because it can and will and I am scared.

The "Free Will and determinism" is not finished in entirety, however the second part is almost finished and the first two may be released with the third coming later, this being the plan for if I don't finish a full project in time.

#Updates #literally's ramblings

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thezolblade · 6 months ago

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rl and fandom update

Fatigue's been getting better in the last year or so, with at least one cause identified. Since I've gone from a few years of barely managing much, to gradually starting to get a bit more energy to walk around for a few hours per day, I keep trying to do things and tiring myself out, and then napping and zoning out rather than getting other things done too.

Switched my laptop and the old family computer over to linux, to avoid forced copilot on one, and make the other usable again after windows 8 end of life. I may have lost some files despite my best efforts. Backing things up and following the process took a lot of time despite the process being as straightforward as it could be, and I love linux but I'm still picking it up. I wish I'd had that time for other things when there was so much else going on. Hate windows so much for forcing all that bullshit, but at least I've gotten rid of it now.

Goal next year is to retain more energy until the evenings so I can really get back to fun things that require focus. Fandom's been partly on the backburner; on good weeks I've managed to focus on short projects, but I haven't been able to maintain a focus on long projects. The list of games/books/shows/writing that I want to get back to feels motivating, like I'm reminding myself that whenever I have any time, there are still lots of things where I can feel some enthusiasm, even if I can't get through them all quickly like a to-do list. Gathering thoughts on the main ones:

Disco Elysium

When I played it in 2019, it was really good, but parts of it were slightly too much in a grim way, like the death notice; I remember thinking that I wanted to replay, but I needed a gap first.

Heard about the Sacred and Terrible Air fantranslation this year and took that as a cue to replay, and this time it's been fantastic. Knowing what's coming takes some of the bite out of the rough parts, along with getting invested enough to want to explore all the dialogue options to see the characters from all angles. Kim gets so sassy and creative when Harry fucks up. The playthroughs are going slowly but I've seen almost everything that I kept getting spoiled on when I slipped into reading fic earlier in the year. I've made it through a few chapters of the book pdf, it's heavy going though. To be continued.

FFVII

Picked up the reboot, it feels odd to be so late to the party with my fave game. To play when I have the energy for sitting up with the steam deck, rather than resting with something turn-based open on a laptop.

TMA

So so many wips that I want to finish, but I'm still reeling from getting put off from season 4 onwards. That got pretty tangled with pandemic stress, at the same time it was getting unfun and I couldn't get another interest to catch alight the same way to take my mind off things. The wip files are long enough I need a bit of focus back to tackle them.

Now the TMP sequel's out too, and I lost all interest when I found out that Jonah Magnus is still a character, despite the show sounding at first like a universe where he was killed off for real and other characters actually, finally, get to drive the plot with their own character arcs in a cathartic way, instead of everyone just rattling around where they're trapped the whole time. I'll probably read a summary at some point, as it does stuff with characters from TMA, and falling out of date with the canon really shows in fanworks. Don't feel like it yet.

Golden Sun

Every few years I've gone back the to longfic WIP that's still on fanfic.net and spent a few weeks trying to reread/edit/get past the block point, before getting tired out and taking a break from it again.

Lately I'm thinking, I always had point A at the start and point C at the end planned out, but getting there with the long detour through point B, well, that's the part where I'm stuck, and where a lot of the old writing that makes me wince is, which I keep changing without quite being happy with it, and which I can't cut for the way the plot hangs together. So maybe I should just cut out the side plot that takes up most of point B, even though what's posted is all setup so far and it was going to be the payoff next, and there are parts I really like. It'd make the fic much shorter, to go straight from points A to C; chapter 4 or 5 would move on to one or two chapters of wrapping things up, in a relatively quick and easy way for the characters. No big parts for Sheba and Ivan, no flashbasks to the heroes' history from Sheba's pov. I probably won't manage to finish it otherwise, so it's worth a try. Need to wait until I have some time off work to take a run at it.

PMMM

I still need to watch magia record, and read some of the comics... It's been too long since I've rewatched my fave show.

Harvest Moon / Rune Factory / Stardew Valley / Pokemon / indie relaxing games

Relaxation. Gotta pick them up again before I forget where I was up to.

Slay the Pricess

Play the Pristine Cut, and try the Disco Elysium crossover mod.

Fallen London

Nice to have a browser game on my phone. I keep putting off progress with the stories that'll shed some light on the lore, for a better day. Intriguing world anyway.

Omori, Deltarune, Dredge

Play more when my sister visits, and when she's not tired out from work too. Good to have some shared activities.

Fire Emblem 3 Houses

Finish the last route... I don't have to replay the shared chapters again at this point, just finish the blue route...

Saiyuki

See how many more of the comics are out in English than, uh, more than 10 years ago.

