#they’re learning spatial awareness

[sicc-nasti]

Observe as Brodie cleans his Brogatitos’ helmets- giving them the best chance at survival in the harsh Tuefort nature,,,

A wonderful friend of a friend gifted me with the greatest piece of fanart of my Couriers, Brady (narrating) and Brodie, like. Ever. I’ve been rendered into a fine paste.

Based on this original comic. It’s perfect.

[raileurta]

Do you think Miko just spent the first month making weird faces to figure out the new jaw setup? Or just biting everything to figure out her jaw strength? What *is* their jaw strength now? What about teeth? Since she’s living so much longer does she regrow teeth every so often? Considering her new size, do you think bulkhead would try making little clothes? I could definitely see Miko getting the largest size possible and just soaking it in dye to get the style she wants though. (I could see her using red dye for something and accidentally giving bulkhead a heart (spark??) attack looking like she’s covered in blood too lmao)

Out of the two, I could see Raph overcompensating for the new horns while Miko occasionally still accidentally hits things with them. So ironically, he’s the one who sort of ominously appears while Miko is more focused on speeding around rather than keeping tabs of her surroundings and being quiet.

Jack must be uncanny as hell for the bots though. Like imagine your little buddy, a little remy ratatouille size guy, being kidnapped and when he comes back he’s just like your size now. He can just like…look you in the eye during a conversation now. You’re not used to that. You’re used to him being little chef size, not like…Jeff from accounting. That’s not even touching the Unicron sparkeater business either. With Miko she’s at least still smaller than you so you can probably defend yourself if she decides to try something. Jack could probably just gore you now. You know he won’t, but the sudden change is very jarring and you just need like a transition period to make that little voice in the back of your mind calm down about it.

Considering how similar messengers and western/european dragons look, do you think that centuries ago unicron dubbed someone from the area a messenger (idk how or why, it’s just interesting to think about) and that’s where the myth arose? My default interpretation is that they’re welsh cause of the flag, but honestly anywhere from the area would work lol

I know Miko won’t kill anything to bring back to the bots. But you know those cats who bring back things like leaves and rocks and stuff instead? I could see Miko taking full advantage of those new zoom in eyes to search the desert like a vulture to find cool lost/abandoned trinkets to bring back lol

Anyways, ramble over, hope your weeks going well!

Yep. I would do this definitely at least.

Their jaw strength? Well it at minimum it would need to be able to crunch through Cybertronian metal so very high to say the least.

They do regrow their teeth with high regularity, kinda like a shark.

Bulkhead is an absolute sweetheart so I can easily see him doing that. The thought of him watching YouTube videos to learn how to sew is really cute. Miko is banned from touching anything that reassembles blood as all the Autobots would think it's real.

It’s much too likely it would be real. (Maybe not even her own)

Raf is much more spatially aware than Miko is at the very least. She's just zooming around the base knocking everything over that's not nailed down. Raf is just unintentionally being the creepy kid that just appears right next to you making everyone jump.

Messengers are about a little shorter than Bumblebee, however Jack is still Arcee's baby so she's still going to mother him. It makes me picture them platonically cuddling but Jack is low-key crushing her but Arcee doesn't have the heart (spark) to move him. Cat privilege is a real thing, people. Jeff from accounting you see haha. That's a grown ass man./ref

Jack has “I can rock your shit” abilities now. Miko is extremely jealous.

Nah, Unicron wasn't awake until Unicron rising. He just woke up with 10 billion kids suddenly on his surface from his perspective. However his presence did unknowingly give rise to many legends and myths from weird stuff he accidentally caused.

Miko is self aware enough to know bringing back a dead bot would not go over well with the Autobots. So she does bring back other cool stuff she found.

Yours to I hope!

[kindheart525]

The Frowning Friends make their triumphant return!

In the version of reality that is the Dottieverse, Grim and Gnarly didn’t die by the Renaissance Men’s arrows after all, although they did come very close. The Boss of Smiling Friends, their former competitor business, was nice enough to call an ambulance for them right away in hopes that they could live to see another smile. The recovery was a long and complicated process, and on top of that they had become public disgraces right before their near-death experience. For a while they laid low as they reevaluated their lives and struggled to adapt to their newly-acquired disabilities, so much that most people thought they really were dead. But now they’re back with a whole new lease on life!

Things are definitely different now. Gnarly is now operating with only one eye and has the occasional flares of pain around the muscles in his neck and shoulder where the arrows hit, plus his heart took a while to heal from the impact. Grim experienced even more changes, with the damage to his frontal lobe causing permanent muscle weakness on one side of his face and body, greatly impacting his ability to walk and speak clearly. Having to finally go to the dentist and get half his teeth removed certainly didn’t help things. Luckily he has a cool new text-to-speech app to help him say what he wants to say, AI trained on old recordings of himself to sound just like his old voice. Plus he has his beloved Gnarly who always knows exactly what he wants to say, who helps him communicate just as he helps him with spatial awareness in return. The brain damage also impacted Grim’s personality a bit, making him even more impulsive and less able to make reasonable decisions than he was before.

Which makes him perfect for his and Gnarly’s new job! Now that they’ve learned how good it feels to smile, they don’t want to go back to their old ways of spreading doom and gloom and making the world frown. Plus it’s just not a sustainable career path anymore. Now that they have a second chance at life they want to live it to the fullest, and now they’re making a living encouraging others to approach life with the same attitude! For better or worse…

"Life could be taken away at ANY MOMENT! So do with it what you've always wanted to do! Tell that person you love you want to run away and get married! Tell your worst enemy you wish they would die in an airplane crash! Don't hold back!"

They’re not edgelords who make people frown anymore but they’re also not quite like the Smiling Friends who work to make everyone smile. Plenty of their advice still creates frowns, which are now just a byproduct of ensuring that someone out there is making the most of life. But they’ll also help the people who got hurt by their clients get revenge if that happens to be a life goal of theirs. Sometimes they stir the pot and cause chaos but that’s part of the thrill of life! They’re wildly successful for their inspirational, don’t-hold-back rhetoric and their tactics which are actually much more disability accessible than anything those Smiling FOOLS have done.

Speaking of the Smiling Friends, the Frowning Friends (they need a new name…) are now less directly opposed to them and more like weekly menaces who are better at their jobs than them. This is because the Smiling Friends, despite having to do absolutely everything to make a client smile, are still bound by certain moral rules that Grim and Gnarly don’t concern themselves with. You might find them convincing Charlie to make irresponsible midlife crisis purchases that will annoy his wife and daughter, or planting ideas in the Pimling children’s heads that will run their father ragged with worry. Perhaps they even convinced Glep to run for President! Who knows what they’re capable of! All that matters is that they’re thriving and living their best lives.

[keiiaq]

my quirk in my mha villain DR ｡𖦹°‧

₉ ⁹ ₉ ꩜ (_ _ 𖤐) . . z Z ˚ ₊ ❸❸❸ ⊹

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“I cannot vanish. you will not scare me. try to get through it, try to bounce to it.��� — tame imapala

✦ quirk name : black hole

✦ quirk type : emitter / mutant

✦ when did it manifest?: birth, basically had it my entire life hehe.

