#and there’s some elements (like the doors that become….not that relevant) that I want to know more about. (as an aside - I saw someone say | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

canmom · 23 days

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reading Brainwyrms by Alison Rumfitt. it's interesting. clearly part of the post-Topside wave of trans lit, with the same 'plugged in to twitter' energy, but way more British about it. which means most of the allusions are very transparent to me. it's a combo of... hardcore kink driven romance as the main arc, in a near-future setting in which TERFism goes further to the point of outright bombings, and a scifi element with alien brain parasites that it's gradually building towards.

compellingly written, I'll give it that for sure - I lay down to read for a bit and before I knew it I'd read like a third of the book. the main character's disaffected, traumatised air is well observed, and the kink doesn't hold back.

I think my reservation with it so far is that it feels a little too much like a polemic blog post about the way things are going. the MC Frankie is a trans woman with a pregnancy kink who survived a bombing at a GIC and now works in social media moderation - it's all stuff that is blatantly Relevant To The Argument, as it were. it's tricky to criticise it for that because it's like, what you're saying is that it's tightly constructed and thematically consistent and that's bad somehow? but I think I've come to feel that I like fiction to bring me something a little new and unfamiliar.

the chapter I most enjoyed so far was actually a more metaphorical, abstract interlude, in which resistance to fascism is cast as becoming 'one mass of queer flesh, which now grabbed and clawed...'; 'faces locked in kisses until they became one face. the cops would try to pull at this mass, but to no avail'. very 'faggots and their friends between revolutions' stuff.

the chapters which are presented directly as social media posts and articles are also sharply observed. i think a lot of fiction in which the internet features heavily suffers from not understanding the internet very well (Hosoda's Belle for example), but for example the chapter 'Curious Cat' where an anonymous person (blatantly Vanya) is sending messages asking for help with a parasite, and getting rebuffed or misunderstood, and the chapter where Frankie relates a murder of an instagram model by a stalker who posts about it to a reddit community devoted to her, read as very real.

a lot of the story is about responding to a terrifying political situation in sexual terms - a flashback chapter depicting Frankie having sex with some terf's pretentious brother ("with each thrust from him, she thought to herself, I am a traitor, I am a traitor to the cause"), or the preface which jokes about how in another world the author would be writing 'cool horror stories about vampires raping werewolves, ones with no subtext at all'. I prevaricate a little on whether this is a compelling examination of a theme that I do find interesting (the mysterious origins of sexual desire) or just edgy for its own sake.

this is an odd novel for me in some ways because while on one level, this is about people who I could very easily be a single degree of separation from were they real, it's also about a facet of life that is still quite alien to me and in many ways I only know about second hand. I've never been to a kink club (that wasn't in an MMO anyway lol), I'm way too much of a nerdy autist shut-in to know what it's like to be someone who would feel put out if she hadn't had sex in a week. so even before the parasite stuff, it's hard to know how much of Frankie and Vanya's stuff is real, and how much is fantasy. is this really how things go between people? it sounds kinda fun, but unlocking the door this far has already taken years.

when I've read books about the crazy lives that American trans girls supposedly live and interesting sex they're apparently having, they've been at a certain remove, the other side of the Atlantic. and this book feels sort of similar, even though I know it's set right on my doorstep. idk, I've never been good at this.

anyway I don't think I want to write fantasy novels so directly about The Discourse of the day, but it's probably good that someone is. that said, it's hard to parse like... ok, it's titled brainwyrms, and 'brain worms' is a common way of describing an obsessive, cultish idea you receive from the internet.

and like if you look at the newspapers, or twitter trans discourse, you certainly could believe that this country is on a rapid slide to putting us in camps. however, my day to day life has been... it's not without hostility, but the average street harasser isn't doing it because of a Guardian or even Mail article. this country has a subculture of deranged weirdos who hate our guts, and a political class who will happily stoke culture war shit to score points, but most normies I've met don't care one way or another that I'm trans - they might mention a family member or friend they know who's also trans. the day to day conflicts are over way more prosaic shit, the landlord vs tenant forever war, or how the kitchen should be cleaned. which of these windows is more informative of the 'overall' state of affairs? not that a more violent terf cult is a bad premise to write a novel around, but a sense of impending doom is a pretty powerful mechanism to keep you scrolling, right?

like in 20, 40 years - will the terfs really be bombing the Tavistock and banning transness, as Rumfitt imagines in her near-future setting preface? or will they go the way of those newspapers in Thatcher's time who smeared the gay movement, just as they smear us today? of passing political obsessions like 'new atheism'? I don't know the half-life of cult shit.

anyway, time to read the rest of the novel, and see how it handles this brew that it's concocted.

#fiction #sff #novels

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am-i-the-asshole-official · 9 months

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AITA for putting knob covers on the stove that my disabled dad couldn't open?

So I (26M) recently moved back in with my parents (60M and 58F) temporarily because I'm kind of between apartments right now. My dad has Parkinson's disease and has, over the years, become both clumsier and more absent-minded. An important symptom of Parkinson's that will become relevant in this story is that he also has partial anosmia (his sense of smell is impaired).

So anyway, about a year and a half ago, before I had moved out, one day I came home from work and smelled gas as soon as I entered the house. I discovered one of the burners on the stove had been left open, and gas had been seeping into the room. I turned off the main gas supply, opened all the windows, and waited outside while calling my mom about it frantically. It turns out Dad had been cleaning the oven earlier and must have bumped the burner with his head while leaning in to clean the door. Because of his anosmia, he had not smelled the gas. I kind of freaked out and threatened to remove all the knobs off the stove, because I felt my life was in danger, but my mom talked me down into believing that it was just a fluke and probably wouldn't happen again.

Anyway, fast forward to the day before yesterday. I woke up after sleeping in late (I work night shifts now) and went to go make myself some food, but for some reason the GFI circuit breaker to the stove outlet had tripped. After resetting it, I immediately noticed that the lower drawer oven was on, because the knob had been left on. That oven is a little broken because the drawer mechanism is bent, so it doesn't close fully - I'm speculating, but the only thing I can think of is that the breaker must have tripped because the drawer was open and the heating element couldn't keep it up to temperature without getting so hot it exceeded its current rating or something. There was no gas leak this time, thankfully, but I knew my dad must have left it that way since my mom never cooks in the morning, especially not with the oven, ESPECIALLY not with the broken drawer oven. The only logical conclusion was that he accidentally bumped the knob again and didn't notice again. This time, thank God it wasn't the gas again.

I basically just told my mom that I was getting knob covers for the stove, and she agreed. So I got some on Amazon with next day delivery and installed them as soon as they arrived. I then took an afternoon nap, and then spent a few hours in my room playing video games and talking with friends on Discord. I was home the entire day, though, and he has my phone number and is able to text if he thought it would be impolite to knock or something. He didn't say a word to me all day.

Apparently, though, he got furious with my mom because the knobs have safety covers on them now. He told her he can't open them (although I later walked down the stairs, and found one of them open, and I had not left it that way - he definitely can, I think he just had trouble figuring out how at first. They're child safety caps so unfortunately they're a bit tricky to get open) and that now he was unable to cook for himself. He did not ask me to help him get them open though, and I would have done so in a heartbeat. He has not said anything about this to me at all, not even anything subtle or passive-aggressive.

I discussed it with my mom, and we agreed to leave them mostly closed but unlatched - the latch is the difficult part to get open, but they stay closed enough for them to keep the knobs from being bumped even if they are not fully latched shut. My mom agreed to communicate with him better about stuff like this. But if he asks to have the caps removed completely, it's a hard, hard no - I don't want to die in a gas explosion.

AITA for doing this?

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

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snawbeanart · 3 months

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youtube

a small tribute to those 2010's character tribute videos (some context under the Read More)

(Copied from the YT description)

Tribute video for Fawfuigi, a "what-if" scenario if Fawful had fawfulized Luigi early on during Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Also a tribute to those really old Mario tribute videos from the late 2000's - early 2010's (especially the Luigi and Mr. L ones that'd use this same song). Set quality to 144p for the optimal viewing experience. Song used is Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace, and I drew all the artwork (though some are edited Nintendo renders / artwork. also some backgrounds are from Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story).

If you're not familiar with the Mario & Luigi series and are wondering what's gone wrong with Luigi, he's been turned into a goofy prankster bean man by a genius evil bean scientist / engineer named Fawful. Fawful sparked chaos throughout the Mushroom Kingdom by starting an epidemic of bloated Toads, hijacking Bowser's Castle, stealing a forbidden object of great dark power, with the kingdom's authorities trapped in Bowser's stomach all the while.

Fawful does something called fawfulization throughout the kingdom during his conquest- this usually means he stamped his face and/or likeness onto something. He fawfulized statues, carpets, castles, animals, and even clouds. So what would be a bigger middle finger to Mario than fawfulizing his own brother?

The story of this scenario / AU (note this is an unfinished and pretty condensed retelling, I didn't want to write out all the elements of BIS that'd still happen but weren't really plot-relevant):

The morning that Mario and Luigi were supposed to appear at the Blorbs epidemic conference held at Peach's Castle, Luigi was strangely absent. Luigi is assumed to be late and the meeting continues until Bowser barges in and, under the influence of Fawful's Vacuum Mushroom, inhales all of the participants.

Meanwhile, the now-fawfulized Fawfuigi is running amuck, further adding insult to injury to the befuddled kingdom. He doesn't mean much harm most of the time, but his sense of humor can be very mean-spirited. His objective is to stall Mario from getting anywhere near Fawful, but can't seem to find the red plumber for a while.

Mario has been struggling without his brother. When he finally leaves Bowser's body, he's too late. The Dark Star the princess had warned him of was stolen. Things were only going to get worse.

When Mario leaves the town's caves and hobbles home to take a breather, he finds that his door has been slathered with rotten eggs. His shelves have been unconventionally reorganized. Someone had drawn over his family portrait with marker. Mario was infuriated but also baffled. Who and why?

He finds out soon enough. When he sees Fawfuigi, he knows that must be Luigi, but he doesn't want to believe it. He found him at Bumpsy Plains, setting up banana peels on the pathway to Bowser Path. When Fawfuigi spots him, he hurls a ball of electricity at Mario intending to start a fight, but Mario doesn't want to hurt him. Starlow urges Mario to do something to stop him, but after Mario fails to reason with Fawfuigi, he flees.