Avatar last airbender & korra

Catch up with the comics.

Arcane

Almost through season 2, TV evenings with my parents. Pretty effects. Kinda makes me want to know more, but I don't think I'll ever play league of legends. Maybe something to expore via youtube someday.

Star Trek

I watched ToS with my parents last year. Next, time to watch all the next gen episodes that I somehow never caught when it was on TV growing up, even though watching whatever was on meant I saw some episodes 2 or 3 times. And there's that new short film going around.

#rl

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aetirnum · 1 year ago

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#AETIRNUM. a selective, private, low-activity multimuse featurng original characters, hoyoverse, reverse:1999 and etc. by saint. ( 21. they/vamp. ) no icon, minimal formatting, second-person prose. exploring the themes of love and its dangers, darkness of the human soul, lost of self, the importance of death and the like.

interaction.

i. i interact with all mutuals. i will post prompts, starter calls, etc etc if you wish to interact. i reply very slowly, as i run my own roleplay server and i have mental issues(tm) and can run out of battery. ooc wise, feel free to talk to me and whatnot! i can just be a bit slow, my apologies. you don't need to match my length: just put in the same effort as i do.

ii. i can write dark themes such as horror, gore, violence, cannibalism, toxic relationships etc. obvs i dont do taboo shit like incest, pedophilia, etc. go away. i don't mind shipping but prefer to do it with close friends. while i am fine with fade to black and suggestive themes i do not write smut with anyone other than my boyfriend. this is non-negotiable.

iii. i block who i want. i don't want prosh*ppers anywhere here. ideologies such as transmeds and being anti-self dx are also not welcome, esp if youre white youre very funny. idc about rp drama just dont be weird don't bring me into it and as long as you're not fucked up i gen dc. i won't always be here... i am a tired something-woman. please respect that.

other notes.

if i follow you, it means i want to interact with you, and i'd love to write with you! just please be patient with me. i study graphic design, but funnily enough im very tired of making tumblr gfx... not on anyone, just a preference! so i don't do heavy formatting or icons. if you write with me though, all i ask is to not make your text extremely small. i'm dyslexic, so it makes it very hard to read. thank you!

i write a lot of systems here, and i will mention if they ever switch, no worries. i am a system myself, so i really love them!

the writer.

hello! i am lucifer, or call me saint. i am a system host and multimedia student. i'm an artist and writer. i love slowpoke a lot. please show me slowpoke. i have been on the tumblr rpc for a loong time ( since i was... 12 at best... #veteran ) and i just recently came back, but only plan to do light activity. i'm 21 and i'm filipino. read more about me here! my discord tag is #loveits !

muses.

some of these don't have a link/carrd; it's a wip. edited from time to time... sawry.

high.

ayato. ⎯⎯⎯ genshin impact. 30. she/they. androsexual. isolde. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. 29. she/her. lesbian, did system. tartaglia. ⎯⎯⎯ genshin impact. she/he. 23. tmas butch lesbian. diluc. ⎯⎯⎯ genshin impact. he/him. 25. tmasc butch lesbian. ada mesmer. ⎯⎯⎯ identity v. 28. she/they. lesbian

secondary.

arcana. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. ???. she/it. lesbian. mahiru. ⎯⎯⎯ milgram. 23. she/they. bisexual. johann. ⎯⎯⎯ eternal return. 28. he/him. butch. lumine. ⎯⎯⎯ genshin impact. ageless. she/he/they. bisexual. vertin. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. 16. he/they. lesbian. sonetto. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. 16. he/they. lesbian. ena shinonome. ⎯⎯⎯ project sekai. 18. she/he. lesbian. kevin kaslana. ⎯⎯⎯ honkai impact 3rd. ???. he/she. thing. kafka. ⎯⎯⎯ honkai:star rail. 28. she/her. bisexual. kaalaa baunaa. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. 28. she/her. heterosexual. kujou sara. ⎯⎯⎯ genshin impact. he/she. 25. bisexual transmasc. otto apocalypse. ⎯⎯⎯ honkai impact 3rd. she/they. nonbinary. hysteria. aromantic: saviorsexual.

tertiary.

blade. ⎯⎯⎯ honkai:star rail. ??. he/she. transmasc lesbian. emil. ⎯⎯⎯ identity v. 25. she/he. transfem lesbian. tooth fairy. ⎯⎯⎯ reverse:1999. 25. she/her. lesbian. saeran choi. ⎯⎯⎯ mystic messenger. 21. he/they. transmasc. did system.

original.

shaira tiriza. ⎯⎯⎯ 28. she/they. did system. fides. ⎯⎯⎯ ageless; billion. she/he. star. amon. ⎯⎯⎯ ageless; 21 billion. she/he/they/it. star. fallere.⎯⎯⎯ ageless; 21 billion. she/they. star. celeste.⎯⎯⎯ ageless; older than us. she/her. the concept of ‘devotion’

#pinned.