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✦ description:

what first started as a simple quirk that just sucked anything in its path eventually evolved to be a freedom-enabling quirk by the simple manifestation of wanting to be rich and live alone.

she often employs her abilities to create traps and evade capture. the quirk comes in very handy for both offense and defense. her first and most used ability is dimensional black hole creation.

she has the power to create "wormholes" or black holes in space. these wormholes function as portals to other dimensions or in the area around her, allowing her to teleport herself and objects through them. she can create these wormholes on any surface, including walls, floors, or even in mid-air.

these black circles also allow her teleportation across the multiverse. using them, she can instantly travel from one place to another, effectively teleporting herself over short or long distances. while thirteen can only use portals to suck things up, she can move rapidly and have more versatility over her ability, making it very difficult for her opponents to track or anticipate her movements.

she also possesses an ability called spot duplication, which allows her to generate multiple wormholes simultaneously, creating duplicates of her wormholes. these duplicates can be used strategically in combat, confusing and overwhelming her enemies. so, with her quirk, she can practically fight multiple opponents at once as she effectively moves through each one quickly.

she also has enhanced spatial awareness that allows her to accurately judge the location and distance between spots. this skill enables her to navigate through her spots swiftly and with precision, making her attacks unpredictable for her opponents. so, her matchup against midoriya is perfect for a theatrical event because even though he has danger sense, it’ll delay due to how quick and unpredictable she is while using it.

as an advantage, she also boasts great martial arts proficiency. the anti-villain trained in hand-to-hand combat and martial arts and learned to use her spots strategically in conbat. It makes her a capable fighter in close combat and long-range battles as well.

throughout her own scientific research in understanding her quirk and what she can withstand with it, she is completely fine with being in space without any gear.

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✦ visuals & inspo:

✦ inspo:

supermassive black hole - muse

let it happen - tame impala

borderline - tame impala

the spot - spider-man atsv (I remember watching the film back in 2023 and KNEW I needed to make a character with a power like his 🙂‍↔️)

“pov: you’re an anomaly in the universe.”

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✦ drawbacks:

with a quirk as OP as that, obviously there’d be a hefty side order of drawbacks. but luckily she’s been training with her quirk to be able to carry on using her quirk, even if her drawbacks make her a little delayed while they’re in action.

she can get motion sickness form how quickly she travels through her black holes, or tremors if she keeps pushing herself which mainly happen when she starts overusing her quirkk while the drawback is active.

since black holes are anomalies, in here and my DR too, she also has to consistently keep research to fully comprehend her limits and abilities !!

the black hole quirk does also cause changes to personality when she gets older. mainly being self-sufficient, having to be perceived as an anomaly by many people, aloof, and being mysterious. no matter how much she tries to explain something, it always seems vague and mysterious.

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[sfaccountant]

Character Focus: Shifty Sights

Unit type: Dark Mage of Tzeentch

Rank: Shortseer (rank hierarchy ambiguous and non-uniform; possibly a jest)

Species: Unicorn

Psyker rank: Zeta

Cult: Tzeentch

Tactical specialty: Combat caster

Shifty Sights is one of the Dark Mages of Tzeentch, a warband of pony sorcerers that have taken up worship of Tzeentch. Tzeentch is the Chaos god of sorcery as well as change and deception, and like all Chaos gods he struggles to touch Equestrian minds and souls. As of yet his only pony followers are unicorns who willingly gave themselves to him for a promise of great arcane power, which is generally not something most Equestrians are desperate to have. Even these eldritch warriors are quite difficult to contact, as their normal spellcasting does not offer Tzeentch a way into their minds and he cannot enter their thoughts or dreams without some kind of psionic anchor in the material realm.

As one might expect, there is a great deal of mystery around these cult soldiers. No one in the fleet command knows who their organization leadership is or if they’re training new Dark Mages. Even the actual total number of Dark Mages is frustratingly inconstant, with names vanishing from the registrars, changing status, or being assigned to phantom missions that nobody approved. At times Dark Mages are even declared dead and their history archived in the data-looms, only for that information to later vanish and the name appear on another deployment roster. The Iron Warriors would not tolerate such shoddy organization under their direct command, but Princess Luna has thankfully(?) shown much more flexibility (or at least much less concern for detail).

One thing that IS well-known about the Dark Mages is that their initiation rite requires they sacrifice their eyes to Tzeentch in what one can only imagine is a gruesome and terrifying self-mutilation ritual. All Dark Mages are blind, and med-auspex scans confirm that their sockets have been burned clean down to the bone of the orbit. This specific form of willful mutilation is identical across the entire class of sorcerers; although the Dark Mages will not divulge much of the initiation rite, Hierophant Mantis suspects some manner of standardized pact has been negotiated on behalf of the sorcerous warriors and enforced on each of them when taking their mark.

In return for their sight, a Dark Mage can expect several boons, the least of which is a magically attuned radar to give them basic spatial awareness. While inferior to sight in range and fine detail perception (along with less fine detail perception such as that of color), this radar renders illusions and camouflage useless against them. Unfortunately it has also resulted in several embarrassing incidents, as their unique senses mean they have extreme difficulty reading or interacting with signs, screens, or hololiths.

Shifty explains little of her own history with the cult, but has divulged that her first and pivotal meeting with Tzeentch came in a dream, several nights after she purchased a bizarre glass pyramid from a mysterious human trader. The creature she met at the time offered a warning of an attack by an lethal but dim-witted menace the very next day, but offered no further details. The next morning Shifty managed to evacuate her village to the hills just before a mob of Ork bikers blasted through the settlement at blistering speed, shooting up the walls of their empty homes and looting a few shops before they got bored and left. Having saved the village with the help of the mysterious advice, Shifty sought out the creature once more in her dreams. It showed up, but unfortunately (at least from her perspective), Princess Luna ALSO appeared and immediately drove it off before it could say anything useful. Twice more this happened, until finally Luna spent an evening asleep or indisposed. It was then that she finally learned of the power that the creature – Tzeentch, Chaos God of Change – could offer her, and the price that would be exacted for this boon.

Shifty Sights gave her eyes and promised her soul to her unholy patron, and she was transformed.

Shifty Sights wears a magic cloak and hood for ease of movement and arcane protection. The cloak can be moved and hardened with a thought to become firm and hard as steel, deflecting most melee attacks and small-arms fire. A few millimeters of steel is unfortunately often insufficient protection against the weaponry of the 41st millennium, and while its protective strength can be improved, Shifty prefers other defensive measures. Her tail has mutated, lengthening and shedding its hair, and she grafted an adamantium blade to the spike of bone that emerged at the end. Her legs and torso are wrapped in bandages that tend to bulge and writhe when she is in combat, obscuring the minor mutations that often sprout from her flesh before she can take the time to stabilize it and banish them. Finally there’s her enchanted amulet: the storm crystal. The name is quite descriptive.

