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levelzeo · 1 year

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Level Zeo's Brilliant Diamond Nuzlocke - Part 5

Hello there my friends. Glad you could join me again for my Nuzlocke updates, where I talk about both the details of my Nuzlocke and the personalities and relationships I come up with for my Pokemon. If for some reason this is the first one of these you're seeing, or maybe you missed a part, you can check out parts 1, 2, 3, or 4, and then come back here. Go on. I'll wait. Just for you. Once you're ready, let's get into things!

Current Team

Simmer the Monferno

Boof the Bibarel

Doc the Golbat

Petard the Geodude

Orion the Luxio

Puddle the Psyduck

Boxed Pokemon: 6

Deaths: 1

Badges: 2

With our second badge obtained, I am able to cut my way through the trees blocking the Galactic Building. My team would definitely all be in agreement that the stolen Pokémon must be returned to their friends and families. With resolve in their hearts, we enter this den of evil.

For a den of evil, they kind of just let us walk in. Sure there are Grunts who attack us, but they aren’t really a threat, and at least half of the Grunts just stand there and talk to us. Between this and the Grunts in the Windworks not knowing what the plan is, Galactic seems like a poorly run organization.

While we fight our way through the building, Boof has apparently developed enough Friendship that messages begin appearing during combat. I find it telling that the first one is “Boof seems worried about battling well”. Boof has been an invaluable member of the team thus far, but she knows that Bibarel have never been known for being the strongest Pokemon out there. The time may soon come where she needs to be replaced. Whether that means just going to the box, or something else…

I’m more pleasant news, Doc has also grown in friendship! While he is still not fond of Simmer, he has taken great joy in traveling and fighting with the team, and taking out the incompetent Galactic Grunts makes him happy enough to evolve into a Crobat!

With the newly evolved Doc, we make it to the top of the Galactic building where we find the city’s bike salesman failing to confront another Galactic Commander. We have no choice but to take them on ourselves!

Against Commander Jupiter, the first enemy is a Zubat. Boof is easily able to take this one. A first Rollout brings Zubat into the yellow, and a Poison Fang barely does anything in return. The second Rollout is more than enough to win.

Second up is Skuntank, and Simmer steps up to the plate for this one. He begins with his usual move, a Power Up Punch. It does less than anticipated, and Skuntank is able to land a Poison Gas. Summer feels his nerves creeping up on him. This won’t be as easy as his last few fights. A second punch does more thanks to the attack boost, but a held berry means that Skuntank still won’t fall to the next attack. Snarl from the skunk does a small amount. The next turn features a third punch and a Flamethrower from the Skuntank. No single attack has dealt much to Simmer, but alongside the poison damage, the Monferno is beginning to sweat nervously. One final punch takes out the opponent. And then Aftermath kicks in.

It’s a close call. If Simmer had been a level lower, or a single one of the Skuntank’s attacks had dealt a little bit more, my starter would have been done for. We got lucky this time. Simmer is able to survive the Aftermath damage, and the battle against Commander Jupiter is won. The Monferno is definitely deeply shaken by the experience. Petard tries to calm him with some light jokes, but I think Puddle’s more meditative approach works better. Even so, it is not an experience he will be able to get over easily.

With Jupiter defeated, the Galactic building is completely evacuated, and the bike salesman is saved! We leave the abandoned facility and get ourselves a bike, as well as an Exploration Kit, giving us access to the Grand Underground! I would do more with it, but upon entering my first cave, I run into a Bidoof that's a few levels higher than my team, so I decide it would be safer to leave and level up more before finding a my unique encounter.

With a bike in our pocket, we travel south down the cycling road, fighting off the cyclists who try to get in our way. Before moving on, I make a quick stop on Route 206 to find an encounter. I end up with Sundancer the Ponyta. She has a Sassy nature and Likes to Thrash About. She’s a wild child, enjoying nothing more than showing off her speed and power. She’s also one of the few fire types I can get in this game if I understand correctly. I put her in the box, hoping I will not need to make use of a replacement fire type…

Continuing the journey, we enter Mount Coronet. Shortly after making my way into the mountain, I run into a strange man named Cyrus, who I’m sure is not important at all and will never come up again. He muses about the creation of the world and the concept of strife for a bit before moving on. I don’t know what he is on about, but he’s certainly right about this being a special place. Being in these tunnels, within such an ancient mountain, it awakens something within my earthen party member. Petard evolves into a Graveler!

Also, while we walk through Mount Coronet, I get another new encounter. Ziz the Meditite has a Careful nature and is Somewhat Vain. Similar to Puddle, she has been spending her time meditating to hone her abilities. But they are not the same. Ziz believes her physical and psychic abilities are meant to exceed those of all others, that she is a chosen one. I imagine that she acts very calm about being put into the box, but inside she is filled with outrage over this injustice.

Exiting Mount Coronet onto Route 208, I discover that I have already caught all of the evolutionary lines that can be caught in the grass here, so I look up where I can get a Good Rod to fish instead. It looks like I’m lucky, because there should be a fisherman right after the next city, Hearthome, who will be giving out fishing poles.

I enter Hearthome city, a place I will probably want to explore more later, but for now I just make a quick visit to the contest hall so that the path to Route 209 will open up. However, on my way to the Route, I am ambushed by Melvin, my rival. I completely forgot to heal after arriving here in Hearthome, so I am terrified.

Turns out I had nothing to worry about. My rival is a chump. Puddle beats Starly with one Water Pulse. Simmer beats Roselia with one Flame Wheel. Orion beats Prinplup with one Spark. And Petard beats Ponyta with one Bulldoze.

With Melvin put squarely back into his place, I am able to go to Route 209. There, I pick up my Good Rod, and I decide to get an encounter in the grass before going back to 208. I end up finding Soleil the Mime Jr. She has a Sassy nature and is Strongly Defiant. She is a performer, a purveyor of entertainment, and one who demands to be the center of attention. If I made her a member of the team, I believe she would demand to be the primary fighter in every fight, type advantage or not. Into the box she goes.

Over on Route 208, I go fishing and end up with a Barboach. Her name is Wiggle, and she has a Relaxed nature and a Sturdy Body. I picture her as the silent type, conveying her thoughts solely through facial expression and the way she wriggles about. There is a mad scramble to get her in the ball as she brushes off blows from the team, but once she is caught she goes to the box without any objection.

But those two aren’t the only Pokemon I catch! I go back down into the Grand Underground now that I have a few more levels under my belt, and after wandering around for a while seeing Pokemon I’ve already caught, I encounter a cave of glittering gemstones, and drifting between them is a single Duskull. I catch him, and name him Vex. He has a Serious nature and is Capable of Taking Hits. An older gentleman, Vex treats the trainer-pokemon-team dynamic as one would treat getting hired at a new company. He’s all business about the whole operation, no time for games or relaxation. I send him to the box, but I feel I might need his typing on the team soon, despite his abrasive personality.

One last thing before I end this update. I pick up an egg being given for free in Hearthome. I don’t know what it contains, but I temporarily swap out Petard so I can carry it until it hatches. It sucks to put Petard in the box, but I don’t think he will be much help in the next two gyms anyway. Speaking of which, my hope is to make it to Veilstone and challenge the Gym in the next update, so look forward to it!

#level zeo nuzlocke #nuzlocke #pokemon nuzlocke #nuzlocke story #pokemon #pokemon bdsp #brilliant diamond #pokemon brilliant diamond #brilliant diamond nuzlocke #nuzlocke art #ponyta #meditite #mime jr #barboach #duskull #crobat #graveler

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imladybbq · 1 year

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Too Hot to Handle Relationships???

I am so excited to talk about this week’s topic because I am going to talk about one of my favourite reality TV shows called Too Hot to Handle. In a gist, this show is a dating show where a group of super attractive single people stayed together on a tropical island isolated from the outside world. The goal is to help the contestants form proper and meaningful relationships, which then they could win $100,000.

These people are chosen through their Instagram profiles based on their good looks and lifestyle. In the first episode, some of them were bragging about their love for hook-up culture, parties, mingling with attractive people and hoping to find “love” on the island (Walker 2020).

Upon watching this, I genuinely thought this show was stupid and filled with people who mistook love for lust and that everyone was only in need for the money. But I was wrong because this show exceeded my expectations!

Yes to Self-Improvement and Building Positive Relationships

The show stands out among other typical dating shows because the host is an artificial intelligence bot called Lana, responsible for observing and guiding the contestants in building spiritual and emotional journeys to improve their personal and romantic relationships through various workshops (Walker 2020). So, it is almost like a social experiment on a person’s growth overcoming their temptation between lust, money, and self-growth. Although there is a factor of the ultimate cash prize, I could definitely see each contestant's improvement towards the end. Some of them managed to be vulnerable with their partner and talked about their past, some have learnt of their self-worth, and some have become more considerate of others.