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sunset-skater · 11 months ago

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so one thing we love doing sometimes is just seeing the kinds of non sequitur ideas we can start building together and seeing if anything comes of it - cause sometimes it DOES

a few months back we became briefly fascinated with the game voiced of the void, yearned to do something with that kind of setting. astrology-coded research center in the middle of nowhere, spooky going-ons amidst the daily life of maintaining yourself and all the equipment around you? we wanted very badly to write about this kind of stuff

naturally we started with sambastian, because we fucking love those dorks. but we didn't really see anything to do with them there. like yeah they're sun and moon coded but we didn't have any inspiration laying there by itself

so of all things we thought of scott, from monster prom! he's this random fixation character we have where we aren't really invested in the series on such a serious level, but we ADORE this goofy werewolf boy and specifically one ending you can get in the first game - where you get lost on your way to prom with scott, and you instead spend the night stargazing and you realize that scott would probably love to be an astronomer

and with that, we have the perfect chance to write polycule sambastian!

we love making these guys poly (see: latest chapter of Tell Me I'm Alive) but we don't tend to ship them with anyone in-source. abby's awesome but we love characterizing her as their mutual best friend who pretends to be sick of the lovebirds she's always hanging out with. we're also just too gay for our own good so we default to shipping them with a crossover werewolf instead

anyways! an afternoon of brainstorming led us to a surprisingly scary setting, in which these three boys are effectively lost out here in the middle of nowhere without any chance to go back home. scott's the one who actually works at this place - doing god knows what during work hours, and then conducting his own research in most of his spare time - while sam and seb are here only because a lucky visit to their long distance boyfriend turned into "sorry, no one's allowed to go home until further notice" and suddenly they're just... abandoned here. weird shit happens every day, the boys are so worried that they sleep in shifts and make sure they only ever leave the base in pairs or all together. it's increasingly clear that There's Something Going On Here but throughout it all they find comfort in quiet domesticity, as sam and seb explore this surprise vacation home and scott shares in the discoveries he makes about this greater universe

it all exists floating around in our head rn as this kind of coherent idea of a story, but we've yet to give a solid shot at writing it. mostly because we've never seriously attempted horror before, and we should probably do some reading on that to find inspo before we trust ourselves to tackle a project we're so passionate about

already TMIA is a huge lesson in how we even write fanfic, finding our voice and figuring out what we wanna do with a story - but this exists in tandem with it and our other big sambastian project, as we fumble through different fics and figure out what we wanna do with each story

also this setting's working title is cryptid fic but that quickly grew outdated so we desperately need something more thematic to call it

any horror reccs by chance??? we need to dissect a few pieces of media to help figure out what we're aiming for, and while I love TMA to death I don't think it's equipped us for this project

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catwings-writes-things · 2 years ago

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Current Main WIP

A World of His Own is a TMA canon divergence AU that started as an idea that I thought would be, at most, a cracky oneshot: what if, after the Archival assistants stage their “intervention” in season four to stop Jon from taking live statements, a group of other avatars—including Oliver Banks, Karolina Górka, Harriet Fairchild, and Mike Crew (who in this verse is also a Fairchild and still alive), and led by Helen—show up in Jon’s office to stage a different intervention directly contrary to the first, focused on getting Jon to stop letting these humans bully him into starving himself?

Well, a year and a half and roughly 150,000 words later, the fic has lost the “Crack Treated Seriously” tag, and I have lost any illusions I may ever have had that I wouldn’t become obsessed.

I have twelve chapters posted and I’m working on the thirteenth, but the outline (fourteen chapters planned) is complete, although there will almost certainly still be surprises. Currently, I’ve completed the “first act,” which concerns Jon’s (complicated) escape from the Magnus Institute and (equally complicated) adjustment to avatar life and culture, the assembly of a found family, the queerplatonic slowburn of Jon and Helen, and the various (delightful) dynamics within the group I refer to as “the Jailbreak Squad.” The second act, which is currently being written, will involve more of the same stuff as act 1, Martin, and both the difficulties that arise from that combination and the ways those difficulties (among others) are navigated. It will also involve further Jailbreak Squad friendship development, character backstories, Jon and Helen hunting together (finally), avatar holiday celebrations, further exploration of avatar-human culture clashes, and more. If any of that sounds good to you, or if you just want to find out how many TMA-related heartbreaks I can fix by letting Jon join a flock of queer and neurodivergent fear vampires, give this one a go!

