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thegrapeandthefig · 1 year

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hi!! i was looking through your priapus tag and you talked about how important divination is when worshiping a god we don't know a lot about, i only got into tarot recently and i can't find anything abt this specifically so i was wondering if you had any resources for using it in your worship/to communicate with the gods? alsoo in general thank you!! so much for your posts!! they're all incredibly informative your blog is amazing thank you❣️

Hi!

I mostly use tarot myself, but I don't think the medium matters much as long as it's one you feel the most confident in interpreting.

I don't know of any particular resource, though I'm sure witchtok might have some. My advice comes down to practice and, when in doubt, using an alternative method for double-checking. I tend to use either an oracle tool like the homeromanteion or an oracle deck for the purpose of verifying if I got it right.

Mixing tarot with an oracle deck of your choice can yield more precise results. It's a method I use during the yearly check I do with Dionysus and I've found it very useful to identify epithets. One of the things I ask every year is to have an idea of what will be the focus of the upcoming year in my worship of him, and I will pick a tarot card first, and then pick an oracle card for clarification. This year, two of the oracle cards were "the Rescuer" and "the Liberator". This was obviously striking considering Dionysus has such epithets (Soterios, Eleutherios, Lysios in particular). So, while the tarot card I got with this made sense, the oracle brought up specific "buzzwords" that both clarified the meaning of the initial card but also gave me a very precise idea of what I should be looking up since these epithets have meanings and a history of their own.

Another thing that can help you is paying attention to details in a card, especially if you use decks which use specific imagery. I've noticed that sometimes the gods will choose a card more for what it's portraying rather than the booklet's meaning of it, or a mix of both. To give a concrete example, I am currently in the process of reworking the Artemisia in my calendar to help a member of my family. The aim of this divination session was to present the idea and purpose of the renewed festival and hopefully get some help as to what she wanted out of it. When I asked about it, I got a combination of Strength and the 4 of Wands.

The 4 of Wands here was a great result to have, it's the card of celebrations and well, festivals. Strength was also very straightforward within the context of my request, but it's a card that has so many angles of interpretation that it would be possible to over-interpret and get lost in the possibilities of what it could be about. This is a case where sticking to what the card portrays was relevant: a woman holding a beast in submission.

Here's the thing, I am reworking the festival because this family member of mine has had issues with boars and wolves on their farmland. Strength in this context had the most literal meaning. Not only was it a confirmation that the festival I am brewing for her has her stamp of approval, but the Strength card also led me more precisely to two possible epithets for the event: Agrotera and Pheraia (the huntress and of the beasts).

My last piece of advice is to be kind to yourself. Tarot is like a language, it takes time to learn and even more to reach fluency. Trial and error will be your friend for a while, and that's absolutely normal. If you know another divination method that you can use as a backup to verify your interpretations, you can do that. I find that there is, especially in online spaces, a strange pressure to learn every card one by one as if they were multiplication tables. I personally don't find this approach constructive compared to learning on the spot, with practice.

I hope this helped despite probably not being exactly what you asked for, and I wish you good luck on your learning journey.

#divination

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darkrpfinder · 6 months

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🥀 Hello! 21M looking for an 18+ partner for roleplay containing dark themes, crossing into dead dove territory based on what we agree on.

CRITERIA & GENERAL INFO

• At least one (1) reply per week, though being more active as muse dictates is fine!

• Semi-lit or Lit are both fine! I ask for at least one (1) paragraph in response, though I will always try to match you if you are someone who tends to write more. My personal comfort lies in the 3 paragraph zone.

• Original characters only. I prefer M/M pairings, but I am open to NB or trans characters

As a sidenote, I insist on using artworks for character appearances. Neka/Picrew, handmade or taken from any other source is fine!

• Willing to write a dominant character, it need not be in strictly sexual sense as smut is welcome but not enforced. See scenario examples below for further clarification.

• When it comes to genres, I prefer either fantasy or something victorian inspired. In terms of historical settings, I am open to exploring Japanese, Chinese, or even Slavic settings for the sake of folklore elements you might be interested in.

SCENARIOS

Muse A - My character

Muse B - Your character

• Muse A and Muse B are members of the same cult. Muse A was born within the community and raised to follow its rules blindly, which leads them into a world of trouble once their initiation into the ranks of the clergy ( or its equivalent) put them under the watchful eye of Muse B who is more than willing to abuse their authority for their own ends.

• Muse A and Muse B are both sons of nobility who have known each other their whole lives. Muse A has recently fallen on hard times thanks to a conspiracy that has left his parents dead and him without a coin to his name, thus he turns to his trusted companion for lodgings and aid. Muse B takes him in, but the power he has over his unfortunate friend is considerable and easily misused. Additionally, there is also the fact Muse B might have had something to do with the misfortune that befell Muse A.

• Muse B is a powerful being in a world where humans' social status is the lowest of the low. Muse A, meanwhile, is a human who came to personally serve Muse B through strange circumstances, be it capture or financial desperation. The two would have a servant and master dynamic that could either grow into something healthier as the gap between the vastly different castes they belong to fades through them bonding.. or it could spiral horribly, becoming another stain in the long history of human mistreatment in the realm.

• Muse A is something of a ritual test subject for Muse B, lured away into a life of captivity by an old friend they thought they could trust wholly. Muse B seems to have grand plans with what they aim to accomplish, and Muse A must find clever ways to dissuade them or, at worst, delay the inevitable. If they find a way to remain sane amidst the torment of it all and possible magical influence eroding their will, of course.

Like this post if you're interested, and I'll message you!

#fandomless roleplay #fandomless rp #oc rp #oc roleplay #rp search #dark roleplay #dark rp #spicy rp #18+ mun #dead dove

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findroleplay · 7 months

Note

🥀 Hello! 21M looking for an 18+ partner for roleplay containing dark themes, crossing into dead dove territory based on what we agree on.

CRITERIA & GENERAL INFO

• At least one (1) reply per week, though being more active as muse dictates is fine!

• Original characters only. I prefer M/M pairings, but I am open to NB or trans characters

As a sidenote, I insist on using artworks for character appearances. Neka/Picrew, handmade or taken from any other source is fine!

• Willing to write a dominant character, it need not be in strictly sexual sense as smut is welcome but not enforced. See scenario examples below for further clarification.

SCENARIOS

Muse A - My character

Muse B - Your character

Like this post if you're interested, and I'll message you!

#roleplay #rp #oc rp #original rp #fandomless rp #mxm rp

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findyourrp · 7 months

Note

🥀 Hello! 21M looking for an 18+ partner for roleplay containing dark themes, crossing into dead dove territory based on what we agree on.

CRITERIA & GENERAL INFO

• At least one (1) reply per week, though being more active as muse dictates is fine!

• Original characters only. I prefer M/M pairings, but I am open to NB or trans characters

As a sidenote, I insist on using artworks for character appearances. Neka/Picrew, handmade or taken from any other source is fine!

• Willing to write a dominant character, it need not be in strictly sexual sense as smut is welcome but not enforced. See scenario examples below for further clarification.

SCENARIOS

Muse A - My character

Muse B - Your character

Like this post if you're interested, and I'll message you!

#rp finder #18+ rp #fandomless rp #fandomless roleplay #rp #oc x oc rp

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shozaii · 3 years

Text

title: too feisty.

genre: angst.

characters: dazai, chuuya, kunikida, akutagawa.

warnings: rough behavior, the boys arguing with you :(

request: hi, i could ask for scenarios and headcanons for dazai, chuuya, kunikida, akutagawa, when i have an argument with my s/o and they don't speak to each other for several days. how it is reconciled and after how many days. thank you very much☺️☺️☺️😉😉😌😌

(a/n): hewwooo anon! thank youuu so much for requesting!! i did my best writing this, so i hope you enjoy reading it!

masterlist.

☆ d a z a i.

- arguing with dazai is like yelling into the void. he doesn’t really understand why you’re both going through this pain, the torture of the wrong emotions at a very wrong time - when in reality it was all supposed to be sunshine and rainbows. did you not see the sunshine in his eyes anymore? was he going to be left alone again? so many thoughts left his head, yet all he could do was listen to what you have to say.

- simple to say, he is quiet the entire time because he just doesn’t want you both to end up torn; worse, broken. he wouldn’t want to see you break, either. unable to express any of his feelings, he tends to stare at you with a thin line formed on his lips.

- it depends on what you’re arguing, really. if he knows it’s his fault, he obliges to it. if he’s just confused, his darkened gaze burns into you. he looks like he’s about to flip. instead, he huffs softly, walks up to you, and looks right at you for a bit.

- once he’s done looking at you, he leaves. he walks and walks to literally anywhere which would give him comfort. he looks up into the sky, and wonders just what he could do to become a better person. after all, it was all for you.

- shall no one come in between and take away one from the other.

- the silent treatment has gone as far as a week. dazai respects the time you need to be alone, even though he is tempted to initiate a conversation earlier than expected. the other arguments have lasted for at least 2-3 days. i wouldn’t see him asking for help from anyone - he wants to show you and himself that he has the capability of reaching himself out to you, owning up to his mistakes and reconcile. if it was you who returns first, his heart would literally shatter.

- i feel like he would call you to come over to the favorite spot of yours, or maybe walk up to you one fine night, wrapping his arms around you, planting slow kisses on your neck. his way of apologizing is sometimes through affection, or touch. it’s like a reassurance that he’s going to be there for you, and he understands that arguments do happen once in a while.

☆ c h u u y a.

- he might get really irritated. no cap. i have a feeling he might blow up on you just a little? but the irritation mostly comes from the moment the two of you start arguing. he clenches his fists a whole lot, might chew the inside of his lip, try not to look at you in the eyes because he might start tearing up too.

- oh he might go as far as to slamming his hands on the table, which would leave you taken aback by his actions. once he realizes what he did, he just crumbles because holy crap did he not want to see you panic.

- chuuya doesn’t like silent treatment at all. i feel like he would have a fear of abandonment. the pre - port mafia days didn’t treat him right. at this point his heart is thumping hard because when you both begin the treatment, he knows he’s not going to go through this well. so how does he cope? wine. but he doesn’t go to a bar. it’s always from the stock he saves at home. he possibly never leaves the house, either - except for serious missions.

- he shakes when his comrades tell him to text you, so practically he would rather do it face to face. it seems way more better that way for him. this period lasts for about 2 days max. he can never go beyond that.

- cue him engulfing you into a warm cuddle sesh; it’s going to take a while for him to let go of you. he talks about how wrong he was, how he’s going to make it up for you - i feel like he would’ve gotten you something just in case. he’s just willing to spend tons for you i swear

☆ k u n i k i d a.

- i feel like one of his written ideals about you/arguments is him reminding himself that conversation is key. it doesn’t have to be any specific topics; it must be implemented in everything. i have a huge headcanon that kunikida tends to get nervous if he has to let out an opinion he never has put out about, until the very last minute where he has to decide his own fate - right or wrong?

- but nope, he’s not reserved. he would let you know exactly how does he feel during the argument, though he would never, ever try and raise his voice at you. let’s just say you accidentally raise your own, he wouldn’t be bothered by it either, and would maintain his composure.

- yes, he does get angry very easily. but when it comes to you his guard gets let down, and he is more of himself when it comes to conversations with you. fights are very rarely heated.

- i think they do get pretty intense when he’s just so stressed out with work in general, worried if he could protect you during these trying times, paperwork maybe? or how you might take his job easily while he doesn’t. it doesn’t hit him at first but when he does realize that he screamed at you, his heart drops to his feet. the longest you have not talked to each other is for about a day.

- sometimes i forget that kunikida is younger than dazai. but anyway - if dazai notices kunikida’s sour face, and somehow dazai gets him to spit it all out. this would somehow give clarification to kunikida that his partner isn’t all that bad when it comes to advice. he would give pretty good ones and fulfil his role as a senior.

- when he apologizes he looks down at the floor, but slowly proceed to look up into your eyes if he realizes this is his opportunity to take. 10/10 would give you the smallest apologetic smile, and might even kneel while taking your hand. he’s just sooo in love with you aksjkdjkj

☆ a k u t a g a w a.

- hot-tempered. send tweet.

- a little bit like chuuya to be honest. would bang his fists against a hard surface, stomp the floor, or crush any type of object he has in his hands. but never, ever expect him to use rashomon on you. having you in his life was more than a gift itself, so using his ability on you wouldn’t even be on the last things he would do.

- maybe when he does show his anger by banging and smashing things around, you would see a red glow which would cause you to back away or be afraid of him. this is his turning point. has he officially scared you already? was he bad? what did he look like in your eyes? what’s your next step?

- not talking to each other would probably last as long as a week? two weeks. it’s what i see. he gets scared of himself too, and might as well get a panic attack from what he has done to hurt his loved one. he’s always wanted you to be his first and last. would go to more missions to distract himself (and win most fights, but fail at forgetting about the argument you had).

- in this case, it would take some time for him to loosen up and talk to someone about it. he might have done this once. only once, never repeated again because he’s just so embarrassed to do so.

- aku would start the conversation. he’s lightly tap on your shoulder and might utter the words, “let’s talk” but tiny. as for affection, he would kiss your hand and look away, flushed. there would be this lil pout too, but at least you guys are one again.