I think this show is excellent at capturing and educating the audience on the importance of building positive relationships with ourselves and others. The key point is that relationship is more than just physical attraction, and love is more than just a feeling but a continuous effort of improving ourselves. In each episode, you can uncover the various attachment style we possess, the values we carry, and what we look for in others, including the power of vulnerability.

A psychotherapist, Sana Powell, did an interesting review of this reality show from a therapist’s perspective. She said these people might have an avoidant attachment style because they run away from genuine relationships (Powell 2020), which may explain their love for the hook-up culture that revolves around temporary meaningless connections.

In support of this, many Gen Zs are becoming more aware of their attachment style, which they discuss with their potential life partners. This shows that current generations care more about being with someone who blends with them well rather than how attractive they look (Klein 2022). However, the downside of this reality show is that it might show unrealistic expectations of relationships.

Didn’t I say that this show teaches our attachment style and the importance of vulnerability, and now I am saying it’s unrealistic? Okay, hear me out.

Sure, those are awesome things we should apply in every type of relationship, but this show was filmed around a month. You can’t possibly fit everything in just 8 to 10 episodes. People don’t improve over a short period, and there must be consistent effort. That is a lot of work, and it can be exhausting!

Julia Arbit, the senior vice president of Insights, researched that only 1 in 10 Gen Zs are willing to commit to being committed (Klein 2022). Most of us don’t want to be in a relationship because some are still finding their identity. Some don’t look for one person but think different people fulfil different needs, be it sexual or romantic or whatever else (Klein 2022). I have no say that hook-up culture is wrong or good, but it no doubt create confusion and heartbreak.

Nowadays, dates don’t necessarily mean you are interested in the person. There are people in a situationship with no need for labelling because they don’t want any responsibilities or expectations. Plus, sex is not as sacred as it used to be because people can jump onto it despite knowing each other for only 3 hours (Iris 2023). On top of that, reality TV in the 21st century normalizes superficiality and disloyalty, and those with these traits are rewarded. The combination format of selected fly-on-the-wall scenes and 1-to-1 interviews with the producers boost the “real” effect of reality TV, despite it being strategically coordinated to create a cohesive narrative (Berman 2022).

So, reality TV isn’t really the reality. The end goal of reality TV is our attention, and they are conquering it. I believe it is up to us what we want to take away from the shows. Most importantly, we are responsible to differentiate the good and the bad that comes with them. Nevertheless, if you are wondering what show to watch next, do give Too Hot To Handle a chance and maybe you can let me know what you think of it.

References

Berman, J 2022, Reality TV Has Reshaped Our World, Whether We Like It or Not, Time, Time, viewed 21 April 2023, <https://time.com/collection/reality-tv-most-influential-seasons/6199108/reality-tv-influence-on-world/>.

Iris, A 2023, The Most WTF Things About Today’s Hookup Culture, Hype MY, Hype MY, viewed 21 April 2023, <https://hype.my/2023/312855/the-most-wtf-things-about-todays-hookup-culture/>.

Klein, J 2022, Are Gen Z more pragmatic about love and sex?, Bbc.com, BBC, viewed 21 April 2023, <https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220104-are-gen-z-more-pragmatic-about-love-and-sex>.

Powell, S. I 2020, ‘Too Hot to Handle’: A Therapist’s Netflix Review, Curly Therapist, Curly Therapist, viewed 21 April 2023, <https://sanapowell.com/2020/04/30/too-hot-to-handle-a-therapists-netflix-review/>.

Walker, M. M 2020, Why I Love Netflix’s ‘Too Hot To Handle’ - VOX ATL, VOX ATL, viewed 21 April 2023, <https://voxatl.org/why-i-love-netflixs-too-hot-to-handle/>.

#mda20009 #week 5 post #SUTxINTI #reality tv #too hot to handle

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thatmcgwords · 11 hours

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Your path to self-awareness starts with one important step: grasping how deeply your early life shaped you. This is because childhood experiences and relationships mold our views on love, family, and even self-esteem. These formative events, whether positive or challenging, create the foundation for our emotional responses and thought patterns.

Take a moment to consider your earliest memories of heartache or letdown. You might recall a moment when someone's words or actions left an indelible mark on your young psyche. It turns out that these pivotal memories often become the basis for how we perceive relationships and our place in society.

It’s true that many of us fall into the trap of constantly seeking approval from others, sacrificing our own well-being in the process. This behavior often stems from a deep-rooted fear of rejection or abandonment. You might find yourself overcompensating, always being available, or taking on the role of a “rescuer” in relationships. While these actions may appear selfless, they can lead to emotional burnout and a loss of identity.

In order to embark on the path to authenticity, you need to learn how to prioritize yourself and establish clear boundaries. This doesn't mean becoming self-centered – rather, you need to start recognizing that your needs and feelings carry equal weight to those of others. In doing so, you’ll learn how to strike a balance between empathy for others and self-care.

Another aspect that stops us from our fullest life is fear. It can often be the biggest roadblock to becoming our true selves. Many of us get stuck in familiar routines, scared to explore the unknown and chase our dreams. Staying still out of worry can make us feel deeply unfulfilled and disconnected from who we really are.

The bright side is that you can always reconnect with yourself and rediscover your value. It starts by facing the worries that keep you trapped in unhealthy patterns. Ask yourself honestly: What’s truly scaring me? Often, we're intimidated by our own strength and potential.

Changing your inner voice makes all the difference. Replace self-doubting thoughts with statements that affirm your innate worth and abilities. Tell yourself that you deserve to explore life beyond what's comfortable. While change might feel uneasy at first, a new version of you waits to be revealed on the other side.

After all, your comfort zone was never meant to be your forever home. By confronting your fears and moving towards positive change, you open up to healing, growth, and finding your authentic self again.

Remember, everything we do now was once new to us. So embrace that childlike openness to new experiences and keep saying “yes” to life's possibilities. For example, if you've always wanted to try stand-up comedy but kept talking yourself out of it, just sign up for that open mic night. Take that leap – you might surprise yourself with hidden talents or, at the very least, gain a great story to tell.

We often neglect our own well-being while constantly placing others' needs above our own. However, by valuing ourselves, we demonstrate to others how we expect to be treated, laying the groundwork for more meaningful relationships.

To start integrating solitude into your life, begin with just 10 minutes daily in a quiet place, when you know nobody will interrupt you. Turn off your phone – even on silent mode. Gradually, as you make this a regular practice, build up the minutes. There's no rush, and you don't need to put pressure on yourself to meditate or be “mindful” for the longest time possible. It isn't a competition – there's no gold star. Just let the time unfold as it will.

Setting boundaries is a natural progression of self-love. It’s about safeguarding the peace you’ve cultivated through solitude. Be clear about what’s changing and why. Some people may resist, especially if they’re accustomed to having unrestricted access to you. Your boundaries are not an attack but a way to protect your energy.

Living with intention is the natural partner to embracing your intuition. When you listen to that inner voice, you start making choices that reflect your true values. A practical way to do this is by establishing a morning routine that grounds you. For example, tomorrow morning, instead of immediately reaching for your phone, take a few minutes to acknowledge the new day. You might sit quietly, express gratitude, or jot down whatever thoughts come to mind in a journal kept by your bedside. This simple act of grounding yourself can help align your thoughts and intentions for the day ahead.

You might even consider setting the stage for your day the night before. Plan your intentions, lay out your outfit, and keep your phone in another room. This way, you avoid the temptation of starting your day with distractions. If restructuring your entire morning isn’t feasible, even small changes can make a significant difference.

In this Blink to How to Stop Breaking Your Own Heart by Meggan Roxanne, you’ve learned that by examining how early experiences shape our views on relationships and self-worth, we can set ourselves on a path of personal growth. Recognizing the influence of our formative years helps us break free from negative patterns and prioritize self-care without guil

#blinkist

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alt-ctrl · 13 days

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The Elegance of Simple Architecture: Timeless Design

In a world where excess often reigns supreme, there's a quiet revolution taking place in the realm of architecture. It whispers rather than shouts, speaks volumes through silence, and proves that sometimes, the most profound statements are made with the fewest words. Welcome to the counterintuitive world of minimalist architecture, where less isn't just more – it's everything.

Stripping Down to Build Up

Imagine, if you will, a building that's more birthday suit than ball gown. That's minimalist architecture for you – naked ambition in its purest form. It's the architectural equivalent of a zen master, achieving enlightenment by shedding worldly possessions. But don't be fooled by its apparent simplicity; like a haiku, every element in minimalist design carries the weight of a thousand ornate decorations.