Tags:

#fic: a world of his own - for notes about that fic specifically

#the jailbreak squad - for thoughts, backstory tidbits, AUs of my AU, and anything else that concerns these specific characters with the specific backstory expansion and AU modifications I’ve given them

#the jailbreak verse - for writing and process-related stuff about future fics in the same continuity (which exist, and hopefully at some point I will post some of them)

#jailbreak [firstname] - for when I want to talk about something specific to my version of a character without putting it in the main tag

#jailbreak [name] and [name] - see above, but for relationships

#my fic #my writing #tma #tma au #tma avatars #fic: a world of his own #the jailbreak squad #tma jailbreak verse #disordered eating mention #(the avatar kind but to be safe)

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rmceducation · 1 month ago

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What Makes Tashkent Medical Academy a Top Choice for Medical Students?

Tashkent Medical Academy (TMA) has established itself as a premier institution for medical education in Uzbekistan. With a rich history, state-of-the-art facilities, and a commitment to excellence, TMA has become a top choice for medical students seeking a world-class education. Here are some factors that contribute to TMA's reputation:

Strong Academic Programs

TMA offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in medicine, including general medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, and pharmacy. The curriculum is designed to meet international standards, ensuring students receive a comprehensive education that prepares them for successful careers in medicine.

Experienced Faculty

The faculty at Tashkent Medical Academy comprises experienced professionals and renowned experts in their fields. They bring a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to the classroom, providing students with invaluable insights and mentorship.

Modern Facilities

TMA boasts modern facilities, including state-of-the-art laboratories, lecture halls, and a simulation center. These facilities provide students with hands-on experience and the opportunity to practice their skills in a realistic environment.

Clinical Practice

TMA has partnerships with leading hospitals and clinics in Uzbekistan, providing students with opportunities for clinical practice and hands-on experience. This exposure helps students develop essential skills and build confidence in their abilities.

Research Opportunities

TMA encourages research and innovation, offering students opportunities to participate in scientific projects and collaborate with experienced researchers. This helps students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills.

International Recognition

TMA has gained international recognition, with partnerships and collaborations with leading medical institutions worldwide. This opens doors for students to participate in exchange programs, conferences, and seminars, broadening their perspectives and networking opportunities.

Supportive Environment

TMA fosters a supportive environment, with a focus on student well-being and success. The academy offers counseling services, academic support, and extracurricular activities to help students achieve a balance between academic and personal life.

Affordability

Compared to other medical institutions, TMA offers an affordable education without compromising on quality. This makes it an attractive option for students seeking a world-class medical education without the hefty price tag.

Conclusion

Tashkent Medical Academy's strong academic programs, experienced faculty, modern facilities, clinical practice opportunities, research possibilities, international recognition, supportive environment, and affordability make it a top choice for medical students. If you're considering a career in medicine, TMA is definitely worth exploring.

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mydevcommjournal · 6 months ago

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TMA 2. A STUDY ON WHY POVERTY IS STILL PREVALENT

Addressing Learning Poverty in Makati City Through the Gabay Aral Program

INTRODUCTION

Makati, one of the wealthiest cities in the Philippines, allocates substantial funding to education. However, despite these financial investments, learning poverty—defined as the inability of children to read and understand a simple text by age 10—persists. This study aims to investigate the underlying factors contributing to learning poverty in Makati and explore how community-driven initiatives, such as the Gabay Aral volunteer tutoring program, alongside communication theories, can address this issue while identifying challenges and proposing recommendations for improving program sustainability and impact.

BACKGROUND

A World Bank report published in 2022 states that 91% of Filipino children in the Philippines suffer from learning poverty. This means being unable to read and comprehend a simple text by age 10. Why focus on reading? Literacy is an easy indicator of learning. It is the foundation of all knowledge and it is the portal through which children start their education journey (The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update, 2022).

Makati, a first-class highly-urbanized city in the Philippines, has 23 barangays (Philippines Statistics Authority, 2024) which host 16 public elementary schools (Makati Web Portal, 2024). For School Year (SY) 2024-2025 alone, Makati City distributed uniforms and school supplies which include “raincoats, boots, and jackets, school uniforms, a pair of black leather shoes, a pair of rubber shoes, Japanese-inspired school bags, swimming gear, tumblers, hygiene kits, notebooks, papers, ball pens, and pencils to 35,861 kindergarten to senior high school, including SPED and pre-school levels” (Zurbano & Zurbano, 2024). To further support their students, it initiated health related projects like the Bakuna Eskwela Program which administers vaccines to elementary grade students to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases, improve their health and lessen the incidence of absenteeism (Facebook, 2024) and Project FEED or Food for Excellent Education and Development which fed 42,024 elementary students last year (Binay, 2023). As the mayor of Makati City, Abigail Binay, has said, “The City of Makati remains firmly committed to better education for the Makatizen youth” (Zurbano & Zurbano, 2024).