(a/n): after a long time, here i am with a new fic for bsd!! i feel accomplished now UwU!! lemme know what you think!!🥰❤

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ryqoshay · 3 years

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OTP Ask Meme (Impatient Edition) YohaRiko

Again, I know the point of these things is to wait for followers to Ask questions from the list, but reading though this one got me thinking too much. About all of my flagships. And I wanted to answer all of the questions. And not wait for a handful to maybe be asked.

Anyway, credit again goes to @lonelypond for this version coming across my dash. Reblog that version if you want to do this thing correctly.

Also, just because I’ve already answered these here, I’ve expanded on some for various reasons and left others short if I believe the reasons are obvious. So if you still want to do the whole interactive thing, you can still ask for clarification or whatever.

And finally, there will be spoilers ahead for Happy Life, and to a lesser degree the AU, both for scenes I’ve written and posted, as well as some that remain in my Notes and WIP Warehouse. I’ll try to remember to link to the chapters mentioned.

1. Who wakes up first?

Riko. Yohane is very much not a morning person, especially after a late night of streaming.

2. Who wants to stay in bed just a little longer?

Yohane. See above. However, if she doesn’t have time commitments for the day, Riko may occasionally want to stay in bed for some activities other than sleeping.

3. Who takes longer getting ready?

Either, though they are fond of getting ready together and helping one another, so in these cases, they’re done at the same time.

4. When they can’t sleep, what do they do?

Yohane has many rituals for inducing sleep involving all manner of meditation, incense, herbal tea, topical rubs, nightmare wards and more. Whether or not they work is up to debate, but Riko is comforted by the sentiment, as portrayed in Dream Warden. Yohane herself takes comfort from being near those she loves, particularly Riko, while she sleeps.

5. Who falls asleep while watching a movie?

Yohane, though it depends on the type of movie.

6. Who falls asleep last, watching the other with a small affectionate smile?

More often Riko, though Yohane does enjoy watching a sleeping Riko from time to time.

7. Who comes up with the cheesy pick-up lines?

Yohane. 100% Yohane. And she is well aware of how cheesy they are. And she knows how much Riko loves them.

8. Who gets extremely competitive playing Mario Kart?

Yohane gets competitive over games in general.

9. Who accidentally pushes a door instead of pulling?

Yohane is more likely to do so, though Riko can be absentminded on occasion.

10. Who sets the other’s ringtone to something loud and obnoxious behind their back?

Yohane.

11. Who rearranges the bookshelf/DVD shelf in alphabetical order?

Both have their reasons for their particularness in displaying their shelving; Riko likes to be able to quickly locate her favorite doujin while Yohane is considerate of the background for her ritual streams.

12. Who does the hands-over-the-eyes “Guess Who” thing?

Yohane. With as many different attempts at different voices and accents as she can.

13. Who points out a dog when they see one?

Early on, both, though for different reasons; Yohane out of excitement and Riko out of fear. Later, Yohane retains her excitement while Riko becomes more lax in her reactions.

14. Who’s prone to road rage?

Yohane.

15. Who’s prone to wearing socks indoor (or to sleep)?

Either

16. Who reminds the other to put on sunscreen before going to the beach (or pool)?

Yohane knows she burns easily and is pretty good at remembering, though Riko is mindful that her girlfriend can be careless at times.

17. Who carries all the important documents while traveling?

Riko.

18. Who gets the window seat?

Probably Yohane. Likely accompanied by some statement about missing being able to fly under her own power.

19. Who puts their cold hands/feet on the other?

Yohane.

20. What do they argue about the most?

Early after moving in together, Yohane had a bad habit of bringing home stray pets, despite it being against the policy of the apartment complex, as depicted in Hibagon. These arguments subsided once the policy was changed, as depicted in Phobetor.

21. Who’s clumsier?

Yohane, though Riko certainly has her moments.

22. Who texts more often?

Yohane.

23. Who is better with kids?

Yohane is better at keeping kids entertained with her antics while Riko is better at tending to their care, be it feeding them, calming them down when they’re upset or applying first aid; Yohane is pretty good with first aid as well, having had far too much practice on herself.

24. Who’s the better cook?

Debatable. As I mentioned in the Notes for A Roost for Weary Wings, Yohane is capable of producing higher quality results, but also fails more spectacularly. Riko may lack the skills and confidence to produce highly extravagant meals, but she is far more consistent in producing edible food.

25. Who mistakes salt for sugar?

Riko. Despite what one may assume from my prior answer. Yohane will still eat it, not only because she has a strange sense of taste, but also because her beloved Riri made it for her and she will be damned before letting it go to waste.

26. Who puts the fork in the microwave?

Possibly Yohane.

27. Who cooks at 2 in the morning?

Yohane.

28. Who lets the microwave play the loud beeping sound at 1 a.m.?

Definitely Yohane.

29. Who licks the spoon when they’re baking brownies?

Yohane. She’ll even bring her own spoon, as depicted in Valentine’s Taste Test.

30. Who likes doing the dishes?

Riko doesn’t mind it. Yohane dislikes it but is willing to balance the workload after Riko cooked.

31. Who has bigger cravings? What are they?

For food, especially exotic or exceptionally spicy food? Yohane. Although she does have a bit of a sweet tooth, as her favorites would imply. For enacting scenes from her favorite doujinshi with her girlfriend? Riko.

32. Who remembers what the other one always orders at a restaurant?

Both, though for slightly different reasons. Riko believes it is romantic to know certain things about one’s partner. Yohane believes it is the duty of a fallen angel to know such things about their little demons… or fellow angels?

33. How do they eat ice cream? What’s their favorite flavors?

Yohane will often eat too fast and give herself a headache. Her favorite flavors are those of her favorite foods, chocolate and strawberry. Riko eats slower, more often out of a sundae dish than a cone, in part because a dish is better for eating at her pace, but also because it’s easier for Yohane to “steal” a bite or two. She enjoys Yohane’s favorites, but is also fond of mint and vanilla.

34. Do they go on dates? What are they like?

Absolutely. Riko prefers going to museums or orchestra performances, though she has dragged Yohane to several doujin stores over the years. Yohane prefers higher energy environments like amusement parks, though she has dragged Riko to several gothic Lolita clothing stores and occult shops over the years. Both girls look forward to events like Comiket.

35. What do they smell when they smell Amortentia?

Riko smells the slightly sulfuric scent of boiling eggs her parents made often while she was growing up, the clean, salty air of Uchiura, and a spicy, sweet and earthy scent to which she cannot match a specific memory. Yohane smells sweet black lilies, the lingering smoke from a myriad of incense that always permeates occult shops, and a spicy, sweet and earthy scent to which she cannot match a specific memory.

The last scent for both is an idea I had while Googling random stuff for this question. It’s basically how one website describe the smell of Dragon’s Blood resin when burned as incense. I want to bring it up in a scene or two in both HL and HL(AU), though there will be a difference between the kinds found here on Earth and up in Heaven, which may end up as a minor connecting plot point.

I realize this leaves Riko without something that she knows is directly related to Yohane, but I was trying to avoid using incense too much, as it already had three entries between them. Also, it technically is related to Yohane, she just doesn’t realize it right away. I’m hoping whatever I write someday will make that connection for her. Not that she’ll ever smell Amortentia in HL, but…

36. Which one is the secret snuggler?

It’s no secret that Yohane loves her snuggles. Riko is quieter about her desires, but can be quite insistent, nonetheless.

37. Which one offers their jacket to the other when they complain they feel cold?

Riko. Yohane is far more vocal about her discomfort, especially when it comes to temperature.

38. Who reaches for the other one’s hand while driving?

Riko is more likely to do so, though Yohane might as well. That said, I don’t believe I have them owning a vehicle in HL, so this probably won’t come into play anytime soon in my works.

39. Who leaves little notes in the other one’s lunch?

Riko, as the more consistent cook of the pair, she is more likely to make their lunch bentos for the day. (Bonus: What does it say?) Casual reminders of her love for her Yocchan.

40. Who is the most affectionate?

Both are quite affectionate, though Yohane is far more likely to initiate, especially in public though even in private.

41. Who is the big spoon/little spoon?

Riko is most often the big spoon. Though Yohane might try to have one believe elsewise.

42. What is their favorite feature of their partner?

Riko loves Yohane’s smile when she is passionate about something, be it her streams or games or whatever. Yohane loves the way Riko’s fingers dance across the keyboard.

43. What is the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?

Yohane becomes increasingly aware of Riko’s behavior and attitude toward Chika and has to make a conscious effort to avoid holding anything against the idol group’s leader; she likes Chika as a friend, after all, and is thankful that she brought her into the group in the first place. Riko starts to include Yohane in her fantasies.

44. What are their nicknames for each other?

Yocchan and Riri

45. Who worries the most? Over what?

Riko is constantly concerned that Yohane’s abysmal luck will eventually cause her actual harm, as in more than just catching a cold or getting a scrape or small cut. Yohane also fears that her abysmal luck will adversely affect Riko.

46. Who initiates kisses?

Yohane all the time, in public and in private. Riko, in private.

47. Who says I love you first? How did it happen?

Yohane said it first in Revelations.

48. Who tells their friends/family about their relationship first?

That’s actually a good question. I haven’t decided yet for this ship. I mean I have plans for revealing that the blonde Mari knows, but as for the couple actually telling people… hrm… Off the top of my head, I’d be more likely to say Yohane.

49. What do they do when they’re away from each other?

Both are quite capable of entertaining themselves without the other. Riko can play the piano and Yohane can play her games until their fingers cramp if they are not actively doing something together. And they have Phobetor and Prelude to pet and take on walks and play with. It’s not until bedtime that they become more aware of the other’s absence.

50. Who gets overwhelmed by small acts of kindness?

Depends. Yohane is more the emotional rollercoaster and could easily be overwhelmed by kindness from the girl for whom she held a one-sided crush for far too long. Riko is also likely to moved, though more through something that fits into some trope she loves in her doujin; good thing Yohane can be quite genre-savvy when she wants.

#YohaRiko #YoshiRiko #Happy Life

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miraculouscontent · 3 years

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Askplosion #12 3/4:

.:Asks Referring to Previous non-Miraculous Posts:.

Anonymous said:

Hi! I saw you mention that you have Asperger’s syndrome in an earlier post. I’m just wondering, how did you find out? I’ve always thought I was neurodivergent (adhd and maybe asperger’s), but I’m not quite sure how to go about finding out, and my parents never had me screened as a kid. Feel free to ignore if this is too personal!

(the post this anon is referring to)

It’s not too personal, don’t worry!

Though, I would really say that it’s something to look up more than for someone to tell you. I know that’s not a satisfying answer but I think it’s different depending on where you live and what specialists you have near you.

Anonymous said:

Remarried Empress Anon Again, a whole post? What an honor! I burnt my food and this made me so happy.

(the post this anon is referring to)

You deserve it! Thanks a bunch!

Anonymous said:

Remarried Empress Anon Again, thank you for answering my asks and for reading Remarried Empress! I honestly didn’t expect much to come of it but the fact you read the comic and saw what I was talking and came to your own conclusions was amazing! I’m sorry if I’m bothering you by bombarding you with asks, and will try to stop doing so. Heck, this doesn’t have to be answered! Just know you are a fun creator and thank you for making my day a little better with your amazing responses!

You weren’t bothering me at all! I’m glad I brightened your day!

asexual-individual said:

I don't know how big the trend of "Magical Girls are made to suffer" is, but after watching Madoka Magica I did notice a few Magical Girl shows where the creators obviously went "Hey, this anime where the Magical Girls suffer and it's all angsty made Shaft a lot of money, let's do our own", and "subversive=money". (Even though many have pointed out that MM isn't actually subversive, since older MG shows have dealt with dark themes plenty of times.)

Yeah, it’s probably one of those inevitable things. People immediately jump on wherever the money’s going.

Madoka Magica probably got so much attention specifically because of the episode three shock value.and all the twisted imagery, plus things like Kyubey with bullet holes all over him made it seem like, “WHOA, DARK.”

Anonymous said:

Remember when I told you about the teenage-bashing in the Star Vs. Fandom? Well, rewatching the show, I'm beginning to think that most of the time, when people in a certain fandom have these opinions, more often than not, the show backs it up for whatever reason. Like, there's one scene where Eclipsa is put on trial and is asked if she's ever eaten any babies(which is just a rumor), and she says no but that she has eaten a few teenagers but, psychologically, they always deserved it.

And in another episode, Star says that teenagers are great at causing problems, which I at first laughed off as a joke, but then in another, Tom and Star were talking about how they broke up, and Star said "Of course we broke up! That's what people do! That's what teenagers do! Teenagers are dumb!" And Tom was just like "Yeah, I know, I know"; there are a lot more examples but I don't care to revisit them. I'm just saying that the teen-hating in the fandom would have to have come from somewhere.

omg I don’t remember that stuff at all; I guess it just blew right past me when I was initially watching it.

I don’t understand the trend of being like, “teenagers are dumb and that’s what they do,” and then either over-punishing or not punishing at all. Are we supposed to believe that all teenagers are just going to “be teenagers” and so we shouldn’t do anything, or that they’re all idiots who don’t understand their own feelings but we should also punish them for it?

I don’t get it.