The Naked Truth of Minimalism

Minimalist architecture isn't just about looking good in its birthday suit; it's about feeling good too. It's the Marie Kondo of the building world, asking of every beam and window, "Does this spark joy?" If not, out it goes. The result? Spaces that are as emotionally decluttered as they are physically uncluttered.

Take the Farnsworth House, for instance. Mies van der Rohe's glass masterpiece is so transparent, it's practically invisible. It's the architectural equivalent of the Emperor's New Clothes, except in this case, the emperor is proudly nude and everybody can see the beauty of it.

Sustainability: The Greenest Threads

Now, here's where things get really interesting. What if I told you that by wearing less, buildings could actually do more for the environment? It's the paradox at the heart of minimalist architecture's sustainability credentials.

Less Is More (Environmentally Friendly)

By using fewer materials, minimalist buildings are like the heavyweight champions of the lightweight division. They pack a punch without the excess baggage. It's like going on a diet, but instead of shedding pounds, these buildings are shedding carbon emissions.

Consider the Zero House by Specht Architects. This lean, green, sustainable machine is so eco-friendly, it could make even Captain Planet blush. With its solar panels and rainwater collection system, it's not just off the grid – it's creating its own grid. It's the architectural equivalent of growing your own vegetables, except in this case, you're growing your own energy.

The Aesthetics of Absence

Now, let's talk about the elephant in the room – or rather, the absence of elephants in the room. Minimalist architecture isn't just easy on the environment; it's easy on the eyes too. It's visual comfort food for the soul, a palate cleanser in a world of architectural gluttons.

The Art of Nothing

Tadao Ando's Church of the Light in Japan is a prime example of this. It's so bare, it makes a monk's cell look like a luxury suite. But in that bareness lies its power. The interplay of light and shadow creates a spiritual experience so profound, it could make an atheist consider conversion. It's proof that sometimes, the most powerful presence is absence itself.

Questioning Our Architectural Assumptions

As we stand at the crossroads of architectural excess and minimalist restraint, we must ask ourselves: Do we really need all the bells and whistles? Is more always more, or can less truly be more?

Perhaps the real question is not what we can add to our buildings, but what we can take away. In stripping our structures down to their essence, we might just discover the true nature of architecture – and ourselves.

The Final Paradox

In conclusion, minimalist architecture presents us with the ultimate paradox: by reducing our buildings to their bare essentials, we actually enhance their impact. It's a philosophy that challenges us to rethink our relationship with space, with the environment, and with beauty itself.

So the next time you encounter a building that seems almost empty, remember: it might just be full of possibilities. After all, in the world of minimalist architecture, nothing is everything.

If you’ve enjoyed this article please consider sharing it or buy me a Coffee

#Minimalist Architecture #Sustainable Design #The Art of Minimalism #Simple Aesthetics #The Philosophy of Less

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mattanaministry · 2 months

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Mattana Ministry Welcomes You To:

Sunday Sermon: 4 August 2024

Theme: Do We Commit Murder?

Music:

https://youtu.be/33QKdf4jPk0

https://youtu.be/ciWHZUKXXho

Scripture: Ex.20:13; Deut.5:17; Prov.16:23; Ps.37:30; Col.3:16; 2 Tim.1:7; 1 Tess.5:11 & Heb.10:24

Message:

Ex.20:13

Thou shalt not kill.

Deut. 5:17

Thou shalt not kill.

If I were to ask you today, "Who has committed murder?" what would your answer be? Most of us will answer very quickly: "No, we haven't committed murder yet."

How sure are we of that? During the week I listened to a morning message, and the speaker talked about this commandment: "You shall not kill." As I listened to the speaker, it struck me that we are all guilty of murder, in one way or another.

How many times has someone told us about their dreams and ideals, and we've shot them down? How many times have we overlooked someone's potential? How many times have we shot down someone's plans without really listening? How many times have we told someone they can't accomplish something or do something?

It changes the picture now; now far fewer of us are going to be able to say we haven't committed murder yet. In the era and time we live in, it is so much easier to commit murder. We don't have to physically murder someone to murder that person's spirit. We live in a time and an era where it is acceptable to be very negative towards someone. The norm is to give someone else that little "tough love" and then stand behind the excuse that the world is a hard place and there is no time to be gentle and tender with someone.

Let's take a look at what the Word tells us about supporting and building someone up so they can reach their full potential.

Prov.16:23

The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

Ps.37:30

The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

We must choose our words wisely and with consultation. We will be known by our words. Sometimes it's better not to say anything than to choose unwise words. Our wisdom is not measured by the amount of words we speak, but by the number of times we have remained silent instead.

Col.3:16

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

2 Tim.1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

1 Thess.5:11

Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

Heb.10:24

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

We must build each other up with cheerfulness. We need to encourage each other with love and self-control. We are here to motivate and encourage each other in love.

The world will be a more pleasant place for everyone if we help each other reach our dreams. We will be able to experience so much more of Jesus' love if we encourage one another to be the best version of ourselves. We will get so much more out of our fellow human beings if we support each other to reach our full potential.

In a world full of crime and negativity, let's not be the murderers, but rather the people who save and build up. Let's be the positive. Let's go through the days without committing murder.

Prayer:

Father, thank you that we can make time at the end of a week to learn more about You. Lord, help us realize that murdering someone doesn't just always mean killing their bodies, but sometimes their dreams and ideals. Father, please guide us so that we will support each other, build each other up, and encourage each other to reach their full potential. Jesus, please help us to forgive as You forgive us. Holy Spirit, please show us the temptations on our path and guide us so we won't be tempted. Jesus keeps us from evil, because to You belongs everything and our everything. Father, let Your Will be done in our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen

Please feel free to leave a review of this message.

https://www.soulcenters.org/directory/mattana-ministry/#listing-reviews

#christian broadcasting network #christian faith #christianity

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bpbuildercts · 5 months

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scavengerhunt-toronto · 1 year

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Team Building Activities: Enhancing Communication and Collaboration

Working in a team can be difficult, but it's also exciting. You all bring different skills, experiences, and perspectives to the table, and you should be able to learn from each other. In fact, learning how to work together effectively as a group is an important part of becoming a professional. The best way to do this is by engaging in regular team building activities that help cultivate communication skills, collaboration ability, and overall teamwork. Here are some ideas for how you can do that:

Team building activities can help you work with your team.

Team building activities can help you work with your team, communicate better and collaborate more effectively. This will lead to a great product that everyone feels proud of.

Team building activities are a great way for people from different departments to come together in order to create something new. They also help boost morale within companies by encouraging members of staff to get along well with each other in an enjoyable environment.

What are team building activities?

Team building activities are designed to help people work together more effectively. They can be fun, but they are also designed to help you learn and grow as a team. Team building activities can be used to improve communication, collaboration and leadership skills. Team Building Activities: Enhancing Communication and Collaboration

Why are team building activities important?

Team building activities are important for several reasons. First, they help you learn about your colleagues. You may have some idea of the kinds of things they like to do and how they like to work, but participating in a team building activity together can give you a deeper understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses as well as how they work together as a group.

Second, team building activities help you learn about yourself. By taking on challenges that require creativity and communication skills--and doing so with people who are different from us--we gain insight into our own abilities by seeing how well we perform under pressure or when faced with unfamiliar situations (like having dinner with strangers). This helps us grow professionally because we begin making decisions based on what will benefit everyone instead of just ourselves (or our own department).

Types of team activities

There are a wide variety of team building activities that can be used to enhance communication and collaboration.

Group exercises are activities in which each person performs a specific task or role within the group. These activities typically involve one person leading, while others follow along. For example, in "trust fall," one person stands in front of the group while everyone else holds his/her arms out as if they were catching him/her; then he/she falls backward onto them! This builds trust because everyone knows that they won't let him/her fall on accident (or even if they did).

Another common type of group exercise is known as "storming." In this activity, everyone gets into groups and talks about whatever comes up for an extended period of time--usually 15 minutes or so--before switching groups with another member from another group so each person gets an opportunity to meet new people throughout their session together

Brainstorming and ideation exercises

Brainstorming is a group activity that encourages participants to generate as many ideas as possible. The goal of brainstorming is to get ideas out of your head and onto paper, where they can be evaluated later on.

Brainstorming sessions are often led by a facilitator who helps the group move through the process efficiently by asking questions like "What else?" or "How else?" The idea here is that these prompts will help you think outside of your usual patterns or assumptions. It's important to remember that in order for brainstorming sessions to be effective, everyone needs equal participation--no one person should dominate the discussion!

Team building games for building communication and collaboration skills.