With all the support for education the City of Makati has been giving its citizens, why do some of its students still suffer from learning poverty?

This study’s goal is to understand why some children in Makati still suffer from learning poverty despite education being fully funded and supported by the city and how

communication and education innovations by Gabay Aral, a literacy program of the YMCA of Makati, can help alleviate it by influencing policy.

Poverty is a complex societal issue. Investopedia defines poverty as “the state or condition in which people or communities lack the financial resources and other essentials for a minimum standard of living” (Chen, 2024). But in reality, poverty goes beyond the lack of income. It has multiple dimensions. The World Bank has a broader definition of poverty.

“Poverty is hunger. Poverty is lack of shelter. Poverty is being sick and not being able to see a doctor. Poverty is not having access to school and not knowing how to read. Poverty is not having a job, it is fear for the future, living one day at a time” (Cafiero & Vakis, 2006).

Learning poverty, a sad reality being experienced even in highly urbanized places like Makati, is a multifaceted issue affected by various factors: (1) household income and size - “Children from households in the lowest income decile are less likely to be enrolled in school at all, or to reach age-appropriate grade levels, which makes them more likely to drop out” ( The World Bank, 2022); (2) maternal education - when the mother has limited awareness and support for her children’s education “the level of education of the mother increases, the probability also increases for both boys and girls to be currently enrolled in schools” (Shullai & Panda, 2024); and (3) poor health conditions which affects absenteeism; (4) poor teacher quality where teachers are not

properly trained to adopt learning innovations; (5) poor learning environment which means lack of schools and classrooms as safe spaces for learning and (6) curriculum design.

Gabay Aral, initiated by the YMCA of Makati as part of their education program, aims to address learning poverty by providing after-school, one-on-one tutoring to underserved students ages 5-10 years old. The program focuses on improving literacy and numeracy skills through community engagement and supplementary teaching. It was created in response to the World Bank report entitled The State of Global Learning Poverty: 2022 Update published in June 2022. Its aim is to help bridge the learning gaps among students by giving them supplemental instruction that complements the current curriculum in public schools. The pilot beneficiary was Barangay San Antonio in Makati. A partnership with the barangay and the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart Parish has resulted in many volunteer tutors. Families, couples, professionals, students and retirees stood up and responded to the call. The tutees were children of poor families living as informal settlers inside the Makati South Cemetery and in Barangay San Antonio. It was launched on the 8th of September 2023.

Apart from its goal to teach basic literacy, it also incorporates good manners and right conduct, love for country, care for the environment and values rooted on Christian precepts in its lessons.

The first cohort of Gabay Aral saw terrible birthing pains. Magda Gana, project coordinator of Gabay Aral says numerous student dropouts due to lack of parental support, a high volunteer turnover rate, disjointed communication efforts, tutee absenteeism and a lack of well-defined, focused learning modules were just some of the challenges faced by Gabay Aral. Despite the challenges, 90% of the 40 tutees of Cohort 1 graduated knowing how to read already.

The success of Cohort 1 has spurred the Gabay Aral management to further evolve into a better and more efficient organization. Initiatives have been done to make the management of volunteers better. The creation of a Gabay Aral set of modules is now in progress. A focused social media presence and communication effort is being studied to solidify branding. Plans to expand the program and share it to other barangays and LGUs and partner with learning institutions for an exchange of ideas and best practices are also underway.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1.To examine the factors contributing to learning poverty in Makati, despite the significant educational funding.

2. To assess the effectiveness of the Gabay Aral program in mitigating learning poverty using principles from communication theory, diffusion of innovations theory and social innovation.

3. To analyze how communication theory, diffusion of innovations theory, and social innovation can enhance education delivery and community engagement to reduce learning poverty.

KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the primary causes of learning poverty in Makati?

2. How does the Gabay Aral volunteer tutoring service contribute to reducing learning poverty, and what challenges does it face?

3. How can communication theory improve the tutoring experience and the overall educational environment?

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

The study will use the Learning Poverty Model. Learning Poverty is a concept introduced by the World Bank which refers to the percentage of 10 year old children who cannot read and understand simple texts. This metric sheds light on the quality of foundational learning often considered critical to future educational success. The World Bank 2019 report highlighted a global learning crisis with over half of children in low and middle income households experiencing learning poverty. The situation has been

exacerbated by economic inequality, inadequate resources and more recently, the disruption of classes during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the Philippines, the learning poverty rate was already high even before the pandemic, with 90% of children aged 10 unable to meet minimum reading proficiency, a number worsened by school closures and remote learning during the pandemic. Urban areas like Makati, one of the wealthiest cities in the Philippines reflect stark contrast between affluent populations and underprivileged communities, leading to disparities in educational access and learning outcomes.