Anonymous said:

I'm the "tomboys in anime" anon, and yes, I totally agree! It especially irks me(as a girly girl who has a lot to say) when the shortcut to making a girl tomboyish is simply by making her loud/tough/like gaming or machinery, or when a female character is told she isn't enough of a girl because she's like that, but otherwise doesn't look or even act all that "boyish". Even TV Tropes does it, as if the second a girl shows any proactivity or is tough she's a "tomboy".

It really annoys me and almost makes me want to erase the term "tomboy" altogether since it leads to an idea of "I'm not like other girls, I'm better 'cause I do boy stuff"(which I know not every tomboy thinks, but some do). The only reason I don't is because I very proudly embrace the term "girly girl" and terms are meaningless without an opposite(not that you can't like both girly and tomboyish things). So I think the key to fixing this problem is that we shouldn't label people unless they want to be labeled that way.

And I know fictional characters can't speak for themselves, so just to figure out if a female character is a tomboy, I just say that if her only "tomboyish" traits are "proactive" qualities or liking something that's for guys, just don't call them a tomboy because it looks ridiculous and acts like women are inherently passive and weak, so for a girl not to be like that is acting like a man.

I would love to see a tomboy character who likes those things but is actually shy/a wallflower. That avoids the stereotype of "aggressive, hard-hitting tomboy, weak-willed, shallow girly girl" and challenges audiences expectations that "but but but she's a tomboy so she should be loud and strong because strength is for MEN". I also hate when tomboy characters are given no curves because the writers know they're doing something wrong, tomboys can have natural curves too. It's like they think tomboys just don't want to be girls. So, yeah. So over the "tomboy in-name-only" stereotype.

"it makes me feel weird saying that when I’m all for girl power shows with an all female cast, but in this show’s logic, it’s a different ball game". Oh, phew! That's good. Because, like I said before, I'm working on my own magical girl show in which most of the female characters are(black) girls and only girls can use magic in this world, and someone I know keeps telling me that it's not fair that the guys don't get to have magic, so it's good to know that there's someone out there who doesn't think it's "sexist" that magical girls tend to only let girls have powers(unless it's for fanservice or like in Madoka Magica because ick). Because guys get to be in the forefront all too often, so why is it so bad when girls get to be in the spotlight? I know I can't change everyone's opinions but it's good to know someone gets it.

(the post this anon is referring to)

Honestly, I feel like the fact that there’s a label at all is the issue, like you suggested? It might just be a “we have to get ride of the label ‘tomboy’ and ‘girly girl’ altogether” thing, because it’s not like we do the same thing with guys?

Oh wait, we do; guys who do “girly” things are called “sissies.”

I hate this planet. :P

Point being, having to say “tomboy” inherently implies something, which might be a problem all on its own, y’know?

(the below ask is incomplete but the asker clarified after I asked them, so clarification is below:)

Anonymous said:

I just thought back to our little "tomboys in anime" argument and about how you can't really think of any tomboys. So I looked up "tomboys in anime" on Google and clicked on the first link, and literally the first character on the list was a girl with...a flower in her hair and a bikini. The reason she was a "tomboy" according to the list? Was because she is "aggressive" and "competitive". In fact, most of the examples on the list were "she's tough/a good fighter/challenges male supremacy".

(part of this ask is missing and clarified below)

girly girls, while the girly girls always have to be the weak and shy ones(not that shy=weak but you get the idea). But while I may not know most of the characters on the list, and some of them DID look pretty tomboyish, I'm very bothered by the idea that it's their strength and ambition and excellent fighting skills that are branded as masculine. And you know what? I'd actually be offended if someone called me a tomboy, especially if it was based of these reasonings. Because it sounds like they think being a tomboy is the only way to be strong and vice versa. Like I should take it as a compliment that I need to be separated from my femininity in order to be respected. Like, if you're a tomboy, cool! But it shouldn't be used for just any girl who isn't a weak-willed crybaby doormat. I actually don't know why people seem to think being a tomboy or "masculine" for a girl is some sort of badge of honor to wear with pride for rejecting your femininity and being "cooler" than other girls.

the clarification:

Anonymous said:

The missing part was talking about the various tropes having to do with contrasting masculinity/femininity, either in two different characters, with one being masculine and one being feminine(ex. Tomboy and Girly Girl, Sensitive Guy and Manly Man, Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy, Masculine-Feminine Gay Couple), or one character who has traits of both(ex. Girly Girl With a Tomboy Streak, Tomboy With a Girly Streak, Real Men Wear Pink), and how TV Tropes always talks about them as if the "girly" character(or girly side of the character) is weaker or inferior(like how for Tomboy and Girly Girl they might say that the former is tough, competitive, and can fight, while the latter is vain, a priss, and a Damsel in Distress.

Or for Tomboy With a Girly Streak, they might say that the tomboy dresses in a masculine way with their "girly" streak being that they're a doormat or dream of being a housewife. Not that it's wrong to be a housewife.).

To be fair, they don't always do this: For the pages on Magical Girl they talk about how those shows can appeal to multiple demographics, and almost all the quotes on them, they talk about how they're empowered through their femininity and are just as much legitimate threats to their opponents as other heroes. Still, they fall in this trap even then, as on the LoliRock Awesome page, they say "You gotta admit, for a Magical Girl show, LoliRock does have its awesome moments", which ignores that Magical Girl is SUPPOSED to have awesome moments, it's literally an action subgenre! Just because it's frilly and pink and girly doesn't mean it doesn't--or shouldn't--still have badass fight scenes. Just look at PreCure. Shonen should take notes from those shows. But no, whoever wrote that clearly dismissed it as just frivolous and was SURPRISED that the fight scenes were good, just because it's girly!

It’s 2021 and people are still struggling with this concept that girliness isn’t bad and it’s not embarrassing to watch such a show.because GIRLS.

It’s so tiring. I watched Dragonball Z, Inuyasha, and played Pokemon; got a few looks about it at times but people ultimately were like, “okay I guess” (I did get bullied for the Pokemon one but that was more for the “it’s for babies” kind of deal, not a “you can’t like that because you’re a girl,” thing). I can’t really relate to the world of girls who get looked down upon for being “girly” but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand that it must be awful for them.

Don’t even get me started on “Tomboy Lesbian,” I will scream about it and it won’t be happy screaming.

#other: ask and answer #other: non ml talk

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kookiepredictions · 4 years

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Jungkook love language

Jungkook is a true romantic at heart. All those K Dramas you see with the dreamy main lead? Jungkook is that person but for real. He probably even grew up wanting to be that person lol. However, this is something he actually tries to hide most of the time, it’s like a secret he only wishes to reveal to the most deserving person. He might even see this as a weakness because he feels he has to be stronger and more vicious in his profession. But he does not completely kill it either. He just wants that part of him to not interfere with other aspects of his life, mostly career.

In a relationship, Jungkook is more of a giver. This is why he tends to be attracted to the damsel in distress type who he can protect and take care of. As discussed earlier in his Personality reading, this comes from both his Virgo sun and Leo moon which makes him the provider and the protector. However, his Venus being in Libra shows that he actually values equal give and take in a relationship, not material wise, more like love and energy wise. He easily senses when there is an imbalance in the relationship. So for example, if his partner whom he “rescued”, takes him for granted and does not contribute anything to the relationship, he will eventually start judging them and lose the level of attraction he had at the start. Yet, he would not immediately walk out on them because he tends to be in relationships for the long haul. Even if it is hurting him. It would end up being a half baked relationship which is just existing, just because Jungkook finds it difficult to end it. His life path number is 9 and I think it plays a significant role here. He faces difficulty starting and ending things.

When there are problems in his relationships or he has complaints against his partner, he just doesn’t know how to communicate it to them without hurting them. This could be some sort of conditioning from a past relationship where trying to express his honest opinions always led to fights, which made him resort to escapism as a coping mechanism. But it ultimately doesn’t work because it is avoidance which doesn’t last and it can result in a big outburst later, hurting his partner much more than required. This unwillingness to hurt can also lead him to resort to dishonesty which he does not do to have his own selfish way, but just because he feels a lie will save a lot of hurt and drama. This in turn ends up with him living in guilt because Jungkook mostly values honesty and transparency in a relationship.

Jungkook is pretty traditional in the way he defines relationships. He takes this word very seriously. If he dates someone, it is because he has strong serious feelings for them. He is not the type to date just for sex or from shallow superficial feelings. If he wants sex, he’d rather just sleep around making his intentions fully clear than date someone under false pretense.

Jungkook is a naturally loving and caring person, which is why sometimes when he makes friends, people can mistake him as being romantically interested in them. This might create misunderstandings, and clarifications on his part can be mistaken as him trying to wash his hands off of them. This might also be why Jungkook prefers to stay secluded a lot of times.

Jungkook is an introverted lover, meaning he tends to have a rich imaginative world inside of him with regards to love. He is an idealistic person in general and extremely idealistic about love. However, he has self esteem issues that make him feel he is not worthy of having this ideal love that he dreams of, and that he has to settle for less. If you’re in a relationship with him, chances are he feels a lot more than he shows. He tends to hold back on his expressions a lot, not because he’s not capable of showing his love, but because he knows full well that he’s the type to fall hard and fall deep. Once he truly falls in love, he looks forward to making it work long term, and if there’s a breakup, he takes ages to recover. Even if he moves on physically, it leaves a very strong dent on his mental wellbeing— not just the breakup but also all the problems that he underwent during the relationship. This is why, even when he has the feeling of falling in love, he holds most of it back for a long time because he wants to make sure he won’t make a mistake and won’t have to go through the same cycle again, as it is in Jungkook’s personality to not make the same mistakes repeatedly.

His outer expression is actually directly related to the environment his partner creates for him that makes him comfortable to express himself or not. He has likely been, in past relationships, criticized or ridiculed for what he believed about love and how he expressed it, so he tends to now hold those expressions very close to his heart and only shows when it feels very safe. But make no mistake, he is still that K Drama king lol who is always bursting at the seams to show his partner his love. And in many varied ways too. He has lots and lots of ideas and can actually be obsessed with the thought of pleasing and impressing his partner. This is because Jungkook is naturally someone who enjoys making other people happy as long as they are not manipulative. He loves to do many things to make his loved ones happy and then loves to bask in that feeling of appreciation because it gives him immense happiness. This shows through with his love for Armys. When he is on stage, he is always looking at them and genuinely enjoying his time with them, but when there are scandals or Armys say nasty things about him, he shuts out everyone and retreats into his shell. This is precisely how he is in his close relationships as well.

This goes on to say that Jungkook needs to continuously feel motivated in a relationship for him to give his 100%. Because he actually gives 200%. Even though he values equal give and take in a relationship, he does not measure what he gives or wait for the other person to give before he starts giving. He will take every opportunity he gets to make someone he loves happy. He also expects his partner to recognize his efforts and value him and what he does. But he does not expect grand gestures from them, he just needs small but continuous signs assuring him that he is doing a good job at keeping them happy. This is very important to him because his whole sense of self worth depends on whether he is successfully making his loved ones happy. Expect lots of surprises in a relationship with Jungkook, which can range from very grand like a spontaneous vacation or expensive jewelry to small everyday things like making you tea or doing a chore without you asking. He’s the type to fuss over his partner when they fall sick and take care of them like a steward lol. The keyword is sensitive. He tries to be attuned with his partner and is very sensitive to their needs, a provider type mentality. But it is also combined with a need for excitement in life, doing new things and spicing it up from time to time. He also does not treat everyone the exact same way. He first takes effort to understand the person, their likes and dislikes and then sort of customizes his affection towards them. This is why even though he loves all his BTS hyungs, he treats each of them quite differently, based on what they like rather than what he is capable of doing, because that’s his capability— to provide according to the need of others.

Jungkook values personal space in relationships but contradictorily he is also quite needy and clingy to his partner. But it really just varies depending on the partner itself. Jungkook tends to adapt initially in a relationship. So his actions will be in relation to his partner’s personality, their likes and dislikes. Again, this is done in an effort to please them, but as the relationship continues, if his partner can’t evolve with him (because Jungkook is very dynamic in love, relationships and in life in general), he tends to distance himself from them, mostly unknowingly — first mentally, then with his time and attention. In this situation, the partner might think he is too detached. However, if the partner can keep up with him, he will behave the exact opposite where he can’t get enough of them, and the partner might think he is clingy so that’s like a double edged sword for him lol poor guy.

It’s interesting that although Jungkook is very rigid personality wise, in love he is much more flexible. It’s almost like love is the only thing that can get through to this man. When in love, he is almost eager to give you his all and you have to take it he won’t take no for an answer! Whatever you like, he will bring to you, even the moon, he won’t give up without at least trying. But, he always has his thinking cap on. He does not do it consciously, but he will always evaluate you and your actions, never blindly believe you. Blind love is not his forte. He likes to stay alert and awake in love, even when he is drowning in love. It’s not just from a place of fear or that he doesn’t want to be manipulated, staying fully conscious also helps him 1) to fully experience and cherish the feeling of love, and 2) understand the concept of love. This goes back to his most dominant habit of learning new things, of which love and relationships are a very important part to him. When Jungkook comes out of a relationship, trust that he always comes out a much more learned, evolved and mature person. He will never blindly follow the same pattern again and again.