#mario & luigi #m&l #luigi #fawful #fawfuigi #he's luigi but he got fawfulized

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nine-of-diamonds · 4 months

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A List of References in Keep Your Enemies Close (Wait, Not That Close)

Since it’s somehow been a year since I posted KYEC (to the warmest reception I’ve ever gotten from a fic!! Seriously y’all are the best—I can’t believe I’m still getting comments a year after publication), I compiled a complete (as far as I can remember, at least) list of all of the references (with a few explanations about my writing choices) within the fic for funsies (and also bc I put Way Too Much effort into melding all of these elements together and wanted a full list of all the things I put together that were not intended to be put together lmao)

Oh, and if it wasn’t obvious… spoilers for the fic lol — if you haven't read it but are interested in what the heck I'm talking about, it's here on ao3!

(I’m just calling every segment separated by a line break a scene even though some of them aren’t reallyyy an actual scene for the sake of clarity)

Scene 1:

One line in and I’ve already name-dropped the Watchers: not much to say about them at this point since it’s pretty much the usual “godly beings that resemble indigo biblically-accurate angels that watch people.” All I really added here was the threads of Fate mention that’ll become relevant later

Scene 3:

Grian-proof vault: this one’s a double reference! The obvious one is from Season 9 (Grian’s ep 10) where Mumbo challenges Grian to get into his vault without breaking blocks and it turns out to be a decoy vault, but the second one is from Season 6 (Grian ep 100), where Grian, Bdubs, and Iskall (as the Dragon Bros) break into Mumbo’s vault to induct him into the cult club by guessing the code to be 1-2-3-4 (the “I didn’t plan for someone to come in and start jamming codes in” and KYEC!Grian’s response, “It was the second thing I tried” are reworded from their follow-up convo about it in the next episode)

KYEC!Grian’s stolen diamonds: okay I’m pretty sure this Season 6 arc started in Grian’s ep 73, where he mentions for the first time that his diamonds have “mysteriously gone missing” — KYEC!Grian’s got the same problem, only most of his diamonds are accidentally stolen and are causing more problems than economic deficits lol → we’ll get to the completion of this arc wayyy later, but this was the very first plot point to fall into place for this fic

Detective Grian: going even farther back into Season 6, we have the Sherlock Grian arc (begins in Grian’s ep 56) — once again, we’ll get back to this one

Fun fact: the moment where KYEC!Grian’s “skin prickled with the distinct sensation that someone was watching, waiting for him to do something” was meant to be foreshadowing that would become obvious at the end bc I originally planned to have KYEC!Grian’s time traveling be onscreen — that scene was meant to show Future Grian traveling to the past to steal his diamonds, but getting the timing slightly off so he was still in the apartment when this convo takes place, and is therefore the mysterious watcher mentioned here; I didn’t end up writing out that scene, though so now it just looks like another surface level Watcher reference

Scene 4:

KYEC!Grian’s powers: the wings don’t require explanation but here’s my rationale for the “perspective-shifting” (which, lemme tell you was cool in theory but SO annoying to figure out what to call/describe) → it’s basically just being able to go into F5 mode (the range limit for him is basically that he can move what I’ll call his mental camera to any point provided that at all times, his body is visible to the mental camera from some angle, i.e. he can’t see into the next room if there are no doors/windows but he can see around corners and objects); this power’s another Watcher parallel but also a contrast to Scar’s in that it’s good for revealing “the truth” while Scar’s power is deceptive in nature

Scene 5:

Hotguy!: fun fact, I actually started writing this fic before I knew about Scar’s Hotguy persona (I was grievously behind on Season 9 when I started this fic in mid 2022) so KYEC!Scar’s original hero name was Goodfellow and he used a staff, not a bow — but obviously, I swapped it to fit the Hotguy we all know and love (and for the sake of keeping track of episode references, I’m naming Scar’s Season 9 ep 5 as the first Hotguy mention in canon, don’t @ me if I’m wrong lol)

KYEC!Scar’s powers: alright, here’s a lil secret, there’s actually smth going on with his bow that never gets brought up in this fic and that I will be keeping secret bc I may or may have smth in the works. I can, however, talk about his illusions! While KYEC!Grian’s power lets him change how he sees things, KYEC!Scar’s lets him change what other people see. The illusions are also a nod at Scar’s terraforming + building skills since he can create intricate landscapes

Xelqua (as KYEC!Grian’s villain name): other ideas for KYEC!Grian’s villain name included Poultry Man + Watcher but I settled on Xelqua since it’s commonly associated with Watcher!Grian but feels more like a name than just plain Watcher, and then afterwards, I developed the actual Xelqua lore

Xelqua (the lore one): obviously we have the nod at our tried and tested fanon “he was only meant to watch” but the mention of him “engineer[ing] countless games… with gods and men alike” is a blink and you’ll miss it Life series reference (I suppose it could also be a reference any of Grian’s other minigames but the Life series was what I had in mind lol) → also, the whole “Ultimately, the Watchers located Xelqua after he succumbed to his nature and began stirring up trouble again” bit of lore was just me riffing off that fable about the frog and the scorpion, which traumatized me as a kid and therefore lives in my brain rent-free

Scene 6:

Harmless pranks: rapidfire references, let’s go! “a bit of ‘misplaced copper’” = Mumbo’s copper “lagging” into Grian’s inventory (Grian Season 8 ep 13), “a few disappearing doors” = Grian being a chronic door thief (...pretty much all of Season 7), “a few chests filled with eggs” = Grian + his quest to clog up his messaging system with Mumbo (Grian Season 6 ep 22 + many, many more instances)

Scene 7:

Roofed forest: very, very random but I did write this scene with Scar’s first Third Life episode in the background and was imagining the roofed forest he and Grian decimated as the scene he projects here

Also, I need you to know this fight scene was fully rewritten at least four times ;-;

Scene 9:

Mumbo unlocking Grian’s handcuffs: this wasn’t a reference when I wrote the fic but now it’s a reference to the Mumbo side fic I wrote for this au that writes out this scene

Scene 11:

KYEC!Grian’s comment: “I was broke and in need of a flatmate so he could’ve been an arsonist for all I cared, as long as he didn’t touch my stuff” → can I just cite all of the Life series here

Okay, I SWEAR the line, “You watch, Mumbo, I’ll be so subtle that you’ll forget I’m a supervillain” was based on an actual Grian line (or several) that start the same way but I can’t remember where it’s from

Scene 13:

More stolen diamonds: here’s the unofficial start of the Jangler plot lol — the moment this fic’s foundation really “clicked” for me was when I noticed mysterious diamond thievery appeared in both the time travel arc and the Jangler arc, and I was like “I can work with that”

Jellie: I want you to know the staging of this scene was specifically so I could have a reversal of the “villain stroking a cat while scheming” trope where Scar is a) wanting to do a good deed not a villainous one and b) basically getting a plan fed to him

Scene 14:

Okay pretty much this scene’s basically the transcribed version of a scene from Grian’s Season 6 ep 56 lmao but ig I’ll just talk more about how I thought to include the Jangler plot in the first place; originally, the premise of this fic was adapted from an abandoned non-MCYT fic draft I had floating around in my WIP folder, where the two characters were university dormmates who were unknowingly also vigilante partners + there was a whole Miraculous Ladybug style love square going on (on second thought, I was basically just making MLB with vigilantes lmao). When I got the idea to adapt it to a Desert Duo-centric superhero trying to catch supervillain fic, I wanted to make it platonic since most of the superhero aus I’ve read for the pair are romantic and I wanted to do smth different — the problem was that getting rid of the romance also got rid of a lot of the tension between the characters, so I needed smth to replace it — hence the detective/Jangler dynamic being included to make sure both characters were actively hiding a secret from the other at all times

Scene 16:

This is probably a little obvious on second read but I did leave a comment to myself on one of my draft docs pointing out that KYEC!Scar decided to continue going out as the Jangler (even though he’d already technically fulfilled the returning diamonds thing he’d invented the persona for) because he overheard Grian talking about how he’d prefer to have more to work on + would get money from it

Scene 18:

Attempted murder: back on the Season 6 reference train we go! This is from Grian’s ep 12 where he pranks an AFK Jevin by putting him on a flying machine and the game glitches and sends Jevin falling to his death

Scene 20:

The foreshadowing here is very obvious but this scene was a last minute addition I did not plan to include but was compelled to write bc I needed something to lighten the mood a bit since it was getting too serious and also bc I wanted to include the “sweet job” pun. Yes, I know it’s terrible. Yes, I laugh at it every time.

Scene 21 + 22:

Cookie trail: here’s another “mostly transcribed” scene from Grian’s Season 6 ep 57 — I ran into a little problem logistically since flying isn’t the norm in this world but is in Hermitcraft, so I had to shove in the whole “flying machine to reach the top of the cookie” thing lmao

KYEC!Stress: she does not make an appearance but I gave her ice powers bc of her ice castle base in Season 6

Scene 24:

This entire scene is just Desert Duo dancing around each other trying to keep their secret identities secret but KYEC!Scar’s comment, “I always forget what information’s public” is a bit of irony that made me laugh while writing bc it comes straight after he accidentally reveals he knows where the cookie was

Scene 25–28:

Hitman after KYEC!Grian: yep this goes back to Grian’s Season 6 ep 14 where Jevin puts out a hit on Grian after the AFK prank that Iskall tries to carry out

Grian’s trap: this is obviously just the trap for Iskall that Grian makes to stop him but I would like you to know that I went back to the episode to count the number of pistons used to make sure it lined up lmao

Scene 28 is also basically just a very dramatic version of the chase scene in this episode with some Watcher paranoia for spice

Scene 30–31:

Time machine: time to circle all the way back around to this plot lol — I didn’t think it made sense for KYEC!Grian to build a time machine himself during all of this but he still gets access to one in the end thanks to Mumbo. Grian’s Season 6 ep 79 has him go back in time to stop his diamonds from being stolen, only to realize he’s the one who stole them in the first place, and I thought it was a fitting way to end the fic after all the diamond stealing shenanigans

And hey, that's it! That list totally didn't take me like two hours to write up and find the episodes for! No wonder I had to restructure this fic like seven times when writing it!

Anyway, if you read this far, thanks for indulging my madness :) And to anyone who's engaged with any of my fics, thank you thank you thank you for every hit, kudos, comment, and bookmark!

#fanfic writing #ao3 #KYEC #hermitcraft fic #wow this list is longer than anticipated #okay then #i had to dig through all my notes and draft docs for this #it was an experience

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tobiasdrake · 5 months

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That questioning provided little in the way of concrete answers but gave us something to work with. Let's fire up my favorite Forte and get another angle on this killing.

We're back at the scene of discovery. Victim's been dead for eight hours. First thing to check out is, of course, the victim's body. That's the biggest thing we couldn't see from the present.

Do his hands look waterlogged? They look waterlogged to me.