Despite Makati giving priority to education, pockets of poverty persist within its urban landscape. Children from low-income families lack access to quality education due to overcrowded classrooms, limiting the teacher’s ability to provide individualized attention. Studies have also shown that parental involvement in a child’s education significantly influences learning outcomes. In low-income households, parents often work long hours or have low levels of education, limiting their ability to support their children’s learning at home. During the pandemic, students from poorer households in Makati struggled to participate in online learning due to lack of access to the internet or digital devices. The digital divide has left many students behind in their studies.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Learning Poverty

In the Philippines, learning poverty affects a significant portion of children, particularly in low-income communities where access to quality education is limited. Studies indicate that factors such as poor instructional quality, large class sizes, and a lack of parental engagement contribute to this issue.

As one of the proponents of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), The Philippines is firmly committed in attaining SDG 4 or Quality Education through its No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy. Its lofty goal is that it “seeks to give all children irrespective of their background and circumstances an equitable access to high-quality education” (Ryanne et al., 2024). This aspiration is inspired by those already being done in other countries like the United States. “The NCLB Policy in the Philippines is positioned in line with these international endeavors where the policy looks for an educational arena that promotes inclusivity, equity and right to education for all” (Ryanne et al., 2024). But it has its own set of challenges which help exacerbate the learning poverty in the country. It has put great pressure on the teachers to perform non-teaching tasks, thus lessening their time to provide holistic education, the obvious disparity between private and public schools in terms of available resources, the demand for more parental involvement and yet the growing poverty rate has forced parents to work longer hours and the emphasis on test scores has underscored the need for more community involvement in literacy programs (Ryanne et al., 2024). The NCLB policy is good on paper but not in practice.

Communication Theory

Development communication emphasizes the role of communication in empowering communities and promoting social change. It encourages active participation from all stakeholders—teachers, students, and parents—in the educational process. Additionally, diffusion of innovations theory can help explain how new educational practices or learning technologies spread through communities.

Social Innovation

Social Innovation is defined by the European Commission as “new ideas that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. They are innovations that are not only good for society but also enhance society's capacity to act” (Therace et al., 2011). In education, social innovation often involves cross-sector partnerships, technology integration, and community-driven solutions. The Quadruple Helix Model—which involves collaboration between government, academia, industry, and civil society—is frequently used to drive education reforms.

The Diffusion of Innovations Theory

This has been widely used to understand how new education practices are adopted by schools. According to Rogers, the diffusion process occurs through 5 stages: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation. The theory also

categorizes adopters into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. This framework is useful for analyzing how educational interventions are communicated and accepted in different communities.

In communication theory, there are at least three different lenses with which to view how this process works: communication as a one-way process of meaning construction, in which the sender attempts to construct or reconstruct the meaning developed by the receiver; communication as a two-way process of meaning construction, in which two or more people construct new meanings together; and communication as a omnidirectional diachronic process of meaning construction, in which the focus is on the continuous development of meaning itself (van Ruler, 2018).

Research has shown that the way schools communicate with students, teachers and parents significantly affects learning outcomes. Studies in urban education highlights the urban divide and language barriers as key factors contributing to poor communication particularly in low income families.

METHODOLOGY

The research was conducted using the qualitative descriptive method. This method is used to provide a detailed account of a phenomenon, event or experience from the perspective of those involved. The researcher focused on describing and interpreting the lived experiences, behaviors and social contexts of the individual students and their

parents/guardians as well as the accounts of the program coordinators of Gabay Aral. The researcher has observed the students in their natural environment i.e. the Gabay Aral classroom in YMCA Makati as well as talked to some of the parents. The method was flexible and allowed for open-minded inquiry. Data collected are textual in nature. More emphasis was given to meaning and context rather than statistical data. Data collection was done through unstructured interviews or “storytelling” which allowed the participants to express their thoughts in detail.

The parents were asked the following open-ended questions:

Whydoyouthinkyourchildneedsatutoringservice?

HowdidyouhearaboutGabayAralandwhydidyouchoosetoparticipateinthe program?

HowdoesyourchildfeelaboutattendingGabayAralsessions?

Whydoyouthinkyourchildfeelsthewayhe/shedoesaboutGabayAral?

Howinvolvedareyouinyourchild’slearningprocessathome?

The researcher also observed the tutees and volunteers in the Gabay Aral classroom to understand their behavior and interaction.

The program coordinators were interviewed regarding the status of the program, their observations of the tutors, tutees and parents as well as the performance of the tutees.

Participants

44 tutees, ages 5-12 years old, currently enrolled in Gabay Aral Program Parents and guardians of the tutees 92 tutors, currently volunteering in Gabay Aral 4 program coordinators

ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK

The study uses Development Communication Theory to evaluate the program’s communication practices, Social Innovation Theory to analyze how innovative approaches are used to address learning poverty and Diffusion of Innovations Theory to understand how new education practices are adopted by Gabay Aral to analyze how educational interventions are communicated and accepted by the stakeholders of Gabay Aral.