There has to be mutual respect in a relationship for him, it’s non-negotiable. He doesn’t care for irrational rowdy behavior. He likes to solve a problem as amicably as possible. His ideal relationship is where two people can open their hearts fully and communicate clearly without being judged, offended or treated disrespectfully. His ideal relationship is also one where two people love each other with the same passion, dedication, loyalty and enthusiasm as they did on day 1 until the last day, which hopefully would be the last day ever.

#jungkook #jeon jungkook #jeonjungkook #jeon jeongguk #BTS jungkook #bts jeongguk #jungkook prediction #jeongguk

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ferie-anon · 3 years

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Hey Swettie 🙃 I don't know if you take request but, if you did, can I please get astrology ship with ateez/straykids? Im taurus sun, leo moon, pisces sun, aries venus, aquarius mars and taurus mercury. Thank you soo much and have a wonderful day💛

(Top right picture: "I’ll love the genuine things, the truth, the real feelings, and myself" )

Hiii, first I’ll do Ateez since currently two ships request in one ask is a bit much for me. Here’s your analysis of your placements~ (You can request for straykids when I reopen my ship asks if you want) Okay so you have taurus sun with pisces moon and leo rising after clarification of your placements, and wow can i just say u must be quite the lovable pretty human being 🥺. Taurus sun you are grounded and there is an inherent desire for productivity or routinely manner when you implement your efforts such as your blog managing for example, I notice you consistently or do a bundle or a bunch of asks for the moodboards and then post them all at the same time or in a frequent but not everyday manner. Your work ethic is quite admirable and it also partially stems from your leo rising, these natives with this placement are quite active with their individual interests and opinions/goals, working silently hard or loyal towards their objective. And then your pisces moon allows you to be able to interpret emotions and feelings in different ways, the tangible and untangible. It also makes sense how well put your moodboards are and how accurate they are with the embodied moods :3. Your pisces moon is able to discern these emotions or vibes and they can channel this at time in numerous ways, creatively, to help others in a therapeutic way, and etc. Aslo with your placements general, you may be friendly or very down-to earth to others, empathic (like an empathic listener for example) and friendly but also have quite solid self individuality and well balanced management of your personal and other needs. But I only got to half of your placements 💖✨ I’ll talk about your taurus mercury and aries venus now.

Woah see here is where your individuality could be more heightened. With taurus mercury, you are not afraid to say your honest opinions, rather it would be better or the only option to hear the truth or genuine thoughts than shield with only pretentious superficial words of comforts, ofc you genuinely want the best for ur loved ones and all, and comfort and support is natural, however filtering the reality from your friend is only going to hurt them than rather benefit them so. You’re quite blunt but in a subtle way, its not like you want to let others know you are a blunt and honest person before convo, but simply they realized this fact afterwards. Your aries venus is also quite bold or affectionate, your physical expression of love or care for friends and partner/family etc is warm and obvious to them. These natives with their venus in aries can get their emotions quite strongly at times to their important ones, you sorta give me a love warrior goddess sorta vibe but more controlled/calm. You love with sincerity and passion, but also try to not lose yourself for others. You have aquarius mars oooh, you strive for new and mental stimulating ideas or topics that you are interested in, this could range from hobbies or crafts that involve your interests. Your aquarius mars can be quite fixated as the sign aquarius is also a fixed sign (the modality is a fixed sign) so you may consistently work in your field of interests, but sometimes you try not to put heavy pressure on yourself too much to reach your goals as your motivations are consistent but you aren’t rushing yourself too much, preferring to work at ur own pace becuz u will get there~

In Ateez... your match is san!

Omgg san has a cancer sun with taurus moon, he has water and earth in his sun and moon similar to yours, and with him having the same sign in his moon as your sun (Taurus). There is an immediate emotional understanding, and easier opening up to each other. Idk why but San and you have such similar dynamics, you both would be the warmest and down to earth chaotic pair?? San with his cancer sun is always ready to help and pours his heart into everything, his love for his members and fans, and passion when dancing lol. (Satanic san~) Your pisces moon would feel comforted and safe with his cancer sun, as you seek for someone to not judge your emotional vulnerability/sensitivity and San being consoling and having a non-judgemental soothe to him, bingo. You both would have similar beliefs and point of view at times, which would relate to an immediate click. The first time you met each other, it was like two fireflies flickering towards each other. You weren’t close to him at first, but you were aware of his presence from the first encounter, and soon you both planned subtley how to approach each other more often~

Alright a delve at his taurus moon, San is loyal, self-consistent to his ideals and perspectives, and more inclined to familiarity. With his taurus moon, San is always ready to be there for his members, family, and close ones. He is also a bit solidified in his own goals and self views, sometimes not wavering from ofher opinions till he sees proven true. I can say that with your taurus sun, you would appreciate his grounded ways and calm but warm nature. Your pisces moon connects well with his cancer sun, as both are water signs and have a easier time reciprocating and processing emotions. (So San can easily comfort you when you may be feeling down or experiencing emotional turmoil, he may know what to say or do when comforting like hugs or soothing affirmations, it’s everything the opposite of awkwardness) I think San may find your softness and sensitivity cute and understanding, that you can also be an ambitious or strong individual but also have a soft spot.

Next up San has a leo mercury, and here’s where his chaotic energy will be talked about lol. San is obviously the opposite of calmness when he is naturally having fun and interacting with his members by being himself, he is quite creative and a loud eye-catching speaker. (You don’t need to be told twice he’s probs a living speaker in the dorms wildin) San’s way of communicating may be a little different from your taurus mercury, as your placement tones are more focused on maintaining a calm and chill vibe, while San could be too hyper at times. However, your aries venus would definitely appreciate his energetic actions and manner, both having fun engaging activities. Also San’s mercury in leo and your taurus mercury are similar in a sense they both are vocal or stand clear to their opinions and views. You both won’t hesitate to be honest and there will be better mutual trust becuz of this. And despite different perspectives at times, you both may find the other point of view interesting and it may not lead to frequent altercations and more of enlightening banter.

(This gif summarizes sorta a leo venus being overdramatic of their s/o in a loving manner or complimenting them lol, and its basically san)

And what do we have here, San’s venus is in leo also :> Leo says we meet again~ His way of showing affection can be more physical and expressive, he is definitely proud of his partner/s/o and will shower them with compliments. Venus in leo’s love are genuine and very deep, and with your aries venus (both signs in venus are fire) you definitely love the physical interaction and display of affection from San. Similarly, once close and in a relationship you aren’t shy from showing your love, sometimes you may be flirty or surprise-hug (or other skinship) San. Dates will be fun and probably have high-tension like you both are clearly enjoying the time together (ngl it might seem obvious to others in the same location as your date that you two are rlly lovey-dovey with each other) That being said you both always lift each other up, whether in terms of mood or personal feelings like insecurity at times or nervousness, you two could be each others number one supporter. His leo venus (and his mercury in leo) are opposite to your aquarius mars so there may be conflict or a clash between differing actions/methods and beliefs, but nonetheless you both end up learning from a wider point of view with each other and find the differences intriguing. (Also notably his leo venus and mercury is conjunct to your leo ascendant, so an instant chemistry or attraction mentally and physically is apparent :3)

Lastly, San’s mars is in scorpio. His scorpio mars is opposite to your taurus sun and taurus mercury (scorpio and taurus are sister signs aka opposing signs), but in this case this could further his interest and a spark between you two often. The first impression was impactful to him, and he may be more initiative to getting closer or being in your presence in general. His scorpio mars is quite devotive, in terms of personal goals and passions, and important things he considers in his life (aka his partner, friends, family, etc). Your aquarius mars is also pragmatic when needed but due to your natural logical sense, however you tend to be more loose with your scheduling and activeness. However, despite some differences between pace, you both are consistent and stable when you decide on something. His scorpio mars is also passionate, and with your aries venus the energy levels are able to be matched and complemented with the rest of both of your chart placements.

Overall, with both placements in synastry and analyzation, you both won’t get drained out by each other a lot able to change the direction of interaction between energetic to calm and serious, lighthearted conversations to an inherent empathic awareness during conversations. I was writing this, and I can’t help thinking wow they really match well together. Chemistry platonically and romantically, you both get along rlly well. In this ship pair, you two are the best friends and lover couple, close in general and caring about each other, and did I mention the charismatic ones? I bet yall would be the most openly charming couple .ㅅ.

#ask #astrology kpop ships #kpop ships #ateez #san #choi san #astrology

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spell-card-fusion · 3 years

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Day 1 - Valentine’s Day (or something like it).

Summary: Rollin’s world has always been diverse, and with the introduction of humans and aliens into it it just seems to get more diverse over time. Rollin and Blaze talk about the various holidays in their respective world.

Rollin loved her planet, that much was obvious for anyone to see. She loved travelling and exploring every inch of Mobius. She loved trying all the new foods, meeting new people, learning about all the different plants and wildlife, that sort of stuff. Something she loved above all else about her planet was the different cultures and holidays. It was always interesting to see just how different people were all because of their roots, it always tended to be fun to join people in their celebrations even if she had been raised differently. Her world had many facets, and all of them were worth exploring, acknowledging, and accepting. It’s partially why she spent so much time in Station Square and other human territories once they rose up from the ocean, she couldn’t stand there being new places to run through and not exploring every inch of them.

Her wanderlust only increased when she learned of other worlds. It’s only been a year since she’s been dating Blaze, and this will be their first Lover’s Hunt together, just as it will be their first Lover’s Labour as well! Their world’s different holidays is something they both had discussed at length before, and that Blaze had actually convinced Rollin to help plan to some degree. They were very different holidays after all. As the couple made their way through the woods they both began to reminisce about the conversation they had about this a few months back. It had been near the end of the year. The Annual Descent was coming soon to Mobius, and Rollin couldn’t have wished for a single gift except to get to party with her packmate, exchange gifts, enjoy all kinds of good food, and kiss when Little Planet finally showed up at Midnight.

Sadly they both knew this couldn’t happen, as Blaze had The Annual Invasion to worry about back home. Rollin would’ve happily missed her favourite holiday to spend time with Blaze back in Solace, but the Prince had been adamant about avoiding any kind of meeting between Rollin and her family. She respected it, if only because she had her own family issues, but it didn’t stop her from worrying a bit. The hedgehog instead proposed to celebrate early, which Blaze had ALSO been hesitant about.

“I’m not sure it's a good idea,” She sat on the edge of the top of one of Green Hill’s loops. Her legs were carefully kept close together and her hands rested on her lap. She was sitting all fancy again, which Rollin knew was a sign she was growing less comfortable. “I’ve never been one for the holidays.”

“I get what’cha mean,” Rollin was laying on her stomach, legs kicking the air absentmindedly, an elbow resting on the grass, hand on her cheek. “But this is different! Different world, different rules, different holidays, different people! You’re not being forced to spend time with people you don’t actually like! It’ll be a good chance to loosen up!”

Blaze hated when Rollin made sense like that, just as she appreciated her for it. She was still apprehensive, but thinking about it she was really just going to spend time with Rollin’s-with both of their friends, and with Rollin’s family. It wasn’t the world she knew, or the same holiday season she often dreaded. She guessed in a way there was nothing to fear, except of course her brain still made her feel anxious for no reason.

Rollin picked up on it, she always did. “But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, dude! I’m sure we can have fun some other way.” She reassured with that ever-present smile, so much warmer than anything Blaze could ever produce.

She wanted to give back to that smile, so she kicked her anxieties down a flight of stairs and said yes to her initial proposal. If her brain had anything to say about it then it can climb back up the stairs later with those two broken metaphorical legs it has.

The party was actually fun. Blaze got to try more of Mobius’ cuisine, she got to get closer to her friends. One particular conversation however had baffled her at the time. One with a Mx Amy Rose.

“Ugh! You two are so lucky!” Amy said with a clear tone of frustration. “You’re gonna get to spend your first Lover’s Hunt together soon and I still haven’t found anyone to spend Seedlings with yet!”

Rollin rolled her eyes and had a chuckle, they did have this conversation every year. “Come on rosy, at least you’ll get to visit home soon,” She took a sip of her juice while Blaze was trying to figure out what they were talking about before everyone realized she wasn’t good at social interaction. “Plus I thought you and Tekno were a thing already?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!”

Rollin has a laugh, which is so contagious both Blaze and Amy actually start laughing. The pink hedgehog waves a temporary goodbye, sticking their tongue out playfully saying she needs to talk to someone else so they can try to ignore all the hearsay. Blaze is still left very confused.

“Seedlings?” She asks for clarification, and then she thinks one word questions make her look kind of uneducated so she turns away and takes a sip of her drink so that no one can see the shame on her face.

“Oh right! Sorry doll, that was probably kind of confusing.” She says while averting her gaze; She doesn’t want Blaze to feel uncomfortable if she doesn’t want anyone staring at her right now.

Unfortunately Rollin is entirely unaware of the huge kick to Blaze’s heartbeat she delivered when her wonderful packmate, in her beautiful dress, with her comforting voice and casual tone and absolutely smooth self called her ‘doll’. Blaze could only respond with a quiet, reserved, all too outwardly stoic yet innerly panicked “Mmhmm.”