Team building games can be fun and a great way to learn more about your team members. These games are also a great way to build trust and relationship within the team, which will help you work more efficiently together. Here are some examples of team building games that will help you build communication and collaboration skills:

Ice breaker game - This game is perfect when you have new members joining your group because it helps them get to know each other better while breaking down barriers between them. The objective is simple: ask each person on the team questions about themselves, one at a time (such as favorite color or favorite food). Then rotate around until everyone has answered one question from every other member of their group

Engaging in reflective meetings together as a group

Reflective meetings are a great way to learn from each other and get a better understanding of the bigger picture. They also help you understand:

What your team is working on.

How your team is working together.

How your team is working with others, if applicable (for example, with customers or suppliers).

Nature walks and outdoor activities.

Nature walks are a great way to bring people together in new ways. Outdoor activities like hiking and camping can also be beneficial for your team, as they encourage teamwork and communication between team members.

If you're looking for some ideas on how you can use nature walks or outdoor activities as part of your team-building efforts, here are some suggestions:

These ideas will help you become a more cohesive team.

These activities are a great way to get to know your team better, and they'll help you communicate more effectively. They also help you collaborate more effectively, which is critical for any product development process. The end result? A cohesive group of people who are focused on creating a great product together!

Are you looking for the best Team Building Activities Toronto? Scavenger Hunt Anywhere provides a wide range of team building activities that can be used in any setting. Whether you're looking for something to do with your co-workers or need to plan an event for your organization, we've got you covered with awesome scavenger hunts, escape rooms, and other exciting activities.

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queerlich · 2 years

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August 1st to August 7th 2022

Lately, I’ve been noticing exhaustion and irritability in myself, and in talking with confidants I know I am not alone in that. Perhaps you too, in reading this, are reminded of your own difficult days. Today, I asked the cards “How do we counter the pervasive exhaustion capitalism demands of us? How can we say ‘no’ more often so we can say ‘yes’ to what we really want? How do we step into the new worlds we want to see?” I drew three cards for this, the first being the remedy we need right now, the second giving us insight into what we need to say no to, and the last being a reflection for what obscures the new world we are moving towards.

Image Description: The Empress (3rd major arcana) a person with long golden hair wears a dress of leaves and a halo of stars. They rise up above golden energy, ready to receive. The Devil (15th major arcana) shows a red and orange forest. Inverted as it is, it makes the dark tree trunks look as if the forest floor is their leaves and the red leaves the ground. A snake slithers along, camoflogued quite well. The Eight of Chalices show a cloaked, bald figure traversing through a red mist. It has almost fully enveloped them though they look forward, through the portal created by this mist. A stack of eight cups are under one hand as if a walking stick.

The Remedy We Need Right Now

The Empress (3)

Reciprocal care and love. The Empress is the ultimate embodiment of reciprocity and finds ease in uncovering how they can organize networks to create a culture of care. This archetype reminds us that love is meant to be ease-filled. It is only difficult right now because of how we exist under capitalism, colonialism and white supremacy along with the long-standing histories of all. So what if we could bring the ease back into love? What if we could let go of it “needing” to be difficult and reconnect to Love as Easy?

The Empress as the Remedy we need means that more than ever we need to build our care networks. We need to support those we care about. We need to be connected. This isn’t the time for infighting about the academics of activism. This is the time for remembering that we are all human. That we all have worth. That we all can work toward change parallel to each other, we all have a role to play.

What to Say “NO” to More Often

The Devil (15) Reversed

I have the experience of The Devil only coming up when it is truly needed. When it is the TIME. When it needs to be received. This archetype is of challenging our vices, our shadow sides, our own darkness. A time to look ourselves in the mirror and see how we are lost, how we have hidden ourselves, how we have been enslaved. Have we given up our power? What did we relinquish to someone else when we really needed to keep it close?

Having the Devil as the reminder of what we need to say ‘NO’ to, is such an alignment. Especially in its reversed form. Here its energy gets stronger. In looking at the imagery, with the ground now being the vivid red leaves and the snake slithering above you, ready to drop; you realize the precariousness of your position. This ground isn’t as stable. We could fall through and into the void sky below. The Devil cups your face in its hands and says “say no more often, or else you will be lost in more ways than you can imagine.” The words are harsh, but have an underpinning of love.

What is Obscuring the New World we are Moving Towards

Eight of Chalices Reversed

A risk. A journey where leaving behind our comfort zone could build something even better than what we have. Here the figure has their back turned towards us. They aren’t looking back, or even thinking about returning to the world they have left behind. Instead, they are taking a pause to bask in the splendour of what’s next. A pause to reflect on what they want to create in (and with) this new place they are heading to.

In being reversed, there is apprehension. Instead of readiness and excitement for the risk being taken alone, there is also a note of fear. We start to question ourselves more, is the risk worth it? Do I really need to leave behind what’s comfortable? Why should I bother? It is these fears, these worries that are obscuring the New World. It is fear that holds us back in this place. We could be living, right now, as if we are there. We can orient our way of being to align with who we imagine exists in that future. We can relate to each other, to ourselves, to our ancestors with the care and love that the future will.

#suit of chalices #tarot readings #community archive #once were paid posts #now theyre just for anyone

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thesunmeltedthegrayaway · 3 years

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The Realiable One: Ponyboy x Best Friend!Reader

Most Chapters will NOT follow canon (I think we know the two bits (haha pun) of the original plot I am talking about.)

Summary: They would always have each other's backs, no matter how intimidating or daunting the obstacles in front of them would be. Ponyboy x Best friend!Reader

I always thought that the friends you could truly trust were the ones that you grew up with. The ones who saw the good and bad of your upbringing and vice versa. They would know you, more than anyone else ever could. They’d have your back and lift you up whenever you needed them to. At least, that’s what it’s been like with Ponyboy and I. For as long as I could remember we had always been protective over one another.

…

I remember the first time we had gotten protective over each other. We were only 10, just walking down to his parent's house after school since my father never seemed to be around. I was pretty nervous the entire time, we did have to walk through the West side of town to get back to his place. This group of kids seemed to be relentless with us lately, they threw jeering taunts and threats toward us. They played on an endless loop in my mind and it didn’t seem like it would stop anytime soon.

“Ey, we found em!” A familiar cold voice yelled out, I gasped and turned around quickly rocks were clenched in their hands.

“Get behind me.” Ponyboy had said quickly, he had grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

“Sh-shouldn’t we just run?” It was 4 on 2, and the group of four looked like they were going to stone us. I don't think we were going to win. I was ignored entirely, his focus was lasered in on the group of kids.

I didn’t really remember what Ponyboy had said to the group of kids, all I really remembered was a rock being hurled at my head. And then the ambient sounds that transpired after, rocks hit the pavement around us at a rapid pace.

“Ow god…” I stumbled around for a second. “C’mon let’s run!”

“But-”

“NOW!” I had gripped his hand and pulled him away from the crossfire, my head throbbed the entire way back.

So, our first experience in defending one another was a complete mess.

…

The next time we tried to help each other out was at his parents' funeral. It was a painful day for all of us. The gang had grown so attached to Mr. and Mrs. Curtis, so it was like all of us had lost our parents that day. It was painful seeing all three of them acting so differently… Darry was more stoic than ever, Sodapop had lost his gleaming and graceful smile, and Ponyboy just seemed… blank, stoic too maybe. It was hard to tell how he was really feeling. He had been distancing himself away from me for a week now. The viewing had ended and the gang and I were all standing outside in the blistering heat. We just stood there, talking amongst ourselves. Sharing memories we all had with Mr. and Mrs. Curtis with bittersweet smiles and laughs. I felt a sudden nudge on the ribs making me jump and look at its source.

“Hey kid, go check on him,” Dally said nonchalantly. He pointed in some random direction, Ponyboy seemed to have been walking behind the building.

“I-I don’t know, maybe he just wants to be by himself.”

“Y/N, just go.” He gave me a light push moving me in the direction I needed to go. I heaved out a sigh before walking toward the back of the building. He was hunched down sitting on the dry, dead grass, I couldn’t see his face but his shoulders were shaking indicating that he was crying.

Why would he go back here to do that?

“Hey,” I said softly, wanting to make my presence known. He jumped and wiped his face quickly.

“Hey Y/N… He cleared his throat trying to hide the fact that he was crying. I slid down the wall, sitting next to him.

“You don’t have to hide, you know, it's okay to cry… it’s just me. I’m not going to make fun of you for it. Even though I don’t think anyone would do that to you today.”

He sighed and turned his head away from me. “No, no I-I can't.” He stuttered out.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him in confusion. “What? Why not?”

“I gotta be strong, I can’t let Soda or Darry see me like this.”

“Like what, you mourning? You just lost your parents, you're allowed to cry or scream or be pissed off at the world if you want. I know for a fact as soon as I get home I’m gonna sob my heart out into a pillow.” I explained sadly. He turned back around to look at me, the tears streaming down his face seemed uncontrollable.