Which backs up the idea that the room was half-filled with water when he drowned.

Still not that much water, though. So how he drowned in it remains a mystery.

We still haven't proven relevancy to our case. It's possible this is something that was done to this door at some other point in time.

But we should consider the possibility that the door had to be sealed up, to retain the floodwater. Interior rooms are not, by nature, designed to seamlessly transform into makeshift swimming pools.

It'd be easy to conclude that these are signs of a struggle. But I'm gonna say that these are signs of a flood. Pretty sure most of this stuff floats, so it wouldn't remain stationary if the room was half submerged.

If you look behind the cart, you can even see the flood line is a bit above the cart. Enough that the supplies might bob away.

What we expected to find. Smashed tanks, flooded floor, dead fish. Nothing unusual about those elements we've thoroughly gone over already.

Which could potentially make this our avenue of escape, if the killer was on the scene when it happened.

It also hinders the flood theory. Why wouldn't the victim simply open the door and let the water out? Then again, that may have been the trap.

If the servant was here in the room at the time of the murder then the Servant becomes the only reasonable suspect. Jeryn and Tetra have alibis.

Opening the door probably is how the makeshift swimming pool was undone. Of course, the water line is above the tanks, and we don't know how long the water was in here. The fish could have easily left their tanks during that time.

Maybe that's why the tanks were smashed. There was no getting them back into the tanks at that point and the killer needed a way to explain why they were out.

With weird elements like this, sometimes it pays to not ask "Why would the killer want to do that?" but rather "Why did the killer have to do that?"

If it seems like the killer did something totally weird and unnecessary then that probably means they'd get screwed if they didn't. Nobody lingers at a crime scene without cause.

Like the door tape, we don't know that this is relevant to the crime. But it's certainly weird. I was hoping we'd get something a bit more smoking gun, but no dice.

They're proof of the makeshift swimming pool.

What'd you find, girl? Is it a piece of evidence? It sure looks like a piece of evidence. It looks like a blue hose that might have been in the vent pouring water into the room at the time of the murder. Who's a good girl? You are! Yes, you are!

Y'all, I think the Forever Rain is the murder weapon. Jackpot fist pump!

You're sitting on a DME fortune and your dog's favorite toy is a knot made of blue hose? She should be drowning in squeaky things.

This is more reason why I think Tetra's clear of any suspicion. This hose knot is probably the murder weapon. If Tetra was the one to use it, she wouldn't be volunteering all of this information.

The better question is, where do you get your hoses from? This isn't exactly the sort of thing you expect to see wealthy heiresses playing with.

Holy shit, we're actually bothering with proper evidence handling. Don't want to contaminate the hose knot. Uh. Any more than Sugar's saliva and teeth already have.

Halara is the most detective out of any detective in this game.

With two suspects and nothing clinching the case, no less. The Servant seems the more suspect of the two, due to their lack of alibi and the use of a rubber hose for the murder. But Jeryn isn't clear either, as he has a potential motive and equal access to the tools of the crime.

We know the makeshift pool was the mechanism of Pops's death. But. How. If the door was taped to waterproof the room then it would have had to have happened after he came in, right? If he opened the taped door, it would ruin the seal.

After dinner, Pops must have come in here. The killer would have had to knock him out, then rig the room to begin flooding and leave him to drown in the flooding room. Which is such an unwieldy way to kill someone. What if he regained consciousness?

Ugh, this is not coming together.

I'm stunned that Halara needed to explain this to Yakou and Tetra. This may be the most obvious contradiction in mystery history.

They had to destroy the fish tanks. Though why they smashed this one too, I'm not sure. Maybe they had no choice. If its fish had swam the coop during the flood, they might have felt it was more dangerous to leave it filled but empty than to smash it.

That sounds like a smoking gun to me. He could have rigged the rain gutters to pour into the vent.

We should investigate those rain gutters next. If we can find evidence that they're rigged the way we suspect, we can nail Jeryn on this.

Yakou, you have no idea how much they've found. Don't go pre-judging before Halara's presented their final case.

ACE. DETECTIVE.

He is not blowing smoke. That is a well-earned title. And possibly in more ways than one.

#master detective archives: rain code #drake plays rain code #halara nightmare

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jasunwuu · 2 months

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Mastering English Online: The Key to Global Communication

In our increasingly connected world, fluency in English provides a significant edge, enhancing global communication and opening doors to numerous opportunities. With the advent of the Internet, learning English online has become more accessible and flexible than ever before. Various effective methods facilitate this online learning journey, ranging from engaging video lessons, regular interactive sessions, to one-on-one tutoring - all from the comfort of your home. Interestingly, AmazingTalker offers online classes in a variety of subjects like Phoenix Math classes near me, Phoenix Chinese classes near me, Phoenix Japanese classes near me, Phoenix Korean classes near me, and even Phoenix Piano classes near me. However, mastering English still stands as a universally beneficial skill, making it a highly sought after course in the online learning space.

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When learning English online, it's crucial to set specific language goals for yourself. These goals can serve as your roadmap, guiding your studies and keeping you motivated. Having clear objectives enables you to measure your progress and provides a sense of accomplishment when you achieve them.

Here are some tips for setting effective goals:

Be specific and measurable: Instead of saying "I want to improve my English," try saying "I want to expand my vocabulary by learning 20 new words each week."

Keep them achievable: Don't set goals that are too high or too low. Make sure they challenge you, but are still feasible given your time constraints and current skill level.

Set a time frame: Goals without deadlines are just dreams. It's important to have a clear idea of when you want to achieve your goals.

Make them relevant to your needs: Your goals should align with your individual needs and priorities. If you're learning English for a job, for instance, you might focus on mastering business English vocabulary.

Tips on Creating a Personalized Study Plan

A well-structured study plan is another key element of successful online English learning. It should be personalized to fit your needs, learning style, and schedule. Here's how to create one:

Assess your current level and needs: Conduct a self-assessment or ask a teacher to help you determine your current English proficiency and identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Set your learning objectives: Based on your assessment, establish what you want to achieve with your English studies. This could be anything from improving your pronunciation to mastering English grammar.

Choose the right resources: Depending on your goals, you might need different resources. For instance, if you're focusing on listening skills, you might find podcasts or audiobooks useful.

Schedule regular study sessions: Consistency is key in language learning. Make sure your study plan includes regular, scheduled learning times.

Revise and adapt your plan: Your study plan is not set in stone. Regularly review your progress and adjust your plan as necessary.

At AmazingTalker, we understand that each learner is unique, and that's why our one-on-one teaching approach is personalized with customized materials. Our tutors have transparent qualifications and experience and can help you set your specific language goals and create a personalized study plan. Plan your schedule, discuss course content with your teacher before classes, and even book a 25-minute trial lesson to start your English learning journey with us!

Reap the Benefits of Practicing English with Native Speakers at AmazingTalker

When learning English, nothing beats practicing with native speakers. Not only does it expose you to the natural flow and nuances of the language, but it also allows you to pick up authentic accent and pronunciation. Moreover, it offers the opportunity to learn about cultural contexts and colloquial expressions that are often missed out in traditional language classes.

Enter AmazingTalker - an effective platform that connects you with native English speakers to help turbocharge your language learning journey.

Customized, Personalized, and Interactive Learning

Tailored One-on-One Sessions: AmazingTalker offers personalized one-on-one teaching that's uniquely tailored to your needs. This allows for customized materials, ensuring that each lesson is catered to your learning style and proficiency level.

Qualified Tutors: The platform prides itself on transparent tutors’ qualifications and experiences. This means you can be confident that you’re learning from experienced and proficient tutors.

Flexible and Contract-Free: With AmazingTalker, you're not tied to any contract. The platform provides transparent pricing and flexible lessons. You can choose the frequency and timing of your sessions to fit your schedule.

Finding the Right Tutor is a Piece of Cake

With AmazingTalker, you get the liberty of choosing tutors based on your budget, requirements, and schedule. You can discuss the course content with teachers before the class, ensuring that your lessons are as fruitful as possible. Plus, there's a 25-minute trial lesson to help you decide if the tutor is the right match for you.

Broaden Your Horizon with Multiple Language Options

While we’re highlighting the benefits of practicing English with native speakers, it is worth mentioning that AmazingTalker offers courses in 48 different languages including Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German. So, you can expand your linguistic abilities far beyond English.

With AmazingTalker, practicing English with native speakers is not just effective, but fun and flexible too. So dive into a learning experience like no other and boost your English language skills to new heights!

The Magic of Movies in Honing Listening Skills in English

Movies serve as an entertaining and interactive platform for language learners to enhance their comprehension of English. They expose viewers to different accents, idioms, slang, and real-life dialogues, which contribute significantly to the improvement of their listening skills. Coupled with visual context, movies help viewers understand conversations better, even if they don’t grasp every single word.

Let's delve right in and explore a few suitable movies and TV shows for English learners:

Movies to Improve English Comprehension

1. "The King's Speech"

This 2010 British historical drama provides an excellent opportunity to acquaint oneself with British English. The conversation is slow-paced and articulate, making it ideal for beginners.

2. "Forrest Gump"

This movie showcases a southern American accent, which is a great way to acquaint English learners with various dialects of the English language.

3. "Toy Story"

It's a fabulous pick for beginners due to its simple dialogues and clearly articulated standard American English.

4. "The Social Network"

This movie provides a chance to learn modern-day expressions and business jargon. It's suitable for intermediate and advanced learners.

TV Shows to Improve English Comprehension

1. "Friends"

An ever-popular sitcom that uses everyday English expressions. It provides exposure to various American accents and the colloquial language.

2. "Sherlock"

This British TV series is excellent for those wanting to familiarize themselves with British English and the accent.

3. "The Big Bang Theory"

Though it's filled with scientific jargon, this sitcom uses everyday language, making it suitable for learners at all levels.

4. "Game of Thrones"

Great for English learners at an advanced level, this show exposes viewers to a wide range of accents and unique vocabulary.

Remember, the key to improving your English listening comprehension is regular practice. Watching movies and TV shows provides that practice in an enjoyable and engaging way. Happy watching!

Advantages of Online English Courses with AmazingTalker

Online English courses have significantly transformed language learning across the globe. They eliminate geographical boundaries, offering flexibility and personalization to meet individual learning needs.

Personalized One-On-One Teaching

AmazingTalker provides a unique approach to online English learning with personalized one-on-one teaching. Customized materials are used to suit your specific language needs, ensuring improved language competence and confidence. You are not just a number in a class - the teaching is centered around you.