“Okay so,” She takes a Chilli Dog from the table opposite to the wall they were standing close to and comes back in less than a second having already taken a bite of it. She swallowed. “Amy’s from Little Planet! She was raised by Seedrians- i already explained Seedrians right?” Blaze nods. “Okay so Seedrians celebrate Somber Seedling, which is when packs- or I guess bouquets as they call ‘em, they get together and write everything they love about each other down in leaves or petals, read them to each other. they tell each other all they want to say in case the other dies soon, they have a special kiss, then bury the box with all the compliments underground hoping their kids inherit all those good traits.”

The blush eventually fades out of Blaze’s face, and Rollin is none-the-wiser. “I see,” She makes a thoughtful hum. “So Lover’s Hunt is the Mobian equivalent?”

“Pretty much, yeah!” Rollin already finished her Chilli Dog, and a new one has found its way to her hand. Blaze didn’t even notice when she dashed off this time. “So in Lover’s Hunt we used to take long trips into the wilderness with our packs and hunt down food for the ancient tribes, we shared it in the woods, then we come back and share whatever’s left with our pals! Nowadays though people don’t really hunt anymore so what we do now is we take a bunch of food and camp for a few days away from everyone we aren’t dating, then share the food when we come back.”

“Interesting,” Blaze could tell Rollin had celebrated both of these traditions in the past. It was hard to imagine she had a hard time finding someone to spend any day with, something Blaze envies. She could travel the world, see any place she wanted, learn about every culture and celebrate every party- maybe even at once. Her envy was put aside for her curiosity, if only for just a moment. “What about the humans? Do they have their own...Love based holiday?”

“Oh boy do they!” It was hard to stay in any kind of sour mood when Rollin would just reply to her question like she’s just so excited to keep talking to her. Sure, she knew it was one of the hedgehog’s favourite topics, but it didn’t lessen the fact that she felt special. “The biggest one is Valentine’s day! It’s actually a pretty simple one, couples- most humans only do romance in twos for some reason? They exchange gifts, cards, and chocolate, then go on dates and stuff. It’s way more vague than our holidays but it leaves room for any kind of thoughtful gesture y’know? Oh! Also lots of heart symbols everywhere, cartoon hearts not the gross real ones.”

Blaze is just standing here hearing Rollin talk, and she’s just so entranced. Not just because she loves her pridemate (though that’s a big factor), but also because she’s just so...Excited about this. She didn’t think Blaze was stupid or ignorant for not doing research into this world’s cultures first, or ignore her question, or show any kind of annoyance really. She was just excited to talk about her home, about Amy’s home, about this planet that she’s lived on her whole life, and she does it with such love and passion. Blaze is often amazed by how much Rollin just loves life, she loves living, she loves being herself more than anything else and it's hypnotizing. She pulls her in like a raging wind that forces her to walk towards her direction. Blaze feels so much stronger next to Rollin, in and out of battle. It feels good, natural, Blaze starts to wonder if maybe Solmates are r-

“So you got any ‘quivs on your world?.” She asked, snapping Blaze out of her trance. Rollin chuckles a bit to herself, thinking the little surprised look on Blaze’s face is cute.

“What are ‘Quivs?” Sol, she is so bad at this.

“‘Quivs, apostrophe quivs, it's short for equivalent.”

Blaze has never laughed so freaking hard at anything, not at a party, not anywhere in public, and not in her entire life period. She doesn’t know why this is what gets her to cackle like a maniac. She’s had her guard up for so long that when something that can make her laugh finally HITS her it's a deathly blow. It doesn’t even cross her mind that people might be staring, that she might look ridiculous, only that Rollin is laughing too and it feels so contagious. Rollin actually stops laughin first. She has the proudest smile on her face, this is someone that has taken down entire robot armies on her own and faced gods without breaking a sweat, yet this has gotta be the proudest moment of her life. Her ego has never been so boosted.

“I’m literally the funniest person alive, add that to my list of great qualities.”

Blaze punches her lightly on the shoulder, but she doesn't refute her. “To answer your question,” Rollin’s eyes immediately shift into focus. Blaze’s heart skips a beat, she suddenly feels incredibly important in a non nerve wracking way. “We have Lover’s Labour. Originally prides got together to build homes on this day to make up for Tiny Fortress’ yearly invasion, a safe place to be together and such. Nowadays we just take the time to create something together, anything really. Something that would take effort and time, that people look back on fondly, a representation of something beautiful.”

“I freakin’ love that!” Rollin’s eyes shine a bit greener, not metaphorically. Her eyes literally shine a little bit brighter, there’s sparkles, little shining spots across her like a bunch of stars. Like Chaos itself, her eyes beckon anyone to make a wish. “We should do that!”

Blaze manages to keep a smile on her face and still look absolutely dumbfounded. At this point it’s not that it surprises her, not that this doesn’t make sense for who Rollin is, but she’s just so...New to all of this. To people in general really, or at least people outside her very small yet frighteningly big Political Drama bubble. She’s too used to her Shakespearean play of a life and leisure is just foreign to her. “I…”

She snaps back to reality. Her cheeks are heating up a lot, and while she’s far past setting herself aflame for no reason she’s still glowing slightly. “I was hoping we’d get to do Lover’s Hunt actually.”

“Gotcha!” Rollin puts a hand to her chin. Her other hand rests at her hip, her foot tapping on the floor rapidly as she thinks of something. Whatever it was it took her only a few seconds before she snapped her fingers, a victorious look on her face. “I have an idea!”

Months later they find themselves hiking through the woods. The sun shines kindly onto the earth below. Spots of sunlight sneak in to kiss Rollin’s skin everytime the wind blows gently through the branches and leaves to allow its passage. The wind caresses Blaze’s fur gently as they take their steps through this beautiful serene place. Blaze takes in a deep breath, it smells like fresh grass and dirt after the rain. Rollin is leading the path through this remote place, holding a map that she made herself.

“This is one of my private spots,” She says while walking. It occurs to Blaze that the two of them are just...Walking, it makes her glow a bit brighter. “Well, kinda. The actual spot is deeper into the forest, but no one really comes here. I guess this place is just for us!”

“Darling,” Blaze speaks up with a shaky voice and the brightest, reddest face. “I’m convinced that you’re trying to kill me at this point. No one is this nice, or this perfect. Do you mean to bury me where no one can see me? Setting this up in a forest where fighting back would harm nature around us is a good strategy, I think you’ll find that I’m not an easy mark.”

By the end of that sentence Blaze had gone from a flustered glow to a daring grin. The glow has gone from her body to her eyes, an intense yellow that emanates an aura that mimics the sun. Rollin had let out a chuckle initially, and then as she’s left mesmerized her resting face is still a silly smile. Her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle and she just feels hypnotized. “You’re so freaking cool…”

“I know.” Her smile turns soft. They hold hands the rest of the way through.

They eventually reach a clearing. There’s a pretty little circular lake that is surrounded by flowers of various colours, that when seen from above look like a rainbow ring. There are Chao everywhere, rolling around the flowers, or swimming, or sitting on the branches watching everything with their little curious eyes. Overlooking the lake is the biggest tree Blaze has ever seen. She had seen it from a distance, but only now does it hit her how massive it is, absolutely dwarfing every other tree in this unnamed forest. Then there’s a second hit as Blaze once again realizes how much of Rollin’s world is like this, completely overtaken by nature. This world has so many huge trees and looping hills and floating landscapes that this beautiful little place has gone completely unnoticed by everybody else. Her heart aches, because for a moment she wants so badly to stay here and never go back to her world.

Blaze feels Rollin let go of her hand, her heart skips a beat. There’s a very real second where she fears waking up on her bed to a world where this was nothing but a dream. Instead she’s reassured by the breeze Rollin leaves behind as she dashes over to the lake. The hedgehog girl’s steps are so light, somehow managing to not crush a single flower as she steps over them. She jumps over the lake itself, striking a sick pose in the air, then curling into a ball as she falls, rolling on the grass then doing a handspring back onto her feet. She shoots Blaze her trademark grin, and really it’s hard to not be impressed, even if Blaze knows she’s just fishing for attention.

“Very impressive,” Blaze gives a gentle clap. It’s amazing how that’s enough to light up Rollin’s face even more. “Shall we get started?”

“It’s juice and jam time!” She gives a thumbs up and winks.

The next few hours were spent carefully hollowing out the tree without killing it. Rollin would Spindash into the tree making a door shape, then keep doing that while inside the tree to get rid of the inner layer. Blaze directed Rollin’s actions, making sure the measurements are correct, that there’s a ceiling, then a hole for that ceiling as well as wood to make stairs with before they move onto the next floor. Obviously they don’t finish it all in one sitting, the tree is too big for that, and even if they’re both fairly fast and efficient it still would take a great amount of time and coordination. Instead they focus on finishing the first floor. The first floor to their new secret base has a cute perfectly round window, and carpets. There’s pictures of flowers, chao, trees, and a couple of selfies Rollin took on the way here with her instant camera, now framed on the walls. There’s two chairs around a small perfectly round table facing each other, both still attached to the floor and just carved out of the wood that was already there. There’s a mantle over the table and cushions over the chairs.

The two girlfriends look at this, sweaty, somewhat tired, but satisfied. Rollin is already setting up the food on the table, which Blaze would’ve helped but Rollin got it done too fast. She sits down on the chair, patting her hands over the wood of the table and tapping her feet. She has a huge grin on her face. “Alright! Time for eats!”

“Wait!” Blaze takes out her phone. Rollin immediately notes how cute it is, the casing’s blue and has a little green emerald charm. She’s been taking pictures too of course. She takes quick pictures of the biryani, curry, and samosas. Then she leans into Rollin’s chest, who responds by putting a hand around her shoulder and giving a peace sign as she takes the selfie. She has a huge smile on her face as she looks at it on her phone. “Alright, thanks for the food.”

The meal is amazing. They eat and laugh and talk, and it’s the best day of their lives.

After the meal is done Blaze is ready to go out explore the woods with Rollin a little bit more, but she’s stopped at the door. Rollin has something in her hands, a heart shaped box, filled with chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Rollin says with shining stardust in her eyes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Blaze responds, and she’s already starting to glow.

#sonaze #sonaze week 2021 #sonaze week #sonazeweek2021 #sonazeweek #sth #sonic the hedgehog #trans girl sonic #rollin the hedgehog #blaze the cat

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yutaya · 3 years

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Iron Fist Rewatch 1x04: Eight Diagram Dragon Palm

Danny, struggling to pull himself onto that light post thing with his probably now bruised chest: "I dedicate myself to the service of all beings of K'un Lun-" *falls* So is this a recitation they do in training - is he trying to use that mindset to help him climb this beam? Is he doing some sort of traditional ask-the-gods-to-bless-me-with-strength thing?

Lol somehow I had remembered it as Danny crawling up again anyway after the initial push. I forgot they actually went and collected him. Guess that makes them look more favorable to him than my own recall though...

On the coffee table directly facing Danny when he wakes up, probably meant to be a sign to him about where he is and who has so kindly rescued and tended to him after his unfortunate tumble off a building: the formal pic of Harold and children, another photo hard to make out - my first thought was the vacation photo of the 6 of them but it's very sepia, could be something else. Maybe if I look back at other photos we've seen before I could match it.

Danny: "What happened to me? Last I remember I was climbing up-" Ward: "Yeah, like goddamn Daredevil." LOL

UGH THIS WHOLE HAROLD INTRO SCENE UGH Danny mad at Ward one second and then Harold appears and it's like the breath is punched out of him. Looking at Ward and Ward just calmly looking back because he clearly knows what's going on and Danny doesn't - it's as if they're bringing him into their confidence on something. This is a form of offering Danny something he wants - to be a part of something with the only family he thought he had left, not to mention the miracle of one of his parent-figures being alive again. (Wow, what a journey. From finding out Harold is dead and then Ward and Joy both quite clearly rejecting him and denying him a place in their lives to Joy actually doing something to indicate maybe at least she still wants him around after all? To wait, Ward and Harold bringing me in on something too? It's like the dream he clung to in K'un Lun got snatched away and now seems to be trickling back, and - UGH.) "You see him too?" because Danny thought he was seeing things that night at the hospital but this- this is real? Ward's sad, small nod because he knows so much more about Harold than Danny does, and he's seeing this innocent joy (word choice intended) while knowing himself to be wary and that this is almost definitely another manipulation (but what if it's not? What if-? But Harold is still dangerous, he can't help it, there's a reason Ward wants to protect Joy from him even while knowing that Harold favors her so dearly, because there are other ways to hurt your children-)

Harold calmly walking forward while wearing a black suit and confirming "I did die," followed by Danny's "You look the same age as when I last saw you..." - Vampire AU??? (Ugh but why did it have to be Harold? Not a fan of monsters as the bad guys.... need a non-evil vamp to balance him out....)

The way Ward just keeps looking silently between the both of them, like a witness, like - UGH.

"You're home now," GOD DAMMIT and Danny's relief and gratitude and Ward's somber look down I -

Cancer lasted 3 years

Ward: "Dad, are you sure you should be saying this?" Harold: "It's ok. Danny needs to know this." Casting Ward in the opposition role

Ward sits down in the chair adjacent to the couch Danny is on. Harold crosses over from where he was standing near the left side of the couch to sit on the farther right side instead - specifically sitting in between Danny and Ward.