FINDINGS

This study aims to investigate the underlying factors contributing to learning poverty in Makati and explore how community-driven initiatives, such as the Gabay Aral volunteer tutoring service, alongside communication theories, can address this issue while identifying challenges and proposing recommendations for improving program sustainability and impact.

The research has shown that even in a highly urbanized city like Makati, schools are often under-resourced, and teacher-to-student ratios are high which leads to poor literacy outcomes, with many students unable to meet basic reading benchmarks. Parental involvement in education is also limited, partly due to communication barriers, prioritization of work over involvement in their children’s school and lack of awareness about the importance of early literacy.

Communication Practices in Gabay Aral

The program uses a community-based communication (CBC) model, where local volunteers, parents, local parish and barangay leaders, are involved in outreach efforts. A CBC is "a system of communication developed over time by a community, about the community and primarily for the community...a system used by a collective group of people to propagate, protect, project and sustain community values, cultures, traditions and communal forms of interrelationships" (Tohomdet, 2006). This system is more participatory and gives voice to the community.

The program partners with local businesses to provide school supplies and learning materials and the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart Parish and Barangay San Antonio in Makati to help in the recruitment of volunteers and 2 elementary public schools, San Antonio Elementary School and F. Benitez Elementary School to help identify potential tutees. At present, Gabay Aral is negotiating with the University of the

Philippines System and The Archdiocesan Shrine of Santo Niño in Tondo, Manila for possible Gabay Aral extensions. These partnerships exemplify the quadruple helix model, but funding, resource and space constraints limit the scale of the program’s innovative efforts. Parent-teacher meetings are held twice in the “academic year” to discuss student progress, but participation remains low, especially among working-class parents. Text messaging and social media platforms (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Viber, Instagram) are used to disseminate information about the program, but access to digital devices and services is inconsistent among the community.

Social Innovation in Gabay Aral

Gabay Aral integrates a one-on-one tutoring model, where volunteers of different age and socio-economic backgrounds tutor students enrolled in public schools in reading and math. Because of the one-on-one set-up, tutors can go more slowly and take more time explaining and repeating the lessons for mastery. A more personal and nurturing approach is encouraged. The research showed that “themes of personal connection, effective teaching strategies, and shared vulnerability shed some light on how students in the tutoring context engage in behaviors associated with higher self-efficacy” (Adams et al., 2023). Tutees are allowed to hug their tutors in a non-threatening, non-sexual, and consensual manner. Tutors are allowed to give treats to their tutees. Birthdays are celebrated. The atmosphere in the classroom is relaxed and “fun”.

Gabay Aral also adopts a traditional-progressive pedagogy in tutoring, incorporating singing, dancing, story-telling and games in their teaching methods as well as including more traditional teaching practice like the giving of assessment tests and worksheets . Research also suggests that children who come to the tutorial sessions have no energy and motivation to learn, so Gabay Aral has a regular feeding session before class to ensure that the tutees have the fuel to participate in the learning process.

Research has also shown that the tutees whose parents are invested in their education are more likely to graduate from the program. This is evident in the kids whose parents bring their kids to Gabay Aral regularly and on time then picks them up after. These parents attend parent-teacher conferences and consult with their children’s tutors. Parental participation and cooperation is highly encouraged in Gabay Aral.

Gabay Aral also recognizes the significant contribution of its volunteers to the success of the program. They are being given regular training. A Volunteer’s Night is celebrated at the end of the academic year to motivate and celebrate the contributions of the volunteer tutors.

Information communication technologies (ICT) like email, SMS, and social media are used regularly to communicate internally to the staff, tutors and tutees as well as externally to benefactors and the general public.

CHALLENGES

Key challenges include low parental engagement, insufficient tutor training in modern instructional methods, and limited technological resources for students and teachers.

ANALYSIS THROUGH THEORETICAL LENS

Communication Theory Analysis

Using Development Communication Theory, it is evident that while the Gabay Aral program attempts to involve parents and the broader community in its operations, the methods of communication are not fully effective. Many parents are not regularly engaged in their children’s learning due to work commitments. Earning a living is their top priority. Their lack of understanding of the importance of literacy is also a big roadblock in supporting their children’s education. Two-Step Flow Theory could be applied to improve engagement by using local influencers (such as barangay leaders and tutors) to encourage parental participation. Communication patterns have a prominent role in promoting knowledge, social inclusion and social development programs. Within the framework of the poverty eradication program, mass media usage as a communication tool is very helpful in achieving the goal of the poverty eradication program. People’s awareness and knowledge, their support to poverty eradication programs,and invitation to participate in the program can be socialized through mass media to the community (Hidayat & Dariyanto, 2023).