Transparent Teacher Qualifications

Teachers on AmazingTalker's platform have open, transparent qualifications and experience. You get to choose a teacher who best suits your learning objectives. Whether you're looking to improve your conversation skills, or prepare for an exam, there is a qualified teacher ready to help you achieve your goals.

Flexibility and Convenience

One of the main advantages of AmazingTalker is the flexibility it provides. There are no contracts tying you down, which means you can learn at your pace. AmazingTalker offers transparent pricing and flexible lesson options. This allows you to learn English without financial strain or rigid schedules.

Teacher Selection Based On Your Needs

With AmazingTalker, you can select teachers based on your budget, requirements, and schedule. You even have the opportunity to discuss course content with teachers before classes, ensuring that your learning is structured around what you want to achieve. And to be certain you've made the right choice, you can book a 25-minute trial lesson before ongoing lessons.

Variety of Language Courses

Besides English, AmazingTalker offers online courses in 48 different languages. So whether you want to learn Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, or other languages, AmazingTalker has got you covered.

In conclusion, the advantages of online English courses via AmazingTalker are numerous, ensuring effective, convenient, and personalized language learning. Choose AmazingTalker and experience language learning crafted just for you.

Mastering Common English Vocabulary with AmazingTalker

Learning and using common English vocabulary doesn't have to feel like a herculean task. Here's how you can make it a breeze:

Start with basics: It's always easiest to start with simple words and phrases. Once you've got them down, you can gradually move on to more complex vocabulary.

Use flashcards: Flashcards are an excellent tool for memorization. You can write the English word on one side and its meaning on the other. Quizzing yourself with these cards regularly can reinforce your memory.

Practice everyday: Incorporating English into your daily routines can help you get used to the language. Try speaking, reading, and writing in English every day.

Learn in context: When learning a new word, try to see it used in a sentence. It helps you understand not just the meaning of the word, but how it's used in context.

How AmazingTalker Helps You Build Vocabulary

AmazingTalker provides a comprehensive platform for learning and building your English vocabulary. Here's how they help:

Personalized Teaching: AmazingTalker offers one-on-one teaching with customized materials. This means you can focus on the areas where you need improvement, like vocabulary.

Qualified Tutors: Tutors on AmazingTalker's platform have transparent qualifications and experience. So, you can be confident that you're learning from someone who knows their stuff.

Flexible Lessons: AmazingTalker doesn't lock you into contracts. They offer transparent pricing and flexible lesson options, making it easy for you to learn at your own pace.

Trial Lessons: Not sure if a teacher is the right fit for you? No worries. You can discuss course content with teachers before classes and book a 25-minute trial lesson.

Wide Language Offerings: Looking to learn more than just English? AmazingTalker offers online courses in 48 different languages, including Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German.

With these tips and tools from AmazingTalker, learning and using common English vocabulary can become an easy and enjoyable process.

Making English Learning Fun and Consistent

When it comes to language learning, consistency is just as important as the techniques you use. Practicing a little each day allows the brain to process and reinforce new knowledge, making your learning journey more effective. However, the challenge often lies in how to maintain this consistency. The answer? Make your learning enjoyable!

When learning English, or any other language, fun should be at the heart of your sessions. This helps you to look forward to it, making it almost effortless to stick to your study schedule. The question then becomes, how can you make English learning enjoyable?

Diversify Your Learning Materials

Utilize a variety of resources that cater to all learning styles – from textbooks to podcasts, videos, and songs. This not only ensures you get a well-rounded understanding of the language but also ensures you stay engaged.

Use Personalized Learning Materials

Opt for teaching platforms like AmazingTalker that offer customized materials. This will allow you to learn in a way that resonates with your interests and learning style, making the process more enjoyable.

Make Use of Interactive Platforms

Platforms that enable interactions with fluent English speakers can make your learning fun and practical. For instance, the tutors on AmazingTalker's platform have transparent qualifications and experience, meaning you can learn from the best while also enjoying stimulating conversations.

Learn Through Real-life Scenarios

Incorporating English into your day-to-day activities can be both fun and effective. Try naming items around you in English, reading your favorite books in English, or even watching movies in English to help reinforce what you’ve learned.

Take Regular Breaks

Studying for long, uninterrupted hours can lead to burnout. Instead, take short breaks to relax and recharge. This helps to maintain focus and increase enjoyment during your learning sessions.

Gamify Your Learning

Turn your learning into a game. You can use language learning apps that offer quizzes, puzzles, or rewards to make the process more entertaining.

Find a Study Partner

Having a study partner can motivate you to stay consistent and makes the learning process more fun. On AmazingTalker, students can discuss course content with teachers before classes, allowing for a collaborative and enjoyable learning environment.

Remember, learning should never feel like a chore. By finding ways to enjoy the process, you'll be more motivated, consistent, and successful in your English learning journey. Whether you're learning English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, or German, AmazingTalker is here to make your language learning experience enjoyable and rewarding. Happy learning!

The Significance of Regular Speaking Practice in English and the Role of AmazingTalker

In the journey of mastering the English language, consistent speech practice is a crucial factor. Being fluent in English isn't about knowing the most words or even writing perfect sentences, but about being able to express thoughts and opinions clearly and confidently in a conversation. This is where regular speaking practice comes in. It's the very exercise that allows you to get comfortable with the rhythm, pronunciation, and intonation of the language.

However, self-practice can often lead to frustration and limited progress due to a lack of feedback and guidance. That's where AmazingTalker comes into play. Let's delve into how it aids in your English speaking practice.

Personal Customized Teaching

With AmazingTalker, you'll have access to one-on-one teaching sessions where the learning materials are customized to your needs. This personalized teaching approach helps you work specifically on areas you need to improve, including speaking English.

Qualified Tutors At Your Disposal

AmazingTalker offers you a range of tutors with transparent qualifications and experienced backgrounds. This means you can find a well-suited tutor to guide you through your English speaking practice. Having a qualified speaking partner ensures you get accurate feedback, and guidance on pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, making your practices more effective.

Flexibility and Convenience

AmazingTalker understands the value of your time and tailors its services to offer maximum flexibility. With no contracts in place, you have transparent pricing and flexible lesson options. You can choose teachers based on your budget, requirements, and schedule. And if you're skeptical, you can discuss course content with teachers before classes and even book a 25-minute trial lesson.

Multitude of Languages

The beauty of AmazingTalker is not restricted to English alone. It offers online courses in 48 different languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German. This makes it an ultimate platform for language learners.

In summary, regular speaking practice in English is pivotal in achieving language fluency, and AmazingTalker can be an effective tool in your English learning journey, providing personalized learning, experienced tutors, and flexible scheduling to suit your needs.

The Real Value of Understanding Natural English Speech Patterns

In the world of language learning, understanding natural speech patterns in English can open doors to global conversations, cross-cultural interactions, and numerous opportunities for personal or professional growth. Comprehending these patterns, characterized by native speakers' accents, intonations, and colloquialisms, is central to achieving fluency and ensuring effective communication. Here's where AmazingTalker plays a pivotal role.

At AmazingTalker, we believe that interaction with native speakers is the key to master any language, including English. Our online platform offers a unique opportunity to connect with experienced tutors who have transparent qualifications and bring about a natural learning experience.

Explore the World of AmazingTalker

AmazingTalker is not your typical language learning platform. We offer:

Personalized one-on-one teaching: We focus on your unique learning needs and goals.

Customized teaching materials: We use resources that optimize your language acquisition and retention.

Transparent tutor qualifications: You can view the qualifications and experience of our tutors upfront.

No contracts: Learn at your own pace without the need for long-term commitments.

Transparent pricing: Know exactly what you're paying for with our open pricing policy.

Flexible lesson options: Choose your lessons according to your availability, preference and individual learning style.

The AmazingTalker platform is designed to provide an interactive, engaging, and efficient learning experience. Before you commit to a full course, you also have the option to book a 25-minute trial lesson. This ensures you find a teacher that matches your learning style, budget, and schedule. Furthermore, the platform offers online courses in 48 languages, including but not limited to English, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, French, and German.

Regardless of whether you are a beginner eager to learn or an advanced student looking to polish your skills, AmazingTalker is your propeller towards mastering the nuances of English speech patterns. Engaging with our native tutors will not only expose you to distinctive accents and phrases but also provide a practical, real-world context that makes language learning more relatable, enjoyable, and ultimately successful.

Embrace Cultural Immersion for Effective Language Learning

Learning a language goes beyond grammar rules and vocabulary lists; it spans to understanding and immersing oneself into the culture tied to that language. This is because culture and language are intrinsically linked, and understanding both can offer deep insights into the mindset and worldview of native speakers.

Now, how can you engage with English-speaking culture online? AmazingTalker, an innovative online language platform, has got you covered!

Engage with English-speaking Culture Using AmazingTalker

AmazingTalker is not just about language instruction but also offers a cultural immersion experience, making language learning an enriching journey. Here's how you can leverage this platform to connect with English-speaking culture:

Personalized One-on-One Teaching: The platform offers personalized teaching with customized materials. This ensures that your language learning experience is tailored to your personal interests and needs, which could include understanding the English-speaking culture.

Qualified Tutors: Tutors on AmazingTalker's platform have transparent qualifications and experience. This means you can be confident that you're learning from someone that is not only proficient in the language but also deeply familiar with the culture.

Flexible Lesson Options: You can discuss course content with teachers before classes and even book a 25-minute trial lesson. This flexibility allows you to focus on areas you're interested in, such as English-speaking films, literature, music, or customs.

Choose Your Perfect Tutor: Students can choose teachers based on budget, requirements, and schedule. If you're keen on immersing in a specific English-speaking culture (be it American, British, Australian, etc.), you'll be able to find a tutor who fits that cultural background.

By leaning into cultural immersion with AmazingTalker, you’ll not only grasp the English language more effectively but also get to explore and appreciate the diverse and rich English-speaking cultures around the globe. This makes learning English not just an academic task, but a thrilling cultural adventure, bringing you one step closer to the world!

Immersing Yourself in English

Traveling to English-speaking countries is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in the language and culture. This method offers several advantages to language learners:

Real-world Practice: Interacting with locals gives you immediate, practical application of what you've learned.

Cultural Understanding: Living in an English-speaking community gives you a unique insight into their customs and lifestyle.

Natural Environment: The opportunity to converse in English on a daily basis enhances your listening and speaking skills.

However, if traveling abroad isn't possible, there is no need to fret! There are still plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the English language right from home.

Virtual Immersion

Online Language Exchange: Participate in language exchange with people from English-speaking countries.

English Media: Watch English TV shows, films, and listen to English radio or podcasts. You can adjust the speed of the content to match your comprehension level.