Harold: "I still remember my last breath. Scariest shit I've ever experienced." Ward looks up and away, taking a breath, before turning back again. Combo of eye-roll at dramatics and genuine pain at the thought because that's his dad and Ward remembers those years of pain and decay and - ?

I forgot Danny originally thought of the Hand more like a fable than a reality - and finding out they're a real, present threat combines with being told it's not K'un Lun that they're threatening, but that this whole time, they've actually been digging their claws into his home?

Ward rolling his eyes with his whole body when Harold encourages Danny to think about this as ~embracing his destiny~ hahaha

Ward: No offense, but Danny has zero idea how to do business and therefore maybe shouldn't be running a company with again, absolutely zero training??? Harold: Don't mind Ward being a petulant brat who wants to keep you from your rightful place in our family, Danny. I need you. :)

Harold to Danny: "We've needed a fighter like you back in the family." - right in front of Ward, yet another small "unlike you, who are weak" jab. In line with the whole "Joy can close the deal, you, Ward, can not do anything" lines in the previous episode.

Ward warning Danny about Harold!! But not really doing it great so it could be taken as another 'othering' where Danny could hear 'Harold's not YOUR dad' instead of Ward's intended 'Harold's not your DAD' - made much better by his clarification that Harold only cares about Harold and helping to show he meant 'not a good supportive dad you can lean blindly on' than if he had just. left it at that. I'm glad for Ward's continuing with that line and for Danny's long, considering look at nothing afterward. Gives the sense that Danny feels that something is off, even if he's not sure what.

Colleeeeeeeeeeeeen and her shame and her truly believing in honoring the code of bushido and her teaching these children to get them "the scholarship" to help them in a legitimate, meaningful, honorable way (SOB) and believing that their skills should be about the code and not be about flashiness or showing off or being able to lord their power and ability over others or money -

Code of Bushido (Includes eight virtues, and this episode title is Eight Diagram Dragon Palm. Coincidence???)

1. Rectitude or Justice (refers to PERSONAL rectitude - “one’s power to decide upon a course of conduct in accordance with reason, without wavering” “the bone that gives firmness and stature...without Rectitude neither talent nor learning can make the human frame into a samurai.”)

2. Courage (Bushido distinguishes between bravery and courage - “Courage is doing what is right”)

3. Benevolence or Mercy (“Love, magnanimity, affection for others, sympathy and pity, are traits of Benevolence, the highest attribute of the human soul”)

4. Politeness (Courtesy is rooted in benevolence - “Politeness should be the expression of a benevolent regard for the feelings of others; it’s a poor virtue if it’s motivated only by a fear of offending good taste. In its highest form Politeness approaches love”)

5. Honesty and Sincerity (interestingly, rather than what *I* personally think of when I hear the words “honesty and sincerity”, the info in the Bushido code text about this virtue mostly centers around the idea of disdaining money and riches - probably what Colleen is talking about with her whole “fighting for money breaks the bushido code” thing)

6. Honor (referring to non-martial behavior)

7. Loyalty (bushido text about this seems mostly in context of loyalty to a superior, to your leader, to people you are indebted to. Applies tragically to Colleen and her personal experience with Hand culture. To me, of course, I am more interested in the idea of those leaders deserving your love and your loyalty hand-in-hand with it. Given the other virtues, this IS probably what the code meant to include, but from a modern standpoint it seems like one of those things where especially paramilitary organizations or cults like the Hand could twist the letter of it into an expectation of blindly following orders, even perhaps against your personal devotion to the other virtues)

8. Character and Self-Control (“Bushido teaches that men should behave according to an absolute moral standard, one that transcends logic. What’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong. The difference between good and bad and between right and wrong are givens, not arguments subject to discussion or justification, and a man should know the difference.” I get the ideal of this, but something about the wording sits weirdly with me... maybe the implication that they can’t make a mistake?)

Ageless qualities of manliness: choosing compassion over confrontation, and benevolence over belligerence <3

“The tie might be a touch effeminate” Shut UP Ward

Danny, at a press conference: *waves at Jeri* “Hey.” Jeri: *shakes her head*

Danny: “Yes, I was in a mental hospital.” Joy, despairingly: “Oh, Danny”

Jeri smiling. Maybe she worked with Danny on how to handle the press conference and likely questions he would face? My headcanon from this anyway. Ward and Joy looking at each other, seems like in surprise at Danny’s answers and spin?

“Kindness is the eternal law”

The way Danny slips in to this conversation with Joy about the Red Hook property for his Hand investigation is very well done. Reminds me of watching the Netflix trailer and thinking that it made IF look like a show where Danny was some form of government agent going undercover as himself for an investigation.

SO CUTE how Danny goes “woah, I have a first appointment of the day? Who is it?” and then he turns around and it’s his friend Jeri! Hahaha. Danny: “J-money!!” *goes in for a hug* Jeri: “Woah, we don’t do that.”

Jeri: “Your father’s office. Even found his old desk.” Meaning she was the one working on this - Ward is the one who had to set Danny up there after his sarcastic remarks in the penthouse, but Jeri brought in the sentimentality. (Jeri, directly after basically admitting to putting a bunch of effort into a very sentimental gesture here: “Now don’t get all weepy on me.”) Jeri in IF is so soft I love it

Danny: “I pretty much had to raise the dead.” *smirks to himself at his own inside joke*

Jeri, trying to give Danny advice: “For most of these people, you are a hostile takeover.” Me: JERI, HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND THE NUANCES OF YOUR CORPORATE SPEAK.

Jeri asks if Danny wants the door open or closed. He chooses open. Open to Megan, open to all his new coworkers and employees. Danny is, at his core, for people.

LOL Did Danny just steal Ward’s chair?

Danny: *forces half the board to move so he can sit next to Joy* Me: DANNY

If these guys really wanted to persuade Danny to their point of view on the sell-at-cost thing, they should have emphasized the “funding new research” part of it instead of just repeating “this is just business” ad nauseam. Obviously Ward is actually trying to do the opposite right now and get Danny driven out, but idk what the rest of these people are thinking. Danny acknowledges that they can still make profits elsewhere, which is his side offering a dialogue to meet them. Their counter is that the WHO will be buying it from them and subsidizing it from other people. If they wanted to meet or even just appear to be meeting Danny partway, they could have suggested an initiative to work with the WHO on a program for that? Although since none of them want to actually do that and don’t really care what Danny thinks about it, I know why they didn’t.

Joy raising her eyebrow at Ward’s declaring that they’ll go to market at cost like “I see you Ward and how many times have I told you to leave the maneuvering to me you are unsubtle and unskilled”

Danny looking back at Ward significantly on his way to his discussion with Joy about the pier deal

Ward taking The Drugs before he has to answer Harold’s late night phone call

Harold: You did a great job today. Ward: *baffled expression* Harold: Now, son, this isn’t the time to point fingers, it’s the time for solutions. Ward: There it is. Harold: Also, you screwed up in the meeting and you need to make it up. Ward: *sigh*

Danny: white sneakers with the suit

Joy casually placing the monks and their traditional robes in a lower class position to them and their white collar formal business attire

Time for Joy to play the angle on Danny, curb his at-cost behavior for the future

The ringmaster choosing the second fighter for Colleen followed by that “look, you guys know all the rules” line - I like this guy. He probably remembers how the last dude Colleen fought was a rule-breaker and wants to keep all his fighters safe as possible in an already dangerous 2-on-1 fight like this.

Again with the camera slowing and the noise fading and the blood splattering camera work giving the “losing control” vibe

“The problem was, I never thought through WHY I wanted this job. I mistook my stubborn will for a sense of... destiny, or something.” (Danny, earlier: “My shifu would have called this destiny.”)

“Every moment was a struggle. Failure... led to a beating. Victory... led to another fighting style. To the next lesson.”

Joy flat out calls it abuse and Danny doesn’t deny it.

Vodka and tonic, light on the tonic.

Danny clearly still shaken by the borderline flashbacks to his life at K’un Lun.

Is this the first time the Hatchets appear? Just storming the apartment and punching Joy in the face? Danny and Joy must both be like “WHAT IS HAPPENING”

Joy tries punching one of them. Good for you, Joy.

Ah yes, Ward flat out telling one of the more shark-like reporters that the drug is a huge deal that would save millions of lives and that Rand was of course planning to really boost the price to make a “huge” profit. “That is a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars [that our one company wanted to make off of the millions of people who needed this drug to save their lives]. He’s worse than those bleeding-heart-liberal-trust-fund hipsters wandering around Williamsburg.” (Note: Williamsburg: hip neighborhood that draws the young and fashionable. Boutiques, cafes, street art, outdoor concerts and food markets. Dance clubs, bars, music halls. East Williamsburg is ranked one of the 5 most LGBTQ+ friendly neighborhoods in Brooklyn.)

“Ellison, don’t give the front page to Karen”

Ward just looks at her retreating back and rubs his hands together like “Ah yes, a job well done.” Biggest question for the viewers in this scene is probably: Did Ward tank this on purpose or is he really that far removed from the reality of the non-Elite?

Colleen: still bloody from her illegal cage fighting and hears noise outside her door. Last time she heard noise, it was attackers breaking in for what probably seemed to her like retaliation. Then it’s Danny and she has the relieved exasperation, but - oh ho, Joy Meachum?

“Wasn’t he stalking you?” “It was a misunderstanding.” “Right. I guess being a millionaire covers a multitude of sins.” (Danny: “Billionaire.” Colleen in the background: *disbelieving huff+head shake*)

TRIADS. Time for my triad rant: Every drama show ever to involve Asian-Americans - even just in one-episode specials - includes triads. I’m so sick of it. I know organized crime is a real problem that actually exists, but - why are the Asians always evil? It’s like having the mafia be a plotline every time an Italian character exists on screen. Plz diversify. Media colors perception.

Danny: literally just walks into a restaurant and says he needs to speak to the head of the crime gang. AND THEN NONE OF THEM EVEN BOTHER TRYING TO DENY IT. The Hatchets literally just open the door to their backroom where you can clearly see their illegal activity and come out to talk to Danny. What if he was working with the cops, guys?

It’s so scary how the Yangshi Gonsi react to the mention of the Hand. Well done, IF.

“Joke around the house was that Danny and I were pledged to be married.” (“In another life, this would have been romantic.”) (THIS CREEPS ME OUT THOUGH in a very personally specific triggering way as someone who spent their childhood running around with a boy that I found out later people thought was gonna “knock me up someday.” #BARF)

Colleen has a billionaire in her dojo learning how to punch on a dummy held together with duct tape because she can’t afford to fix it. (Also: Colleen's dojo is also for self-defense classes. Joy was just attacked by hatchet-wielders.)

Danny: "The hatchets won’t be a problem anymore." and then doesn’t elaborate. DANNY THAT SOUNDS SO SHADY. YOU LOOK SO SHADY RIGHT NOW.

Danny: *reaches out and touches Colleen’s hand* Colleen: *flinches back* What are you doing? DANNY. DANNY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD. You seriously have no idea how you come across. Joy is watching all this like “wow....ok.”

Danny used to fight in illegal fight clubs on his way back from K’un Lun. Along with his obtaining an illegal fake ID. New headcanon: Danny is actually super connected to the criminal underground worldwide. Mob bosses everywhere have a soft spot for him. He’s somewhere on a mission with Ward/Colleen/Defenders/HfH and acting like he knows the area, someone recognizes him and he starts chatting cheerfully with them, suddenly they’re being greeted and helped out by people deep in the black market scene while Danny bear hugs someone that most people clearly fear and his companions look on with wide eyes.

Danny, a literal billionaire: Remember how I offered to pay you six months rent for helping me out? Colleen, broke as hell: My denial stands.

Danny: So how are we gonna tell Ward? (framing them - all three of them - as a team) Joy: lmao, are we thinking about the same Ward? You want to tell the most overprotective big brother in the world that men with hatchets attacked his sister? Do you remember what he did to those bullies when we were 8?

Gao: *black bags Harold, refuses to tell him where they’re taking him, doesn’t reveal that this particular instance is him landing on the ‘good’ side of the scale until the last possible second.*

Ugh, he just puts that sword back in the scabbard with all the blood still on it? Improper blade care

Oh yeah, I guess this is the audience’s first scene showing that Harold is capable of cold-blooded murder

I notice that this article may be the front page of the business section, but is NOT the front of the newspaper. Sorry, Jennifer.

[I had initially transcribed the article here, but have made it it's own post which can be found here. Notes on the article, though: Jennifer was very kind to the Meachums in it, given what Ward was actually saying. Also, which Bulletin employee fell down on grammar checking that thing?]

Danny’s Jeri-given apartment doesn’t have a number on the door, but does have some sort of cherry blossom branches etching in the plate?

The Hatchet box!!! (congrats again @Sholio LOL) Yang Hai-Qing wants Danny to get rid of the Hand too. He wasn’t gonna mess with them, explained they didn’t know about the Hand's involvement when they went after Joy, and apologized, but then the Hand came to his restaurant and killed one of his men anyway.

Ah yes, the great tattoo reveal. Also, is that a bullet’s pucker scar on Danny’s left shoulder?