“Hey come here.” I opened my arms inviting him in for a hug. The force of him reciprocating it made me taken aback. But, I quickly recovered trying to comfort him the best way I could. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I feel like I’m gonna lose it Y/N.” He choked out, his frame was shaking in my hold.

I sniffled, I was now crying myself. “It’s okay… I can’t lie, I feel the same way. But we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because even though it feels like this day could go on forever and be stuck on an endless painful loop. That sun is going to set and come back up again, and I’m positive things will slowly get better.”

“I-it d-doesn’t really feel like it.”

“I know but, we just gotta stick by each other… We'll all help each other out whenever we need one another. And you know me, I won’t care if you call me at 3 in the morning to just rant about whatever you need to. I’ll always be here for you.”

I could hear two voices echoing in the distance.

“Where are those two? We don’t need them runnin off now.” I could hear Darry say worriedly.

“They ain’t too far, they just needed some time to themselves, leave em alone,” Dally explained coolly.

“Love you Y/N, thank you for- everything.”

I smiled and rested my head on top of his. “Love you too.”

…

Then of course, he just had to get jumped by those damn Socs. I was at his house just lounging around, I had a pretty bad headache and had stayed home from school. Darry let me stay here whenever I needed to so I always had a little safe haven here. The screen door creaked loudly making me aware someone was coming in.

“Hey kid, you feelin any better?” Darry asked as he ruffled my Y/C hair.

I sighed in faux annoyance trying to fix the mess he made. “Yeah, I’m feelin a lot better. You got off pretty early today, what happened?” I asked. I always talked to Darry about miscellaneous things that had been going on that day. I know he didn’t always get the chance to vent to anyone about everything. He sighed and plopped down next to me on the couch, he seemed annoyed.

“Socs that’s all I’m going to say.”

“So they hung around you so much the homeowner got mad and sent you all packin huh?”

He looked at me in annoyance before nodding curtly. “Yeah… pretty much.”

“Those socs are pis-” He glared at me. “making me angry.” I corrected before I could get scolded.

“Nice save.”

“Thank you, I do try.”

Suddenly a voice echoed through the screen door, it sounded distant but boomed through the air.

“Are you crazy! Soda! Darry! Y/N! Somebody!” I knew that voice from anywhere.

“Oh god.” I rushed out stumbling as I got up from the couch and rushed out the door. Darry had run ahead of me, following the sounds of his muffled scream. Everyone else seemed to have heard Ponyboy’s pleas for help too. Johnny had caught up to me with a completely freaked-out look on his face. Dallas, who was supposed to be in the cooler, rushed past us. Two-bit was right on his heels with a wide grin on his face. I grabbed the closest thing to me, which happened to be a rock, and bolted toward the group of socs.

“Hey! Get the hell outta here!” I yelled out at them, they scoffed at my feeble attempts of intimidation and mocked me. Me, being enraged by their condescending attitudes, chucked the rock at their car, shattering the back window of the mustang. Their laughing ceased at once, looks of pure hatred filled their faces.

“You little bitch!” One of them hissed at me,

“Fuck you!” I yelled, throwing another rock at the car, denting the trunk.

He tried to charge me but Soda and Steve suddenly showed up preventing him from causing any damage to me. They bolted toward their now damaged car as everyone began to swarm them.

One of them yelled from the broken window. “You’re next!” He pointed at me, glaring daggers into me. Steve grabbed him through the open window, attempting to drag him out. They sped off leaving all of us in the dust.

“Hey they didn’t hurt you too bad did they?” I heard Darry ask worriedly, making my focus shift to Ponyboy. I knelt down next to Darry to survey the damage. I saw blood run down his neck, but he wouldn’t answer Darry, he preferred to look down at the ground in embarrassment.

“Oh no, they pulled a blade on you,” I said sadly, making him look at me.

Soda rushed down next to me. “What?!” His face fell when he saw the bloodstain on Pony’s shirt. “Hey,” He said quickly when he saw Pony lower his head back down in embarrassment. “They ain’t gonna hurt you no more, come on.” Soda said reassuringly as he helped Ponyboy stand up.

We all walked back to the Curtis house, Darry was fuming in anger I could tell.

Darry scoffed before he had begun scolding Ponyboy. ‘Walkin by yourself, you don’t ever think do you!”

“All's I did was walk home from the movies.” Pony explained glumly.

“Movies and books. Movies and books! You know, I-I wish that you could concentrate on something else just once in a while.” Darry replied in frustration.

“C’mon Darry lay off him, movies and books are a lot better than some of the other things he could be getting into. He could be like Dallas and get arrested every 3 weeks.” I reasoned not wanting him and Pony to get into a fight.

“I heard that!” Dally shouted from afar.

“It was meant for you to hear!”

Darry just gave me a look of “I love you but shut up.”

“He could start concentrating more on cars and girls. That always works for me.” Soda added nudging me playfully in the ribs. I hit him back, making him flinch and laugh at me.

“Look, if you had to go by yourself, you should have carried a blade,” Darry said in a calmer voice.

“Oh, yeah, that would have been a great excuse for the Socs to cut his neck a little more there!” Soda jumped in, he knew Ponyboy was always uncomfortable with the idea of carrying around a weapon.

If I want my kid brother to tell me what to do with my other kid brother, I'll ask you, all right, kid brother! Darry threw down a stick he was carrying, it snapped in half and bounced into the air.

“Damn…” I watched the small splinters of wood fly through the air. “He’s angry,” I said meekly.

“Why does he always gotta be like that?” Ponyboy asked Soda and me.

“He's just got more worries than he used to.” Soda explained softly.

“How's the kid?” Dally asked nonchalantly.

“I'm fine.” He replied, zipping up his hoodie slightly higher. “What are you doing out of the cooler, Dal?”

Dally attempted to answer but he was cut off by an angry Steve

"Yeah? And what are you doing walking by your lonesome on the street, huh?" Steve snapped.

“Maybe he just wanted to have some time to himself, I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with that.” I crossed my arms in defense, Steve faltered in his anger, he wiped the blood coming out of his nose off his face.

Suddenly, a heavy weight was put onto my shoulders making me jump. “You got one hell of an arm girly.” Dally complimented, a grin etched onto his usually cold face.

I laughed bashfully and looked down at the ground. “It was nothing really.” I looked back up to see Soda, Steve, Johnny, and Pony walking ahead of us.

Just protecting a friend…

...

Okay so, maybe it wasn’t the best idea for me to shatter the back window of a socs car. And maybe it wasn’t smart of me to walk down to the Curtis house by myself a day later. I wasn’t thinking clearly, in my foolish mind I just envisioned that they would leave all of us the fuck alone for once.

That was a stupid idea…

I got attacked out of nowhere, they weren’t in their fancy cars so I couldn’t even tell where they had come from. I kicked, punched, stomped, and even spat on after a while, they eventually left me on the sidewalk to stew in all the different bruises and cuts they gave to me. I got up after a while. I winced at the stinging sensation that ran through my body. Now my brain was rushing to come up with an idea on how to get back into the Curtis house without seeming like I was too injured.

All I needed to do was make my way to the bathroom without anyone noticing me. If Darry found out I got jumped for walking by myself he would never let me hear the end of it. I stood near the rusted gate of the house trying to formulate my plan better. I took in a deep breath and put my hood up, I rushed in with one thing on my mind.

Get to that bathroom, clean myself up, and then bolt as soon as I can.

“Hey Y/N.” Two-Bit greeted cheerfully.

“Hey,” I replied quickly rushing through the kitchen, I ran right into Ponyboy who was now blocking my way into the room I needed to get into.

“Y/N there you are we gotta get started on our-” He noticed how covered up my face was, he started to look worried. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Y-yeah I’m fine.” I began to back out of the kitchen, maybe I could get to the bathroom through the living room.

I bumped right into someone who was standing behind me, I could tell it was Darry.

“Y/N… take off the hood.”

At this point everyone had turned their attention to me, Mickey Mouse was long forgotten now.

“No.” I replied stubbornly.

“Y/N…” Darry called in a stern voice.

“I don’t want to, I’m fine.” I winced as soon as I finished my sentence, Darry ripped the hood off my head exposing my bruised and slightly bloody face. I didn’t even wanna look at Pony’s face, I was sure he wasn’t too happy with me either.

“Sit down,” Darry ordered stoically as he pointed toward the couch in the living room. I just sighed not wanting to piss him off even more. Everyone stared at me as I sat down, all of them looked pissed off. I felt a weight on the seat next to me, I turned to see Ponyboy just staring at me sympathetically.

“Who jumped ya kid?” Dally asked, I just shrugged my shoulders not really wanting to say who did it. The last thing I needed was the people closest to me being stuck in jail.