Shifty Sights possesses an advanced sense of precognition and has developed (or been gifted) sufficient awareness to use it in the bedlam of warfare. Her mind is almost always processing the future, even when she’s alone and at rest. These visions are highly accurate in their prediction of the immediate future, and become far less reliable and sensible the further in the future she looks. As a result she’s able to dodge the strikes of warriors much faster and more skilled than she is, but if you ask her about your wedding day she’s probably going to see a horrifying (and highly unlikely) vision of the groom being tossed into a volcano. The nature of her precognition is also affected by proximity to certain objects and creatures, like Warp engines or Chrysalis, splitting the future into a kaleidoscope of immediate possibilities that all seem equally likely, and overwhelming her temporal senses. When her future sight becomes useless in this way it instead becomes a terrifying distraction, smothering her thoughts and driving her to inaction.

Shifty is quite proud of her precognition despite these flaws, and frequently uses it for petty purposes like predicting others’ sentences and answering their questions before they speak. Other people tend to find this EXTREMELY annoying, and given her inability to tell the distant future they often dismiss her abilities as a worthless parlor trick.

In combat, however, Shifty Sights is a terror, and unlike many other sorcerous ponies her abilities are well-understood. She is capable of a very rapid short-range teleport called a Blink, allowing her to evade gunfire and close with any enemy with ease. Her storm crystal delivers lightning blasts comparable to plasma shots, and can dispense them as whips, arrows, arcing missiles, or devastating bombs. She possesses an array of other combat spells, from illusory copies to accompany her teleports, coruscating flame-shaping, and paralyzing glyphs, but her first and - usually only - strategy is fast teleports and lightning blasts. When pressed she can also break fully through the veil of protection unicorns enjoy from the Warp, absorbing a degree of power that threatens to swallow her soul and unmake her body. This is obviously very dangerous for a caster who has never seriously dealt with the threat of the Empyrean, but not nearly as dangerous as it is for her enemies as her pyskant power rises substantially and allows her to unleash a whole other tier of magic.

One would probably expect a Dark Mage to be aloof, studious, and narcissistic, and Shifty tries to act the stereotype, but she is not any of those things. Despite having more magic strength than normal and a dark, mysterious (and unpopular) religion, she has little care for labyrinthine plots or arcane pursuits beyond what is necessary for her to succeed at a given moment. Although many find her behavior and ego aggravating, she is also quite affectionate and helpful to those who tolerate her. She also loves games, although she has a tendency to cheat.

Like many of the Company’s most powerful mares, Shifty Sights is single, and struggles to find sufficiently open-minded stallions for potential partners. Aside from her mutations and personality, she also suffers the unique temptation to look far forward in time to study her relationship. Inevitably she witnesses something traumatic or infuriating, like her partner betraying her or dying in a bloody ritual, and despite knowing the vision is extremely unlikely it always affects her relationship anyway.

Like so many other of Tzeentch’s sorcerers, she is arguably her own worst enemy.

(Art by CrimmHarmony, Qamar, MinekoO, Avrora's World, Barnnest, and Loom)

[worlds-greatest-thief-lupin-iii]

ANATOMY OF A Q

Aka a Q kin’s horrible theories

As a species, the Q are a semi-omnipotent hive mind. This isn’t because they know everything but more because of how fucking many of them there are. There isn’t one prime Q, but more a collective consciousness between all them. Their main goal as a species is to learn, adapt, and blend into a given group, they’re like cuckoo birds!

Most Q observe species on a purely scientific level, not looking into emotions or deeper consciousness since that’s not the goal. The goal is to mimic these behaviors, not ACTUALLY do them. They instead reflect the most obvious traits of a given species and focus on the big picture.

Which is why our Q is such a jackass.

(For the rest of this I’m gonna use like. Main Q for reference and how he specifically models himself after human behaviors, mostly based off of John de Lancie’s method and backstory for him.)

- Externally, he’s interested in humans so he does his best to reflect humans. Because of this, he sort of developed a deeper interest in the way they connected which means he adapted to that and went deeper

- Proportions tend to be very slightly off on symmetrical parts of the body (different pupil sizes, hands different sizes)

- Extra/missing joints. Like an arm with two elbows or a wrist that doesn’t work. Also sometimes means extra body parts in general. Like if they make organs they may have a few extra lungs

- Hairless! On the body at least

- For Q that tend to bounce between forms they have very poor spatial awareness, tend to run into things or forget their own shape, phantom limbs etc

- The longer they stay in a given form, the more accurate a body becomes.

- Ken doll physique by default, but they can swap at will once they know the correct genitalia (or they can use whatever the fuck they want if they have no clue)

- Infertile (womp womp that’s just how they work)

- No real internal organs. If they make them it’s for show. It’s very hard to kill a Q, mostly because their energy source is split between all Q and that is a lot of energy.

- Cutting one off from its energy source also won’t kill it, but make it burn the energy around it be it electrical, light, carbon, hell even intense psychic energy. Whatever they can get their little hands off of. But given they’re made of quantum space they can kind of do whatever the fuck they want

- Anything internal tends to look incorrect (organs, blood, teeth, bones, etc)

[letterstomonkey]

I am Second

I am a hearth first and a threshold second.

I am a fire first and an Irish exit second.

I emanate warmth at first, with one foot crossing the threshold from the first posed question-

I’m gone in a second.

I didn’t know what a hearth was,

Until I knew, that blood too creates a spectacle of art upon my face,

I know a fireplace does not insinuate a warm place,

and an audience doesn’t imitate the heart-to-heart I always chase.

Artists don’t know anything, except for how to create space

To perceive and be perceived;

I am an artist second, and first

A literary receptacle, or

A candlelit canticle, or

A memory semantical; I am

A digression indigestible.

I’m fascinated by perspective, popcorn and rare pennies,

My grandma’s orange lilies, and your lack of spatial awareness around me.

I named a garden after myself, and I damned every root and bud yet to bloom to Eternal Internal suffering.

I read aloud my words, then cleanse my teeth with antifreeze,

I bake inedible pastries for the sake of constant fleeting company.

Fringe jacket sleeves depict perfectly

my fear of touching what is forbidden, not realizing until it is too late.

I love Christmas, for I specialize in giving my gifts away recklessly

Abandoning myself,

And I am at home because I know how to do something right when I am second.

I still need permission to enter a room first, I beg for mercy over every mess I make.

I keep my blinds closed, wondering how to be perceived, comfortably.

I keep my door closed, wondering

Who will be the first to leave with the best of me?

If my words are my favorite part of me, then

What am I worth when they’re working against me?

I never wanted to become wild, when

I was seeking forgiveness before permission,

I was spoken to like a child as

My seeking acceptance gave way to remission.

I’m a teacher’s pet, and I’m not sorry for that.

I love learning and I hate being my biggest distraction.

I was a teacher’s pet until they introduced me to fractions.

I wanted to be a teacher until they all

Reduced me to a distraction wearing jean shorts.

They spoke their intentions, and

Eventually I learned to savor such adult attention.

Why do we keep pretending to care about intentions?

How they litter tainted, moral principle remnants?

I still don’t know if I have ever been a good friend.

I have yet to remember not to reach for bread and butter across the dinner table

When I eat with my elbows on the table, I think of my grandmother,

how I love her without needing anything from her,

how I have come to accept people that do not accept me.

Morally obligated intentions haunt my ancestry, but lightning struck my family tree.