#Iron Fist #iron fist rewatch #eight diagram dragon palm #my stuff #the immortal iron fist #i am lagging so badly on this rewatch!!#but this episode literally took me all day

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warofnationsapology · 4 years

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Our Apology

Hello everyone,

With everything that has happened as of late in regards to the warofnationsrp, the admin team wanted to address the situation.

First of all, we want to start this off by apologizing for how much anger, hurt, and offense we have caused. We created this group to be a fun community in a historical setting, and we fully take responsibility for any mistakes we have made in the building of that setting and its plots. From the beginning, we have only wanted this to be a fun, welcoming, and inclusive group. We’ve always asked all of our players to come to us immediately if they had questions or concerns. Whenever issues arose, our admin team tried to find solutions with the priority being to respect our players and the RPC as a whole. We realize now that our attempts to do that thus far have done more harm than good. We take full responsibility for our mistakes and deeply apologize for their effects. We understand now that the best thing for us to do is disband completely, admit our mistakes, and apologize from the bottom of our hearts.

We also wanted to explain our side of what occurred and why we’ve made the decisions we have as an admin team. This is not to justify or excuse our actions or to shame anyone who was hurt by them. We know now that we have made some horrible miscalculations in our management of these issues. This is purely for us to provide context for those miscalculations and context for all sides of this story.

When this group began, there were 4 admins. Out of the 4 of us, the poster of the original callout was the most experienced admin, and the most involved in the RPC as a whole outside of our group. Due to this, we tended to rely on her guidance more often as we learned and grew ourselves as admins. When it came to going through applications and checking faceclaims for diversity, This admin (Admin A hereforth for the sake of clarity) provided us with some wonderful tools to help us check for ethnic miscasting and determining ethnicities correctly. Those tools, and others she introduced us to continued to be used by our admin team even after she left. Near the inception of the group, War of Nations also received two questions concerning colonialism and racism issues of the time period depicted in the group. The first was addressed publicly by Admin A on the original War of Nations main blog, which has since been deleted by Admin A. However, what was roughly addressed in the answer was that we were an AU historical group and because we were an AU would not include themes of slavery, racism, or ethnic oppression in order to create a more inclusive environment. When the second message was received, it was presented to the Admin team by Admin A with the following comment:

Since she was the most knowledgeable about these sorts of issues, we followed her lead when it came to it.

The other concern that was presented by the poster of the callout was that Admins A and B made the decision to step down from the group, there was a disagreement about how their characters leaving would affect the major plots of other players with whom they were involved. For the admins who remained, our primary concern was the enjoyment of our players and assisting them be able to maintain the rich plots and characters they had already invested so much into. However, we wanted to respect them by asking their permission before writing any such things into a plot drop. We agree that our persistence in pursuing these plot changes was disrespectful, and we apologize for not agreeing to the terms sooner. In the end, we did realize that we needed to respect their characters, so we agreed to not use the plot suggestions concerning their characters. We worked with each of our players individually to adjust their stories so that we could restructure their plots to remove those characters fully.

The conversation following ended with one of the current admins (henceforth known as Admin C) apologizing if she came off as rude or defensive. Within the same hour of Admin A and Admin B saying they were leaving, Admin C had received some terrible news from her family, so she admitted that her responses might have been more emotional and rude because she was processing the news while trying to work on switching everything over. This is how it ended:

With Admins A and B complimenting Admin C as an admin and sending well wishes, we were under the assumption that they were stepping away on amicable terms and were okay with the RP continuing.

When the initial callout post was made, the remaining admin team discussed that our plot did need some clarification as we absolutely did not want to promote colonialism or ethnic and racial oppression. Because of this, we decided to write a disclaimer explaining further the intent of this roleplay and its policies to clarify and reassure the RPC of our mission for this to be a fun and inclusive historical AU roleplay. We once again encouraged any questions and concerns to be brought to our attention, and we did respectfully conduct conversations with several historical RPers outside of our group who approached us about our disclaimer and agreed that we handled it in the best way we could. With these policies in place, we continued on, making it a purpose to be aware daily of concerns not only within our group but in the RPC and media as a whole.

As more callouts have surfaced, War of Nations received multiple anons requesting that we delete the roleplay completely. At this time, we also assessed the plots and storylines that our players were currently pursuing or carrying out, and found that none of them contained any parts of the overarching plot, any of the topics presented as a concern in the callouts, or other areas that had been brought to our attention at the time. Instead our players were focused primarily on major political disputes between major countries in our Old World sphere of roleplay as well as personal relationships and character development. Our players seemed to be enjoying their interactions. We knew the best course of action was likely to delete the RP, we wanted to let our players still be able to continue their interactions and enjoy the work they had put into their characters in a safe environment, and under a new structure which would be not include any topics of colonialism or racism. There would be no overarching plot to this roleplay. Only a generalized time period in the 1700s in which the characters they’d created could continue their personal plots such as family feuds or new romances. We were also concerned that if we tried to continue on Tumblr, our players might be attacked because of their association with the original group’s plot. We also realized that many of our players were eager to roleplay more often but were limited when it came to computer access. The Admin Team thought that by shifting to Discord we could start this roleplay on a clean slate with the old plot completely removed from it all as well as give our players with limited computer access more opportunities to interact on mobile.

As we started to set things in motion, we realized that moving to Discord would be equally as detrimental, and so we realized that the best decision was to disband completely. Due to the admin team having personal obligations (i.e. family, work, and caretaking responsibilities), we were not able to address this properly before others called us out on the mistake we had already realized and planned to address. That is when we recognized fully that we were continuing to make mistakes that were hurting our players and the RPC as a whole and needed to completely disband.

In regards to players that have expressed having experiences discrimination or oppression in the group, we were shocked and heartbroken to learn that they felt this way. These concerns were voiced by some of our original RPers who have stayed with us, and we never had any conversations surrounding these concerns between players involved and our remaining admin team. Additionally, the remaining admins had no knowledge that former admins had been asking for her insight as a POC or that she was doing so in a way that made one of the player uncomfortable. We respect this player deeply both as a mun and as a person, and have a great appreciation for their in-depth knowledge of history as a whole, and the rich breadth of resources and fun facts she shared with the group. She often helped us give clarification on things like proper titling and historical accuracy. These are all things she presented to us. However, the remaining admins never reached out to her for specific insight due to her being a POC.

From Admin C in regards to Esmeralda: Initially, the character of Esmeralda was an interpretation of the book/movie/musical character from The Hunchback of Notre Dame as if she had appeared on the television show Once Upon a Time. I have roleplayed Esmeralda for years, and early on in her creation, a friend of mine who is a POC reminded me to research the Romani people before beginning to roleplay her. I did so, and in my research, I found that the g-word was a derogatory term and that Romani people had early origins in India (as listed here on the Wikipedia page sourcing this book and two other sources). Therefore, both actresses I have used for her were Indian actresses (here and here). I also made sure that any judgement that is based on her performing troupe was based solely on them being travelling performers and illusionists instead of their ethnicity. In that one reply I did that was mentioned, I remember when I re-read it before posting, I realized that I had used that word and it needed to be removed. I remember that I thought to myself "why did I write that?", and I took a mental note to take it out before I posted it as I read over the rest of the reply. Until seeing that player’s post about it, I thought I had removed it, and it has now been removed. However, I must have gotten distracted when reading over it and forgot that I didn't take it out when I returned from the distraction to posting it. This is a mistake I have made in the past that has led to posting replies with grammatical or spelling errors, but never something this horrible. That was my mistake and my own fault for not being more diligent for which I take full responsibility and apologize whole-heartedly.

As an admin team, we have tried to read every thread so we knew that we were aware of what was going on as well as consciously look for possible issues. We will admit that while we did catch some issues and addressed them immediately, we did not pay close enough attention and some things were missed. We did not always read as carefully as we should have. These issues should have been seen and addressed right away. The admin team fully admits to making this mistake as well, and we do apologize for letting such horrible things get missed.

For any other examples of discrimination felt in this group, we deeply apologize for those as well. We also apologize that we did not present ourselves in a manner to make us more approachable when it came to telling us about these mistakes directly when they occurred. We both want to be better community members and allies, and will continue to educate ourselves, learn, and grow to improve in these areas.

In conclusion, we would like to thank you for taking the time to read this fully. War of Nations has been disbanded completely as a group. Our admins offer our apologies to our players, both current and former, the former admins, and all RPC community members who were hurt by the mistakes we’ve made. We have made some terrible mistakes, and we completely apologize for those with every fiber of our beings. We take full responsibility for those mistakes, and by recognizing them, will strive to be better in the future.

With our deepest apologies,

Former Admins C and D

@warofnationsrp

@warofnationshq

#apology #rpc #rph #rpt #roleplay

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missmentelle · 5 years

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How to Support a Partner with Autism

After nearly two years of being single following a very difficult breakup, I got into a new relationship last year. Although we had a bit of a rocky start - as regular readers of this blog already know - we have managed to overcome our issues and build a happy, affectionate, stable relationship with each other. My new guy has all of the traits I was looking for in a partner - he’s kind, thoughtful, and considerate. He's dependable, and even though I’m not a morning person, I gladly wake up early to exchange “good morning” texts with him, filled with flirty compliments and encouragement for the day ahead. We share the same interests and values, and there’s nothing I look forward to more than curling up in his arms at the end of a long day. After years of living with a partner who seemed determined to grind me down, my new guy is the first person I’ve ever dated who puts an effort into building me up instead.

He also happens to be on the Autism spectrum.

My partner is from a European country with some of the worst protections for autistic human rights in the developed world, and his diagnosis has been a source of deep shame for him. He has lived his whole life under serious stigma, and he had hoped that moving to America would make things a little better for him. My friends and family’s reactions to finding out my partner is autistic, however, have been disappointing, even in an age and country where autism acceptance is on the rise. Many of them don’t understand why I would want to have an autistic partner, or they are surprised to learn that autistic people date at all. It’s not entirely surprising that they think this way - although there is more information out there about autism than ever, and depictions of autism in popular media are on the rise, it is still rare to see autistic people presented as sexually desirable, or to see serious conversations about dating and sex with people on the spectrum. When we are shown autistic people in dating situations, either their social awkwardness is played for laughs, or they are portrayed as only being capable of dating other autistic people. The idea that autistic people can have happy, mutually fulfilling romantic relationships with non-autistic people is not often explored in media or in resources about autism, and I have to look pretty hard to find advice or examples of relationships that look like mine.

So if you’re a non-autistic person who is in love with an autistic person, and you’re worried about how best to support your partner’s needs, here are my personal recommendations:

Ask your partner what they need. Your partner has been living with their quirks for a lot longer than you have, and by this point, they probably have a good idea of what works for them and what doesn’t. Don’t guess, and don’t make assumptions - ask your partner what they need from you, in plain and direct language. The things that worked in your previous relationships might not work for this partner, and it’s better to discuss your partner’s needs ahead of time rather than learning that they don’t like something after they’ve already gotten stressed out or upset.

Beware of stereotypes. Don’t assume that you know what an autistic person needs just because you sat through three episodes of Atypical and half a season of The Big Bang Theory. Autistic people have as much variety as non-autistic people, and your partner is probably very different from every other autistic person you know. My boyfriend is the guitarist in a heavy metal band and routinely performs in noisy bars - he doesn’t experience sensory processing issues to the same degree that other people with autism do. He does have a hard time with written communication, while some autistic people literally write novels. Everyone is different, and relying on stereotypes is unfair to your partner.

Be prepared to face communication difficulties. One of the hallmarks of autism is that it makes communication difficult. That’s kind of what autism is. While previous partners might have been able to effortlessly read your meaning from a single glance or a gentle nudge, your autistic partner may have difficulties doing the same, and getting angry at them for not picking up on subtle nuances is just going to make you both upset. Finding a way to communicate is essential for all couples, but it may require more dedicated effort when one or both of you has communication issues. Get used to saying exactly what you mean - many people with autism struggle to parse sarcasm or passive aggression, and you can’t have a productive relationship when one of you has to work a lot harder to understand what the other is getting at. If you are the sort who loves to tease, check in with your partner and make sure they know when you are kidding and when you aren’t. Debrief after difficult interactions to see where you both could have done things differently. Your partner is worth the effort.

Learn to not take things personally. People with autism can be very blunt, and sometimes struggle to know when they have crossed the line from “telling it like it is” to “hurting others’ feelings”. They may also have moments where they want to socially withdraw, or moments when they do not want to be physically touched. It’s important not to take any of it personally, and to remember that your partner’s moods and needs are not always about you. Your partner isn’t trying to hurt you - they are just trying to exist in a world that isn’t always comfortable for them. My partner and I have a double barrier to communication that can sometimes lead to unintended offense; there is a language gap between us, as his English is not perfect, and I am barely conversational in his native tongue. There are plenty of times he has accidentally said something harsh, or chosen unnecessarily harsh wording. He struggles to find the right words to comfort someone, especially over text message, and when I’m worried about something he will often say “I don’t care about this” - not because he’s telling me to shut up, but because he can’t find the words to say “I am confident that everything is going to work out okay, and so I am not concerned about this issue and you shouldn’t be either”. Having a partner with autism often means extending the benefit of the doubt, letting things go, and asking your partner for clarification before responding to what they say.