“C’mon Y/N… just tell us who did it?” Two-bit said.

I just slouched lower into the couch not giving Two an answer, just wishing the floor would swallow me up.

“Johnny be honest, you think it was the same group of kids that did that to your face?” Dally interrogated.

Johnny looked at me, observing my injuries closely, he then shook his head. “Nah, she doesn’t have any ring imprints on her face.”

The bathroom door had opened signifying Darry had come back with a first aid kit. The questions had simmered down, the TV was the only sound that echoed in the room.

“Take your jacket off,” Darry ordered as he sat down next to me.

I hissed out a breath as I took one arm out of my sleeve. My whole body felt bruised. I eventually was able to take it off thanks to help from Soda and Pony.

“Y/N you, out of all of us, should know better than to be walking by yourself at a time like this.” He rubbed peroxide on me without any warning making me jump and then wither due to the other injuries I had.

“I know I know…”

“Oh do you, if you really did you wouldn’t have been walking by yourself then!”

“I didn’t think it was a big deal!” I exclaimed feeling defensive. “I just wasn’t-”

“If you say I wasn’t thinking I may lose it right here and right now.” Darry interrupted, his arm muscles began to tense.

“Well, that’s what I was going to say.” I snapped back.

“My god you two are broken records, that’s all you ever say… I wasn’t thinking.” Darry ranted as he cleaned another cut on my arm.

“We grew up together Darry, expect us to pick up habits off of one another. You should be used to it by now.”

“Y/N you need to-”

“Lay off her, Darry.” Ponyboy interrupted making Darry’s heated glare be directed toward him.

“Stay out of this Pony.”

“Look Dar, she just got jumped, she probably feels awful right now, embarrassed, and completely freaked out. I think the last thing she needs is a lecture on something she can’t even control. I don’t think she was walkin down the street wearing a “Jump me” sign.” Pony ranted making the awkward tension worsen.

Darry’s hard glare faltered as he let out another annoyed sigh. He didn’t utter another word and just kept on cleaning my cuts. I turned my head to Ponyboy and smiled thankfully.

“Thanks…” I leaned my head on his shoulder making him tense up for a second before relaxing again. Soda smirked at us teasingly across the room.

“Don’t worry about it.”

…

Darry was going to blow up, and it was going to be bad. I had stayed the night at the Curtis’s house due to my father being out of town, I just didn’t want to be in a house all by myself. My plans were simple, to stay out of everyone's way and do my school work. But, things weren’t going exactly as planned. Instead of working on a report, I had for history I was staring at the worn-down screen door waiting for Ponyboy to finally come back home from the movies with Johnny and Dally. It was 2 am and there were no signs of him.

I was pacing around in the living room for what felt like hours. All I could do was stare outside waiting to see him again. I felt a presence behind me making me stop and turn around.

“Y/N, he’s fine… I’m sure he’ll be back soon.” Soda said comfortingly.

“I don’t know Soda, it’s just so late and you know how socs are-”

“Y/N he’ll be fine.”

“But-”

“Just fine…” Soda interrupted, he dragged me over to the couch so I could sit still. I guess my pacing was annoying the fire out of him. I looked over at Darry who was sitting in his armchair abusing some poor newspaper. It crinkled at his grip making it virtually unreadable.

I leaned over to Soda, “He’s gonna kill him.” I whispered to him.

Before Soda could say anything the screen door finally opened. Ponyboy stood there with puffy and drowsy-looking eyes. He must’ve fallen asleep somewhere.

Darry slammed down his newspaper and shot up from his seat. “Do you know what time it is?!”

“It's two o'clock in the morning, kiddo.” Soda said nervously, I could tell he was trying to remain calm but I could tell the whole situation was getting to him. Ponyboy went into the bathroom completely brushing us off.

“Where have you been?!” Darry asked again.

“I fell asleep in the lot.”

“I had a feeling you did,” I said, trying to ease my nerves.

“You what?!” Darry didn’t seem to find that excuse very reasonable.

“I was talking to Johnny. And I fell asleep in the lot. I didn't mean to.” Ponyboy replied, getting more and more defensive.

“I didn’t mean to, boy that’s all I ever hear from you!”

“Hey Dar, lay off it he didn’t do this on purpose,” I interjected. Darry brushed me off entirely

And you know I can't even call the cops because you two would be thrown into a boys' home so fast, it would make your head spin!”

“Ponyboy bed now.” Soda said, trying to diffuse the situation.

“Look, I said I didn't mean to!”

“Darry seriously stop, it's fine. He’s home now, that's all that matters right?”

“You stay outta this Y/N! I’m tired of you always stickin up for him!” Darry barked at me.

“Don’t you yell at her like that!” Ponyboy yelled out in defense, getting up in Darry’s face. Darry raised his hand and I pushed Pony back before he could hit him. I got in front of them raising my arms in the air in defense.

“Stop it!” My hands were shaking, it felt like I was going to cry. “What is the matter with you!?” I yelled out desperately. Darry looked like he was going to puke once he realized what he was about to do.

“Oh god,” Darry said weakly, he collapsed onto the ground looking at his jean-clad legs.

"Darry you gotta stop ripping his head off for every little thing he does.” I said breathlessly. “You’ve been taking things too far.”

I could see a tear slip from one of Darry’s eyes, it made me calm down a bit from the manic state I was in just seconds ago. I sighed and sat down across from him, I grabbed at his hands making him look at me.

“I don’t want to be cruel Dar I don’t, I love you like a brother and I would never want to make you feel so shitty. But let’s face it… you’ve been going overboard these past few months.”

“I know.” He replied weakly. “I don’t mean to, I really don’t!” He said frantically as he looked up at Pony and Soda. They decided to join us on the floor, it seemed like everyone was finally going to say what they needed to say.

“But you’re not the only one who’s been acting a little brashly. You have too Pony, even if you haven’t realized it yet.”

“W-what? How?”

“Every time you two get into fights, who are you dragging into the middle of it?” I asked.

Darry and Pony both looked at each other apprehensively before turning their attention to Soda who looked like he was about to burst into tears himself.

“I don’t even think you guys even realize you do it. But, I know it just has to be killing him seeing you two at each other's throats all the time. And then to be asked who was right and wrong is just a punch to the gut for him.”

“Yeah, it is.” Soda agreed meekly. “We only have each other in this world. If you two keep trying to rip each other's heads off we’re gonna end up cold and cruel. Do you realize that?” He asked bluntly. No said anything for a while

“I’m sorry, to both of you,” Ponyboy said, breaking the silence.

Finally… they're getting everything off their chest.

“I’m sorry too… I love you guys more than you’ll ever know. I’m just stressed, going from being in college to dropping out, having 2 jobs, and raising two teenagers is a lot to take in sometimes.” Darry admitted.

“I know it is, but you need to deal with things in a healthier way. Cause fighting like that all the time is going to destroy you three.” I explained.

“We’ll stop… we will,” Darry replied determinedly.

“Now go hug each other,” I ordered playfully, making them all laugh. They all pulled each other in for a brotherly embrace.

“Don’t you go crying, Pone.” Soda said shakily. “One bawling baby in this family is enough.”

“I ain’t cryin.”

I looked around the room feeling awkward about everything. Suddenly I was pulled toward the sibling trio, multiple arms interlocked themselves around me.

“You’re part of this family too Y/N… don’t you ever forget that,” Darry stated.

“Aww… I love you guys.” I said tearfully. “Even if you sometimes make me feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack.” They laughed again, slight sniffles could be heard from Soda. The screen door opened again making all of us jump.

“Uh- is this a bad time? I- I got too cold in the lot.” Johnny stammered out bashfully. I guess seeing tear-stained faces was a bit surprising.

“No it’s fine Johnny, go ahead and lay down,” Darry said kindly.

I sighed and laid down on the floor just wanting to relax again.

I guess life was always like this chaotic one moment, and then peaceful the next

#ponyboy curtis #ponyboy x reader #ponyboy curtis x reader #ponyboy michael curtis #ponyboy #sodapop curtis

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yellowocaballero · 3 years

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Can you talk more about hurt/comfort, woobiefication, trauma and the way you write? You always seem to really sink teeth into the emotional ramifications of major experiences in ways that feel new and interesting!

Oh fuck yeah. Usual disclaimer that I haven't taken an English class since 12th grade.

What is catharsis! (I have read maybe two greek plays?)

In a theatrical sense, catharsis is the emotion felt in the audience when they watch a tragedy. Aristotle puts it as a 'purging', kind of an induced release of pent-up emotions incurred by living before modern plumbing. I think of it while writing as a 'release of tension'. Usually specifically emotional tension. It's traditionally associated with theater, but I think a lot of 'feel good' works carry an element of catharsis with them too, and basically any story that works on a heavily emotional or character driven gas.