It ends with me.

[dandelion-system]

I don’t know if there’s any science behind this, but at least personally I feel like I’m only just now hitting a lot of developmental milestones, and I’m only able to do that because of regression.

I spent so long just trying to survive mentally that I didn’t even have the time to consider the things a normal kid would be developing. I excelled at academics and fine motor skills, because learning and crafting was a means of escape for me.

But my balance, my strength, my emotional processing, sensory processing, all around everything has just been lacking. Notably, I’m most comfortable socially when I’m either heavily masking, or regressed. Being regressed is the only way I can be myself and process things without going into shutdown.

And things like my balance, I’ve always just been ‘the clumsy one’ because my spatial awareness and balance just… suck. The way a small child’s does. Because they’re still getting used to their body. And I feel like I’m only just getting used to our body. And it’s so frustrating, because I’m academically quite bright, and I talk well, people treat me like I’m an adult and I understand the adult concepts around bodies. But I don’t. I can understand factually what happens when someone exercises and the different types of reactions in a body, but I can’t apply it to myself unless one of the caregivers in the system explains it kinda dumbed down. Like, “when you lift weights, it makes tiny little tears in the muscle, like a wall with some cracks. So, when it heals, it heals stronger, which is like reinforcing the wall!”

I’m only just learning to balance. We’re 19, and after overhearing something, we finally figured it out. How to shift our weight and balance and move around. Because someone explained it like a line you needed to keep in the centre of your “body bubble”, like a horse on a carousel. Or like how when you balance a spoon, you have to hold it closer to the round part because it’s heavier.

And oh my god, I’m so happy! We can dance! Actually, properly dance! Not just sort of sway in one spot and wave our arms around, but hop from foot to the other, spin, jump, bend, all of it! But it’s taken so long.

I guess, I just feel a little cheated. Not only did I not get a chance to have a normal childhood emotionally, it’s stunted me to the point where I either have to live with a lack of skill and ability, or face the social repercussions of doing something that’s just… not very well known or accepted.

[queerwheels]

I’ve been thinking about Roy not coaching Jamie. This post got incredibly long and rambly. Also possibly some Ted Lasso spoilers if you haven't watched all 3 seasons?

It’d be easy to conclude that he’s not coaching Jamie initially because he’s still mad at his previous behavior. Jamie was an asshole and did a lot of shitty things. And Roy isn’t exactly great at processing his anger. I mean he’s learning but he’s in the messy middle of it. So, we could conclude that Roy initially declines coaching Jamie because he’s holding a grudge.

Plus, we know Roy enjoys a good power play. (Like they literally did kink stuff in the hallway, what even? Lmao) So maybe he’s using his new coaching position to hold a grudge against Jamie, and power play.

But I don’t think that’s it. Or at least, not fully why.

By the point Roy becomes a coach, he deeply respects Ted. Maybe begrudgingly, maybe he never admits it out loud, but Roy Kent deeply respects Ted.

Not necessarily due to any football specific wisdom of Ted’s. But Roy is a heart player. As a heart player myself, we tend to be deeply loyal to coaches, if we respect them. By the time Roy is a coach, Ted has his respect.

Ted heard their feedback about the showers, and got the pressure fixed asap. Ted admits when he doesn’t know something and defers to those who do know without making anyone lesser. He is the epitome of treat the janitor with as much respect as anyone else. While Ted won’t outright stop the bullying of Nate, he shows him respect in other ways. He’s strategic and understands people. He’s someone that respects Roy, respects the team, as individuals and as a unit. Ted is someone who Roy can be vulnerable with. Where else does Roy have that?

Ted sees Roy. Ted knows Roy’s heart is in the right place. Ted definitely knows that Roy is a heart player. Heck, all of the fans know that Roy is a heart player, we hear it in their chant for him. “He’s here, he’s there, he’s every fucking where.”

(He’s not actually everywhere. It’s impossible to be everywhere. We know that.) But Roy knows what’s needed in various situations, and he’s self-aware enough to know his strengths; to know when he needs to be where and how to get there effectively in the time he has.

It reminds me of when I was playing wheelchair basketball. On the surface, wheelchair basketball is pretty similar to standing basketball. But below the surface, you need to be a lot more spatially aware of things, due to the nature of wheelchairs taking up more space than someone standing. You need to be aware of how much space you take up, what spaces your chair can and can’t fit into, your speed, speed of others,  angles, etc. One of my coaches, who was a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player, frequently said, “sometimes the best thing you can do is to give up a few feet (of space on the floor) in order to not let the shot be uncontested.” He is a heart player too.

My maximum speed on the court is fast enough, but it’s still significantly slower than a lot of ppl. A person who plays only on their talent might look at that and be like “they’re faster than me, so I can’t guard them.” But as a heart player, I dug in and learned how to be where I needed to be to guard them to the best of my ability. Even if it meant giving up ¾ of the court space available on a fast break, 8/10 times I’d still get there either for the defense or the foul instead of an uncontested shot.

Roy plays the same way. But you don’t get that kind of understanding and such consistent implementation of it unless you put in extra effort, maybe hours upon hours pouring over film, taking coaches constructive criticisms seriously, putting extra time in. What Roy lacks as a player, or loses in his age, he makes up for with his passion, and his understanding of what’s needed. He isn’t always able to get there but he’s damn well going to give his all or die trying.

What does all this have to do with Roy not coaching Jamie? (And then also when Roy is coaching Jamie)

Roy understands that Jamie being a prick is a strength, when it’s aimed at the other team. (But Roy also has lots of experience w/ Jamie being a prick to his own teammates. It’d be easy for Roy to conclude something like, “Sure, Jamie looks like he’s changing but what if I tell him to be a prick and he is a bully again?”)

Roy respects Ted and knows that Ted has been pushing Jamie to be a team player.

Roy is strategic. He sees things and he understands what pieces work best where.

(my guess is that Ted especially has Roy’s respect and gratitude for bringing him back to the game he loves, to feeling alive again. Especially after being forcibly retired from what he’s loved for most of his life, due to his knee giving out. Who is Roy Kent when he’s not around football? Does he even know anymore? That leaves a lot A LOT  of room for depression, despair, anger. Roy had to be somewhat forced into the pundit thing by Keeley, and then again nudged by Ted asking. Ted still leaving the ticket for him even after Roy rejected his ask/offer initially.) Roy feels seen by Ted.

When he doesn’t care about someone with that deep respect, he’ll tell them exactly what he thinks. Especially if they ask or needle him. But this coaching gig, and feeling alive again, that’s still newish when he’s refusing to coach Jamie. What if he’s afraid that criticizing Ted’s thought of getting Jamie to be a team player could make that all disappear again?

Thus we have: Roy coaching the team. But just not coaching Jamie. Until Jamie asks again and again. Until Ted agrees with Jamie and asks too. And Roy can finally believe that that specific piece of feedback is actually wanted, and/or just gets to the point of fuck it.

Bonus, Jamie repeatedly asking Roy for coaching is where we start getting to see that Jamie is also a heart player. It’s just previously been hidden behind his talent and his cockiness. But you don’t agree to 4 am workouts unless you’re a heart player.