Don’t drop hints or expect mind-reading. You shouldn’t do this in any relationship, but it’s especially important that you not do this with an autistic partner. Autistic partners cannot play the “what’s wrong - I’m fine - no you’re not - I said I’m fine” game with you; you have to tell them outright if something is bothering you, instead of hoping they will notice you are obviously in a pissy mood. Use your words. Social connections do not always come naturally to your partner, and asking them to make the connection between an offhand comment you made a week ago and your mood today is just going to make everyone needlessly frustrated. If you didn’t say it in plain language, don’t expect them to know what you want.

Remember that honesty is a double-edged sword. People with autism often do not see the point in lying. If I ask my boyfriend if I look fat in my new dress, he will absolutely give me an honest answer, and then make several suggestions for changes that I might make to my diet and exercise regime. He is not trying to be rude, and he doesn’t actually want me to lose weight - he is giving me the answer that he thought I wanted. Don’t ask your autistic partner questions that you don’t want honest answers to. The little voice in your head that tells you “the truth is going to hurt this person’s feelings too much, time for a white lie” doesn’t work for everyone, and your partner may have a hard time understanding when you are actually hoping to be lied to.

Understand that you may need to initiate things. People with autism tend to face a lot of social rejection in their lives, and by the time they reach dating age, it can really begin to take a toll on them. They are used to seeing themselves portrayed as sexually and socially undesirable, and they may have come to believe that dating is off the table for them. Most have been burned before for coming on too strong, or for making their feelings known when their interest wasn’t returned, and they may be hesitant to make the first move. My partner has actually been in a lot more relationships than I have, but almost never of his own volition - he is objectively extremely physically attractive, especially to women who like men from alternative subcultures, and he has been fortunate enough to have other people constantly make the first move. Even at this stage in the relationship, I often have to be the one to initiate affection - he is wary of coming on too strong, and prefers to wait for me to make a move.

Be prepared to offer a lot of reassurance. My partner struggles to identify other people’s moods or read facial expressions. He cannot tell a “I’m genuinely happy to be interacting with you” smile from a “I’m trying to be polite but I want you to go away” smile, and he knows it. It’s very stressful to not be able to tell what kind of impact you’re having with another person, and sometimes people with autism need extra reassurance that their partners are enjoying whatever it is they are doing and want it to continue. A quick “hey, I really like that you hugged me just now, it made me really happy” goes a long way.

Don’t infantalize your partner. Your partner is an adult with autism. They are not a child, and they don’t need to be treated like one. The fact that they might sometimes need extra patience with communication does not mean that they need to be coddled, talked down to, or pitied. People with autism deserve to be respected like any other adult - you should not be trying to shelter them or undermining their ability to make decisions for themselves. Let them take risks if they want to take risks, and don’t act like their substitute parent.

Plan dates and activities with their needs in mind. Even if your partner can handle going to a noisy bar, that’s probably not the place to meet up with them if you need to have an emotionally tough conversation with them. Some autistic people struggle with food - a trip to a restaurant with completely unfamiliar cuisine may be more stressful than exciting for them. Likewise, while popular media pushes the idea that being “spontaneous” is important for a love connection, many people with autism are much happier having a set routine and knowing about any plans well in advance. If my partner and I have a date set for next week, he will text me every day until then to confirm our plans. Don’t worry about what the world finds “romantic” - do what works best for the two of you.

Remember that they still feel emotions, even if they can’t always show it. People often make the mistake of assuming that people with autism are “emotionless” or “robotic”. But an inability to express emotions outwardly does not mean they aren’t being experienced on the inside. People with autism can experience very intense emotions, but not show outward signs of this. Don’t assume that your partner is feeling nothing just because they seem placid and calm - check in with them, even if they appear to be okay.

Enjoy them for who they are. The whole point of getting into a relationship with someone was, presumably, because you enjoy spending time with them. So keep spending time with them. It’s important to be mindful of barriers that your partner faces, but it’s also important not to get too wrapped up in it and reduce your partner to a label. My partner is autistic, but he’s also my cooking partner, my travel buddy and the person whose ass I am going to kick just as soon as I get good at shooter games. There’s no point trying to divide him up into “autistic traits” and “non-autistic traits”. He’s a whole wonderful person, and someone I feel very lucky to even know.

#missmentelle #askmissmentelle #dating #love #relationships #relationship #relationship advice #autism #autistic

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squirrelnotsam · 4 years

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My Quarantine Update

My daughter works at a local restaurant as a take out hostess. On one of her nights off, she gets a call from one of the managers. Someone she works with has COVID. The manager did not disclose who it was and informed my daughter the restaurant would remain open.

Her teenage mind starts reeling; she makes a phone call and says, "have you heard the news?"

The girl, on the other end, says kind of sheepishly, "that was me." So now my daughter is freaking out, she can't believe she got exposed by a friend.

I ask my daughter when she last worked with the girl; it was five days ago. I start running through the list of symptoms off the top of my head, has she felt feverish, coughing, runny nose, sore throat, vomiting, headache, etc.. She answers no to all the symptoms.

I tell her to get tested just to be safe. The closest place that is doing free testing is a 30-minute drive. I go with her in case I need to sign any paperwork. I decide to get tested since I'm there anyway. She informs them she's not experiencing any symptoms. I give them my usual symptoms of coughing, headache, stuffy nose, all of which can easily be explained with my medical history, and I've been experiencing them everyday for over ten years.

When we get home, we both have an email from the lab stating that there is a backlog of tests, and it will take ten days to get the results—fast forward three weeks. My daughter was taking her lunch break and got an email with her test results. It said she tested positive for COVID 19.

She's freaking because she is supposed to start a new job soon. She calls the lab to get some clarification on a few questions she has. They tell her to quarantine for 14 days. WTF! it's already been 21 days what is she supposed to do?

She called her two friends and told them the news, and they might want to get tested.

We decide to get her retested through a different lab. No one will test her because she's a minor, even though she'll be 18 in a few months. She finally found a clinic willing to test her, so she sets up the appointment.

I go with to sign the paperwork. We arrive at the clinic and are handed a packet of forms to fill out and told to wait in our car; they'll call when they are ready for us.

We are in Phoenix, AZ. It's 115-120°F. There is no shade in the parking lot, and cars tend to overheat and breakdown in extreme temperatures. We waited for over an hour before we were called in.

The doctor said they retest in certain circumstances, and if she did retest, it would be positive because the virus load lingers for 6 to 8 weeks after the initial 14 days of infection. He said that she is not contagious and would allow her around her grandmother.

Meanwhile, I am still awaiting my test results, and her BFF, who works for a senior living community, got tested at work while we were sitting in the hot sun. She got her result within 24 hours and is negative.

What are the odds that five people in the same household are all Asymptomatic? I think she had a false positive.

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theancientgeekoroman · 5 years

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Hey there! I'm about to start University in the fall working towards a BA in Ancient Greek and Roman studies with a specialization in languages( Latin and Ancient Greek), I love your blog and was wondering if you have any advice or tips? Thanks in advance!

Hello, friend! Congratulations on beginning University!

I’ll begin with some general advice for university that will apply not just to your major, but all your classes, and then I will get into the specifics.

The first thing that might help is figuring out what kind of learner you are - for me, it’s a combination of auditory and repetition. I learn best by hearing things and then listening to them multiple times, so I always asked my professors if I was allowed to bring a recorder into class. Not all professors allow this, but it never hurts to ask. This way, you can record the lecture and then transcribe the notes later and possibly make a playlist of the course for you to use as a review before you have any assessments/tests/exams.

The repetition, for me, is rewriting notes. This can mean having a slopping notebook for fast writing during class and then rewriting the notes in a nicer notebook with better handwriting / better organization than your original notes. Or, you can type your notes (which is usually what I did) because if you forget anything, you can always insert it without having to worry about rewriting a whole notebook page. The trick to this part of note-taking is to make sure you have time to do it; don’t wait until the end of the week to rewrite your notes, but do it after your class while it’s still fresh, or no later than the end of the day after your lectures are over. If you keep putting it off and try to type all your notes a few days before a text/exam, you’re going to be overwhelmed (this happened to me a few times, and I was Not Happy With Myself).

The next general thing is to find a couple of people in your classes and ask if they’re willing to start a study group. This might be more difficult, especially if you’re introverted (I’m an ambivert, so it’s hit or miss with me if I don’t vibe with people in my classes), but you’ll probably find people who are willing to get together to discuss the course material and do homework together. It does make learning a lot easier and a little less lonely. It’s also helpful doing homework with other people when you might understand a concept they’re struggling with and vice versa.

And finally: go to the office hours of your professors! They’re there for a reason! Or make an appointment to talk to them. Get to know your professors and ask them for help if you need it. A lot of my professors ended up getting to know me rather personally, which helped some of them understand why I was struggling so much with certain things (some professors will be less perceptive, but putting yourself out there will help you find many professors on your side because they want to see you succeed). If you are unhappy with a grade or don’t understand why you got a particular mark on an assessment, you can go and discuss it with them. This may not change the initial score, but sometimes, professors will allow a redo of an assignment if you go and ask for feedback and just ask. You wouldn’t believe how many things I managed to get done at my university just because I asked. I had a pretty severe meltdown during my junior year, and I missed an exam for Latin once, but I went to the professors’ office hours, and he allowed me to retake it on my own because I explained to him what had happened. Professors want you to succeed. Just ask for help when you need it, and they will help you. (Also, ask for accommodations if you need them! It’s easier with letters from the Disabilities Office if you can get them, but most of my professors allowed me extra time for things because of my ADHD and dissociation issues because I just talked to them about it personally).

Now, for how I tackled Latin and Ancient Greek specifically.

I am better at Latin and Latin came easier to me, but I liked Ancient Greek better, and I can’t explain why, really. But knowing where your weaknesses are in the languages are good.

If you’ve never taken any Latin or Ancient Greek before, you might want to try and learn basics before you enter the classroom, but keep in mind that you don’t have to know anything on the first day of class if you’ve never taken these languages before; you’re there to learn!

I’ve talked about these before, but for the sake of this ask, I’ll include the resources that might be helpful for you!

Latin:

https://www.latinitium.com/

Resources for teaching yourself Latin (including video and audio)

https://latinlexicon.org/

Dictionary and Grammar Tool

http://lexicity.com/language/latin/

Dictionaries, Grammars, Charts & Aids, Texts, and Other Resources

University of Texas Austin Linguistics Research Center:

https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/latol

If your course uses Wheelock’s Latin but doesn’t require the workbook (which is how my course was set up), I would get the workbook and use the exercises in it to supplement your other lessons.

Ancient Greek:

Ancient Greek Grammar:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzvug8fVliPkMV2c9RmUix19nR4SvLOvW

The Center for Hellenic Studies

Learn Ancient Greek video series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGYUXZJ15RI

Introducing Ancient Greek

http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/greek/

http://lexicity.com/language/greek/

Dictionaries, Grammars, Charts & Aids, Texts, and Other Resources

Teach Yourself Ancient Greek:

http://tyancientgreek.org/index.html

University of Texas Austin Linguistics Research Center:

Classical Greek: https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/grkol

New Testament Greek: https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/ntgol

There are plenty of more resources, but these are the ones I would start with (and some of them will lead to more resources, too).

For Latin, I would write out the declension charts a lot because I would have issues with remembering them. I would then type them up in tables on Word and print them out and have them in my binder for class so it would be easier than trying to find it in my textbook.

When I first started Ancient Greek, I had the most trouble with the alphabet so I would write an entire college-ruled page of each letter. The pronunciations were difficult too for me so I would make a lot of notes about that, too. The YouTube videos above will help you with that.

Another thing I would suggest is that if you know what types of reading you’ll be doing is to be familiar with the works in your native language first. For example, we read excerpts from The Iliad and the Odyssey and various myths for Ancient Greek, all of which I was already familiar with in English before I began reading them in Greek. I know that I had an entire book of Catullus in Latin for my poetry course, too. You might want to check out http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/ for both English and Greek or Latin texts. (Finding these texts in Latin or Ancient Greek and English is good practice translating, too, which is what I did for practice sometimes and what I’ll probably be doing in the near future because I’m a little rusty).

One thing I think people tend to forget about universities is the clubs/activities that might relate to your major. If there’s a Latin, Ancient Greek, or Classics club(s), they’re going to be helpful because a lot of the activities might help you learn more outside of class. Especially if you find upperclassmen who are willing to help you or give you advice about professors, what classes to take, and some of them might be willing to help with homework, etc. Professors are helpful, but remember that upperclassmen are indispensable for you as well.

And, finally, for the last bit of advice: remember that time management is so, so, so important. I’m extremely bad at it, but I’ve found ways to set schedules and apps to help me with it. If you know you’re better at working in the morning, getting up early to get some work done helps. If you know you’re good at working at night, set some time at night for your work. Remember, however, that you need time to relax and take care of yourself.

I hope that was not too overwhelming and please let me know if you want any clarification on anything I’ve said here!

All the best,

Tychon, the Ancient Geeko-Roman

#the-fiery-ghost #ask #asks #tagamemnon #Ancient Greek #Latin #Ancient Greek and Roman Studies #Classics #personal #academia #study skills #long post #links

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