Social Innovation Analysis

The Gabay Aral program’s one-on-one tutoring approach is a notable social innovation. This approach addresses both the shortage of professional educators and the need for individualized attention for struggling students. However, the program’s reliance on external donations for materials limits its long-term sustainability. Expanding partnerships with both public and private sectors could enhance the program’s capacity to serve more students, in line with the quadruple helix model of social innovation.

The Diffusion of Innovations Theory was analyzed using Roger’s 5 stages. Special attention was given to how the program reached the different categories of adopters and the role of local influencers (e.g. tutors and community leaders) in spreading the message.

Diffusion of the "Gabay Aral" Program

Knowledge Stage: The program initially used the local parish, The National Shrine of the Sacred Heart Parish, and Barangay San Antonio in Makati to create awareness of the program in the community and call for volunteers.

Persuasion Stage: Community meetings led by tutors and local influencers were key in persuading parents and public school administrators to support the initiative. A direct communication with the local public elementary schools, San Antonio Village

Elementary School (SAVES) and F. Benitez Elementary School facilitated the recruitment of students for the program.

Decision Stage: The local public elementary schools saw early improvements in student literacy through the pilot programs and began spreading the word. The NSSH played a role in persuading others to participate.

Implementation Stage: Training workshops were held for tutors and Gabay Aral initiated the creation of its own modules, making them attractive and simple. Parents were encouraged to participate in the process by making sure that their children attend the program regularly and on time.

Confirmation Stage: Ongoing evaluation showed improvement in literacy rates, which reinforced the program’s success and encouraged further adoption in other areas like UP Diliman and Sto Nino de Tondo.

Communication Barriers

Some barriers to Diffusion of Innovation included lack of access to digital devices and services and initial skepticism from parents.

DISCUSSION

Insights from Diffusion of Innovations Theory

The success of the "Gabay Aral" program depended heavily on local influencers and opinion leaders. Early adopters, particularly tutors, played a crucial role in persuading the wider community. The use of multiple communication channels (social media, community meetings, and face-to-face outreach) ensured that the message reached a broad audience, although access to media remained a challenge in some areas.

Implications for Policy

Policymakers should prioritize communication strategies that engage local communities and leverage trusted influencers. Interventions should be tailored to the media and communication resources available in different regions to ensure maximum reach.

Limitations

The study primarily focused on urban Makati, and findings may not be fully generalizable to other contexts. Additionally, the long-term sustainability of the program remains to be seen, particularly as it relies on ongoing external support.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the findings, the following recommendations can be made to enhance the Gabay Aral program:

Strengthen Communication Channels

Gabay Aral should adopt more localized communication strategies by involving barangay officials, local parishes and respected community members to disseminate information. Humans are actually social beings. They need interaction with fellow humans. Whereas before humans needed to interact face to face, now with the development of modern technology, they are “able to change the order of interpersonal communication which initially from face-to-face interpersonal communication is now media interpersonal communication. Media communication is a communication where the process of delivering and receiving messages uses various media such as e-mail, telephone, and social media” (Fardiah et al., 2018).

Regular community workshops could also be conducted to educate parents on the importance of early literacy and how they can support their children’s learning at home.

Increase Tutor Training

Invest in tutor training programs to equip educators with modern teaching methodologies, including digital literacy and psycho-social strategies in tutoring.

Workshops on communication skills could also help teachers engage parents more effectively.

Leverage Technology for Learning

Introduce mobile learning platforms or apps to supplement classroom teaching, allowing students to access learning materials even outside tutorial hours. Partnerships with tech companies could provide low-cost tablets or internet vouchers to help bridge the digital divide.

Expand Social Innovation through Partnerships

Collaborate with more private corporations and NGOs to secure additional funding and resources. The quadruple helix model can be expanded to involve academic institutions for research on best practices and further innovations in pedagogy.

Boost Parental Engagement

Implement a parent-mentorship program where more engaged parents mentor others to help increase participation in their children’s education. Parents could also receive incentives, such as discounts on community services, for attending educational workshops.

CONCLUSION

By examining the factors that contribute to the learning poverty in Makati and the role of volunteer tutoring programs like Gabay Aral, the study will provide a comprehensive understanding of the barriers to learning and propose actionable solutions. The Gabay Aral program shows promise in addressing learning poverty through its community-based approach and one on one tutoring system. However, there are significant opportunities to enhance the program’s impact by improving communication strategies, increasing tutor capacity, and expanding partnerships for greater resource sustainability. By integrating communication theory, diffusion of innovations theory and social innovation practices, the program can better address the needs of underserved students in Makati City and create a lasting impact on reducing learning poverty.

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