Social Networking Platforms: Join English-language social media groups and forums. They offer a platform for interacting with native English speakers.

Online Courses: Enroll in online English courses, like those offered by AmazingTalker, which are designed to mimic immersion experiences.

Remember, the key to language learning is consistency. Whether you're exploring an English-speaking country or immersing yourself online, ensure to practice regularly. Try to mix and match different techniques to keep the learning process exciting and effective. Engage with native speakers on the AmazingTalker platform for a personalized learning experience. You can choose a teacher who matches your schedule, budget, and specific requirements. AmazingTalker also offers a 25-minute trial lesson so that you can gauge the teaching style and course content before enrolling. It's a flexible and practical way to immerse yourself in English, regardless of your location.

Conclusion: Secure Your Path to English Mastery with AmazingTalker

In summary, effective online English learning entails a mix of strategies including personalized learning plans, practicing consistently, immersing oneself in English language content, and leveraging technological tools. A platform like AmazingTalker embodies these strategies by offering tailor-made lessons, flexible scheduling, and a rich pool of resources, all under the guidance of experienced tutors. Learning English online has never been as convenient and efficient as it is with AmazingTalker. So why wait? Immerse yourself in the community, leverage the available resources, and start your journey towards English proficiency with AmazingTalker today. Remember, language is the bridge that connects people and cultures. Start building your bridge with AmazingTalker right now.

#reading #books

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em-writes-stuff-sometimes · 2 months

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hi em! as someone who's in the fandom and writing content abt it, how do you keep yourself immersed in the fantasy aspect that it gives you? i've been struggling lately to immerse myself in the hotd/got universe bec i've been consuming little to no content related to it anymore and it just makes me sad to think that i know it made me happy, excited, and entertained but then realize that it doesn't give me the same feelings anymore :(( i know this happens to some people that do start writing fics bec of a series or movie that they liked but then slowly loose interest with it but i just wanna know how to cope with it bec i dont want to just simply categorize it as a "phase"

ps. sorry if this all came out as a mess, my english is my 2nd language

Hey, nonnie!

First of all, I’m sorry it took this long to get to your ask. I hope my answering now is alright?

I’m not sure I have a satisfying response to this one, unfortunately. I’ve always been preferential to historical fantasy above other genres; I think it’s in part due to my preference for learning about medieval history combined with the wonder I’ve always felt with elements like magic and sword fighting and fantastical battles to save the world. As I’ve matured into adulthood, my desire for ‘mature’ content has evolved. For all its surface-level chastity, sex and sexuality and violence have always underpinned the societies I’ve always loved learning about. In ASOIAF, these things are not only relevant but arguably a bit glorified or oversaturated, and as someone who grew up in quite a repressed environment, I find exploring these things through fandom is quite cathartic for me and has helped me unpack so many of my issues with control and sexuality.

I think one of the most demoralising parts of fandom is trying too hard to insert yourself into fandom spaces; there’s such a drive to ‘connect’ and build circles of peers on social media that does so much to limit the very reason you begin to engage in the first place. I’ve not been creating or been online so much since the end of last year, and a big part of it was how toxic my perception of fandom had become. I was ‘friends’ with people who spent the majority of their time degrading other members of the community behind closed doors and clearly only associated with me because of their belief that I would boost their likes/reblogs. I engaged in some really negative and self-damaging behaviours, spurred on by these people, and it led to a long protracted period of extreme anxiety around writing. I love writing. It’s why I came here. To have ‘fandom’ ruin it for me was so, so disheartening. I’ve since pulled back on my interactions with those people and am trying to move forward with the sole goal of doing things that bring me joy; this blog started as a source of joy, and I want nothing more than for it to KEEP being a source of joy for both me and others.

Forgive me if I’ve misattributed the waning of your interest to fandom; I cannot help but associate the two, because difficulties surrounding the desire to belong CAN really be such a motivating factor for writers needing to step away from the fandom. I think it’s important to remember that you are writing for yourself, NOT for the validation of numbers. Of course, there IS validation in our role here, there’s no denying that—but I’d prefer to focus on validation wherein people are genuinely connecting with my writing on a critical level, or those who identify with the struggles I explore in my writing, or those who’ve found meaning or validation in my work in itself. The quantity of this is irrelevant. It’s the QUALITY of the engagement that should be the benchmark for any validation you are seeking through writing.

It’s important too to keep engaging with the original source material! Rewatch the show! Watch edits of your favourite scenes or characters! Read fanfiction! And above all, treat your work as seriously as professional writers treat theirs. You put JUST as much effort and care and time into creating it. You are allowed to be proud of it, and you are allowed to treat it seriously. There’s such a damaging culture of ‘I’m just a silly fangirl writing silly meaningless fanfics, it’s not deep or special teeheehee’ etc., and I don’t think that’s necessarily always true. Maybe your work ISN’T the next award-winning prize novel, but YOU are allowed to view it as such. It isn’t conceited. You made it with your brain and your fingers and your inspiration and your heart, and you deserve to revel in the happiness that brings you! It’s a huge bonus if it ALSO brings others to your door.

At the end of the day, you have to write for you, to make yourself happy and proud, to tell the stories you wish were out there.

I hope this helps, nonnie!

#fandom asks #fanfiction asks #writing asks

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aritatum · 3 months

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my top 3 TV shows/movies

Coraline

I’ve watched Coraline for nearly 10 years, and it seems easy to find new ways to fall in love with this movie. The art direction is admirable, from color schemes to the selective medium of stop motion. With Coraline’s color palette, I love how warm and semi-saturated colors are despite some scenes using a cool color scheme to portray the mood. Coraline expresses mood and emotions very skillfully and really amazing, and I feel like it’s emphasized because of stop motion.

Story-wise, Coraline uses every detail to tell its story. The environment is key, as I am a sucker for perfect realities gone wrong. With the present reality, certain details are covered in the perfect reality, most evidently the magic door that leads Coraline to travel between these two worlds, but even the small aspects of the house are fixed to perfection. I love how the Other Mother takes advantage of these and makes a morbid situation a game by using these elements to hide important objects in the world.

The collapse of this perfect reality is bittersweet, but I feel like it also shows the growth of Coraline as a character. The fact that what she wanted in real reality was entertainment, to do something or to make something fun, and in the perfect reality where she gets what she wants, but in a rather fascinating, creepy way, using the Monkey’s Paw technique in this story.

2. Amphibia

I watched Amphibia last year during spring break, and I knew I was going to like it at some point of time last year. At first, I was just casually watching, and I loved how funny it was while also having its serious moments. When I went to rewatch it, however, I saw how many references they packed into this show and the connections between pop culture and fantasy. I love how interwoven these two genres are. And I love how it’s based on frogs, which I haven’t seen before. All of these small and big moments are what led me to really appreciate this show.

The environment in this show is very creative. I think the world-building in this show is inspirational. I love how the different regions still stay relevant to the climate of many amphibians while also representing different cultures in real life. I also like how there were various mentions or rather scenes representing Asian culture. The episodes that feature the temples of Amphibia are exciting. I love how they approach the flaws of the characters featured while showing their strengths at the same time, highlighting their personality.

To cut my love for Amphibia short, Amphibia is one of my favorite cartoons due to how it has helped me take action on what kind of person I want to be. With the many season-ending episodes mentioning the importance of the connections that we have with our friends and family, Amphibia has inspired me to do what feels right to me, to branch out of my comfort zone, and to appreciate my friends, family, and the new connections I’ll make in the future despite the inevitable changes of life.

3. Moana

Moana is a comfort movie of mine, sharing almost the same reasons why I love Coraline. Moana’s visuals, the details in the tropical environment, especially with Tamatoma himself and his “lair”, and Te Ka becoming Te Fiti. Moana has impeccable composition, and many moments of storytelling while also telling the main story of Moana herself.

I admire the tenacity of Moana, her resolve to pursue what she always wanted while also doing what’s right for the people around her, and her relationship with her parents and her grandmother. I love how this movie is a journey, which is seen literally in the movie but also a deeper metaphor of what a person’s journey resembles.

I wish I could better articulate how much Moana means to me; if I were to try though, Moana reminds me of my home life or the feeling of what “home” is. I can always rely on Moana to comfort me through hard times and to remember to keep my persistence and value my self-identity.

#i didn't expect my favorite medias to be mostly tv-y7/tv-14

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speed-seo · 5 months

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ROI - The Importance of Understanding Your Business's SEO Return on Investment