Also I know Roy said whatever about 4 am being an opportune time. But I think that also comes down to Roy being a heart player. As a professional footballer, their practices are intense. When you’re doing multiple workouts a day, the body needs time in-between workouts to rest, to eat, etc, in order for it to be sustainable at all. My guess is that 4 am was chosen b/c of Roy’s history of having figured out that that was a time when he could  get the extra workout in, while also letting his body rest before the team practice, and still get everything done that he needed to, as well as get sleep.

[decks-writing-blog]

Here to Stay Drabbles: Couldn't Rightfully Complain

Summary: Gordon Freeman new hand moments!!!!

~

For being a whole entire robot arm, it was relatively light weight. The cybernetics team, many of whom had survived the Cascade’s fallout due to their lab being in a lucky spot, knew what they were doing with this kind of stuff. They’d made it as easy to bear as they possibly could without harming its integrity more than was acceptable.

During the short practice sessions with it when he’d been learning how to use it, its weight hadn’t ever felt significant enough to be more than uncomfortable. Those had only been a few hours at most though, a whole day was something else entirely. He’d been warned to take it slow with increasing how long he wore it for but he’d been so frustrated with how clumsy he was with it, he’d decided he’d wear it all day today. His plan had worked, somewhat, he was more spatially aware of it than he’d been at the start of the day but he was also more aware than ever of where it attached onto his shoulder.

It was heavy. Like when one slung a loaded backpack over one shoulder, it was fine at first. But the longer one carried it like that, the more gravity seemed to drag down on the pack until it felt like it was digging into one’s flesh. The arm couldn’t be tired but every time he lifted it, it sure felt like it was.

Resting it on his desk or his real arm beneath it helped. Which made it just bearable enough for him to make it through the rest of the work day without bailing on his plan. Benrey, newly granted unsupervised access to the car had it today, leaving Gordon to ride home with Dr. Coomer. Which was ideal because, “Both your arms are fully robotic, right?”

“Correct. Both my legs too.”

“Obviously your stuff is more advanced than mine and installed differently because of the whole…” Gordon gestured vaguely with both his right arms, “everything. But that means they’re probably even heavier, right?” They were certainly thicker than Gordon’s new arm and hand. “How long does it take to get used to how heavy this stuff is?”

Dr. Coomer, eyes on the road, was silent for a beat or two before replying. “I don’t believe I’m a good person to ask. These days I’m physically more robot than flesh and blood. It took a while to fully adjust. I’m not sure how long though. Time didn’t always feel consistent during that transition. I’m sure you’ll get used to your new arm in no time though.”

“I hope so.” Gordon couldn’t rightfully complain about it. He could finally hold things, only slightly awkwardly due to not being fully in sync with the new hand yet. Probably he wasn’t going to wear it for a full work day again any time soon though. And while technically he’d planned to wear it all day today, the entire work day was an acceptable compromise; he’d take it off as soon as he got home.

[the-shinysnorlax]

Why I think Miguel O’Hara is autistic

(Posted by me, a autistic person and Miguel O’Hara fan)

Before anyone attacks me for this post, keep in mind that this is MY OPINION and you do not have to agree with everything I say.

I will be mostly using the 90s comics, Dark Tomorrow, and ATSV as an example because I think that’s where it shows the most.

Ok without further ado time to send the evidence.

1. Miguel is absolutely horrible with communication

There have been multiple times where Miguel just fucks up communication unintentionally. This is definitely the most prevalent in the book Dark Tomorrow (Which is a banger read, even if it’s meant for young teens) where him and Arañas relationship is very strained in the beginning, mostly because of Miguel’s fuck-ups.

There’s also evidence in the 90s comics too, like in issue 2 where Miguel freaks out over saying something menacing to Venture and just goes “Hi” like the dumb guy he is (But he’s my loser love him so)

Also he’s much better communicating with Lyla about things than a actual human being. Like he rarely shows negative emotions or talks about his feelings to anyone, not even his own brother or fiancé. Only time we see his negative feelings is when he’s by himself or in thought bubbles. That’s it.

(Miguel honey pls get a therapist I BEG)

2. He has no spatial awareness and is oblivious to his surroundings.

This isn’t really as obvious as some of the other ones but yeah. He has like- no spatial awareness. None at all.

Again we can really see this in the 90s comics, specifically issue 2 of the series. Miguel looks down at his hands and just- doesn’t see he’s grown talons. The comics explain it as his vision was blurry but I still think he would’ve at least noticed something was off. Idk. Maybe I’m thinking too much about this 😭😭😭

3. He hates change

Oh boy this is (Probably) going to be lengthy.

If you read his comics, you know he does not like having powers. Even when he’s gotten used to them and control his powers he still doesn’t like that he got them and regrets having them. Hell, even in Dark Tomorrow, which takes place 6 years after Miguel got his powers, we still see him having regret of getting them. Regret of becoming a hero.

And yes, I know in most comics when heroes do get powers they’re almost always like “Well I never wanted these in the first place!” But they learn to accept this new responsibility of theirs and overtime embrace their superpowers. Miguel isn’t like that. He never fully accepts his powers. He does get used to them sure, but it’s such a big change for him that he can’t ever accept them outright.

Another piece of evidence comes from Spiderverse. When Miles doesn’t do what he’s told it pisses Miguel off. Miguel in the movie doesn’t like going off the plan. He’s very straightforward. He’s not the type of guy to improvise on the spot. He takes time to plan. And when things goes off course, he doesn’t like that.

4. Miguel is overly sarcastic.

Autistic people are either overly sarcastic, don’t understand sarcasm at all, or are a mixture of both. For me, I think Miguel is a mixture.

One of Miguel’s defining character traits is that he is extremely sarcastic. To the point where he could be telling the truth and nobody believes him (Like Gabe in issue 2 where Miguel just outright tells him he’s grown fangs). This can also tie into the fucking up communication part, because his overly sarcastic tone could come off as unintentionally offensive or rude (Except to Tyler Stone, where he’s just mean to him because he’s a asshole)

Miguel also has trouble picking up sarcasm too, though it doesn’t happen nearly as often. For example, in Shattered Dimensions Miguel is fighting a Hobgoblin clone when Miguel asks where he got nanofiber. Hobgoblin responds in a sarcastic tone, to which Miguel responds with “Yeah that’s why I asked”

5. Sensory issues

This is definitely more of a side effect of Miguel’s powers than actual autistic traits in him, but I still wanna talk about it.

Miguel’s powers include enhanced eyesight, which means he’s more sensitive to light as well. Which is why he wears his sunglasses. It’s not just to hide his red eyes, they help him with his light sensitivity.

Miguels fangs could also be an obstacle for eating too. Since they produce venom, he has to be careful what he eats and also how he eats because one wrong bite and he could be a dose of yucky venom in his mouth. So it’s possible he has sensory issues with food too. Maybe even touch if his talons effect how he can touch things.

6. He has trouble showing emotion

This is really shown in Spiderverse where he mostly just keeps a resting bitch face the entire time. I don’t think he doesn’t want to show emotion, he just has trouble showing it. We can see that he does show emotion, but it’s only under extreme circumstances. For the most part he just looks emotionless.