Catharsis (and tragedy, to a lesser extent) is appealing for the same reason that crying is appealing: we live most of our lives trying not to feel these awful emotions because we have taxes to do and a mortgage to pay, and we don't give ourselves permission to wallow. When watching a sad thing and crying over it, that's permission - it's 'allowed', and socially acceptable. That's why you see dudebros admitting to crying during Pixar movies. It's OK to cry at that scene during Up, bro. Means you have a heart, bro.

When I talk about writing trauma narratives and emotional arcs, of course the nature of that narrative varies VERY highly. But I think of it as, like everything else, an arc: character basically begins the story with trauma. Something happens that forces this problem in the forefront. Their trauma responses and/or their situation create more and more and more tension, things get worse and worse, and then you get to the peak - the 'release', the popping of the bubble, the confrontation, the anagnorisis. Then the deflating and the healing begins etc.

What is H/C! (I don't read H/C?)

Hurt/comfort (and for future note, I'll be viewing H/C mostly through the terms of fanfiction although it is very much not fanfic exclusive - the relationship of traditionally 'fanfic tropes' and conventional media is really interesting though) can be interpreted as a desire for catharsis. If a little to the left - I've seen H/C interpreted by a friend as the expression of the desire to be taken care of and fussed over and paid attention to. I interpret it as aiming towards catharsis, where you get the buildup/tension of the whump and then the release of the comfort. The lead usually serves as a stand-in for your emotional desires.

It is not my thing. Which is funny considering how many cathartic narratives I write. There is never sufficient buildup for me, there is usually an over-emphasis on somebody providing the emotional resolution instead of it being a self-driven achievement and realization, and I think mostly importantly - it frames the lifecycle of whump/trauma as the creation of trauma, then the resolution of trauma. Which cuts out the entire middle of the arc there. Where the fun stuff happens. And, double importantly, because the main character has to remain a stress-relieving emotional stand-in, there is little room for them to build up a narrative 'tension' of things getting 'worse worse worse' and struggling to cope with the trauma before finally finding their equilibrium and the 'release'.

What is a Woobie! (I don't actually define these terms because I assume you also spent most of your childhood on TVTropes!)

People are just bad at giving their characters meaningful faults.

And they especially struggle with it in these trauma narratives. Because the point is the catharsis, and in that you need relatability. You need sympathy. The audience needs to be able to put themselves in this character and ride this emotional rollercoaster with them. Obviously if they're perfect people get put off, but there's a list of acceptable faults that characters in whump/HC/trauma narratives are allowed to have. There's a list of acceptable reactions. For most of them, the only person who the characters hurt is themselves. If you stray outside of that acceptability, then you run the risk of losing audience sympathy.

And the lack of realism in the H/C is nice and stress relieving, and it provides catharsis. But I believe that people connect deeper with a narrative, that they grow even more attached to it, and that it's even more cathartic, when the narrative genuinely reflects experiences that people have. Emotions they feel, struggles they've experienced. It's almost oxymoronic - though keeping a character relatable and sympathetic you're kind of taking away what makes them human.

Because trauma responses are often very, very ugly. They are frequently unsympathetic. Somebody's trauma responses can make them a bad friend, a bad partner, can make their life tailspin, and sometimes it even results in a cycle of abuse. People react in ways that don't make sense on the surface and that are maybe pretty irrational. Bad coping mechanisms abound here. From what I can tell people are especially terrible about writing 'anger' as a coping mechanisms or trauma response. Not sure why, but anger seems to be a strange taboo.

And somebody's bad coping mechanisms and problems send their life spinning out of control. And it gets worse, and worse, and worse...and then, in the trauma narrative, there comes a moment where it's very clear - you can heal, things will be okay, things will not be like this forever. It, figuratively 'ends'. And the healing starts.

That's the catharsis, because these moments don't always happen in real life. For me, I write catharsis as the moment when you realize things will be okay, even if they aren't right now. It's the exhale.

From what I can tell people struggle with this because they do not trust their skills as writers. They're afraid of alienating their characters from the readers and they don't think they can make them sympathetic and/or a hero if they're an asshole. But I think the persistent 'give your meow meows faults' issue is most important in trauma narratives because I consider serious faults and cracks in the character kind of the cornerstone of the narrative. Character faults give an insane amount of tension in stories, because they can lead to both interpersonal issues and bad decisions that make the plot spiral worse. That's the tension. If you don't blow up the balloon the balloon can't pop.

I think fiction can get pretty powerful once it connects with people and their experiences, and puts to words what they have problems saying. Part of the reason why I write about trauma so much is because of its nature as the 'unsaid' - an underlying yet unseen basis behind a surprising amount of what people do. It is an extremely powerful force that shapes who people are and what they do, but as a general rule we do pay taxes and have mortgages and we try not to talk or think about it too much. But people are kind of obsessed with their own traumas, in a weird way, so I think it can feel good to finally be allowed to walk through that trauma narrative and find the healing at the end - because a trauma narrative is, essentially, a narrative about healing.

Also stop writing disability as hurt comfort what the fuck is wrong with you stop doing that. Why are you doing that. Disability is not hurt comfort. What is wrong with you.

#my writing #asks #trauma #h/c #incidentally this is why i never considering myself as writing 'angst':#like 'whump' I feel as if angst is sad for the sake of sad #while the point for me is never the sad #the sad's the conflict #anyway i hope this essay explains literally 100% of the latest thing I've been writing because it's literally just this #I got a lot of feedback that the story was crushingly depressing BUT #the reactions to the final two chapters were HEARTWARMING BABY!#and the reaction wouldn't have been nearly that strong if we hadn't genuinely suffered along with the MC #i've been in a lot of fandoms that had serious Woobie disease and it was very alienating from both what made good characterization #and what made a compelling narrative #AND just from the fact that it's ok to be a little jerk sometimes #Write! More! Jerks!#just!! do it!!#honestly I play a game called 'how much of an asshole can I make this guy before the audience stops liking him'#and honestly? I can get SURPRISINGLY FAR.#long post #my essays

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kanmom51 · 3 years

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Okay…this has been building up in me and I have to let it out… Let’s take away the ear sucking at the concert, all the G.C.F’s, and the 2018 music awards. Let’s start at the beginning. First it was JK didn’t like JM…. False!

On one of their episodes our favorite spoiler king RM,let it be known that JK sleeps in JM bed. Not just his room, but his bed. It was hilarious cause it shows JK used his bed for basically storage purposes only. We all know how JK feels about RM. He’s the reason that JK even chose BigHit. We also know how he feels about Jin. When JK was home sick and wanted to leave Jin took him home to be with his family. YET when it’s time to sleep and he needed comfort who did he go to…Jimin. In an interview when asked who gave him the warmest comfort he said JImin.. You don’t sleep in the bed or seek comfort from someone you don’t like.

This pattern for them has continued. When JK would do his lives they were straight out of JM/JHope’s closet. When they had to pack for trips. His clothes were in there also. I refuse to believe he didn’t have a closet in his room. As early as November we know that he was in JM room more than the managers were. YES this definitely sounds like someone he can’t stand.

They also love to talk about how Tae pulled him out of his shell. He absolutely did JK said it himself. JK was a teen when they started so he had to go thru everything a teenager goes thru while being in the public eye. Hell let’s just start with puberty… all those emotions and feelings that are being processed. For parents it can be like a combat zone. You never know what version of your teen you’ll get that day. JK had to experience all of that and possibly come to terms with whatever he may have been feeling for JM. When you are trying to process all of these things who would you turn to…. The person that poses the least “threat” to your emotions . At that time it may have been a lot easier to talk to Tae about things and to be around him cause he wasn’t trying to process his feelings for Tae. This helped to form the closeness that they have now and I love it for them.

People are flat out refusing to see reality when it’s presented to them. It was said that JK was selfish when he started out. I believe it was Jin he got into a fight with over a banana. Each one of the members helped JK to become who he is today. They all did an amazing job of it also. With each step you could see the progress and you can see it all with how he treated Jimin… JK learning how to share: we see JK offering his clothes to Jimin. JK learning how to give: Jimin was the first and only one who got a gift from him that year. They had a whole conversation about it.JK learning how to care for others and their needs: planned a whole damn birthday trip and he doesn’t even like sightseeing. As JK matured the way he interacted with JM did also.

There are endless things that could be mentioned and talked about that don’t include any of the big things that we have seen happen. All of those things would still bring it to the same point. JK loves JM… all of this “see JK wasn’t with JM cause of XYZ”is ridiculous. Real life is lived off social media. Let’s be honest with ourselves. JM is JK’s comfort and peace, always has been always will be.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk..😂

And what a Ted talk it was, lol.