If you're looking to optimize the outcome of your search engine results, then SEO is essential for increasing visibility and return on investment (ROI)! By amplifying its relevance, authority and prominence through the implementation of a powerful strategy, you can make sure that your website is seen by more people and get tangible results. We understand that this may seem like a daunting task; but investing in an effective SEO strategy pays off! See why below: 📝 - An optimized website will be noticed more in search engines, and will draw attention to itself.📝 - Through high-quality content which builds relevancy against key terms, your organic ranking will improve and create higher engagement with potential customers.📝 - As more people become aware of your products or services, they are likely to build up trust and desire what you are offering.📝 - With the right content optimisation techniques used throughout all online channels including search engines, social media pages etc., it gives consumers easy access to buy what they need from you quickly! A. Decoding the Performance of Your SEO's Return on Investment (ROI) A pivotal question that remains paramount for any business: Is our Search Engine Optimization working effectively? Well, you know– this query underpins the triumph of your marketing campaign! When we talk about SEO performance, there are a few key elements that will make or break your success – like high-quality backlinks, researching and using relevant keywords in content and metadata. All these require continuous monitoring to ensure they’re producing the desired outcome for your business. Therefore, take time to measure these factors regularly if you want to truly understand how successful your SEO campaign has been! 1. Traffic Assessment A constructive way to measure the performance of your SEO strategy is to take a look at how much traffic it's driving to your website. Seriously? Ask yourself: do I have enough people visiting my site, and do they stay long enough that they might eventually become clients? It's really quite crucial for you to get an answer on this if your digital venture is ever going to be successful – and unique – in its Return on Investment (ROI). One of the best ways to judge whether or not you’re getting great results from your SEO efforts is by analyzing the amount of visitors coming through. Are there plenty of these potential customers showing up at your door, so to speak, and hanging around long enough that some might actually turn into paying clients? This is something you definitely need clarity about – because without understanding who’s hitting up your page, you can't accurately estimate whether all that hard work has been worth it in terms of return or not! 🤔 So just take a moment and think about it. 2. Cost Consideration Think about it: Is it worth pouring money into traffic that's only going to drop off within a few months? Seriously, you should be mindful of the cost versus the benefits when forming your website's SEO strategy. Well, you know anything worthwhile requires effort and dedication—so don't shortchange yourself! 3. Search Engine Ranking Progress As your SEO campaign takes off, you'll be able to monitor the steady rise in search engine rankings for targeted keywords or phrases. 📈 When you are performing better than your competitors on these metrics, that's something to be proud of! 🎉 It's a sign that all your hard work is finally paying off - so don't forget to kick it up a notch and invest in other digital marketing tactics. Keep in mind however: success doesn't come easy; working hard is what will help you stay ahead of the game. In case you need some extra motivation - just think about how far you've come with your SEO efforts. That should do the trick! 🔑 Takeaway: Understanding your SEO performance hinges on factors like quality backlinks and keyword relevance, and requires continuous monitoring. Assessing website traffic and costs against benefits, and tracking keyword ranking progress, are crucial to evaluating SEO success and maximizing return on investment. B. Calculating Your SEO Investment There's a surefire way to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck! Track and measure your search engine performance by implementing analytical tools in your strategies. Many of them are free or low-cost, so you get to save some money while figuring out how efficient your website is running from Google searches. Crunching these numbers can unlock plenty of potential; success is waiting on the other side. Celebrate it - let us help make the magic happen 🎉 SEO ROI Formula: ROI = (Revenue from Google Traffic / Total SEO Investment) * 100 C. Preparing Your Website for a ROI Focused SEO Strategy Before investing in any strategy, we first have to establish what benchmarks of success look like for us. This means examining our own aspirations—what level of traffic and sales volume do we find triumphant? It'll also pay off to investigate our competitors' online presence. That way, we can get an objective sense of their business impact and use that information to generate objectives that work best for our specific industry and business needs. Once we've done all that, it's just a matter of tracking pertinent metrics like web traffic flow, conversion rates per sale or purchase; sales made from organic search channels- all of which enable us better determine success over time! All this considered however—it's important to remember that SEO projects might require more time than anticipated before they start seeing tangible evidence in terms of profit margins for companies. Just something extra to keep in mind! 1. Setting Up Tracking Mechanisms Tracking your progress is key for success. Google Analytics offers a great way to do just that! This amazing software provides you with an in-depth view of how your website is performing, and can help you monitor the progress of specific projects. Plus, it gives invaluable data about user engagement - page views, bounce rates, time spent on the site – that will tell you if your marketing efforts are really giving you the results you want. Don't underestimate the power of tracking mechanisms like this one - they're essential for achieving success! 2. Current State of Your Website Before launching your SEO campaign, it is important to gain a comprehensive understanding of your websites' current state, its future direction, and the metrics that define success. By addressing the nine questions below you can effectively steer your campaign towards desired outcomes. What are the goals for your website? Who is your target audience? What topics relate to your line of business? How does SEO impact other digital marketing efforts? Do you know who the competitors are in terms of visibility and ranking? Who is currently visiting your site? Are there any potential technical issues hurting the performance of the website? Is there content missing that could help improve user engagement or conversion rates? Are there certain areas with increased search volume that need focus and optimization in order to attract more qualified traffic or gain higher rankings on SERPs? Answering these nine questions can help you get a clearer understanding about your website's state and trajectory, as well as enabling you to define the parameters for success when launching an SEO campaign. To find out if all these elements can work together harmoniously, it's important to ask yourself seriously: Is SEO a good fit for my specific industry, products, services, and organizational objectives? Think about it! A successful SEO campaign requires expertise in keyword research, content creation/optimization, link building strategies - and much more! D. Boosting Your SEO ROI: A Few Handy Tips As your search engine optimization journey starts to unfold, it's important to remind yourself that having patience is key to achieving long-term success. Just like planting a tree takes time before it bears fruit, putting in hard work today will yield results down the line. It's vital that you keep up with ever-changing SEO trends if you're aiming to stay ahead of the competition; one minute something might be 'in', whereas it could become 'out' just as quickly! Above all else though, don't forget about your website visitors – regardless of how much optimization you do, prioritizing user experience should never take a backseat if you want readers engaging with your content. As such, think about crafting content that people are genuinely interested in reading while providing an easy way for them to browse around your site. Additionally, since what gets measured gets managed – make sure to track essential metrics like organic search traffic or keyword rankings on regular basis; use this data as insight into where improvements can be made so that you can continuously refine your strategy going forward. If there's anything else, we can learn from all this SEO talk – it must surely be this: Rome wasn't built in a day! It's only by putting effort in, that we can expect to see our hard work pay off. So, let's roll up our sleeves and jump into optimization with both feet! How much should you invest in SEO? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_A2cFjxLZk Wrapping Things Up Well, there we have it, folks! We've navigated the SEO highway together and hopefully; you're now feeling much better informed on how to maximize your return on investment when it comes to search engine optimization. It's been quite a ride, hasn't it? We've systematically covered the ins and outs of SEO while reinforcing the significance of creating an exceptional user experience in order for your online efforts to pay off further down the line. We even mulled over some simple strategies that could point you in the right direction when trying to bring more attention to your website or product. But all this has been expressed with a friendly - and perhaps even comedic - tone! That said, let us not forget that developing a successful SEO strategy is far from being a one-off thing. Instead, staying up-to-date with new trends coupled with frequent monitoring and optimizing are essential parts of achieving long term success. And finally, should you be looking for an extra set of helping hands or just someone who can do all of this work for you – look no further than M&G Speed Marketing LTD! Our team will make sure your digital marketing plan propels your business performance through sound SEO practices tailored according to what suits you best. Because combining our knowledgebase with what already makes your business unique can fuel terrific value from any online venture! Cheers and happy optimising! Read the full article

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softwaretraining1 · 6 months

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Why Students Should Study Machine Learning -Zenixus E-learning

Introduction

In the ever-evolving landscape of education and career choices, students often find themselves pondering over what to pursue to secure a bright and promising future. Machine Learning, a field that combines elements of computer science, data science, and artificial intelligence, has emerged as a compelling choice. This article explores why students should consider studying Machine Learning and the advantages it offers in terms of knowledge, career prospects, and personal growth.

Benefits of Studying Machine Learning

High Demand for ML Professionals

Machine Learning professionals are in high demand. As businesses and industries increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making, the need for experts who can develop intelligent algorithms and models is on the rise. Graduates with Machine Learning expertise find themselves at the center of a lucrative job market.

Versatility in Career Options

Studying Machine Learning opens doors to a diverse range of career options. Whether you want to work in healthcare, finance, e-commerce, or even on cutting-edge projects like autonomous vehicles, Machine Learning is the key to unlocking these opportunities.

Problem-Solving Skills

Machine Learning hones your problem-solving abilities. You'll learn to analyze complex data, identify patterns, and develop solutions. This skill is not only valuable in the field but also in everyday life.

Innovation and Creativity

Machine Learning encourages innovation. The ability to build models that predict future outcomes or recognize patterns in data sparks creativity and opens up endless possibilities. It's a field where you can turn your imaginative ideas into practical applications.

Career Opportunities

Machine Learning graduates have a plethora of career options. They can become data scientists, machine learning engineers, AI researchers, or business intelligence analysts. The choice is yours, and it's a world of opportunities waiting to be explored.

Skills Gained Through Machine Learning

Studying Machine Learning equips you with valuable skills like data analysis, predictive modeling, algorithm development, and deep learning. These skills are not only relevant in the field but can be applied to various aspects of your life.

Real-world Applications

Machine Learning has a vast array of real-world applications. In healthcare, it can help diagnose diseases and develop personalized treatment plans. In finance, it can predict market trends and manage risks. In e-commerce, it enhances the shopping experience, and in autonomous vehicles, it ensures safety and efficiency.

Challenges in Studying Machine Learning

While Machine Learning offers a world of opportunities, it does come with its challenges. Complex mathematics, continuous learning, and a competitive job market are some hurdles to overcome. However, with dedication and perseverance, these challenges can be conquered.

Getting Started

To embark on your Machine Learning journey, there are various learning resources available. Online courses, certifications, and building a portfolio of projects are excellent ways to gain expertise.

Advice for Aspiring Machine Learning Students

As an aspiring Machine Learning student, stay curious. Join communities and networks where you can learn and share your knowledge. Practice regularly and approach problems with a problem-solving mindset.

Future of Machine Learning

The future of Machine Learning is promising. As technology continues to evolve, so does the relevance of Machine Learning. However, ethical considerations and sustainability in AI and ML development are crucial aspects that students should keep in mind.

Conclusion

In conclusion, students considering Machine Learning should be excited about the limitless potential this field offers. It not only provides a strong foundation for a fulfilling career but also nurtures problem-solving skills, creativity, and innovation. The world is becoming increasingly data-driven, and Machine Learning is the key to unlocking its secrets.

FAQs

What is Machine Learning?

Machine Learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on developing algorithms that allow computers to learn and make predictions from data.

Can anyone study Machine Learning?

Yes, anyone with an interest in mathematics, programming, and data analysis can study Machine Learning.

How long does it take to become proficient in Machine Learning?

The time to proficiency varies, but it typically takes several months to a few years of dedicated study and practice.

Are there job opportunities for Machine Learning graduates?

Yes, there is a high demand for Machine Learning professionals, which translates to numerous job opportunities in various industries.

What are the ethical concerns in Machine Learning?

Ethical concerns in Machine Learning include bias in algorithms, data privacy, and the responsible use of AI in decision-making processes.

#zenixuselearning #zenixus #machine learning #artificial intelligence #bestsoftwaretrainingcentre #softwaretraining #programming #coding #html #python #softwaretraininginstitute #software engineering #softwaretraininginbangalore

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heathersmithau · 11 months

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The Storyteller📜 is the Most Powerful Person in the World | Paul Dunn

Interview with Paul Dunn Chief Story-Teller at CLARITY, and Co-Founder of B1G1.

💻 Technology is an enabler of more human things.

🎓 Edutainment, as education.

😬 Getting nervous when speaking.

👥 The way to connect is to be more focused on them than on you.

📜 The storyteller sets the vision and the agenda for an entire generation.

💪 The importance of having a strong presence.

🌍 The storyteller is the most powerful person in the world.

🔌 Tech is not about the inputs.

📖 The importance of telling stories that are relevant to people.

🏆 Outcomes are the key to a successful pitch.

🌐 TOAGlobal: The humanverse is a human-to-human thing in tech.

🧮 Paul’s first memory of an accountant world.

🚀 Becoming one of the first 10 in Hewlett Packard Australia.

💰 The standard accounting joke, the 9800, and how to use it.

🗣️ Hewlett-Packard seminars.

🖨️ The world’s first thermal printer and the first ‘trial’ balance.