That’s about it from me! Miguel is a really complex character and as a autistic person he’s a character I relate to a lot, especially now since I’m also undergoing a major change in life (Going to college). He’s just a really special character to me and I will gladly infodump about him whenever I get the chance to.

Oh and also

Bonus: He does this

(This is from Dark Tomorrow)

He just walked out of the conversation like dude why did you do that 💀💀💀

[ragsy]

Sid sent me a bajillion oc ask prompts which i am splitting up into separate posts for each guy! link to the original list at the bottom of the post!

5 of 5: Sloane

-What would your character wear if they were told they had to gussy up? Charcoal suit. White shirt. First couple of buttons undone. Sleeves rolled up. Leather combat boots. 

-Is there an item your character doesn't like to leave without? Her gun. Duh.

-What is your character's favorite food group? [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]

-Would your character prefer baking, cooking or mixing drinks? She’s not bad at mixing drinks; she could have probably made it pretty okay as a bartender in another life.

-What kind of drinks does your character prefer? Nothing too elaborate, a simple rum n coke just a cold beer will do. 

-What would your character do if they were suddenly caught in the rain? Curse louder than the thunder, then trudge to the nearest shelter. Not worth running for. 

-Does your character have a good sense of direction? She’s got such good spatial awareness that she might as well have a minimap HUD floating over her vision at all times

-What type of environment does your character like best? Small, nowhere towns where everyone knows something, but no one says anything.

-How willing would your character be to nap outside? She’ll do it, but it better be a fucking important nap.

-What animal would your character say best represents them? Feral hog. Born of pigs, gone its own way. 

-Does your character prefer company or solitude when sick? Oh buddy you better leave her the fuck alone when she’s sick, she gets CRANKY.

-Is your character upfront about their feelings? No. What’s it to ya. 

-Who would your character first seek if they needed medical help? She’d rather bleed out in the snow

-How likely is it for your character to initiate a friendship? Unlikely– She likes messing with people too much, she can’t let them know she LIKES them,

-Is there a habit your character has that they learned from someone else?   She’s got top-notch firearms etiquette thanks to her parents drilling her on gun safety since she was dubiously still too young to be handling one

-Does your character have people they think would worry about them if they got injured? She doesn’t think so, but she DOES!! SLOANE THEY CARE ABOUT YOU! LISTEN! SLOOOOOAAAANE!!!!!

-How would your character react to being put in a position of leadership? Yeah, sure, fine, if it gets us out of this mess in one piece.

-Would your character be good at providing medical assistance?  Ehhhh, not really. She knows first aid, she knows how to put pressure on a wound, that’s about it.

-Who would your character say knows them best? Diane Fishwoman. She does NOT understand why that little freak seems to take to her so much.

-Is there a person your character would turn to for backup in a fight? Sebastian and B. She doesn’t know their strengths super well yet, but they’re her team, that’s what they’re there for. And she’d do the same for them.

-How well does your character work with others? I mean, she’ll get the job done in a team project just fine, but she’s such a contrarian and button pusher she’ll probably get left to finish it herself. Which is probably what she’d prefer anyway.

-What would it take for your character to get into a fight? Really, not much. Like, at all. She’s rough n tumble.

-Is your character more prone to fight or flight? Fight. She loves punching. It’s enrichment.

-What words could tear your character down? “I just don’t trust you anymore.”

-How well does your character act under pressure? That’s when she turns into diamonds babyyyy

-Is your character good at practicing self-care?  Bare minimum. At least she’s not using 3-in-one shampoo/conditioner/body wash.

-Does your character have any allergies?  I don’t think so, but it would be incredibly funny if she were allergic to seafood.

-Is your character a light, medium or heavy sleeper?  Depends on what setting she’s on. If she’s in Job Mode she’ll wake up to the slightest noise, but if she’s in Off Duty Mode she sleeps like the dead. 

-Does your character have strong willpower? Yeah, she’s a brick wall of a woman.

-How does your character relax?  Liquor and a porch chair, staring off into space. 

-Is your character more energized in the morning, afternoon or at night? She’s more of a night owl. A lot of her jobs need to be done under the cover of darkness, so she’s got somewhat of a nightshifter’s sleep schedule.

-How often does your character have nightmares? A few every once in a while, but you’d never know. Mostly about her failures coming back to haunt her.

-Is there a fear your character wants to learn to overcome? The aforementioned failures coming back to haunt her

-Does your character have a high pain tolerance? She’s tough as nails. She likes to complain, but her tolerance is still pretty high. 

-What is a talent your character wishes they had? She wishes she was lighter on her feet. She wonders what it would be like if she ever learned to dance. 

-Is there an activity your character used to enjoy that they now dislike?

She used to really like hanging out at the local bar, but something weird is going on there that she doesn’t fully comprehend. So she’s had to steer clear for safety.

-Which does your character try to prioritize more, work or hobbies? She doesn’t have time for hobbies. Not really. 

-What is a talent that your character is proud of? She’s a great shot and she’s a daredevil behind the wheel of her car

-Is your character more outdoorsy or indoorsy?  Indoors is always better. Fewer angles of attack to keep looking out for. 

-What is a topic your character would be excited to talk about?  Stories about all the jobs she’s been on! She’s got one for every occasion and context. She’d love to tell all about the reported extraterrestrial sighting who turned out to be just some snotnosed kid–

-Is there a skill your character doesn’t know they’re bad at? Workplace appropriateness

-Does your character have any injury stories? Tons. Pick a scar and she’ll tell you what did it and how she wrestled that thing into submission.

-What kind of music does your character enjoy? Country, rock & roll, blues.

-Has your character ever made something for themselves or someone else? She almost made something of herself when she was younger, but it was just one of many almost-success stories that ended with a rugpull. 

-What’s an activity that reminds your character of someone else? She drinks like her dad. Cheers, you old fuck.

-What is a topic your character wouldn't want to talk about? Her arm. Don’t ask her about her arm.

[sunnyuto]

To be fair to the teacher, there are absolutely important developmental markers that can be demonstrated and evaluated through coloring “skills.” Teachers spend basically all of the daytime hours with these rapidly developing creatures, so they’re often the first ones to flag things like colorblindness, dexterity problems, or poor vision and spatial awareness. That’s why it’s important for kids to learn to color “correctly.”

That being said, framing this as “good” coloring is…not great. There are some kids who will never be able to master these skills for one reason or another. Death of creativity aside, it’s just not fair for these students to make public such a standard.

Once a little boy went to school. One morning The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. He liked to make all kinds; Lions and tigers, Chickens and cows, Trains and boats; And he took out his box of crayons And began to draw.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make flowers.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make beautiful ones With his pink and orange and blue crayons. But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And it was red, with a green stem. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at his teacher’s flower Then he looked at his own flower. He liked his flower better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just turned his paper over, And made a flower like the teacher’s. It was red, with a green stem.

On another day The teacher said: “Today we are going to make something with clay.” “Good!” thought the little boy; He liked clay. He could make all kinds of things with clay: Snakes and snowmen, Elephants and mice, Cars and trucks And he began to pull and pinch His ball of clay.