Most of it was accurate. The JK sleeping in JM's bed that was a one timer, at least RM's comment was "last night JK was sleeping in JM's bed and JM was seeping crouched over the table..." or something to that effect. But in a log the two made in 2014 (JK and JM) they talked about how they take their blankets out of the rooms and sleep together on the floor because they wake up early to go practice together. Yeah, clearly JK couldn't stand JM.

We also have JM telling fans in a fan meet how JK hugs him in his sleep at night, and JK not actually denying it per say.

Funny how people constantly ignore what JK has been saying all these years. How can they have created this JK hates JM narrative when JK has said time after time, even in the early years, how he liked JM, how JM was the one that gave him comfort?

#ask #anon

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ahdriking · 2 years

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I understand your point but "Rape" is not about interpretation. The book has multiple rape scenes, worse are the vegaspete ones where pete actually passes out because of the pain of being rape multiple times. I was thankgul on how the series handle it but still we cannot dismiss the abuse. We can like the fictional story but minimizing the abuse on it is not how to. The whole separate art from the artists for me doesn't work when you see the abuse the actors went through. Like I said, is not up to interpretation on the books (especially those authors have several of them) there are multiple rape scenes and people needs to acknowledge the issue with it because those scenes are made as romantic when they were not and people needs to understand why that was wrong.

Listen anon, I'm not going to claim to have read the books or all the official content, so I have no idea how severe or explicit the rape depicted is. But. My general stance on the topic of non-consent or problematic themes in fiction is this; it's the responsibility of the individual, and not the collective, to be accountable for their own experiences and evaluations of media. Basically I believe it's your job, JUST YOURS, to evaluate what you think and feel about something, not someone else's, certainly not a whole horde of people online. You cannot put the burden of moral integrity onto the popular masses. It doesn't work like that. You cannot stand on a soap box and demand that everyone acknowledge how right or wrong something is. it doesn't work like that.

It's not our job as a fandom to stand around talking about how problematic things are in the content we're fans of, as though we have something to be ashamed of. It's not our job, as a fandom, to apologize for the things we like being less than perfect representations of whatever they're popularly representing. It's not our job as a fandom to enjoy the content we enjoy with a big disclaimer slapped in front of it.

It IS our job as a fandom to curate our own, individual experience. And that can look like many things! Discussing the problematic aspects of the problematic things depicted is awesome, I wholeheartedly support you wanting to discuss the problematic themes and relate them to the real world in meaningful ways! It's good media analysis, honestly! But it also doesn't give you a relative moral high ground for choosing to do so, just like it doesn't make you morally bankrupt to not want to. Let me tell you, the entire genre of BL would not exist if people didn't *hand wave* at problematic media. That doesn't make it right or wrong, it just means that obviously it's popular enough that maybe we shouldn't be asking ourselves whether its right or wrong, like we're not all capable of a nuanced, mature interpretation of the material.

However, anon, at the end of the day, if the rape content of the kinnporsche books doesn't sit right with you, then that is fine. It's absolutely ok, and I hope you take care of yourself. But that doesn't make you more, or less, right than the person who does like that content, for whatever reason they might do. Because their experience, like your experience, is completely unique. And it's special. And it doesn't deserve to be shit on for the sake of advertising how aware you are of something that's problematic, nor does the integrity of content creators.

This is very long, but the last thing I will say is that if anyone outright rejects the notion that is IS rape, or that there ARE problematic themes at all, that's a different can of worms altogether, and has more to do with the media maturity of the individual than it does with the source material. But I don't see people doing that. People are, as a rule, pretty well aware of how messed up something is. We all live in a society, after all, we have the evidence of right and wrong in our daily lives all around us. It doesn't need to be uniformly depicted in the books we read, or the media we consume. Suspension of disbelief builds empires, my friends.

And if Vegaspete has depictions of rape, well, then that's just that. That's what the authors chose to do. You can either enjoy it for what it is with your suspended disbelief, or hate it for what it is. The choice is yours.

#fuck this was long and took ages #i hope im not coming across as too dismissive anon i truly do just want to explain my perspective here #i believe in peoples right to enjoy whatever they want for whatever reason they want #as long as they leave fiction in fiction #i dont believe people need to constantly acknowledge how bad something is in order to consume it 'safely'#kinnporsche

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felassan · 2 years

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BioWare Blog post: Developer Story - John Epler

Friends! Welcome to the first of many BioWare Developer Stories! In this series, we’ll be talking with our colleagues here at the studio about their histories, what they do at BioWare, what makes this such a special place to work, and all sorts of other topics.

Today’s lucky contestant is John Epler, Creative Director for the Dragon Age franchise. John’s been at BioWare since the late ‘00s, but he actually didn’t get his start on the creative side of things at all. In fact, before BioWare he was in a different field entirely: the audiovisual trade.

THE STORY SO FAR

“I was selling TVs,” John says. “I knew I wanted to get into games, though, and at the time BioWare was hiring term testers, which is a contract position in QA.” (That’s Quality Assurance, the folks who track down bugs and other issues.) “I got lucky enough to run into a couple of BioWare people at the store and mentioned that I’d applied. I got an interview, got the job, and I’ve been working at BioWare ever since.”

After a few years in QA, John started working as a cinematic designer on Dragon Age: Origins, which he describes as working with a huge library of animations to put together cinematic scenes. “It’s largely about knowing the animation library well enough to be able to go, ‘Oh, I need someone to walk backwards for three seconds; here’s the animation that does that,’” he says. “So you round up all the appropriate animations and stitch them into a finished scene.”

John remained a cinematic designer through Dragon Age: Inquisition, graduating to lead cinematic designer for Inquisition’s DLC. From there he moved into the narrative director role for the next game, which is more about the story and characters of a game as a whole. “You’re focused on narrative as more of a holistic experience,” as he puts it. And now, as creative director, he takes an even wider view, “keeping an eye on the game, and the franchise, as a whole,” he says, “and making calls about where to focus resources on the project.”

ON DRAGON AGE

With all this Dragon Age experience, you might expect John feels a strong connection to the series—and you would be correct: When we ask about some memorable moments from his time with BioWare, he goes right to the closing days of Inquisition’s development. “We were finishing out the Redcliffe scenes,” he says, “and one of our audio guys called me down to listen to what he’d been working on. I remember standing there, hearing the theme kick in, and thinking, ‘Oh, wow. We might have something special on our hands here.’ We’d put so much of ourselves into this thing, and it was finally coming together.”

It’s a scene where the player has to decide what their character believes in. And that kind of moment is one of the hallmarks of the series, John says. “Faith is a big theme throughout the games,” he explains. “Not faith in a religious sense, necessarily, but belief in something—whether that something is a wholly unknowable figure, or another person, or even just yourself. And the games look at what happens when that belief is challenged, or completely broken.”

John’s connection to the franchise extends even outside of the games themselves: He contributed to the 2020 short story anthology Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights. So naturally, we had to ask how writing a short story compares to writing on games. “Honestly, both have their own challenges,” he says. “Writing games has to consider interactivity, budget, branching, technical needs…so the actual writing is only a small part of the job. Fiction is easier in that I can write whatever I want because there’s never going to be someone building any of it. But I think you lose a lot of shortcuts that you get in games. Like, I hate writing fight scenes—but in a game, I can say ‘and there should be a fight here’ and I never, ever have to write another fight scene.”

ON BIOWARE

There’s a reason Dragon Age makes such an impression even on the people who help make it. “Dragon Age is really about the people,” John says. “The stuff with BioWare games that tends to get referenced the most—the things you hear people bring up time and time again—it’s almost never the big critical-path beats. It’s the character beats, and at their best, those critical-path beats and those character beats become the same thing. It’s about how those characters interact with each other; ‘family is where you find it’ is a pretty core theme for all of our games.”

And John’s introduction to the studio’s own cast of characters was an especially memorable one. “My very first day at BioWare was the day they held the Mass Effect launch party,” he says. “It was at our local science center, and they had the game playable on the planetarium screen! We had the run of the place after hours—it was pretty incredible.” He pauses. “It may have set the bar way too high.”

And what would John be doing if he hadn’t found his way to the studio? “Honestly, I don’t know,” he says. “I nearly ended up working at a paper supply company before I got the job at BioWare, so maybe that? There’s an alternate universe John out there somewhere that’s basically—I want to say Jim from The Office, but I’ll be honest and say Andy—and he’s living that life, and probably making games in his spare time. But it’s hard to imagine, honestly. I’ve been working here for nearly a third of the time I’ve been alive!”

John Epler is the creative director for the Dragon Age franchise. You can find him on Twitter at @eplerjc.

[source]

#dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost

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