📜 The world's first thermal scroll printer.

📊 The Australian accountants number crunch system.

📚 The story of Zig Ziglar.

🤝 The importance of getting your thoughts out into the world.

🎙️ The human element of the podcast.

🐜 The connection to tech and termites.

🌿 Nature does not solve problems. Nature solves for potential.

📞 What is a discovery call and how can you use it?

🚀 Hiring people based on their potential.

🌟 Tech is an enabler to create a better, more fulfilling human experience.

📝 The top three things accountants should do.

🤝 Engaged with original people impacted by Rod Drury’s vision.

💼 Opportunity for entrepreneurs to do their own thing.

💰 The opportunity for larger companies to grab that space and be able to say “this is not some sort of charity thing”.

🤲 Charity is a meaningful thing, not just a charity thing.

🤜 The importance of being bolder.

🔥 Be bolder in execution and in terms of reach.

📚 Sukhinder Singh Cassidy's book, Choose Possibility.

🚪 You can go through a door, but you can come back through that door.

I am thrilled to bring you an interview with Paul Dunn, the fourth and final interview in our series of interviews from the Accountants BootCamp. If you haven't already, I highly recommend you listen to the previous three episodes and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast.

When I first heard about the re:Boot of the Accountants BootCamp I was intrigued by the opportunity to see Paul Dunn in action. I have heard so many good things about him, from so many people. I was of course concerned that he could not possibly live up to the hype, but he was all that and more. He started in the industry in the early 70’s and at the re:Boot event he was extraordinarily sharp, energetic and charismatic. He made everyone in the room feel like a VIP, and I watched him take time out to speak with everyone. I don't even have that level of energy!

I was extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to speak with Paul Dunn, and I think I have really saved the best interview for last, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6Hg2rYG7mxiVFf1OL7tHuG?si=507287dc1e5f42a2

Before I introduce today's interview, I want to remind you of some ways to stay up-to-date with the accounting tech space. You can join the Xero Mastermind Facebook group, subscribe to the Accounting Apps newsletter at HeatherSmithAU.com, and subscribe to the Cloud Stories podcast. Also, connect with me, Heather Smith on LinkedIn.

Now, let's get into today's episode, where I am joined by Paul Dunn Chief Story-Teller at CLARITY, and Co-Founder of B1G1.

Connect with me here:

Newsletter https://heathersmithAU.com

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/HeatherSmithAU/

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherSmithAU

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherSmithAU

Medium: https://heathersmithau.medium.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANISEConsulting/podcasts

Cloud Stories w. @HeatherSmithAU

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relationshipsshrink · 1 year

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The Rewards Of Helping Others

In a previous blog, I spoke of your relationship with your SELF as, arguably, the most important relationship in your life and the most important element in a romantic relationship.

As a therapist, I know that it’s impossible to manage my patients’ goals and objectives if I am unable to remain aware of my own strengths, weaknesses, and potential sources of bias. To be clear, I am not an idealist who thinks that altruism and charity alone is all that matters. I still make choices based upon my self-interest. However, this does not mean that I can afford to get caught up with myself, as if I am the center of my own universe.

However, personal fulfillment in relationships alone is not enough. Therefore, in addition to my need for “self-actualization” and becoming the best I can be, I must go beyond that to “other-actualization,” and making sure I help my patients to be the most they can be. Our relationship, referred to the therapeutic alliance, is a key factor in facilitating the patient’s transformation.

If the truth be known, after many years of being a psychotherapist, there is nothing quite like the feeling I get when I enable my patients to succeed. There is something magical about knowing I have helped someone else.

I have come to realize that my most fulfilled SELF is when I am of value to others.

The Secret to Happiness is Helping Others

There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”

Reflecting on some of my childhood lessons, one that I recall very clearly (that is still relevant) is that it is better to give than receive. Is there is a deeper truth behind this ethic that we need to be aware of?

The answer is YES.

Scientific research provides compelling data to support the anecdotal evidence that giving is a powerful pathway to personal growth and lasting happiness. Experiments show evidence that altruism is hardwired in the brain – and that it’s pleasurable.

Indeed, scientists have been studying a phenomenon called “helper’s high”: helping others releases endorphins (like “runner’s high”) which, in turn, improves mood and boosts self-esteem.

In one study, people were given money to either spend on themselves or give to charity. Those who gave to charity felt happier.

In short, helping others feels GOOD.

How Helping Others Will Help You Live a Better Life

According to science, the following are the mental and physical benefits you will gain from helping others:

Reduced depression / good for mental health

Lowered blood pressure

Lengthened life span

Strong social connections

Better adaptation to stress by building resilience

Enhance meaning in your life

Greater business success (Business makes money by finding ways to help people.)

Helping others may just be the secret to living a life that is not only happier, but also healthier, wealthier, more productive and meaningful.

Conclusions

When was the last time you helped someone? Holding a door open for the person behind you? Taking the time to explain something to someone who was having a hard time?

While you were doing it and afterward, how did you feel? I’ll bet you felt happy and more positive about live. That’s because the fastest way to feel joy is giving to others.

A meaningful life isn’t found, but created through your actions. And it starts with looking for ways to help others. If you want to find happiness and purpose, ask yourself:

How can I help?

How can I be of value?

In what ways can I serve?

If you have any questions, click here to schedule your initial consult.

#relationships #healthy relationships #couples relationship #couples counseling #mental health #individual counseling

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ikevampbiteme · 3 years

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I played the first 3 chapters so there's some relevant things to point out:

- MC feels sad with the perspective of going back to her time period because she spent a whole month there in the mansion already and she has become friends with everybody and she feels attached to them;

- When she was talking to Comte on his room, thinking about how much she didn't want to leave, the motherfucker hourglass that count the time for when the door opens exploded. Comte protected MC from it and he says something like "its almost if... It wants to keep you here (in this time period);

- The door is opening but they can't see the hallway that should connect the mansion with the Louvre, it's all smoky and shady, Comte saved MC again cuz it almost suck her in. He says there's something wrong with it and he asks her to stay in the mansion while figuring out how to fix it (I HAVE A THEORY);

- Mc is friends with EVERYBODY. And some of the things that usually happens in other routes happened in that time skipped month, like Theo taking her to see painters, going to the pub with Arthur and Theo, going with Vincent to watch Shakespeare's plays and such, but none of them seems like having any romantic feelings for her really (aside from the casual flirt from Theo's, Arthur's and Dazai's side);

- She's pretty close with Comte, he asks her to be his partner and going to future parties and dinners with her just to keep her company,

(this is his way to break my hopes and dreams);

- We see again that side of him that wants to dress her up elegantly and wanna pamper her, which I love so much, I think he really wants to buy her dresses to each party and occasion that they will go out just cuz he can and cuz she would look gorgeous;

- Comte is really shady, someone send help. Isaac says that once he asked Comte if he could study the door and Comte said that the door, if used wrongly, can be turn into a dangerous weapon and MC rightfully so thinks about how terrify would be if someone traveled into past to do bad things and alter those timelines (I'm looking at you Vlad);

- On Chapter 3 there's a 2 months timeskip and MC still don't know what happened with the door, she's living normally at the mansion and such. It was before the dialogue with Isaac and Napoleon.

My theory:

The door is either somehow connected to Comte or MC's and it sensed that either of them or one of them don't want let her go back - it could be his inner wish of not letting her go back or her inner strong wish of not going back just yet - so that's why the hourglass broke and that's why the door is acting weird.

That would be a cute element to it.

I also think that Comte knows about it but it's not telling her just yet (omg, so shady - like there's all this red flags around him, but I love him so much that I don't care, I really don't).

#personal #Comte of Saint-Germain route Ikemen Vampire #Ikemen Vampire spoilers

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pthalomars · 3 years

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Grounding

Cole stood outside of Kai’s door, a sour feeling pooling in his gut. It was late, he would undoubtedly be asleep. Why should he wake him up? Just so he can have someone to remind him that he’s real? That he’s alive- well, sort of..

It just felt like so much of a burden to put on his friend. However, Cole couldn’t ignore the feelings of dissociation that crept through his fragile mind.

Ever since he had been turned into a ghost, he could never really ground himself; both in the literal and psychological sense. It was hard for him to feel present when he struggled to hold a plate in his hands. His barely corporeal form seemed to phase through surroundings like there was nothing there. Maybe it was him that wasn’t really there. Everything was so cold. So distant. Now more than ever, he felt like if he didn’t have someone to bring him down to earth, that he might fade away all together.

Straining with concentration, Cole focused enough energy to knock on Kai’s door. It came out a bit louder than anticipated, upon which he cringed and recoiled his hand. The drawn out moment of silence made him reconsider his options. Maybe this was a bad idea after all.

However, just as he was about to tuck tail and run, a shuffling sound arose behind the wooden door. Footsteps slowly approached the threshold. Cole held his breath as the door creaked open and the bleary eyed fire master looked up at him.

“Cole?” Kai mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, “ ‘s early, what’s up..?”

“Ah, erm..” Cole began, “I’m sorry I-I know it’s probably not the best time, but can I uh.. I just.. I need someone.” The earth ninja began to crack his knuckles and wrists, each one letting out a dull, muffled pop. A nervous habit.

Kai looked at him, drowsiness subsiding enough for him to put the pieces together. Cole’s hunched posture, tired eyes, furrowed brows, and wavering voice. He nodded, opening up his door and allowing his friend to enter.

“Watch your step, sorry it’s a little messy in here.” Kai warned. Lighting a small flame on his finger, Kai led Cole to his bedside.

“So what’s goin’ on?” Kai asked softly, patting the space next to him on the mattress. After a beat, Cole moved to sit, letting out a dismal sigh. The bed sank beneath his weight, pushing him and Kai to be attached at the hip.

“Nothing feels real anymore, Kai.” Cole said plainly. His friend looked at him with concern, but refrained from interrupting. The black ninja continued.

“Ever since this,” he gestured to himself, “I just feel so.. Distant. Cold. Everything is so far away- I’m so far away. I don’t really feel anything anymore. I’m just..” He looked at Kai, hazy greens locking with deep browns, “I’m scared.”

Kai’s brows pinched upwards as he eyed his friend. He knew the transformation had affected him, but he didn’t realize it was to this extent. Though he had never been turned into a spirit, he knew what it felt like to lose his ground.

There had been times in his past when he became so high strung that he couldn’t come back down on his own. It was moments like that when Nya would swoop in and anchor him. She always knew how to help calm his nerves, and as time passed, he was able to do it himself. Maybe now, he could do the same for his aching friend.