But the teacher said, “Wait!” “It is not time to begin!” And she waited until everyone looked ready. “Now,” said the teacher, “We are going to make a dish.” “Good!” thought the little boy, He liked to make dishes. And he began to make some That were all shapes and sizes.

But the teacher said “Wait!” “And I will show you how.” And she showed everyone how to make One deep dish. “There,” said the teacher, “Now you may begin.”

The little boy looked at the teacher’s dish; Then he looked at his own. He liked his better than the teacher’s But he did not say this. He just rolled his clay into a big ball again And made a dish like the teacher’s. It was a deep dish.

And pretty soon The little boy learned to wait, And to watch And to make things just like the teacher. And pretty soon He didn’t make things of his own anymore.

Then it happened That the little boy and his family Moved to another house, In another city, And the little boy Had to go to another school.

The teacher said: “Today we are going to make a picture.” “Good!” thought the little boy. And he waited for the teacher To tell what to do. But the teacher didn’t say anything. She just walked around the room.

When she came to the little boy She asked, “Don’t you want to make a picture?” “Yes,” said the little boy. “What are we going to make?” “I don’t know until you make it,” said the teacher. “How shall I make it?” asked the little boy. “Why, anyway you like,” said the teacher. “And any color?” asked the little boy. “Any color,” said the teacher. And he began to make a red flower with a green stem.

~Helen Buckley, The Little Boy

[monkibox2525]

Week 40: The Developmental Importance and Stages of Playing with Blocks

As your baby nears the 10-month (Week 40) milestone, a world of cognitive, emotional, and physical growth opens up. This is the perfect time to introduce one of the most enriching, developmentally supportive toys: blocks. What may look like simple wooden or plastic shapes are, in reality, the building blocks of creativity, motor coordination, problem-solving, and social development.

In this in-depth guide, we’ll explore why playing with blocks is so critical in early childhood, particularly around week 40, and unpack the stages of block play your child will go through. You’ll also learn how this play evolves with time and how to foster block-based learning at home.

Let’s stack up the benefits, stage by stage.

Why Blocks? The Profound Simplicity of Block Play

Blocks are far more than toys. They are multi-sensory tools that promote a wide array of developmental skills:

1. Cognitive Growth

At around 40 weeks, babies begin to understand cause and effect. When they knock down a stack of blocks, they learn that their actions have outcomes. Over time, they start to problem-solve — figuring out which block goes where and why a stack might fall.

2. Fine Motor Skills and Hand-Eye Coordination

Grasping, stacking, and manipulating blocks helps strengthen tiny fingers and improve coordination. These activities are crucial for writing, drawing, feeding, and self-care skills later in life.

3. Spatial Awareness and Geometry

Block play introduces early geometry concepts. Children begin to understand balance, symmetry, and spatial relationships, all while enhancing their visual-motor integration.

4. Language and Communication

As caregivers or peers describe the colors, shapes, or actions (“Let’s stack the red one”), babies connect words with objects, expanding vocabulary and comprehension.

5. Social and Emotional Learning

Eventually, block play becomes a group activity. Children learn sharing, turn-taking, and how to collaborate on construction. It builds patience and emotional resilience, especially when towers fall!

Week 40: The Right Time for Block Exploration

At 40 weeks, most babies are on the cusp of mobility milestones like crawling or cruising. Their pincer grasp is developing, allowing them to pick up smaller objects more accurately. They’re also starting to imitate adult behavior and engage more purposefully with toys.

This stage is ideal for introducing soft blocks, nesting cups, or wooden cubes. These provide the perfect mix of sensory exploration and physical engagement without posing safety risks.

Pro Tip: Opt for blocks that are soft, easy to hold, and visually engaging. Try blocks with different textures, colors, and sounds to stimulate multiple senses.

The 6 Recognized Stages of Block Play

According to developmental theorists and early childhood educators, block play follows six progressive stages. Understanding these helps caregivers provide age-appropriate materials and experiences.

1. Carrying (Around 6–12 Months)

What it looks like: Your baby picks up, holds, mouths, or bangs blocks. There’s little stacking — it's mostly about grasping and exploring.

Why it matters: This is foundational. It develops grip strength, spatial awareness, and introduces babies to cause and effect. For instance, when a block makes a sound as it hits another surface, the baby connects action to outcome.

What to do: Offer larger, soft blocks. Let them explore freely, supervise closely, and model how to move or tap blocks together.

2. Stacking (Around 12–18 Months)

What it looks like: Your toddler may start placing one block on top of another — usually two or three before toppling.

Why it matters: This is where fine motor skills kick in more robustly. Your child is learning balance, patience, and a deeper sense of control.

What to do: Praise effort, not outcomes. Celebrate attempts to stack, even if the tower falls immediately. Use colorful, lightweight blocks and keep stacking challenges simple.

3. Bridging (Around 2–3 Years)

What it looks like: Children begin placing two blocks with a gap and connecting them with a third — creating a bridge.

Why it matters: Bridging involves planning, prediction, and spatial reasoning. It’s an early sign of logical thinking.

What to do: Add different shapes like arches or rectangular blocks. Ask questions like, “What happens if we use a bigger block in the middle?”

4. Enclosures (Around 3 Years)

What it looks like: Kids begin enclosing spaces — building fences, homes, or “zoos” for figurines.

Why it matters: Enclosure play reflects imaginative thinking, storytelling, and understanding boundaries.

What to do: Encourage your child to use blocks with figurines, cars, or animals. Ask them what they’re building and why. This fosters language development and narrative thinking.

5. Structures (Around 4 Years)

What it looks like: Complex constructions emerge — castles, garages, cities. There's intent and often a story behind each build.

Why it matters: Structure building integrates creativity, problem-solving, and symbolic thinking. Kids replicate real-world architecture and use blocks as tools for expression.

What to do: Introduce more diverse block sets and themes (e.g., roads, windows, characters). Prompt with challenges: “Can we build a bridge that holds your toy car?”

6. Dramatic Play (4.5+ Years)

What it looks like: Block play becomes the backdrop for imaginative scenarios — blocks are houses, spaceships, or even pizza ovens.

Why it matters: This integrates social, cognitive, and emotional growth. Children use blocks as symbols, practicing adult roles and abstract thinking.

What to do: Encourage open-ended play. Avoid directing too much. Ask open-ended questions like “What’s happening in your city?” to expand their ideas.

Practical Tips to Support Block Play at Home

Whether your baby is just exploring or building elaborate creations, here’s how to maximize the benefits of block play:

Rotate the Types of Blocks

Use a mix: foam blocks, stacking cups, magnetic blocks, and wooden cubes. Each stimulates different sensory and cognitive processes.

Create a Safe Play Space

Use a soft mat or rug to cushion falls and offer a stable surface for stacking.

Join In

Model play by stacking a few blocks or building alongside your child. But let them lead the process.

Add Vocabulary

Describe actions (“You’re building high!”), colors (“That’s a blue block”), and concepts (“This tower is tall!”) to reinforce language development.

Embrace Mess and Failure

Falling towers are part of the learning. They teach resilience, problem-solving, and experimentation.