“Cole, I’m.. god, I’m so sorry. I can see that you’re hurting, and I wanna help. What do you need?” Kai said, turning to face the larger man.

Cole’s gaze dropped to his hands, pausing before muttering his answer. “I think I need someone to hold onto. Like an anchor. If that.. Makes sense. If I have someone there to hold me down, the fading feeling usually goes away.”

“You need someone to ground you?”

“Mhm.”

“I can do that. There’s something my sister showed me that I think might work. It’s a mix of physical contact and mutual breathing exercises. But there’s another element I want to add. I think it might help you feel better.”

“Sure, I’m willing to try anything.” Cole said before shifting to face Kai. The two of them sat criss cross and the red ninja held out his hands with his palms up.

“Cole, I’ve seen you be able to touch and hold things with your hands. Can you tell me how you do that?”

“I uh, well I usually have to put a lot of concentration into a part of my body that needs to be solid. It takes a lot of energy, but if I try hard enough, I can maintain it.”

“In that case, I want you to put all of your concentration into your hands. Then put your hands in mine.”

Cole hesitates, but then takes a deep breath and begins to pool his focus into his palms. A strange tingling sensation spreads from the tips of his fingers, up to the knuckles and ending at his wrists. He lowers his hands and prays that they don’t fall through Kai’s. They fall through.

Seeing Cole become visibly upset, Kai chimes in. “It’s okay buddy, you don’t have to get it on the first run. Just try again, and take your time, alright?”

“Okay” the larger man sighs. Once again, he channeled his energy into his hands.

“Remember to breathe,” Kai says in a soft, low voice. Cole obliges, letting air fill his lungs and leave in a steady flow. With closed eyes, he lowers his hands again. They don’t fall through.

“Good! You’re doing great, Cole. Keep that concentration, okay? Let your hands become heavier and heavier. I’ll make sure to hold the weight.” Kai encouraged. The smaller man noted the soft gravity of his friend’s hands in his own. Even in his ghostly state, the calluses of his hands felt so tangible. His fingers were thick and his palms were wide, and his nails had been bitten so very short. Another nervous habit.

“Alright, Cole, I’m gonna breathe with you. Just follow my lead.” Kai said before taking in a large breath through his nose. The master of earth followed suit, mimicking his friend as he exhaled through his mouth. Cole opted to keep his eyes closed as he did this, instead trying to focus on his breathing and keeping his hands from slipping through Kai’s.

“You’re doing good, keep breathing just like that, okay? Now there’s one more thing I’d like to try. You said that you feel cold, like really cold, right?” said Kai. Cole hummed in response.

“I’m gonna channel some of my fire into my hands. Not a lot, but just enough to heat up my palms. I’m thinking maybe the heat will make the physical touch more grounding. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, I’m okay with that.”

“Okay good, you just let me know if it gets too hot.” With that, Kai gently tightened his grip on Cole’s hands and let his element flow freely. Like coals in a fire pit, his palms began to glow with a soft warmth.

“Do you feel anything?” the brunette asked.

“Not yet.”

Kai added more heat.

“Feel it?”

“No.”

He added more heat.

“Anything?”

“A little bit. It’s faint, but there’s something.”

He then added more heat. At this point, Kai was worried about whether or not ghosts were capable of getting burned.

“It’s warm..” Cole murmured. He opened his eyes to see the light of Kai’s fire glowing through his own translucent hands.

“How does it feel? Does it help?” Kai asked, his eyes searching for an answer in Cole’s expression.

“Good, it feels good. Grounding.”

“I’m glad. We can stay like this as long as you need, Cole.”

“Thank you, Kai.”

The two of them sat together, hand in hand, for what felt like an eternity. Not that either of them could complain. Cole let himself be brought back to reality by the warm hands that anchored him down. Kai quietly enjoyed the subtle intimacy of the physical contact.

Cole finally broke the comfortable silence that hung tenderly between them.

“I’m feeling a lot better. Thank you, genuinely. I can’t tell you how much I needed this.”

“Yeah, of course! And if you ever need me, all you gotta do is ask. And as for this-” Kai gestures to their hands, “You don’t even need to ask for that. Just grab me when you need to come back down, okay?”

“Thank you.. I-I really appreciate that.” Cole felt a soft blush blooming on his cheeks. He couldn’t deny that he had wanted to hold Kai’s hands for other reasons. However, he decided that those reasons weren’t relevant in the moment.

“Anything for you, man.” Kai affirmed, giving Cole’s hands a squeeze before pulling away to rub his eyes. Sleep had begun to creep up on him as the time had passed. Cole glanced at the red numbers on his friend’s digital clock. He noted how it was strange that time had escaped them.

“Jeez, sorry I know it’s late-”

“Don’t worry about that, I promise I don’t mind.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, and it’s not like the sun is up yet. There’s still time to catch some z’s.”

“You have a good point. Well, I won’t keep you up too much longer, I can head out if you want. I think I’ll be able to get some sleep now that I’m feeling better.”

“Did you want to stay?”

“Stay?”

“Yeah, like, stay the night. You don’t have to, obviously, but I just figured that maybe you wanted company.”

“That would.. Be nice, actually. Are you sure I wouldn’t be intruding?”

“Not at all, and I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t appreciate the company either.”

“Ah, fishing for a cuddle buddy I see.”

“I never said that,” Kai let out a chuckle, lightly punching Cole’s shoulder. It was solid.

“Well I wouldn’t mind, even if you did.” the larger man retorted, landing a similar punch on Kai’s shoulder.

The two of them weren’t strangers to that level of physicality. Though, most previous instances were purely platonic; like resting on each other during long ship rides, laying together on the couch with the rest of their friends for movie nights, and keeping contact with each other in most settings. This should be the same, but both of them felt a slightly different twinge in their hearts.

This whole grounding experience had strengthened their bond and brought them closer. Both of them usually had trouble expressing their emotions, so this was a huge step forward.

“Then get over here, why dontcha?” Kai chuckled, flopping backwards. Cole chortled, slowly crawling up to be next to his friend. The smaller man reached his arm out to the side, allowing for the black ninja to curl up against him. With a sigh, the noirette let his head rest gently on Kai’s chest. The quiet beat of his heart vibrated against his ear and he let his eyelids grow heavy until they shut completely. For the first time in a while, he slept through the rest of the night.

#ninjago #kai smith #colebrookstone #lavashipping #ninjago fic #ninjago fanfiction

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hms-no-fun · 2 years

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if you could go back and change anything about what's already been released what would you change?

the short answer is that i wouldn’t change anything, except maybe typos.

the long answer is: of course there are things i’d LIKE to change. imo the quality of the writing in godfeels has sky-rocketed through chapter 8, in large part because i’ve got collaborators checking my drafts and making suggestions rather than just publishing what i’ve got as soon as it feels done enough. so when i go back and read bits of gf2, it does feel kind of amateurish sometimes.

but then i think about going back and actually making corrections, and i’m just like... man, i don’t want to become george lucas. i did one big change of gf1 exposition to better foreshadow some of the mythological elements that show up later on, and even that feels dishonest. especially in gf3 there’s a lot of deliberate obfuscation and absence, which i did in the hopes that the diligent reader would look closely and follow the meticulously arranged transmutation circle of breadcrumbs i’d laid out for them towards something approaching A Correct Answer. but this exercise only really works if said reader trusts that there is, in fact, a correct answer. going back to change things feels like a betrayal of that trust to me. if there ever comes a day when i figure out how to publish this in book form without getting sued, i probably will go through and make some pretty substantial edits... but i would only do that if the original text remained unchanged and easily accessible.

there’s also just the fact that once you open that door, it never really closes. i could, if i really wanted to, make godfeels SO much better across the board... and for what? i still get comments on godfeels 1 saying it’s a good, brisk read. and gf2, for all its manically messy forward momentum, is exactly what i wanted it to be at the time. could i do more to seed in some of the ideas that’d become prominent in gf3? yeah, sure. again though... why? i feel much the same way about chapter 8, honestly, in that i would love to go back and tighten the screws just the teensiest bit here and there, but i think doing so would paradoxically demolish what works about it. i like to think that at least some of the fun of reading godfeels is looking at whatever clownshoes nonsense i’ve introduced this week and wondering “how the FUCK is she gonna pull this together?” so it was like doing a magic trick live, in a way. and... i think i mostly pulled it off?

this is tangential, but i’ve really gained a lot of perspective on how homestuck must have been written. it always seemed so impossible that andrew could pull all these abstract threads together into a satisfying narrative loop on basically every conceivable metanarrative level. i used to think, god, this guy had to have had so much shit planned out for so long... and now i know that probably the opposite was true. i imagine he knew the broad strokes and had very specific beats and scenes he planned to hit, but largely he must have just felt it out as he went along. i don’t think you CAN have something like this planned out from start to finish. and the fun for me as a writer is throwing a bunch of clownshoes nonsense into the story and wondering “how the FUCK am i gonna pull this together?” the improv is part of it, you know? what gives homestuck its humanity is the sheer force of will it took to put the thing together, warts and all.

really, my regrets about what’s been released of godfeels so far has a whole lot more to do with what we don’t see than what we do. when this thing started, i felt like i didn’t understand homestuck or really any characters except June. going into gf2 i was fantastically intimidated by every new character i found myself having to write, so i tried to keep the relevant characters to a minimum and mostly focus the plot on June, Terezi, and Dirk (whose characterization in gf2 only really makes sense from a homestuck perspective if you’ve read the epilogues). if i’d known that this would eventually transform into essentially a full-cast production, i would have put SO MUCH MORE THOUGHT into the secondary cast. that’s not to say i was dismissive or incurious about any of them- Jake’s conversation with June in the woods in 2.3 is still among the scenes i’m most proud of in the series, because i looked at this notoriously difficult-to-write character whose perspective, i felt, WAS important, and decided to take it as a challenge to dig into the core of who he was. maybe that’s where the spirit of post gf2 godfeels really got started?

i’ve aired this grievance before, that there’s an element of non-diegetic retcon in the circus egotistica chapter in the form of these flashbacks that try to add new context to existing relationships. as a technique that feels pretty cheap to me so i really try to avoid it as much as possible, but i didn’t have a whole lot of choice because the plot has just always been so fucking full speed ahead that i’ve never really had time to put a pause on that action and go over to see like... what Jake or Roxy are up to. if i were to start writing godfeels from the top right now, i absolutely would have spent way more time with other characters- which, again, would make the story categorically worse in the short term and really ruin what works about gf1 & 2.

luckily, i’ve designed the future of this narrative in such a way that this shouldn’t be a problem anymore :)

#godfeels #homestuck #sarahposts

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