Conclusion: More Than Just Toys

Block play isn’t about just passing time — it’s an early form of STEM learning, creativity, emotional regulation, and social skill-building. By Week 40, even the smallest interaction with a block can spark neurological connections that shape how your child understands the world.

Every block placed, every tower toppled, and every shape explored builds toward lifelong learning.

Want to dive deeper into how block play transforms childhood development?

Read the full guide on MonkiBox for more insights, curated toy suggestions, and developmental tips from experts.

FAQs About Block Play

Q1: When should I introduce block play to my baby?

You can introduce soft, large blocks as early as 6 months. By Week 40 (around 9–10 months), babies are developmentally ready to engage more actively with blocks through banging, exploring, and eventually stacking.

Q2: What types of blocks are best for a 10-month-old?

At this stage, opt for foam, cloth, or plastic blocks that are soft, lightweight, and too large to swallow. Sensory blocks with textures, rattles, or high-contrast colors are ideal.

Q3: My baby just bangs the blocks together. Is that normal?

Yes, absolutely! Banging is a form of exploratory play that teaches sound, cause and effect, and coordination. It's a key part of the “carrying” stage.

Q4: How can I make block play more engaging?

Join in the play, describe actions, and occasionally model stacking or sorting. Rotate the types of blocks available and allow your child the freedom to explore creatively.

Q5: Are digital block games as effective as physical ones?

While digital games can help with pattern recognition or early coding, nothing replaces the tactile and spatial learning that comes with physical block manipulation, especially in the first few years.

Q6: What should I do if my toddler gets frustrated when blocks fall?

Acknowledge their frustration calmly (“That can be frustrating, huh?”), then model trying again. Help them see that failure is part of learning. Over time, they’ll build patience and persistence.

Q7: Can block play help with school readiness?

Yes. It fosters early math concepts, language development, focus, collaboration, and creative thinking — all foundational for school success.

[angelamappingtrends]

Map Smart: Solve Real-World Challenges with Free GIS Tools for Students & Researchers

 In today’s data-driven world, free GIS mapping tools empower students and researchers to visualize, analyze, and solve spatial problems with confidence. Using online platforms, geographic data becomes a dynamic resource for educational planning, strategic development, and community-based research.

Why Use GIS to Plan Real-World Infrastructure Like Hospitals? Understanding both spatial access and service gaps is essential in planning hospitals, especially in underserved or high-density regions. GIS tools simplify complex decisions and help users explore key questions like:

Which areas lack access to nearby healthcare facilities?

What’s the travel time for patients during emergencies?

Which zones meet criteria for safety, accessibility, and land use?

By layering data (roads, population, terrain, land use) and applying tools like buffers, isochrones, and clip operations, planners can make smart, data-backed site choices.

Key Benefits of GIS Mapping in Education and Research 🔍 Spatial Awareness – Understand how geography influences access to healthcare. 📊 Data Analysis Skills – Work with real datasets to uncover service gaps. 🌍 Cross-Disciplinary Learning – Apply GIS across public health, planning, and urban studies. 🛠️ Practical Tools – Use no-code features like buffer zones and travel-time maps. 📚 Applied Research – Simulate hospital planning scenarios to guide real decisions.

How to Create a Smart Mapping Project

Start a new story and load the GIS data layers: “Transportation: airport,” “Land Use: land,” and “Industrial: warehouse.” Choose your area of interest by navigating from country to state to district. Use the Buffer Tool under the process data menu to create 5 km zones around airports, labeling them as “Airport Proximity Zones.” Next, apply the Isochrone Tool under the process data to highlight regions accessible within 60 minutes via the road network and name them “Travel Zones.” Then, use the Clip Tool under the process data to identify areas where these two zones intersect and save the output as “Overlapped Zones.” Within these zones, select 5 warehouse locations using the Add Points feature, and include attributes like name, area (in sq. ft.), an image, and the measured distance to the nearest airport using the Measure Tool. Customize each point with appropriate icons and labels. Finally, publish and share your completed interactive map for use in education or research.

Open Tools, Real Applications Free GIS platforms like MAPOG bring professional-level tools to students, educators, and civic planners. With drag-and-drop layers and visual editing, they’re ideal for:

Public healthcare facility planning

Emergency service accessibility analysis

Civic tech and classroom use

Group-based student research

Educational Impact and Use Case This kind of mapping activity brings theory to life. Students build:

Real-world spatial thinking and planning skills

Familiarity with GIS tools used in healthcare services

Portfolio-worthy projects in applied research

GIS becomes a powerful connector across domains from public health and geography to urban planning and social impact.

Conclusion Free GIS tools transform complex public health planning problems like selecting new hospital sites into clear, data-informed strategies. By integrating layered data with spatial tools and practical workflows, students and researchers can tackle urgent, real-world questions with purpose.

🌐 Ready to plan smarter? Try a GIS platform for your research project and start building your hospital site selection project today.

[toyscentranz]

The Benefits of Drawing and Painting for Early Childhood Development

When a child picks up a crayon or dips a brush into paint, they’re doing much more than creating a colorful masterpiece. Drawing and painting are powerful tools that support a child’s overall development in fun and engaging ways. Whether it’s doodling, finger painting, or using watercolor sets, these creative activities help build essential skills that benefit children throughout their early years and beyond.

Here are some of the key benefits of encouraging drawing and painting in early childhood:

1. Enhances Fine Motor Skills

Holding a crayon, guiding a paintbrush, or coloring within the lines helps children strengthen the small muscles in their hands and fingers. These fine motor skills are crucial for daily tasks like writing, buttoning clothes, or using scissors. The more kids draw and paint, the more control and coordination they develop.

2. Boosts Creativity and Imagination

Drawing and painting give children the freedom to explore their thoughts, dreams, and ideas. With no strict rules to follow, kids can create their own stories and worlds through art. This unstructured creativity promotes imaginative thinking, which is valuable in problem-solving, storytelling, and innovation later in life.

3. Improves Cognitive and Visual Processing

When children create artwork, they learn to plan, focus, and make decisions — such as what colors to use, what shapes to draw, and how to fill the space on the paper. These activities help develop critical thinking and visual-spatial awareness, both of which are important in subjects like math and science.

4. Supports Emotional Expression

Art is a natural form of self-expression. For young children who may not yet have the words to describe how they feel, drawing and painting provide a safe outlet to express emotions. Whether it’s happiness, fear, or frustration, creative activities allow kids to process their feelings in a healthy and constructive way.

5. Encourages Language Development

As children talk about their drawings or describe what they’re painting, they practice using new words and forming complete sentences. Asking questions like “What did you draw?” or “Tell me about this color choice” encourages kids to expand their vocabulary and improve their communication skills.

6. Fosters Confidence and Independence

Completing a drawing or painting gives children a sense of achievement. They learn to take pride in their work, make choices independently, and trust their creative instincts. Displaying their artwork at home can boost their self-esteem and show them that their efforts are valued.

Final Thoughts

Drawing and painting aren’t just fun pastimes — they’re foundational activities that support a child’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and social growth. By encouraging creativity at a young age, parents and educators can help children develop skills that will benefit them in school and everyday life.